India

January 10, 2017

Looking through a window 25,000 feet above the green patchwork fields of India, regularly interspersed with varying sizes of villages, towns & cities; linked, like the threads of a cobweb it's hard to imagine the chaos going on below!

I feel genuinely sad to be leaving this wonderful crazy country & a slightly changed person for having been. Two of my best friends have spent time in different parts of India at different times and they both told me that I would love it and they were right.

Although the amount of poverty in the cities of India is huge, as is the divide between the 'haves' & the 'have nots', it's hard to pity the poor too much because despite how their way of life appears, they do genuinely seem okay with their lot. They don't have the luxury of worrying themselves sick about the future & money, as they have to live for the day & you can't lose what you don't have.

I also cant imagine loneliness exists in the slums as there are so many people buzzing about & there seems a genuine feeling of community, with everyone looking out for each other.

Of course I'm not saying that the people living in poverty are luckier than those of us from the west or that we should give up all our possessions & live under the railway bridges and I'm also aware that there is corruption within the slums: I know nothing about Indian politics & can only talk about what I have seen during my short visit.

Sometimes we are quick to compare our lives to those who have less or more than us, feeling more superior to those who have little & inferior to those who appear to be having a better time than we are. In the West, even the less well off have so much but we rarely have time to enjoy those things. There are those who complain that their lives are crap but life is what you make it and in the UK we are lucky to get the chance to be who we want to be & see & do things that the millions of people in India will never get the chance to do & yet they are still ready to smile & laugh. I will never forget the joy on a lady from the slum's face when I handed her a hair comb because when you have nothing, the simplest things become hugely important & special. Life is very real in India and you can feel it but even a local said he will never understand it!

So if you are someone who is interested in experiencing new places & cultures, beautiful people, bright colours & interesting food and if you can embrace/tolerate the rubbish issues, the smells that can sometimes take your breath away (this is worse by the rivers which can double as sewers), the incredible variety & volume of noise, the organised chaos of the roads, & the poverty, then you will fall in love with India. It's hard to put my finger on what makes it so magical or maybe it's not despite those issues, maybe it's because of them...

Some of the people we met in the street slums today

Goodbye India: our final day - 9th January 2017

January 9, 2017

This morning after breakfast our new driver Sanjay took us shopping for soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs & oranges to give out in exchange for today's photos. We also had a few items from our own personal things including 6 aeroplane travel bags, 2 pairs of my shoes, Lees flip flops, a hat & a bikini top, plus a few pads & pens left over from yesterday.

Delhi Street nearby where we bought our oranges.

The traffic was even worse than usual today; gridlocked at every junction! It turns out that this was due to a dignitary visit so a couple of roads were shut but we got moving in the end.

We were intending on visiting one of the larger Delhi slums today but when we arrived, on the edge of a big suburb, the army who were on on watch outside the camp told our driver that the slum residents were soon to be moved on so would probably be quite aggressive to outsiders, (which is understandable) so we were 'advised' not to go through the gate. To be honest, seeing the amount of people inside and our meagre amount of gifts, it's probably a good thing that we couldn't go in.

Delhi Life

Just a normal stop junction, not the start of a race!

The second slum we stopped at was set back from a main road and involved a walk through some paths making it cut off from the outside. We were about to go in but someone passing by spoke to Sanjay & warned him that this one was also not safe so we carried on.

Luckily for the driver in the rickshaw on the left, this was bubble wrap!

People do put food out for the street dogs although it's obvious they are all riddled with fleas. This one looks quite good but so many are clearly full of mange :(

In Delhi (& other main cities in India) aside from the huge sprawling slums that are hidden away from tourists (even though it's obvious from the holes in the fences & walls that they are there), there are hundreds of small ones along many of the roads outside of the 'better areas' so we stopped at a couple of these. The people here also have nothing and were obviously desperate for the things we were giving away but we had to move on quickly from each one as within minutes, the group would quadruple & they would start getting a bit grabby & shouty so we got back in the car, mainly to appease Sanjay who was starting to look a little uncomfortable (whether this was for our safely or due to the crowds getting too close to his Hyundai, we're not sure)

The sad thing about these bright people living in some of the worst poverty on this planet is that given the chance they could achieve anything they wanted to do & become some of the greatest minds in the world but the probable fact is that none of them will ever get that chance.

There are taps on the streets for the slum people

The ladies hang their washing to dry on the central reservation

At 2pm we stopped off for lunch in the centre of Delhi which is decidedly posher than anywhere else we'd been and the restaurant contained the first western faces we've seen in this city since we've been here & the prices reflected this too (£50 for 3 curries & 3 coffees) Personally we'd've been happier with somewhere more 'real' but our driver thought we would like it and he meant well. After the meal we stopped by at a gift shop as we'd not been to any at this point & thought we better had. In one of the rooms there was an artist selling originals of his work painted in colour with a really fine brush. They were lovely so I bought one from him & just as a gesture gave him a print of my black and whites to which he said, 'Ah, very good, I will copy this one' to which I replied, 'No you won't' & snatched it back off the counter! Whether this is a compliment or not in his culture, in my culture it's plagiarism & it wasn't happening! He then said 'ok, I won't copy it' but this fell on my deaf ears & we left.

The rhesus monkeys in Delhi are very well fed & healthy. They can be aggressive if the mood takes them but we didn't see any of this behaviour.

Monument to Mahatma Gandhi, the great Indian independence leader of the 20th Century. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi — Monument to Mahatma Gandhi, the great Indian independence leader of the 20th Century. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi

By the time we'd crawled through the traffic in Delhi, had some lunch & crawled back to our hotel it was only ten minutes until the sun went down (5.30 in winter) We still had quite a few things left to give out so we dumped everything we didn't need in our hotel room and walked down to the street over the road from our hotel where there were two main street slums.

I don't think that this man & his baby were from the slums but he saw what we were doing and got some gifts too.

To start with, the first group of ladies were respectful and didn't snatch but again after 10 mins or so more people had arrived & started to get a bit grabby so we made exaggerating goodbye gestures & moved down the street (surprisingly unpursued!)

By now the light had gone and I could only take abcouole more photos of the next group of people so we just gave the rest of the things away as fairly as we could (which is hard In the dark as they would hide what they'd had and ask for more!) but there were some funny moments which stand out. On offering an unworn bikini top I gave the hand signal of big boobs to which they all said yes, when they all had tiny boobs! In the end I gave it to the old lady who I figured probably needed an uplift more than the others!

