We spent the night in Denmark before heading over to Albany via lots of beaches, cliffs and sights including 'The Gap' and 'Bald Head' which Nick and I found quite moving! Quite bizarrely, I discovered a girl who I'd not seen since 1983 in our hostel in Albany and a rock shaped like a dog, called funnily enough, Dog Rock.

After Albany we headed back up through the Stirling Ranges to Freo in time for New Year. New Years Eve spent in the very English sounding Stanford Arms at Scarborough where the highlight of the evening was Nick turning into a zombie and developing an extremely amorous nature!

New Years Day was spent at Ascot Racecourse for the Perth cup and gentlemen, please know that it was ' wall to wall' if you know what I mean. I backed one winner and a few losers and my last memory of the day was falling off the bonnet of the car whilst re-enacting the delivery of the firewood scene from Boxing Day.

I didn't feel too well for a few days after that but did managed to get myself over to 'Rotto' ( Rottnest Island ) for a couple of days where I got chased by big rats with kangaroo legs called 'Quokkas'. I searched in vain for the plaque which announces Andy Lundgren losing his virginity and got some very strange looks from the barmen when I asked about it!

I think I've already mentioned my wonderful experience at the football to all the footy fans out there. Pommie Deb thru a party to send us on our way but I backed out and sent Nick to Asia all alone to see how he'd survive without my superior travelling expertise and guidance. I'll let you know what kind of state I find him in!

So Goodbye Australia, the greatest sporting nation on earth. You didn't do bad for a bunch of convicts eh? Fair Dinkum, No worries, throw another prawn on the barbie cos I'll be back!

See you in Asia folks!

Rich. ex pom & Future citizen of Australia.

Ubud, Bali 20.1.02

BAGUS. Indonesian word used to describe all things handsome and good. It is also my name...well nearly!

Alas, I am alone. After 5 happy months travelling with Nick, he has fled home to Nottingham in a desperate attempt to regain his place in our football team before he is forgotten completely. Good luck Jude and thanks for the memories...

Bali is very quiet at the moment as it is out of season. Initial impressions can be quite off putting as you arrive in Kuta and the locals immediately hassle you for your money, offering you transport, accommodation or fake designer t-shirts and watches.

However, the people are generally nice and friendly and I have thus far encountered very little hostility. They are hindu (unlike most of Indonesia which is moslem) and everywhere you go you trip over these little prayer offerings of rice and flowers on a leaf folded into a square. They are even more obsessed with Bob Marley than the Fijians and the Balinese men are very fanatical about English Premier League football - You'll see far more of it out here than you would back home!

I arrived here 12 days ago and made friends at the airport with a very nice couple, Dubliner Dave and Glaswegian Laura with whom I have been travelling since then. We found Nick in a sorry state in Kuta, sporting a weeks worth of beard and a hangover! He had apparently discovered that a local beer costs about 50p and had been camped out in Pub Bagus avoiding the t-shirt sellers and awaiting my arrival. Kuta used to be a quiet fishing village but tourism has spoiled it quite a bit. It is now like an Australian version of Tenerife and we were all very dissapointed at the amount of rubbish in the sea and on the beach, especially after the wonderful beaches in Australia we had left behind.

We took a day trip which got us out into the real Bali which is a mass of rice fields. This included a stop in the monkey forest where wild monkeys everywhere hope that you will bring them some bananas. I thought they were very cute until one of the little buggers sank his fangs into my leg! Apparently I had been scaring his son and Nick was very quick to point out that I now probably have both aids and rabies! We also saw Git Git waterfall and a few balinese temples including one called Tannah Lot which is in the sea and makes a great photo at sunset if you ignore the crane on the pier next to it!

Moving to the north side of the island we stayed in Lovina which was much quieter than Kuta and more relaxing. We found a very nice hotel with a pool where rooms are only 5 pounds a night. Nick and I both endulged in an hour long massage by the pool for about 2 pounds!