APR 29

Greetings to you all,
Yes I'm on the move again, this time back to Oz to "DO" the bits I haven't done before (yes I know it's pretentious) anyway we arrived at 00.30 a week last Wed in Perth no probs gd flight not to much jet lag into town late morn to check out the place place is cool weather not, went to the Northbridge district for a meal in the evening, sat outside not bad for lte April, next day jumped in car & off to Fremantle had a gte day went round Maritime Museum including a Submarine, then on to visit the old Prison, the guides where standing around waiting to take us round & I asked one of them which tour to take, to get the reply "an which part of Liverpool are you from then" he only worked at Walton didn't he!!! (for non scousers that's our jail) moving on quickly I found it fascinating. Next day jumped on a ferry to Rottness Island spent the day there again lots to see & do got back to have to dash out straight away to have dinner with friends (thanks guys) for the next couple of days we went around the Perth area until Monday when we jumped in the car again & hit the road first stop a place called Hyden because it has the wave rock, which is a rock shaped like a wave? simple really 2 no 3 things 1, it was very interesting its about 40mts long & it really is shaped like a wave it's taken zillons of years to get there 2,95% of oz's flys are also there I could go into detail but won't & 3, as there is absolutly nothing else there the local motel (only local motel ripped us off + dinner was a DIY bbq (indoors) Peter wasn't best pleased, next day off to Albany a "Retired" whaleing port again lots to see, then we moved up the coast taking in all the wine places etc, back now in Perth until tomorrow then on a plane to Darwin will be in touch from there.
Cheers, Peter

MAY 8

G'day you poor working people,
So up at 5am to catch plane to Darwin, just up the road a bit 3.30hr flight? booked into a nice hotel bar, swimming pool, another bar, laundry, even another bar, spent all of 2hrs "doing" downtown Darwin there's only 4 streets but mustn't knock it it's very nice an cool, well not so bloody cool temp is a sready 35c so spent early evening in pool followed by a stint in the bar followed by food in the bar followed by falling into bed feeling good'ish.
Next day up an out to visit Territory Wildlife park on o'skirts of darwin plenty of things like snakes, rats, bats, beetles oh! an Kangaroos but no Croc's so having spent 2days in darwin on the move deciding to "DO" Kakado Park it's a 3rd of the size of Tasmania (& they call it a park?) drove down to a place called Katherine to use as a base for 2 days now you have heard the expression 1 horse town well this is more like half a donkey town but I have to be very PC here so I'll leave it at that, on the way down we called into a place called Edith Falls, 3 rock pools one below the other & there's a 2.6km walk which the sign said takes 2hrs? not for me I said that's for whimps 1.50 hrs later staggered back knackered that was the hardest short walk I've done, but girding the loins moved on the next day to Cutta Cutta Caves plenty of Bats, snakes & frogs/toads the temp inside was 35c with 98% humidity it was cooler outside from there we went on a boat trip up Katherine Gorge, spectacular is the only way to describe it I recognised one of them from TV gorges that is, there are 15 but approx every 2 gorges you have to get off the boat an walk to the next gorge an pick up another boat, you can only do 10 max but as the rainy season had only just finished only the 1st 2 were open thank god as the full job takes 8hrs where ours only took 2. Just a point about half a donkey town went into local photo shop to get snaps downloaded onto cd, guy is wearing Man U shirt (this is day after they didn't get to Athens & we did) a liverly debate ensued.
Back in the car on towards Jabiru right in the heart of kakado, we stayed in a bush bungalow interesting noises at night including a Dingo howling, went to a place called Nourlangie Rock plenty of rock art some of it very old, the only thing was there was a sign saying that in 1964 a local artist had re-drawn the shapes? so are they 20,000yrs old or 43?, then another boat trip on yellow water (wet lands) plenty of birds including a lilly hopper with days old chicks, so a boat load of tourists shoving cameras down it's beak didn't go down to well with the bird, found out Jim Jim Falls was only accessable by air (have you noticed lots of local names repete themselves?) so decided to fly out to said falls, now it was only a 6 seater & for those who have been on such a snall plane you know what to expect unfortunatly 1 of us didn't & the plastic bag in the back of the seat in front came in handy, but I thought it was brill, now Jabiru was ok except went to supermarket to replenish beer stocks to be told no off sales WHAT!!! but being a retired Boy Scout I had a supply of wine in the car, what a strange country Darwin has bars coming out of every orifice, but you can't buy off sales 250km down the road??? Pauline being a little unsteady after the plane ride (the spectacular plane ride) we went to a place called Ubirr which has more rock art but original this time, so next day we start heading back to Darwin on the way we took in yet another boat trip this one advertising jumping Croc's the big one's known as "Salties" so there I am standing on top deck camera in hand waiting & a girl walks up 2 pork chops in hand attaches them to a bloody big fishing rod & dangles them over the head of a 4.5mt croc, well I think I got the photo because at 3mts out of the water I closed my eyes, Paulines hand was holding my leg she says to keep me on board but I'm not so sure.
Back to Darwin on Sunday where P spent 24hrs packing (I think she has bought Darwin) & yesterday put her on a plane back home phew!!! so having a day off today as tomorrow I'm heading west hoping to make Broome it's only 1900kms & I have to come back the same way so we will have to see.
Going now exhausted with all this typing, Have a nice day

