Oz-Land!! :D

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So, I'm in Oz-land, and its fantastic!! Weather similar to some parts of SA, but first-world :p there are a lot of similarities actually, its strange. Still miss SA and my people there though, but having a total bawl!!

Soooo, on the 28th (Tue) I got up at 6:15am for the airport!! Had brekkie there and said bye to Paul and Inny (after they insisted on buying me some Australian and American dollars!!) was a very kool visit, went better than the last one I'd say 😊 so hoyed it on the plane, watched some movie, can't remember what it was dammit!! Arrived in Perth and went through their ridiculous customs and had to declare my teabags :p and they checked my shoes for soil (cuz clearly, soil will kill Australia) waited for Linda, talked to the tourist lady, met Linda, was kool, she looks just the same except with lighter hair :p drove back to theirs, witnessed a few car accidents on the way, met Martin and Graeme, their faces haven't changed!! The three of us took their dog for a walk, nice enough Labrador, and came back and hoyed dinner. Was kool, gave me a nice room, really kool to see them again!! Forgot how friendly James is, haha. Went to bed pretty early, was shattered!!

Wed 29th - got up nice and early(ish) for a run, was v nice, went along the running/cycle track beside the beach, and went down and stuck my hand in the sea :p they had k markings along the path, marking every 100m, quite off-putting actually!! :p went back, hoyed a shower and brekkie, chatted to Greame, turns out we have very similar musical tastes!! He took me to the train station and I got the train to Esplanade to meet Tom!! He was sitting there waiting when I got there - it was so kool, we went for coffee, got a hug from him from Monkey :p and chatted loads, went to pee i nthis wee tea-room, the lady was lovely, haha. Went from there to the bell-tower and went up it, saw Perth :p and went to Kings Park and saw Aboriginie art, v kool, and ate fries. Wandered back through the city, and I got the train back to Whitford (Linda's stop) - was seriously awesome to meet Tom, we got on so well and had to much to chat about. Hoyed dinner, watched TV, chatted to them all and went to bed!!

Thurs 30th - got up earlyish again for a run, went the other way along the beach this time, came back, much the same as yest morning, and me and Graeme went to a nice park near their place to walk and feed birds and get our wrists and arms slashed by cockatoos :p saw some nice 28's (kool green birds that sound like they're saying "28" when they sqwak) and a crazy goose and a traditional black swan with red eyes/beak. Me and Greame get on really well, was awesome. Went in to Joondalup (sp?!) the main area centre, for lunch, and went to Hillary's (nice touristy shopping place) for ice-cream and to try and find Graeme's friend who was working there (couldn't find her though) and saw some guy in a Scotland wet-suit swimming, yay!! Went back, had a cuppa tea and Linda took me to the train station - went to Fremantle, and met Tom at the station. He took me to see the nice spots in Fremantle (also referred to as "Freos" including a pier and lighthouse, v nice. And we went back to his so he could get his rugby stuff, I met his Dad and sister, v nice folk, and we went to rugby training :p I watched him and others play rugby, checked out their clubhouse, got cold :p and after we went back to his for dinner/shower and chatted to his dad and went out!! The first place wouldn't let me in because I didn't have a Western Australian driving license/WA indentity card, and I don't actually carry my passport around with me, funnily enough. So I spoke to some police, and there was nothing they could do, they just advised me to go to some places that wouldn't care :p so we did, and it was fine. Stupid WA laws. Anyway, had an awesome time at this other place, met some other Lattitude volunteers that had been away the same time as Tom, very kool. Nice to dance, been a while!! Went back, looked at my scrapbook, chatted loads, and hoyed it to bed.

