(Out of sequence) Wednesday June 18th

Today we had had to go to a meeting at the National trust. We were going to go with a lady called Robyn that is Richards’s wife, she said that she would take us to the Maritime museum. When we got there Robin she said that this was a boat museum it was a very big museum and it had tons of big and small boats. Then when we looked out the window we saw two tugs boats pulling a huge container ship. The one in the back directing the ship into port, it was really cool. When it was lunch time Tamsin started to say she was hungry so we went to a café. Then we went to an old prison that you have tours and the tour guides made it look like we where going to be locked up and Tamsin had to freak out thinking we were going to jail and that was a experience. When we got home we had a good dinner. We all had good day.

Thursday June 19th

Today it is the full last day and I asked if we could go to Rottnest Island. Rottnest Island is an island off the coast of Australia that used to be a jail but now it is a tourist spot. My mom said that we would have to go on a boat to get there and I did not care so we went. When we got to Rottnest we went to a bike hire store and there were lots and lots bikes. First they asked to get a helmet. Then we waited for a person to give us bikes. Finally a man came and mom, Robin and Tamsin got new bikes and I got an old purple and pink bike, it was ok. After an hour riding we stopped and had lunch. The beach was so nice but the water was ice cold. We cycled for a further two hours to get back to the dock. On the island there was a marsupial – called a Quokka (giant rat?) that would try and share your lunch, this rat is only found on the island – hence the name “Rattnest”. Finally we got back to the dock and we had to go on the boat to Fremantle and drove to a Chinese reentrant that was very good. There we met with Peter and Richard. I think I had on of the best holiday in my life.

Note on our 3000+km journey in Australia (not flights) we met with many Aboriginal peoples – Bondini, Ngalia, Tjupula, Mardu, Nyoongar, Yajamiti – that is why we should never just say Aboriginal people.

Tuesday 16th June

Today we all very tired but we woke up at 6:30 am to go to Yanchep National Park that has koala bears and kangaroos. As soon as we arrived went to find the outside pen that had fifteen Koalas bears, but only saw six. When we were walking to a mine, limestone cave, that we were going to have a tour down, we saw a baby kangaroo and his mom and dad, he was so small. Then when we got to the cave we had a 45 minute tour, the cave was really big, bigger in the inside than out. Finally we got to eat lunch by the lake when it started to rain so we finished lunch in the car. In the afternoon we drove to a museum called The Gravity Discovery Center that mom said had cool hands on experiments. They did, like Galileo’s gravity experiments by dropping water balloons off the leaning tower that was built at a 15 degree angle, it was really cool. After doing all the experiments including the gravity pit we drove off and went home. We had a very fun day.

Monday 15th June

Today we went to Coral Coast and it was a total of 6 hours drive. When we got there mom said that we had to do to the Pinnacles where there were tall rocks that you could not climb and there were some good rocks. Then after that we went to the beach and I was ready to go and swim but when I looked at the beach and there was tons of seaweed all on the beach and the water. So we just eat and then went to a monster truck ride and a sand boarding place but they were not open so we just played on the dunes, like rolling down, jumping down and chasing my sister down (that was a lot of fun). Finally we went to a really nice beach that you could swim from, Tamsin jumped in and got her pants wet so she took them off and ran around like a mad man in her underwear (if you now what I mean).

Saturday 14th June

Today I woke up and I had breakfast and I nearly killed my toast, I put it in too long and when it pop up it was all black. When mom woke up she asked me was I doing because I was going to throw the bread out, she said I should get a knife and scrape off the burnt toast. When every body was up mom said that we where going to go to a aquarium. When we went to the aquarium we went all over the aquarium and finally we got to the sharks and there was two scuba divers in the tank feeding the sharks. When we came out of the aquarium we had lunch and went to the beach and we went swimming in the Indian Ocean, the water was very cold. After that we went to Whitemen park and went on a tram that I could stick my head out in the wind. Then we went home

Friday 13th June

We are so far South that the next stop is Antarctica – we are going to go to the Whale Museum and see the coast line – it can be very dangerous and the waves here can be over 40 foot high on the coast line.

When we get to the whale museum the first thing I see is the big whaling ship. It was about 90 foot that it very big for a whaling ship. It slept about fifteen people but it looks like it could fit twenty people. When we got on the ship Tamsin ran up to the top of the ship, the ship five floors so we ran a lot. Finally I got to the top and there was a steering wheel, then I looked back and there was two steering wheels there so there was three steer weal’s on the ship. Mom said that we were going to a 3D movie after we went on the ship. After the 3D movie about whales we went to the beach and saw three whales, but Tamsin wasted our money on the binoculars and looked through them for all 60 seconds. Finally we got to the place where they had whale bones that where very big. Then I saw a case and it had a 25 day old dead whales foetus. Then we had to go because we had to go and pick up dad and drive home. When we got home I had dinner and went to sleep. I had a good day. We drove back to Perth on Friday a very short journey of 400 kilometers (5 hours).

Thursday 12th June

Today I woke up and it was 5: 45. I was so tired I could barely get up. Then I asked my dad why we woke up so early, he said we have a ten hour car drive to Albany. Mike said we would have stops. We would go to have breakfast and then go to a huge rock? When we were in the car for six hours mike said we are here we are at the Wave Rock. When we got to the Wave Rock it really did looked liked a wave. I tried to run up it and I fell down like a slide on my butt. Mike said there was a Hippos Mouth that was a big cave that you could fit four cars. When we got to Hippos Mouth it was huge and of course I climbed all over it. Sadly we left and we where back on the road for four hours. When we got to Albany Mike said we should have dinner and left us to relax in the hotel for one hour. Dinner was good.

