Monday, May 15th: We awoke this morning to two novelties: 1) it's raining and we mean RAINING!!! and 2) we are the only humans in the inn--our car is the only one in the lot--they weren't kidding when they said the place is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our goal today is to get to Geraldton, about 425k north of Perth. We'll be doing a lot of driving for the third day in a row. Perhaps we'll take an extra day in Geraldton.... The roads, though only two lanes, are quite good. They have long straightaways and "overtaking" lanes (for passing) periodically. We are on the Brand Highway until we reach the turnoff for Cervantes, a small beachfront town where we stop for lunch and to use the internet. It's claim to fame is its proximity to Numbung National Park. The most popular attraction of the park (and it seems the only one) is the Pinnacles Desert. Thousands of limestone pillars, some up to 4 meters high, rise out of the a stark landscape of golden yellow sand. Some are jagged, sharp-edged columns, others resemble tombstones. This is one of the most surreal places we've ever seen. It must have been used for movies and TV shows as an alien planet. If you were blindfolded and left in the middle of this desert, not only would you have no idea where you were, but also you'd be convinced it was not of this earth. There is a trail through the Pinnacles for 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The great thing is that tour buses can't go here. They have to unload their passengers who then must walk through it. The trail is 3km and winds around in such a way as you are never quite sure which direction you're going. Eventually you wind up back at the park entrance. The A$9 fee per car was some of the best $$$ we've spent on sightseeing thus far. Our photos don't do it justice!

It's about 2:30 and we still have about 190km left to Geraldton. It's been raining on and off all day (off, while we were visiting the Pinnacles) and this will slow us up a little. In Dongara, we stop to try to book ahead because we're not sure we can get to Geraldton before the Tourist Office there closes. The lady in the Dongara office has left for the day, and it's only 3:45pm, but Kerry, who works for the Library (which is co-located with the Tourist Office) helps us identify a place in Geraldton: Mahomet Village apartments. It's almost 5pm when we reach Geraldton, and after registering, we find our apartment to be somewhat less than acceptable. The primary issue is the old fish smell, especially in the refrigerator. We call back to reception who sends someone over to try to make it better. After unloading the car, we're off to town for some groceries and a place to eat dinner. We try at a recommended Italian place, but they're fully booked. We'll settle for Chinese, and meet a delightful couple from England. They're visiting their son and new grandson who live south of Perth. They also spend a month each year in the Naples area, so, taking a cue from our Aussie friends, we invite them to call us when they come this fall. Rick provides our card so they can view our website and read our journals.

Back at the apartment, the smell still lingers and we agree that in the morning, we will get a credit for the second night we paid for in advance, visit a couple of sights in town, and move on to Kalbarri. We are not at all impressed with Geraldton.

Tuesday, May 16th: Rory was really motivated to get going early this morning--anything to get out of the Mahomet Village.... The lady at reception readily provided our credit and we were on our way--BEFORE 8:30!! We thought about going on a lobster tour (the area is a crayfish producing center; crayfish in Australia are like rock lobsters), but it didn't start until 9:30 and we intended to be gone by then. We did visit the HMAS Sydney Memorial--a very tastefully done remembrance of the 645 men who lost their lives on November 19, 1941 in a sea battle with a German warship. Both ships were lost at sea and no remains of any one on either ship were ever recovered. The Aussies seem to have a way with creating these memorials and their respect for the particular cause or remembrance is evident. We also stopped for petrol and to photograph the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, a very cool building, especially for a town the size of Geraldton. Last stop--the Tourist Office where we got a good line on a couple of places to stay in Kalbarri and enough time on the internet for Rick to pick up a message from our friends Dov and Rebecca who we hope to meet up with in Cairns.

We took the Great Northwest Highway out of town toward Northampton, where we turned off onto the coastal highway to Kalbarri. On the way we paid a short visit to the remains of the Lytton Convict Depot, where convicts who were hired out to work in the mines were housed. The conditions were so severe, especially a lack of water, that the depot was closed after only a couple of years. Later we passed by the Hutt Lagoon Lake--a pink (really) lake. It's pink because of the high content of betacarotene from a nearby mine. Kalbarri is only about 170km north of Geraldton and by 1pm we are booked into the Seafront Villas for two nights. We're on the second floor with a view of the Murchison River and the Indian Ocean from our kitchen window and small patio. When we registered, Elizabeth suggested we go down to the jetty to watch the fishing boats come in and catch some lunch at the fish place across the road. We're happy with her recommendation and after lunch and a couple of Carlton Blacks (dark ales) we decide to visit The Rainbow Jungle.

