Mel and Gareth

Yes, we are still busy living it up in South America. Suffice for now to say that getting to the UK and being understood for the first time in 2 years was a real pleasure. It was even better to catch up with friends, jump on the trampoline and chill out for a couple of weeks. Ireland...well, the pictures speak for themselves. It was a worthy destination for our second wedding anniversary, even if we did wake up on the big day in an entirely sodden tent. Gorgeous country!... read more

Morocco was rife with a wide variety of challenges...physical, cultural, mental, olfactory, gastrointestinal. You name it, we did our darnedest to beat it. Despite the tale of woe, hardships, climatic extremes and projectile vomit that you´re about to read, Morocco was one of the most rewarding destinations in our travels. Our ascent of Jebel Toubkal, highest mountain in north Africa was perhaps the highlight. The excitement builds...we´re bound for heights almost twice the altitude of the top of Australia, and it´s a challenge that we can´t wait to face. We´re travelling with our Swiss friend Andreas, and we´re grateful to have him and his mountaineering skills along for the ride. We make it to the tiny mountain village of Imlil (1600m) by the only way we can find from Marrakech - taxi. It´s the longest taxi ... read more

Lover's Lane Only three weeks for Italy, Croatia, Austria and Germany was never going to be enough. Traversing the landscape of Central Europe (its mountains, art, customs, food, lakes, people, coastline, buildings, drinks...) we found ourselves wanting more. ITALY - From the mystical labyrinth of Venice's flooded streets to the frantic pace of Rome, we loved almost every minute of Italy. We followed the masses into Juliet's ivy-clad courtyard in Verona and escaped the throng with a peaceful bike ride and swim at Lago di Garda. The detour continued further west to the Ligurian coast and Cinque Terre where our plans to hike the Via dell'Amore were temporarily dashed by the over abundance of heat-relieving rain. After a day and a half of close-quarters confinement in our heavily inundated tent the heavens parted and we ... read more

It was hot - crazy hot, as we craned our necks in that stock-standard-tourist manner toward the summit of the Great Pyramid of Giza. As we manouvered our instantly leathery, sandal-clad feet around enormous, steaming piles of fresh camel dung we were cajoled, proffered and offered a myriad of questionable souvenirs from enthusiastic peddlers (who seemingly outnumbered the great hoards of thirsty visitors). Camel rides, minature pyramids, teatowel-like headware, nightmare-inducing wooden cats, the list goes on... Out of the throng, upon yet another polite refusal of a small "gift" (thankfully we'd been forewarned), one notably indignant youngster exclaimed with great gusto and enthusiasm, "It's a SCARAB!" As obvious and persuasive as his agrument was we still heartlessly declined, as we also did to the creative chap in Luxor who proclaimed "Hey do you want to ... read more

Lest We Forget ANZAC Day at Gallipoli was everything we'd hoped it would be - a once in a lifetime pilgrimage which really felt like a sacred journey. It was moving and awe-inspiring to spend the night in that infamous cove, with the impassable yellow cliffs towering behind the crowd and the dark Aegean sea stretching into the infinity in front. With everything we needed to be comfortable and not an enemy in sight, it was impossible not to be filled with the most reverent respect for all of the men - Aussie, Kiwi, Turkish or otherwise - who dared even to set foot there when is was so awfully hostile, and so very different to the calm, green, sunny beach that greeted us. We were among thousands of people who streamed into ANZAC Cove to ... read more