Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: EmeraldSue on September 20, 2012, 05:09:03 am
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This thread is for Gert who I amused in Margaret River when I told her about our holiday plans to drive from Adelaide to Ongerup in WA and return with 2 kids in a campervan in 10 days.
The day of our big adventure has arrived. We picked the campervan up this morning and it has taken hours to pack everything in. I've left heaps of things at home that I'd intended to take with us, as space is limited.
The kids have had fun this morning playing in the van and are now safely strapped in the back.
We are currently driving through the roadworks for the new expressway which is looking very impressive.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/e3y9eta4.jpg)
We are aiming for Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula today!
Oh, here is a photo of the van in our driveway. I'll take a better one later
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/zu2yzu5y.jpg)
I will try to keep you updated but will depend on Internet coverage
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Have fun ES and please post some more photos :) :)
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Oh Sue I would love to be coming with you - it sounds like a great adventure albeit it a very short one. Travel safely and I hope the kids haven't started asking 'are we there yet' :D
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Have a great trip EmeraldSue. Looking forward to more photos. Safe journey
Marie
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Have a great trip Emerld sue..
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Sounds like fun, how long does it take to get to WA?
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Have fun ES
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Kids & hubby still with you, or did you dump them ;D ;D ;D
H :)
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Ha ha H!
I need DH to drive the van. Th kids have finished drawing on their hands and DS is now reading and DS is playing minecraft on the iPad. :)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/y8y5ezy3.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/esa5y4et.jpg)
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B%$$#^&&&. I just wrote a long message and lost it.
Not a lot of coverage for you ES. Nullabor has it about 20km each side of it. Caiguna, Cocklebiddy and Balladonia have none.
Suzanne it is about 2725km from Adelaide to Perth.
Drive safely ES.
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Tried to take a photo of the canola fields, but there is bird poo on the windscreen :((http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/aby5evu7.jpg)
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Love the photo of the bird poo!
Have a safe and fun trip ES
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ES did you take a scrubbie with you that would get it off ;) ;) :D :D
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We ate stopped at roadworks and it has started to rain (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/ajy7a3ap.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/megapure.jpg)
It is very green and pretty here at the moment. We are driving past wheat and canola fields and there are lots of sheep in the paddocks too. Next town is Pt Pirie
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Have fun SE we drove Perth to Melbourne many moons ago with 2 young children.
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Ha ha H!
I need DH to drive the van. Th kids have finished drawing on their hands and DS is now reading and DS is playing minecraft on the iPad. :)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/y8y5ezy3.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/esa5y4et.jpg)
Well at least dh is being useful ;D
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Ral and I wish you the very best. W e did many long trips with our 2 when they were little,. Tent, camper v an, and caravan. They are now revisiting many of the places with their kids. Have fun.
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Thanks for the photos and the update ES. Pretty country side.
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We have just found a great playground at pt Germein. It had a bike track with obstacles and lots of stuff for older kids. We all had lots of fun. I got dizzy on the circular swing and DH, DS and DS. ran around the bike path. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/6eqaqega.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/a8ubymet.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/a7y9y5a2.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/20/2ujeze6u.jpg)
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I feel as if we are with you ES, thanks for the travelling reports. Will you only be staying in caravan parks?
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Have a wonderful trip ES.Loving the photos and watching every event from this side of the world.Keep them coming :-* :-*
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I live only about 50km from Ongerup!
Have a great trip.
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Have a great trip ES.
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Put the brakes on ES!!!! *screech*
Who is dastardly den ??? :D
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Why the name change Dennis? You can't hide, we know who you are :D :D
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I am so excited. I am going to enjoy this trip. Thanks ES.
Gert
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Are we there yet?
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I have to use the dunny NOW!
Can we have chips?
I am bored.
He he.
Gert
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see how you are after traveling with kids.. Have fun.. Sounds like a great holiday..
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Why the name change Dennis? You can't hide, we know who you are :D :D
I thought of changing to Dickhead Den but that didn't have the same ring to it. LOL ;D
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Here are some photos of the shearing
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/21/y8ajynyb.jpg)
Some before and after photos of the sheep. After shearing the sheep are sprayed blue to keep away lice.
