I know it’s been a long time between posts. No excuses, just …life.
Planning and packing for our next big adventure is in progress, a car club trip to Northcliffe this weekend.
Our first time leading a car club trip, and to say I’m nervous is an understatement.
It’s going to be very cold, probably wet, and I’m working right up until close of business Friday so there’s not much time to pack.
Wish me luck!
Just like that it’s 2022!
Seriously, how fast did the last year fly by? Well it certainly seemed to for me.
Maybe that’s a middle-aged thing.
I’ve got a monster headache but it’s not from celebrating new year’s eve. The side effects of the Pfizer booster have hit and I’m feeling like an old car that has been left out in the paddock to rust.
In the words of the late great Leonard Cohen ‘I ache in the places where I used to play’ but it’s a small price to pay at the end of the day.
Right now I am so thankful and grateful for the silver linings that covid has brought for me.
I can hardly believe it’s been nearly two years since my milestone birthday celebration at the Cottesloe hotel!
Way back at the start of 2020 when covid was something I was only starting to hear about and didn’t think would impact my big birthday holiday.
In the past year I’ve gone from cruising to camping and can honestly say it’s been exactly what I needed to do.
Joining a car club and making new friends while heading off exploring amazing WA.
I’ve survived the heat, dust, dingoes, donkeys and flies, and days without running water and lived out of my car all with my best friend by my side.
Yes we’ve bickered and ranted and played the blame game, but ending a day by the side of a fire after watching the sun set has helped heal most wounds.
Covid is coming but we’re as prepared as we can be, both double dosed and boosted and trying to get used to accessorising with masks every time we leave home.
The bubble is set to burst at the start of February, but in the meantime another birthday is on the horizon and we’ve got one more car trip to complete.
Who’s with me?
It’s Saturday today which means we’ve been living out of our car for more than a week.
A milestone for me especially, and also our relationship.
Lessons I’ve learnt already include that a self inflating mattress, a dual battery and a good fridge are worth the money. Invest in a good tent, trust me that’s not something you want to scrimp on, and a collapsible bucket from Kmart has multiple uses.
That red dirt is a bugger to wash off so a good thick flannel is essential, and also a nail brush to get it out from under any nails you have left after rolling up that mattress.
Nothing beats the feeling of watching the sun set on the horizon in a bush camp, and the stars are better than anything you can watch on the idiot box.
Karijini is a magic place so if you have the time to get there it’s a must, and the people you meet on the way there are worth the long drive.
Yep there’s been more than a couple of arguments along the way, but navigating our way through the biggest road trip we’ve ever done is bringing us together in more ways than anything else we’ve ever done until now.
And right now I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.
One more sleep before we hit the road! Who would have thought I’d be so excited about a camping trip?
A two week road trip that has been planned for months, and I’m so happy that tomorrow is finally the day!
The car is packed to the brim with everything we think we’re going to need. Knowing me I’ve probably packed too many clothes but with no guarantee of when I’ll next shower I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry.
One more sleep then it’s two full days of driving until we arrive in Newman before heading off exploring the Pilbara and Karijini.
Week two will be in Exmouth, with swimming and snorkelling and soaking up the sunshine on the agenda.
Feeling so very thankful and grateful that Covid hasn’t stopped us being able to head away.
Certainly feels like we’ve had some close calls, and every time I’ve got wind of an announcement from the Premier I’ve been crossing my fingers that its not a lock down.
Two weeks of living out of the car and sleeping in a tent is certainly the biggest challenge our relationship has faced.
But it’s something hubby has always wanted to do, and after the wettest winter we’ve had in years I’m just happy to be chasing the sun.
Chances are my updates will be limited but a break from social media and Covid news feels like exactly what we both need.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?
Today is a public holiday in Western Australia, and right now there’s a lot of people heading home after a long weekend away.
We opted out of a road trip this weekend for a few reasons, but it feels appropriate to reflect on how far we have travelled since purchasing my ‘G.I. Jane’ Subaru Outback at the end of June in 2018.
Having just returned from an overseas holiday and with plans in place to celebrate a milestone birthday in 2020, the EOFY purchase was more about the trade-in value of my previous car and the fact I fell in love with the colour than anything else.
30,000 kms later we’ve hit the road more often and seen more of our state than we would ever have intended if Covid hadn’t put paid to our original plans.
The money we would have spent overseas has instead been invested in ‘pimping’ my car, purchasing camping supplies and sampling local bakeries from Coolgardie to the Porongorups.
Driving G.I. Jane on and off-road, along with seeing more of our state, we’ve had the opportunity to expand our circle of friends and realise how the small things mean so much along the way.
Fingers crossed Covid won’t impact our plan to see Karijini and Exmouth in a couple of months, and I’m envious of friends who recently sold everything and headed for the horizon with no set plan; one Powerball and we’ll meet them somewhere on the road.
In the meantime I’m so grateful to be able to see more of amazing WA as well as to appreciate how lucky we are to be here right now.
Who knows where the next 30,000 and three kms will take us?
According to my phone the forecast minimum in Porongurup tonight is 6 degrees, and there is talk of snow on Bluff Knoll being possible.
