Tuesday 16th June - I've been in Perth for a week now, and its the most isolated city in the world, but really quite cute and laid back. I'm staying in the suburb Northbridge which is 5 minutes from the CBD and supposed to be the trendiest part but also the most dodgy at night. I love the way they always stick hostels in the dodgiest parts of cities. What I've seen is no different from anywhere else, you have to keep your wits about you no matter where you are. The hostels nice though, instead of ending up in the s***tiest place like I normally do, I actually read the reviews this time and went for the top rated one, and its correct. Yay!! Met 2 awesome girls in my room, Sarah from England and Faith from Singapore. We've been hanging out doing the sights of the usual tourist trap hotspots, art gallerys and museums (which had the Nick Cave exhibition - the weirdest, strangest most f***ed up exhibition I think I've ever seen, but then he's a musician, which says it all really). We went to Freemantle markets which are fantastic, the Swan Bell Tower which is classed as a musical instrument in itself, and its the only bell tower in the world where you can witness the people ringing them, which is actually quite cool in a geeky sort of way, and the architectures fabulous. God you can tell I'm almost 30, I'm getting fired up about architecture! Also went to Kings Park which is beautiful, has amazing views over the city along with the usual Botanic gardens and water features, treetop walks e.t.c. Very chilled. Went to the Perth Mint which is where they make all the gold and it started in the gold rush days, and saw gold pouring which was pretty cool. Us girls had a night out in the suburb Sabiaco on Friday night, where I introduced them to bison vodka which they now love. Now Faith is a 22 year old adorably sweet girl from small Singapore, and she's never been drunk before in her life. Well - she has now. She only ever has 2 vodkas at home, and she had 2 vodkas and 1 cocktail out with us in this gorgeous trendy bar (I was happy as hell as they did bellinis - the best thing EVER invented). They went to the toilets, then Sarah came up and said Faith had blacked out in the ladies and bashed her head, then the doorstaff kicked her out, but Sarah still needed to use the toilet, so I downed my drink and went out to see Faith, who's dizzy, disorientated and has a lump the size of a golfball on her head. The doorstaff were a*******s and said they didn't care, they just wanted her off the property. I was so pissed off because this girl could have been spiked and they turned their backs. Now she wasn't spiked as the drinks never left our sight, she just had 1 too many (literally), but its the principle of the thing. you don't treat people like that when they could be concussed! Anyway, we took her back to the hostel in a taxi and it was only about midnight at this point, but the hostel kitchen is shut at 10.30pm. The young Kiwi guy Ashton who was working was lovely, opened the kitchen, got his teabags and made us tea and got his stash of choc chip cookies out for us (the staff in this place are awesome - makes a fantastic change), and he called the paramedics as none of us were happy to leave it incase she had concussion. Well eventually they turn up and waltz in looking bored out of their minds and instantly accuse her of being pissed, so we explain how she doesn't drink. I understand though that they get drunks wasting their time at weekends, must be frustrating as hell. They checked her over and she was fine, and we kept an eye on her overnight. We all laughed about it the next day and we said at least its a story she can tell her grandkids round the dinner table - how her first time drunk was in Perth, but she daren't tell her mum, and just said she smashed her head on the bunk bed. Me and Sarah were impressed she left it til being 22, my first time paraletic was 13/14 years old. Mind you, we're English. Its our culture. We went out the next night too (Faith did NOT drink), and went to an awesome Jazz bar in Northbridge which was rammed, and we met 3 fantastic Aussie guys who fed us champagne all night. Love it! They both left Sunday to go home to England and Singapore, and being the adorable girls they were, they left me all their toiletries to save them packing, they left me their food, and Faith left me a cute little black jacket because apparantly they never have to wear jackets over there as its always so warm. She is going to take me around Singapore when I get there next month too, so really handy in meeting her! Bless them! Then met up with Damian (from travelling up the east coast). He has now been sponsored in his job as electrician/alarm engineer and is staying over here, so we went for a drink and catch up, then we went out last night again and he took me to Kings Park to view the city at night. Cities always look so much better at night, then he gave me a tour of his suburb and went to a really plush bar by the harbour. Ever the gentleman that he is, he insisited on paying for all the drinks now he is a 'working man' and I am still a poor backpacker. Its great to have him around though, as we have made loads of plans of trips to do together whilst I'm here, and he has wheels which really helps out. They have 3 different free buses in the city that go round different routes (I love the way Australia's cities always have free transport - why does England not have this????), so the best way to get a feel of the place is to do a circuit on each bus to suss out where everything is, and the city has some really lovely parts. I can see why Damian is going to stay here. He's even going to ship his beloved cat out which is so cute - he can't be without him. If I emigrated though, I'd have to bring my little Biscuit out to join me too.