Rainbow Jungle is a world leader in the breeding of endangered species and is regarded as Australia's most beautiful parrot habitat. There are over 260 birds and over 60 different species. They have an open aviary, but none of the birds will land on or be handled by humans, much to Rory's disappointment. It's still an interesting place and we see several species of birds that we haven't yet spied in the wild. We expect to see several others when we get to Cairns and the east coast. It's been raining on and off all day, but it doesn't deter us from visiting several coves along the coast. At Red Bluff, we can drive the car right out onto the deep red rocks where we watch the little crabs scurry under the overhanging shelves of rock when we get near them. We also drive down to Pot Alley and Eagle Gorges for spectacular views of the rocky coast.

Tonight we'll take advantage of the cooking facilities in the villa and eat dinner in (and do a little laundry). But first, Rory decides to rearrange the furniture in the living/dining room. Tomorrow we plan to visit some of the natural rock formations and get down onto some of these isolated beaches.

Wednesday, May 17th: Today marks the end of the first half of our trip. One of the goals of this trip was to determine how we would take to being away from home for an extended time. Rick is convinced he could live in "PT" (perpetual travel) mode; Rory is not quite so sure. One thing we agree on, neither of us much likes being in a different place every night or two. We enjoyed the chances we've had to be in one place for a week--a month or more in one place would be even better.

There is a pelican feeding across the street from our apartment every morning at 8:45. Rory is up and ready. A small crowd has gathered, but a couple of young children frighten the two pelicans who swim up for the feeding. When the feeder arrives, there are no pelicans in sight--we'll try again tomorrow. There are several gorges to visit south of Kalbarri that we passed on our way in yesterday. We drive out to Natural Bridge and Island Rock. No one is around and we have the cliff observation points to ourselves. We work our way back toward town, returning to Pot Alley so we can climb down to the beach that we can barely make out from the cliff. The path downward cuts through red, gold, purple, and pink layers of rock as it winds its way down to the small shell covered beach. The waves are crashing all around us. Rick climbs up the rocky ledges to the right while Rory tests the cool water of the Indain Ocean. Continuing his explorations to the left of the beach, Rick discovers a small natural bridge and signals Rory to come over so she can take his picture standing and sitting on the bridge. Behind him, the surf is pounding the rocky coast. Pot Alley has become one of Rick's favorite places on earth. What makes this whole area so interesting to us: it's the terrain and colors of the western US high desert with an ocean right alongside.

We plan to visit some other natural rock formations this afternoon, but first lunch (vegetarian pizza) and some souvenir shopping. Rick gets into a discussion of our footy experience with the sales lady in the shop; they're mostly West Coast Eagles fans here, still smarting from their defeat at the hands of the Freo Dockers almost two weeks ago. Rick, who is now a diehard Dockers fan, is glad he didn't wear his Dockers hat into the store. Eventually we proceed out of town only to find that the track out to Nature's Window, the Loop, and the Z-Bend is unsealed (not paved) and very rutty. We're not about to drive our little 2WD rental car 27km over this kind of road(?) to reach the sights and then 27km back. Maybe we'll take a tour out there, if we come back to Kalbarri on our way south next week.

We're getting the hang of booking ahead so a stop at the Tourist Office is in order to set up the next two nights in Denham (near Monkey Mia) on Shark Bay. In chatting with the two women who run the office, we learn that the offices are non-profit operations. The offices rely on government support, donations and commissions from any tours and accomodations they book. With some free time on our hands, we decide to just chill at the apartment. Rory takes a nap while Rick adds photos to a couple of our journals. Dinner tonight is at the Black Rock Cafe for local seafood, which we feel almost obligated to try--it's great!! Rick almost gets away without desert, until Rory points out three glass containers filled with cookies. A white chocolate macadamia nut monster is too hard to pass up, so we get one "to take away" (to go).