We are so far South that the next stop is Antarctica – we are going to go to the Whale Museum and see the coast line – it can be very dangerous and the waves here can be over 40 foot high on the coast line.

Wednesday 11th June

Today I thought the road would never stop. Today we woke up at 6:00 to go on the road I had no breakfast and we had a seven hour car drive. When after an hour we stop to get breakfast we all had the same bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Then we were back on the road we finally got to the sandalwood forest where my dad had a fifteen minute interview. I realized we came here for a fifteen minute interview and would travel over 2000 kilometers to do this.
After the interview we went to Kalgoorlie. In Kalgoorlie there were lots of mines that you can have tours, they are huge. We went to one, it was so big – 3 miles long and 1000 feet deep.

Wednesday June 11

Today I had to wake up early because a man named Mike was going to pick us up from the house. When he arrived we all said “hi” and jumped into the car. After an hour in the car we finally we got to a boat dock in Fremantle and dad talked to these people who worked at the dock (supplying desalination plants to make pure water in the desert of Australia – where the water is salty). Then I heard a loud noise and a huge fork lift truck lifted a boat up and put it in the water. When dads meeting with his friends was over we went to a restaurant that sold fish and ice cream, they had the best fish and ice cream. Then we went to a small beach and of course I jumped in and got soaked. Sadly after the beach we went to another meeting it was at a house in Swan Valley and there were three kids Jesse was four, Hannah was two, and the other, Zoe was six. Tamsin and I had a lot of fun on the trampoline. Finally we went home and had dinner.

Note –I think Thomas said sadly for the last meeting as this was with people who worked in the most distant part of Australia – near the “Rabbit Proof Fence” – they take “troubled youths/adults” to work in this area to help them come off drugs and alcohol – wonderful people.

Monday 9 June

Today was the rainiest day of my life. In Australia when it rains it rains a heck of a lot. We were going to go on a boat to Fremantle but when we drove there we could not see out of the window so we did not go. Then my dad said he had to go to a meeting with our friend Richard and we all could go to a museum. So when we got there we ran in but we were still soaked. When we went there Richard gave us a tour and we saw a picture of him and then we saw his great 6 times grandmother in a picture. Then we had lunch in the art museum. Finally we got to the car and drove to where my dads meeting was.
After dads meeting was over we went to an art place where they made pictures of aboriginal art, and we looked at a picture of the Canning stock route. Finally we went back home and had a very good dinner. I had a very nice day.

* Note the Cannning Stock route is where the road in central Australia stops – and was used to drive cattle down – 1800 kilometers (in a straight line), there were 100’s of wells dug to supply water. Now 4WD can make the route – but it is very difficult with no fuel stop for a 1000 miles.

Wednesday 4th June – left Philadelphia - 7 hours flight

Thursday 5th June arrive London Heathrow – left for Singapore – 13 hours flight

Friday 6th June arrive Singapore – leave for Perth Australia – 5 hour flight

Today we got to the last airport and after we went thorough customs we saw my friend Kafir’s dad Kado to pick us up. Then we had a long drive to the National Trust house where we saw my dad’s Tom Perrigo friend and they had a very long talk. When they where talking I was sleeping on two chairs. When we left to go to our house (an old National Trust property – 150 years old) we had to get the food to eat so we went to a fish and chip shop. We ordered a lot of food and when we were on the road we did a U turn and went to a cake store got cake and finally we got to the house. Every body had a lot of fun that day – playing in the dark.

Saturday 7th June

Today I woke up and I was so hungry that I thought I could eat an elephant, so I got up and I eat lots of corn flaks. Then every body got up and Tamsin was so grumpy she had no sleep and had jet lad. Jet lad is when people travel to different countries and get very tired. We said to a friend that we would meet them at Kings Park at 11:00. when we get to kings park they are not here so we wait fifteen, then half an hour and finally they come and we walk and for played for two hours and then got some ice cream that was ok. Finally we said good bye and left and went to a strange burger place eating around a fire. When we got our French fries I went up to get ketchup when I came back I dipped and got a lot of ketchup when I put it in my mouth I realized that it was hot sauce. My mouth was on fire I went to my mom and asked her for water (the hot sauce was hotter then Shane’s) and she said it was in the car so we all went to the car and went home. I was very lucky.

Sunday 8th June

Today I woke up early because our friend was coming at 11:00 so I did my blog and it was 11:30 so I asked my dad where they were my dad said they are normally a hour late they came at 12:00. When they came we started to play tag then my dad said we had to wait for Richard who was always late as well. Then Richard came and we went to a place you could see wild animals. But we were going to the water fall. Richard showed us some tricks like how you can shoot leaves. Then he said that we should fallow this trail to the water fall. We followed the trail for a long time and we came out on a huge place that had huge rocks. After a while we walked in the water and I slipped down the water fall lots of people saw me surf down then fall on my butt and get very wet. After that we went home and saw five kangaroos that ran away when we took pictures. I had a very fun day. We finished with pizzas.