Hester Park

Today I wanted to blog on an often misunderstood area of Thornlie (or perhaps Langford) - that is, our Hester Park!

Cornering Spencer and Nicholson road, just down from the Nicholson Rd Bridge, it is a spacious and open park that consists of two large ovals, a river (yes a river!) and some lovely bushland.

I often walk our dog down here as it is quiet and secluded...which often attracts unsavoury behaviour. But this I believe is just a consequence of the neglect and lack of local governments interest and investment in the park, a view shared by Bill Johnston in early 2013.
Hester Park; A Site of Neglect

When visit here, I am overwhelmed by the beauty and tranquility of the place, despite its excessive litter and dry landscape. The river is just beautiful, and the fresh air and trees are refreshing and aesthetic.

Contrasting with this is the lack of facilities (public toilets for one), the carpark riddled with potholes and just the sense of derelict decay.

As Thornlie folk, we must treasure this area and appreciate its assets. Should it be developed into housing, we would lose a special and historical area that holds so much value to wildlife and dog walkers alike.

I'd like us all to make the time to use and value this asset, for even in its current state, the sun still shines on this beautiful place. 

Forever 6108!

Spencer Village; How we love thee!

Ahhh, now on to one of my favourite things about Thornlie! Yep- you guessed it, the delicious, the thrifty, the aromatic...... Spencer Village!

Hands down, it must be one of the best places to eat in Perth. If you like your asian food- there is no finer dining hall than Spencer!

Located on Spencer Road opposite the Thornlie train station, it is an absolute gem for the culinary enthusiasts with no fear of the spicy eastern flavours! With fresh meals, lots of cheap dishes and variety to boot- you really cant go wrong! If the atmosphere is any indication, you will be buzzing from the excitement and the crowds of people out on a Thursday.

Tonight we started with the 'must have' pork buns from Fook Kee. At only $1.60 for the small or $4.00 for the large, they are an affordable and highly desirable treat! Unfortunately my picture was too late for the glory of the fresh fluffy warm bun, gorgeously cracking and fresh from the steamer. The sweet bread and the delicious pork filling make for an absolute delight! Whilst waiting for our buns, I stood with some chinese girls. We looked at eachother and laughed with excitement but never spoke a word!

The husband was recommended a chicken egg noodle soup from Miss Saigon (hands down my favourite stall, but I reserve the right to change my mind!) The dish comes either dry or with soup with optional chilli strength. I'm told the broth is 'the best in town' - so soup version it was tonight! At $9.50 its more than enough to fill a hungry man!

I got a little bit greedy and went for another share plate.... this one is a malayan curry sauce with roti from Izyan. They do a delicious selection of Malaysian Kosher dishes and while I was extremely tempted to go for the Nasi Lemak- I decided on something new!

 Ahh, now for my "new dish"... the Har Mee prawn noodle dish again from Izyan! While I was initially tempted by the coriander in the display pictures, I was mildly disappointed that there was none on the plate. But really- who's complaining? The first thing I noticed was that I could actually taste the noodles- thats a change from the overpowering sauces I've doused my noodles with at home. Delicious and fragrant with some fresh chopped chilli- I was not disappointed :)

When all plates are empty, and we were sipping the last of our iced tea, there wasn't much left to say. The smiles on our faces said it well enough.

We'll be back again soon- sooner than we know!

Forever 6108!