We also had a few packs of tissues & my sign language for this included mock blowing of nose & wiping of bum which they found funny and laughed - this was a rare moment of connection between people an ocean apart in cultures & it felt good :) Seeing one of the men wearing Lees summer hat which he'd donated was also an amusing moment to remember, although 15 minutes the same man came up to us complaining that he hadn't had a toothbrush (via brushing hand movements) but in the words of John Lydgate, you can't please all of the people all of the time :)

We got back to our room around 6.30 pm & put the main bits of our packing together. Unfortunately for obvious reasons we couldn't put the mini printer to use today. Had we made it back to the last stop by our hotel an hour or so earlier, we could've taken the photos, got them printed in our room & taken them back to them tomorrow but apart from the dark coming so quickly, we've had issues with the hotel wifi today so, next time...

We are being picked up and taken to the airport at 7.05am tomorrow & as we've had S big curry for lunch won't be needing any dinner tonight, just an early (ish!) night! I just hope I can sleep from the constant itching (due to sunburn peeling) I'm suffering at the moment!

Thank you all for following my blogs, I really appreciate it & hope you've enjoyed them. I will be posting a contemplative one on the plane tomorrow seeing as we have wifi with Emirates and lots of time to spare & then I sign off until the next trip. It's been hard work sometimes with many frustrating internet issues & late nights but it's been worth it :)

'Old Road' trip from Agra to Delhi - 8th December 2016

January 8, 2017

After another traditional vegetarian Indian breakfast (don't ask me what it was but it was lovely!) we popped out to see the night watchman & asked to take his photo..

The Night watchman for Coral Tree  :) — The Night watchman for Coral Tree :)

We printed his photo out on our little printer & he was really chuffed, showing anyone who walked by! It turns out the cleaner here is also his daughter; she is really sweet so we did the same for her :)

Unfortunately she couldn't tell me her or her fathers name as they are Hindu & she can only write in Davangari script

I've been so busy taking photos today plus the fact that we've been on the road the whole time & therefore no wifi, that I've not had chance to post anything but now we're back at the Signature Grand in Delhi I can blog away!

The Road Trip of all Road Trips (so far!)

Okay, where to start.. let's just say that today has probably been my favourite day in India so far - no beautiful monuments or palaces but we got to see more of India & to meet some people we'd probably never get to meet if it wasn't for the fabulous Mr Singh :)

Armed with 200 pens, notepads & a thousand stickers plus mini printer & the obvious camera paraphernalia we set off from Agra to Delhi via the Old Road. We told Mr Singh that our only requirement for today was to stop in some villages to meet some children and left the rest up to him.

On the way

There is no denying the filth, squalor, chaos & noise of the cities & towns, but this is not all that India has to offer. There is beautiful countryside, green fields, quiet(er!) villages & some lovely people, happy to welcome you into their home.

From the start to the end, the drive was a total pleasure, the usual array of crazy driving, hundreds of people milling about, buying, selling, chatting, playing & the same amount of donkeys, goats, cows, pigs & dogs & monkeys, also either working or just hanging around.

A typical morning on a busy Indian street

The irony of this trip so far is that despite the apparent lethalness of the roads - every single thing is streetwise and I can honestly say that I have only seen one dead animal (a rabbit) compared with the hundreds of bodies on the side of the huge empty roads of Australia and although we covered more miles in Oz, the comparison is still of note when you consider the vast number of people & vehicles on the streets of India.

From 0 - 60 in 5 minutes!

The first village we stopped at was about 50 miles from Agra, and a few hundred yards off a main road. There were the usual things going on in the street, the farm workers driving their animals, the men chatting & playing cards, a few women going about their business & a couple of young children so we pulled over, grabbed the camera, a few of the gifts, took a deep breath & got out.

If I didn't say I was a bit nervous I'd be lying as it's hard not to feel intrusive when you are a westerner entering a very foreign community but after dodging a few bikes, donkeys & cows, we crossed the road to approach the kids. I showed them my camera, raised my eyebrows & they smiled so I was off!

After a couple of pictures, we gave them each a pad & pen & within 10 seconds, 5 more had appeared, some with their parents & some on their own. Although some of them were understandably wary and/or shy, their curiosity got the better of them & within another few minutes we had a crowd of grinning, scowling, pensive & laughing 2 to 10 year olds around us. At this point I'd forgotten who I'd taken photos of so we just handed out as many pads & pens out to the younger ones as we could! Some even smiled & said 'Thankyou' in English which was lovely.

It may seem exploitational to some people to be doing this but at the end of the day, I am a photographer & I find these dark eyed children who are living such a simple existence both beautiful & intriguing & if giving some of them a small gift in exchange for what I want from them & the intention is good then we are all winners. I know for sure that when we left I had a good feeling in my heart & looking at them laughing & showing each other their gifts I know for sure it had made their day too. I was only sorry that we hadn't brought 5 suitcases full with us..

Wonky table one - Mr Singh won

After another hour or so of driving I was desperate for the loo so the ever resourceful Mr Singh (have I mentioned he's a star?!) found a small cafe on the highway that served nice latte type coffee & lunches.

Unusually for its location, this one had a little garden with about 5 sets of tables & chairs and seeing as it was quite a nice day (the sun was trying to peep through the haze at this point) we decided to have our lunch in the garden. When I say 'we' this doesn't include Mr Singh who was muttering about it being cold; I told him he was welcome to stay inside where he'd be warm but ever the gent, he decided to join us anyway.

There then followed an hilarious 10 minutes of firstly finding 4 chairs out of the 20-odd in the garden that didn't at best, have a screw missing or at worst a missing leg. Having triumphantly found a full set & having wedged Mr Singh's ample frame into his, we then discovered that the table we were at had a wobble, so thinking it was due to a piece of something being stuck under it, we removed said thing, only to find that it then had a 45 degree tilt to it! I looked around at the other tables and realised that they must have been special sets made for couples with extreme height disparities as they all had 45 degree angles! Needless to say, Mr Singh got his own way in the end & once we'd prised him out of his chair we went back inside.

Village number two

By the time we arrived at the next village chosen (maybe randomly maybe not) by Mr S. we were concerned that we would run out of pens so instead we split up the stickers we'd bought so they could have these with a pad each (as we still had loads of these having bought more than we did the pens due to weight)

When we stopped, there were 2 boys standing and staring from a doorway but after snapping them they vanished and about 6 different children appeared at the gates of the next house along, looking interested. Putting our most friendly smiles, we approached the doorway to their home & they were rally happy to see us, although a couple were a little bit shy. Having got some individual shots and after giving them their pads & stickers, a smiling man appeared and he joined in on a group shot. This village must've had a much smaller population as having been there for 10 minutes, this time we weren't besieged, so Lee went back to the car to get the mini printer which links direct to my camera. After a few minutes of embarrassment due to technical hitches (like me forgetting how to set it up without using my phone which had died!) we managed to print off several of the group shots and gave them to the family. While we were struggling to set up, one of the other dads from the family had joined us & between the two of them they offered us chairs and a cup of tea. Both dads were lovely, their English was very good and we chatted for a bit about where we were from & what we were doing & when we'd finished we shook hands and left one very happy family waving from their doorway :)

Time was ticking in now and we still had a couple of hours to go before getting to Delhi so we called it a day regarding anymore village stops & just enjoyed the rest of the ride home.

