"What’s the weather like, this morning?"

…asked Mrs Johns as she got out of bed this morning. It is hot and sunny. Just the way it always seems to be Down here in Perth, WA.

I feel like a lot of time has passed since I last typed some words into this small, portable computer. The battery lasted me long enough to decide that I really liked Enterprise Architect; I’ll be recommending to my line manager on my return that we buy the licenses. After playing with UML tools, I spend some time trying to get some sleep on the ‘plane. I wasn’t very successful. I then watched some of the highlights of R.E.M.’s latest DVD, which they were showing in-flight. Every time they played "It’s the End of the World as We Know it.", which is one of my favourite songs, I wanted to sing along and bounce around in my seat. I don’t think that the sleepy population of Qantas Flight whatever-number-it-was to Singapore would have appreciated that, so I refrained. Such a shame!

Singapore’s Changi airport continues to be a wonderful place. K and I spent a little while investigating the rooftop cactus garden before looking for food. I say ‘food’, but it was actually a beer that I had for what you might call "Second Breakfast". Our time in Singapore was short lived and, before too long, we were airborne again, hurtling towards Perth.

The flight to Perth took no time at all, or so it seemed. My friend msjs bought me "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" as a farewell gift when I departed company with $PETES_EMPLOYEE-1; I saved it for this trip. Once we were on the ‘plane to Perth, I opened it, commenced reading, and didn’t put it down until I had reached the back cover. This is quite rare for me, which highlights how good this book really is. I spend a lot of time smiling, nodding and even laughing in agreement with the author’s observations. A must read, I would say. I even enjoyed it more than "31 Songs", which I had spent some time reading on the previous leg of the journey.

Having finished the book and another can of Victoria Bitter, I managed to catch my only thirty minutes of sleep of the journey, waking in time to catch my first glimpse of Australia. It was a further half-hour before we landed at Perth, but already I felt as if I had arrived.

Our friends were there waiting for us in the Arrivals Hall and dove us in the glorious Western Australian sunshine to their new abode.

On Saturday evening we had a barbecue with some friends that I had not seen since T and A got married, some three-and-a-bit years ago. A prepares a fine barbecue and we ate beautifully marinated food of the highest order. And oh yes, there were snags on the barbie!

Tiredness got the better of me around 10 o’clock and it was some twelve hours later before I was ready to face Easter Sunday. The Sun had already risen in the East and was beating down on Western Australia long before I opened my eyes.

A drove us to King’s Park in Perth, which comes highly recommended. There were hundreds of locals with their ‘Eskies’ (coolboxes) enjoying picnics with their families on the hectares of short, green grass that King’s Park affords. The scenery there of the Park, the City and the River was beautiful. Even the freeway that divides the Park from the City looks pleasant.

We then went to Lake Monger in the town of Cambridge to see the Black Swans. I shattered some of A’s illusions as to place names that she thought were Australian, but were English. Sorry, A.

Lunch was some gorgeous seafood at the Kailis Brother’s restaurant (highly recommended. I had Snappers. Mmmm…

A brief shopping trip ensued, followed by a seafood lunch and a couple of pints in the English-style pub, "The Moon and Sixpence" in the City, not far from the hotel where I stayed with R and M on my last visit!

More food, then. Thai, this time, before heading back to le Château for a nightcap and an early night.

Well, it sounds like every one else is up and about, now, so I shall wrap things up here and get ready for today’s jaunts. More later.