A slightly different version told to us by Yvette, the Kiwi coach guide. Charles Yelverton O'Connor was an Irish engineer, well known for the construction of Fremantle Harbour as well as for the pipeline that still brings fresh water 530km from Perth to Kalgoorlie, known as the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. See seperate blog.

Rottnest

Yes, it is Dutch for Rat-nest, named by an early spice trader. Who knew that you can preserve meat with nutmeg? He thought the quokkas were big rats. A dour race sometimes, your Netherlanders. "I'm not rascist but…. " Some of these Aussies are pretty xenophobic. Mind you, it's not only the elderly Queenslanders with the youngerThai and Filipino partners, it seems to be a W.A thing too.

A lot of the muslim veils here, including 2 pillar-box styles today, the 1st that we've seen in white. A veiled lady (beside her ((seated))big old ocker partner) got up in the lounge, faced Mecca, silently said her prayers and prostrated herself several times.

Talk about exotic out here in the Wild Wild West.

Overnight at Rottnest

.Around 12 Osprey stacks around the island, literally nests made out of stacks of branches. They must work, as some of them have been used for up to 70 yrs

During the night L woke to the sickening sound of iDevice landing badly on tile floor.

Next day in Perth it took a ridiculously long time to download the old one to a new one at the Apple Store. Overheard young tech saying to young customer "I'd be totally devo'd if we lost all this information.

Your challenge - how often can you use "I'd be totally devo'd" this week.

2nd day @ Rottnest. Staying at Karma Lodge. Cute but tatty. On our balcony there was still a full ashtray, and no attempt to clean the bird droppings. When 'erself saw the offending birds, she proclaimed them robins. When I saw them in the evening and morning doing the Merv-dance for insects, I proclaimed them welcome swallows. After checking the reference book at the I-site they were actually wedge-tail cuckoos! Hands up anyone who saw that coming? No, … as you were.

Lunch @ Thomsons w/ Lorraine and Doug from behind Bribie Is. Old

Back to Mercure Perth. Had dinner w/ Peter and Robin from Jervis Bay NSW - spotted them in the Barrel House (beside Seasons) as we walked past.

Tues. Gym, Apple, Bayswater rental car, viewed caravan park and booked in for next week. They couldn't do this Sat for us because of the crowd for the Bledisloe Cup on Sat. Bloody Kiwis.