Here, there and everywhere!!

Day 6: 13th July

Finally had a morning to myself to sort stuff out and have some down time. So far I have been ridiculously busy, all over the place! It was a lovely day so I went for a walk around Rockingham to see the sights. Well....all the sight I got to see was house after house after house. I got totally lost in the residential area for about an hour! All the streets are in a grid form and look identical to each other. Walking anywhere here takes ages, so the locals just drive everywhere. Managed to find a mini supermarket on my travels and picked up some aussie chocolate and of course, tetleys teabags! I am a true english person at heart you see, and nothing but tetleys will cure my morning cravings. The chocolate over here isn't really much to shout about, malteasers just don't taste as nice, but they did have 'cherry ripe' which is an awesome combination of coconut, cherry and dark chocolate! Highly recommended!

Rite picked me up from Rockingham and took me to the navy base to see Daniel and the submarine he's working on. It was amazing, I have never been inside one before (well not a working one) and it was just like from the movies! I could never work in there though, I would get clastrophobic as the spaces were so tiny. Daniel is quite high up in the rankings but wants to be a captain eventually, so will take charge of a submarine!

I went back to Rita and Daniels place for dinner. Spag bol with garlic bread...perfect for me! Us three just hung out for the rest of the evening and totally lost track of time. Rita was supposed to be dropping me off back at Ed and Inas but midnight was a bit too late. Crashed with them for the night.

Day 7:

I had decided to go to Perth for the day. Daniel dropped me at the train station. The train line which has just been built it very impressive. It runs along the freeway and is convenient for popping to town. Booked my 6 day trip up to Exmouth leaving next Monday. Very excited.

Picked up some souveniers in town and hopped on a open top red bus tour to see the city. Took me to Kings park, Northbridge, Casino complex, Perth Mint and the river front. Was a really good tour. Apparently Kings park is bigger than Central Park and is also in the middle of the city. Worth a walk around. The weather was absolutly stunning once again..seriously, these people call this winter!!! They should try living in England!

Hopped back on the train back to Rockingham, it is such a good service and crazy cheap. $6.50 for an hour train journey! Thats only about 3 pounds!!

Ina picked me up and took me to Rockingham foreshore to see the sunset. It was absolutely stunning. The colours were amazing, but best of all, just as I was taking pictures, up popped wild dolphins!! I have never seen them in the wild before so was as excited as a little kid. Yulie came for dinner that night so I had chance to catch up with her some more.

Day 8:

Got up nice and early to be at Pennys house for half 9. Penny, Rene and myself went to AQWA (aquarium but a play on letters...WA- Western Australia!) It was quite a small place but was really good. I love fish whatever so it was good. There was an amazing shark tank where you walked round inside a tube and the fish/sharks/turtles swam around you. There were 14 sharks in the tank and some of them were HUGE!! The three of us got lunch in a seafood cafe in the Hilaries boardwalk place. I shared a barramundi fish and chips with Penny as the portions were huge. It was so much jucier than cod or haddock.

We then went to Harbour town outlet shopping centre, much like an American mall. I don't find the shopping over here particularly good, not much choice for clothes or just much at all to be honest.

That evening Ant cooked a meal of lamb shanks with mash. It was amazing, apparently he trained as a chef at some point but didn't pursue it. You could really tell as the presentation was excellent.

Damien turned up from Beverley. He's what I would expect a traditional aussie outbacker to look and sound like. Very easy going and strong accent. He slept in a swag that evening, like the one Hugh Jackman had in Australia, a mattress, sheet, duvet and pillow all wrapped up in one!! Very handy.

Day 9:

Penny dropped me and Damien off at the Perth zoo. She had some things to do elsewhere so we wandered around together. There were all sorts of animals, koalas, meetcats, bears, zebras, giraffes, crocs etc etc. Was weird, it was in a residential area, but felt like it was in the middle of the country.

Penny picked us up and dropped me at the train station so I could catch the train the Fremantle. However, by the time I got there, it was peeing it down with rain, not annoying little English rain, but serious, i'm going to make you look like a drowned rat rain, so only stayed for half an hour then got the bus to Rockingham.

Had a quiet night chilling out, sorting myself out.

Day 10:

Again, woke up early this morning as Linda and Clive had decided to pay me a visit from Beverley. They arrived at half 9 ish but only stayed until half 12 as I had to be in Perth centre for my diving medical. It was really interesting to see them and they certainly had lots to say.

Ina then dropped me off in the centre for my medical, which I could not pass in the end due to my damned asthma!! Apparently, if you're down under the sea at 30 odd metres and you have trouble breathing...that's not such a good thing, and as we don't know what triggers my asthma to flair up (even though I havn't had problems for many years), I'm not allowed :( So instead, i've decided to also go further North to Broome and see what's around there.

Popped back to Rockingham on the train to pick up some things then straight back on the train to Ritas and Daniels. Had dinner with them (Daniel is also a very impressive cook, my cousins have picked the right men!) then off to see Harry Potter at the cinema. It was not unlike English cinemas really, lots of seats and a big screen! Excellent film as well. Stayed in Rockingham as that's where all my stuff was and I was moving on the next day.

Day 11:

Up bright and early again as I had to go with Ed and Ina to Yulie and Victors house to help move things (they're in the process of moving house). Debbie came and picked me up from there and took me back to her house as there wasn't really much for me to help with.

After lunch, Debbie took me on a tour of some parts of the city I hadn't yet seen. The uni of WA being first on the list. It was such a good looking university, really modern and well designed. It was quite a bit bigger than I thought it would be. We also drove to Kings park and got some awesome pics of the Perth sky line. The weather wasn't so good though so we decided to go back, via a French pastry shop!!!

We chilled for a bit, cooked dinner and drank wine. I booked my hostel for when I arrive in Exmouth, but typical me, didn't do it carefully enough and managed to book it for 2 people! I also found a flight back from Broome on the day I had planned to come back for just $159, which is insanely cheap considering most companies were offering $250 minimum. So I booked that. I will find my way there somehow. I've found that travelling has made me so much more easygoing about things and more confident already!

Deb's friend Mel came over and we all sat drinking lots of wine, in preparation for our night out. Debs other friend arrived, Angiolina, and we all went out to Northbride to a club called Mint. It wasn't the best place ever, but not too bad. We got a bit tired late into the night and moved onto a bar/restaurant which stays open until 4 in the morning serving food and drinks. It was such a cool, retro place with good music and damn good food. Much better than the traditional kebab place after a club! The aussies are very much into potato wedges, so I had to try some, with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream - good stuff! By this time it was getting onto 3 in the morning, so off home to bed.

Day 12:

Up not so early this morning having drank 3 bottles of wine and other stuff between 3 people the night before. Mel drove us to Leederville for coffee and cake at yet another cool, retro place. It was amazing, music posters all over the walls, and I mean, there was no wall that was not covered, and ceiling had, I would say, 100 light fittings. It was amazing. Damn good cake as well. Of course not coffee for me...English Breakfast tea, I should really broaden my horizons!

Hung out with Debs for a bit then went off to Pennys house as i've got to be at the centre for 7am and she lives the closest to town. Chilled out for the evening.