On Monday we drive up the coast to spend two days in Fremantle, the main port on the Swan River, on the West Coast of Australia. We arrive at a delightfully old fashioned B&B - Fothergills - which has a great view over the port. Even better, our room has its own private library, which we investigate a bit, and a second story verandah to sit and watch the world go by. For the first time on this trip, breakfast is included in the price of the room, which not a...

A three hour drive south from Perth to Margaret River, one of the country's great wine-producing regions.We stayed two nights at Lara and Jamie McCall's Burnside Bungalows, in our own bungalow, one of four on this working organic farm. The McCalls grow all types of vegetables and herbs, Zinfandel grape vines, olive trees for oil and soap, macadamia nuts, capers, and also raise cattle, pigs, geese, and of course hens for their own eggs. All organic and biodynamic....

Then we stopped in Kalgoorlie in the evening and had an hour long tour of this gold mining city—it could have been done in half the time (the highlight was stopping near a pub and three miners coming out to moon the bus). It has been an important mining town since gold was discovered by an Irishman, Paddy Hannan, in 1893, and it has the world's largest open cast pit. We weren't allowed to view the pit as a heavy storm was approaching. Glenna wasn't bothered! Ou...