The Outback is another one of those words that Aussie’s words that means a lot to them but not much to anyone else (take billabong or dunny as other examples). As far as I could figure out, generally it means the part of Australia that is not on the coast and not built up, and for those familiar with the geography of Australia, that means that the outback covers quite a large area. Leaving behind the beautiful coast line north of Cairns within a day we found ourselves pretty much in the middle of nowhere although not before we sampled…
I write this from Sydney. I have a headache and I am absolutely shattered. I’ve spent the last week and a bit attempting to fix the van, running between mechanics, stressing, frequently visiting Super Cheap Auto (Australia’s Halfords equivalent), faffing and abusing the hospitality of friends. Needless to say, I will write up about all that at a later date when I’m able to look back at it and smile but for the moment I am over a month and some 10 posts behind with this blog. Casting my mind back… The Great Barrier Reef. The worlds largest living collective…
It’s been a while since I’ve had a good rant, and besides I know you prefer reading about me getting annoyed than about me having fun. While on the British Defender there was one slightly crazy German on board. She managed to annoy several people including the skipper with her ways. Somehow, and I’m still not sure how as I hardly even talked to her, she invited herself along in our van as she wanted to make her way up to Cairns via Mission Beach… exactly our plan. Espe’s attempt to put her off, “there is space in the van…
The Whitsundays are 74 beautiful tropical islands on the east coast of Australia discovered by Captain Cook on the day after Whit Sunday (he forgot to adjust for crossing the international date line). They are a major attraction and the standard way to see them is with some kind of sailing trip. There are all sorts of boats to cater for different interests and budgets. I wanted to go on one of the Maxi Racing Yachts because, well biggest and fastest is always best. With that in mind I also wanted to avoid the party boats full of 18 year…
I have two excuses for the lack of updates here. First off Internet connections are very expensive (especially for wifi) and after driving many hours I just don’t have the energy or inclination to sit in front of a computer. I’m currently in Darwin (a great city) taking a few days rest and as a friend discovered the free wifi at the library I’m trying to make the most of it. Expect a flurry of email and facebook activity from me today. About a month ago we visited Fraser Island. The worlds largest sand island, and at over 120km long…
Well after the Mongol Rally and the Rickshaw Run one needs another challenge. By comparison though, this is a lightweight undertaking. We have the comfort of a pop top camper (think cooker, fridge, sink, double bed, dinning table… finally I’m a home owner) albeit 26 years old, and a mere eleven thousand kilometres to cover on well paved roads… Easy. Australia is big. Very big. Take a look at the picture below to see just how big it is compared to Europe. We will not be trying to cover it all as we have a very limited time here. What…
I was recently commended by a Polish friend on keeping a blog so thorough and up to date throughout this trip. Here I am over a month into my visit to Australia, two weeks into another monumental road trip and not a single word about it all here. So here goes a lazy half hearted attempt at describing my time in Sydney. Our first shock upon arrival was how cold it was. A clear blue sky with a crisp wind blowing reminded my of Madrid in the winter and what it was like to feel cold. It took me a…