We have been in Perth for about a week as I type this, I have dated it from last week because we went to Fremantle during the week and I want the timeline to be more accurate, not that it matters really

So we are staying with some of Reginas friends from home and college and leitrim. Aidan has been looking after us in the house, extremely well I might add, and we have been doing a bit of exploring around Perth and Mossman Park (where we are staying/living at the moment). We have been into the city a few times, and in keeping with the honesty of my previous entries, I have not been exactly blown away with Perth city. It is nice and all, some fine buildings and plenty of shops and parks and maybe it has been the heat spoiling it for me, but anyway.

We walked around the city the first day we went in there on the train by ourselves. We went down towards the waterfront area, on the swan river and walked along the path from the Bell Tower towards a park at the other end that Regina had been told we could feed kangaroos at lunch time for free. It was a long walk, very hot. Perth has been in the middle of a record breaking heat wave. It extended to 27 days of being 30+ degrees during the day and 20+ at night, some days ranging up to 39/40 at the hottest. We got to a small park called something I cant remember and as I was walking over towards a water fountain managed to stub my toe on a bit of wood marking out the path and cut a great big hole in the top of it which of course started to bleed fairly heavily. Not to worry, Regina hadnt fainted at this stage so probably wasnt going to, but we would have to give the kangaroos a miss for a bit as we went back into town to get some plasters (we have a first aid kit, its back in the house). Got some plasters and had some food and off we went again to the park. We got there at about half two, the hottest part of the day had been 2:09 according to the weather that night with a 38.7 or something similar and we felt it. Walked around the fairly well covered park and saw one kangaroo. There was a sign saying no feeding the kangaroos and a really eerie breeze blowing through the pine trees planted in the park. There was also nobody else in the park and it was just the creepiest freakiest and weirdest place we have been so far, again, maybe it was just the heat!!!!! After we walked back into town we were both pretty wrecked from the heat so we went back out to the house and lay in the airconditioning for a few hours.

Also, during the week we went down to the beach nearest us, Cottlesloe beach is the main one near the house and its about 15 minute walk from the house. It was lovely, the water was cold but very calm so we swam loads. The sharks hadnt been around for a few months so it was grand out. At the moment in Perth it is Arts Festival month so there were a lot of sculptures around the beach area, photos to follow maybe, and we got to lie on the beach watching them set them all up with their JCB... very calming to listen to a JCB while chilling out on the beach so it is!!!!

Another day again we went back into town and took the free bus around to look the place over, we booked some tickets to go to Rocknest Island next week some time and then went to the Art Gallery (free entry) and had a look around that. Some very interesting pieces, no photos allowed however but still it was nice.

Its been great living in the house. We have TV and a bed to ourselves (not that we have had to share a bed with anyone else of course, that came out wrong is all), and a kitchen to oursevles too (apart from Aidan naturally). So we do love it here too really. I really think we will miss being able to just go to the beach when we go home, its so a great way of life here. The beaches are always busy enough, even in the evenings people come home from work and go to the beach to chill out, swim, cook some bbq and all that sort of thing. Anyway, who knows what the Irish summer will be like this year, maybe the opposite of the winter ye had eh!!!!!