Hi Ffion
Welcome to Poms in Oz.
Ali is one of the ladies who helps to look after the forum. Her daughter Alex is 12 and they live in Perth. they have been there for just under a year ad Alex loves it. I'n sure that is you send lAi a prrivate message, she will arrange for you and Alex to keep in touch with each other until you get there.
You won't be bullied either at school or outside of school and nobody will think you are strange because you have arrived form the UK. They'll think it is cool, Ffion, I promise you. All the schools around Perth have newcomers from all over the world joining their new schools almost every week.
If you enjoy water sports and amazing marine wildlife, have a look at this link and then twist Mike's arm about your school holidays....
Exmouth, Coral Bay and Ningaloo Reef - Tours
Further north is Monkey Mia which is also fantastic:
Search - Tourism Western Australia
The dolphins really do come right up to you. The Rangers sell buckets of fish to feed to teh dolphins. Unfortuately we got there too late to buy one but the lady standing next to me the line had a bucket of fish. One of the dolphns swam along th line, eyeing us all up.
It smiled up at me but when it saw I had no fish, it moved on. I swear that that dolpin winked and waved a flipper at me, just to let me know it was nothing personal!
You've seen loads of white swans with yellow beaks. In Perth, there are black swans with coral-pink beaks. They are the State Emblem of WA and they really are fantastically beautiful.
Rottnest Island is the only place in the world where you will find quokkas, which are like miniature wallabies.
Ali's daughter Alex is into horses and goes riding regularly, by the way, but I am crazy about anything to do with the sea and water geerally. I don't know anything about riding in WA but Ali & Alex could tell you about that.
I could go on and on.....
Cheers
Gill