Hello All!

Sorry my first blog entry is just now being posted ;) but a lot has been happening here since our arrival!

The flights here were long, but as a mean to an end, well worth it!We were very impressed with Emirates Airline...and the airport in Dubai was super cool!Very grandiose indeed!Lots of shops and green spaces.

Our first two days after our arrival, we went to a boat show in Fremantle with Mike (our mate from Aussie)...it was awesome!!Nick & I also did some strolling through the streets and shops in Fremantle ...very nice town!

The next day we went to the beach near Kwinana, where there was a lovely park....Christian (Mike & Karyn's son) enjoyed running around :o)That evening we held the first Iron Chef in the 5th wheeler, lol!!We had purchased a fruit from Thailand from the grocery store, none of us knew what it was (even the store clerk, lol)....the DURIAN!It was very interesting looking....and the prickles on the outside where extremely sharp!The inside looked brain-like...and I was not convinced this was going to make a successful dessert haha!Mike decided to incorporate some of the fruit into a cake...and Nick was going to make some sort of glaze with the nuts that were found inside the durian.Mmmm...Let's just say the only thing that came of the glaze was a very messy pot to clean, lol!The cake was nice to our pleasant surprise.... Mike took the title of Iron Chef haha ;)

The next morning Nick & I decided to go for a walk, and we ended up finding out some important tips...never walk between sign posts and the hedges or trees...this is a hotspot for spiders & webs!!Also bring water with you....it's hot-as :0)

When we returned Mike and his mate, Alan, took us sailing to Rottnest, an island about 2 hours off the coast of Fremantle.Discovered in 1696 by Dutch explorer de Vlamingh, he mistakenly took the island's Quokkas for giant rats, and therefore named the island, Rottnest, meaning 'rat's nest'. Quokkas are larger than rats, but share the look of a kangaroo....very strange, but very cute!

This island was absolutely beautiful!!!The water (Indian Ocean) was crystal blue and very nice surf!There are walking trails all around the island, or you can rent a bike.No cars are allowed on the island, so you either sail in, or take the Rottnest Fairy.We were very fortunate to have friends to float us over....that experience in itself was so great!!

Nick & I walked along the beach, and enjoyed the waves crashing into us :0)We got lucky, and saw seven quokkas on our walk, they are nocturnal, so we were very pleased to have encountered them!!We also saw some incredible greenery, flowers, and lots of colourful birds :0)

We left beautiful Rottnest Island and headed back to the marina in Fremantle...the only difference being I was at the helm...steering the boat haha!!It was better than any rollercoaster....with the swell and waves of the ocean; I was able to get the boat swaying really good hahaha!!I laughed uncontrollably the whole way back!It was a FANTASTIC DAY and I had a thrilling day playing captain of the yacht lol :0)

The next day Nick & I took Christian to the Aquarium of WA (Western Australia)!We witnessed the unique marine life that lives in the 12,000 km of coastline in Western Australia!!The AQWA was an awesome experience and Christian really enjoyed looking at all the creatures!Though he thought the big sea turtle was getting way to close to him at one point!The marine life & all the coral were so amazing to see!And the aquarium is set up so lovely you forget you're not in the ocean somewhere!!We met up with Mike & Karyn and went to Mindarie...a beautiful coastal town just outside of Perth (capital city of Western Aus).The marina there was gorgeous....and we went for tea (dinner) at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the marina :0)

