go west, young lady!

Well, I've made it!
I touched the West Coast: flew in to Perth on Wednesday the --th of Feb and hitched down to Albany on Friday.

Here is Yoshii with new friends she made at Shaun's place.

The journey so far has involved a series of minor mishaps, but nothing too drastic.
When I lost my bag three days before I was scheduled to leave I was a bit annoyed. It contained my wallet of course, so there was a lot of running around replacing stuff etc. More of a nuisance than anything. It was fine to lose the dog leash; it was too tight anyway. More annoying was losing the camera - the 2-gig memory card means a lot of photos on there that I lost. But it was a real piss-off to lose my folio: 4 years of work packed into one exquisitely designed and handcrafted book printed at some expense on gorgeous paper-thin paper. Ah well, I wasn't planning on getting a job anyway... none the less I had a lovely night with Ella in North Carlton. She has a magic touch with desserts and can make something as apparently simple as mascarpone and stewed plums a perfectly balanced refinement.
Aah! But things are always likely to go a bit wrong when you're about to leave.
I couldn't quite believe how much there was still to fit in the car, after I took 5 loads to the op shop and they also came for a truck-load of furniture, plus the few loads that went to my aunts' garages. I fitted it all in, somehow, but just as I was about to head for the 4 o'clock appointment with the car-storage people, realized somehow I’d forgotten to pack the bags of everything I was taking with me to WA. And where was the dog going to fit? She’s small, but not small enough to fit in the glove box...(I tried.) And halfway there I realised I had no money - and of course no card.

I got to the storage place later than I expected. And couldn't find it. And it was closed! so there I was with my car packed to bursting and 2 hours before I was due to fly out. On my way out of the toilet I bumped into a woman going in,
"Do you work here?" I asked her.
"Yes, I'm just on my was home."
"You couldn't do me a favour..?" and I explained the situation to her.
"Sure, I guess you haven't got any choice."
So I handed over $200 bucks and my car keys to this honest looking but complete stranger.
The next 36 hours I spent trying not to imagine my car being driven up to Queensland, and my storage fees being spent on dubious substances.
But the lovely thing I always find about trusting people is that so often it's ok.
Noice!
So I handed her the keys, and went and ordered a taxi from the hotel reception. Then went to get my gear out of the car... which was locked.
I spent a few minutes trying to hoik down the window, then squeeze my arm through the 2" gap at the top. No such luck.
Then I stepped back and realised that the back door was unlocked!

It was a lovely taxi to the airport.
A few more minor complications with getting Yoshi to the freight terminal, and another $50 on taxis to go the 200 yards. Then finally I was checked in, swabbed for explosives, and at the departure lounge with my coffee. I was about to take a sip, when I was paged to the baggage check in.
"Your shampoo exploded in your bag," the young attendant said.
"Exploded?!!"
"Well no, I mean..."
"Burst?" A semiotic misappellation.

When I was in the cabin, strapped in and taxiing down the runway, I was so relieved...but apprehensive, too. I felt so weighted down with anxiety and expectation I didn't think we'd make it off the ground.

Shooowwffaaah!

We did.

We flew, all the way to Perth. All the way. And lo! the earth rose up to meet us, and the earth was firm. and there was my old friend Shaun to pick me up. Blue and fine, like a perfect day.

---- ---- ----

Leaving Perth was a bit of a tricky one, too. I'll tell you about it some time. But me and Yoshi made Armadale, and with the help of 3 friendly drivers, made it to Albany.
Now here we are, our tent set up in the back yard, and the future is lookin' fine.