Yes, I am finally in Australia!!

The flight was efficient, just over 5 hours from Singapore, and we touched town at 3pm. Now, I knew I was meeting Liam (Smithy) and jokingly had mentionned to him about greeting me with one of those signs you get for important people as they walk through at Arrivals...I got a great surprise, Smithy had made a huge sign which said "International Redtroop, Mr Kevin O'Shea"- absolute class! Now, because Smithy has been here for 2 months, I didnt really do any research about Perth because I knew he would know the best things to do. He booked me in to his hostel, which is in a fantastic location 10 mins from the city centre.

The hostel itself is a bit special purely for the fact that the majority of the guests are actually pretty much residents. They are all in Perth for a few months or more on working visas, which means everyone knows everyone and even though its a big share kitchen and bathroom, and 6 in a dorm, it has a really homely atmosphere which I was pleased about, especially for Smithy living so far from home.

So anyway, thursday night we had a good look around the town, grabbed some food and then because everyone at the hostel was off work for Easter weekend had a bit of a party. They even had a "cook a dish from your own nationality" event going on, so me and smithy fired a packet of kimberly biscuits on the table and told them thats good enough for ye! On Good Friday after 11am mass (good Catholic lads ha?) we headed for the beach. The beaches all around Perth are stunning, as in most places around Oz. We took body boards and other beach games whilst getting nicely brown. We did the same on saturday, and ventured in to Perth town that night to sample the nightlife. One word can cover it- EXPENSIVE!! I couldnt get over the prices, $7.80 a pint, and theres 2 to a pound, so you're looking at well over 3.50 a pint sterling, you wouldnt even pay that in London, but what can you do?

Easter sunday morning, after the mandatory easter-egg hunt and feast of hot cross buns, we all chipped in $10 towards a huge roast beef dinner cooked mainly by 5 lads from Derry, who are a great craic and nice to have around the place. 12 of us sat around and ate piles of food, before heading off to the beach for the late part of the afternoon. Its quite surreal to be sat in scorching heat on easter sunday sitting on a beach eating a creme egg! Mum- you better still have an egg for me when I get home!

On the monday, me smithy and a few of the lads went off to a different beach called Scarborough beach and took a train there. There are many similarities in the naming of places in Oz and England due of course to colonialism. What is really clear though, is the Aboriginal influence in some of the wording, meaning on one stretch of trainline you go from Belmont Park and Queens Park (very english) to Bull Creek and Subiaco (very Australian) to Koondaloop and Kwinana which are strongly Abbo. The Aboriginies are definitely a lower social class in most peoples eyes here, and at times they dont help themselves it seems, as I have been warned numerous times to avoid certain areas at night due to their rowdy behaviour.

Liam is taking the whole of next week off work for us to go down the coast in a camper van, but is working tuesday to friday this week, so on tuesday I went off exploring. I took a train to a place called Fremantle, a tidy little sea-side town well geared for backpackers with slightly cheaper food outlets and second hand bookshops. Yesterday I had a great day. I decided after a 2 month drought, that I would go and play golf. I found a course with greenfees of only $25, and went along. I did however kinda forget that I would need to hire clubs, buy balls, buy a glove, rent a trolley and get water! That splurge blew the weeks budget out of the window, but I met a lovely couple called Jim and Barbara (Babs by the end of the round) and had a very enjoyable game on a quite stunning course overlooking the city. Oh yer- and NO Dad, I haven't lost it- (played to 8, not bad considering)!!!

A very strange thing happened last night too. Smythe and I only had a few pints, and went off to bed around midnight. well anyway, when we woke up this morning, we both had been savagely attacked with blonde hair-dye! He looks like a ginger leopard, and I look just plain cool lol

Today I have a pretty hectic sun-tanning and body-boarding schedule to adhere to, so best go. ;-)

Smithy and I are off in the Camper van for a week from saturday onwards, so will have plenty of news when I get back x