Thursday, May 18th: Another drizzly morning--what's going on here?? While Rick updates our website, Rory is back to see if the pelicans will show up for their feeding. They don't, and we are on the road to Denham on Shark Bay before 9:30. For the first time in over 2000km of driving, we encounter animals along and crossing the road. We'll see seven kangaroos and come dangerously close to hitting one; and one emu, who requires some severe breaking to avoid hitting. Road signs tell us that we'll pass thru Billabong and Overlander on our way. Both of these are nothing more than roadhouses (gas stations, snacks, and a room or two for tired travelers). By the time we turn off the Northwest Coast Hwy at the Overlander Roadhouse it's stopped raining and the sun is just about full out. About 50km outside of Denham we see a sign for Shell Beach and make a small detour. Shell Beach is exactly as its name implies: a beach comprised entirely of small, crushed, white seashells. There are maybe 8 people on the beach that stretches several kilometers. It's not an ocean beach, so there is no surf. We'll bet one can get quite a bad burn in not much time here.

Denham is a small town of about 700 people--but quite nice and very peaceful. We easily find the Tradewinds Seafront Apartments, and are greeted by Fay Deacon, one of the owners. We've got Unit 1 and it's quite satisfactory. The town is small enough that we can walk to everything, so we do: the Tourist Office, the grocery store, a couple of gift shops. We book a trip out to see the Pearl Farm in the morning that leaves from Monkey Mia (about 20km from Denham). We'll get there early so we can see the dolphin feeding. Rick spends some time trying to figure out whether we should go on to Exmouth (about 600km north) as planned, or to come up with an alternate itinerary for the next 8 days. The major attraction in Exmouth is an opportunity for Rory to dive and swim with the whale sharks, but there is some question about whether they'll be there this time of year. We table the decision until after dinner.

And, speaking of dinner. occasionally we stumble on something that doesn't seem to belong, a "diamond in the rough", something that seems out of place. In Denham, that place is The Old Pearler restaurant. It's about 100 meters up the street and we had walked past it earlier this afternoon. It looked like a nice place, but it was closed until 5pm. A little after 5:00, Rick walked over and booked us for 7:15. He instantly liked the look of the place: maybe 10 tables, and a varied menu of beef and local seafood. They serve no alcoholic beverages, and invite you to BYO. So, on the way back, Rick picked up a bottle of wine. We are thrilled with our dinner: the quality of the food, the ambience, the intimacy of a small restaurant. The building is a story in itself: built in the three years from 1976 to 1979, constructed solely of blocks of coquina shells. It is the westernmost restaurant in Australia and the only one in the world built completely of shells. The food is superb, from the herb bread starter, through main dishes of local crayfish and fish fillets, through a dessert (we share) of a mini apple pie with ice cream. For Rory, it's the best meal of our trip so far.

Friday, May 19th: The sun is out again and the wind from last night has almost completely died down. We're up at 6:30 this morning to assure we're out by 7:30. We have 28km to drive to Monkey Mia for the dolphin feeding at approximately 8:30. We're expecting Monkey Mia to be a town, but it's really just a resort. A$12 gets us admission to the Monkey Mia Recreation Area, where the dolphins have already arrived. We're down on the beach quickly. Rick wades into the water about calf deep; Rory gets her ankles wet. There will be ten bottlenose dolphins by the time the feeding begins. In the meantime, a park staff member explains the history of how Monkey Mia came to be, how they identify individual dolphins, and various dolphin facts of interest. Meanwhile the dolphins are swimming around entertaining the crowd of about 50 standing along the shore. Finally several more staff members arrive with buckets of fish. The attendants pick people at random to feed the dolphins. Rick keeps pointing to Rory and finally she is selected. She's given a small fish and told to hold it below the water. The dolphin gently pulls it from her fingers. Rory is thrilled by the experience.

