Back to Base

Have arrived back at Tardun to dinner with the WM's family once again. Left Rockingham at 12.15 and got back here about 6pmish. After dropping the lads off on Friday I got back on the Canning Highway and went down to Rockingham to visit friends from Rotorua/Hamilton days. Shelly and Morris with Joel have recently emigrated from NZ and are staying with Mo's cousin and family who have been in Oz for 28 yrs. They were wonderful people and opened their home to yet one more kiwi, allowing me to pitch my tent (still in camping mode, LOL) on their back lawn. We had lots of news to catch up on so Friday/Saturday morning was fairly relaxed. I did a quick trip to the Rockingham shopping centre on Friday afternoon to get some more sox as it was a lot colder down there. OMG, it was like dying and going to heaven, as it was a humoungous mall, acres big and all under the one roof. Got my sox and some mags for holiday reading and decided to head back again the next day for a hair cut. Had begun to resemble a St Bernard and could barely see out of my fringe.

Had a bit of a window shop on Saturday which felt like nourishment for the soul, but weirdly enough bought very little. Seem to have got out of the habit, LOL. Did have lunch with the troops who had turned up while I was getting my hair cut and then we all went for a drive along the beach front and environs. Rockingham is right on the coast, underneath Freemantle, so white sand beaches and beautiful clear, blue water going to deep blue. The seafront looks as though development has begun in a serious way with massive appartment blocks next to a few older bach type houses, with the odd empty plot that has been cleared. The beach front has a strip of green with playgrounds, toilets, barbeques, etc like Geraldton has. It was blowing a living gale so did not linger too long and headed back to the house.

This morning went for a look at the markets - a car boot type affair in a carpark next to a park. Again resisted most things except 1/2 doz books of authors that I read, that I had not already read. Back at, Bronwyn and Bill's place, I tried to get some video footage and some photos of two kookaburras that were nesting in a palm tree on their front lawn. Woke up both mornings to hear them calling in their distinctive way - a very ozzy sound LOL. Speaking of ozzy sounds, while the ozzy lot continue to give me stick about my NZ accent, the kiwis are telling me I am developing and aussie one!!!!!!

Am very impressed with my ability to get back to Tardun this afternoon as I went on yet more new roads. This time I came up the Leach Highway, onto the Tonkin highway and finaly onto the Great Northen which then is all the way back. Only had one small glitch when I came off the Tonkin highway two roads too late but a quick check of the map and it was all good again. I did this with mostly right turns too but only because they were all with the lights, LOL. So, its goodbye to Perth and environs for the time being. I liked Perth as a city, with a good navigator, LOL, it's an easy place to get about. Many of the highways go through built up areas so the speed limit is 60k, 70 or 80k depending on how built up the area is. The highways are more like travelling the Gt South Rd from Ak downwards rather than being on the Ak motorway. It is a much more comfortable speed to drive at and the traffic seems less scarey, perhaps because of that (unless someone is telling you to cross three lanes of traffic to a turnoff, LOL).

For the last 200k today there was very little traffic either way, I would go 40k some times before seeing anyone else. Stopped at the Bindoon bakery on the way back (couldn't find it last time) and got a beef and guiness pie for lunch and an eccles cake (fly cemetery). I actually asked for a fly cemetery and had to point as I had forgotten the correct name. Got a bit of a strange look and had to have a wee laugh. Both were very good.

Was gobsmacked this morning to open the Sunday paper to see Paul Newman had died earlier in the week. Once upon a time, a star of his stature would have meant days of back to back movies and biopics of his career. And if that wasn't enough, Robyn then told me Rob Guest had also died, of a stroke!!!! I saw him on a morning program when I was home at Easter, promoting the latest musical he was going to do - a prequel to Wizard of Oz. I understand he did a show and had a stroke afterwards. Will have to google both him and Paul Newman to catch up on the news. Robyn and Bill have Foxtel (another glimpse of heaven, LOL)so had a very quick look on the news segments (brief) but was in the process of packing up so that was all I caught up with.

Foxtel is like Sky but seems to have more choices. Bronwyn and Bill also have a TV the size of a small football field that I had very covetous thoughts about, so watching a program on it was almost like being there. It was lovely to do a bit of blobbing before the telly, very holiday like behaviour indeed.

Have been writing this at the WM's table as we were showing off photos to each other and then we both went on line for different reasons. Battery is about to run out so will sign out for now.