The horrific terrorist crisis in New York’s kind of put a big dampener on things and you feel guilty trying to have fun after all the deaths and tragedy there. It’s also quite worrying when we’ve got seven flights ahead of us soon, four of which are in America. Let’s hope the terrorists are captured, airport security tightened and that everything’s settled. It’s just horrifying and disturbing what some will do in the name of religion.

We’re now in Melbourne after a couple of days in dull, barren Canberra. The capital’s spread out with museums, government buildings and little else. We enjoyed the war memorial and the walk up Mt Ainslie and found a great indian restaurant. Melbourne, although not quite as funky as Sydney, is much better. We’re staying with my (second?) cousins in Glen Waverly, just outside Melbourne. We’ve had dinner with my Great Aunt and Uncle who came here in the fifties and are off to the Aussie Rules Football between Richmond and Carlton on Saturday with Alastair. Not sure of the rules - it looks like hundreds of blokes trying to mark the ball and then make drop kick goals - but it’ll be good to see one Aussie team lose for once!