Have more photos, but about to run out of signal...........
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Thanks everyone.
We have spent the night with friends at their farm near Cleve. We have no phone coverage on the farm, so I'm sending this on a quick trip to town. Last evening we drove through rain and spectacular lightening, but the day has dawned on sunshine. The farmers here really need some rain. We have been fortunate to arrive on the farm during shearing, so the kids have got to see some real farm work.
The farm we are staying on is one of the oldest in the district and there is heaps of old farm machinery and old cars on the property
I have taken lots of photos but have to be careful of the number I post as I will run out of mobile phone download if I'm not careful!
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Thanks for the wonderful photos ES, really enjoying your journey.
Marie :)
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Enjoy ES.
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I've been thinking your trip must have been coming up ES. After you telling us ( at the retreat weekend) what you were planning I have smiled and shaken my head more than once. ;D ;D
Hope you have a fun, safe trip. :-*
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This is a trip TDF!!! Good on you!! Safe travelling - and have the time of your lives. This thread will be a great record for you!! :D
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Yesterday afternoon I spent some time helping in the shearing shed with a special broom to sweep up stray bits of fleece. I had a great time and was really impressed by the shearers. They work really hard and are really skilled. A big brown merino sheep is bought in and in no time at all, a skinny white sheep goes out. I was surprised at how big the fleece is once it's thrown onto the table. They have just finished the first week of shearing and have more to go
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When I was posting this earlier, I lost coverage. I'm tethered to DH's phone now, so this will be a quick message with no photos.
We are sitting at the null arbor pub enjoying a cold Coopers Pale Ale.
We did another long drive today, broken up by lunch in Ceduna. Tonight will be the first in the van which could be interesting. We had a debate as to whether we should choose a site near the toilets or one away from the highway. I lost.
Tomorrow morning we will see the whales and then head across the boarder. I will post more when I have phone coverage.
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Thanks ES, Ral and I are enjoying every bit of your adventure. Keep safe.
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Thanks ES, Ral and I are enjoying every bit of your adventure. Keep safe.
Me too Chookie.I'm following ES travel diary on Google Earth. ;D
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Sounds like you are having fun ES. We travelled around Australia with our kids in 2010 for 9 months so still remember the trip over the nullabour quite well!!
My sister and her husband have a farm in Ongerup :) Just wondering why Ongerup - do you have family there?
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ES this is wonderful to hear. It sounds as though you are all enjoying yourselves. We hope to go and see the whales when we go in a couple of weeks so I'll be interested to read what it's like, we've never been out to see the whales before.
Drive safely.
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All kids & dh still alive, toes, fingers etc all in tact,
Well if this is true ES you are doing well, ;D ;DLOL
H :)
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ES it sounds like you guys are having a wonderful trip so far. Enjoyed reading your posts and photos :)
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We had a debate as to whether we should choose a site near the toilets or one away from the highway. I lost.
Not sure which one you would have wanted ES, handy to be near the toilet but so much quieter away from the highway. Which one got the nod?
This is a great experience for the kids, especially if they have never seen sheep shearing before. Got to take your hat off to those guys, it must be back breaking work and surely they suffer in later years because of the job.
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Yes Judy, they have bad backs, pain, and its very hard work shearing..
(thats why I sold my DH shearing plant)
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Loving the trip ES .
Gert
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I have had no phone coverage between Ceduna and Norseman where we are currently having lunch at the beacon hill lookout, so I have been unable to keep you all updated.
We are still in one piece, although DH has a nasty cold, and we are still talking to each other :)
Here is a photo from the lookout
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/ahyzezyj.jpg)
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Hi ES, nice to hear from you and know that you are still OK. Nice picture of an Australian early outback house - is it deserted or used for something.?
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Here are the shearing photos I tried to post earlier
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/5e8uda6u.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/4yquny2u.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/qeny8uru.jpg)
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ES hope DH feels better soon, glad you are having a good time :)
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Hope DH cold gets better soon ES. Loving the updates and photos.
Marie
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JD, that was just the lookout.
