Off to Indo

Tomorrow morning we are off to Indo - after 16 lovely days in Perth. I have just tried to check in on-line and the website won't let me. I hope that the airline hasn't messed the booking up as the flights are showing as confirmed on our tickets but there was a problem last time...keep your fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.

We are due to fly at 9:30 am which means another early morning. We have also packed our stuff and we are going to cable tie the locks as people can plant stuff on you on the way across to Bali and then there are pretty stiff penalties so we have made sure that the bags are extra secure so no-one slips in any unwanted items.

When we get there we have a hotel booked in Legian for three nights and then we will take it from there and decide what our next move will be. I'm nervous and excited about the next leg of the trip. Back to being in a strange country with a strange language etc. However it will be cool to see the temples, the waves and the friendly people and of course Jess and Al when they get there. Keep your fingers crossed it all goes to plan tomorrow.

Time for fajitas now - our last meal with the lovely Stone family.

Reflecting on Oz

Well I have a moment of peace where everyone is out of the house and we have a good internet connection so thought it was time for a bit of reflection. We are thinking more and more about home for a number of reasons. Firstly Bali is the last leg of the trip and we fly there on Friday so it's at the forefront of our mids. Secondly the tennents are due to move out of the house soon and so we need to sort out the deposit etc for them and thirdly it's fun to discuss what we will do when we get back. It's all very well packing everything up and saying 'see you guys, we're off round the world for a year' and another thinking, Oh good lord, we have to go home and re-build our lives again. But actually we are in a pretty good position as we have my job to return to. Will has work in the pipeline and the house will be empty and ready to move back in to.

Settling Sam into school is an unknown quantity but hopefully withthe right support from us and the school he will fly as he has learned so much this year and will probably enjoy being surrounded by kids again. He's certainly maturing, his legs are getting longer and he has started to act a little bit like Kevin The teenager, I read somewhere that teenagers are very selfish and they can't help it, it's a hormonal thing - well Sam is being uncharacteristically selfish and grumpy. Bless him, it's tough being a teen...although I didn't feel too sorry for him as he whizzed around the beach in Neil's car yesterday and then stayed up with us watching Gavin and Stacey videos last night as he didn't have to get up for school today... Infact after 2 hours of Shakespeare in the garden he's now taking a break and watching MTV, it's a tough life being Sam at the moment.

We have so many plans for when we get back (alot of them expensive) but it's fun to discuss them and we are all really looking forward to getting home and Will can't wait to get back and start digging holes again. So there we go - I'm sure there was loads more I was going to write but have a mind blank now. Pictures will be put online when I get my computer online, currently we are using Charlotte and Neils.

The North

Hey all. We are now back in Perth after a few lovely days up North. The North is arid and far and there is lots and lots of desert and not a great deal else... it's bloody miles away. We ended up in Monkey Mia where we were able to see dolphins (wild ones) which swam in to shore to be hand fed. They have to be careful how much they are fed otherwise the dolphins don't survive because they can't feed themselves and look after their young properly. The dolphins are amazing, they are super friendly and it makes it all the more special that they are wild... the place however is a bit rubbish, I mean the beach is beautiful, but there is a resort near by and so it's really expensive. The camping facilities aren't up to much either and you pay loads for a very small patch of sand.

The van however is amazing and the fridge works, the beds are comfy and the whole thing doesn't smell of sick. At some parts we were a bit worried about running out of fuel because it is so far between places. After Monkey Mia we went south again and stopped in Dongara with Charlotte and family. Dongara is um, well, i'm not sure I'd make the journey just to go there again as there isn't a whole lot happening, but we had a nice time anyway, walking, fishing and drinking wine. Sam LOVES fishing and caught a Bream which he cooked himself on the BBQ with some salt and lemon and we all had a try, it was fresh and delicious.

Today we drove back from Dongara to Perth and stopped off at The Pinnacles which are loads of stones randomly stuck out of the sand, there are hundreds of them and it's a really odd place, a bit like walking on another planet. They think they were formed in the ice age when the sand blew away the rock that wasn't as solid, leaving behind the pinnacles. Or it may be calcified plants which have formed peaks, either way it's a pretty spectacular drive. Then we stopped at Wedge Island, so called because it's an island shaped like a wedge. The beach was gorgeous white sand and Sam drove Neil's 4x4 across the beach. He thought it was the best thing in the world, however I had to get out the back of the car as it was a bit scary having Sam at the wheel, but to be fair he did a good job, didn't roll the car or run anyone over.

