Marketosdownunder

Today we have completed a full lap of Australia! Paul has just drawn the last line on Cazza’s map, as we are now in Geraldton, our first major stop just under 12 months ago. We have driven more than 43,000 kms, seen so many amazing places, done some incredible things, and shared some special times with family and friends, new and old. I can’t believe we have only two more sleeps left in our caravan, and then we have a day to empty her before she is booked in for a thorough clean out, in anticipation of being sold. But first, let me fill you in on where we have been since Carnarvon. We decided to visit Monkey Mia, despite many people telling us it was very commercial and a waste of time. I am so ... read more

I feel more and more reluctant to update my blog, perhaps because we are nearing the end of our wonderful adventure, and while I am looking forward to returning to ‘normalcy’ and home, another part of me doesn’t want to stop this amazing - though at times exhausting - trip. Particularly now as we have hit the coast, and are finally spending lots of time at the beach. We are currently in Exmouth, right by Ningaloo Reef, a fantastic fringing reef easily accessible from the beach, which is great for the boys (and the budget). And not only is the snorkelling amazing, but the beaches are white with lots of shells to keep the younger boys entertained, and the water is clear and beautifully turquoise. I am in Heaven! But first, what ... read more

This past week has seen us enter our 11th month of travelling, Paul’s and my 13th year of marriage, and Western Australia, marking the home stretch of our Aussie Odyssey. Only six weeks to go! We are now in Kununurra, recovering after a very busy week in Kakadu National Park. Covering more than 19,000 square kilometres, Kakadu is Australia’s largest national park (second largest in the world), and it was one of the places both Paul and I were really looking forward to seeing. After the beauty of Litchfield, we had very high expectations of Kakadu, expectations that were somewhat dampened when we first drove in to the park. Coming in from the top end, one does not see the 2,000-million-year-old Arnhem Land escarpment, nor the wetlands or forests that Kakadu is famed for. Instead, the ... read more

We have covered more than 4,700 kms since I last wrote, driving through some of Australia’s vast, dry terrain in temperatures generally exceeding 35 degrees (and the nights often don’t feel much cooler!)! The car drives have been long, at times a bit challenging, but, as a reward, we find ourselves today - by default, but more about that later - at a beautiful oasis, complete with pool and electricity (which means aircon), and have decided not to step into our car for two days - bliss. Having said that, the country we have been travelling through has been very interesting, with bright red earth in many parts; a landscape which, at first glance, looks bleak, but on closer inspection is interspersed with brightly coloured plants, trees with bark that is almost iridescent and variously textured, ... read more

We only planned to spend a few days at Atherton, but ended up staying a week. We left yesterday, but I think we were all a little reluctant to move on, as it took us a whole day to drive 70kms! We kept making unscheduled stops: first to a secondhand book dealer with a home Paul would love to live in; then to do a river walk for a last chance to spot a tree kangaroo (which, alas, we did not, but we did watch two platypus foraging for food, which was beautiful); and then, a last minute duck into Mt Hypipamee National Park to see a 120-metre deep crater which was created when gas blasted a vent hole through solid granite. A pool of still water covered in green duck weed was too inviting for ... read more