We have consistently found that the greatest experience in visiting other countries is the wonderful people we meet and enjoy the areas with. Perth has been no exception to this as we have made friends with a number of great people who have very kindly taken the time to show us the highlights of the area and explain the differences in the social and political culture here. That makes for a truly wonderful experience.

We went to an amazing aquarium the other day. Australia have a huge variety of sea life that is found nowhere else in the world - mainly because they are so isolated. There are so many deadly dangerous snakes, jellyfish and fish here and the Aussies just laugh it off - no worries, mate. There is a type of seahorse that looks more like a floating piece of plastic bag and it is no where else in the world. It was really amazing.

We did rent a car and took a 3 day trip south into the wine and cave region of WA. This area is called Margaret River country. There were so many wineries along the roads we traveled that we could have actually tasted wines 8 hours straight for the whole 3 days. It's our experience that most of these wines are available at Costco at less cost than you can buy them here. So that was an educational trip and Rosie found some wines that she really liked. The next day we went on a cave tour that was amazing. All sorts of fantastic formations that took hundreds or even thousands of year to develop. There are some stands of very large trees there also, not as tall or as big around as a redwood but a close second. We stayed in a small chalet and in the field out the kitchen window we watched a large family group of kangaroos feeding as night fell. The young ones (joeys) run around mama just like a fawn does. This was actually the first time we had seen kangaroos in the wild. We also visited a lighthouse on a cape where the Indian Ocean and the Great Southern Ocean meet.

Today is Christmas Eve; we went for a beach walk first thing and then went swimming in the Indian Ocean. The Southern Ocean is really cold to swim in and the Indian Ocean here is maybe called refreshing, but it was a hot day and the swim was great. There are miles and miles of white sand beaches here. On Christmas Day we have been invited to have a picnic with friends along the Swan River which runs through the city of Perth. We are headed to Melbourne late on Christmas Day to meet with friends we met on our 2006 trip.

We would love comments or questions if you have any; just sign in and we will try to write back. We wish all of our friends a wonderful Christmas season; you are in our minds and prayers.

G'day from Perth, Dec. 10. Rottnest Island got its name from a small animal called a quokka which looks like a very small kangaroo but which the early Dutch sailors thought was a big rat. They are very friendly and gentle and come right up to you so that you can pet them. There are a lot of vacationers on the island as it has very beautiful beaches and coral formations. We tried a short hike and found that when there is no sea breeze there are lots of flies. These flies are more persistent than Montana flies and they don't always leave when you wave them off. The rules don't allow many cars on the island so to get around you take a bus, rent a bike or walk. There are some really nice resorts on the island and plenty of facilities for vacationers.

Saturday, Dec 12. The city of Perth had a free concert downtown tonight, in a place called the Esplanade, a very large grassy field in the middle of the city. The evening was clear and warm and there were about 10,000 people there. There is a huge ferris wheel right across the road that is lit up with white lights and the seagulls fly around above it all night. It looks like the sky is constantly moving with the white birds circling in the lights above the wheel. The train station is only across the street so a lot of people could get there without driving their cars into town.

On Monday we went to the Perth mint where they used to make coins for WA. Now mostly they mint commemorative issues. There are huge gold nuggets on display there - bigger than a Cherrios box. They also melt down gold and make a large ingot the size of a brick out of it. There are really beautiful opals on display which are mined locally and, of course, for sale!

Today we are planning a trip to the WA aquarium which is supposed to be very impressive. We have planned for Thursday a guided trip to the Swan River Valley. We will write more about those trips soon.

G'day! Since Western Australia is 15 hours ahead of Montana, as we write this, you are just finishing dinner on Tuesday while we are between breakfast and lunch on Wednesday. It's cooler today - in the low 80s and the car won't start so we have walked to the library instead of along the beach. We're having three new friends over for dinner this evening - Tamale Pie is on the menu as the one requirement is that it goes with beer. I'm still getting use to the choices at the food market. We were going to get some ice cream for our dessert but can't now as it would melt before we can get it home to the freezer. Had to settle for some biscuits (cookies) and Cadbury chocolates. Perhaps we'll try the car again later. This shopping center - 30 minute walk or 5 minute drive - has it all! At least 100 shops, 2 markets, a cinema, petrol station, library and several food courts, meat/fish shops, bakeries and multiple kiosks set up for Christmas.

We may or may not be able to write again tomorrow as we are thinking of catching the ferry to Rottnest Island for the day - hire bikes and look around there. When we check back in before the weekend, hope to hear what's happening on your top half of the globe. Love, R n R

Dear friends and family of R n R, Had you given up on us or is this your first attempt to see what we are up to "down under"? Just about the time we'd been in Perth long enough to be rested-up in addition to having something to write about, our exchange home lost its internet capability. No doubt it's something one of us did; that situation has gotten us to the library today for our second blog entry so here goes as it means to cover almost a week since our arrival.

Perth is a beautiful city; reminds us of Tampa, Florida due to the pastel glass on many of the larger buildings. It is in the state of Western Australia which is on the Indian Ocean and about 1/3 the size of the U.S. The people are in all sorts of attire due to an immigrant population from all parts of the world. The home at which we are staying for the next 3 weeks is in Kallaroo, about 15 km (10 miles) north of the city. We arrived on Dec. 2 about noon, just in time to walk from our "home" to the beach and back for lunch and a nap. The next day we ventured a bit further to Hillary's Boat Harbor for lunch and a trip to the market for milk, bread, cereal, apples and mince (ground beef). On our second full day here we took the train into town which is the way most commuters travel to work in the city. Once in the CBD (central business district) we took full advantage of the 3 CAT bus lines which are free and hop on/hop off whenever you see something of interest. It's the only way to survey the city for future excursions. We found a pub for lunch where Russ had fish and chips, I had bangers and mash; all washed down with pints of beer - one each thank you!!!! On Saturday we took a long walk to and along "our" beach and then home for lunch and a nap. Four hours later, we woke - realizing we were still catching up from being tired even before we left Montana. On Sunday we took another train trip - as far south (about 60km) of the city as we could - just to see what was there. Yesterday - a beach walk, some shopping and a nap - is there a pattern forming? And today, we were on the beach by 7AM for a two hour stroll, visits with the local surf fishermen, a trip to the library (signed up for internet time in the afternoon), a stop at the store for a tomato and home for a delicious BLT for lunch. For now, Rosie

She needs to mention that I have been learning to drive a manual transmission on the left side as well as remembering to stay on the proper side of the road. The people whose house we are staying in very kindly left us an old car to get around in. We are getting the hang of it. Rosie only has to remind me occasionally to stay on the proper side. For now, Russ