Between watching everyone driving the wrong way round the roundabouts, the wrong direction up a one way road, tuck tucks carrying 12 people & their shopping bouncing over randomly placed speed bumps, rows of men peeing in the fields, cows standing or lying down sleeping in the middle of the street, Mr Singh's dry sense of humour & reference to 'cows shits' & just the general chaos, I was crying with laughter for most of the journey back at the absurdity of this incredibly unique country.

More dropped wine!

Arriving safely back at our hotel we said a sad goodbye to Mr Singh, having promised that when we come again we will let him organise our trip (we couldn't imagine anyone better for the job!)

Whilst chatting to Mr Singh, the porter had already taken Lees bags from the car including a half bottle of wine saved from the night before at the Coral Tree as wine is very hard to get from the street & very expensive in the hotels (hence saving this one)

Unfortunately when trying to get into our room (we reported the dodgy lock before we left for Agra as the door had been jamming & we were promised it would be repaired by our return) the porter had left the wine on the floor outside & somehow it got kicked over, so with another explosive shower of glass & merlot, reminiscent of the 'Red & White fight' of 28th December, Lee lost another bottle of wine! I did some work on my blog and then we went for our second Delhi night walk to find a restaurant that Lee had found on the net but when we got there it turned out to be a street food seller & seeing as we didn't feel comfortable standing on the street eating & couldn't take it back to the hotel we walked the quarter mile back again & went to the hotel restaurant.

The meal was nice, the music was loud!

It's 1.15am & I'm shattered,

nite x

The Taj Mahal, shoes & bags! 7th January 2016

January 7, 2017

After a pretty good nights sleep at the Coral Tree (apart from a bit of intense dog barking at 3am!) we woke up at 7am & had a breakfast of banana, toast, spinach parcels & a fried egg. After informing our host about the lack of hot water in the shower, she told us that we need to press the big switch in the bathroom to activate it. This had been lost in translation last night through the housemaid so it was a relief to know for tonight & she also said that if the room was cold again, we could have a heater - result!

When we left the Homestay Mr Singh & our guide for the day, Rajkumer (son of king) Sharma were already waiting outside in the car for us, so after a quick good morning to the night watchman based outside the gate on a temporary bed (who appeared to have just woken up!) we wound our way through the dogs & the pigs on the street, got in the car and set off for the Taj Mahal.

The ticket office for East Gate is only a few hundreds yards from the Coral Tree, so within minutes, we'd bought our tickets (1000 rupees each, approx £8.00) and having passed through the security check point, were in the grounds of the Taj Mahal. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

As you can see, the weather was quite foggy this morning but apparently it could've been a lot worse as visibility can be so poor at this time of the year that on passing through the main gate, the monument can be barely visible, if at all. Although I would have liked to have got there an hour earlier (but was talked out of it!) to be honest it would have probably been even foggier so I am grateful for what we did get & the crowds weren't too bad at that time either.

It turns out that as well as being a very knowledgeable guide, Raj was also a very keen & experienced Taj Mahal photographer and at every opportunity and to our immense amusement had us posing the cheesiest of poses to which you can now take the mick! We are actually very grateful as otherwise there would've been no decent photos of the two of us together otherwise, including the main blog photo which I love, so thanks Raj :)

The view we'd come for..

A bit foggy & a few people but amazing to see it all the same!

The Taj Mahal stands on the South bank of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra.

The day before we were stood the other side of this river looking over to the back of the Taj Mahal. After he built this in memory of his 3rd & favourite wife, the King was planning to build a black Taj for himself over the other side but was im… — The day before we were stood the other side of this river looking over to the back of the Taj Mahal. After he built this in memory of his 3rd & favourite wife, the King was planning to build a black Taj for himself over the other side but was imprisoned by his own son before he got the chance. He spent the rest of his life in a part of Agra Fort where he could see the Taj every day from his prison :(

Lee & Raj chatting - or Raj talking & Lee listening!

Looking up at the entrance to the Taj Mahal

Inlaid stones include jade, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, orange carnelian, agates bloodstone & garnet

It's hard to believe but every single letter, like the pattern has been inlaid in the marble.

This honeycomb has been carved fro a solid piece of marble!

Due to heavy pollution in India, every few years the Taj has to be cleaned, hence the scaffolding. First they use a mud pack & then wash it off with a gentle soap & water mix. The difference between before and after cleaning is really noticeable when you see it but I just love the way some of the workers are wearing their hard hats but still have bare feet! Only in India...

Lamps donated by Lord Curzon in the early 20th Century.

It's only when you see the intricate detail of the inlaid gemstones within the marble of the Taj Mahal that you can appreciate just how many thousands of man hours went into creating this incredible shrine from a king to his favourite wife nearly 400 years ago. During the day as the sun rises & sets giving way to the moon, it changes from orange to blue/white due to the translucency of the marble from which it's made.

Normally I'm not keen on organised tours as they are an excuse to pressure you into spending money but Raj had decided that we should go and see how the ancient art of inlaying marble with semi & precious stones is carried out and as an artist this intrigued me. We were driven to Handicraft Marble Industries in Agra where most of the craftsmen are descendents of the original artisans of the Taj Mahal & we got to see them honing their craft which was nothing short of incredible. All the gems are hand carved to make up their individual shapes; some into tiny slivers, which are then inlaid into the perfectly matching chiselled out shapes in the marble using the same glue compound which is still being used over 400 years later.

3 elephants inside each other, carved by hand out of one solid piece of marble.

Incredible inlaid marble  artwork by the Agran artists — Incredible inlaid marble artwork by the Agran artists

the whole thing is then smoothed off to give a perfect finish. To see this being done on a tiny scale is amazing but then to imagine it being carried out on the scale of the Taj Mahal, it's no surprise that it is one of the seven wonders of the world.

After leaving the marble artists we went to go and see the Agra Fort but on arrival we took one look at the hoardes & decided we'd rather not!

These are views from the road!

After another very nice, curry based lunch, we left the restaurant & discovered the neighbourhood snake charmer had arrived outside with a very calm python & a baby cobra, still in training.

Shoes & Bags!

