We got up to see the first feeding of the dolphins at 8 am together with approximately 10 billion other tourists. Same show as last year and probably same show as every day: People standing in the water trying to get as far out as possible and certainly further then everybody else. Rangers telling people to get back out of the water to give the dolphins a bit more space. Dolphins showing up and everybody getting out again to be close to the dolphins.

Once upon a time (in the 60's) this was a relatively unknown place where hippies went to be close to nature and swim with the dolphins. Now it's a tourist trap, the dolphins still come close to shore every day (mostly only at feeding time), but it reminds me more of a zoo - wonder how it was back then.

However, it is still a nice place. Last year we went on a sailing trip with the catamaran "Shotover" to see dolphins, dugongs, and the sunset. That was excellent. Don't go snorkeling or rent a glass bottom boat, even though it is close to the Ningaloo Reef, there is nothing but sand and stones and seaweed here.

The pelicans are also quite interesting. Huge birds! And they are as interested in the tourists as we are in them. Entertaining animals.

The weather forecast for the area around Perth that day was ...

AREA60

AREA FORECAST 112000 TO 121000   AREA 60 OVERVIEW: FINE WIND: 3000 5000 7000 10000 14000 18500 030/20    010/25    360/20    340/15    VRB/10    VRB/10    REMARKS: WINDS BELOW 10000 BACKING 40DEGREES FROM THE WEST AFTER 0200Z. CLOUD: NIL SIG. WEATHER: FINE. VISIBILITY: GOOD. FREEZING LEVEL: 9000. ICING: NIL SIG. TURBULENCE: NIL SIG.

... well, magnificent. A tailwind, no clouds, perfect visibility, no turbulence, just great. We hadn't seen rain since Sydney - almost six weeks ago. Perth had had a quite wet winter, but it seemed as if the weather gods made an exception that day we came 'home'.

Getting a lift back to the airstrip was easy. We flew southwards over Shark Bay and Shell Beach. Down over Kalbarri National Park and onwards to Geraldton to refuel. Hmmm. Last day and of course we made a stupid mistake - we had forgotten that it was Saturday. So on the very last day of our trip, we paid our first callout fee. $40, damn! Could have been used on so many other nice things. Like lunch for example, which we did not get either, because everything at the airport was closed. To be honest, we could have been off worse. You are expected to make prior arrangement for fuel if you want it in the weekends. Otherwise you're not guaranteed the refueler is available at all - we could theoretically have been stuck until Monday morning.

Last places to see was Pinnacles desert which we had seen twice from the ground and then of course Perth city where we did two orbits and finally Cottesloe - our home for more than a year.

We were all a bit sad that the trip was over when we landed in Jandakot. Grummy in particular. He was weeping a bit when we patted his wings and said goodbye and thanks for all the wonderful hours we have had together and for bringing us safe around Australia.