Fri 31st - got up very early cuz Tom had to go to Uni!! Hoyed a quick brekkie, got dropped in Freos at half 7 in the morning, very nice!! Got some Earl Gray, the woman let me do it myself :p and went down to the pier again and explored, nice anc chilled and reflective :p went to the Freo market, was awesome, ate a Swedish chocolate ball?! and bought BILTONG, YEA!! :D and it was yummy. bought a hoodie from JayJays (it has a monster that says "Hug Me" hehe) and decided I want a tattoo (think I have the design) :D and yea. Considered going to the psychic fair, but decided against it :p went to Freo prison, chatted to the funny tour guide (who could tell I was Scottish) and went back to the station and met Graeme at Whitfords. Went back to Linda's and hoyed lunch, then went to this memorial garden/graveyard, and saw KANGAROOS!! So kool, they were all over this posh graveyard, I tried not to stand on anyone :p and we were allowed up to 5m away from them, they kool so stupid close up :p v cute though. Saw some graves and memorials, some folk die so young 😞 went back to drop off the car then went to THE BEACH and SWAM!! Very salty, hurt my skin, and coldish, but I'm used to that from SA :p was awesome!! Went back, and hoyed a shower, played Graeme's guitar and went out for dinner to this nice Asian place called Hans, hoyed fish soup, YEA!! Went back and watched Eurotrip - possibly the funniest film I've ever seen!! Totally buying it when I get home :D Roy phoned, yayness, and so did maw. Hoyed it to bed after watching some Ozzy Rules :p

Sat 1st Aug (August, daaaaaaamn!! Home this month :S crazy stuff!!) anyway, got up lateish, hoyed brekkie and chatted, packed, and got driven to the airport (v tired for some reason) said bye to Linda and James and Graeme, saw to go, but excited about Brisbane!! Perth was awesome, company great, countryside better than I thought it would be!! Flew to Brisbane, chatted to a nice South African guy on the way (originally of German decent) talked the whole time about him proposing to his gf, kina cute. Watched Fawlty Towers and some crazy movie that was actually quite good. Apparently walked right past Cathy at the airport, so deep in convo, oops!! Got my luggage, found Cathy and Roy (Roy had "Lynn Harvey" sign, haha!!) and Boss (Roy's bro) drove us back to Boss and Cooks, where I stayed for 2 nights. Amy (one of their daughters) was over - was kool to see them all again, they've all been over to stay at Granny and Grandad's Hoyed dinner, and went to bed, after photo-showing and chatting. Nice little room 😊

Sun 2nd - got up early for a run, YEA!! Nice and hilly :p went to the motorway then down a bit of a cycleway, until thei didn't want pedestrians anymore :p hoyed brekkie (Boss cooked for us) and a shower and went to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to cuddle koalas!! :D cuddled one called Eeyore, she was very cute. Got a photie :D and saw dingos and tame kangaroos (some let me touch them) :p and wombats and suchlike, v good morning!! Went back for lunch then hoyed to the Uni of Queensland grounds (an open day was happening, lots of running/tennis and suchlike) to meet Jake and Eelai (sp?!) - Jake is Boss and Cook's son, and Eelai is their grandson (Jake's son) - was kool, didn't really get to chat to Jake much, but took Eelai for a walk and we picked up litter and watched tennis balls fly :p Cathy and Roy took me on the citycats boat, like the metro but up the river :p was kool, sat at the back and front. Met Sue (Boss and Cook's other daughter) Lochie (her hubby) and Couper (their 7-week old son) and Amy for a bbq by the river!! Was awesome, chatted to everyone, and had nice rare steak YEA!! Me and Cathy and Amy had to go pee at a pub, where you had to - hump, there's no better word - the sink, in order for the tap to run. Everyone in the toilet was cracking up, was hilarious. Cathy thought it was too noisy, bless her!! Went back to the house, I checked faceboooooook, spoke to maw, I think she thought I was depressed cuz I was shattered!! Hoyed hot chocolate (been too long) :p and went to bed.

