Mundane tasks and penguins (1 - 3/4/14)

1st April

Brendan and Molly were coming back today from their honeymoon, so I spent the entire morning attaching the edging that I'd cut yesterday for Brendan's floor, to the skirting with no nails, and with pins to hold it while the no nails went off. Once I'd done this I swept and hoovered the whole house so they had a nice clean place to come back to. I even washed the bed sheets, towels and bath mats and hung them on the line. Aren't I a good house sitter :D I then packed up all my bits that I'd brought round and took them back to Sandra and Geoff's before taking Gidgie for a walk. I went round later on to give him his dinner just as Geoff pulled up with Molly and Brendan in the car having picked them up from the airport. I helped them with their luggage and they told me briefly how their honeymoon, in the cook islands, had gone. In short they said it was the perfect honeymoon destination. They were due to come round for dinner later so we left the rest of the conversation till then. Geoff and I went home and we left then to unpack and unwind from the long journey. Once they'd arrived we all sat down to dinner and chatted and then they took us through their photographs. The sea was picture perfect, the snorkelling looked awesome and the islands did indeed look perfect for a honeymoon. We chatted for a bit more after the photos and then they both went home. I went to bed shortly after they left, knackered from all the house work. A woman's work is never done.

2nd April

Today I went round to Elaine's, the daughter in law of Sandra and Geoff's neighbour Lillian. It's just like 'Neighbours' this isn't it, too many characters to remember. She needed me to do a few odd jobs round the house that she couldn't do herself and I had plenty of time on my hands so didn't mind helping her out. In the afternoon, once I'd finished at Elaine's, I needed to do a bit of shopping so went to the mall on the way home. After that I spent the afternoon in the pool and relaxed at the house. Geoff, Sandra and I had the remains of last nights dinner as there was loads left over. I watched some TV, had a beer and then went to bed.

3rd April

Sometime last week my aunt saw a deal on a website called scoopon, similar to Groupon, for a visit to Penguin Island just off the coast near Rockingham. So I bought it as it was such a good deal. I rang through and booked it for today so I was up early to make sure I got there in plenty of time. The island isn't that far from the mainland and it could easily be swum out to but sometimes the current is too strong to do so. There's also a sand bank that runs the whole way but that closes sometimes too. The day started with an hour and a half boat ride around the coast nearby Penguin Island to hunt for dolphins. There are a few little islands dotted along the coast and these provided a perfect shelter for the bay between the islands and the mainland. The sea was like a mill pond and it took us no time to spot the splash of dolphins on the surface and were soon in viewing distance of them. There were about 6 in the group and they surfaced every now and then which was really cool to see. After about half an hour of circling them and keeping up with them the skipper worked out they were probably heading for the next bay and so drove the boat past them at a faster speed hoping they would use the bow waves to their advantage and ride them to the next bay getting there quicker. It worked. The dolphins were soon skimming through the water next to us and they kept jumping out the water and diving back in loads of times too. There were about 15 of us on the boat so at times it was difficult to see because everyone was on the same side of the boat but the dolphins changed position enough for everyone to get a view at some point. In the next bay we tried to find another group of dolphins but were unsuccessful and so headed back to the first bay. We still couldn't spot any there and so moved on to the next part of the boat ride. We went to see some sea lions on one of the islands cunningly named seal island. No one is allowed to go on the island but the boats are allowed to pull right up to the beach and there we saw a group of sea lions sunbathing on the beach. High up on one of the rocks were a couple of researchers taking some notes of the sea lion behavior but they had a special permit to be there. We stayed for a while to get some good photos and then moved on to see some of the other inhabitants of the other islands. On one island we saw some rock formations that showed where trees used to grow when this part of the land was above water. On another island we saw a few sea birds and on a massive rock we saw a couple of sea eagles nesting. Our boat trip ended with us being dropped off on Penguin Island where we could spend as much time as we wanted. Ferries left every hour and the last one was at half 4. It was now about half 12 and we were just in time for the first penguin feed of the day. The island is home to a large number of wild penguins that spend 80% of their lives in the sea hunting and only come back to land at night to sleep. So the beaches are covered in tiny penguin footprints. Either that or there is someone going round with a mock footprint mould stamping it into the sand to create footprints every night for the next days visitors. Some of the penguins are kept in captivity from being rescued and it is these ones that we were seeing being fed today. The room is circular and there is a viewing area right the way round with the penguin area in the middle. It wasn't very big but then neither were the penguins. They are called 'little penguins'for a reason. They were still moving like torpedos in the water though. After a while the woman who looks after them came in and gave us a brief talk about the penguins and fed them as well and answered any questions from the crowd. It was all very interesting and good to see. After the talk I sat on the beach to enjoy the sun and had some lunch that I'd brought with me. The island doesn't have any shops there. It is literally just the penguin sanctuary and the toilets that have been built. After lunch I took a walk round the island on the wooden walkway and read the various information panels that they have up telling about the history of the area and enjoying some of the views. I finished the day having a swim in the shallow waters off one of the beaches in the turquoise water before catching the 3 o'clock ferry back to the mainland. It had been a good chilled out day. I got changed into my bike gear back on the mainland and was soon on my way home. I was back by half 4 after another good run on the bike making me look forward to the journey I had roughly planned up the coast that I would be departing on in a few days. I had a quick snooze when I got home before telling Sandra and Geoff about my day. We had a home made curry for dinner and I spent the evening in front of the TV before heading to bed.

