Hi folks! A speedy hello from me here before I fly out of Australia tonight. I will be leaving the Southern Hemisphere after 9 months, so it's goodbye to this corner of the world and hello to the Northern Hemisphere, and summer time - bring it on!

I have been whizzing about Fremantle over the past few days and catching the train into Perth, the capital of WA. The city centre is nice and compact with lots of quaint arcades linking the main streets and street performers around the malls. There is even an arcade called London Court complete with a British Lolly Shop - I drawled at the Double Deckers, Wispas, Dairy Milk and Fruit Pastilles ooohhh...but I resisted, I can stuff my face with that lot soon! Northbridge, the touristy area just north of the centre was cool too, with weird & wonderful shops and the Museum of WA with lots of stuffed kangaroos. I checked out the local beaches with Catherine and Simon too, and downtown Fremantle where we headed to a bar converted from an old crocodile farm - awesome!

And I have been a busy bee sorting out things for my venture north, doing some last minute panic research, thinking up routes through China and getting some currency. I left the currency place in Perth feeling rather rich - I have 2000 HK dollars in a huge wad - time to get spending! And I have learnt a little Mandarin, sort of...'Wo bu mingbai' = 'I don't understand'!

I have just sent a parcel of things home, including my hat, gloves, goggles and socks, I'm not going to be needing them again but I barely have anything left in my pack now. And I will be ceremoniously ditching my horrid trousers tonight - I can't wait! And lastlyI must comment on the weather - it has been great, sun and blue skies, although just for me it has been the coldest spell in Perth for 15 years. And even better, the weather has changed today and there is a severe weather warning for thunderstorms this evening - perfect, I fly at midnight!

Well I wonder when I'll be back in this part of the world again, not long I hope. So follow me over the equator again and wish me luck!

Grace xx