Hello to you all, well as you can probably imagine I have been too busy for the last couple of days to write a blog, so here we go with a wrap up of the trip & the last couple of days.
Last time we spoke we were on our way home, we stayed in Mildura for the night. Nothing much to report there, then we packed up the van for the second last time & headed south to Bendigo which would be the last overnight stop in the now famous “Box On Wheels”
So we found a caravan park with reasonable facilities & settled down for one last night, Ness asked me if I was going to write a blog, but I had too many things going through my head to think about writing. Hey Bendigo is a nice place, we checked it out while we were there, it’s like a big ol’ country town. And we found this great Thai restaurant that we got some take away dinner from, gave Ness the night off from cooking for a treat for her last night! Because he gets the whip out every other night and makes me cook! Hehe
So where do I start to try & tell you about our trip? I don’t have to really because many of you shared it with us. We have to say thanks to you all, you don’t know this but each blog went out to over 200 people! And I know you all don’t reply to us but just knowing that you are reading it makes us feel like we are still part of your lives as you all are part of ours.
So the three of us left at the end of May, not really knowing what to expect, sure Ness & I have travelled, individually & together…..But throw Miss Annie into the mix & we just weren’t sure how it would work. We had no backup plan so it was “Sink or Swim”. Luckily we swam, well actually we didn’t just swim…..we won a bloody gold medal in the Olympics it went that well!
Firstly Annie is a little traveller, she worked in with what we were doing, when we were doing it, there were a few things we needed to do, bribe her with snacks (like the flight attendants do to us on planes) provide her with entertainment (like the inflight movies on planes) & keep her comfortable (Definitely not like being on a plane!)….. So Mel in Qld, sign her up now as your junior travel consultant!
One of the sad things is that Annie won’t remember her first trip….. or maybe her second, third, fourth etc….. but we will, and we will constantly be telling her about the things that we all did “When she was younger”
I tried to share with you some of the things we all saw on the trip, but I just couldn’t share all of them with you….there were too many, people are different, and it is just an amazing experience to see different people in different environments doing different things! I have a theory that we all think that we are “Normal” when in fact we are “Different” I mean you are different to me, & I’m different to you…. And that bloke that sat and watched me have a crap is different to everyone else in the world! But it is when you can really watch & compare how different we all are that we realise how amazing this place is!
Highlights of the trip for me?.... Having Ness & Annie with me 24hrs a day 7 days a week for over 3 months…..I mentioned that this is not “normal” for any relationship….. But see above as to my view on “Normal”…… But we came through it totally unscathed….. in the whole trip Ness & I argued only a handful of times (I could have lied here and said that we did not argue….But that would be crap) and the arguments were stupid ones where I did not listen to that stupid GPS or I took a wrong turn & blamed Ness! Or I was making too much noise while Annie was trying to sleep…..just normal stuff.
Man we laughed heaps though…. Some of the things you all said to us, some of the things people said to us, some of the things we heard people say. I don’t make a big thing of my situation but on this trip it seems that lots of other people do! I had quite a few people say to me “Gee its good to see people like you out here”…..I had to look around to see if I had a second head or something? What do they mean “People like me?” I mean I know I’m good looking, incredibly suave, impeccably groomed & hot as…. So maybe they are not used to seeing good looking, suave, clean, hot guys in the middle of the bush with a spunky missus & a good looking kid?.....I Dunno. Obviously you missed out the delusional part!
The car & the van…..Enough said, but I love Land Rovers & Trakmasters…. Only thing that went wrong the whole trip was a fridge that did not work on 240V…. but we had gas & battery as a backup so we still had cold beer for the hot nights! You should all buy Landies & Trakkies! (if only they paid me for these product endorsements! )
Special mentions!... to my Mum & Sandy & David, we took your new granddaughter away from you for 3 months, sorry that you missed out on some of her being a baby….. but just look at it this way, see how much she has grown! And I look at it this way…. If we didn’t take her away on the trip I would have spent the last 3 months on planes flying all over the country…… so it was either me or you….. You lost!!! Both David & My Mum are not feeling well this week….Get well soon you two…. Annie needs you!
Meredith, from all the way in NZ you were with us on the journey. Great to have you with us & it was lovely to share your birthday the other day. See you on the next trip hey bro!.... Sorry just getting a little kiwi with you.
Arama, also a Kiwi but living in Oz, we sussed out a lot of places for you to visit A, but take us with you. Thanks for your support over the last few months.
Marg & Norm, fellow travellers & kindred spirits! Currently on a trip themselves but overseas. Hurry home EnandEm, look forward to swapping stories. Oh and I’ll be a bit stricter with Ness next time we cross any quarantine points. I promise we ate all of the food.
Sue & Bill, Chris & Michelle, Neil & Ally & all our neighbors….that noise you hear at 3am is NOT a cat wailing!!!....Sorry! It will actually be James snoring as Annie sleeps right through these days.
Heather & Brad Atkins… Hey Heather… What a year you are having, New job, your husband running a campaign against the Gold Coast council, your husband ruining Japanese/Australian relations, Your husband getting set up by the media…. Should I go on?.... Hey Brad, I love you mate…. Keep the Bromance alive! I love you Heather…lets share some sisterly love!!
