So on our last day in Singapore we went on the 'heritage tour' where we got off and wandered around chinatown, then for the rest of the afternoon we just wasted time really waiting for the evening tour to Sentosa for the light and water show. We shouldnt have really bothered it was really naff and aimed totally at little kids but hey at least we gave it a go. In all i really liked Singapore it's quite like Hong Kong in a way but far less hectic and more laid back but still a city vibe to it, and quite influenced by the British - the plug sockets are all UK standard plugs.

The flight to Perth was fine a bit of turbulance but nothing major. this was our first flight with Qantas and it was good with movies on demand and nice food.

We arrived in Perth to sunshine but much cooler than we were used to in Asia, we got a taxi to the hostel in Northbridge and dumped our bags before heading straight out to try and find an STA travel agents - we found it but it was closed by the time got there.

So back to the hostel and it seems OK but expensive - as is everything there compared to ASIa and compared to the UK with some things like grocery shopping too! So we have definately decided that we are going to have to cut short our time here in Oz so Vic isnt worrying about money - well she still will be but she hopefully wont run out if we take a couple of weeks off the trip.

On the Sunday we got the train down to Freemantle, it was pouring down and really cold weather - i think we need to aclimatise!! and headed to a hostel we'd seen in the LP book. We got there and checked in we stayed in a 6 bed dorm again which apparently 1 of the girls told us had a mouse in it! - nice!!

Anyway the hostel had free internet and tea and coffee so we had a brew and checked email while waiting for the worst of the weather to pass. Once it seemed to clear up for a bit we made a break for it down to the market, where there where quite a few touristy and hippyish stalls as well as fruit and veg ones too. We are def discovering Oz is not as cheap as thought it might be! We then headed through the rain to the Freemantle Prison which used to house the convicts oncec they'd built it, so we went on the tour round that. Once that had finished we walked around Freemantle looking at the other sights it has to offer (the roundhouse and another market). We then grabbed something to eat and headed back to spend the evening in the hostel.

On Monday morning we left Freemantle after popping into STA travel and them telling us they couldnt help us with any ticket changes and that we would have to go to Qantas and get them to do it. So back to Perth we headed and to the Qantas offices where a lady helped change all our tickets (except Vics flight home which she couldnt access!?!) even the S.American ones, so now guys I'll be arriving home a couple of days before my Bday so plan a big party weekend then!! For the rest of the day we window shopped around Perth trying to avoid the rain and wind as much as possible. We also booked to go on an organised tour to the Pinnacles on Wed.

Tuesday we decided to have a cheap day and look around Perths museums - the Western Australian museum - shows early WA life. and the Art museum - showed lots of abriginal art work. We also found free internet access in the public library.

Yesterday we got picked up at 7am and taken on the tour to the pinnacles which started out going to Yanchep national Park where we got to walk around Koalas and kangeroos - and this was all before 9am! so very happy to have seen the oussie wildlife so early on! We then drove on up to Cervantes which is the town nearest the pinnacles, on the drive up out the window we could see Emu's and Kangeroos just in the fields next to the road.

At Cervantes we had a buffet lunch (meats and salads) and then we went into Namburg national park to see the pinnacles, which are thousands of weird rock formations that stick up - weird to see them for as far as you can see, i can imagine at sunset its quite spectacular it was great when we were there it seemed so peaceful and quiet and picturesque.

Back on the bus we drove back down to Lancelin where we had afternoon tea of a cuppa and biscuits and then onto the beach for the minibus to do some 4wheel driving up and down the dunes. Then we got off and got given sandboards to sledge/surf down the dunes with which was good fun! although knackering keep running up the dunes!!

We got back to our hostel in Perth at about 7pm where we promptly fell onto the sofa, (although i did go for a dip in the hostels oudoor jacuzzi - lovely) and then spent the evening chatting to the 2 irish girls who are in our room and then we watched a DVD.

At lunchtime yesterday i did try to phone up the Ayers rock resort only to find out they had no beds available except the ones that cost 100quid a night so we are now frantically worried about where we are gonna stay tomorrow night but i have know booked on the internet a hire car - there was only 1 company with any left in Ayers rock so hopefully it'll be OK, so i think we're gonna have to sleep in the car, just hope petrol wont add too much onto the cost of the hire.

Well thats about all we've been upto so far, but hopefully when we get to Cairns next week I'll beable to upload some pics and will be able to tell you about how we didnt freeze overnight in Ayers rock and how good it was! :)

Over and out for now x