On Friday we head to Bali which we are really looking forward to. It will be great to be in a different culture again. However, as home looms closer we also realise that we have a gazillion things to sort out when we get back, top of the list is still the schooling situation, but also moving back into the house and sorting out the furniture etc. We will also have to tighten our belts in Bali as Australia has drained the funds a bit. Anyway fish and chips on the way so must dash... but we are all happy, healthy and having a great time with our brilliant friends here in Perth. My advice to those in Pert with a van, head South. It's much prettier and there is way more to do and see.

Quick update

Super quick update in internet cafe in Kilbari and is crazily expensive... we left Perth yesterday and have driven up to Kilbari which is a million miles away - well not really but feels like it as the drive is through hot desert and the sand is all red, it's the Australi you see in the movies, with red rock and sand storms and small farm houses with rickety old windmills outside and not much else.

Last night we stayed in Dungari (I think) which is where Will's friend has a house. After we got rid of the spiders and the frog in the toilet it was a lovely place to spend the night and tonight we will probably stay in Kilbari. This is a small coastal town with lots of fishing for Sam.

Anyway must dash before Will sees I am updating this and not checking bank balances etc....

Freemantle Jail

Perth is beeeautiful. The weather is hot and the beaches are lovely - this morning Sam and Will went surfing and Sam had a great time catching a few waves which is rilliant because he had started to lose his confidence over the past few weeks. Sam and Will currently have no hair as we took the clippers to them and got rid of the worst of the mop top.

This afternoon me and Sam and Will went to Freemantle where we went around the prison. It was really good to see the Australian History and to find out how the colonies started. We found out the difference between a convict and a prisoner. A convict was a prisoner brought from overseas (usually England) to help build the roads, prisons etc and a prisoner is just an Aussie prisoner. Once the convicts had served their sentences they were free to go and build houses and make a life in Australia and their families were also brought over for free. Better than a spell in a UK prison cell that's for sure. But actually life in the prison was pretty horendous. The cells were 7ft x 4ft and actually they had to make the cells larger as people suffocated. We also saw the solitary confinement cells, the gallows and the area where people were flogged, it was pretty grim and the crazy thing is that it was a working prison until 1991!!! and there were no toilets or water in the cells so the prisoners were still using a bucket for a toilet!!!

We are now back at the house and tomorrow we are due to set off in our whizzy van up the coast which will be brilliant. I'm also starting to plan the Bali leg of the trip which looks like loads of fun. Everyone is telling us how amazing Bali is so now we can't wait.

Perth

We are now in Perth with Charlotte and Neil and family. The trip was fairly uneventful, although it did entail a stupidly early flight which set us back a few hours and as Perth is two hours behind Sydney it confused us even further, but now we are in the swing of things and our new body clock has been set.

It's so nice to catch up with old friends and Perth is great because the weather here is amazing. We have been to the beach and had a surf and went to Sam's favourite restaurant yesterday so that he could eat Kangaroo steak.

Today we picked up our van from Britz (that's right this time we have landed ourselves a luxury model and it doesn't cost alot more than the crappy smelly van we had on the East Coast.) The only problem is that they wanted a $7,500 deposit which was not available on our credit cards... so we had to call Mum and Dad at 4:00 in the morning to see if we could use their cards. God Bless Mum and Dad they weren't even cross about being woken up, just a bit dazed and confused!! After we had paid the deposit we were shown our van and it was like a palace. The bedding isn't sticky, the fridge doesn't smell of sick, the handles don't fall off when you open a door. Infact everything works and it's an automatic so Will thinks it's amazing to drive.

The plan is to stay here until Monday and then drive up the coast, North towards Monkey Myer where you can hand feed the dolphins. Then Charlotte and Neil are going to come and meet us so we will spend a few days with them and then back to Perth for a few days when we fly to Bali on the 20th May. I love the West Coast, it could be the sun, it could be the company, it could be the long stretch of sandy beaches and the perfect waves for Sam but most probably it's a combination of all these things.

Right now Sam is doing his homework whilst Charlotte and Neil's 18 month daughter Sienna is colouring in and Will is making chicken sarnies. In a few hours I will call Mum and Dad back and apologise for the early wake up call (sorry Mum and Dad, you're the best).

Much ado...

What a marvelous day we have had. This morning the sun was shining and we drove to Manley beach where Will got some amazingly big waves. The waves were so big that as he got out of the van a guy asked if he was going surfing and warned him that the waves were really powerful and people often got into trouble out there, a good start... Then he endured Sam saying that he thought his board was too small for the big waves and he hoped that he wouldn't die. So, filled with confidence Will walked out to the beach and me and Sam watched from the comfort of a nice little cafe. As it turns out Will had an amazing surf and much to everyones relief is still alive to tell the tale. He got some great waves and although his heart was pumping a bit too fast for comfort he caught some of his biggest waves ever.