MAY 26

Now were was I? Oh yes I remember, just leaving Darwin heading out to the wild, wild west, first stop Timber Creek, now just to explain to you Timber Creek is what's known as a Roadhouse stop which means there is absolutely nothing to do, the reason you stop is because there is a trip of some description emanating from there, my reason was a plane ride + a boat trip, so pull into toTC & book for 2 nights then ask were to go to book plane ride to be told no pilot (he kept on going the wrong way?) so went to book the boat trip (it goes once a day at 4pm) for the next day to be told due to lack of numbers tomorrow it might not go but you can come today!!! so jumped on the bus down to the river, now the trip was OK a few crocs, birds etc, but nothing spectacular we cruised about 30mls down river & as we turned & were about to start our return trip he pulled over to his floating toilet (I kid you not) & proceeded to hand out cheese & biscuits & drinks saying watch out for the Anchor Fish??? so we are all being cool looking over the side when a thin jet of water comes shooting up out of the water & hits a women in the face, next thing it was like Henry11 all over, no wonder they are called Archer Fish, one guy insisted his wife stand there taking hit after hit while he took photos, yes girls she was a bit mental, anyway after that the next day was a bit slow to say the least, the only thing of interest was Gregory Tree this is a Boab tree not very tall but massive girth they reckon it's over a 1000yrs old.
Next stop Kununurra quite a nice place in existence because of fruit growing & things, quite close is Lake Argyle which in the early 60's they built a dam to collect water during the "wet" they then built canals for irrigation & the town came into being, first stop a Rum Distillery interestingly the rum they make here is of a lower strengh than back home but they do drink it in larger quantities than we do, they did have samples on offer but I was a good boy as i was driving, then decided to take a plane trip over Lake Argyle, the Bungle, Bungles (there you go another double name again) I have a theory that if it was deemed spectacular & interesting they doubled the name, & on the way back fly over a diamond mine, so next day sat outside hotel waiting to be picked up, bus pulls up out pops a kid/schoolboy/child who introduces himself as Mark & I'm your pilot for today!!! I took a photo of him just to prove to people how young he was, anyway the trip was quite spectacular the lake is 18 times bigger than Sydney Harbour, & the Bungle, bungles are amazing (weathered sandstone of different colours & shapes) & then back over this diamond mine from the air you catch your breadth the size of the hole can only be really seen from the air its bloody enormous. On my last day in the area drove to Wyndam a small port on the way called into a gorge, 140steps down to a pool you could be anywhere (peaceful) at the bottom were a couple of wrinklies he was sunbathing on a rock & she was sitting in her bikini reading, I blunder my way in camera in hand snapping away & both of them ignore me totally? so feeling unloved slink back up the steps & continue my journey, Wyndam is at the junction of 5 rivers & from a lookout point you had a good view point, plenty of mud flats & the plaque says the tides raise by 11mts (thats about 36ft) Wow.
From there I drove to Broome, was the original centre of the Pearl ind (small point, it wasn't the pearl they were interested in at the beginning it was the shell itself, buttons & the like) but when cultured pearls were conceived the place declined, but it has a rich history, the Museum was very good, it also has a beach 7kms long with lovely sand & when I had a little sit I could only count 8 people with me. In a restaurant one night & the waitress told me about a new'ish trip that was going, so next day into the office to find out more, it was a no brainier, the deal was from Derby (200kms up the road were I was going anyway) in a 5 seater Cessna to a place called Cape Leveque landing on a dirt strip (a 1st for me) have an hour swimming in the sea (big sign saying Croc seen yesterday) so declined that bit, then picked up in a seaplane & fly to Talbot Bay flying over the 1000 Island Buccaneer archipelago on the way landing on the water at Talbot bay (another 1st) we were then picked up by an inflatable (there were 10 of us in the party) & because the tides were good went through Horizontal falls, now I'll try an explain this quickly, 2 lakes feed off Talbot Bay one into the other, the further lake has an opening of only 9mts & the closer one 20mts & as the whole thing is tidal it means the lakes can't fill up or drain quickly enough so a waterfall effect is created with the drop being 3mts over 20mts, when we 1st got there the levels were equal & it was like a mill pond spectacular geology, from their onto to a 65ft yacht for a cruise up Talbot bay with drinky poo's followed by a BBQ on board, the BBQ was tied to the back of the boat with a drain pipe to take away the grease &blood etc & after a while we had sharks cruising round us but the skipper said it's ok they have no teeth (now these are not my words but!) after a few drinks one ozzie wag piped up "any chance of a blow job then" to which the ladies were not amused, fall into bed (with A/C) to be up for 6 next morning quick cup of coffee into inflatable again & off to the falls this time the tide was just right & we shot up the waterfall but the best bit was coming down we were doing 60kms/hr when we hit the gorge as I said a drop of 3mts over 20 at 60kms/hr is what I would describe as "Bum tightening" & we did this 3 times breadth taking then back to the yacht for breakfast then later in the seaplane back to Derby & all this for A$400 (about 160 pounds sterling) it took me 2 days to come down from Planet Wonderful after that have made my way back to Darwin over 4000kms round trip but well worth it, so off to Melbourne in a couple of days then on to Tasmania, will be in touch.
Cheers from Peter, Peter.

