Again no writing only pics. Blog failed and lost lots of entries which we are finding hard to restore. [View Full Entry]

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The outback crept up on us quicker than we had expected. The drive between the last settlements of civilisation, Adelaide and Port Augusta, are seperated by open, sparse land, just like in the centre. The roads are so straight all you see in the distance is a mirage of the sun on the bitumen. You can see cars coming from 10km's away, making overtaking road trains (lorries with 3 or 4 tankers in tow) which take around 1km to pass safely, easy. The landscape varies wildly, and we have been surprised at just how much foliage can survive in such [View Full Entry]

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So safely arrived in Melb after a horrific 17 hour coach ride overnight through the dregs of Australian towns. Now in Victoria we understand the impression that it's generally too cold for ozzies down here! The hostel we're in though is fantastic- free everything including plasmas, brekkie, towels, pasta- nice! Melbourne is pretty lush with plenty of culture, arts wise. We've seen a lot for our small time here but have enjoyed alot of it. It's certainly worth coming ALL the way down here, but i would suggest not in the worst winter since 1964 after torrential rain and flooding! [View Full Entry]

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Time with Lorna in sydney. [View Full Entry]

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So now finally in Sydney- it is positively huge!We have seen a lot in the past week or so on our way here from Newcastle. The van is now running fine and we decided to detour up into the blue mountains before entering the city. Sydney's maze of outer city roads led us up 1000+ meters into the blue mountains. We camped at Katoomba and absorbed the sights breifly before bed. Overnight the temperature hit below freezing- we kept waking to huddle closer together in hope of avoiding pneumonia! Once the sun rose the next day, sightseeing took priority and [View Full Entry]

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So today was another cursed day on the van front! We drove as far as the supermarket, only to have the van conk out! 3 hours and many phone calls later we eventually got towed- to the wrong garage!! Thankfully they agreed to diagnose the van tomorrow, but that left us abandoned in a random shopping complex, in the dark and the rain. I have never been so grateful to know someone who lives close by- our friends Erica and Phil who we met in Fiji came to the rescue and we are now ensconced back in a house! We [View Full Entry]

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Another with writing lost. [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/3542.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/3542.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Bodyboarding at Burleigh After our first night back in the van, Anne wasn't feeling too rested after overnight duvet wars! I felt groggy still and was beginning to wonder if i was allergic to my tablets! We discovered the 'rash' was ant bites and i was feeling lousy regardless of when i took the pills! A lot is to be said about the power of the sun. A day on Burleigh Heads beach in the Ozzie sun soon restored the both of us. Anne first braved the waves while i took pictures from th [View Full Entry]

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Today we eventually managed to leave the comforts of Brisbane behind, and trundle on in our mini home. I had to do all the driving today as Alex is still struggling with his bad cold. He is freaking about 'missing some point break gold' as he put it, as he is not well enough yet to get in the 'cold' water. We braved the high rise of Surfers Paradise after a brief stop at 'the spit', the northern most point on the gold coast. It is an urban monstrosity of high-rise apartments, yet the beach remains beautiful with clean, fine, [View Full Entry]

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