We were supposed to take a boat trip out to the pearl farm, but we were told by the attendant when we paid our entry fee that the boat wasn't going out again until Monday. We'll have to get our money back when we return to Denham, but in the meantime we have a whole day to kill. After a cup of coffee at the resort cafe and a nice chat with Frank and Holly from L.A., we decide a self-driven glass bottom boat ride might be fun. It's A$20 for 30 minutes and A$30 for an hour--we don't have to pay until we're finished. We get a bit of instruction on how to use the boat, where we might want to go, and, more importantly, what to avoid. During our first 30 minutes we see one small ray and a few tiny fish. Our prospects for seeing much of interest don't look too good, so we motor back to shore. Rick gets out to pull the boat up on the sand, loses his balance, and falls backwards into the water on his butt. Other than getting pretty wet, the only damage is to Rick's pride and to our mobile phone, which was on his belt. Unfortunately it was turned on when it got wet. We take it apart and dry everything as best we can. We'll put it all back together in the morning and hope for the best.

Our priorities now are to get back to Denham, get Rick some dry clothes, get our A$40 back for the pearl farm tour, and have some lunch. A small cafe up the street from our apartment will do. Come to think of it, everything in this town is just up the street from our apartment! While we're waiting for our food, a couple comes in. We have seen them several times before in the past few days, but have never spoken. We invite them to join us. They are Brian and Mary from Forbes in New South Wales. They are retired and, while their home is being remodeled, they're spending three months traveling around Australia. We've been to many of the same places, which is why we've seen them before.

The cafe closes at 2pm. On our way out, we meet two women (Jan and Joy, twin sisters) who had the apartment next door to us in Kalbarri--small world!! We've decided not to drive all the way to Exmouth so Rory stops at the Tradewinds office to ask Fay if she'll call back to Kalbarri for us so we can book a few nights back at the Seafront Villas. Mission accomplished, Rory suggests we take a ride and see whatever else there is to see here. We had passed a sign for Eagle Bluff about 25km south of Denham on our way in yesterday, so we go check it out. The turnoff begins 4km of unsealed, red dirt road and it is pasable by 2WD vehicle. There is no one at Eagle Bluff when we get there. The view is impressive, with the multi-colors of the water and the rocky, albeit rather drab, cliffs. From about 30m up on the bluff, we spotted what appeared to be a manta ray. We estimated its span at about 6 feet from tip to tip. It just seemed to be skimming the surface of the water.

Back at the apartment, we stop in at the office for a dinner recommendation. Fay suggests the bowling club which has the extra advantage of being a place to watch Friday Night Footy on the telly amongst many of the locals. Her husband Trevor comes out when he hears the footy discussion. He is a big Dockers fan and is a charter member, having helped raise A$200,000 in one week to get Fremantle an AFL team. He answers a couple of footy questions for Rick and gives him a Dockers souvenir program. Later, Fay comes by with a handful of Dockers souvenir memorabilia for Rick, including membership pins and stickers. She suggests that we stop in at the Dockers office in Freo when we get there next week. They'll be interested in how we've become fans and might like a copy of our "Hooked on Footy" article. All we can say is that once again, the Aussies have demonstrated how great they are to visitors. If you're ever in Denham, stay at the Tradewinds!!!

We take Fay's advice and have dinner at the Denham Bowling Club. Trevor is already there and signs us in as guests. He introduces us to several of his mates including Peter, who owns the pearl farm and the shop in town. Rick buys a round for everyone and there is a lot of good natured banter about Rick's poor choice of footy allegiance, but Trevor backs him up. Jan and Joy are also having dinner at the club, and we spend some time chatting with them and inviting them to stay with us if they come to the states. Dinner is superb, we share a table with Fay and Trevor (not to mention two bottles of wine) and before we know it. it's 9:30. Trevor and Fay are driving to Perth at midnight and haven't packed yet. We reluctantly say goodnight and hope they will visit us when they next come to the states. They are terrific people and great examples of how hospitable and friendly Aussies have been to us.

Saturday, May 20th: The mobile phone is toast; salt water does not agree with it. We won't be able to get a replacement for a few days as Kalbarri is too small a town to have a mobile dealer. We've got about 310km to drive from Denham back to Kalbarri. We get there around 2pm and settle into our room at the Seafront Villas. It's smaller than the one we had earlier in the week, but it is newer and a few dollars less per night. After stops to use the internet, book a couple of tours, and buy a few groceries, we're back at the villa where Rick discovers the Dockers are on the telly and putting it to the Kangaroos (not sure where they're from). The Dockers win by 35 and Rick hopes Trevor has seen the game and enjoyed a good showing by his footy team. We're out for a walk late in the afternoon to see what the rates are to rent a small boat in the next day or two, and to find a place for dinner. The setting for the Echo Beach Cafe and Bar appeals to us, so we have our dinner and watch the best sunset we've seen since we've been in Australia. Excitement tonight will consist of doing the laundry. Tomorrow morning we'll be taking a 4WD tour to some sights we haven't been able to reach on our own.

