Perth

I arrived in Perth and was collected from the airport by Jacqui MacKinnon (friend of the family) who has very kindly let me stay with them while I was there. It is so nice to be back in a lovely home (they have a swimming pool!!) and this time I don't have to work 4 hours a day - yeah!!! The McKinnons have been great. They have taken me around Perth and shown me the sights - it has been wonderful. I have also visited Rottnest Island which is a 30 minute boat journey from the mainland. It is a beautiful island, where they have these animals called the Quokkas (a really small version of the Kangaroo). When Dutch sailors first came here many moons ago they thought they were rats so they called the island rats nest (or Rott Nest in Dutch). See you learn something new everyday!! Anyway, I did a tour around the island and saw loads of different animals - the best was seeing the Dolphins jumping around in the surf - or as the locals like to say - the Dolphins were surfing!! Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of this as my camera isn't that good as some of you might know. It has this fantastic ability of always taking photos of blue sea with nothing in it as it always takes so long to take the photo the dolphin/whale has always disappeared!!

Anyway, I have been taking it easy in Perth - recharing my engines before I start the long-haul north along the coast towards Darwin. First I am doing a quick trip south down to Margaret River which is supposed to beautiful - plus its another wine region - you can't go wrong there!!