Rudy’s cousin Carel Moorman and his wife Bernadette picked us up from the airport. It was a long flight from Amsterdam via Singapore to Perth. Due to 1 hr delay in Amsterdam we almost missed our connection. SQ ground staff and a buggy was standing by to race us from one terminal to the other. Without this we would have been at least ½ hr late and definitely miss our connection.

We quickly dumped our belongings in our given bedroom in Carel’s beautiful suburban house. Close by is a park where we went for a stroll to stretch the legs. Jamaliah has cramp in her leg because of her hernia and Rudy’s hip is continuously causing him trouble. We walked around like an old couple. Maybe that is what we are. The first encounter with the Australian outdoor life was relaxing. Many unknown trees and birds in the park. We also saw FREE gas barbecues and people using them for their evening meal. We spent 2 nights at Carel’s to get over the jet lag, do some shopping (food and SIM cards) and met Wouter, their youngest son with his wife and children who live close by.

The third day Carel dropped us off at Stuart Emery’s house to pick up the camper. It is a 6+ m long Ford transit with some 222.000 km on the teller. The interior is self made with 2 long individual beds in the back, a shower/toilet cabinet, and a kitchen corner. The narrow removable table is in front of the sliding door. It takes a bit of getting use to but after 5 nights we can feel our way around. We drove the camper back to Carel’s house and packed all our belongings in the cupboards and the food in the fridge. At 16:00 we were ready to go. It was essential to spend the first night not too far away so we could experience a night in the camper and test it out while within reach of the owner.

So, the first night camping was at New Norcia. Some 126 km north of Perth. We arrived just before dark and parked on a parking lot next to the roadhouse and in front of a historical building of the Monastery which is now use as a group accommodation centre. The whole village is made up of the monastery complex. It started in 1847 as a Benedictine mission with schools for First Nation boys and girls as well as orphans. The parents lived in cottages on the estate and worked for the mission in the first years. Over the years the (boarding) schools expanded and more and more first nation children were (forcefully) brought to the school. This integration process continued till mid 70’s. The Catholic College closed in 1991. The buildings are now a tourist attraction; however, the main monastery still houses some 7 monks, and you can join them in meditation.