AUSTRALIA

GERALDTON

As we were both feeling a little home sick and missing family, we booked the coach from Perth to Geraldton to go see and stay with our brother and sister in-law who live there, Ben & Lou. It was also Mr F's birthday coming up and thought it would be nice to spend it with them.

The views along the way were pretty much how we expected Australia to look - a long straight road with red dirt either side and vast lands of nothingness.....beautiful! 

We got to Geraldton earlier than our ETA and was supposed to call Lou when we arrived for her to come and get us. But we thought it would be a nice idea to walk to their home and surprise her. However, where they lived looked alot closer on the map than in real life.....3miles walking in the heat with our rucksacks on, so we gave her a call :-)

After some big hugs and alot of screaming, Lou took us to her regular coffee house on the beach where we met up with Ben. After coffee's, we headed back to their place to grab a bottle of champers and four glasses and walked just up the road from where they live to the beach to celebrate our long awaited reunion. To finish our day off, we went for a drink and brought home an Indian take out.....bliss!!

Views from Perth to Geraldton....

              Waiting for Lou....

Ben & Lou's local beach just 10min walk from their home....

Lou made a spontaneous and crazy decision to drag Mrs F to paddle in the warm sea....in our undies!!

                          Love this picture of the four of us :-)

GERALDTON

DAY 2:

Saturday morning and we were all up at 6am to go and do what Ben & Lou do every saturday and indeed every opportunity they get to do....surf! We met up with their friends who are all part of The Christian Surfers and headed for the beach. Mrs F even went out and had a go at catching a few waves whilst Mr F done what he loves doing most...fishing. Mrs F didn't go any further beyond the point of not being able to stand up, but did manage to caught 3 decent waves on the board :-) 

After surfing we headed back to Ben & Lou's friends place, Kelly and Harry, for a good 'ol traditional Ozzy BBQ. It was so good to be amongst other Christians again and they all made us feel very welcome.

Mrs F suited up and ready top hit some waves!

Mrs F tackling the waves and her fear of water!

After the BBQ, Lou got a call to say that the waves at a different beach were good to surf on....so back we went! Ben & Lou wet suited back up, Mr F went for a run along the beach and Mrs F chilled out and soaked up the rays.

We headed back to the house and very shortly left to go to a quiz night with Kelly and Harry and two of their friends. We had just the best time and it was loads of fun! We both love a good quiz anyway...our moto is, "1st is 1st and 2nd is nowhere!" Kelly had kindly brought along loads of little nibbles and the people who hosted the quiz made beef and gravy rolls. All in all, we had a really good night, we came joint second winning $400 which we decided to donate to a good cause.
 But it doesn't stop there! We went back to Kelly and Harry's place who have a back garden big enough for us the set up a campfire and roll out a couple of swags, so we were literally sleeping under the thousands of stars. It was amazing to wake up during the night and look up to see a shooting star....Thank you God for a wonderful day :-)

Our swag, kindly loaned to us by Kelly & Harry with nothing but a mossie net over us....proper outback!

Waking up to sunshine in the outdoors.....

 Ben & Lou's swag behind our one.....

GERALDTON

DAY 3:

Kelly had made us all porridge for breakfast before we headed off to church. It was such an awesome feeling to be at church, part of the congregation and giving praise to God again. We have missed the church so much on our travels. After the service, we went to the supermarket to get some things for lunch which we ate on the beach.....

Ben admiring a potential surfable wave

GERALDTON DAY 4:

MR F'S BIRTHDAY :-)

Monday 18th June, Mr F's birthday! Ben & Lou were back to work so we decided to walk along the beach 3miles to the big supermarket to get all the stuff needed to make a lasange for dinner. Mrs F secretly bought a little ornament that Mr F liked in Perth, and gave it to him along with a card first thing. It was a beautiful hot day to walk along the beach, even though it is currently winter in WA! We stopped off at Hungry Jacks on the way back, which is basically Burger King with a different name above the door. 

That night, we had a birthday feast of lasange, chips, salad, toasted 2 bottles of very good red wine and an entire chocolate birthday cake. A very good night and day for Mr F :-)

         Our walk along the beach...

        Our footprints in the sand....

Mr F enjoying a birthday chocolate sundae

GERALDTON

DAY 5:

Today we decided to do absolutely nothing for the first time in months! Other than watch loads of films and go out to get stuff to make a chilli con carne, we had a pretty relaxing day :-)

GERALDTON

DAY 6:

We went out on another little walk today, this time not as far as 3miles, but was out for most of the day just wondering around. We went to Spalding park where we played in the playground on the balancing beams, then walked along the river back towards the house. A good day with not too much excursion...

Our walk along the river...

Mr F took a pic of himself looking like he'd kill someone for 10p!!

Our playground time....good grownup fun!