I’ve never seen snow, but am thankful the temperature didn’t dip so low when we were down that way last weekend.
This time last week we were on our way there for our first camping experience, with the car packed to the brim and my mind full of fear of the unknown.
I am pleased to report that the experience was successful and enjoyable, but there were some lessons learnt that I’m sharing for myself more than anything.
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best so byo cooking, eating and washing up supplies because camp kitchen facilities vary.
We were pleasantly surprised to find a microwave oven as well as a fridge, toaster, kettle, stove and crockery in the camp kitchen but it can’t be assumed that these will be provided every time.
Don’t rely on technology.
Our CB Radio inexplicably randomly stopped working on the day we left, which would have made it difficult to stay in contact with the car club convoy en route to our destination.
Thankfully we had a spare set but have made a note to check and double check they are both working well before our next trip.
We also had issues with maintaining power for the portable fridge, which could have been managed with the solar panel we decided not to take.
Next trip the panel will be second on the list.
First on the list will be earplugs, which after our first mostly sleepless night we headed to Mount Barker to purchase due to the snore symphony being transmitted from most of the tents.
The self inflating mattress was worth the money as well as the space it took up in the car, but we need to invest in new sleeping bags because the ones we have simply wouldn’t cut it if the overnight temperature dipped as low as it is forecast to tonight.
The long drive home was borderline dangerous because we were both so tired, so anything we can do to improve our sleep quality will be worth the investment.
Tips from other campers I’ll be using include a stove top coffee percolator for that essential morning brew, a thermos for cuppas on the road, and lots of towels for wiping down the tent before it’s rolled up on pack down day.
The biggest lesson from our first camping experience is that the comforts of home and especially our bed have never been more appreciated since we have returned.
I have been sleeping better all week so we are already planning our next trip, but in the meantime I’m researching sleeping bags so any tips would be appreciated.
I’m looking forward to seeing news about snow on Bluff Knoll, but good luck to the campers down there this weekend.
Hopefully they’ve prepared for the worst!
It’s funny how sometimes life seems to go full circle, well for me it does.
On a previous post about the start of our amazing Arcadia cruise I shared how the young girl seated next to me on the flight was about to embark on the Camino de Santiago.
At that time I had never heard of it but fast forward two years and all of sudden it is where a number of female friends are planning to go or are already there.
It certainly sounds like an amazing experience, but why is it something that women seem be especially drawn to?
Lack of sleep, lost toenails and chafing aside, there are plenty of places closer to home where a similar experience is offered, although not with the religious ‘undertones’ of the Camino.
Is it because we women still haven’t found what we’re looking for?
Or dare I ask is it only something that single women are seeking?
It’s been a while between posts on here, time flies and now the final countdown is on for our next big adventure, a Southeast Asia
Grand Adventure on the Sea Princess.
Yes, ANOTHER cruise; what can I say apart from NOTHING compares to the relaxation and enjoyment I have experienced on board the six
cruises I have completed over the past six years.
This will be the second cruise we embark on from our hometown Port of Fremantle, for 26 nights, with the big difference to all of the others we have completed being that we will also sail back home.
‘We’ being me and my man who is celebrating his 50th on board, along with our cruise buddies who we have created and shared so many wonderful travel memories with over the past six years.
For those who are interested in the what, where and when of this cruise, I will do my best to make the most of the internet credit our sea days entitles us to and share my thoughts and highlights of this adventure.
Two weeks tomorrow; woohoo!
Four weeks from today we will be on our way to our next adventure, cruising on the Queen Mary 2 from Santiago to Sydney. Thanks to Clean Cruising we scored an amazing bargain that was quite frankly too good to refuse; a 22 night cruise in a balcony cabin with US$1000 on board credit and a bottle of champagne each!
One of those deals that seems too good to be true and there must be a catch.
The catch is that it is going to take our party of four a total of 42 hours to travel from Perth to Santiago, via Abu Dhabi and Sao Paulo, with 29 hours flying time. Yes there is a faster way to get there, but given this was a last-minute purchase it was agreed that a day or two of travel stress, in theory, would be palatable given the cruise starts with four days at sea.
Unless we embark on a cruise in our home port of Fremantle it is a given that there will be at least one plane flight involved with exploring horizons beyond one of the most isolated cities on Earth. Interesting that our cruise also includes Auckland, considered the most remote city with a population in excess of one million, from another city of at least that population.
Maybe that is why it felt so much last home last time we were there, on our Christmas cruise from Sydney?
This photo was taken by me when the Queen Mary 2 was in Fremantle on her Maiden visit on March 2010, when thousands of locals lined the harbour to wave flags at and admire the majesty of such a beautiful vessel. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would one day be sailing on her! Just goes to show that you should never let the Tyranny of Distance prevent you from going off exploring.
It is now two weeks since the end of our amazing time away and I am only now finding time to review the thousands of images I captured.
For me every one is full of memories so like my children I find it hard to play favourites, and in this case have decided that I’ll leave it to you to decide.
I have added Places & Faces to the menu with the aim of adding pages for every location visited on our recent holiday.
First stop to capture my heart was Mumbai, and there are close to 100 images from our day there.
If you have some time, please explore and let me know your favourites from my Mumbai gallery.