After the epic surf we drove back to Chris's house and had a quick shower and then jumped on the bus into Sydney. We walked to the opera house and Will and Sam went in to get the tickets whilst I waited outside. The reason is that the Opera house does a concession ticket for under 30's where you pay $30 and not $68, whilst this is true for Will and Sam we weren't sure I would pass for 30 so I had to wait outside (very sad). But isn't that a great price, £60 for the three of us to watch a play at the most famous opera house in the world.

Much Ado About Nothing was brilliant, it was 2hrs 40 (including interval) and I wasn't sure how Sam, or Will's attention span would last for all that time but after about 10 minutes of getting used to the Shakesperean works spoken with an Aussie accent we managed tune in and it was hilarious. Sam followed the plot and laughed in all the right places and we all had a fab time. It was a great introduction to Shakespeare for Sam and I think that now he will enjoy studying the play in more detail. The show started at 5pm and we left at 8pm. We found the train station and after a short train ride and three bus rides (one the wrong way) we ended up back at Chris's, by this time it was 9:15 and we quickly drove to the RSL for a hurried dinner and bed.

A fabulous day was had by all. Tomorrow we may head to the zoo if the weather stays fine.

Almost time to wave goodbye...

We are now back in Sydney with Chris. We set off from Corindi a couple of days ago and spent 9 hours driving down to Newcastle. It was Anzac Day (which is like the Aussie remembrance day and where Anzac biscuits come from). Sadly as we were driving we missed 'Two Up' which is a game that is played in the pubs on this day and this day only. It replecates heads or tails which is what the soldiers used to play in the trenches. Basically there are three coins and people place bets on weather when they are flipped it will land with at least two heads or at least two tails. The whole thing is just run on trust and people gamble amongst each other, it sounds like loads of fun, but unfortunately we were all squished into the van singing songs and missed the whole thing.

Eventually we arrived in Newcastle and spent a couple of lovely days (well rainy days actually) but still very nice days with the Vallenders. Highlights included Michelle's amazing cooking - particularly the date pudding with butterscotch sauce and cream!!! Sam couldn't believe that when presented with the dish her kids were just like, 'Oh thanks Mum', Sam thought it was the most amazing pudding he had ever seen (and so well presented it should be served in a restaurant). Yesterday Me and Will went for a bike ride through the bush which was really nice, actually it was really nice when we swapped bikes and I got to ride the cool, speedy one!! Meanwhile Sam had stayed behind with the boys and spent the afternoon building a skate ramp on a derelict patch of land (he also managed to stand on a nail but went to the lady who lived next door (who he had never met) and asked her if she could clean it for him!! Who says travelling isn't good for confidence) Don't worry though he has had his tetanus and it looks fine and only hurts when he stands on it (and I'm not sure that's true as he seemed fine on it when he was riding his skateboard this afternoon).

So we set off this morning for Sydney and we are now back with Chris and Will is planning the next build of our travels, her balcony. So tomorrow we are off to the hardware shop to buy wood and nails and stuff - whoopie!! Hopefully the balcony will be done and dusted by Sunday so he can catch the good swell and meet up with his friend Ferg.

Picture attached of Will and Sam on the scary ride at Wet and Wild.

A day in the life of Sam

Sam has found some good friends here and yesterday morning got up at 7:30 (yes, 7:30) to go out body boarding with his friend Ethan who lives across the road. The beach here is so close and Corindi is so safe that they can walk down by themselves and spend a good hour in the water without us having to worry (the biggest hazard is the brown snakes which live in the sand dunes but lets gloss over that one).

After body boarding he came rushing in to tell us that he was now going to the skate park, 'Don't you want breakfast we asked?' who was this child that had jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn and wasn't demanding food?

'It's fine' he said, rushing out of the door with skateboard under arm, 'we shared some chips earlier.' and so he disappeared to the skate park for a few hours.

It was Ethans Grandads birthday yesterday and we knew they were heading out for lunch so planned to drive to Woolgoolga to pick up some supplies. After the skate park Sam rushed in again, 'they've invited me to go for lunch,' he said excitedly, 'can I go? I told them that I didn't want to impose.' Good word I thought, proud of our progress in English, 'But they said it was fine,' he continued, 'so can I go.' After a hasty change into a clean pair of board shorts and a T-shirt with just a small hole in the side (his smart clothes) he disappeared with a $50 note and instructions to not order the most expensive thing on the menu and we wanted at least $30 change. We know what Sam's like let loose and wouldn't put it past him to order the fillet stake with pepper sauce and a side order of your finest prawns please waiter - but it was ok he just had the ceaser wrap and came home with the correct change.

