Having eventually navigated ourseleves through the outskirts of the city and debated over whether we were facing north or south and whether we needed to go east or west we finally managed to find our way to the hotel and joys of joys it had a pool. Motel 6 are great cheap hotels especially as Seb and Dominic are free and are usually in good locations. this one was just two blocks from The Strip. So despite having driven 175 miles and toured a National Park earlier that morning we some how found the energy and the curiosity to walk the [View Full Entry]

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An early start on the road got us on our way to Bryce Canyon. More motorways and winding roads took us the 170 miles into the National Park through mountains and snow drifts and fir tree lined forests. The lodge was just inside the park and we settled down to eat an all you can eat buffet for supper and double whipped ice creams with assorted toppings, just up the boys street. There is always hope that they wont be too hungry later, it seems to be a constant cry! Tristan and Seb even managed some washing in the laundry whilst [View Full Entry]

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The approach into the Canyonlands National Park was not very interesting and took about 45minutes to arrive at the entrance to the park. Well I guess the views were being saved for when you had paid your entrance fee and you were then allowed to stand dumbfounded in front of the most enormous expanse of 'moon landscape' you have ever seen! The colours of the rocks varied from pale and rose pink to deep purple and shades of olive green and grey. Wow! non of us were expecting this it was vast and you could see for miles across the Colorado [View Full Entry]

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From mountains to deserts we drove for miles encountering salt lakes with volcanoe sulphurs steaming from the lake and weird landscapes with fossilised trees and strange rock formations dotted along the shore line. The backdrop behind was of high mountains with snow capped peaks and a cloudless sky. Every twist and turn of the road gave way to yet another vast expanse of water of mountain range towering above our heads as we navigated ourselves south towards Death valley National Park. The winds were dangerously hgh and the ay before the road had been closed so we were lucky to be [View Full Entry]

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An early start took us into yosemite National Park along a winding road for over an hour and a half. we kept climbing higher and higher and drove past the remains of snow drifts still thawing in the morning sun. I don't thhink we knew really what we were expecting but were blown away with the enormity of the huge mountains and rock crevices that towered above us. We drove through a huge reveen with pine forests and a river running through the valley floor. The huge El Capitan Mountain soared high above our heads a mere 2 miles up into [View Full Entry]

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San Francisco was an amazing place we all fell in love with it. The straight roads and cable cars, the hustle and bustle of the people going about their business was all so vibrant and exciting. We stayed in a very central location so set off early on our first day with guide book in hand and cameras at the ready and headed off for the sights. We walked for miles and entered China Town marvelling at the shops and red lanterns bobbing along the streets. We then walked through the city section and stared up into the sky at high [View Full Entry]

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The day has come and we are ready to go. Everyone has been so kind and helpful we are so lucky to have so many great friends. The weather was absolutely foul but it did not drench the moment when the limo turned up at the door the look on the boys faces was a picture the best kept secret and how else to leave Great Shefford in style 'A la Pretty Woman' but in a limo (shame Richard Gere could not make it!) The young children from playgroup must have wondered who these strange people were in the big car [View Full Entry]

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Getting ready to move house has been a huge task and taken many man hours to prepare and still we are not ready. The loft contents are awiting packing in the lounge and the garden shed is swept and cleaned! Even the bikes have been scrubbed with a toothbrush, there is no mud on the tyres now! Shoes have been washed and disinfected and Eddie has washed all the garden furniture and sheila has emptied the kitchen cupboards and washed all the storage jars, oh so many!! Its not like just throwing it in the van and driving down the road [View Full Entry]

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Time is ticking by and every day I intend to write something and find that it is too late or another job on the list has to be done first so tonight I intend to try one more entry and navigate my through the bog pages of instructions. i also realised I did not check my spelling either last time so apologies for any more typos! After almost three happy years at Priors Court School the time came to leave last Friday and I had the opportunity to say good bye to many dear friends and close working colleagues. It was [View Full Entry]

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After staying with our good friends Anne-Marie and Mark at their home in Calamvale (on the south side of Brisbane) since I arrived on 28th January, the big day arrived for moving into our first home in Australia on 1st April (was there any hidden message here I had to ask myself). Anne-Marie, Mark & their boys had been brilliant hosts. I was collected from the airport by Mark after my 36 hour journey via Adu Dhabi and Singapore. Having just missed Australia Day, I obliged the locals by walking through the Arrivals Hall with a 5'x3' Union Jack draped over [View Full Entry]

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