This Diamond Ring (Sal Salis – Exmouth – Learmonth – Perth – Sydney)

We missed all the excitement last evening, dear reader. One of the guests had lost a ring. Not just any ring, a diamond engagement ring that had belonged to her mother. Obviously that inspired today's title, This Diamond Ring by Gary Lewis and The Playboys from 1965. Fortunately, it was found in the sand beside the road by one of the enterprising guests (well done Rosa) and ring and owner were soon reunited.

The Lodge and Deck.

Breakfast was the usual affair on the deck with the addition of one of the resident corellas who, this morning, proved to be quite aggressive. One couple decided to offer him a morsel while another was forced to abandon where they sitting for a safer zone. Well, that was the concept. On to a good thing, the corella followed them. Rather amusing really. He did try it on at our table but was no match for me.

Keeping an eye on potential breakfast items.

We chatted with Rosa and Greg again this morning. They have a travel agency in Cobram and I feel we will contact them next time we are heading down toward Rutherglen.

It was another beautiful morning on the reef. Sunshine, no cloud and a light breeze to keep you cool. After repacking the bag and vacating the tent, we sat on the deck watching the whales playing beyond the reef break and commiserated with the other guests who were also departing today.

The Dining Room.

The buggy arrived to transport us to the South Mandu carpark for the change into the mini-bus. We were keen to check in for our flights and to see if Qantas was behaving so phones were at the ready for the moment we were in range of the network. Check-in was finalised as we reached Exmouth and enjoyed a brief stop. We popped into the bakery to enjoy a pie and sausage roll in order to avoid the first leg of airline food. Excellent sausage roll and the pie was good, not Gaffney’s of Seymour standard, but good.

The final sunset #1

There is nothing to report of Learmonth airport because, well, there is nothing at Learmonth airport. The check-in girl was a trainee as was the guy in security so the process was a little longer than usual. After settling down to wait for boarding, Tinnitus arrived and sat within our earshot so we could continue to enjoy their inane conversation. “Unbelievable,” muttered Jayne.

The final sunset #2

Boarding time came soon enough and we made our way down the aisle to our exit row seats to discover … what do you think it was, dear reader? Absolutely correct. Tinnitus were seated across the aisle. “FFS, enough is enough,” Jayne spat under her breath as we stowed our luggage. We’re in a Fokker and the seat configuration is 2-3 with us being the 2 seats. Over the aisle there was a spare seat between Tinnitus. Jayne was horrified when an unsuspecting passenger came down the aisle to occupy the middle seat. I wanted to yell, "It's a trap. Don't sit there". Before he sat down, he offered for Tinnitus to sit next to each other. This generous offer was declined. How did he know they were together you ask? I have omitted a key detail about their behaviour. They always wear matching clothes. Always. Columbia brand only. And yes, I am being judgy.

The final sunset #3

Let’s expedite this story. Our plane was delayed because it was late from Sydney. That’s right blame Sydney. To add to the misery of waiting in an overcrowded lounge, we were flying home in a 737. Its first flight probably occurred before I was a teenager. The business section (no caps) is 12 seats. They don’t recline, the leg rests don’t rise nor does the lumbar support. I was really looking forward to stretching out on the flat bed. Seriously Qantas, how do you sleep at night charging business class rates for this level of service. And yes, the cabin staff were lovely, but that is not the point. I’ve flown much shorter routes in Asia in better cabins. Once again, lift your game Qantas.

Leaving Learmonth.

Anyway, it was a great experience swimming with the whale shark and that, ultimately, is what the trip was about. Aside from not being home for Jayne’s birthday. The plane made up some time on the way home, thanks to a cracking westerly and we were home and in bed by midnight.

Perth was unexpectedly green.

Until next time which will be November for a brief excursion to South Australia.

Art for Art's Sake (Sydney - Perth)

And so dear reader today finds us in the Qantas Business Lounge at Perth airport. Yes, it’s time for another trip, albeit a brief one. By the time this gets published, we will be back home in Sydney. Today we are heading for a place off the grid. More on that later.

We left Sydney on Friday morning. Unlike our last trip to Perth, Qantas did everything right this time. As you know, I have not been a Qantas fan for some time and despite a smooth journey to Perth, it is still too soon to forgive them. They have much ground to make up.