We went to Kings Park & Botanical Gardens in the heart of Perth...over 400 hectares of bush in the heart of Perth!It is one of the largest inner city parks in the world.Magnificent views of the surrounding city and Swan River!We went at dusk, which only enhanced the views!We arrived home and crashed for a few hours before our next sailing adventure!!Mike & his brother -in-law Steven had to move the boat from the Fremantle marina to Mandurah, which is about 57km or47 nautical miles (6-8 hour sail).The only thing was Mandurah is south of Fremantle, and therefore to get the wind speed it was optimal to set sail at 3am!!Hahaha....we were hesitant, but we were SO HAPPY we were invited along for what turned out to be such an awesome time!The atmosphere sailing at night was totally different than what we had experienced thus far.Obviously visibility is somewhat limited, but it was so interesting to learn about navigation at night, as they follow different lateral marks (buoys with green or red lights)that are set in the ocean to guide sailors.Plus the ambiance was incredible as it began to get lighter as the blackness of the night faded into dawn.I have seen sunrises before, but none compare to being in the middle of the ocean as the sun crests the horizon.The pictures I posted are nice....but honestly do not do it justice at all!We arrived at the coast of Mandurah about 9am, birds were out flying around, and something else was waiting for us in the harbour....a DOLPHIN!!I screamed when I first saw one (almost scaring the hell outta Mike, as he thought we were about to hit something hahah!!)I was SO excited to see this lone dolphin!As we neared the marina we geared up for docking, I was steering the boat in the interim, while the others were tending to the sails etc.We had to pass under a bridge, which was a bit of a freaky experience for me, as I had only steered the boat in the open ocean prior to this....but it added to my excitement:0)I was on the bow of the boat now as we were preparing to enter the marina to dock (I was meant to throw the bow rope ashore as we docked).I was standing holding on to the mast of the boat, when a dolphin swam under the bow of the boat and alongside our boat for a moment....it was incredible!!Then I saw another one just a short distance from us!!This made my day....I sat down and had a 'moment' !!

Karyn met us at the marina for brekkie, which was lovely as well!I love the language here...everything is cool-sounding and quite often nicknamed or shortened ...for example...

Fremantle (where we are currently living) = Freo

Rottnest Island = Rotto

Breakfast =brekkie

Tea = supper

Grilled cheese sandwich = cheese toastie

And the list goes on and on ... but we love the colloquialisms!!Speaking of supper/tea....we have had some interesting entrees since we have arrived.We went out to a huge dinner with Mike and all his extended family...such a nice time!!We went to the Zebra Steakhouse, and ordered up some Croc Kabobs (yes it is what you think)!Nick ordered Monkey Rump, and I was gullible to believe that it was actually monkey...but found out later it was actually a regular beef steak!!Hahaha!We have barbequed Roo...yes...we ate one:0(Since that we have also enjoyed(?)haha some raw tuna sushi, eel, roo sausages and boarworst ;)

We enjoyed a sight-seeing tour of Fremantle with Mike & Christian.We went to the Maritime Museum in the morning...which was interesting to see how the marine business has changed through the decades, and learned a lot about life here as well, as sailing and the ocean here are such a huge part of the culture!Fremantle is home to the highest winds in the World, so it is no surprise that it also boasts the best sailing in the World :0)Lots of history regarding sailing and highlights of WA's heritage, including when they won the America's Cup.

Next we went to prison....well a prison tour haha!The Fremantle Prison was opened in the 1880s and remained in use until 1991!It did not go through much evolution during that time, even though changes due to technology certainly changed the 'outside world'.We found it interesting; parts were astonishing, and hard to believe that this prison just closed in 1991!!

Well Nick slaved away for four days transforming a standard 15 passenger van into our new home on wheels!I was a little concerned at first how we would fit everything in (Nick's countless drafts didn't really help me to visualize ;)In the end everyone was amazed at what he had done in such a short time!!The Aussie gang here has been SO GREAT!!Mike and his family have welcomed us and helped us out big time with the van and everything we wanted to put in it!!We are and very grateful to our Aussie friends that have made our adventure possible!!Great times here in Fremantle!!

Driving is an adventure in its own right....opposite side of the road, more roundabouts than you can imagine, narrow roads, etc!!But if you get caught being reckless you could be in done for!Australia has implemented HOON laws...meaning if you are caught driving recklessly or driving in excess of 30km over of the speed limit for a continuous time - you will be heavily fined and the police can hand your car back to you in a box!!Yes, they can have your car crushed!!There was a story of a guy who bought a brand new Lamborghini...enough said ... he didn't have it long...brings new meaning to the compact model!!

We are setting off from Fremantle on March 4th to discover South Australia....I will let you know what we find!!

OK, OK I realize that this should have been posted a while ago lol....but hope to update you again soon!!And of course post some pics too :0)

Lots of love!

Nick & Laura :0)