Meanwhile me and Will went into Woolgoolga and bought Sam his easter egg and a few other bits and pieces. We also wandered around the local market and I managed not to buy anything (not even the beautiful leather belt which had pockets for storing things and would have been very handy). Then we drove to the golf course because Will had seen loads of kangaroos there yesterday. It's brilliant playing golf in Australia. You hire a golf cart and go into the bar and ask for beers. The barman fills up a cool box with beers and ice and off you go for your round of golf. Along the way there are literally hundreds of kangaroos on the course, lying in the sand bunkers, stood around the tees and the holes watching the shots, they are so close you could touch them and if they are in the way you just shoo them to the side. We sat in the club house in the sunshine and watched the golfers negotiating the kangaroos, brilliant. They come to the golf course because the grass is cut regularly and they like to eat the new shoots.

After a couple of beers we drove home and I went across the road to give Sam his anti-biotic. Of course it was John party and so we were invited in for a drink. And so we stayed until about 9:00 chatting, drinking beers and eating a sausage sizzle (lovely). We wandered the short distance across the road home and fell into bed.

Our plan was to leave today but yesterday Sam was showing signs of a cold and this morning has woken up with puffy, red, weepy eyes and a runny nose - he has a proper head cold (not that that will stop him playing with his friends) but we have decided to stay another day to aid his recovery (and because as usual we are crap at leaving). Tomorrow though, we will get up early, pack up the van and head off to Newcastle (I think!!!)

Picture attached of Sam and Mr Mick Fanning, surfing champion extraordinaire (and a man with a lovely chest I think you'll agree)!!

Random stuff

We are now back in Corindi and Sam is having the best day playing with his friends in the street. This morning he got up and went body boarding with them whilst me and Will went for a romantic stroll along the beach (a 13 year old is such a great age to take travelling (apart from the moods) because they are so much more independent and don't need constant supervision) after his body board he came home grabbed a piece of toast and has spent the rest of the afternoon skateboarding in the street and knocking on peoples doors and running away!!! In fact he is having so much fun he even turned down a game of golf. Will has just gone with Mark for a quick game and then this evening we are headed back to the Red Wok for a chinese.

Yesterday was interesting, one of those days where things feel like they are backing up against you. Sam has a sensitive gum so we took him to the dentist. Turns out he must have bumped it a few years ago and has exposed the nerve (something like that) anyway he is on anti-biotics and may have to have root canal (we are keeping our fingers crossed that this won't happen until we get back as it's bloody expensive to have dental treatment out here but we'll have to wait and see). He isn't in any pain at the moment which is good news so he will just need to be extra careful. His ipod also hasn't arrived after 3 weeks!!! A few weeks ago I woke up at 4am with cold sweats thinking the company we sent it to may not be legit and have taken our money and scarpered, I was so worried that I got up at 4am and called Barclaycard to see if they had cleaned us out - but it's ok - the ipod is now on it's way to Sydney so we should have it back soon.

We also now have a plan, we are leaving Corindi on Sunday and heading back to Swan Bay for a few days and then on to Chris where we will build the balcony and then we have a few days with ferg before we fly out to Perth.

I was just looking back through some of our films whilst we have been away - all very funny - and can't believe how much Sam has grown. The Flip has been brilliant (the Flip is a little hand held video camera) and it made me think about other useful items that we have brought with us so I thought I would write about them for any Lonely Planet readers thinking of doing a similar trip.

1)One of the most use items has been the sowing kit (not because I have fixed many clothes - although we have fixed a few) but the pin has been brilliant for removing splinters and we have picked up a few of them as we spent most of our time in NZ barefoot. It's just a little kit that I picked up free in a hotel. Also take tweezers, again, brilliant for the splinters.

2)The medical kit has also been brilliant with easy access to plasters/savlon/mozzie bite

cream/antihistemines and veruca treatment stuff. This is also a neat little travel sized bag which also contains surgical needles and things for more drastic treatments, which we thankfully haven't yet needed.

3)The head torches have been amazing for late night reading (especially in the van) and for power cuts in Central and South America. Have enough head torches for everyone though because otherwise fights break out as to whose turn it is.

4)Sleeping bag sheets. These are silk sleeping bag liners so are very cool to sleep in but meen that you don't have to lie directly on a dodgy looking bed, they also should be big enough to reach over your head if like me you are afraid of bugs and spiders crawling on you in the night. They fold up really small (get different colours for different family members).

5)The computer. We have a Netbook Acer and it has been fantastic for what we want. Which is basically uploading pics, checking internet and updating blog etc. We also watch movies on it on rainy days and the screen is big enough to do this even though it's only about 10 inches. The Netbook doesn't have a disk drive but this has only been a problem because we haven't been able to listen to Sam's French CD (much to his joy!) So far it's been reliable and the battery life is still pretty good.

