12 TRAVEL + INDULGENCE THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN, JULY 14-15, 2018theaustralian.com.au/travel

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creating an incredible range of tropical fishand coral from a diverse ecosystem. Gianttanks and a filtration system circulating4.5 million litres of seawater straight from thesea make it seem as if I’ve stepped straight offthe pier and into a new world below the sur-face.

We travel through the underwater tunnelalong the conveyor belt, which at 98m long isthe largest in an Australian aquarium. Dopeythe grey nurse shark glides above us. Staff liketo educate visitors on sharks via Sharkey thefriendly mascot. Their mission is to fosterunderstanding and respect for local marinelife.

Just beyond a jellyfish tank, which lookslike a giant lava lamp, are two well-camou-flaged leafy sea dragons amid the coral. Thesebeautiful creatures are found near Esperanceon the south coast. It’s feeding time, and theyare vying for shrimps dropped into the tankby an ocean guide. Next step is right into theDanger Zone to see deadly sea creatures in-cluding snakes, lionfish, puffer fish, blue-ringed octopus, the peacock mantis shrimp,and cleverly concealed stonefish hiding in thecrooks and crags of the coral.

Outside in the Marine Animal Rehabili-tation Centre rescued loggerhead turtles thathave been washed up along WA beaches arebeing cared for to ensure they are eating well

and can dive sufficiently before being re-leased. There’s also a touch pool for children,as well as story time and regular lectures onocean life in the theatrette.

Thinking outside the tank, as it were, theaquarium has introduced immersive and in-teractive experiences. One is a behind-the-scenes tour, guided by a dive master, enablingvisitors to learn how marine biologists arehelping rehabilitate animals, including an

olive ridley sea turtle named Rhonda. Youcan learn to scuba dive or snorkel with sharks,as well as rays and hundreds of fish, get yourpicture taken with a mermaid or even have anunderwater wedding, presumably not amidlarge schools of stripy old wives fish, namedas such (perhaps by a bitter fisherman) be-cause they create a grumbling noise by grind-ing their teeth.

Children aged between seven and 12 havethe opportunity to sleep under the sea withShark Sleepovers during school holidays, andon certain dates during the year adults canenjoy a three-course meal at a table for twocalled the Dine Beneath the Sea experience,both within the underwater tunnel. Whale-watching cruises depart the marina from Sep-tember to November.

Water-based activities on offer at HillarysBoat Harbour also include fishing and divingcharters, and jet skiing, but the most popularis the fast ferry service to nearby Rottnest Is-land for a day trip of cycling and quokka spot-ting.

In the early days, the only time sizeablecrowds would gather was for an annual milkcarton regatta, with vessels fashioned out ofdiscarded milk containers. In the early 90s,Daryl Braithwaite headlined an outdoor con-cert belting out The Horses and his voice car-ried by the sea breeze across the sand dunes ofHillarys to nearby Sorrento. Upon thosedunes now sit mansions.

Sure, attraction-wise there have been a fewmissteps. On my latest visit no one is snap-ping photos of the Perth Walk of Fame foot-path strewn with stars dedicated to“Perthonalities’’ including Ben Cousins, GinaRinehart and Aristos the chef. The Rolf Har-ris star has been scrubbed out. And I don’t seeanyone taking selfies next to the giant ironore tribute to Lang Hancock.

On this unseasonably warm autumn day,children are lined up to use the slide off thepier after a visit to the aquarium, and familiesare building sandcastles on the protectedbeach away from swells. Tourists are sam-pling gelato and browsing boutiques fromBroome’s Willie Creek Pearls to chic surfshops. Those Ferris wheels and rollercoastersnever eventuated but you can get BlackpoolRock at The British Sweet Shop.

“Where’s the Hillarys Rock?” I ask. Theowner pauses, and smiles. “You know, that’s areally good idea,” he says.

Andrea Black was a guest of the Aquariumof Western Australia and Hillarys HarbourResort.

When you’re a child and a majortourist destination opens fiveminutes from your home, you’regoing to be there to witness

every new development. Thirty years ago,when Hillarys Boat Harbour in the northernsuburbs of Perth opened, the possibilitiesseemed endless. My friend Karen and I wouldwalk down after school, traipsing the board-walk looking longingly in the just-built store-front windows wondering which shop orattraction might open next. We’d seen piersin the movies — the brightly lit Ferris wheelsof Santa Monica, the rollercoaster at ConeyIsland, fairy floss and sticks of rock confec-tionery at Blackpool and Brighton. Whoknew what Hillarys might bring?

Back then, though, there was just a sou-venir shop, a crystal emporium and a take-away chicken joint. We’d still promenadethrice weekly, maybe throw in 20 cents toplay Street Fighter at the video arcade andthen head home. My brother would meet hisfriends at the pool hall. But mostly we sat atthe beach next to the marina, umbrellas up,towels spread out, putting sand-infused zinccream on our noses while seagulls cast theirbeady eyes on our buckets of hot chips. We’dlook longingly out to Rottnest Island, appear-ing across the horizon as a mirage. But therewas one destination at Boat Harbour weloved from the very beginning, the giantaquarium. On school excursions we’d walkthrough an underwater odyssey below a longglass tunnel learning about Western Austra-lia’s marine life.

On a return visit on the 30th anniversaryof the Aquarium of Western Australia re-cently, any nostalgic thoughts are immedi-ately banished. What was Underwater Worldback in 1988, great for school kids, and famil-ies looking to kill some time on a rainy Sun-day, is now an attraction with one of theworld’s largest living coral reef exhibits. Theaquarium is divided into sections dedicated to12,000km of the state’s coastline taking in thegreat southern, shipwreck, Perth and farnorth coasts and Marmion Marine Park. Fishweave through psychedelically coloured coralin purples, pinks and greens. On a tour, one ofthe resident marine biologists points out thatthe Leeuwin Current brings warm water fromthe far north to the icy waters of the south,

BOARDWALK REBORNMarine marvels and childhood wondersANDREA BLACK

IN THE KNOW

The Aquarium of Western Australia opens daily from 10am to 5pm; adults, $30; children, four-15, $18; under threes,free. Concessions and family passes available. Next door, Hillarys Harbour Resort overlooks the Indian Ocean andthe harbour, and offers comfortable apartment-style accommodation with kitchen facilities. There’s a pool and freeWi-Fi; one-bedroom apartments from $250; two-bedrooms, $360; three-bedrooms, $470.■ aqwa.com.au■ hillarysboatharbour.com.au■ hillarysresort.com.au

Clockwise frommain: Aquarium of

Western Australiasting ray; a

loggerhead turtle;coral reef exhibit;hands-on activity

Hillarys Boat Harbour marina and tourism precinct in Perth