First stop in Australia was Perth. Having never been to the west coast before I wasn't too sure what to expect, other than I'd been told it never rains here...so how true are the rumours?!

Caught the train to Freemantle (or Freo as it's known by the locals) on my first day as they have reknowned weekend markets here, selling all kinds of locally made wierd and wonderful crafts. The weather was hot hot hot, so I decided to take the free bus around the town to get my bearings and save my legs. Jumped off the bus in a few places, one of which was of course the beach (just for a look!). Stopped at the martime roundhouse and got talking to an old guy who moved out here from England many moons ago and heard his whole life story plus a pretty good recount of the history of Freo and the comings and goings at the port! I also went to the prison which is a really good tour. It was built by the convicts and the guide who took us round was a real character. He used to be a prison guard there when it was still in use so he had all sorts of tales of mischief...a one hour tour finally finished nearly two hours later! Now that's what I call value for money..!

The next day I spent in the city itself. Perth is a pretty small city and fairly low rise, just the odd few skyscrapers. Took the bus up to Kings Park, a beautiful park area on top of a hill overlooking the city with spectacular views. I kept stopping every few metres to take another picture! I spent quite a few hours up here, wandering around the tracks and through the Botanic gardens. But then I headed back down into the city to take a look at the amazing architecture, a real mixture of old and new, from colonial style buildings such as the town hall to the modern swan bell tower sitting on the esplanade overlooking the river. It's a really friendly city, full of street cafes and places just to sit and enjoy the sunshine!

Perth also has some wonderful beaches, so after a couple of busy days I decided it was time for a rest and time to top up the sun tan! I headed to Cottesloe beach, about 20 minutes out of the city. The day started a bit cloudy but by the time I got there the sun was up to full power and sun cream was definitely required. While working hard on the tan I got talking to a girl from Poole (for anyone who knows where I live you'll realise that's just 30 minutes down the road!), so you just never know who you're going to bump into and where...It was pretty windy on the beach itself, which is great for windsurfers and kite surfers and of course the tourist who likes sand in their sandwiches! But I guess that's just something you have to put up with when in pursuit of the perfect sun tan!

After my trip up north I had a couple more days in Perth, just enjoying the relaxing city life. On my last night I went back to Kings Park overlooking the city and watched it 'by night'. It was a little chilly but it's amazing what a view does to detract you from thinking about the cold! Great memories...