Hi Everyone,

We have arrived in Melbourne, after a few days with friends in Perth. It's amazing that we have flown 1500 miles and a 4 hour flight and we're still in the same country. Can you imagine taking a jumbo jet to fly to Aberdeen? Bit like flying to Moscow, same flight time and a two hour time difference.

Staying with friends from Southgate until Friday and while we're here we will see Capt. James Cook's original house which was transported brick by brick from Yorkshire to Melbourne. It's now the offficial oldest house in Australia. Also want to visit the MCG.

Perth was a very clean, modern and a lovely city. Western Australia is vast and can fit the UK, Germany, France and Italy into it comfortably yet it only has 2 million people.

We went to Caversham Park and hand fed kangaroos, stroked a wombat and koala bears. There is so much space here and the day we had at Rottnest Island was unforgettable. The beaches were like talcum powder and the water was turquoise blue. Yesterday they spotted two great white sharks there, the day after we were snorkelling off the coral reef!!!!!!!!!!!!

We sailed from Fremantle and decided that it was best to take the round the island bus as hiring a bike would have been too exhausting considering that the temperature was 104 degrees and I've only been retired 3 months to risk a heart attack.

Hope Ray and Leslie enjoyed your stay in Spain with Derek and Sheila.

A special mention must go to Julie and Mick who put us up in Perth. Thanks a million for letting us stay with you guys. I know that at this moment you are flying back to the UK and we hope that everything goes/went as well as could be expected.

Happy Birthday also to Shirley on the 3rd March and to Sarah on the 6th. Happy Mother's Day as well to all the Mums. It's not Mother's Day here but we know it is in the UK.

Keep well everyone,

Love

Paul & Marion