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.