After staying with Mum and Paul at their hotel in Cairns for 2 weeks our arrival in Perth meant that it was now time to move back into backpacker accommodartion. To say that it came as a bit of a shock is an understatement. After walking out of one possible place to stay due its condition, our highly recommended hostel was just as disgusting. I really had forgotton what living on a budget is all about. Perth itself is a great city. Clean, modern with a great public transport system, coupled with a great location on the river and close to the ocean. What more could you ask for - apart from clean hostels! Mum and Paul were with us for our week in Perth and together we visited the main sites. One highlight for me was our visit to Rottnest Island, an hours ferry journey from Perth. This small place is known for its beautiful beaches and its resident Quokkas. The Quokka is a small incredibly cute marsupial that only live on Rottnest. Unfortunately, stories fly around that when the Aussie youth comes for a drunken night out, they engage in a bit of Quokka Soccer. Not wishing to try it we spent our time exploring the island, snorkelling and swimming instead. Whilst in Perth we caught upwith my Dads' cousins, Sally and John, who, with their families, entertained us on a couple of occaisions. This was definitely a high point of my time in Perth. Thanks guys. We also went to see Pauls' friends, Steve and Louisa who put on a great barbie and made Simon all emotional about his first 'family' meal in 8 months. Thanks to you both. All in all we had a great week, and I for one, didnt want to leave. The plane wasnt about to wait, so we moved on to Singapore. Will add photos later. Lisa