Unhappily the alarm went off at 5:15am. We had pre-booked an Uber for 6:15am and all went smoothly. We had checked our bag, cleared security and were comfortably seated in the Qantas lounge in Sydney before 7am. Having lost my Platinum status, the Business Lounge is now only an option if we are flying Business Class. And we are today, thanks to my bank of Frequent Flyer points.

Unlike our last dodgy trip to Perth where we were diverted via Melbourne, this flight was direct. It was also on an A330-200 which means space and a flatbed, should my back require a stretch. A much better arrangement than the sub-par Business Class seats on the aging 737 fleet.

The flight was uneventful, although the landing was a little on the agricultural side. Our bag even arrived on the same plane. All was going well. Our first challenge was to find the train to Perth. Signage at Perth airport seems to be for those who already know their way around. We discovered this last year. While there were signs pointing to the trains, they soon disappeared, leaving us standing in a car park wondering where we went wrong.

Ever the problem solver, Jayne decided to ask someone in the terminal. Apparently, the trains are accessed at Redcliffe Station, a brief shuttle ride away or 20 minute walk, if you feel you need the trial of a bag drag. I wanted neither and opted for a taxi. Rome to Rio suggested a taxi fare would be around $35. Not even close and we saw parts of Perth we’d never seen before as the driver went out of his way to ensure a high tariff.

We were at the Adnate Art Hotel on Hay Street by midday. The hotel has a large mural painted on its side, a characteristic shared by other destinations in the group, hence today's title. Art for Art's Sake is by 10CC from way back when I was in year 10. Uncharacteristically, our room was not ready, so we went for a walk prior to finding a suitable watering hole - Willi’s Wine Bar in what was once the Royal Perth Hotel and were soon seated, enjoying a bottle of Fiano.

Finding a pub proved a little more difficult than we had imagined. There is still a pub on every corner in Sydney, not so in Perth. Willi’s was a welcome oasis in a desert of shopping options. 

Once we had checked in and stowed our bags, we decided an early dinner would be a priority. It’s only a two hour time difference but the early start was having an impact on energy levels. There was an Italian restaurant, Simple Italian, in the next block over, that had good reviews so that’s where we dined. Pizza, a pasta and lobster dish and a bottle of Montepulciano in an empty restaurant. Bonus. We wandered back to the hotel and had our complimentary nightcap before crashing (relatively) early.

Our last Friday night stay in Perth was on Murray Street which turned out to be party central. Hay Street was a little quieter except for the multi-story carpark near our hotel. The sound of over-revving cars was clearly heard until I drifted off to sleep.

Saturday morning brought overcast skies and eventually, rain. The latter not until we were safely at the airport. Hay Street was quite deserted. In fact, there were less people than Liberal nominations for the upcoming NSW council elections. Ha, laugh, so funny! And they want to run the state and the country. Anyway, we set off in search of a café for breakfast.

The ‘best coffee’ recommendation proved a dud because there was nowhere to sit. It was very much a take-away service. However, across the mall was Espresso and Prosecco. It had an indoor and outdoor option. It had the usual breakfast menu as well as some delectable Italian sweets. Cannoli for breakfast? It was possible. It was tempting. I remained strong. No cannoli.

Better than Prague and not as far to travel.

The café was next door to the London Arcade which sports a decorative clock above its archway. It chimed on the quarter hour and the jousting knights moved back and forth. Most exciting. Do not mock me, dear reader. Have you seen the Astronomical Clock in Prague? It attracts a far bigger crowd and is less spectacular.

As we were enjoying our coffee, we noticed a shop across the mall that had attracted a crowd, queued up around the corner of the building. This was unusual for this hour in Perth. As the knights jousted and the clock chimed 9am, the doors of YKC opened and the crowd surged into the shop. The queue, by this time, stretched down the alleyway and people just kept coming. Amazing. It is, according to Dr Google, a New Zealand clothing company. Street wear, if you will. The sort left over from the ‘90s, with baggy knee height crotches. Not quite my style.

Queued all the way down the lane they were.

Back to the hotel. Check out time and into an Uber for a much quicker and significantly cheaper trip back to the airport. Driving down the Perth streets revealed statues/sculptures just about everywhere we looked. I didn’t notice them last year even though we walked around the CBD. Must do a proper guided walking tour of Perth on our next visit.

