Our last day in Perth

Sunday March 21, 2010 our last day in Perth.
Today we are taking a wine tasting cruise on the Swan River with Captain Cook Cruises. We were up early and in the lobby waiting for our ride to the jetty by 9 am. Our cruise began at 9:45 and our captain was a lady. As we were sailing away from Perth we were offered coffee and muffins and by 10:30 they began serving samples of white wine followed by red wine from the vineyards we will be visiting. The Swan River Region is very picturesque with lovely homes and vineyards all the wide riverbank. We travelled for about an hour before we stopped at “Sandalford Winery” for our first tasting well...not our first taste of the day but our first tasting at the winery. This is a fairly large winery and they have more vineyards in the Margaret River area The wines were pared with various cheeses and combined with the heat from outside, I believe I had a buzz going. Once we were back on the boat more wine was served but I had to pass...I’ve had enough for a while....Who in their right mind passes up free wine????Me I guess at least for ½ hour. We stopped again around 2 pm at “Water’s Edge Winery” Where we were served lunch...there were three choices of fish, chicken or pasta plus salads, rolls and dessert and of course wine. After lunch the tastings began again. Needless to say we were a cheerful bunch of cruisers on the way back to the city. The wine continued to flow like water until we docked. Everyone was singing and dancing on the deck. I almost felt 25 again. After docking, we hired a taxi to the Hilton. . Tonight I must organize our suitcases and pack up everything. Tomorrow we fly to Sydney and we are staying overnight before making the long trek home. This has been a dream vacation. We have sampled a bit of this wonderful country and its’ people. I don’t think I have ever met such a friendly bunch of people. They don’t seem to lead the fast paced lifestyle that we seem to live even in the cities. We have just touched the tip of the iceberg of this amazing diverse land. We have seen the beaches, the cities, a portion of the desert areas and we have encountered the native animals up close. Now it is time to mentally prepare for our normal routines. Sheldon is anxious to get back to hockey and start golf and I am just anxious!!! It has been fun doing this blog of our travels and sharing some of our pictures. Until we travel again. Will see most of you in a few days
Toddie