Having finished our sightseeing for the day, Raj went off home (with a 2000r tip) & on Lees instruction , Mr Singh was now on a mission to find him a shop selling good cheap leather shoes & possibly a back pack to replace the one he has with a snapped back strap.one that's back strap snapped. We'd heard that Agra loves its leather so we were hoping to snatch a bargain!

2 hours & 5 shops later, having been presented with every leather back pack, & pair of size 12s in the shops; with the staff becoming more keen, Lee becoming more annoyed & Mr Singh looking like he'd detached himself from his body - my fussy fiancé decided on two pairs of shoes having given up on his dream of the perfect bag, for now :)

Car full of happy bunnies, we took Mr Singh for a quick drink at a very nice hotel in Agra & then home for a veggie meal with the other guests.

I have more photos to add but can barely keep my eyes open so will add tomorrow!

nite xx

Journey to Agra - 6th January 2016

January 6, 2017

After a short but lovely nights sleep in the very comfy bed, we woke to the sounds of Delhi stirring from its semi-sleep, as despite a lull in the noise overnight, this city never completely shuts down.

The air is hazy but the sun is creeping through & there are a multitude of birds flying past the balcony, including pigeons, crowd, parrots & I even spotted a large bird of prey cruising between the concrete highrises.

These are peoples homes, this guy came out of one & is cleaning his teeth.

The Walk

After a breakfast of rice, dahl, omelette, toast & mango juice we decided to head off for a walk in the opposite direction to last night. We were aware we had one hour before our driver came to pick us up at 10am to take us to Agra & were confident that we would be back in time as all we would do is walk straight for half an hour & then turn round and come back the same way. Easy!

If I'm honest, this walk had to be one of the most intense & exciting travel experiences of my life. We manoeuvred around the cars, pushbikes, motorbikes, tuk tuks, cars and cows like old pros & although I still wasn't brave enough to take my canon out, I captured these on the iPhone & although the images don't portray just how chaotic it got by 9.30am, I hope they give you a bit of an idea of the surreality of the whole experience!

'Street dog Delhi' He appeared to be fed & some of the dogs even had coats on.

Our new found confidence quickly evaporated when we realised that it was nearly 10am & we hadn't a bloody clue where we were! The 'justwalkinastraightline' theory has apparently backfired due to a couple of roundabouts so there we were, standing on the side of the road desperately consulting Google Maps & looking like the lost tourists that we were (the very thing we wanted to avoid!) At this point the reappearance of the very politely insistent tuk tuk driver who has driven by us 3 times, not being able to understand why we would want actually want to walk, would have been a welcome sight but still determined to navigate ourselves back, Google came up trumps & we were soon back on the right road, & heading for the hotel.

Mr Singh

As it had been arranged that Mr Singh would collect us from the hotel at 10am we were understandably concerned that being half an hour late may have caused a disruption but after some confusion on whether or not he was actually waiting for us, we discovered that we'd actually walked past him on our hurried way back in to the hotel and that he was waiting outside.

A portly man; Mr Singh wore a turban and although of quite a serious demeanour, he was very polite and professional & as soon as our baggage was in & we'd paid him the required half payment, we were off!

To say that he is an excellent driver is an understatement & in fact, I dare anyone to find better drivers than the Indians generally, purely based on the fact that a 4 lane road can become a 6 lane road with undertaking, weaving, pavement riding etc & nobody appears to actually hit anyone. The dented cars obviously contradict this theory but all I can go on is my experience of the last 2 days where despite the mental honking, not one car, man, woman, child, cow or dog appeared to be harmed in anyway!

The open road 

It probably took about an hour and a half before we were finally out of the chaos & stink of Delhi & on the open toll roads towards Agra & this is when I properly fell in love with India. The lush fields with the people going about their business, be it picking the crops, herding goats, cycling to or from the field or just chatting or playing is my idea of photography heaven & although most of todays blog has been taken through the car window as we were on a main road, on Sunday when we leave Agra & return to Delhi Mr Singh is taking us the old road back so I will have lots of chances of photographing this array of beauty & colour that is India & its people :)

Mr Singh informed us that the huts are storage for 'the cow shits' where they are eventually turned to fuel.

Saris & bike wheels going round at 50mph can only end in tears!

Air baking the bricks that are made on site

We stopped for lunch at a services and this girl & man were doing a musical dancing act.

Agra!

After nearly 3 hours of driving through beautiful open land that didn't smell like a sewer, it was time to head into the city of Agra which apparently apart from the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort & a couple of other attractions is not the most pleasant city to visit & we'd been especially warned not to go out alone at night. In the daytime it was fascinating though :)

Although we've planned to visit the Taj Mahal tomorrow, Mr Singh thought we may like to go and view it from the garden across the river behind, so of course we did!

The Taj Mahal & the West Gate from behind

Tourists on the river behind the Taj Mahal

Some other residents of the gardens

Not sure if it's an eagle or a kite but lovely anyway :)

One of the many dogs just hanging around the gardens in varying states of motherhood. I just want to take them all home!

Final drive through Agra today

How many birds of prey can you fit on a sewage pipe?!

Burning the  cow shits! — Burning the cow shits!

Mr Singh dropped us at the Coral Tree Homestay at around 6pm making us promise to be outside at 8am tomorrow for our visit proper to the Taj Mahal, although if I'm honest, this will be a slight anticlimax now we've already laid eyes on it but I'm still looking forward to seeing the iconic view known by most & getting close up to it :)

Had dinner here at the Homestay and it was lovely, then we went and sat in the beautiful garden, a genuine oasis in a desert of grime & stench!

Unfortunately later, to let the place down a bit, the shower ran cold after a minute so which was a real shame as the room is also quite cold & the floor is marble tiles (great in an Indian Summer in July!!) so we're now in bed with 10 blankets!

As we've had no wifi in India apart from at our accommodation I've had to do the last 2 blogs at night so although they could be longer within more photos I really am too tired but I do have to say that Mr Singh is a legend, he has got us safely around 2 major Indian cities today with no hassle, he's as cool as a cucumber under pressure & he's funny in his own unique way! Would highly recommend India Private Driver and specifically Satvinder Singh http://indiaprivatedriver.com/

until tomorrow, nite x

Arrival in India - 5th January 2016

January 5, 2017

Aeroplane hangers complete with top wing slits!

After being in transit for approximately 20 hours (with a 4 hour wait at Dubai in between) my feet had swelled to the size of a mother elephant (& Lees to those of a baby elephant) by the time we eventually touched down at Delhi airport at about 3pm this afternoon. At this point all we wanted to do was to get to our hotel but ironically India is a stickler for legislations & paperwork so it took about 2 hours to clear immigration & to change our money into rupees (only £60's worth each). Also During a trip to the loo between immigration & changing money, I had managed to lose my phone so I headed frantically back to the loo where the sweet cleaner lady was waiting with my phone wrapped in tissue! I could've kissed her but instead after changing our money gave her 100 rupees which went down well as gave me a lovely smile & a little bow :)

Dubai from the aeroplane

First glimpses of India from the plane

Anyway, due to all the delays, by the time we got to departures there was only one taxi driver waving a card in Departures & it didn't have our names on it!