On sat morning we left the farm. The original plan was for both families to travel together to our feiend's other farm at ongerup, but unfortunately they had to go to Adelaide instead. We have changed our plans and are now heading to Albany.
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Have to let us know when you are in Albany, we may be able to meet up. Amy and Rainbow too.
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Lovely photos ES.
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Great photo of the look out ES. You will certainly have coverage in Albany. I hope you can meet up with the others there.
Did you see the mine as you went up to the lookout? Enjoy the rest of your trip. We leave on the 8th, but our kids are staying home to pay the bills and mind the house. :) Drive safely.
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Oops, I've lost my last post when I lost mobile coverage :(
We are in Esperance now :)
We can see the sea from our van. We had been here less than 5 seconds and the kids have run off to the playground
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loving all of the photos ES thanks for keeping us upto date :-*
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You will find Esperance very beautiful. The beaches are so white.
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(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/8u3eba6a.jpg)Yes! The beach was lovely. DD and I went for a lovely walk along the beach this evening. We have a lovely spot in the caravan park with a view of the beach. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/yha7ymu6.jpg)
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We left the farm and headed towards Ceduna. It was spotting rain, and the winds were very strong. The van is top heavy and was quite battered by the winds. I didn't enjoy that part at all as I have been in a rollover accident before and never want to experience that again!
We passed paddocks of wheat and barley with the occasional canola and lupin. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/ygysazum.jpg)
We stopped by the side of the road for a break and DH noticed a spiny lizard sunning itself.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/yqajahez.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/a2a6y5ah.jpg)
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The rain cleared as we got closer to Ceduna. We had a lovely lunch at the pub on the foreshore at Ceduna. The radio told us that the temp was 27C, but as we stepped out of the van, we were blown over by strong winds. We had to race back to the van to get jumpers.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/8e7emy6u.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/apehymyr.jpg)
As we headed towards the nullarbour, we came to a signpost that showed us how far we had come....and how far we had to go
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/emu7u4a6.jpg)
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As we drove West from Ceduna, the crops got drier and drier, and eventually gave wAy to scrub. There were signs on the highway to be wary of wombats and kangaroos.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/dazybeda.jpg)
We saw lots of dead wombats and some kangaroos on the road. We were conscious not to drive after dusk, and pulled up at the Nullabor roadhouse/caravan park.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/7azyta3y.jpg)
As we drove towards the Nullabor, we noticed that the trees started to disappear, and the landscape changed from Mallee scub, to very low scrub.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/ypuhevyz.jpg)
We passed the entrance to the Head of the Bight whale watching platform just after it closed for the night.
We pulled into the caravan park and it looked like a dusty car park. We chose a spot back from the road, a long way from the toilet block and spent our first night in the van.
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Loving this trip and your photos, have never done it and am never likely to ES - thanks so much for sharing it with us. How are the kids coping so far?
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On Sunday morning we headed back to see the whales. The whales start to migrate in Oct, so we were lucky to see lots of mothers and their calves. We stayed for about 45 minutes watching them. We saw them breach, flap their tails out of the water and blow water. There was even a whale that acted more like a dolphin surfing the waves. The cliffs along the coast were spectacular too. I tried to take photos, but it's difficult to capture them.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/e6a7e8yj.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/aja9upe8.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/nu8y2a9e.jpg)
We headed off across the Nullarbor, so called because there are no (null) trees (arbor). We stopped to look at some breathtaking cliffs. The photo doesn't show just how blue and clear the ocean looked. We saw some more whales here too.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/be5umeba.jpg)
We then headed down the road ....(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/24/ehamy6yd.jpg)
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ES thank you so much for the pics and the story. I am enjoying it so much..
Gert
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thanks from me 2, now i know what Nullarbor means
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Great photos ES thanks for sharing glad you are having a great time :) :)
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Fantastic photos ES. Love the whale, what a treat.
Keep them coming.
H :)
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Love the photos and all about your trip.
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Great photos ES :)
Enjoy the rest of your trip :)
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We headed down the road
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/enaga8an.jpg)
And headed towards the boarder.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/e8equzem.jpg)
I gave the kids more fruit to munch on the drive, and my daughter polished off a whole bag of sugar snap peas.