I'm a child again (29 - 31/3/14)

29th March

I got up for another run this morning and even threw in some sit ups and some chin ups. Got back beyond knackered and had breakfast and a shower. At lunch time I went round to Sandra and Geoff's and had an egg and bacon roll for lunch just to make the run worthwhile. After lunch I raced over the park to try and fly my kite and see how good it was. After a few failed attempts I got used to how sensitive it was to control and got it airborne, and then crashed it. It was fine though so I gave it another go. This time I got it in the air for a bit longer and then crashed it again. OK let's stop titting around and do this properly. I lay the kite flat facing away from me, strings up, and walked back to the handles. I pulled out a lot more string from each so the kite would go higher and stop hitting the ground so easily. I gently pulled the strings so the kite sat up into the wind and when a gust big enough came along the kite shot into the air without me even needing to give it a tug. It was up and this time it stayed up. I swooped, I span, I tried to do some shapes, reasonably successfully,  and you could not wipe the grin off my face. I was a child again. There's a certain satisfaction that comes from kite flying that nothing else can match and it is awesome. Go out and buy a stunt kite and you'll see. And buy your kids a separate one because once you get the hang of it you won't want to give them another go. The wind died down a couple of times so I had to start again but I was there for over an hour having the time of my life. I hope to god this kite makes it home in one piece, it's brilliant. Best £20 I've ever spent. I called it a day when the sky started to get a bit cloudy and rain spots started falling. By mid afternoon it was terrential rain. Yes that's right, Australia also gets rain. It's OK I was surprised too. But it stays warm during and after the rain, that's the difference. In the evening I Skyped home with Sandra and Geoff to see how everyone was and brought them up to speed on my latest escapades. After that the three of us had dinner. Geoff cooked some crayfish on the BBQ by cutting them in half and cooking them in their shells covered in garlic butter. They were so good, and so meaty. After dinner I had a couple of drinks and then went back to Brendan and Molly's for the night.

30th March

Keith my old school mate I'd met up with a week ago is moving back to England after living in Oz for nearly two years. This meant he would have to ship all his belongings back home with him and he had very kindly said I could put my suit in one of his boxes as it wouldn't make an ounce of difference to the amount he had to send back. He also didn't want any money which was a massive help. It meant my suit would remain fairly un-creased this time and it would be the waiting for me when I got home. The timing couldn't be more perfect. It would also be great if I could put my kite in with the suit and send that back too. So my day started by going to the local mall and buying a suit carrier and something like a poster tube to put the kite in to protect the rods. It took quite a while to find both things but I got there in the end. I returned home and packed up my suit, shoes and my kite and waited for the phone call from Keith to say he was home and I could come round. His weekend had been pretty manic as the container needed to ready for tomorrow and he still had a load of bits to put in boxes. I drove to his for about 6pm and he was clearly stressed about what still needed to be done so I made sure it was still OK to put my stuff in and that the kite and shoes wouldn't make it difficult, he said it was still cool, and so I thanked him and left him to it. He had a mammoth task ahead of him. On the way home I took a different route back so I would pass the Indian we ate at the other night and got myself a take away curry for dinner. Once back at Bren and Molly's I tucked into it whilst watching a movie. This curry was also amazingly tasty. After a couple of beers and the movie I went to bed.

