Winter Lights Festival in Perth 2014

Tonight I invited my son and daughter in law to go into the city for dinner, and to go and watch the Winter Lights Festival in St George's Terrace. The festival started on the 11th July and runs until 27th July from 6pm until midnight.

I was surprised to see so many people enjoying the balmy winter evening of 16C , having dinner in restaurants and even in esplanades warmed up by gas heaters.

I still remember not many years ago when the city would be dead when the offices and shops closed for the evening, now even though it's the middle of winter, the city was vibrant.

We left our cars at the train station and took a 10min. ride into the city. Dinner was at a Japanese restaurant in Shafto Lane. It was reasonably priced and quite tasty. Then a short walk to St.George's Terrace to watch the lights, with the display changing every couple of minutes over these beautiful heritage buildings.

These buildings have been restored part of the "City Square development" which was completed in 2012 and renamed "Brookfield Place".

The above pictures are of the Royal Insurance Building on the left and the WA Trustees Building on the right.

Newspaper House above, was the former office of the "West Australian Newspaper" for over 50 years until mid-1980's. Nowadays, the building has been refurbished and houses a few restaurants.

Above, the Old Perth Technical School built in 1910, was refurbished in 2012 and now houses a few commercial premises, among them a wonderful Cafe.

The Old Perth Boys School whose construction was completed in 1854, resembles a church, but originally housed a boy's school.
Nowadays it's owned by the National Trust of WA and is occupied by a Cafe and wine bar. 

And then, to end the evening we had to go and check the "Winterland" and experience the true Northern hemisphere winter. The area near near the James Street Amphitheatre, near the State Library and WA Museum, which in summer housed a "sandy beach" (check the post from January), now houses an ice-rink!


Loads of people were having fun, even though I thought the price per 45min. a bit steep at $24 for adults!
Some kids held onto Penguins ($10 extra) that helped them balance on skates. Cute!
A large screen showed winter images.

The Penguin helping the novice keep the balance

At the Lodge Cafe - a tent erected for the winter fair - we had lukewarm hot chocolate and a not so great Caramel slice, while we chatted inside next to a gas heater. 
The interior was furnished with a  mish-mash of sofas, chairs and tables, a lot of them with a 70's air which actually gave it a cosy atmosphere.

They sold Mulled Wine (Gluwein), which might have been a better choice, but I didn't want risking drinking wine and then having to drive home from the station.

Outside the Lodge Cafe, they had wood fires burning

The TV fires were a nice touch too inside the Cafe

I can't remember the last time I went out during the week, and this certainly was a wonderful Winter's evening.
It almost felt like Christmas in July!!