Blogs from Tumby Bay, South Australia, Australia, Oceania

We woke late at Gibbon and finally were ready to get on the road. Last thing to be checked everytime we move off are the lights on the van. Nothing. We used Dave's trick of spraying WD40. Nothing. We had to proceed without lights again. It was weird, we know they were working when we arrived at the site. The road was gravel but had JUST been graded and was in perfect condition. Better than the tarred roads in Brinkworth. We travelled straight through to Tumby Bay where we knew there was an auto electrician and the problem was fixed. Apparently one wire had come loose, but he did some more magic and all is well again. From what we can gather speaking to other vanners lights are generally the biggest problem. We booked into the ... read more

ONE HUNDRED NOT OUT – DAY 222 This is actually our one hundredth blog so we thought it might be a good time to review what we’ve done, how we approach preparing a blog and also to identify a few major highlights of our trip so far. We know that our blog readers approach them in different ways. Some hang on every word (good on ‘em) and are happy with the full and detailed explanations of our day (we know we go on a bit!). Some save them up and read them a batch at a time. We know of at least three arrangements whereby they are copied and passed on to people who don’t have computers. Some others “quick read” the blogs, picking out only the things that appeal to them. Others just skip ... read more

Throughout our recent travels, which have now stretched into a seventh month, we have kept ourselves aware of world events, especially the numerous “natural” disasters, via the internet or the TV. We have been close to some of them. We were in Queensland when the tropical rains began about a month earlier than expected causing widespread flooding and we had been through Toowoomba where there was such devastation and loss of life in the Lockyer Valley and beyond. We were stunned by the extent of the disaster and felt lucky that our only inconvenience was the occasional change of route because of closed roads. Of course, the problems were compounded by Cyclone Yasi which added further misery to those who had already suffered in Queensland. Similarly, during our time in Victoria before and after Christmas, severe ... read more