Saturday 24th July – We had our first day trip in the Suzi to New Norcia, the only monastic town in Australia of all things and only 130 odd km from Perth. We took the Swan Valley Drive and then up through the Chittering Valley which was so beautiful, so many shades of green with lots of contented sheep and cattle grazing. Bindoon was the last little sleepy town we passed through before we hit New Norcia and what a gem it is. Two Spanish Benedictine mo...

Winter has arrived and it's colder than I thought it would be. Some mornings when I catch the bus into town I have to remind myself that I'm not in Adelaide even though I could be mistaken for thinking I was but after the rain the water just disappears, given the soil is so sandy here. That's about the biggest difference really. We've found some fabulous devonshire tea establishments and Kimbo thinks we should keep trying to find more. Perhaps...

Tuesday 23rd I could put it off no longer the time had come for my thyroid to be removed. I was admitted to The Mount hospital after I finished work and had a visit from the anaesthetist about 8.00pm as Kimbo was leaving. Kaye the girl in the bed next to me said she didn't envy me as she’d had hers done yesterday, had a terrible night last night and is going home tomorrow…..ominous! Time to sleep. Next morning I was allowed my last drink at 5.45...

We love Fremantle and all it has to offer. The beautifully restored old buildings and those that aren't and the narrow streets and all the secrets they hold. The round house was one such building. We spent hours in the Maritime Museum and the replica HM Bark Endeavour which should be slipped in 4-5 months. Fremantle Gaol had us spellbound, although it was very spooky. The sense of despair and hopelessness was everywhere and it was hard to imagine that peop...