6)Document folder. I have a small, document folder, a green plastic wallet which is great for filing things such as hotel confirmations, flight details, passport copies, insurance documents and receipts from treatments to claim back on insurance. Basically any important paperwork is kept neatly stored in this little folder (plastic is best because it stops it getting bashed).

7)Our rucksacks are brilliant. They are side loading so you don't have to shove it all in the top and then unpack everything to find something. I would agree with all the other travelling bloggers who say no matter how many clothes you think you will need, half it and then half it again. We don't have much but still have way too many clothes.

8)Guide books (Will disagrees with this) but I think they are amazing for finding the little things along the way that you would otherwise miss. For example in Central America we stayed in a little town called Montezuma. It was pretty touristy and not that great but we checked Lonely Planet book which directed us to a little restaurant on the beach front and here we had one of my favourite meals of the trip. If it hadn't been for the guide book we would have eaten overpriced garbage in a tourist trap instead.

9)Playing cards. Of course this is super important not just for boring waits in bus stations/airports etc but also good for nights out as people join in and it's a good way to meet new friends. Also a good way to occupy a bored child. Variations of card games are also useful and one of our favourites has been the Monopoly card game.

And that's about it. Make sure it's all travel sized and packs neatly away and you're laughing. We travel with just two backpacks and three day packs (although one is completely filled with school books)...oh and of course we also have the three surf boards, the fishing rod, the skate board and the yoga mat... but they are optional.

Above is an arty picture taken by Sam on the way to Byron...although I look like I'm about to sleep (yes Debs, eyes are closed again!!) and Will's head looks MASSIVE.

Sorry Byron...

Ahem... well I guess I owe Byron Bay a little bit of an apology, perhaps I was a little too hasty to criticise it quite so severely, because as it turns out we have had a brilliant time there (inspite of the rain). So following my little rant the other day we spent a hideous night on a camp site in Byron and lay awake listening to the base from the nearby club, thumping away until 1:00am (which as you can imagine added to my feelings of desperation)....However, the next day we called Will's friend Luke and went round to his house. Luke and Will met in Brazil and he is married to a lovely Brazilian girl called K and they have a gorgeous little boy called Tex who is almost two (and as big as a four year old).

They invited us to stay at their house which is just outside of Byron. This was perfect as it got us away from the hoards of people. It turns out this is the busiest time of year for Byron due to the Easter holidays and the Blues Festival (Bob Dylan is playing there!!!) so as you can imagine there are literally thousands of people in one very small area, however staying outside meant that the claustrophobia lifted. Their house backs onto the ocean and is painted in yellows and blues, very welcoming, very relaxing and way better than the inside of the van. We have spent the last couple of days with them, surfing, chatting and sitting at the beach.

This morning we got up at 6:30 and drove to the Lighthouse in Byron. From here we walked along to the furthest point East to look for wales as it's their migratory season and they can sometimes be seen passing this point. The sun thankfully had decided to shine and although we stayed for about an hour and didn't see any sign of wales, we did see pods and pods of dolphins swimming along and playing in the ocean. It's very relaxing to watch dolphins swim as they have such a fluid, gentle movement...anyway.... eventually we headed back to the house and had a BBQ breakfast with tomatoes, bacon, fresh juice etc...mmmmm. After this we went to the beach and then had a couple of beers in a bar overlooking the ocean.

On the way back to Corindi this afternoon we were chatting about the trip and all agreed that it's the people you meet who really make the trip memorable. We often have a choice, do we want to see everything, in which case it's a whistle stop tour, taking in all the tourist attraction. Or do we want to travel at a steady pace, taking in the occasional tourist attraction and getting to know people. We agreed that for us the latter is definitely better. We will all remember our time in Byron, but now, not because it was crowded and rainy, but because we met up with friends and shared dinner and wine and stories. Once again we spent the journey home singing and chatting and eating McDonalds, but we were all pretty sad to leave so soon.

We also can't believe how quickly the time is going. We have two weeks left on this coast and in that time we have to drive 1,000 km to Sydney (something like that anyway) and stop in and see the lovely Vallanders (hopefully) and Will's friend Ferg, and build Chris her balcony, if she has the materials. Then we fly to Perth for two weeks and then we are off on the final leg of the trip to Indonesia and then before we know it we will be home again. The time is flying by.

Rainy Byron Bay and a touch of claustrophobia...

What can I tell you? We have now left the Gold Coast after an amazing time - Coolengatta was lovely and the boys had lovely surf and beautiful weather. The day before we left we went to 'Wet and Wild' which is a huge water park with the biggest scariest slides you can imagine. Sam's favourite was one which was a plastic tube with a vertical drop. You stood at the top and a trapdoor opened lauching you vertically downwards and with such force that you did a loop the loop. Naturally I sat that one out.