Sunday, May 21st: We're up early for our tour of Nature's Window, The Loop, and Z-Bend; sights we could not get to with our little 2WD car. There are only 12 of us (plus the driver) and we are the only Americans. We are continuously in awe of the natural beauty of the Kalbarri surroundings, both the coast and the National Park areas. Each time we think we've seen the ultimate, and each new vista tops the last one. Today is no exception. There are paths from each parking area to the sights, typically 100-500 meters long, sometimes fairly flat, other times they require a climb or descent. The first stop is a combination of a 100 meter path to a lookout point, and then a climb along rock ledges. There are fissures, and klutz that Rick is, he manages to step into one. Luckily it's very shallow, and as usual, only his pride is slightly injured. It's also very windy up here; we've got to hold onto our hats while we watch our step and capture the required scenes on digital. The view is spectacular and our guide, John, points out the extent of the National Park and where the Murchison Homestead begins. Next stop is Nature's Window, a stone structue atop a high bluff, with a hole/window through it, not as large as we had expected, but no less spectacular. The red rock frames the winding river below and everyone poses for photos in front of it. The wind is still pretty strong and at times you feel a good gust could blow you off the cliff. We always comment on the fact that there are no guard rails--unlike what a similar sight in the US would have. The next stop is overlooking the Z-Bend of the Murchison River. John points out how high the water rose several weeks ago--15 meters (more than 45 feet) above normal--the after effect of 4 cyclones. At our final stop, we get a panoramic view of the entire area and commentary from John on each section. The tour ends after 4 hours and we are quite satisfied with the experience. We also met several nice people (what else is new?) including a couple from New Zealand who are living two units from us at Seafront Villas.

We've got lunch on the immediate agenda and go back to the pizza place where we ate on Tuesday so we can also access the internet. We plan to rent a small boat for a couple of hours, but the facility will close before we want to return, so we'll do that tomorrow morning. Instead we try a bit of beach combing on a combination rocky and sandy beach just south of town. Rory looks for shells and Rick spends a long while watching a small octopus, trapped in a tide pool and trying to figure out how to get back to the ocean.

John, our guide from the morning tour, recommended Jake's for dinner tonight. On Sundays they have a buffet dinner for A$16 per person that inlcudes several meat, vegetable and dessert dishes. The food is surprisingly good and there is even a singer who accompanies himself on the 12-string guitar.

Monday, May 22nd: One more shot at the pelican feeding this morning, but still no pelicans. The feeder thinks that the demise of the sandbar after 4 cyclones is the reason; or, it could be breeding season. Next fun thing: rent a small boat and motor across the mouth of the river as we'd planned to do yesterday. We find a better deal than renting the boat for an hour at A$40. For A$10, Danny will take us across. When we're ready to come back, we ring a big bell and he comes and gets us. For as far as we can see, there isn't another soul on the beach--we've got it all to ourselves. We spend about an hour and a half looking for shells and getting our feet wet in the surf. When we get hungry, we trudge back to the bell and in a few minutes Danny picks us up and brings us back. Today is the first day we can get advanced tickets for the Dockers footy game against Richmond on June 3rd. Rick calls the ticketmaster number and in short order, we've got two good seats at the Oval when we get back to Freo. Rick will email Trevor tomorrow and try to convince him to meet us there. Nice morning!!