We discovered once we had cleared security, that the Qantas Club was closed and we were diverted to the Business Lounge. Happy days.

Our next flight is to Learmonth, the airport for Exmouth, and the spectacular Ningaloo Reef. This trip is  he final piece of the COVID puzzle. Before the pandemic, I had planned a stay at Sal Salis. When we finally made the journey from Perth to Broome last year, we added a trip through the Kimberley to Darwin and in the re-organisation, Sal Salis got bumped.

Approaching Learmonth

Sal Salis is an eco-resort at Yardie Creek in the Cape Range National Park. Yes, it is glamping with fine dining. The tents are behind the sand dunes and it is a stroll to the water’s edge and the Ningaloo Reef. We will be off the grid for the next 5 days which is why this will be actually posted from Sydney.

The magical colours of the gulf.

Until tomorrow.

 

Honesty (Perth, WA)

Despite the continuous party outside in Murray Street, dear reader, we slept well and struggled to get vertical in the morning, but there were things to be done. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, clear skies with a temperature that made many locals opt for the puffy jacket. Whatever. I conceded and wore jeans. A decision I later viewed as unnecessary. It was crisp, but the sun was delightful and the wind doctor didn't get up until lunch time.

Jayne researched breakfast and off we went. Breakfast is a fraught meal for me. I'm not a big eater. I'm not a fan of eggs. It limits one's options somewhat. All anyone needs, IMHO, is coffee. And maybe some muesli and toast. I don't need a side of bacon slathered in maple syrup covered in poached eggs drizzled with a sauce made from camels that originally 'opened the west' and a side of triple fried wedges. Does anyone?

So. To discover a place that serves toasties AND good coffee. Heaven, I'm in heaven. All within a 5 minute walk of our hotel. In a back lane. How cool.

We arrived at Grillah Toastface and surveyed the menu. It looked the real deal. The hip hop music playing in the open kitchen certainly was. If you love toasties this place is well worth checking out. If you love coffee, prepare for disappointment. It's not often you can get everything you want in the one establishment.

The toasties were next level. Everything you've ever dreamed of in a toastie. Oozy cheese, bits of burnt cheese, crisp, thick slices of sourdough. I'd go back but my cardiologist said no.

One of the regulars.

The coffee not so much. Two small (read normal size, fu America) long blacks please. Now dear reader I'm sure you understand the concept of a long black. It is a double shot of coffee with water. Here, we ordered the second shot because they only make it with one shot. Seriously? Crimes against coffee lovers. Despite 'eating in', drinking also, we were served coffee in disposable cardboard things. No, no, no.

Anyway the locals were lovely and came for a chat and a drink with us.

He wouldn't stop chatting.

Wandering Perth

Post toastie and average coffee we returned to the hotel, sorted the camera (and my lenses) and made our way to the Information Centre. It had been a good morning, sunshine, birds singing, excellent toastie and then reality.

All we really wanted was a map of WA for the road trip north, not a road report that was going to put the rest of the trip in jeopardy. That, however, is exactly what we received, reinforced moments later by a text from a tour operator further north.

Check out the bee.

"How can I help you?" developed into a 30 minute discussion of the places to see in Perth (that didn't occupy much time) into places you can see on your journey to Broome. And beyond? Once again, maybe, maybe not. Climate change ... don't get me started.

Later this month we are supposed to be joining an APT tour from Broome to Darwin. Currently, after flooding again, both roads are closed. Neither with workable detours. And there is more rain predicted. I'm not going to dwell on the what if or what might be, I shall deal with the here and now. Today we are in Perth, bathed in sunshine under cloudless blue skies, let's revel in that.

The flowering gums are so architectural.

Armed with brochures we didn't now we wanted we walked back into the sunshine and turned towards the water and the Bell Tower, one of the few recognisable landmarks from our visit in 2005. The entire foreshore has been developed between there and Kings Park/Botanic Garden/Kokoda Track. Surprised by the last entry? As were we.

The towering landscape of Perth's CBD buildings is dominated by such companies as Rio Tinto, Woodside and Macquarie. Rape, pillage and plunder overshadow the river and the children's water play area, sponsored by BHP Billiton. I sense a theme here.

Old school entertainment for the kids. Or is it?

