by Peter Nelson
After a bone-dry train trip across the Nullarbor, we jumped ship in Kalgoorlie, right in the middle of a downpour! Since it almost never rains here, they don’t bother with such things as storm sewers, so the rainwater just floods the streets. Also notice the typical Oz architecture — large, two-story buildings with a balcony running pretty much halfway around the building. Down here, you need lots of shade from that almighty sun.



We fell in love with Perth, so got jobs and found an apartment. One day, on the bus coming home from work, I saw a backpacker who looked a trifle lost. So I sat down beside her and chatted with her. I invited her to stay with us for a few nights while she got things sorted out, and she wound up living in our spare room for 6 months.