Down under

We have yet to see dawn in this Southerly land. Until this morning we have slept heavily, undisturbed by the preparations for work and school, going on in the house around us.
We emerged blinking from bingeing on plane movies and an endless round of food proffered at strange times of night and day. My biggest concern was Australian customs, sure with our port of embarkation being in the African continent, that I would be made to unpack the suitcases stuffed with military precision, and then fail to close them again. Going with 'honesty is the best policy', we threw away the remains of cashew nuts and biscuits, declared our shoes with remnants of red soil and the two wooden chicken purchased on route to Dar es Salaam airport. There was no box to tick to declare soft toys on which we are culturing rare microorganisms, so Gerry proffered his passport tentatively to ensure his legal entry. Amazingly we were allowed straight through....and yes folks, that's really all we had, the rest went home to the UK with M.
Perth was, perhaps, designed for us. A special holding point to reacclimatise to a sanitised version of the developed world. The roads so smooth we considered that our rental car may in fact be a hovercraft. Streets wide and empty, lined with enormous houses and green verges. Stretches of pristine white beach with lapping waves. Our dear, familiar friends to welcome us into their new life of outdoor living.
7 days since our departure from Tanzania and we have stopped hesitating to use the tap water to brush our teeth. A choice of lever on the fridge gives instant access to cool water or the satisfactory clunk of ice cubes. Milk and cereals for breakfast. A pool in the backyard. The climate may actually be perfection, though our first day included a trip to the shopping mall as my children, shivering, requested leggings and jumpers in the balmy Australian autumn. Even yesterday when the temperature climbed back up to almost 30c my eldest daughter resembled an American teenager huddled in a hoody and baseball cap! And, oh, my deepest fear, that after years of cold water swimming at the drop of a hat we should lose that ability. Warmest seas now at the end of a hot summer - if we had come from the UK, I suspect we would be relishing - but yes, we were that family whimpering, toe deep in the 'icy' Indian Ocean (22-24c).
We have been waiting with bated breath for the outcome of M's interview on Friday....perusing Perth real estate for plan C. Oh, so tempting, the enormous mansions with pools and marble flooring, ocean views and a lifestyle to match. Anyone with a basement London flat may want to check out what they can get this side of the world!
We have 2 weeks until we board our plane to return to 'life back home'. This may actually be the ultimate holiday - hanging out with one of your best friends, drinking her wine whilst her husband does your laundry and your children entertain each other. Don't worry Mr B, I promise to move out eventually...…...