Georgia, this trip was really for you G, I now have a list of remote schools that you need to go work in for a few months a year! Get yourself a van & a tow vehicle….. Kids?...What kids? They are old enough to look after themselves!
Celeste, nice of you to join us too… sorry I did not meet you in SA, but will definitely be calling in on my way through next time…. I have to find your CD collection & destroy Christopher Cross!!!
Rodney, Dan C, Alan N & Kahi…. My mates with a difference….. Thanks to you all for your contributions, Dan & Rodney….we will catch up with you on a trip soon, Alan stop encouraging Ness to shop! & Kahi wants to join us on a trip…. Bring it on!
The Delanders…. Hi guys, we hope Sydney is all you wanted it to be and that you miss Melbourne (&us) just a little?
Bonnie & Egg….. you left half way though our trip on your own adventure…Hope it was fun?
Brad W…. Love you mate, great to see you on the trip….good luck with the study.
Christopher & Marc….. We almost saw you in WA Christopher…… Maybe on the next trip through NSW?
The Rowley’s Hey guys thanks for keeping us sane on our travels & sending through pics of the gorgeous Rowley Sisters!..... (I said it first if they are ever famous!)
Lou from Dubai…. Hey from afar, hope your short trip home was enjoyable? Love to Chels’ & Box
Karen & Campbell, you guys were quiet this trip? Catch up with you soon?
Mary & Pete. Pete I know you are back in the land of scooters & fried food (Thailand) hope the travel is not getting to you, but just think…. Could it be worse than being in a car with Ness for 3 months? (I can say this as Pete knows Ness better than most!) No comments required Pete. Mary promise to call soon…
My cousin Marc….. Hiya mate. Blues will win next year (bet you’ve heard that before)
Liz P…. you owe me for Purls & Opals & for the nagging I got asking for Purls & Opals!
Mel S…. Sign up Annie for a job? She loves to travel & is an awesome travel writer.
Nikki & Sebastian, great to talk with you on our travels….. Hope your assignment got a good mark S.
Rob & Juan also had an adventure this year, Italy, America…. Guys nothing you saw can hold a candle to Alice Springs & Broome! Get on your camels & see Australia next holiday!!! Oh & Rob…If Sydney & Collingwood are in the grand final are we watching it at our place or at yours?
Shayne W…. thought of you heaps this trip, almost every day actually….. Well every time a boat arrived with more refugees!..... That was almost everyday!!! (Shayne works for a company that looks after new arrivals!)
Michael G & Gas Girl…. Thanks for staying in touch…. Michael I can now see what you have put up with for years!.... gives me something to look forward to!
Sarah F…. We almost followed your trip of 20 years ago S!.... Bet it was a bit different then?
Flick…lovely to catch up with you in Perth. Maybe next time we make it Exmouth? I wanna go fishing…
Tereasa, Bec, Kirsten, Jo, Pauline, Cathryn & all the other girls from Ness’s mothers groups…. Thanks for making her & Annie feel that they were still part of the group…. It has been a great help on the trip (And gave me some peace & quiet while she was talking or writing to you!)
And everyone else that read the blog but didn’t get a chance to reply….. we missed you all and thought of you. Hope you enjoyed reading of our adventure as much as we enjoyed living it.
Until next time (or sooner if I have something to share!) thank you all, enjoy your life, don’t stress about stuff…. You have no idea how lucky we all are. If you want to do something….DO IT, don’t wait, get rid of all the rubbish & the people that suck the life out of you and keep the people that are important! Life is short make the most of it.
Love from James, Ness & AnnieInAVan….. XXXX
29th August 2012
This blog is dedicated to a few special people.
My mum…. Thanks Mum for making me think about what I say & do… I know you have the flu this week and are not feeling good. Hope you feel better mum, Annie is waiting to hear you speak funny. Love from James.
Sandy & David, we know it was hard for you not to see Annie for so long. Thanks for hanging in there & waiting for us to get back. We couldn’t do a trip like this without your support….Thank you.
My wife Ness, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 3 months Ness, no one should spend this much time together!.... But we did! All thanks to your patience, your awesome packing & unpacking of the box on wheels, and especially your amazing reversing skills in the car! 3 months & not once did you miss the towball….. Thanks honey, I had a great time & another adventure for us to forget when we get old & senile together!
The star of the show…. AnnieInAVan. What a little champion traveller, social butterfly, smiling expert & cigarette butt eater. You did awesome little girl, your first big adventure, looking forward to many years of adventures & watching you grow….. Love from Dad & Mum
And last but definitely not least…. Brad & Dan. Hey dudes, you were with us on this trip too, Dan, I found a heap of great spots to camp, 4WD & just try to get to in your rig… Oh and some fishing spots. Brad it was awesome to see you mate…. Very proud of where you are at & what you are doing. Loved seeing you play with Annie mate… she likes you as a furry big brother!....Dad
Friday, August 31, 2012 at 01:17AM