Relieved to have arrived & found our transfer driver!

We carried on outside without a plan as we were both pretty brain dead by then but then a fairy godfather appeared in the form of Prince, our transfers guide asking if I was Lisa Roberts - he had been waiting nearly 2 hours for us to come out & I honestly thought that he would've given up and gone back to the hotel so we were over the moon to be proved wrong! The weather was perfect when we arrived, about 24c which made my sunburnt skin breathe a sigh of relief & although the visibility was hazy it kind of added to the whole atmosphere :)

There then followed a most interesting taxi ride to the hotel. Apparently there are no clear road rules in Delhi apart from beep your horn to warn someone you are going to cut across in front of them or beep it to curse them for cutting across in front of you, which leads to quite a beepy experience overall! Luckily our driver was an expert and manoeuvred us safely through the chaos that is Delhi & to the Signature Grand.

Some things we saw on the way to the hotel

Then there are grand places like this ceremonial building

We had a warm welcome at our hotel and were told we'd been upgraded & although I'm not sure what we would've had, our room is nice & big & although it includes some dodgy exposed wiring and a few broken tiles & cracked mirrors, it's great & also has a long balcony overlooking part of the city.

Once we'd settled in and showered, (complete with dummies after Lees uncle Kevin's handy tip to avoid mouth contact with the tap water photos included for his amusement!) we decided to brace a walk to the local street market, which started 100 or so metres down the road from the hotel.

I consider myself quite well travelled & used to seeing poverty, having been to South Africa, Egypt & Morocco but the sights we've seen so far in India are jaw dropping to say the least! The paths from the hotel are unwalkable on as not only are they made up in part of broken rocks & gaping casms - they are interspersed with more faecal matter (mainly human..) than you would want to dodge in the dark so the road was the safest option, this only involved dodging the cars, tuk tuks & mopeds which appear from nowhere & compete down the packed streets with the hundreds of pedestrians but as long as you stay alert it's fine :)

Although the market streets were packed, we were pleasantly left alone by hawkers although I think that this was partially due to the fact that although we were the only westerners in sight, a month in Perth helped us to blend in a little. On the odd occasion when a light from a stall shone on my face, a few people stopped and stared but to be honest it was good to experience how it feels to be a minority for a change & we didn't feel threatened although we wouldn't have been comfortable venturing down the side streets on the dark so we stuck to the main market ones & I didn't get my phone out just to be safe.

Cows are sacred in India & we came across this one just stood on the path on the way back to the hotel. The one thing I may struggle with is the stray dogs & other animals roaming the streets but when you see how impoverised the people are it's easier to understand their lack of care towards the animals, but it's still hard to take.

Sacred cow on a typical pavement in outer Delhi

Back at the hotel we went into the restaurant to eat as it was too late to go searching for somewhere else. The food was pleasant enough but the bill of £40 was way higher than we were expecting to pay although this was definitely due to the fact that it was hotel prices. Whilst we were dining the Indian equivalent of Sonny & Cher were taking it in turns to sing (including a Stevie wonder classic for their 'foreign visitors') it was so loud we couldn't have a conversation but then a big pre-wedding party came in and started dancing to the Indian songs & it was brilliant & I would've joined in had it not been for my elephant feet :)

Just finished this blog, it's nearly one am & the noise outside is insane, horns beeping, machines going, dogs barking & so many random fireworks going off it sounds like a war zone but I'm knackered so won't have trouble sleeping (Lee is already flat out!) Need to be ready for Agra in the morning & a mammoth photo session. Today's photos apart from balcony shots have all been from the iPhone as my camera has been packed away during transit but tomorrow it will be running red hot & I can't wait!

'Til tomorrow, nite xx

Leaving Australia - 4th January 2016

January 4, 2017

After the most incredible adventure & having clocked up over 6000 kilometres in our little campervan it's our last day down under before flying to India this evening.

We are all packed up now & Lee and Jamie are on there way to take back the camper, hopefully returning with our deposit!

if it seems that my blog has been too good to be true it's because this holiday has been! I could say there have been ups and downs but to be honest the only negatives I have to say aout the last 4 weeks would be that there were a lot of flies, and having not covered up enough yesterday I got a bit sunburnt (oh & nearly losing my swimming clothes in the sea!) but this can happen anywhere on any summer holiday, so in short the last few weeks have been nothing less than amazing.

I can't even say that being stuck in a 2 berth van with Lee has been hard work either, we've not had one argument and have enjoyed spending every minute together (sorry but it's true!)

It would be hard to pick a highlight as there have been so many so I will say it in photos, my favourite moments include the ones below.

Picking up our camper from just outside Sydney

Seeing a kangaroo on the beach at Jervis Bay

Seeing a wild koala for the first time :)

Lying on the bed looking at the pelicans on Lake Albert

Meeting my 'virtual' friend Deb for the first time & loving her!

& discovering that the men got on great too!

Finding the stunning remote beach at Eucla

Dancing in the middle of the empty road!

So, those are just some of my favourite moments from our trip & I really hope you've enjoyed following my blog.

I won't be doing much today apart from some final bits of packing although tonight we're going for fish & chips at Hillarys before going to the airport so looking forward to that :) The flight is around 10pm so we're aiming to be there between 7-7.30pm.

I'm feeling quite emotional about leaving Australia as it's been such an incredible experience & friends & family have been so amazing, but tomorrow we shall be landing in Delhi for a whole new (and a lot shorter) adventure so I hope you will follow this blog too.

Fish & chips at Hillarys  before we leave for Perth airport — Fish & chips at Hillarys before we leave for Perth airport

Just boarded our flight to Dubai en route to India :)

Speak soon x

Rottnest & the Quokkas! 3rd January 2016

January 3, 2017

Our Christmas present from Jamie & Claire was a day trip over to Rottnest Island, a 45 minutes boat ride from Hillarys Harbour WA.

The Island is famous for its quokkas as these little marsupials can only be found on this island and nowhere else in the world. Every one we met was gentle and friendly, they have such a beautiful nature it was all I could do to stop myself snuggling one back in my bag :)

There is just one small shopping mall at Thomson Bay (main arrival point) and apart from the odd toilet block dotted around, everything has been left really natural. Rottnest really is a beautiful & unique place.

