Drug Aware Pro Surf Comp

30 March – 5 April

 

This surfing competition is held in one of the World’s prime locations each year at Margaret River in WA’s South-West, about 4 hours drive from Perth.

Boasting the men’s six star ‘prime rated’ and women’s five star rated event, it  is one of the most prestigious World Qualifying Series events in the world and attracts over 150 of the planet’s best surfers.

The mighty waves of Margaret River provide vital points towards the ultimate prize of being recognized as the very best.

If you are visiting WA for this event, don’t forget that we can offer you an airport pick up, accommodation and hire car options. Just check out the bookings page of this website.

 

Catching Crayfish

Although I have been scuba diving for over three years now and have qualified to the level of PADI Recue Diver, I have only recently experienced the joy of diving for crayfish.
Some of my friends have been engaging in this ‘cat and mouse’ game for a while now, while I have always preferred to leave marine life undisturbed, and instead take copious amounts of photographs with which I can bore anyone willing to look at them for hours on end!
Recently though, I took the plunge (excuse the pun) at Rottnest Island and in the company of the infamous “Welshie” and my girlfriend Jo, we went hunting for our dinner.
The event was a Dive Club trip organized by Neil Clarke at Perth Dive Locker and he provided the loops. I provided the venue at Planet Inn and our versatile Chef, Mel was primed ready to cook up a feast.
I have to report that it is amazingly difficult! The little rock lobsters just don’t want to be caught and will not co-operate very much.
They hide under ledges and they always have an escape route planned. When you see their antennae poking out, you have to dive down close and poke your head under the ledge. Then you ever so carefully slide a long rod past the cray as he appears to be weighing you up. On the end of your rod is a spring loaded loop which you open up so that it’s larger than him.
If you are lucky, as you bring the loop forwards towards his tail, he will panic and walk backwards into your loop which you quickly close around him. It may sound easy enough but these things are lightning fast and very adept at sidestepping the loop.

Out of about four that I tried to catch, I succeeded only once – on the first attempt, and what a thrilling moment that was.
Between us we caught five crays that day, though one was deemed to be undersize and was thrown back. By the way, you need a “Rock Lobster Licence” from the Fisheries Department and there are stringent rules so as to protect the species from over-fishing.
I can highly recommend them cooked with garlic and lemon! Ask Mel for the special recipe.
 If you want to have a go at cray diving, just experience a trial dive or actually complete a “Learn to Dive” Course, please contact our staff at Planet Inn who will help you with all the necessary information and book it for you.
Tonaldo the “Inn Man”
23rd March, 2009

Whalesharks at Ningaloo Reef

Whaleshark Season in Western Australia runs from late March until usually the end of June.
If you have the opportunity to snorkel alongside one of these gentle giants of the sea, believe me it is an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.
If you haven’t snorkeled before, don’t worry – as long as you can swim competently, the Instructors at the various Whaleshark Tour Operators in Coral Bay and Exmouth will look after you.
At the same time every year, these beautiful creatures visit the North-West Cape and feast upon the myriad plankton and krill that fill the waters of the Ningaloo Reef when the coral is spawning.
They are actually the largest of the shark family, but unlike the man-eating legends of Hollywood’s spin, these graceful fish are gentle and harmless to mankind. If only the converse was true as well. Certain countries are still known to commit barbaric acts towards them.
They can grow up to 18 metres (about 60’) in length, though the ones who visit Ningaloo each year are typically between four to twelve metres, and weigh up to 15 tonnes with a mouth that can be over a metre wide. If frightened they will usually dive and have been known elsewhere to achieve depths of 700 metres!
The various tour operators take you to the outside of the reef, and after testing your skills with a practice swim and snorkel, they give you a great lunch on board. Then they have spotter planes in the air, looking for whalesharks. When they find one, they radio the co-ordinates to the boats.
The skipper will position the boat so that the snorkeling group can enter the ocean directly in the path of the whaleshark. Imagine your excitement as a living creature the size of a small boat comes into your line of sight surrounded by a host of other smaller fish.
I had the joy of swimming alongside a whaleshark that measured around 8½ metres and looking it in the eye. The sense of tranquility is truly amazing.
Of course you will also see plenty of other wonderful creatures during the day in this very special marine park.
Don’t miss this spectacle. It’s not cheap but you won’t regret it. Call the Planet Inn staff and we can book ahead so you don’t miss out.
Tonaldo the “Inn Man”
22nd March, 2009

“Alcoholic” Cats at the Planet Inn Perth

People who have pets often treat them as part of the family, and at Planet Inn we feel the same way.

Many young travelers miss their pets and even some of the most committed ‘dog people’ say that they have taken a shine to our ever so chilled out hostel cats.

Our two remaining cats, ‘Bourbon’ and ‘Champagne’ are on the payroll working conscientiously in the pest control and purring departments.

Aside from me, “Bourbon’ is in fact the longest serving member of staff. She was a kitten in our house before we took over the hostel in March 1996. She had a sister named ‘Coke’ who was unfortunately run over.

After the coke went flat, we enlisted ‘Tihsa’ (spell it backwards), but she went the same way.

Several other incumbents joined the ranks : ‘Guiness’ (ran over), ‘Keg’ (ran away), Stolli (moved in with an old lady after the girls gave him a hard time) and ‘Malibu’ (adopted by former staff Keef and Shaz.).

Champagne and Malibu were both rescued from the cat haven and have enjoyed happy lives ever since.

There was once a dog, named ‘Rusty’, before my time, but he was alas run over and died in Lesley’s arms.

Why cats?

