Getting there.

Left Kalbarri for Geraldton on morning of Thurs 2nd July, to hook up with daughter kellie and her fiance Matt for the drive to Perth. My housemate Frank drove me, which was lucky because i was pretty tired. At the same time, my good mate Jason was driving all the way to my ex-workplace at Tardun (300 kms away) to pick up my goats and return them safely to Kalbarri. Onya Jase, I owe ya one!
Matt drove all the way to Perth, and I had a little sleep in the back.
Stopped in Midland for Kellie to get some jeans, and I wandered over to a bridal shop. Keliie and Matt came over and she ended up trying on two wedding dresses which looked beautiful (they're getting married on 24th Aprl).
At the motel I opened my suitcase and couldn't find my passport. Thoughts were racing through my mind of who I could ask to find it in my house and drive it 600kms through the night to me, but then I found it.
We went to a pub for tea, then I tried to get some sleep on the tiny little bunk above Kellie and Matt's bed. I must have got some, as Matt later complained about my snoring!

Fri 3rd July.
At check-in, I discovered that my suitcase was 1.6kg over weight, so took laptop out. Am now wondering how I'm going to buy souveneirs and get them back to Oz.
Very very very long flight and I was nowhere near a window seat, which would have been handy for views and somewhere to rest my poofy bean-bag neck pillow. Nicotine patch firmly attached to arm. Four hour stop over in Brunei, which went surprisingly quickly because we got chatting to a nice couple. They're Indian, lived in Perth for 2 years, and she was born in St David's hospital. That's in Cardiff, where my sister was born, and where I had my daughter Jessie's first ultrasound.
From Brunei through Dubai to London our plane had the tv screens on the seat in front, so watched a couple of movies. Landed half an hour early in London, and we were the only arrivals at customs. Cool.
My mum and Mike hadn't arrived yet. When they did, we drove to Reading servo for coffee, then to Paula's, my cousin who we're staying with for 5 nights. My mum's internet directions of course led us down the "quickest" route, which was a very narrow country lane and not the quickest route at all. Ha ha.
Paula and Andrew live in Purton, which is a beautiful little country villiage. House is fantastic. One half is 180 years old with very low ceilings, and the other is only 6 years old and very modern. Kellie and Matt are sleeping in the spare room upstairs, and I'm in the study, which used to be the kitchen. Door from my room opens to the side path, where I smoke. Wicked. :-)
Funny to think that people were cooking in my bedroom just as Western Australia was being colonised!
They all went to the Working Men's Club after tea but I stayed here. When they came back, they lit the log fire for Kellie and Matt, and she was sitting on the couch with her jacket on! Haaaahaha!

Sun 5th July.
Took my video camera up this road to video some beautiful houses. Some as old as the old half of Paula's. And the beautiful gardens.
We (me, Kel, Matt, Paula, Andrew and sons Conor and Mark) went to the annual Cotswalds Show. Never seen so many dogs all in one place! Heaps and heaps of German Shepherds of all colours. Must have chatted to ten owners. One big beautiful male I saw a few times has me wondering if I want a male instead of a female.
Bloody video camera stopped working!!! It cost over $1,200 just two years ago and has heaps of footage on there! It'll turn on for a second or two, but then flickers and turns itself off.
Bought a pork pie hat for Madstock. That's the big MADNESS festival that me and kellie are going to in London on the 17th. For those who;ve never met me, MADNESS are my heroes, my idols, my loves, and my favourite band.
For over 2 hours, we watched a demonstration by Gary somethingorother, who is what's commonly known as a horse whisperer. I was mesmerised. Kellie wasn't, as she's seen it all before and used the same basics with her horse Woody.
I acually got a bit sunburnt, which was later met with peals of laughter from internet friends!
We went to the Working Men's Club while Paula went to put the roast on, then she joined us. Got a bit pissed, then went home to a lovely roast chook. Yum.

Mon 6th July.
Went to a shopping centre so I could fax off my very late Centrelink form. Bumped in to Kellie and Matt who'd just used Andrew's free passes to the leisure centre, where they had sauna, spa, etc. Had lunch with them at Macca's but had to get rid of them so that me and Paula could pick up Kellie's birthday cake from Asda.
Paula took me, Kellie and Matt to Cirencester, which is an old Saxon town. Absolutely beautiful church right in the middle of the town centre. Went in and spoke to the information guy, and of course he's been to Kalbarri a few times!
Bought a new vid camera. Really pleased with it cos it's tiny, but would rather not have had to buy it in the bloody first place! Great big chunk out of my holiday budget. :-(
After a late tea (it gets dark soo late over here in summer) we watched, or rather took the piss out of, some corny movie called Dark Water, with that blonde guy from Hey Dad and the "Mum's doing a lamb roast" ads. Couldn't stand too much of it so went to bed and bought heaps of stuff from the Retro-Madness website for me and Carl.

Tues 7th July.
My baby's 21!!
Paula and Andrew gave Kellie a digital camera, which was really cool cos hers just gave up the ghost the other day. Went shopping in Swindon and bought 3 (yes) London guide books, another pork pie hat, this time with chequered band, and chequered boots. Cool.
Did I mention it's been raining a lot here? Drizzling most of the time except Sunday arvo. Doesn't bother me, just think it's quite funny.
Took Kellie out for tea at Sally's Pussey (no, really). Very nice food, then off to Working Men's Club. Got chatting to a bloke who lived in Oz for 2 years, including Gero and Broome. Recorded Michael Jackson's memorial on TV. Will watch it tomorrow. Very sad. Really really sad that he died. He was bloody brilliant. :-(