Apart from the endless picture perfect coves & beaches, what makes this island special is that only the hop on/hop off buses and the islands service vehicles are allowed on Rottnest so the roads are really quiet which gives the island an almost vintage feel. Bicycles can be hired from both the island and the mainland and this is how a lot of visitors choose to get around.

Like most of Australia's beaches, the sand is light and soft and the water is crystal clear, perfect for swimming and snorkelling & some parts have ideal waves for surfing.

A day is not nearly long enough to explore all that Rottnest has to offer and I hope we get the chance to return one day even if it's just to say hello to the adorable quokkas again.

After a fantasticday we are now back on the ferry and headng home for a takeaway on our last full evening in Oz.

Well the good news is ny swollen hand is almost back to normal but the bad news is I've managed to get a little sunburnt today! Having been careful all holiday and the weather having been not too hot, we've both managed to avoid any burning but today was the hottest we've had so far & now I'm paying the price for not being more vigilant with the sun cream.

So much for spending leaving day tomorrow by the pool, instead I think I'll either be inside it all day or in the house with the air con on. The thought of being sat on a plane for 13 hours with a burnt torso does not fill me with joy but it's my own fault so I'll have to suffer - Note to self, reapply, reapply, reapply!

Bye to old friends & back to family in Perth - 2nd January 2016

January 2, 2017

Had a fantastic couple of days with Maria & Ash but sadly time to say goodbye. They've been amazing hosts and we can't wait to repay their hospitality next time they're over in England :)

Having been bitten by something last night I'm suffering from a bit of a swollen right hand today so will probably be taking it easy on the photos for a few hours as it's quite painful holding the camera & need to recover in time for the quokkas tomorrow so today's blog will be quite sparse!

Nearly at Jamie & Claires and it's 38c!

After clearing out the van and attempting to put everything back in the cases from where it came (plus some extras!) we were about ready to go off to the beach when something caught Claire's eye. With a 'what the hell is that?! Lisa you'll want your camera!' we were treated to this amazing spectacle..

Spider wasp V Huntsman spider!

I'd already photographed one of these wasps and after Googling it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_wasp had discovered that they kill huntsman spiders but today we saw it with our own eyes! It dragged the spider along the patio at an unbelievable speed and when I went closer the wasp dropped it and came towards me (I might've said a swear word at this point!) I've also videoed it so will try & put this up at some point.

Off to Hillarys & City Beach for a barbie (cooked by Jamie) & to watch the sunset :)

People chilling on the grass above City Beach, Hillarys, Perth

Earky night tonight ready for a busy day with the quokkas tomorrow :)

nite x

New Years Day at Herron - 1st January 2017

January 1, 2017

Woke up quite early considering & had a lovely brekkie (with fresh eggs from the resident hens!) to start the first day of the new year :)

Off for a walk down to the estuary

Back home :)

Had a lovely curry for dinner and spent another evening photographing the beautiful sky at night whilst Lee & Ash set the telescope up and had a play with that. Stayed out until the mozzies started kicking off then bed :)

Nite x

Early rise, old Friends & New Years! 31st December 2016

December 31, 2016

Up at 5am for a quick trip back to Shelley Beach so we have enough time to get back to camp for a shower & off the site proper by 10am. Unfortunately we missed sunrise by 10 minutes but at this time in the morning Australia is even more stunningly beautiful :)

Handed the keys in to the lovely Julie at Reception (who gave us the free vino when we arrived!) Here she is with her Staffie Annie who needed a bit of a bribe to pose :)

Now off to Herron WA to spend New Years with old school friends Maria & Ash who I've only seen once in 30 years! Having a lunch stop off on the way :)

Stopped at Banbury for lunch where we saw Bevan selling the big issue outside the cafe. Nobody seemed to be buying from him (although they were stopping to ask for directions) so we got him a coffee & a muffin. After lunch we went out and he was talking to a guy called Peter who has known him all his life & looks out for him. We bought a mag and had a chat with them & back in the van I Googled 'Bevan Big Issue Bunbury' & found he is famous around his home town! http://www.thebigissue.org.au/vendors/bevan/

Party at the Booths!

Having such an amazing time at Maria & Ashleys but the photos are going to have to wait until tomorrow because for tonight I'm going to just concentrate on having fun & fun we're having!!

Chile, Maria, Alliana, Barry, Summer, Ashleigh & Meg

Maria, Ash, Barry, Ashley, Janine, Summer, Lee, Me, Maria, Alliana & Chile

Finska (Aussie skittles!)

Possums!

12 O'Clock!

The sky last night :)

Happy 2017 everyone :) xx

Shelly Beach, Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park

Rocks, shells & lizards - 30th December 2016

December 30, 2016

Having made the most of being in one place for more than one night, I may have over indulged a bit last night so woke up slightly later than usual (8.30am) & slightly worse for wear! A couple of coffees & some vegemite on toast later though, we were good to go, so set off in the van for a driveabout.

Back in the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, we came across a sign for Shelley Cove & decided to check it out.

It was totally different to the other beaches, as it's name suggests the beach was made up of tiny shells & pebbles & although it wasn't good for swimming due to the rocks & the waves, we spent a lovely few hours collecting shells, finding crabs & climbing & sunbathing on the rocks & of course, taking photos :)

While I was exploring on the rocks I saw what I thought at first glance was a snake but luckily it turned out to be the tail of a lizard. A bit of googling later & I discovered that the tail belonged to a king's skink, a native of SW Australia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egernia_kingii I found several of these around the same area amongst the rocks & loving lizards I was really pleased to have got some shots of them in their natural habitat :)

After we left Shelley Cove we drove on to another part of Eagle Bay. It's a lovely beach & the water was crystal clear & calm but although the sun was out, it was not that hot and a bit too windy to brave the water so we just chilled on our towel instead!

On the drive back to camp

Got back to camp & while I was preparing my blog Lee knocked this up & it was bloody lovely :)

Eagle Bay & Dunsborough region - 29th December 2016

December 29, 2016

Stayed the night at Taunton Farm Park last night (the only pitch available in the whole of SW Australia!) and off first thing to explore the nearby beaches before checking into our next site :)

After checking out a few beaches we got to our campsite where we'll be staying for the next 2 days, at 10am. It's a bit commercial but we were lucky to get in anywhere, and when we were booking in, we were telling the lady on reception about our wine incident yesterday & she went into the shop and came out with a complimentary bottle of merlot so that was a great start :)

A spot of brekkie & we're ready to go off in search of the perfect beach :)

Naturaliste Bay Beach (despite the name I don't think it was nudist so we didn't risk frightening the other bathers!)

We had to climb over some rocks to get there but it was so worth it!

