April 1 2005                                SINGAPORE to PERTH

Early taxi to Changi Airport from our room in Singapore's Geylang Road (visit www.hotel81.com.sg for details of a chain of 17 budget hotels). Singapore Airlines flight SQ223, dep 9.35 am., arrived 4.5 hours later. Excellent flight, lunch and choice of 60 films ('Alexander' for M, 'Merchant of Venice' for B). Even a free Singapore Sling cocktail, as invented at Raffles Hotel - very refreshing.

Singapore, just 100 km N of the Equator, had been damp and steamy hot. Perth was damp and chilly (17°C) but we had a very warm welcome from cyclist friends, Ruby and Bill, first met camping in Brisbane 3 years ago. They drove us to their home just north of Perth, ideally situated between the Herdsman Lake and Lake Monger, linked to the city centre by a network of cycle paths.

April 2/3                                      PERTH, chez Johnson

Collected our home for the next 3 months – a 21-ft 2-berth Mercedes 'Spirit' motorhome (2.8 litre turbo-diesel) – from the Maui Rental depot near Perth Airport. This was booked via the internet (www.travelaustralianow.com) at a price of 69 Australian Dollars per day, unlimited mileage, all inclusive, for return to Brisbane. (Current exchange rate $A2.4 = 1 pound sterling). Low season rate began on 1 April. Diesel price had risen since our last visit, now $A1.20 per litre in the city (or 50 pence).

Set up camp in Bill and Ruby's back garden for a great weekend of talking, eating, cycling and sharing experiences. The sun shone again (25°C or more). An Indian meal downtown (Woodlands Vegetarian Restaurant, first tried in Madras), a ride on a suburban train, a BBQ in King's Park, cycling into and around Western Australia's beautiful capital with our energetic hosts: a wonderful start to our journey.

NEWS: Pope John Paul II died late on Saturday night at the Vatican.

April 4 (26 km)                           PERTH, Karrinyup Karrinyup Resort ($A22.50)

Farewell to Bill and Ruby (about to leave for a cycle-tour of Turkey and Eastern Europe themselves). First stop, a brew-up by the Indian Ocean at Scarborough Beach watching the surfers enjoy the superb autumn weather.

Plenty to buy in the Perth suburb of Karrinyup's Shopping Centre to prepare for the road: food and equipment, books and CD's. (The motorhome came with such luxuries as a radio/CD player, a microwave oven, air-con and a safe, but lacked any kind of mirror, chopping board, sharp knife, washing-up bowl, tea-pot, the list went on …)

Sorted our stuff and packed our lockers at the Karrinyup Waters Resort Caravan Park, just off the Reid Highway a few miles north of the city. Joined the Top Tourist Parks group (membership $A20, valid 2 yrs, giving 10% discount at all member caravan parks). No need to join the similar Big 4 Holiday Parks group, as Maui rentals qualify for 10% reduction there. A powered site (meaning a pitch with an electric hook-up) was $A25 before discount. An unpowered site was only $A1 less. (Rural sites were to prove cheaper, from $A14 to $A20). Facilities excellent, typical of Australian caravan parks, including free electric BBQ and small outdoor pool. Washing machines $A2.40 per load, soon dry on rotary clothes lines – the famous Hills Hoist.

The lake had a good variety of antipodean waterbirds, including swamp hens, ibis and black swans.

April 5 (281 km)                         PERTH, Swan Valley Tourist Park ($A22)

Drove up the Gt Northern Highway to NEW NORCIA, Australia's only monastic village, founded by Spanish Benedictines in 1846 to bring Christianity and agriculture to local aboriginal communities. The museum told the very interesting story of the monastery's development, the closure of its boarding school/orphanages in the early 1970's and the present work of the Brothers. A small gift shop sold souvenirs and produce such as olives, bread and cakes.

Returned towards Perth along the Middle Swan Valley, lined with vineyards and wine-tasting opportunities, staying at the Caravan Park on West Swan Road.

April 6 (138 km)                         NORTHAM CP ($A18)

Back to the town of MIDLAND, pausing to buy a 'Motorhome Guide' (the 2^nd edition of a new quarterly magazine), a newspaper ('The West Australian' – each state has its own paper, in addition to the national 'The Australian') and a phone card.

The journey east now began (just as it had done in June 2000 on our bicycles, riding Perth to Brisbane). Today, set out along the Gt Eastern Highway but turned off to visit historic YORK, WA's oldest inland town, first settled in 1831. Told the Tourist Information Officer that we also came from York-shire. Walked the heritage trail, crossed the swaying suspension bridge over the River Avon and made lunch in the spacious park. Plenty of well-preserved 19^thC buildings: churches, courthouse, a motor museum in the garage of WA's first Ford dealership.

Drove up the Avon Valley to rejoin the Gt Eastern Highway at NORTHAM, WA's largest inland town, a fertile agricultural centre. Here, the Avon is home to the only breeding colony of white swans in Australia, the native swans being black. They were introduced by colonists in 1896 and are still protected and fed by a Swan Warden. Another heritage trail walk, past Northam's 19^thC flour mill, hotel, police station, post office, church, etc, all solidly and worthily built. Also located the Northam Motel, our first night's stage after cycling from Perth in the rain in 2000 - very different weather today.