Will's favourite was a surboard type ride which launched you into the air on a horse shoe shaped track - whilst spinning around - it looked horendous... and my favourite was the Tornado.

The three of us sat in a big inflatable ring and you are launched down a dark tunnel into a vertical drop and then up the sides of a horizontal cone before being sucked through the base of a tornado.It was right bloody scary and I screamed my head off - which was actually quite nice - fairground rides are the only time you can officially scream as loudly as your lungs allow. We had a fab time at the water park - got there when it opened and left just as it was closing.

Then we headed down to Byron and this is where things took a turn for the worse. There are a few reasons for this 1) It's pissing down and there is nothing worse than being stuck in the van in the rain...except when combined with 2) It's ram jammed here - seriously it's like a tourist trap - i'm sure once upon a time this was a nice hippy community but now it feels like a place that's trying a bit too hard to recapture it's lost youth (as are many of the people who live here). There's nothing worse than a load of drug addled 40 somethings riding around on skate boards with no shoes. I'm sure when I was 18 I would have thought this was the coolest place, now it just makes me feel claustraphobic and makes me want to cry (or maybe that's the weather!). Anyway I have managed to escape the confines of the van and have found a coffee shop with free wi-fi whilst Will and Sam surf. There are actually loads of coffee shops here which of course would usually mean heaven but all of them are full to bursting because it's the Easter holidays and some stupid Blues Festival is taking place here. Hopefully we will only have to stay one more night and then we can escape to another place where there is space and fresh air and nice walks and room to breathe.

Will and Sam are currently surfing and I have left the van locked up so will have to depart and unlock it for them - but first will have to fight my way through the crowds of people who are also huddled in the coffee shop to escape the rain... So sorry to moan again but I hate the bloody rain. Hopefully a more chipper update next time (but don't hold your breath because it's not meant to brighten up until Weds).

Having a Fanningtastic time...

We are staying at a place called Coollangata just north of Byron Bay where NSW meets the Gold Coast. The beaches here are gorgeous and go on for ever. The sea is crystal clear and across the bay, through the palm trees sits Surfers Paradise a skyline across the ocean, outlined against the clear blue skies. It really is paradise...and even more so because there aren't just good waves for Will, but also good waves for Sam... and friends... and a coffee shop nearby.

Yesterday we spent a lovely day wandering through the town. In the morning we went for a surf and then went to the cafe where Sam did his maths, then as we walked back down to the van we saw Mick Fanning coming out of the sea (for those of you, who don't know like me, Mick Fanning is 2 x world surfing champion) anyway Sam had his picture taken with him and you should have seen his grin it stretched from ear to ear (Sam's not Mick Fannings, I'll put the pic up soon). In the evening we had a Thai and it was nice to eat out again after all that wholesome home cooked food we have been having!!

We have had another lovely day today just relaxing by the beach and Will has a bit of heat stroke he thinks, oh and sore lips, oh and a surfing rash, oh and a broken toe...not that you would know because he never mentions it!!!!! So another night on the campsite here and then off to Surfers Paradise for a couple of nights and a trip to Wet and Wild (think that's what it's called) a big water park near Surfers Paradise with loads of hellish slides.

Also met a guy today who gave us loads of telephone numbers for Indo, a driver, a guy to renew the visas and a cool place to stay...lovely.

Yeeeeehaaaaaw...

Well we're back on the road and have assumed our usual, familar position in a McDonalds Cafe. The world feels right again as we tear down the motorway (well, that's an exaggeration as Will doesn't tear and slow lorries overtake us regularly) Sam and Will throwing punches as we sing Oasis at the top of our lungs. Sam gives the thumbs up to road side workers and we are free free free...

That said it was a wrench to leave the comfort of home, the re-runs of Top Gear and umm The Brady Bunch were unfortunately very appealing. But here we are exploring again all squished uncomfortably into the front of the van and loving it.

We are headed to Byron Bay or maybe beyond. Will has drivers fever and won't stop (except for food) and wants to drive as far as he possibly can - hopefully he will stop soon as there is an awful long way one can go in Australia. The van, is sparkly and clean (apart from the dodgy, smelly cushions)and doesn't smell quite so much of sick. So who knows where we are going to stay tonight, but that's just the way we like it - a little bit of the unknown!! The weather is overcast but even that can't dampen our spirits and I'm looking forward to a sing a long to Simon and Garfunkel for the next leg... 'Iam a Rock I am an iiiiiisland,'

Only a quick update as Will needs to email his friend and I am in a race against a Big Mac!!!

Moving on...

