By Iain Blair

Fred Karno’s Army —that’s my band —played our show in Perth, packed the Mosman Club and a good time was had by all. The next day, to relax and wind down, we all drove down to the Margaret River winemaking area which is very similar to Napa and Sonoma and very pretty. Stayed at a friend’s house for a long weekend and spotted plenty of ‘roos hopping about, but they never let you get close.

We also checked out some beautiful beaches, all spectacular with great surf and virtually deserted—no wonder a friend said there’s now talk of trying to get some production happening there, where film gear would be a lot more available (from Perth, a three-hour drive away) than in the far, empty north where they shot Australia.

Got back to Perth and someone told me that it’d been reported that Joaquin Phoenix is retiring from acting —to pursue music instead!! It doesn’t surprise me—or vex me, as he would have said in Gladiator. Last time we spoke, it was for Walk the Line, for which he did all his own vocals, and it was clear then that he had a new passion in his life. “I really love music,” he told me, and he meant it. Still, it’ll be a great loss to the acting world if he retires permanently.

Tomorrow morning I have to catch a VERY early taxi to Perth airport for a 6am flight to Sydney, to make my L.A. connection later in the day. After another long flight, I’ll arrive back in L.A. before I leave Sydney —thanks to the int. date line… even airline officials seem confused about time changes… Happy Thanksgiving!

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