G'day mates!!!!!! hehe - we are in Oz!!!!! In fact we have been here a week........no internet access at Pete's gaff, so this is the first chance I have had.......

Ok, so I left you just before we left SA......so you know I said the emotions had been ok.....well not so much when we actually left.....the realisation that that bit was over wasn't great......don't think it had dawned on me that I was actually leaving the kids on the friday before and then leaving the house was pants......so journey to the airport was a little quiet (a bit of "sarah"time), to say the least, then watched a film on the plane about Nelson Mandela's guard (Goodbye Bafana - check it out), and promptly sobbed my way through the whole thing....thank goodness Anj was asleep!!!!! Did me good though as it got it all out!!!

Oh and just to let you know, the small administrative error of going to the wrong airport.....not such a big deal, got the coolest taxi driver in the world from Lanseria to Or Tambo, he lived in Soweto which is one of the massive townships in Jo'Burg...he was so interesting.....could have talked to him all day about how he views SA now, how it was in times of apartheid and what he sees the future being.....we also saw a tiny bit of Jo'burg, honestly not at all as scary as I expected.......

So we arrived in Oz....Pete was waiting at the airport and off to his gaff!!!! Well we thought we had died and gone to heaven.....comparative 5* luxury, our own rooms, real towels (not the quick drying velcro ones we have been using!!), the most gorgeous house, literally 3 mins from the beach!!!! So he threw a few shrimps on the barbie and we got into the swing of being an Aussie!!!!
Kind of tricky coming here after SA I think.....it is so different.....Pete never locks his doors, the whole of Perth is clean and tidy....the trains are immaculate (everyone very much seems to respect the authority).....everywhere has this kind of "new" feeling about it )maybe a bit Truman Show if that makes sense)......such a total contrast, I can't explain it.....I had been uncomfortable with the inability to do what I wanted in SA, but then feel that there is no challenge to being here........typical girl eh, never satisfied!!! And WOW it is expensive here....how come no-one mentioned this!!! Or is it just that I was used to SA prices!!!! Anyway, the weather has been amazing, 40 degrees some days.....air con rocks.....could be interesting when we go back to backpackerville!!!! The ocean is the Indian so it is warm warm warm....the beaches are beautiful.....we watched the sunset with a bottle of wine on Friday night......it was stunning....will post pics when we get to Sydney......

So, since we have been here, we spent the day in Perth on Friday.....once again the obligatory tour of the city......Perth is situated on the Swan River which is amazing....we went up to Kings Park which lies just above the city and is about 8 times the size of the city (1000 hectares)......an amazing outdoor space where everyone just chills out having picnics, playing with their kids and enjoying the sunshine....when we went on Sunday a symphony orchestra was playing in the outdoor theatre.....absolutely gorgeous.....took a walk on the treetop walk too which was stunning.......
Pete and I went to Fremantle on Saturday, checked out their markets, think Camden with more vibrancy....then I went round the prison (where they bought all the first naughty boys!!!), interesting but scary especially the gallows!!!!!! Then we went out Saturday night to Brass Monkeys in Northbridge which is "the"place to go in Perth.....had a great night....some batty homeless girl kept us amused over the balcony all night (sounds mean saying it like that but it was funny :-)
Sunday we were tired so just chilled it....went and got some fish and veg from a local wholesaler.....real live lobsters and stuff in tanks....ok not so cool with the circle of life stuff again!!!! Felt like I needed some fruit and veg....Pete said ër you do know you are leaving on Tuesday"as he looked at my mountain of F&V....the panic on his face said...."please god, make sure they leave so I can have my boy pad back!!!!" I told him I would roast it all in one go, and chop the fruit so don't panic!!!!! lol!!!!

Yesterday....Anj and I took a trip up Swan River to Rottnest Island.....there are no cars at all, just bikes and buses....can only describe it as the holiday camp from Dirty Dancing (how was it Lou??? Bet you loved it!!), anyway some gorgeous beaches and stunning scenery but a day was too short to appreciate it....especially when we had missed the first boat as the trains were delayed in the morning....it hadn't started well!!!!

And then our last supper with the host with the most!!! Pete has been a pure legend....letting 2 ladies rock up and turn it in to a chick pad.....and never moaned once about anything.... Thanks Pete, we proper appreciate it all :-)

So here we are today, just about to go and get out flight to Sydney.....backpackers is booked and I am sure we are gonna see the most amazing stuff over the next few weeks.....

Farewell to Perth and will upload some pics asap in Sydney.....

Lots of love xxxxxxx