Mandurah 10/12/06 – 24/01/07

I've been in Mandurah for quite some time now so I guess I'd better write an update on what I've been up to since I've been here. I arrived in Perth early in December after spending 3 weeks in Adelaide with my Aussie family. I was picked up at the airport by my cousins who have just emigrated over here and whisked back to their gaff in Mandurah. Mandurah is about an hours drive south of Perth for those of you who are interested. It's not the lively of places I have been too, but there always seem to be something going on and being next to the beach means there is always something to do.

The week I arrived, England were playing Australia in the Ashes at the WACA in Perth. My cousin Steve managed to get hold of a couple of tickets for the first day so we headed into Perth and spent the Thursday watching the cricket, drinking, beer and abusing the Aussies with the rest of the Barmy Army. It was a good day for us as we bowled out the convicts for 244. I had planned on going to watch the cricket on the 3rd day but the Aussies were spanking us by then and I thought it would be a better idea to sit in a pub and waste my money on beer. In the evening me, Steve and and a few others went out in Northbridge. I had been told the nightlife in Perth wasn't as good as the nightlife in Sydney or Melbourne but i thought it was just as good, if not better.

I spent Christmas with the family watching the two boys get really excited and opening their presents that “Santa” brought them. In typical Australian fashion we spent a few hours down the beach before heading back for our Christmas dinner. New Years was spent down by the foreshore in Mandurah having a few beers and watching fireworks, nothing fancy.

A couple of days ago my cousins, two of Rhys's and Ryan's friends and myself went to Caversham Wildlife park to see some of the Australian wildlife. Before I had been to Caversham the only wildlife I had seen was a Echidna (a hedgehog with highlights), a dead Brown Snake, lots of Kangaroos and the white tip spider that crawled across my head whist watching Wolf Creek last night. Oh, and some Aussie birds, the ones that can drink the Aussie men under the table and moan a lot. Whilst at Caversham I got to hold a Wombat and feed several Kangaroos. I have eaten Kangaroo quite a few times since I have been in Oz and it did cross my mind whilst I was feeding and petting them. Did I feel bad about eating their relatives? Not really. Does this make me a bad person? Maybe. Guess what we had for dinner that evening??................................

That's about it so far. I'm now in the process of getting myself one of those job things so I can save some money to travel up the west coast to Broome and then across to Darwin.