The Pool Toy Hunt Begins
Right, so last week, the little ones decided the inflatable flamingo was officially dead – popped on a rogue stick in the garden. Classic. Suddenly, we absolutely NEEDED new pool toys for the weekend bash. Like, ASAP. Needed the big names too, Intex or whatever, not some cheap rubbish that lasts five minutes. Perth’s hot, and the kids were driving me mad asking.
First thought? Hit the big physical shops, obviously. Step one was dragging my sorry self to the usual suspects. You know the ones – massive warehouses with everything from drills to dish soap. Figured they’d have aisles of the stuff.
- Store A: Nada. Zip. Like, three sad-looking noodles. Guy just shrugged. “Seasonal, mate.”
- Store B: Okay, a few more noodles, a single sad ring… but actual toys? Like crocodiles or flamingos? Forget it.
- Store C: Finally saw a display! Rushed over… it was garden flamingos. Actual garden ornaments. Nearly cried. This was taking ages and the car felt like an oven.
Felt kinda stupid, to be honest. Driving all over Perth in 35-degree heat, burning petrol, getting more frustrated by the minute. Waste of a perfectly good Tuesday afternoon. Why didn’t I just look online first? Brain wasn’t in gear.
Switching Gears Online
Got home, sweaty and annoyed, and finally fired up the laptop. Lesson one learned the hard way: check online before driving. Started typing things like “big brand pool toys perth fast delivery” into the search box. This needed to be quick.
The key was filtering:
- Had to be brands we recognized – Intex, Airhead, that sort of thing. No mystery brands falling apart.
- Delivery needed to be FAST. Like, ideally next day or two days max. Weekend wasn’t moving.
- Had to be Perth based, or at least Aussie stock. No waiting weeks for stuff to come from overseas.
Scrolled through a few results. Some sites looked… sketchy. Dodgy pics, weird names. Nah. Skipped those. Found a couple that seemed legit – proper Aussie companies, clear delivery times on the product pages. Got excited seeing actual flamingos!
Comparison time. Checked:
- Price (obviously!): Some were trying their luck with the price, especially the “fast” delivery ones.
- Stock: Crucial! Found a sweet giant unicorn float, clicked… “Out of Stock.” Gutted. Kept searching.
- Delivery Speed & Cost: Saw one place offering express for cheap if you spent over a certain amount. Hit that basket threshold pretty quick, let’s be honest!
Double-checked delivery estimates for my postcode. Promised it in 1-2 business days. Crossed fingers. Clicked “Order.” Relief!
The Delivery Drama (Slight Hiccup)
Tracking email came quick. Nice. Was supposed to arrive yesterday. Checked the porch… nothing. Okay, slight panic. Checked tracking again. Said “processing.” Ugh. Sent a quick query through their website asking what’s up.
Pleasantly surprised! Got an email back in like, 20 minutes? A real person! Apologized, said there was a small delay at the depot but it would definitely be delivered first thing this morning. True to their word, the van rocked up at 9 am. Big box, perfectly intact. Opened it right there – floats all present and correct, no damage. Good stuff.
Job Done
So yeah, the takeaway is dead simple now: Don’t bother driving around Perth for this stuff in peak summer unless you know the store has stock. Waste of time and sweat. Jump online early, find the reputable Aussie sellers, filter for the big brands you want, and most importantly, check the actual delivery speed to your postcode before buying. Took maybe 30 mins online vs hours driving. Pool’s ready, kids are happy. Done, sorted.