(SC) Hello again and greetings from the Seychelles, We're here for 10 days only, begining on Mahe (the main island), where we are staying in a delightful little 3* hotel right on the beach. We hired a car at the airport and so far have checked out our immediate neighbourhood: Beau Vallon. Delightful with a long beach of white sand, palm trees and really warm water.. We have also investigated the "smallest capital in Africa": Victoria. Interesting but plenty of traffic for what is little more than a small market town with some interesting colonial architecture. Today we toured right around Mahe checking out the beaches. There aren't that many as it is mainly a rocky coast but those that are there are simply delightful. See pix.. We believe that this travel blog site is working ... read more

(Cj writes): I’ve wanted to “get away” for Christmas for years - and it’s finally happened! The weather, which had been unseasonably cool at low to mid 20s or thereabouts, suddenly came right and warmed up to very high 20s or low 30s: definitely beach weather (and there was usually a breeze to be had down there too, which was a bonus). So off we went on Christmas Eve for a spot of bodysurfing and games of ‘lets get Bonma under the waves’. The oceanside beach at Manly has great surfing waves (as opposed to the very calm waters on the wharf side beach on the other side of the peninsula, which is where the Sydney/Manly ferry comes in), and there were plenty of surfers and swimmers out there. And the water, whilst fresh to wade ... read more

SC writes: Some sort of normality has returned now I'm back in Manly Vale at Nik's. Final preparations are now underway for Christmas and the last few presents have been bought. No cards this year for obvious reasons so this the best way we have to wish everyone a very good Christmas and Happy New Year. We will see the new year in ahead of you of course! The weather here around Sydney has been cool and wet. We even had a monster hail storm the other day - so unusual that the news made the Lonon Times. see photo. However, the forecast for the next few days is great: Sunny but not too hot. Cj writes: Solli, of course, is wildly excited about Christmas. She has finished her first (kindergarten) year of school, ready for ... read more

Monday 17th Dec. While the on-train sleeping experience was good with a comfortable but narrow bed, and a gentle rocking motion, I did not sleep well. Too much food probably but I did manage about 5 hours. On waking the scenery had not changed... Empty, open and endlessly flat. We made a couple of brief off train excursions, just to stretch and look about, but there was little to see... that's the whole point! Our second stop was at the appropriately named "Cook". Why appropriate? Because the temperature there was 44 degrees C. It was a dry heat so not that difficult but the wind was blowing so it felt like standing in front of a fan over with the door open and the fan still running. Wow that was hot! The second evening was again ... read more

Friday 14th Dec: A nie hot sunny day to explore what Albany has to offer. Three things to note: 1) Whaling...We seem to have encountered a nmber of whaling places recently and indeed whales but in some ways this topped the lot... A vist to the last whaling station opened and closed in Australia. All fully preserved with a "whate chaser" ship. This was possibly one of the grizzlest exhibitions I have even seen (and I'm including the Killing fields in Cambodia etc) all with colour photos and film of what whaling was all about... Here's the wierd thing. The station was opened in 1952 (my lifetime) and closed only in 1974. The film footage had all these strapping Ozzy lads dressed just like I did in 1974... Could have been me slicing up the poor ... read more