I wish I could add a smell to my blog… I have spent the last two weeks working on a lavender farm. It actually smells amazing. All who work here must sleep well… Residing in another caravan but in not quite a comfy a bed as the last, it is providing flashbacks to the worst bed slept in a hostel in Katherine. Temperatures rising exponentially since arriving in WA, from 3 degrees and cold to 37 degrees and pretty hot in a couple of weeks it is quite a reacclimisation! The other turn of the coin, of course, is that that warmth allows for more bugs and an increased likelihood of snakes. I have a strange feeling I am going to see one before I leave here… External showers and toilets, with many a pipe lying on the ground, my nightly walk to the bathroom has me thinking they are snakes! Heeding many a warning during my time in Australia, this host was novel in that he said “if you get bitten, don't panic, lie down, stay still and hold your leg. You won't die. Just shout for help.” Then as an afterthought added “if you do die, it will make the news!” Hmmm. Hopefully not!

Learning a lot about lavender, did you know there are over 125 varieties? One is considered a weed in Western Australia. 'Lavandula Angustifolia' (commonly known as English lavender) being farmed here, it is best grown on a slope to ensure the soil is not too wet with some lime in the soil to help it grow. Flowers ready to be picked approximately the end of December/January, this is the best time to be requiring lavender at an Australian wedding! Differently grown culinary lavender best choice for any edible products, I have tried lavender ice cream and lavender shortbread. Most tasty. In working hours, I have been working my way along the lavender rows weeding with many a fly for company… Actually ridiculous, one so named the March fly has a particularly nice bite attached… Flying slowly, usually able to be batted away, with black leggings on sometimes it can take a little bit too long to realise they have landed on you… I would most definitely not like to be here in March…

Some conclusions I have reached whilst here:

• The TransWA travel website is not nearly as good as Victoria's equivalent. You pretty much have to guess where you need to change then buy a separate ticket… How strange. And not very user friendly…
• Lavender essential oil does not smell very much like lavender
• There is only one way to wear your hair. In a ponytail. It can therefore serve as an effective fly swatter
• The cost of a stamp to the UK has now increased to $2.60. It used to be $1.70. I shall be sending my pictures turned into postcards online for $1.49 from now on…
• There are many things you can make with lavender…
• Ants can indeed fly! White and fluffy, luckily these ones don't bite. Happy to nest in any clothes you've hung out though!
• There is no sugar in lavender salt :-).
• There is a reason why some songs have remained unplayed on my iPod. The unplayed list now reduced to less than a 1000 songs, the lyrics to a Blue October song had me exclaiming 'whaaaat', more than once, to a field full of lavender! Holy Moly! My ears are still traumatised…
• It is ok to change your plans :-). I have now made plans to road trip Perth to Adelaide with a friend. I am most looking forward to this 🙂
• A Scottish pipe band with more women than men is not quite the same… Only three men in kilts?! Not nearly enough to go around 😉

A post script – I hope you like the new look to my site. Mobile users can click on ‘full site’ at the bottom of the screen or find a tablet or computer to see the difference ;-). The name change is just on my page, the URL is still the same :-). Happy Reading x