31st March

I got up early this morning for another run and when I got back I started cutting in some edging for Bren and Molly, that they'd asked me to do, to go around the edge of their hardwood floor up against the skirting. It took a little while as some of the corners weren't square but I was done by lunchtime. I had lunch with Geoff at his, tried to catch up with my blog as best I could in the afternoon and then went food  shopping before the shops closed. I was cooking dinner tonight. Salmon and pea risotto this time. After dinner I watched TV with Sandra and Geoff for a while and then went back to Brendan and Molly's for my last night of house sitting.

Sorry no photos for this lot they would have been way too boring!

The Indian and the Market (27 - 28/3/14)

27th March

Got up at a reasonable hour today so I could get a jog in before the temperature got too hot and was surprised to find I jogged further than before without needing to stop to catch my breath and no pink or green spots either. There might be something to this fitness malarkey after all. Went round to Sandra and Geoff's later on to write some of my blog on Sandra's laptop and had a swim in the afternoon. After that I went back to Brendan and Molly's to walk Gidgie. That evening Sandra, Geoff and I went out for dinner to an Indian restaurant that had been recommended to them. Although they neglected to bring one of our curries out that we'd ordered, the ones they did bring were very very tasty and they weren't too expensive either. Although saying that, despite insisting they shouldn't, sandra and Geoff payed for my dinner too. Some "discussions" with Geoff can't be won, especially when he goes and stands at the cash till to pay! After dinner I went back to Molly and Brendan's to spend the night there again.

28th March

Today I got up early because I wanted to spend the day in Fremantle. I got all my bits together for the day and left about half 9. I was in Freo a little after 10 and rode around trying to find a parking space and found one eventually in a multi storey car park with designated bays. I checked the prices with the attendant and he told me it's half price for motorbikes but if I'm back here before 3, when he knocks off, he'll let me out for free. Good times. I started off walking past a few little market stands just near the town hall and couldn't ignore the awesome smell of the Thai food they were selling at one of them. And for $5 it would be rude not to get something. I ordered the red curry and  tried to pay with a $50 note. The woman took it but when she checked she didn't have enough change to give me so she gave it back and said "come back and pay me later". It must be my honest face! Once I'd eaten I headed straight for the market but was very easily distracted by 'The sail and anchor' pub. I couldn't visit Freo and not go in, that's punishable by death. Even if it was before noon. So I sat at the bar and asked for a beer menu. They have a massive selection on tap and so I started with a dark beer. I only ordered a half because it was incredible tasty but incredibly rich too, and of course I was driving. I then tried another half of a sweet golden beer that the barman recommended. It was one of their most popular and I could see why. I could drink it all day, and massively regret it. They also had an own made beer that doesn't get put on tap till noon each day and it was just after 12 now so I asked if it was possible to have a cheeky try of that one. The barman had been very forthcoming with tasters of the others I'd tried to make sure I was happy with them but unfortunately this one wasn't on yet. About a quarter of an hour later though various staff members came out the woodwork, appeared at the bar, got a wine glass, poured themselves a small amount of beer, nodded, discussed and then disappeared. About a minute after this a taster glass of something got put in front of me. "It's on now" the barman said grinning, "it's why I work here, free tasters". I tried the beer. Holy shit, I could run my car off it. I just about saw straight enough to see someone write 10% abv on the board, where they had their list of beers, next to this ones name. There's no way I could do a pint of that without feeling it so as I'd had my fill I quit while I was ahead and said goodbye. I'm sure it won't be the last time I'm there. After that I made it to the market. Being a Friday it was relatively quiet and so I soon got round all the stalls. Freo is very similar to Covent Garden at home. The building has loads of character and the smells are amazing. There are people selling coffee beans, popcorn, incense, aromatherapy products, soaps, leather goods, fruit, Indian snacks, and every stall you walk past has an aroma. I love it there. I couldn't help but notice one stall in particular though. It sold one product....kites. And the stunt kites started small at $35 and went up to large at $65. These were not expensive at all compared to what you could pay in England so I stopped for a chat with the owner. After a 15 minute discussion my only decision was whether I would be able to risk it not getting broken in my rucksack. I would have to get the small one but I walked away telling the woman I'd think about it. I wandered the rest of the streets enjoying the street artists playing their music or doing their frozen statue bit and going down roads I'd never been down before and seeing some historic places and can safely say I have now properly done Fremantle. I even had time for the beach there. Time check... 14.45. Damn it, I had to rush back to the parking place to see what my new friend could do for me, as I wasn't ready to leave. He saw me as he was leaving the office and his replacement was just going in. He recognised me and told me to just ride out through the gap. I told him I wasn't ready to go and he said, do it anyway but that he'd said nothing, and gave me the hush hush look, whilst checking over my shoulder that his colleague hadn't heard. I gave him the understanding nod happy I would still get out for free. By now I'd made the decision to risk getting the small kite and so dashed back to the market to get it. With the kite in my hand I hoped it would be a good flyer and couldn't wait to get over the park to try it out. I did one more lap of the market to make sure I hadn't missed anything and took the long route back to the car park to check out some more street artists. By now I had change and so passed the Thai food stall on the way to give them their money. Because the woman's English wasn't spot on she misunderstood and I nearly ended up with another red curry. But she finally remembered me and thanked me for coming back. After my great escape through the gap in the barrier at the car park I was back on the road about 15 minutes later with my kite down my back like He-Man's sword. By the power of Grey skull I was soon back at Sandra and Geoff's happy that my first long bike run had gone off without incident, even in the rush hour. That evening I drank beer and Skyped my Dad to talk him through getting his new tablet connected to his Wi-Fi router. That took much longer than expected and so after the conversation I'd run out of beer and whiskey and vodka and rum and had to ring the Australian embassy to get my 6 month visa renewed. Lol. Just joking dad. We hadn't run out of rum. Geoff cooked me and him a burger for dinner as Sandra was out and after that I headed back to Brendan and Molly's for a nightcap and a movie. A great day :)