Elizabeth Quay is a lovely area and was well populated on a Saturday morning. There are sculptures, play areas, restaurants, accommodation, walkways and spaces just to enjoy the surrounds. Before the Fremantle doctor arrives. It's a tad cold in the shade once the wind gets up.

Sculpture near the train station.

We decided to follow the shoreline to Kings Park and the Botanic Garden area. Simple, as they say in the TV ads. Yeah, not so much. Signposting is a curious art. Our destination appeared on one sign to disappear the the next. We followed the signage one way to reach a crossroads and be directed back the way we came, albeit on a different path. Confusing? Damn straight.

I'm sure it has meaning ...

At the point of no return we discovered the entrance to the Botanic Garden, also titled the Kokoda Track. Not trail. Track. In WA, not New Guinea. Confused again. And so we commenced the climb up the stairs of the Kokoda Track. While Jayne did not enjoy the climb, it was hardly difficult. The link with Kokoda was the memorials on the way. It appears that we enjoy a war in WA. The park has memorial areas for many wars, a curious juxtaposition of peace, serenity and beauty with the reality of what is being commemorated. Maybe that was the point.

Look closely. Kokoda Track.

The Botanic Garden also contains areas of lawn. Quite substantial areas of lawn which were quite popular on a sunny winter's day. The people from Perth embrace their sunshine by lying all over their public lawns. Curious behaviour I thought, restricted to the British who have scant of either resource in the country.

Love a bird photo. She/he just demanded it.

The return walk was significantly easier than the climb up the Kokoda Track and we were soon back investigating dinner options, discussing climate change and road closures, and enjoying our complimentary drink at the hotel bar.

The view from Mt Eliza lookout.

Day over

There are many options for dinner or lunch in this area. Provided, of course, it is between Monday and Friday. Our first couple of choices were closed. Our response was to go shopping. We purchased some water, for the trip north, and important things: chips, peanuts, chocolate bullets, items to sustain life on the open, remote roads.

OK, this was from the lookout.

Subsequently we devoured the chips with our complimentary bottle of wine (from the hotel) while I was blogging and Jayne was researching the coming days; weather in mind.

Dinner, we finally decided, should be at the hotel. Miss Mi is the name of the restaurant and we would eat there again. There is a certain hotel style about it, but the food is really good, modern Asian, which we paired with a Grenache from South Australia.

Prawn toast.

Dumplings.

The bill arrived, after it was requested, and we weren't charged for the wine. At a mere $73 per bottle. Nice. How cheap was that meal! Did we tell them? Did we walk? What would you have done dear reader? We told them. At the cash register because it was getting difficult to find a server. The response: "Why be honest?" Really? No thank you. It was clear they would never have known. And so ... but no, that's not how we are. Hence today's title song, a Billy Joel classic from his 1978 album 52nd Street.

I'm watching the cricket as I finish this post and Murray Street seems not to be so 'party city' on a Saturday night. That said it's only 8:30pm.

Tomorrow we head for Kalbarri where the weather is closing in. They contacted me today to see if we could arrive in time for the sunset cruise on Sunday. That is not feasible in terms of distance and drive time. We are scheduled for a Monday cruise when the sunset probably won't be visible. Like much of what is to come, I'll guess we'll see.

Until next time.

Drops of Jupiter (Sydney, NSW to Perth, WA, part 2)

 Sleep, dear reader, such a regenerative process. I feel so much better, but to conclude yesterday's story ...

The Flights

There is a reason Qantas is upgrading the fleet and it's not just because they made a shitload of money during the pandemic and continue to ignore their customers. The 737 aircraft are aging and the plane we flew to Melbourne on fits that category.

NSW south coast, Kiama.

The Business Lounge in Sydney was as always. A good selection of food, swift service and comfortable lounges. More comfortable than the plane to Melbourne. We were late leaving. No surprises there. Let's blame the wood nymphs or the fairies at the bottom of the garden or the wind that never reached the predicted speeds. Boarding was reasonably civilised because, well, we were already there waiting because the plane was late. As for the new Qantas boarding procedures? Yeah, right. Non-existent. The usual free-for-all and if row numbers were called they were ignored by the customers and the staff. The flight was uneventful and the cabin staff were, as always, delightful.

