JOHN HENDLEY'S WOLVES TOUR BLOG: PART SIX
As a Saturday treat the squad was ferried out to Rottnest Island which is some 30 minutes ferry trip from Freemantle on the outskirts of Perth.
It was a bit of a bumpy crossing but there were no green faces when we disembarked on a sunny morning that would have graced an English summer's day let alone an Aussie winter one.
Rottnest was inhabited by the Dutch in the 1800s and it was they that gave this beautiful island its name. Translated it means Ratsnest.
This is because it is inhabited by strange furry creatures (no, not Karl Henry) called Quokas and apparently, the island is the only place in the world that you can find them.
I was told that they are half Rat and half small Kangaroo and they do hop about on their back legs like a Kangaroo.
Sylvan - who if you remember wasn't too keen on seeing the koala's the other day - went a bit wide eyed when I told him about them on the trip over.
Whilst it was meant to be something of a relaxing kind of day after a week's hard training and the match the evening before, the players still did some exercise in the form of a bike ride around the island (about 16 miles) and a swim in the sea.
It is a popular destination for a day out for the good folk of Perth although there weren't too many about as it is their winter, as I've mentioned.
Those that were there when we arrived were intrigued by the performance of Foles who crouched down and started hopping about trying to imitate a Quoka. Each to their own I suppose. We only saw a couple - that's Koala's and not Foles - as they only tend to come out when it starts to drop dark.
The lads picked up their bikes and prepared for the off. Only around 80 people live on the island and the only motorised transport belongs to the rangers so, especially for visitors, a bike is the best, or only means of transport unless you go by foot or on the tour bus.
Sylvan got a bit excited when he discovered his bike had got a bell and started to annoy everyone as they were getting ready by constantly ringing it. Then the merry bunch disappeared into the distance whilst I availed myself, in the company of kitmen Trev and Morts, of the island's bar.
I had wanted to go with the boys but a tweaked hamstring hadn't responded to treatment and the physios wouldn't let me go (I didn't ask them really!!).
On their return a couple of hours later the locals were once more entertained, this time with an impromptu session of 'keep up' where a circle of the lads pass the ball round to each other without letting it touch the floor.
To maniacal laughter, Christophe Berra managed to pass to a tree and Matty Hill ended up face down in the sand after failing to control the ball. The onlookers were spellbound if not bemused. Indeed they may have found it difficult to believe these were the Championship champions!
Before we left Mick joined me in the bar for a brief interview for the DVD of the tour that's being produced. As you can see, he went for the healthier option.
On the way back to the ferry I asked one of the rangers about Platypuses but he said they hadn't got any in stock - just Quokas. The search goes on....
EDITOR'S NOTE: As usual Foz might have sweated profusely at the mere thought of a spot of light exercise but his Australian work exchange partner Skippy is made of sterner stuff. As you will see young Skippy has taken advantage of the free weekend to put himself through his paces in the gym at Compton, albeit ending up suffering a slight dumbell accident at the end...
