If you go down to the beach today...

Right children, time for some more pics of your Uncle Travelling Pat's*... um, travels. Same deal with the photos being just shrunken ones again sadly, you'll just have to squint a bit:



No I didn't do anything with the image. The sky is that colour in real life. Usually has fewer clouds in it to be honest but these ones really appealed to me with their swooshyness. The pic is taken from my current favourite patch of beach - just between the no-go area that's in front of the Swanbourne SAS barracks, and the much busier City Beach. Eric keeps telling me that the SAS fellas often jog along the beach but as I've yet to see this for myself I can honestly say it has nothing whatsoever to do with my preference. What? I mean it!



Lots of people have expressed surprise and even alarm that I'm doing such a big trip solo. On the whole that just puzzles me: I'm really rather enjoying the time to myself, and it's nicely ballanced by making some new friends along the way. That said I should confess that I'm not totally alone on my adventures - Gregory Bear has been a travelling companion of mine for a long time and it seemed a good idea to smuggle him into my luggage. So far he's just been along for the ride, occasionally coming out and enjoying the scenery (like he is here). He did earn his share of the airfare at Heathrow however when just knowing he was in my bag quashed an uncharacteristic moment's anxiety about the sheer scale the journey.

Yes, I know I'm a big softie - this isn't news to anyone surely?



This is the view back to the heart of the city from the shores of Lake Monger, which is about a ten minute walk from Eric's where I'm staying. it's worth pointing out in view of how far away the skyline looks, that we really are in one of the inner suburbs of Perth (only two stops from the city centre on the excellent train network) it's just the city is *that* spread out. The spread is compounded by the city being full of big sweeping open spaces just like the Lake. I really like it... as you're probably all sick of hearing by now

more anon.



*with thanks to Duncan for the Fraggle reference - I'm still really enjoying that!