We made it back to Perth - no dramas!

Our two days extended in EXmouth was very hot and lazy. It was hovering up at the 40 celsius mark so for the first day we lazed around and chilled out, playing pool in a pub and sleeping (not in the pub!). The second day we hired a car and drove to Bundegi beach for a few hours, but as the sun got higher we moved on to get refreshments and then to another beach but decided it was too scorchio to sit out any more. Back to the hotel for lunch and some shade and when it cooled a bit we visited the town beach and the pool in the previous hostel as our hotel one was out of action.

We joined the tour back with fab guide Danielle the next day. It was a bit of an ecclectic mix of people and probably the oddest group. It was a big drive day of over 800 kms so we basically sat, dozed, and ate, so was feeling really fat at our farm stay that night. The kangaroo stew went down a treat though! We learnt a bit about the farm and the local government laws and practices with farming so all interesting. Chris had a visitor to the room whilst I was chatting to people - a little mouse, so we blocked the gap in the door. Unfortunately one of the girls in another room had a few running around in her hair that night. Nice.

Tuesday morning we visited the Hutt River Province. This was great and we needed more time there. In 1970, a man seceded from Australia due to a tax and law row so his 18500 acres is now a separate country within Oz and they have their own money, stamps etc. It's all a bit funny but interesting and we were shown around by Prince Leonard himself (now in his eighties) and also met Princess Shirley as she helped stamp our passports! Very unusual. We went on to do sandboarding as the group didn't do it on the first day and then to a small privately Wildlife Park run by two ladies ho help rehabilitate a range of animals. I held a snake and had it around my neck too. It felt very strange. Back it Perth, we got to our hotel, the very nice Esplanade hotel in Fremantle. Large ensuite, huge bed, balcony, sitting area.... really nice to have clean and comfort! Thanks Karl and Emma for the first night - OMG, it was so needed. We are such flashpackers!!

However, yesterday was a pretty bad day. We got up to a forcast of sunshine and cloud with the isolated shower so decided to go to Rottnest Island and rent bikes to ride around the island. As we got on the ferry I realised I was cold. By the time we got to Rottnest it was raining. By the time we got our bikes we were soaked through and it was pouring. Perth had 7.6mm of rain yesterday, taking the month total to 8.2mm so far. Hmph. We did cycle around to a bay (me looking like an extra out of E.T. with my basket on my bike and my emergency disposable poncho flapping away behind me) and the sun came out for a bit so we grabbed it and lay on a secluded beach for half hour, but we gave up in the end and caught the 2.15pm ferry back rather than the 4.30pm. I cheered up before the beach as we saw some Quokkas (small marsupials that look like a cross between a rat and a kangarroo) but I was pretty miserable before that. Not ideal.

Back to the hotel for a nap and freshen up and we went to an amazing fresh fish market cafe for food. Then up to Fremantle prison for a torchlight tour. Really good and a bit scary!!

Today the weather is better so we're off to do a bit of shopping and then probably a beach this afternoon. Our last full day!!!!

xxx