They clean themselves, they bury their droppings (mostly!) and don’t need taking for walks. They have been trained not to climb on tables but are frequently seen nearby, and pretending that no-one ever feeds them when backpackers are eating.

I too was a ‘dog person’. Now I’m both a ‘cat and dog’ person.

The Planet Inn 13th Birthday Party was a Blast!

Around 15 ½ years ago, a guy named Steve decided that he was going to turn the old house into a backpackers. That wasn’t the first time this property had hosted international travelers. Many years earlier it had been a lodge and was known as ‘Travelmates’.

2½ years later, on March 1st 1996, I took over the hostel, which many of you knew as Redbackpackers, then Club Red Backpackers, and now Planet Inn.

The party was a fantastic occasion with a huge turnout and brought back many familiar faces to their old stomping ground.

Former staff attended, such as Big Dan and Annika, Little Dan, Andy & Tor, Keef and Shaz, Josh, plus a very pregnant Deonne with hubby Dave and their lovely girl, Molly. I was hoping we might have celebrated the first actual birth on the premises but she kept her legs crossed tightly!

Needless to say, the bar did a lively trade and there were a few blurry-eyed faces and slow-moving people the next day.

Special thanks must go to Mel and her backyard blitz team. We did a big cleanup job on the beer garden in preparation for the party, with new plants, fence repairs, furniture painting, mulching and the restoration of the ‘beach’ area. Mel and I were still grubby from shoveling mulch and sand half an hour before the guests arrived! Talk about cutting it fine!

So, if you didn’t make it to this party, don’t worry – parties are a regular event at Planet Inn!

Cheers,

Our 13th Birthday Party was a blast and a Big Night

Our Story: Flashbacks & the Evolution of Planet Inn

1.    The Evolution of Planet Inn

March 1996

In March, 1996 Tony Inman and his business partner at the time, Ian Cassin, took over the hostel known as Redbackpackers, from Steve Treleaven. The lads worked incredibly hard to upgrade the premises, which was pretty much a ‘squat’ for scruffy backpacking pioneers.

In those days, before mobile phones and i-pods were invented, guests used to carry their own backpacks down the street – they couldn’t afford taxis! ; they sent messages home by fax or “letter”;
they drank relentlessly – oops that hasn’t changed much! ; they brought home most of Perth’s streetsigns – hmmm; they conversed deeply and meaningfully about life – well that still happens at Planet Inn, but we do still wonder why so many of today’s technology-enhanced globetrotters travel 20,000 kms to sit watching soap on TV when the sun is shining!

I guess the consistent thing is that young people get to travel, experience some cultural differences and make some great new friends in a chilled out, laid back, homely environment where people can just be themselves, and in many cases, discover themselves. That is the experience that we provide.

From 1997 to 2003

In 1998, Ian left to seek his fortune and Tony and his wife, Lesley continued in business. The hostel grew and the new Company was established for expansion. In 2000 the Club Red brand was born and the hostel became Club Red Backpackers, while Club Red Cars and Club Red Tours were added. Over the next few manic years, Tony and Lesley worked tirelessly, adding holiday apartments, a liquor licence, Club Red Cleaning, Club Red Employment and Club Red Relocations.

Some of these experiments, though fun, were closed back down in the interests of retaining some form of sanity! The Car Yard ran for 8 years though, with a Dealership, Workshop and Hire Car Division. In October 2008 the yard closed owing to high overheads, though a small fleet of hire cars remain.

Alas the marriage did not survive the pressures of such ambitious projects and Lesley returned to the life of a happy wanderer. Tony has two children in Perth though, Craig and Kim, so he continued to battle on with the business.

After the turmoil of a breakup, Tony decided to re-launch and re-enthuse both himself and the hostel. To demonstrate his obvious madness he went against the stream and renamed, rebranded and redecorated the lodge. Thus in 2004, it rediscovered some of its essence in becoming something cosy, homely and inviting for global travelers… Planet Inn.

Of course, there are still other Divisions to the Company! More about that, next time!

13th Anniversary Party on the 7th March, 2009

Hiya,

We’re having a beach theme party to celebrate 13 years in business at our backpackers hostel. If you are able to join us for a drink or 3 and some nibbles, then we’d love to see you . Partners, friends and family are welcome too.

The party is on Sat 7th March 7 pm onwards.

We’d love to see you if you can make it. No byo but drinks cheap. Please notify us if you have any special needs.

Kim & Tony at Planet Inn

The Victorian Bushfires

Many of you around the world will, I’m sure, have heard about the tragic incidents in Country Victoria where Outback bushfires raged uncontrollably for days at a time, destroying homes and property, while killing and injuring people and wildlife alike. As with all such tragedies there are many heartwarming tales of bravery and kindness.

I was particularly touched by the kindness of this firefighter from the Country Fire Authority of Victoria, who gave this koala bear some much needed refreshment. The spirit of endurance of these communities has been inspirational. Many of the residents not only lost friends and loved ones, but in many cases everything they had worked for throughout their lives.

At Planet Inn we have a collection tin for those wishing to make donations to help those in need.

If you wish to monetary donation directly please: Post a cheque or money order to:

CFA Donations PO Box 701 Mount Waverley VICTORIA 3149 AUSTRALIA

Or deposit funds directly into:

Name: Country Fire Authority Public Fund Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia BSB: 063225 Account: 1022 2326

To request a receipt please email your name, date of deposit, amount and address to: cfapromotions@cfa.vic.gov.au

Thanks for your support. It is greatly appreciated.

For an update on the situation see : http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/

We extend our sympathies to those people who have suffered losses.

Tonaldo 12th March, 2009

N.B. Pictures courtesy of the CFA of Victoria

So much to See…

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