JUNE 13

Well that was a bit of a shock. When I left Darwin it was 33c in the day & 25c at night, I'm now in Tasmania (Launceston) & it's 9c in the day & -1c at night, so out came the winter woollies & I'm still freezing, but life goes on. On leaving Darwin I flew to Melbourne, now this is the 3rd time I've been here but the first without alcohol (well ok the 1st without LOTS of alcohol) & guess what it's a very nice place, was staying in the centre of town & walked my legs off for 3 days, only one problem on the day I left i was reading in the paper that a local gangster (lots of them here) was shot outside a nightclub in a "notorious" part of town, 200mts from where I was staying???
From there I flew to Hobart, & after consulting my book went to a house that does B&B young South Korean girl says to me "yes we do have room how much would you like to pay" being an upstanding English Gentleman I declined the obvious &offered the going winter rate, a pity it wasn't shared by others a few hours later I got a parking ticket, that was while I was on (another) boat trip around the area, I've come to the conclusion that the best way to see anywhere is by either boat or plane forget this walking game that's for mugs. From Hobart I drove to Queenstown an old copper mining town, over a hundred years ago they cut down all the trees in the area to fuel the furnaces & produced what we now call Acid rain (they didn't know it at the time) but having said that I'm not sure it would have altered there decision but what happened was the place looked like part of the moon (some of it still does) but they have something unique a railway used only for tourists these days but built to move the copper to the coast, it's a Rack & Pinion system (anoraks amongst you will know what I mean) at times It travels at no more than 4mls/hr so it was a full day going to the coast to a place called Strahan, which the next day I drove to for yet another boat trip, but 1st when I arrived I saw advertised a play decided to go only to be told it needed at least 10 people? to put the play on as it entailed audience participation!!! so sat there with 13 other souls the play began (it's a 2 man play) & guess who gets picked out to play the baddy right at the beginning Yes it was I, now I'm sure you all think I was a star, but I have to confess I was just bad! As I said I went to Strahan for the boat trip which was a full day calling to a small Island where convicts had been kept (this is over a 100yrs ago) & waiting for us was a guide to show us round & guess what, the guide was from the previous nights play & yes he ignored me (Just shows you how bad i was at playing the baddie)
From Strahan I then drove to Cradle Mt, unfortunately it was raining & cloudy so didn't stay to long, from their I drove to Burnie, no boat trip this time, but visited a paper making place were one of there specialities is Roo Poo, paper (think about it) from there I visited a distillery, now that was interesting, I also drove up the coast a bit to try & get a flavour of the place & then yesterday I drove to Launceston taking in all the towns on the way, now one of the unusual things about Launceston is that within 10mins walk from the town centre is a huge gorge with a chairlift going across it, so wearing my dare devil hat jumped on, to see a sign as it started saying "longest single span chairlift in the world" oops! yes it was a bit scary (legs going wobbly just writing about it) & then today on yet another boat trip, seeing the chairlift from the bottom made me realise how brave/stupid I am.
So another few days seeing the rest of the Island then back to Melbourne for 1 day then off to New Zealand to see friends (it's even bloody colder there than here)
Ciao