We've got a river cruise on our agenda for this afternoon. The "River Princess" leaves the jetty at 2pm with about 15 passengers and 2 "crew". When asked how long the trip will last, Captain Les (who bears a striking resemblance to Bob Denver) reponds: "It's a 3-hour cruise." A THREE HOUR CRUISE?????!!!!! (Is anyone singing the theme from Gilligan's Island yet?) Along the way we spot several kinds of birds and the water is so clear we can see fish swimming just below the surface. Snacks are served: cheese and crackers on the way up river, and olives, bread, and olive oil dip on the way back. There is also a full bar on board. At Castle Rock, we put ashore for a short walk. Some people climb the rock, but we're feeling too lazy this afternoon. The cruise is quite restful and Rick grabs a nap. He would have paid A$10 more if they'd had a lounge chair. We spot a couple of kangaroos and a wallaroo who have come down from the hills for a drink in the river. It looks like we're going to have a great sunset tonight, so when the boat docks at precisely 5pm (it really was a 3-hour cruise), we're in the car and back to our apartment. We've got a nice balcony to watch it from. We had thought about eating in, but the markets don't have what we want. While we're deciding, the power goes out. The whole town is dark and it's 7:15pm. What to do?? Rick was on the computer and Rory thinks a picture of him using the laptop by candlelight is a funny idea. We really aren't very hungry and we still have some snacks in the fridge. But pretty soon we realize there is NOTHING to do and Rory goes to sleep. Rick tries reading by candlelight, but after a while, he goes to bed as well. The power will be restored at 12:54am...

Tuesday, May 23rd: .We decided yesterday to spend an extra day here in Kalbarri--a day to just kick back and do nothing. That's exactly what we did. Rick went to the Tourist Office to book us a place in Dongara for the next two nights. We'll be staying at a working farm house. We'll see how that goes for us two city folks.

Wednesday, May 24th: Before leaving Kalbarri, Rick goes back to the pelican feeding area one last time to give the feeder a short poem about pelicans. His father told it to him when he was young and Rory knew it as well. Whenever anyone in Rick's family said the word "pelican", Rick's Dad would say:

A couple of days ago, Rory learned that a man in Port Gregory kept many large cages with exotic birds. On our way south, we take a short detour to find the house--the third one on the right as you enter the town. Unfortunately there is no one home, so we have to satisfy ourselves with walking around the yard and looking at what must have been at least a hundred birds: parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets, and cockateels. There were even some that Rory had never seen before. We hung around for 20 minutes or so hoping someone would return, but no one did, and we're off to Port Denison and Dongara. But first, a stop in Geraldton to see if we can get a replacement mobile phone and port our old phone number. At Mitchell and Brown, a local appliance store, we get what we need, albeit not what we want. The cost of an unlocked, multi-band phone that we could use anywhere in the world (to replace the one we had) was prohibitive, so we bought the cheapest solution we could get (A$49 plus A$25 prepaid access). At least we are able to get our original number ported. Telstra is the largest telecommunications provider in Australia and has what's close to a monopoly on the market. Their prices are pretty outrageous. For example, our original phone service was at approximately 7 cents per minute. Telstra's is more than 10x that much. But at least we're "connected" again.

We reach the twin towns of Port Denison and Dongara around 2:30pm after a very leisurely ride from Geraldton. We stop at the Tourist Office in Dongara for directions to Obawara--the farm house we'll be staying at the next two nights, and some recommendations for dinner. Then we make our way to Obawara. Judith and Haydin Bygrave are our hosts. Judith (well, actually the Rhodesian Ridgeback, Jaunty; and the border collie, Blue) greets us and shows us the cottage. It's quite rustic, and very comfortable. There's a heater and electric blanket so Rory's primary need to be warm will be satisfied. We're not going to be having meals at the farm, so Judith invites us for a drink at "beer o'clock", when Haydin comes in from his farming duties. Before then, we have time to take a drive through the towns and replenish our breakfast supplies. Beer o'clock" arrives at about 5:45 and we spend a delightful hour chatting with Judith and Haydin and answering their questions about where we'd been, what we thought about the Iraq war, Aussie immigration issues, and other fun topics. They confirm that our choice of Southerly's for dinner is a good one. We want crayfish dinners, as that's the specialty of the area, but they run out before we can order them. We settle for steak and prawns for Rick, and an Asian prawn salad for Rory. Back at the cottage, the heater has done its job. Rory is asleep quickly, but Rick stays up to watch the Rugby League match between New South Wales and Queensland, which he has to watch to its 17-16 conclusion in favor of the underdog NSW Blues. Don't ask about the rules of Rugby League--we are NOT hooked on it.

Thursday, May 25th: For some reason the heater went off before Rick went to bed, so the cottage is pretty cold this morning. Rory sleeps in while Rick roams around the farm taking photos. When she gets up she suggests he stand close to the unit with the remote. Sure enough, the heater turns on! We get a very late start, it's almost noon. Rick stops into the local telecentre to get on the internet and check email. We've got one from Dov and Rebecca, who'll call us at the apartment in Freo on Sunday night to nail down some plans in Cairns. There's a beachside cafe we want to try for lunch and then check out the town beach. At 2pm there's a "Live Lobster Tour" at the Port Denison marina. Since we missed the one in Geraldton, we're at the marina early for this one. About 15 people show up for a 20 minute video about the various marine industries and then a tour of the lobster processing facility. A lobster boat comes in and we're shown first hand how the lobsters are sorted and graded. Later they will be loaded into crates, packed into styrofoam boxes and packed for shipping. For each step of the way, the guide explains all the steps necessary to keep the lobsters alive and healthy until they reach their ultimate destinations. What at first seemed like a relatively simple business to us, is really quite complex. Complicating matters is the growing scarcity of lobsters because they have been farmed so extensively.

We spend the rest of the afternoon at the farm, communing with the animals. Judith shows us "Mary's Dairy", a stone building that was built by Haydin and a local bloke named Harper (for whom our cottage is named). The Dairy is really more like a museum, filled with old farm tools and kitchen gadgets, all neatly labeled. Beer o'clock rolls around at 5:15 and then we head into Dongara for dinner at Toko's. Afterwards, Rory calls Anne and John White (who we met in Busselton almost three weeks ago). We'll be stopping to see them on Saturday on our way back to Freo.

Friday, May 26th: It's another very windy, but sunny day. The heater worked fine through the night and we are up and on our way south by 9am. We've got about 300km to Guildford, a small town northeast of Perth. We want to visit Cavesham Wildlife Park, where, we are told, we can hold a wombat. About a half hour north of Guildford, we turn off the Great Northern Highway to visit the town of Gingin, where Ann and John live. We know they are in Bullsbrook, where we will meet them tomorrow, but we want to be able to tell them we were there. Gingin is a pretty little town with a beautiful park in the town centre. There's an old waterwheel that powers the fountain in the park, and a stream with a small dam. It looks like a delightful place to live.

A stop at the Tourist Centre in Guildford results in directions to Cavesham and Freo (for Sunday) and a booking at The Vale B&B for tonight. More on this below. Cavesham Wildlife Park is one of the attractions in Whiteman Park, and the only one we're interested in visiting. When we arrive at the entry gate, Rick asks if it's true he can hold a wombat and are we in time. The answer is a definite "yes" to both questions, so we're happy to pay the A$15 per person entry fee. We'll discover that the fee covers everything including holding the wombats, accessibility to the koalas and even food for the kangaroos. We are immediately impressed with the Park and head directly for the wombats. There is almost no one there and, after waiting for a couple of little girls to take their turns, Rick sits down to hold "Big Bubbs", a 26 kilo female wombat. Wombats are nocturnal which is why when we've seen them at all, they've been sleeping. The Park has two that have been raised to become accustomed to the daylight, even though they are still quite sluggish. The attendant directs Rick to hold the wombat around her middle as the wombat sits upright on his lap. 26 kilos is a load, but Rick hardly notices as Rory snaps away with the camera. This may be the highlight of the trip for Rick--he's loved wombats since he first set eyes on them in 1991. Next it's Rory's turn, and the photo shoot continues. Since no one else is there, Rick takes another turn. As far as he's concerned, he's already gotten his money's worth--and there's still the whole park to visit. Another highlight of Cavesham is the opportunity to enter the koala enclosure and pat the little furry creatures. We can't hold them, but being so close is more than satisfactory. They don't move much, except to occasionally turn their heads away just as you've lined up the perfect photo. There are two in this enclosure, one male and one female, named Fred and Wilma respectively. Wilma has a "joey" in her pouch, but we can't really see it too well. The Park has a very good collection of animals and birds in a fairly compact area (as compared to Cleland in Adelaide, for example). Nonetheless, we easily spend three hours wandering around. When we finally leave, Rick is still pretty excited about the experience.

