It was back to the classroom for a fascinating afternoon of tea knowledge. Water temperature and steeping times were shown to affect the flavour of various teas - this was no simple dunking of a bag of PG tips!

Most surprising of all was perhaps the distinctive "meaty" umami flavour of some higher grade green teas blanched at lower temperatures. There was even an "ice-brewed" sencha that had been steeped under melting ice cubes for 40 minutes.

Finally, we were taught to whisk our own classic matcha into its distinctive froth, using a genuine handmade chasen or bamboo tea whisk - each with 80 to 100 prongs.

We were told that there are only 15 certified chasen craftsmen in Japan. The fine detail limits each days' output to no more than 7 a day.

The Ceiling Tours at The Painted Hall

The Salmon Run in W.A.

Ching Ming: The Tomb Sweeping Festival