My flat is now on the market for sale. Decided to give Aus a shot for at least a year. Want to go next year. Things with Claire have progressed very well. We had some good telephone sex when I got back and the trip to Amsterdam at the end of May is now booked.

Claire decided that she doesn't want to get married, which is something I understand. I didn't want to marry when I was 20. That leaves me the option of either a 12 month work visa or going for the full blown immigration visa. Not sure which will be best yet.

Spoke to my boss at work today about my plans. He didn't seem too suprised. I think I made it obvious from the moment I returned from Aus that I'd be going back. I would do even if Claire wasn't in my life. She is though which makes it all better!

I'm happier now than I've ever been. Claire has been very good for me and I love her. Long may it continue. She wrote a lovely sexual fantasy earlier. I've been keeping them all together (hers and mine) for future reading.

Need to do a lot of sorting now. Strip my life down so that I can leave England. No real need for most of what I've collected over the years. I'm a little scared about it all. No doubts. I want it all to succeed but it will take a lot of work.

On the way home again.

Wednesday was bad. Had one of my all day headaches, lasted till I managed to get some sleep on the plane from Hobart to Melbourne. Didn't miss too much of the end of Tasmania though. Had a drive around taking in Richmond a coupele of times. Slept through most of it anyway.

Phoned Claire later on in the evening. That was good since I haven't talked to her for a short while. We talked, we messed. We had phone sex. I didn't say too much because I was enjoying listening to her so much.

Thursday was hot. Read all morning, spend the afternoon in Melbourne. Wondered round the shops, went to the internet cafe and had dinner at The George.

Friday absolutely pissed it down with rain. Claire phoned first thing in the morning, which was fantastic. I love talking to her. Right now I just want to be with her, spend time with her.

The plane ride to Singapore was fun. I had a spare seat next to me for that part of the trip and the woman 2 seats along was some old snob asking me all sorts of questions about how good BA were. Being English I had to talk them up. National pride and all that!!!!

Watched the usual bunch of movies. Paycheck being the only one that was any good but then Uma's in it. Wrote a long letter to Claire. Said all sorts that I want to say to her but basically it came down to telling her I love her.

Had a problem at the airport. I got back to Manchester before my bags due to the plane being kept at Heathrow for a slot. Had to sit and wait for a couple of hours for the next flight to come in with my bags. After a 20-odd hour flight then a couple more wasn't an issue and I could text Claire a lot!

Bought a Cosmo for Claire in Melbourne airport. She says they're much raunchier than the English ones but I haven't read it yet.

I had hoped that when getting the train back to Scarborough I could change in Leeds and perhaps meet up with Claire. She went to Meadowhall though. I didn't understand that.

Took a drive over to Port Arthur. Home of the big old convict prison for those who re-offended having already been sent over to Australia.

Most of it is still there, all spread out around the waterfront though it's hard to get a sense of what it must have been like when convicts were there. Everything now is neat, tidy, well kept. A lot of the buildings still remain though some have decayed and some were partially destroyed when Australia got a conscience and hated the place for a while.

Thoroughly enjoyed the place though. Had a boat trip around the island where a lot of the dead are buried. It'd be interesting to be here at night.

Got some money today. Have to get a haircut and Claire's chocolate.

Now at the Wrest Point Casino Hotel in Hobart. It's a big hotel built on top of a casino. Not the most aesthetically pleasing of places and doesn't feel like I'm in Australia anymore. I could be anywhere in the world.

The drive down here was long and arduous. It was also a shame to leave Cradle Mountain. I really did like it there. Although Tasmania is a very beautiful and unspoilt part of the world. Had some brief glimpes of all the views and what-nots from the bendy mountain raods. Most impressive at times.

Ended up having an early night. The trip down got one of my bad heads going. Not too bad. I was just a little exhausted.

The benefit of being in Hobart is that I now have a mobile signal again. Also means I can keep in touch with Claire. It seems she's survived her Swedish experience. I was a little worried about her going off with someone she barely knew but then she's also very capable of looking after herself and sometimes opportunities that present themselves have to be taken and she probably had a better time for doing it.

I'm starting to feel ready to go home. Not because I'm bored but I know it's all coming to an end and I'm pretty shattered from the last three weeks. It's been mostly non stop. Maybe there's a little homesickness in there and there's certainly a desire to be back near Claire. I'm not even sure where she is at the moment. Back in Leeds or still in Sweden. Texts are getting through sometimes between us which has caused problems although at least now we both know the problem exists. I don't want her thinking I'm ignoring her again and I need to be able to communicate with her as much as possible.

Had a wander round Hobart today. It's a nice little town and superb BLTs can be obtained from Say Cheese. I know. I had one.

Had a drive up the 1270m of Mt Wellington. Views were slightly marred by the low cloud levels. It was fairly thin though but still spoilt the views of Hobart a little.

Fortunately the cloud passed eventually. The weather's been mostly excellent in Tasmania. Apart from the rain when we arrived in Cradle Mountain it's been sunny, warm and extremely pleasent.

Spent the morning at Dove Lake after a wonderful breakfast which was a gargantuan affair of bacon, sausages, eggs, toast and everything else that makes up a good English breakfast. The weather's been stunning. After the morning rain the skies cleared and and the sun's been out. By the afternoon the sky was blue with only the odd cloud here and there.

Wrote a 4th postcard to Claire. Hope she's getting them all. I wish she was here now. Felt very tired and horny this afternoon. It was a gorgeously hot lodge after I got the fire roaring away. Just right for stripping naked and spending an afternoon in bed with Clairey.

I've been considering proposing to her. I did mention that this would make a great honeymoon spot. It's a thought but everything's still too new with us. I've never considered marriage before but then I've never met anyone before that I'd want to marry. Plus I've always seen it as something based too much on religion. Faced with someone like Claire it feels right. Like the ultimate way of saying 'I love you'.

The evening was spent doing the Enchanted Evening Stroll. All very good. Starting as darkness begins to fall. Saw a wild wombat and a baby Tasmanian Devil. So much variation in the plant life too. Wombats here even do square poo to stop them rolling away. How crazy is that?