A few more days (24 - 26/3/14)

24th March

Today I had a very lazy day and did nothing at all. In the evening Phil and Holly came over to dinner with Taze and after dinner we Skyped everyone in England. Mum, Dad, Emma, Jamie and Fin were all away in Suffolk as a little get away, yes without me can you believe it, and it was well timed as it was mum's birthday on Saturday so they all celebrated that while they were away. We Skyped them at their hotel and managed to talk with everyone which was really good. After dinner Phil and Holly took Taze home and I went back to Brendan and Molly's for the night.

25th March

Apart from walking Brendan and Molly's dog, Gidgie, and dropping my suit off at the dry cleaners, I didn't really do much else today. I spent the evening at theirs again and watched a movie before going to bed late.

26th March

This morning I went to the local aircraft museum. The neighbour across the road, Lillian, who I had helped do the cupboards for had a brother in law who worked at the museum and she'd arranged for him to give me a guided tour. I'd met him once already, he's an English bloke, called John, who used to live in Kent, and he very kindly got me in for free as well. I quite like visiting these sorts of places but usually just wander through without really reading all the detailed signs. But having a guided tour made a big difference because you hear all the little stories about what is going on and how the aircraft got put inside and he pointed things out to me that I would normally have missed. It was good to feed off Johns enthusiasm too. I ended up having a very enjoyable morning and topped it off with a fantastic fried seafood selection, chips and salad at the restaurant there. I thanked John for doing me that favour and left the museum shortly after lunchtime. On the way home I picked up my suit from the dry cleaners and dropped it back to my aunt and uncles. In the evening, after walking Gidgie, I arranged to go to Lillian's daughter in law's place as she needed help doing a couple of odd jobs around her house. I didn't mind as it kept me out of trouble and I arranged to pop back next Wednesday morning with a couple of tools to help me do the jobs. I had dinner back at Sandra and Geoff's this evening before heading back to Brendan and Molly's to watch another movie and then bed.