Mon 3rd - got up ridiculously early to get ready to climb Story Bridge!! One of 3 in the world you can climb up and over, apparently. Was a lot of fun, chatting to a couple from the Gold Coast, the girl originally from Canada, descended from STIRLING!! Hellz yea. She's gunna come check out her heritage at somepoint in the next few years and see the castle and wally and the like. The bridge walk was kool, we were all attatched to the railings and had to wear a funny suit, got a posy photo :p very nice views, the guide was also funny. They spelt my name wrong on the certificate, and I forgot to get it fixed and left it there, oops. Went back for lunch, saw Sue and Couper again, packed, and hoyed it to Hervey Bay with Cathy and Roy. Unfortunately, the CD player had broken 😞 but they were good company, chatted a lot, didn't realise how much Cathy's had to struggle in life :S is a shame, but she's awesome, seems really strong and caring, and takes so much crap from folk. Daaaaaaamn!! So got to Hervey bay, nice room, and Roy hand-made me a lovely bracelet with an Onyx and Amathyst, its gorgeous, can't believe he did that!! Had dinner on the bbq, and I went for a walk down to the beach in the dark, was stunning, and thought, and decided on my tattoo design :D listened to Linkin Park, and decided that I must be the luckiest, happiest woman in the world at that moment :D thought a lot about SA and people there - to be perfectly honest, I really do miss them, but its surprisingly ok, I know they're in my heart 😊 came back and spoke to my Roy, I <3 him so much (but don't tell anyone, its a secret) :p

And today, Tue 4th - went for a runnnnnn along the cycle path along the beach, but went a bit too fast me thinks!! Hoyed a nice brekkie and shower, then went out fishing in Roy and Cathy's boat!! Was awesome, caught a shootload of fish (can't remember what they're called, Winter Whitings, I think) with the rod, and I drove the boat, YEA!! Dived in and had a swim, nice and refreshing :D had a chat to the water police (haha) who were checking everyone's safety equipment, about being Scottish, it was funny, they were very pleasant. Hoyed it back, took in the boat in my bikini hehe, and went back and had lunch outside 😊 then dear God, I fillited the fish I'd caught - so hopefully the fish in fish-heaven will forgive me - firstly for catching them and trying my best not to hurt them too much taking the hooks out of their mouths; secondly, for absolutely ripping apart their corpses with my inexperienced hand :p I got better towards the end though, when I realised that there was the whole blade I could use, not just the tip hehe. Yea, its not nice when you accidently slice out their intenstines and end up with the whole fish-inside all over the chopping board. You have to end up decapitating them and ugh. Felt a bit nauseous afterwards, but I still did it :p anyway, then went cycling with Belinda and Cathy (Belinda is one of Cathy's daughters) - was fun, first time I've met Belinda, as soon as I opened the door her brown poodle Ollie jumped in my face :p I rode Ellie's bike (Belinda's daughter) and we went down to the pier, was kool, chatted to Belinda a lot. Roy picked us up, we hoyed it back to drop off belina, I briefly met her kids (Lochie, Ellie and Hamish but Hamish gets called Jimmy) took Jimmy back to get his bike at Cathy's, and hoyed a shower and tried to get rid of the dead-fish smell :p had FILTER COFFEE, YEA and chatted at length with Jimmy, who is 10 and very cute. Talked about bungee jumping and rock climbing and school and the like. Showed him the bungee dvd :D love it. Belinda and Ellie and Lochie came round, chatted to them, had the fish we caught :D v nice, and played guitar and showed the dvd again and showed them photos and I think I was good entertainment :p was kool to meet them, will hopefully see them again. Chatted a lot about my gap year, and tried to give advice with that and school and the like, Cathy kept complimenting me in front of everyone, just like Granny!! :p and now on here telling you all about it :p

Daaaaaaaaaamn Australia is kool. Going to Fraser Island tomorrow, which everyone has been raving about, canny wait!! :D xxxxx

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Comments

[Mum]

Memories
I remember it clearly when I went to Cathy's 25 years or so ago!! It is a GREAT place and I often imagined moving there - still, 'there's no place like home!' - even if it's cooler here in summer than it is over there in winter!! Love and stuff, Mum xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx