Stage 1 Complete (Just About!!)

Off to Sydney tomorrow but am signing off from Perth with a much changed view from my first impressions a couple of weeks ago. I have had the last 6 days here and it's been fantastic. Last stop for me will be the WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) ground this afternoon to have a chat with the Fremantle Doctor (look it up.....) who comes round every afternoon.

Have been over and had really good day in Freo, watched the sunset on the city from Kings Park, done the open top bus tour of the city (screams tourist, I know!!!!) and yesterday went down to the Valley Of The Giants, about 4 1/2 hours drive each way but so so worth it. It's basically a forest within a forest with a treetop walk that is 40 metres high, and these trees are huge..... To the right is fatboy standing in the base of one and you can walk through some - all very odd, but then it is Australia.............. need I say more!!!!

So, Western Australia....

It's been a real experience of Oz at it's best I reckon. It's f****** massive (can fit the whole UK into WA 5 times!!!!!) and it's only one state, its got the worlds most isolated city which is closer to Singapore than it is to Sydney (Perth by the way dippy!!!!), it's got the most diverse landscape for one state - forests in the south which are wet compared to the turquoise coast up near Exmouth which is hot and dry - only place I didn't like was Carnarvon as it's a bit of a dump but even that hole has a gorgeous beach! Best place has been Coral Bay although Cape Range National Park came a pretty close second. Have seen so many wild animals (nearly ran over another emu yesterday which shot out of the woods!!!! Scared the hell out of me.....) emus, kangaroos, loads of different parrots, eagles, dolphins, rays etc. Only thing I didn't see but wanted to was a whale shark but that would have cost a small fortune so leave that for next time. Happy to leave the flies behind though and the weather has been awesome, in 3 weeks I have had 3 cloudy days and it's rained twice. I hear its rained most of the last 2 weeks in Sydney.... oh and at home ha ha!! Bit of photo history of last 3 weeks below - note the one constant in them - yup, the sun...

And now off to a new state - New South Wales and Sydney and all it can offer. Back soon people - stay well and happy and see you some time soon. D x