On to The Vale B&B. We've got a good map, thanks to the Tourist Centre and decide to take the short way from Cavesham. We find it without any problem. The property also contains the Cuddly Animal Farm which is exactly what its name implies. They have several acres of land with goats, pigs, chickens, horses, sheep, lambs, dogs and more. They've got one area specifically for baby animals: bunnies, piglets, chicks, and guinea pigs. This has really turned into quite an "animal" day. Rick makes friends with Jay Jay, one of the dogs. Or maybe it's the other way around, as Jay Jay cons Rick into throwing sticks for him to retrieve. He gets a very indignant look when Rick quits throwing after about 25 times. Our accomodations are terrific. We have two rooms at the front of the house--a heater and telly in each. The bed is one of the most comfortable we've had and has an electric bed pad that makes Rory quite happy. Before going for dinner, we meet "Farmer" Lin Quinlivan, who along with her Husband, John, owns the place. She confirms that our choice of the Valley View Restaurant is a good one and we are not disappointed. Everything we order is delicious. A young girl is celebrating her 18th birthday along with about 25 of her friends and we are quietly entertained by the activity. We're back at the B&B before 9pm. Rory heads for the sack; Rick watches Friday Night Footy (Collingwood Magpies vs. Western Bulldogs).

Saturday, May 27th: Another beautiful day and not quite as windy as the past couple. We try to make contact with the Whites, but their line is busy. (It will remain so until we give up at around noon--something must be wrong.) John gives us a tour of the farm and tells us about some of the people who have visited. There is a kiddie birthday party already underway (at 10:30am), so we don't want to be in the way, yet we're not quite sure where we're going. Barbara, one of the girls who works for John and Lin, is from Bullsbrook, where John and Anne White are staying. She contacts her friend Steve, who runs the "For Hire" business (rental equipment), whose wife delivers the mail and knows everyone in Bullsbrook. The idea is that one of them will know where "the Austrian lady, who lost her husband in the past year, and has a kangaroo that lives in the house" might live. We take a drive up to Bullsbrook from the farm (not very far) to talk with Steve and see if maybe we can figure out where John and Anne might be. No luck--so we head back to Guildford for lunch and to explore the little town. Just as we've parked, our mobile goes off. It's Anne. She has no idea why the phone at the house didn't work, but we're all glad we've made contact. No one has had lunch yet, so we get directions to the house and pick up a couple of bottles of wine on the way. We find the house without any problems and are greeted at the gate by Anne and two dogs, Tilly and Toby. The house and property are very private and charming. John arrives a short while later with their Irish wolfhound, Finnegan, and we enjoy cheese, meat, crusty bread, and wine for lunch. We'll soon meet the kangaroo (who doesn't really live in the house), and the emu. After lunch we take the menagerie for a walk and spend a quiet afternoon chatting with John and Anne. For dinner, the four of us head off to the local hotel's grill for t-bone steak dinners and Toohey's Old. Back at the house, we've got one bottle of wine to finish off. Eventually we get the sleeping arrangements settled: which animals are sleeping with whom! Rory and Rick get Toby and Tilly. During the night, Ludwig, the gray cat, will settle on the bed with us as well. Toby will gradually edge Rory toward the center of the bed, thus reserving about a third of it for himself. Tilly has bad hips, so jumping on the bed is a struggle for her and she settles for the soft pad on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Sunday, May 28th: It's a bit cloudy this morning and looks like it might rain. Rick, as usual, is up first. Tilly and Toby let everyone know that they're up by barking in short, sharp, "arfs". "The cat, of course, said nothing." (Apologies to Kinky Friedman.) John leaves early to return to Gingin to take care of some final chores at their house. They have sold it and are moving to Busselton (south of Fremantle). Since their new house won't be ready for at least 7 more weeks, the call to house-sit has come at a most opportune time. Rick takes advantage of the broadband internet connection at the house, He is able to find a nice apartment in Cairns, thanks to Dov & Rebecca's research, and books for a week. Rory and Anne wander around outside, feeding the kangaroo (who has come onto the front porch), and engaging the emu who has come by for breakfast. By late morning we've packed up the car and are ready to drive back to Freo (about 50km). Rory and Anne lament that we're leaving, as they have quickly bonded and feel almost like family.