Went to fremantle again to see Fremantle prison which was built in the 1800's by British convicts, got a guided tour around which was really humouress, explaining how dire things were in those days. The convicts used to have a unifrom with POM written on the back - 'Prisoners of Mother England' - hence why we're called 'Poms'. Kids used to be imprisoned here up until the 1970's, the youngest was only 9 years old - just street kids thrown out as no-one wanted them so they had to steal to live, and the gallows were last used in the 1960's, only 1 woman was hung, the rest guys. The guide talked about the woman and how evil she was - 'er, hang on a minute! Why is it that people always focus on the women, and exactly HOW many men were hung? Loads! He didn't say they were evil now did he. God, what is it about society that accepts men to be evil b******s. Oh boys will be boys. We expect it and accept it, but heaven forbid a woman commits a crime! Its usually the men that drive them to it in the first place!!!!!!! Anyway, rant aside, the place was shut in 1991 as it was seen to be too hideous a place for criminals. What do they want exactly, 5 star accommodation??? Fremantle is lovely, full of fantastic old style colonial buildings (here I go about architecture again...), and a lovely harbour, with the usual cappucino strip. Also went on a day trip to the Pinnacles Desert which is 3 hours drive north of Perth. First stop was Caversham Wildlife Park to see the Koalas, Wombats and Kangaroos, and it had been raining, so all the kangaroos were soggy bundles of fur, huddled under the shelter, and we huddled with them to feed them. They are so gentle when taking the food from your hand, and they stand on their back legs to sniff you, and lift their heads back when you scratch them under the chin. They love it. There were a few with Joeys in the pouch, but it was the legs sticking out rather than the head, probably sheltering from the downpour. Got to the Pinnacles desert where luckily it was dry, and it spans for a great distance of limestone pillars, the tallest about 4m. There is so much in Australia that looks like stuff from space. Uluru, the Bungle Bungles, the Pinnacles, e.t.c - all look so outer spacey. Then did some driving over the huge steep sand dunes 2 hours away in a 4WD, and all the Japanese girls were screaming their heads off. Bless 'em, so sensitive. Went out later with Damo for curry and a film in Sabiaco. Its so good to know a working man as he pays, god love him. This is what I need right now.

