It's raining, it's pouring...

Yes indeedy, I have come all the way to Perth, Australia, and it's colder than when I left England. Apparently there are weather warnings out for tomorrow - gale force winds! That trip down the river might have to be postponed...

Everything else is a plus, however. Being a neurotic insomniac is coming into its own, as I haven't felt the jet lag too much - I'm used to being knackered so switching to night shift is going OK. As for the plane ride - it's been much too long since I flew anywhere; I was so excited by the personal entertainment system! I watched six films back to back (good ones, too), whereas the last time I got on a plane they were still pulling down the overhead projector which didn't quite sync with the voices. It might have been economy but to me it was luxury.

And Perth has some really cool things too - there are iridescent green parrots roosting in the trees as you walk down the street (so much better than pigeons); Kings Park is 400 hectares of loveliness; and in the Art Gallery of Western Australia, amid some fantastic Aboriginal art, I stumbled over a series of nine Stanley Spencer paintings (Christ in the Wilderness). My favourite artist, on the other side of the world - I was absolutely stoked.

Tomorrow, weather warnings and all, I'm going to have a go at Freemantle. I'll let you know how that goes - I remind myself slightly of those people who go to National Trust gardens in the pouring rain, telling each other brightly how nice the roses are as they're being lashed with water. It's the kind of pig-headed Blitz spirit I really admire, so I hope I can do the same!