The climb down puts a lot of people off :)

The classic knee shot - they may not be the slimmest or the brownest but they're mine :)

After an amazing 4 hours or so of sunbathing & swimming in this beautiful place it was time to move on...

Looked at the map and decided to go to Ludlow Tuart Forest National Park not too far away & looked interesting.

Tuart Forest National Park W.A

Tuart Forest National Park https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuart_Forest_National_Park

The forest was amazing, we were aware of snakes, spiders & other risks but it was only after Lee nearly walked face first into this little arachnid that I grabbed myself a stick which after seeing a very large kangaroo crashing through the trees 30 feet away, became my web busting, roo fighting, snake culling weapon of choice for the rest of the walk!

One of the giant eucalyptus trees in the forest

It was only after I'd taken this I noticed a blade sticking out of the broken trunk

Find of the walk!

Up close she looks like this!

Australian Jewel spider  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austracanthathe male is tiny & hangs out at the other end of her thread. — Australian Jewel spider https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austracantha
the male is tiny & hangs out at the other end of her thread.

Got back to camp for a much needed showerad a lovely barbie, few glasses of the fizzy stuff & bed!

We swam with dolphins & the red & white fight! 28th December 2016

December 28, 2016

Today we got to fulfil a dream held by us & many; we got to swim with wild dolphins with Rockingham Wild Encounters http://dolphins.com.au/

The dolphins are not bribed with food and join you on the swim for no other reason other than they want to, which is the way it should be :)

Close encounter with a bottle nose dolphiin

The boat trip was 5 hours in total & we got to go into the water at least 6 times and saw a dolphin up close on 3 occasions & it was amazing, they came so close! The staff/crew were fantastic; really knowledgeable, professional & friendly and made sure we all had the best time we could. Will even let me go up on to the higher deck to give me the best photo opportunity which was lovely, thanks Will :) For anyone thinking about doing this, go for it, it's a really amazing experience.

Had a coffee by the beach after our trip & now time to leave Rockingham and look for another gem along the west coast :)

There are cockatoos everywhere & they really like to make their presence known! It's just such a pleasure to see them in their natural habitat flying free :)

We had a lovely drive along the coast and Lee stoppped off to get our drinks for New Years, a couple of bottles of fizz for me 🍾 & a couple of bottles of red for himself. 🍷

Having left the box on the top of the cupboard (a massive oversight) as we went around a corner, said box came sliding off, tipped up & got wedged in the open drawer underneath; a bottle of fizz bounced on the ground (unharmed) and a bottle of red was half way out and also about to make its suicide attempt. Leaping up out of my seat, I rushed in the back and gallantly saved the red before it fell, picked up the fizz & put both bottles on the bed, feeling quite proud of my agile rescue :)

Unfortunately, about 20 minutes later a heated dispute must have broken out between fizz & red during a bend in the road because with an almighty smash, they made contact & red exploded into a million pieces flooding the bed, the van, the cupboards, & anything else it could reach. We pulled over & an emergency bed strip was carried out on the side of the road, followed by a general soaking up & wipe down of the inside of the van. I just hope we're not pulled over for anything tomorrow or plod will be knocked out by the merlot fumes when we wind down the window!

After all of today's excitement (good and not so) it's time for bed & tomorrow we will attempt to find a beach & lie on it!

nite xx

Freemantle & the West Coast - 27th December 2016

December 27, 2016

Freemantle (Freo) is a really lovely town/city with loads going on but it also has a really laid back vibe to it, we really like this place :)

Left Freemantle and headed further down the coast to Rockingham where we've found a campsite opposite the beach called Cee & Sea.

Don't know what it is but Lee was impressed!

Beautiful shady park area next to the beach, complete with free gas barbecue facilities

One night here (it's pretty noisy from the grain factory) and in the morning fingers crossed, we're off to fulfill another dream of swimming with dolphins! (If the wind drops!)

Went for a walk down the beach to catch the sunset :)

This sign made me laugh - it didn't put us off!

The conveyor belt takes the grain from the factory on the right, under the road and out to the shipping facility in the ocean.

One of my favourite images from today :)

Headed back for a little barbie at the site then robbed ready for an early start and another amazing day tomorrow.

nite xx

Out & about in Perth City - Boxing Day, 26th December 2016

December 26, 2016

Today we've had a wander around Perth, a really clean & vibrant city :)

Queen Victoria statue Hale Oval, Kings Park

St George's Carhedral (Jamie is a stonemason & helped renovate it & added the pointed tower)

Our reflection in a shop window, Perth (we haven't got matching skirts on, honest!)

Back at the house we saw this!

Orange Spider Wasp https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocheilus_bicolor It kills huntsman & wolf spiders — Orange Spider Wasp https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocheilus_bicolor It kills huntsman & wolf spiders

Christmas Day 'Down under' 25th December 2016

December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas everyone!

I bought him the same book 5 years ago 😁

Claire with matching cards from us & Nan :)

Off Down to Sorrento Beach, Perth :)

Where were you when I needed you santa?!

Recovered well after my near death & loss of dignity experience!

Had a fab morning on the beach, despite having nearly drowned beneath a massive wave & narrowly losing both my top and bottom half of my swim suit but the champagne & croissants afterwards made it all ok :)

Champers & croissants :) Jamie, Lewis, Ella & Claire

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Yellangonga National Park, Perth

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing in the pool, drinking champagne (at the same time!) & removing large spiders from the dining area!

Aussie life at its best :)

Golden orb weaver spide

She'd been hanging around over the patio for a few weeks but now it was eviction time!

Jamie got her down (tentatively) with a tennis racket & a bucket & we released her into a tree outside the back garden (but not before I took some close ups!)

Dinner time!

Xmas Eastenders style!

Had an afternoon snooze, now waiting to attempt home call no 2, then bed :)

nite, nite Xx

Christmas Eve, a day spent relaxing - 24th December 2016 :)

December 24, 2016

Today will make for quite a boring blog as I will be mainly reading and relaxing in and around the lovely pool! Lee is about to go 'man shopping' with his brother Jamie whilst I stay here & catch a few rays :)

View from my lounger in Greenwood, Perth

I'm nearing the end of my book now, Feet of Clay: an Autobiography by Ffyona Campbell, a woman who at 21, walked from Sydney to Perth following pretty much exactly the same route we took from Melbourne to here. From Sydney to Melbourne we went the coastal route & she took the quicker Highway.

I'm not comparing our driving to her walking by any means, but I did have the same feeling of sadness when we left the isolation of the desert & entered back into civilisation. It's been really nice reading about places across Australia that are familiar to me now as it really brings the book to life :)

Bee Happy!