Lunch en route

Our bag was checked through so it was straight from the plane to the Melbourne Business Class Lounge. Now, I don't want to add to the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry because there can be only one winner. As there is in any sibling contest. The elder wins. Always. And here too. The Melbourne Business Lounge is average. The food offerings are limited and it was reported that the 'facilities' needed attention from an attendant.

Nearing Melbourne.

Once again the plane was late and boarding resembles a rugby maul. One line. Fortunately no one could take our seats, although I was more concerned about the overhead space for our luggage. Regardless, we boarded, stowed bags and settled in. The seat in front of me was reclined as soon as we were in the air. Like seriously! 

Dinner options were canvassed. Alcohol was offered. It was then I realised that I was driving at the end of the flight and it was water for me. Sad face. Jayne's Malbec looked enticing.

Again a 737, not quite as aged as the previous leg, but with no individual screen. Maybe I spent too much time travelling for work, but I'm used to an individual screen to distract from the boredom of the flight. Especially when there is no point looking out of the window. Black, black and more black. I was momentarily captivated by the shared screen once the Bruce Springsteen concert was over (really? he has like four decent songs) and Corpse Bride replaced the aged American 'rocker'.

Anyway, blah, blah, arrived in Perth. Eventually found the car hire place. Signposting, we have discovered, is not a strength of this Antipodean outpost. After a chat with car-guy, "Like what is with Sydney today? Everyone is late". As if we would be surprised by that fact having just arrived from Sydney via Melbourne.

Perth

Perth is a bit like visiting your grandmother. It's a nice idea but as soon as you arrive you begin to think about leaving. To be fair, it almost 20 years since we have been here, so maybe, maybe, I'll reconsider.

I tapped the hotel address into my iPhone and plugged into the car's system. All good. Two turns out of the airport onto some major, and I mean major, 8 lane freeway emulating all that is wrong with LA in the US of A. My siri, Declan, so named because I've given him an Irish accent, kept instructing me to exit left. Just like Snanglepuss the Tiger. What? Oh, google it.

At the fourth attempt, Roads WA, or whatever they are called here, allowed us to exit the freeway only to backtrack 8kms. Finally we were on the road to bed. It had been a long day and it still wasn't quite over.

Our hotel, the Murray Street Novotel, is in the heart of Perth. To be exact - it is PARTY CITY, writ large and LOUD. Easy to find. Not so easy to find a parking spot where we might park. Remember that signposting issue thing?

After a couple of laps of Murray Street - hey, we weren't alone, all the cool kids were doing it. Just not in a Camry. We found a spot which allowed Jayne to speak to hotel staff. In a surprising move, I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say we did another lap of the precinct and ended up in the Wilson carpark across the street.

Down the alleyway, past many homeless people, into the carpark. Find a space. Gather our bags. Find the stairwell, there was no lift, and out onto the street where all the beautiful people are doing their best to ensure they won't remember a thing when the sun comes up tomorrow. The bar directly opposite the hotel has live music and he is singing Drops of Jupiter  - ffs. What year is it? Who even remembers who sang it? OK, so you get the 2001 song reference now.

Finally in our room. The bed is good. The cricket is going well. The Bunnies have won. In retrospect it wasn't such a bad day. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The party outside continued well into the morning. At around 4:30am the street quietened. Grateful for the double glazed windows.

Go Your Own Way (Sydney, NSW to Perth, WA, part 1)

Hello again dear reader. Did you miss me? It's been a while since our NZ sojourn and although we have been out and about there wasn't really anything to blog about. You know me, wineries, restaurants, the usual stuff. Until now. The end of the financial year forced me from my cocoon of warmth in the inner city and deposited me in Perth, Western Australia. Curiously, WA is experiencing some unseasonal weather at the moment. If there is such a thing as unseasonal weather in the current age. What was it Tony Abbott said about climate change? Fool.

It started like this:

This trip (I've decided the word holiday is to be expunged from my vocabulary), is the last of the planned, pre-covid expeditions. Initially the idea was to fly in and out of Perth and drive the length of the Coral Coast to Exmouth and back exploring on the way. The ultimate aim was to swim with the whale sharks on  Ningaloo Reef. Bucket list. As well as soak up the beauty of the coast and surrounding country.

