After missing dinner, Madam was ready for a solid starter. There was also a fair void in the Hughesy digestive tract as we made our way downstairs to check that the tariff we'd paid included the continental breakfast I vaguely recalled being mentioned the day before.
A continental breakfast, as far as I can make out, is something light that might do you till morning tea but doesn't fill a gaping void.
If it wasn't included, it wouldn't be too difficult to find somewhere nearby where they turn out a hearty breakfast at a reasonable cost.
Yes, we were assured, a continental breakfast is included in the tariff, so if you'd care to step through into our restaurant…
So we did, and, as a result, added a new dimension to the definition of the continental breakfast. I was expecting something like juice, tea or coffee, toast and a croissant or some other pastry. What we found was a substantial buffet offering fruit juice, cereal, toast, pastries, ham, salami, boiled eggs, yoghurt and an array of fruit. Not a bad spread. Tea and coffee thrown in for good measure.
That, I suspect, is yet another example of the impact of fly in fly out miners on the Perth hospitality scene. If you're heading off to the back blocks for a fortnight, you'll be wanting a substantial breakfast, and you're going to want it at the right price. I could be wrong about that, but I'm not holding my breath in anticipation of a similar spread being classified as a continental breakfast anywhere in the eastern states anytime soon.
So, refreshed and fuelled, we checked out and set out on the stroll to Bayswater Car Hire, where our chariot and Karen the Helpful Sat-Nav Voice waited.