Growing up in Mandurah, I have two very prominent early memories that defined my childhood. And I'm sure many other locals share these with me.
Crabbing and Crab Fest.
As a kid, I remember watching countless suns go down during the summer as we traipsed through the waters of the estuary, crab pots in hand.
Or we would head down to the Old Mandurah Bridge and throw a few pots over the jetty, have a bite to eat and then drag them back up again, bursting with anticipation to see what we caught.
I'll admit, after a few traumatic nips through my water shoes, I was not the biggest fan of this hobby.
And if I'm honest, I don't even like the taste of crab.
But I loved spending time with my family, out enjoying the best the Peel region had to offer.
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And then every year as February or March rolled around, we would celebrate the famous native blue manna crabs of Mandurah with a weekend-long crustacean celebration.
Over the years, I saw Shannon Noll, Taylor Henderson and even Daryl Braithwaite perform on stages set with the beautiful Mandjar Bay backdrop.
I remember spending hours watching the Action Sports Games with freestyle motocross, skate boarding and BMX riding wowing audiences at Hall Park and international wake boarders and water skiers fighting for the World Cup title in 2012.
I would always, and still do, opt for a chocolate-covered strawberry skewer over the creative crab dishes but the incredible smell of the local delicacy continues to tempt me.
I definitely miss the show bags and saving up my pocket money to buy a handful of Bertie Beetle sweets.
The carnival rides might be missing but our region's signature event just gets bigger and better every year.
More incredible live music from up-and-comers and big name national acts, epic performances from dance troupes, modelling groups, artists and entertainers and cooking demonstrations with celebrities.
And plenty of opportunity to boost local economy and remind tourists how lively and wonderful our home town is.
It was refreshing to look at Crab Fest in a new light this year, being behind the camera and capturing the smiling faces of families creating memories, just like I did growing up.
Kaylee Meerton is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail.
