7 July Sunday

4am in Perth and we can’t sleep after a long flight that was delayed leaving Auckland and with strong head winds. The trip was the usual Cattle Class experience (Don’t yah love it). We bumped along with the plane rocking and rolling.

Hmmmm we need sleep but we are wide awake on NZ time, Karen’s on her computer and I have been sorting ours.

As we are carrying plenty of medication for emergencies we declared it and so were given an interrogation at the border. An interesting question was asked “for what period of time is the medication to cover”? Two months was our reply and the Customs man said “That’s okay you can’t import more that three months worth” and checked we had the appropriate documentation for the stuff from the doctor.

Just cleared emails and sorted a few problems with lap top.

On arrival at Perth we were met by Nephew Laurie in his Band wagon that is not set up for people carrying with band stuff and a bed. He had borrowed a mate’s car but had overheating problems so had to go back home and pick up his van, lucky we were so late arriving as he thought he would have missed us but he still waiting for 20 minutes for us to appear. We grabbed a cab to the Hotel and then went for a walk to a Restaurant for dinner. Great to hear Laurie’s news he’s obviously enjoying life here in Perth. Never seen him so well in himself and happy, Maybe something to do with his new “not single anymore status’.

We have not seen anything of Perth other than the drive in but the impression is it’s spread out and flat. The taxi driver from India thinks that while the economy has slowed there is still plenty of work here. He said the City is safe but one could have problems walking at night in some of the suburbs.

Our hotel is unlike Ken and Marina’s luxury hotel but a 1970s style, basic nice and very comfortable in an excellent location. Today we are thinking of getting a rental car meet Laurie here and then spend the day with him.

7am, ladies with eyes like little slits are having fun on Facebook and want breakfast.

(You should see Tony’s his are no different, we have had 3 hours sleep in the last 24 hours and it shows on our aging fizzogs.

We did not see Molly, Laurie’s girl friend we had been so looking forward to meeting her, she has church stuff and Laurie is going with her for a we while then he will come and see us at 10.30am , never mind we will catch her next time around when we return on the way home.

7^th July

Laurie came to the hotel at 11 o’clock, we had picked up a rental car and we all went out exploring. Perth is a nice green clean city and the swan river gives a marine environment, lots of sidewalk cafes and pubs, heaps of great boats, lots of mine money here, people fly in and out on their weeks off and it is a playground for them.

Very white middle or well to-do, did not see one aborigine, Laurie said they were out in the suburbs but not in the city. Went and saw the older part of townhouses with big verandas nearly all brick or rough cast construction. Walked around the waterfront and went to go up a bell tower but found when you had to pay for the privilege decided against it. Had a pub lunch, typical Aussy meals, we forgot you get one and share it they are so large.

Next we went along the freeway till we got to Mandurah, Laurie has lived there off and on for the last 20 years, the town was a sleepy hollow when he arrived but because of the weather, lovely boating and living conditions it has grown hugely and now is a place for the well off, people have houses on the canals with the boats at the bottom of the section, much like the Gold Coast, people come down from Perth and it seems to be a holiday destination for locals and overseas visitors.

Met the flatmates neat guys, Laurie has shared the house with them for years and it is a real bachelor pad, impressive garage complete with 6 motor bikes large section with trucks caravan. Also the iconic Aussy Toyota Landcruiser truck set up for long range off road work with whip aerials and extra lights on the roo bars with pop up camper trailer and various other machinery. Another flat mate works in the mines and he sleeps in the caravan when he is home or his week off.

Laurie has a great life style his thing is music and he teaches 4 days a week at the local primary school then the other day does his own thing or busks, it is amazing how much money he picks up for a few hours busking. He has a spot on the water front in a covered pagoda that has power to it and he plays for a couple of hours there if the people are around, also has a local pub that he goes to and enjoys karaoke, seems to be very popular here.

Karen and I were photographing some of the local bird life, brightly coloured galahs lots of noisy crows; they have a tuft of feathers under the chin here that is similar to our tui they are much the same size too.

Laurie directed us back it the airport and we had our 11 hour flight to Johannesburg then another after 2 hours in the airport a 2 hour flight to Cape Town.