Wednesday 1st July - I'm sat at work in the Veterinary Clinic in Morley, a suburb of Perth, and I just HAVE to describe how odd, bizarre and old school this set-up is (all you Vet Nurses will understand my bewilderment and horror). Firstly, its a one vet practice, but there is another down the road where Martin the vet scoots to and fro from 4 times a day, backwards and forwards between the 2. He's just left for the other one which is why I'm typing this, and I'm bored out of my tree as there is nothing to do. Well, this is just his laptop, there is no computer system for clients or appointments, its all on paper cards which are filed, and subsequently lost never to be seen again, and Martin just squiggles some illegible stuff down on the card which I'm supposed to understand. All surgery is done at the clinic in Noranda just down the road, so I lock up here at lunch and get transported down the road by Eli the nurse, whose mood is extremely tempremental (but she confided in me yesterday she's pregnant, so the mood swings are forgiven). They do not use anaesthetic machines, they just inject intravenously and top-up when the animal has jumped off the table in the middle of Martin having his BARE hands in its guts. No, he doesn't use gloves, and he said he washes his hands better after surgery than he does before. There is absolutely NO sterility in this place, and no pain relief given during the op, just tablets to go home with, and its so disorganised here, and people just walk in all the time expecting to be seen, the whole idea of appointments just goes way over these bogans heads (bogans is the word over here for rednecks - which is most of the population, pretty much the equivalent to our chavs). Martin has no interest in being a vet, the clients are in and out within 2 minutes, he doesn't care less about the animals, he just wants to be a songwriter. Now he is at his happiest listening to his Ipod during surgery (which we are subjected to), and he chats about who's its by e.g "Oh this song is amazing, its by Petula Clark. Do you know Petula Clark?", to which I nod and say she sang 'Downtown', and Martin jumps up and down excitedly as I know who he's talking about (this guy is in his 40's by the way), and then he tells me the names of the other artists (who I've never heard of), and proceeds to tell me their history whilst bursting into song. Its truly quite a disturbing experience. Yesterday though we got to castrate a wallaby and a wallaroo from Caversham Wildlife Park. Eli used to work there and her husband still does, so to sedate she would hold it by its tail, and I would jab him in the backside, then swaddle him like a baby in a towel and hold him close whilst he went into the state of sedation, then I would raise the vein in its leg whilst Eli gave more anaesthetic, then into the next room to be castrated, where I monitored him. This happened with both, and it was so cool to get so close and hands on with them. Whenever I see T.V programmes with Vet Nurses working with wildlife, Ive always been so jealous, and now Ive had the chance to do something other than cats, dogs and rabbits. They were dead cute, but both weighed just over 9kg and were solid muscle. Only 1 1/2 more weeks of this chaos. I also hear Martin giving the worst advice and I just want to scream at the clients "NO, do NOT listen to a word he says!!!!!". Vet Nurse girls - get a load of this one, he told a client is was okay to spay her cat whilst still nursing 3 week old kittens!!!! I told this woman DEFINATELY NOT, and she re-arranged saying "Well the vet said it was okay", and I said no way on this earth, so thankfully she listened to me. Jesus Christ almighty. If he wants to be the next Gary Barlow of the songwriting world then he should just b***** off and do it and leave the world of veterinary practice well alone.

Friday 10th July - I'm at the end of my travels in Australia, and what a blast its been. I have met the most fantastic people, had some of the best, most surreal, hilarious times and made awesome memories that will last until my death bed. I can't believe I've spent almost 7 months down under. I have had a great social network going on here in Perth, from having wine and catch ups with Amanda my old hostel room mate, to lunch/dinner dates with Sunday sessions in Fremantle with Nicky and Julian whom I met on the Red centre tour, to hanging out with my little gem Damian, whether its weeknight drinks to visits to the cinema, weekend blowouts with cocktail parties at his mates pad, before hitting town and the casino, I've had a fab time. These people among the many others I've met on the way are people I would hang out with at home, and its always hard saying goodbye. You make a close bond and form fantastic friendships, then its time to move on and leave. Thats the hard part about travelling, but its all part and parcel, and I know there are new places with new experiences and new people on the way, but it doesn't get easier leaving behind the company I've made. The friends out here are what makes the the travelling the amazing, fun times where I can't remember laughing so much. I've rediscovered myself. I know it sounds really cliche, but I got so caught up in mundane stuff for years that I forgot who I actually was, it was a question of "Who is Anouska?", and these people that have come into my life as strangers and become lifelong friends have played a huge part in this, there was no pretence, no trying to be someone else, it was an opportunity to get past peoples pre-conceptions or judgements of who they think you are, and actually see me for being ME. They saw the real Anouska and I'm so grateful for that, and 'Ive laughed and had the most fun I've had in a long, long time. So its bye to them for now, and bye to Oz, and off to Asia I go!!!!!