This morning we planned to leave Corindi and head up the coast to Byron. We got up and started to sort all our stuff out ready to leave. Will mowed the lawns and tidied up the tools and the garage. I washed all the sheets, another load of clothes which were hiding from me in the bottom of the suitcase, and cleaned the kitchen, the bedrooms and the bathroom. Sam did his school work online and then me and Sam cleaned out the van. Washed the curtains, Sprayed all the sides and wiped them down and mopped out the floor... and by the time we had finished it was 3:00 and we were starving...and so we had lunch and in true 'us' style, decided that we should stay another night and head off tomorrow morning.

So now we have another evening to relax at the house which is cool because we still have a few bits to sort out online etc. Yesterday turned out to be a really nice day. We went to the curry festival in Woolgoolga. There were lots of stalls selling curry and hundreds of people there. It's odd because curry isn't as big here as it is in the UK so there wasn't much variety. Most of the stalls sold butter chicken and a generic lamb or veg curry with white rice, and that was about it. We queued for 10 mins and had a very disappointing small portion of curry with congealed rice...and we paid about £7 for it!!!

We decided to abandon the festival (but not until Sam went on a fairground ride and ended up sat next to a at kid who looked like he was going to puke all over him...brilliant) than we headed to the beach with Mark and Trilby for a surf. Later on Mark and Trilby came over for pizza and Sam was invited to a BBQ at his friends house. We watched the film Australia which was really good (but then anything with Hugh Jackman is amazing).

Picture above is of the completes fence (well one side of it)!!

A bright rainy day

Things are looking up, Sam's demonic mood seems to have lifted and once again we have back, lovely, smiley Sam (who is also a bit more helpful). The teenage hormones are starting to kick in though and spots are starting to appear, not many, just one in his nostril and one on his nose!

Today it's raining but we have had a really nice day. We drove down to Coffs Harbour to all go swimming but when we got there the waves were really good and so Will decided to have a surf. He dropped me and Sam at the pool and we had a great time swimming. Sam was teaching me to front crawl and it all went well except I can't swim in a straight line, I can't keep my right hand flat and when I try to breath I look like a fish gasping for air - I think we can safely say that I didn't glide through the water. Anyway it kept Sam entertained because he was laughing his head off at me (which was brilliant because it echoed all around the pool and I'm sure everyone else was smirking). After the swim we went for a cake and drink in the local cafe and did the cross word in a magazine whilst we waited for Will to arrive.

The fence is now pretty much finished, we just need to fit locks to the gates and so that's a relief. The fence actually looks fab - Will is very very good at making fences! The other news is that I have started writing again (just to shut my parents up) and actually it's quite enjoyable. So i'm aiming for 1,500 words a day, this is not too difficult as long as Sam is not wittering in my ear.

I'm really looking forward to going to Perth and then Indo, it doesn't seem too far away now. We watched Top Gear, Bolivia special last night and it was brilliant. It was good to see them driving over the Andes and dealing with the altitude, driving on the long dangerous windy roads and through the Atacama and to be able to identify with it all. It was especially good for Sam. So onwards and onwards... I leave you with a picture of the jolly fishermen on a much brighter, sunnier day.

Grrrrrrr.....

God, this is moaning post after moaning post but I ask you, how the hell do you get a teenager motivated to do anything? I have tried gentle persuasion, I have tried rational talking, I have tried shouting and I have tried withholding fun things (which got the best response) but seriously it's like banging my head against a brick wall, a really tough, thick brick wall!!

Sam is the master of excuses and his laziness is not a nice quality at all, but it's also a really difficult trait to shift. As a result, the days become a series of battles, Sam doing his best sucking up job to get what he wants and then not doing a thing in return...well perhaps he offered to get a glass of water for someone, or begrudgingly went around to the shop but to him that qualifies him to do bugger all to help for the rest of the day!! Now we all know that Sam has always been lazy but seriously it's exaggerated at the moment.

So aside from Sam being a little S*!% at the moment today was nice. It's mothers day and we finally got out of Corindi and went to Yamba which is a town about 100k up the coast. Yamba has beautiful beaches and really nice little cafes and shops so we had a nice lunch in a cafe and a little walk to the beach and then home. It's funny in Australia because we have the radio on in the van and they play the same songs as in the UK but the don't bleep out the swear words, seriously, it makes us feel very prudish when we are in the van and there's effin' and jeffin' on the radio and me and Will give each other raised eyebrows every time a rude word is said... it's just something you don't get used to and makes me feel like about 60 years old!!

We are also setting up plans for the next few weeks which are loosely as follows: perhaps another week in Corindi and then up the coast to Byron, then back down with maybe a few more days in the house and then back down to Sydney via Swan Beach again and then away to Perth on 4th May.

Picture attached of Sam looking like a little angel (not!!)

Too Settled??????