One of two little bees that I rescued from the pool today. They spent 10 mins or so cleaning themselves and then flew away :)

Like I said, today's blog is not very interesting but we had a really chilled day so I make no excuses! We even had a swing in a double hammock for the first time without falling out of it!

Until tomorrow, nite xx

Hiding rocks & Perth by teatime?! 22nd December 2016

December 23, 2016

Our final stint to Perth & our longest drive yet - 910km in about 10 hours, then it's time to chill :)

Up at at 5.30am to cloudy skies & coolness which should make driving a bit easier although there is something lovely about sticking your head out of the window and feeling hot wind in your face (or maybe that's just me!) Yesterday we didn't use the aircon once through the desert as we wanted to 'feel' it properly & not just watch it passing by from a cool box & it was an amazing experience even though I arrived here with a heat rash & a mass of dreadlocks that would have made Bob Marleys eyes turn green :)

Set off at 7.30am after 2 video calls with good friends from home - the ability to communicate so clearly with people the other side of the world never ceases to amaze me - technology really is fantastic sometimes!

The landscape remained the same for a hundred kilometres or so with the bush stretching as far as the eye can see.

A view I've become very familiar with & have grown to love; the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilisation is liberating :)

Fly heaven - this actually makes it look more appealing than it was.

Stopped at a loo stop to conserve our van water & this one is typical of a desert 'dunnie' - a gaping hole with a loo seat on top. I wanted to stay longer to read all of the witty anecdotes on the back of the door (& maybe add my own) but the smell was too overpowering so I beat a hasty retreat back to the van!

I can just make out the word Strychnine....?

The nearer we got to Norseman the more red the soil; the kind of red I have always associated with Australia.

Lee had taken a selection of rocks from our site at Balladonia and just past the Norseman 50km sign, we pulled over & placed them under a tree so hopefully one day in years to come we can go back and find them still there :)

The Eyre Highway, the only road on which you could play chicken and die of boredom first :)

We were also treated to some hills & some open desert type land which I was actually expecting to see more of across the Nullarbor but there is much more vegetation there than you may think.

The nearer we got to civilisation the more reversed index fingers I was handing out but I guess the last thing people want to see on their way to work is happy waving holiday makers so I've decided to limit the waving to fellow campervanners only from now on!

Norseman where we turned right to head across country to Perth

Lake Cowan

Just can't imagine it right now (34c & rising!)

Coolgardie, first proper town in miles; reminds us of a Wild West town.

Ive been reading for the last 2 hours but we are now in Merridin and it's 38c! Stopped for something to eat & drink & to break up the monotony of this part of this massive drive! I miss the desert!!

Merredin

More innovative Aussie Christmas decs!

I asked for an iced coffee and they brought me what could only be described as a milk shake with caramel sauce & cream on top - flippin eck the way I'm going plus being parked on my backside for 8 hours a day in the van I'm not going to fit in the plane on the way home! I did spoon most of the cream off into Lees flat white tho' as I do have a modicum of self-control ;)

Back to the van & when we opened the doors it was like opening the oven door at home when I nearly singe my eyelashes on a regular basis! Driving along its 40c - The aircon is on full and I'm melting like a rubber snowman! How people can work outside in this heat is beyond me although maybe they don't and that's why we haven't seen anyone working outside...

As we get nearer to Perth the scenery is becoming much more tame & agricultural.

We're getting there..

These huge water pipes run for hundreds of miles alongside the roads all over Australia; I feel sorry for the poor devils who had to lay them!

Closer!

Monkey with a hat on sat on a tractor - why not!

Well, exactly 12 hours later, we've arrived!

Arrived safe and sound at Jamie & Claires, It was lovely to see them all again and to know that for the next few days we have a comfy bed to sleep in and a pool to swim in!

Also we arrived to a hamper from Lees cousin in Melbourne who we sadly missed, as our timings clashed with his work commitments and it's edible so we will enjoy that a lot, thanks Darren x

Not sure what's happening over Christmas but it will be lovely for Lee to spend it with Jamie for the first time in 30 years or so, so if it's spent at home or on the beach it will be great :)

We're really shattered now and are off to bed so night x

The toughest part of our journey yet due to the heat but it was amazing!

W.A we've arrived & Nullarbor here we come! 21st December 2016

December 22, 2016

Woke at 7am, a quick few photos then back on the road, only 20 mins to the border point but we had to stop at a view point on the way!

Road train at the last Roadhouse in S.A

These are huge & it's a bit scary when they pass you!

About to enter the border checkpoint, time to eat all the leftover fruit which we don't have much of after learning our lesson at the S.A border!

The Border for Wester Australia

Sailed through with minimal hassle although they did take Lees honey & some of our beautiful sweet lemons from Deb & Wayne :(

Eucla Motel, an oasis in the desert :)

Not much to look at from the front but...

When we stopped for coffee & brekkie the lady from the cafe told us there was an abandoned telegraph station 4km down a gravel track behind the motel

And a 1km walk behind the telegraph station, over the dunes, we found this...

The sea & sand were really these colours!

Little dandelion in the dunes to remind us of home :)

An impromptu swim was called for (not skinny dipping as there was one other couple on the whole beach!)

The Bight is the place to see whales between May & October

Aussie time zones, we crossed the border an hour before we woke up!

Distances we've travelled and are yet to travel!

Back on the road and heading for the heat!

40c across the Nullarbor Plain today!

Madura Lookout point

Bush fire

One thing I didn't want to see in Oz but hopefully it was a controlled one.

Australia's longest straight road!

But not a Roo (alive), emu or camel in sight so far, but that's probably a good thing as we don't want to add to the death toll!

The landscape seems to carry on into infinity

Random bench made of bottle tops at a rest stop

It's been an amazing road trip through the Nullarbor but now all we want is a cool shower!

We've made it to Balladonia and our camp for tonight &http://www.balladoniahotelmotel.com.au/ it's raining, and do you know what, I may just run naked in it!!

A piece of Skylab fell near here sometime in the 70s (I think)

We got a certificate :)

Camp tonight & I don't care if it's a bit rough & rugged, just glad to be here!

All clean, off on walkabout around the back of the Balladonia with Lee & the camera.

No Roos but what a killer of a sunset, every angle of the sky gave an incredible image. (these are straight off the iPhone, no editing)

Time for dinner at the Balladonia bar/restaurant, we both had the fish & chips & it was lovely (cooked by Terry) We spent quite a long time chatting to Holly from Workington in The Lakes who also works here & has spent the last couple of years travelling the world. (She is also finding the reality of it being Christmas in a few days difficult!)

Lee enjoying a glass of red after our mammoth drive today :)

Very tired after a very long day due to our clocks going back 2 or 3 hours when we got to W.A so nite x