NEWS: Barry had his annual haircut at a friendly barber's on the main street!

April 7/8 (206 km)                      MERREDIN, Av-a-Rest Caravan Park, ($A20)

The new Northam Visitor Centre (on the river by Australia's longest pedestrian suspension bridge) is excellent, alongside a car park with water and free electrical hook-ups for travellers (day-time parking only). We returned there to visit the exhibition 'A Sense of Place' covering the area's migrant history during the decade following WWII. The 10-pound Poms and DP's (Displaced Persons – refugees from eastern and western Europe) found initial hardship was their passport to a land and life of new opportunity. A thought-provoking display.

Drove along the Gt Eastern Highway, following both our cycle-route and the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail. Stopped for lunch at MECKERING, a small town which was completely destroyed in 1968 by Australia's strongest recorded earthquake (over 8 on the Richter scale). Astonishing photos and display of twisted railway lines, prompting us to detour to view the preserved ruins of a farmhouse. Amazingly, no deaths.

Next stop CUNDERDIN, to visit the No 3 Pump Station Museum. (There were 7 steam-driven pumping stations along the pipeline, lifting water 1,300 ft from Mundaring Weir, in Perth's Darling Range, to Kalgoorlie and the goldfields, 350 miles away. Built at the end of the 19^thC, it was the world's longest pipeline and is still in use with electric pumps!) The museum, in the old pump station with an original 80-ton steam pump, also had a one-room bush school, a 1903 railway dining car and an interactive earthquake house, as well as the usual pioneer bygones.

Continued east, through KELLERBERIN, another wheat and sheep-farming town which was opened up by the Golden Pipeline. Actually, the pipeline is silver-coloured and visible along the highway for much of its length. It had been a valued companion on our cycle ride as far as Norseman, back in 2000, offering a useful seat for brewing-up in the empty bush. Now it's a well-signed tourist trail, with accompanying map, book, CD's and souvenirs for sale at every info centre along its route!

The landscape became drier and emptier as we progressed, with salt lakes indicating an ancient river system. It is early autumn, going dark around 6 pm, and rain is overdue – virtually none since August 2004!

Came to rest at the thriving little town of MERREDIN. As well as the familiar Federation-era architecture, it has the longest grain storage facilities in the Southern Hemisphere and military defence installations from WWII (in case the Japanese wanted their wheat?) Now, there is even a flying school here, training Chinese pilots. Oz is full of surprises!

The caravan park is home to Billy, its resident talking corella (a kind of white parrot), and a 2-year-old pet kangaroo (one of many orphans which owner Sue Bartlett has raised and returned to the wild).

Next morning we walked back into town to shop and email. Dewsons supermarket and the French Hot Bread Shop supplied our needs (including a cake for M's imminent birthday). The District Library was very generous: free internet on their one machine and free tea or coffee while we worked! A junior school party came in for a tour, part of a day out to celebrate the last day of term (Easter is a fixed school holiday, not dependant on the actual Easter dates).

Good fish & chips for lunch in Gabbi's, with a complimentary pot of tea (thanks to the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail Guide's bonus vouchers!) Vouchers and coupons are popular here, including 4 cents per litre off petrol/diesel with supermarket receipts (spend $A30 at Woolworths or Coles, the 2 main food outlets in larger towns). Gabbi's also had internet at $A4 per hour, while a computer shop offered it at $A6 per hour, both with faster links than the free library but no wireless access.

Walked back to camp just before a short rain shower.

NEWS: Pope's funeral today caused the postponement of Charles & Camilla's wedding. Lucky the Windsor Registry Office was able to fit them in tomorrow at short notice!

April 9 (140 km)                         SOUTHERN CROSS CP ($A19)

Still following the Gt Eastern Highway, the Golden Pipeline and our cycling route of 2000, a glorious drive with vivid colours: the blue of the sky, the red of the earth, the green of the gum trees and the pink of their silky-smooth trunks after the annual bark-shedding. Paused after BURRACOPIN at the site of the No 1 Rabbit-Proof Fence, which crossed hundreds of kilometres of WA, keeping not only rabbits but emus and dingoes out of the wheat belt – the usual interpretive sign and map in the rest area explained all.

Next stop was the Edna May open cut goldmine at WESTONIA, a short detour on sealed roads, about 10 miles north of the highway. The open cast mine, in and out of use since 1911, is now flooded and disused, though rumoured to be re-opening. An impressive sight and a quiet place for lunch.

SOUTHERN CROSS in Yilgarn-shire is dubbed a 5-star town, named after the constellation which a pair of prospectors followed to the Yilgarn Goldfields in 1888. We climbed to the hilltop viewpoint over the town before settling at the caravan park. Every town, however small, has a well-equipped caravan park, with a few cabins and static caravans to rent (with or without linen), as well as space for tourers - mostly utes (utility vehicles) with trailer tents, or small pop-top campervans and caravans. Very few Australians use motorhomes, the commonest being a conversion of the Japanese Coasters used as school buses.

The town keeps up the stellar theme with street names like Polaris and Sirius. It was indeed a very clear (and surprisingly cold) night and the sky was brilliant with stars.

NEWS: Charles and Camilla finally married. Our venue of last July - Methoni Town Hall in the Greek Peloponnese – would have been a quieter choice for all of us!