Today has been pretty nice, we woke up this morning and Sam did some Maths with Will and then me and Will finished varnishing the fence. After this we went into Woolgoolga and Sam had a surf, we picked up a couple of pairs of cheap shades as I think me and Sam should start wearing them to protect our eyes from the sun and then we came home and now Will is watching a surf video and Sam has gone to the skate park... and you know what... I'm a bit bored. I'm not very good now at just sitting still. I like it when we are all out walking in the sunshine along the beach, or climbing up some ancient ruin or volcano, sitting in front of the telly is just not for me, never has been really, I get bored too easily.

This is when we all start getting edgy with each other as well. We have all got on brilliantly for so long perhaps we were due a rocky patch but who would have guessed it would have come when we were all nicely settled into a comfortable house, or perhaps that's the point. Being in a nice house is easy, we don't need to support each other to pull each other through unfamiliar territory or to boost each others morale. We can all just sit on the sofa and snipe at each other. Terrible isn't it? So i'm not quite sure how to pull us out of this one or perhaps the best thing to do is to wait for it to pass... see, it makes me worried about when we get back because we are so much nicer to each other when we are all squashed into a little van. Perhaps we should sell the houses when we get back and just buy ourselves a little caravan which we move around Bristol every few days!!!!

Think I'll go do some yoga and see if I can breath my way out of it.

Stroppy teenagers and... um... stroppy thirty somethings

Well it's been a while since I last had a moan so it's about time I rectified that. Today we are all at logger heads!! Sam is being a stroppy 13 year old and won't help Will paint the fence (well he did eventually - but he was pretty grumpy about it because he wanted to watch the Brady Bunch of all things!). Will is a stroppy 29 year old and doesn't think that Sam pulls his weight (he's probably right) but he thinks that when he was 13 he did EVERYTHING his parents told him because he knew they were older and wiser than him... yeah right... I don't expect his parents remember it that way!!... and I guess I am a stroppy 34 year old because I'm sick of the two of them bickering and it's hot and I didn't sleep well because Will has the fan on full blast in the bedroom so it's like an icebox on a night...there... rant over!

On the positive side. One side of the fence is now built and stained and looks beeeeautiful - infact the neighbours keep saying how nice it is and one guy said 'it's the best fence in Corindi' (there you go Jeff and Linzi, you'll have tours coming around to see the famous fence). Whilst Will and Sam varnish the posts on the other side of the fence I have made chocolate brownies a la Jamie Oliver and for the first time ever I have made a desert that looks and tastes like it should. This is a real achievment, usually my cakes don't rise and my biscuits look like small dog poos... but the brownies look just like they should, all crisp on top and moist in the middle. I think having the right equipment to cook with has made the difference, trying to sift flour through a collander never did seem the right way to go about things to me.

Sam is now officially on Facebook - this is great because he has got to catch up with all his friends back in the UK and most of the kids he is meeting on his travels also have profiles so he can keep in touch with them all. I ummmd and aaaahd about whether to let him have a profile but came to the conclusion that I have to trust him and let him grow up and at least whilst we are here we can teach him how to use it sensibly. We are now thinking about schools again and trying to work out which school he will go to when we get back. Colstons would be the ideal as there is no room at Mangotsfield but I'm not sure we can afford it after a year off... private education is super expensive, still I'm sure we'll work something out.

Picture attached is of our Sunday Roast crew - the lovely Corindi neighbours.

Complete bravery...

Today Sam went to the skate park whilst all the other kids were in school to practice 'dropping in to the bowl' which basically means going off the lip of a skate board ramp down a really steep slope. The reason that I am writing about this is because it showed real character to do what Sam did today.

He was nervous about doing the drop whilst other kids were there so asked us to come to the park with him today. We also bought him arm, knee and elbow pads for the occasion. He stood at the top of the ramp, balanced on the edge and told us how nervous he was - we tried to encourage him and after a couple of minutes he had a go... and of course he fell off. He picked himself up and checked that everything was still in order and then went back to the slope and tried again. He repeated this about 5 times and each time we shouted further encouragement. 'I just need to remember that if I fall over it will hurt a bit, but that's all', he said, as he syked himself up to go again. 'Can I have a milkshake if I do it?' he asked, it seemed the least we could do in the presence of such bravery. 'My heart's beating really fast' he said...and then, he dropped down the slope and made it.

It reminded me of when I taught him to ride a bike, he kept riding down the hill and falling off at the bottom and then, suddenly, he just got it!! Well it was the same thing, as soon as he had gone down once there was no stopping him. He was dripping with sweat but really pleased with his achievement and rightly so. You can learn an awful lot in school but today was a real lesson for Sam in facing and overcoming his fears and what better reward than a milkshake.

This afternoon he played with his friends and they are coming over tomorrow night to watch a film and eat cake whilst we build and varnish the fence. So all is well in the world right now - especially for Sam.