Remote is such a clichéd word, but is the only way to describe this part of Australia. Not Perth, further north. There are vast distances between towns and the original plan was to take about 4 weeks and see as much as possible. As always, there is a substantial amount of guesswork involved, given we haven't passed this way before and Google, while helpful, has its limitations. It was all mapped with a luxurious stay at Sal Salis (seriously, check this place out, amazing) planned at the end point culminating in the whale shark experience before a slow meander back to Perth. Then Covid arrived and Sal Salis was off the menu. This time.

On the other side of the pandemic, we finally did the APT European river cruise and were keen to see what they had to offer at home. That was how we came across the Broome to Darwin via the Kimberley tour. It would allow us to experience things we didn't see on our Kimberley expedition cruise a few years back, as well as getting into Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. This is as close to wilderness as Jayne is likely to experience.

The trip morphed into Perth to Broome and then Broome to Darwin. The first part organised by me, the second leg by APT. It created some logistical problems, more on that later, and also locked in the date we needed to be in Broome which dominoed all the way down the Coral Coast to Perth and back to Sydney. In a tragic turn of events, it meant we were travelling in school holidays, something we vowed never to do again. On the plus side, we get chauffeured to and from the airport for being repeat APT customers.

The school holiday effect, which needs a name, was unknown until recently. While all the accommodation was booked 12 months ago, the day-to-day experiences were left until this week. Consequently, there will be no snorkelling with the whale sharks. Every tour operator in Exmouth or Coral Bay is completely booked. As they say in the classics, not happy Jan. Unless we jag a cancellation we will be back, maybe next year. Definitely not in school holidays. 

Some websites have even suggested we need to pre-book restaurants. Despite being incredibly well organised that is just a bridge too far, so we may return several kilos lighter.

Packing problems

Packing. The word sends chills down my spine. We always overpack. Even knowing this doesn't help and I'm sure I've overpacked again. Normally this is not a problem and is rationalised by the unknown - weather and experiences. Not this time. We have a luggage limit for the Broome to Darwin trip. Further, we can take soft bags only. No suit cases due to the all terrain vehicle in which we will be travelling.

What does this mean you ask, my inquisitive reader? Well, we are flying Qantas. They have destroyed two of my suitcases on recent flights so I don't trust them to take care of soft bags. Aside from that, we are snorkelling and swimming at various points on the Coral Coast. It has some of the best and most pristine reefs in the world (see Tim Winton's documentary Ningaloo). Our fins only fit into the largest of suitcases.

The remedy? I packed most of my gear into my RM Williams bag which will be carry on and Jayne's duffle bag, her gear, beach towels, snorkel equipment and the rest is in the large suitcase. When we arrive in Broome, we will repack to meet requirements and stash all unnecessary things back into the suitcase for it to be transported to Darwin. Simple. Well, not really, but as the French say, 'il semble travailler' (it seems to work).

That was then. As I sit and survey the luggage strewn floor, I have decided to re-pack the suitcase. 

Happy with that.

Qantas

Ah yes, Qantas. I've mentioned the destruction of my luggage. There have been other issues but I don't wish to bore you dear reader. However, at 10:26pm on the night before we were scheduled to fly, they cancelled our flight. By text. I was awake watching the cricket in England but my phone had sensibly gone to sleep so I didn't see the message. Until this morning.

Actually the first message on the screen was from 12:26am to inform me that our flight had been re-routed to Melbourne. That certainly got the blood pumping. Melbourne? WTF? We are now flying at 3:30pm to Melbourne and then on to Perth arriving at 9:05pm. Do you believe that will happen? I don't. There are now reports that only one runway is operating in Sydney, due to high winds. And it is school holidays. Happy days.

The good news, if there can be any, is that the we have kept our Business Class seats on both legs of the flight. Although we have been relegated from the comfort of the A330 to the stock standard 737. I know, I know, first world problems.

The Flights and Perth

I think that's enough for one day. We arrived. Tired. I'll save the rest of the day for tomorrow. After all it is Perth, how much can there be to do?

Connectivity

The other significant impact on this trip is connectivity (or lack thereof) although there are no issues tonight. I have no idea how often I will have a network strong enough to post a blog with photographs. Therefore, posts will be sporadic and could well be out of sync and posted once we are back home in Sydney. Fear not, the blog will continue, just not in real time.

As will the song titles to head up each post. Today's title is from that classic 1977 Fleetwood Mac album, Rumours. Have a listen. We will be going our own way until we arrive in Broome.

Until next time.