We had glimpses of the ocean, and stopped at the SA Border Village, just before the Quarantine checkpoint.
We pulled up under a tree and set about polishing off our remaining fruit and veggies
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Our next stop was at Eucla for petrol. petrol was close to $2/L across the Nullarbor. Behind the toilets was a lovely garden area and views of the sea. It was like an oasis. Totally unexpected. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/asysube9.jpg)
We then drove across the Hampton Tablelands and stopped at Cocklebiddy for more petol. We were making good time, so we drove on to Caiguna. And stayed there the night. the weather started to look menacing, but there was no rain. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/uvavu7y6.jpg)
DH was feeling lousy, so we paid for a room and he had a sleep before dinner. The people in the roadhouse were lovely and we had a good, but cold, night
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/ajery7ah.jpg)
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I have to say, that I enjoyed having an ensuite for the night. The room was basic, but comfortable Mind you, the walls were paper thin. About 8.30 the previous night, the kids were a bit boisterous and noisy, so the guy in the room next to us yelled for them to be quiet. Before long, we could hear loud snoring drifting through the walls. Th people in the room behind us seemed to talk all night. Despite this, we slept well.
In the morning, we decided to visit the blowhole for brekky, despite the people in the roadhouse telling us that it was just a hole in the ground ( which it was)
DH informed me that it was my turn to have a go at driving the van for the first time. Yeek! I don't like driving large vehicles.
The van has a reversing camera, so I reversed it and headed for the highway. It actually wasn't too bad as it was quiet on the roads and I didn't pass any big semis or B doubles. Besides, it was only a 5 min drive. ;)
We got there safely and I cooked bacon and eggs while DH tool the kids for a walk
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/ba2a9e4e.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/y6amanuh.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/qeru6yqy.jpg)
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We did a similar trip many years ago on our motorbike - I can still remember it vividly (and I don't know whether that is a good or a bad thing!). Enjoying your pics. and descriptions - very nostalgic.
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ES I do love your photos. I'll see it all very soon. I do hope there are still some whales around. The blue is beautiful along the bight isn't it?
Marina you would certainly have seen lots on the bike. Couldn't carry much luggage though.
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Cookie, you get very used to travelling light - much to everyone's amusement - we go away for a trip and have just one small case between us! When we were on the road we carried more gear for the bike's maintenance than things for personal use!
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LOL. I had a girlfriend who did the same with her DH. They had a thing that pulled their sleeping bags down to nearly nothing.
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Thanks for sharing your trip with us ES. It has been like having a virtual holiday.
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Just loving your travel diary ES.Beautiful countryside,amazing roads :o
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DH took over driving duties again and drove down a very straight road.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/vegedy3y.jpg)
For 150km.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/ju2araba.jpg)
Next stop was Baladonia for refueling. The van got petol and DH & I got a cappuccino:)
I can remember as a kid in 1979 when parts of Skylab fell to the ground nearby, and there was museum at the roadhouse with newspaper clippings and bits of Skylab. I forgot to take any photos, but here is one of an old boiler
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/meju9ure.jpg)
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Finally, I have mobile coverage as we get closer to Albany :)
To continue the journey....
We headed towards Norseman for lunch. It looked as if a bushfire had gone through the area some time ago as there was foliage near the ground, but bare sticks above
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/yty7yza3.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/he4y7any.jpg)
DH wanted a break so I drove us the last 30km or so onto Town. As we approached, my phone started receiving messages. It was the first mobile coverage I'd had since we left Ceduna in SA!
We stopped at the visitors centre and the kids got their certificates for crossing the Nullarbor. We had lunch at the lookout and drove past the huge mine
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/qupu5y8u.jpg)
Then said hello to the camels
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/uvudytu6.jpg)
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Nice photos E.S.
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We woke up to beautiful weather and a beautiful view. We ate brekky outside and soaked up the view. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/sejany9y.jpg)
The weather forecast was for rain, so we made the most of the sunshine and took the scenic coast road. The views were breathtaking
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/uhyryvur.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/yvu3aze8.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/e3uqerut.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/resasa7y.jpg)
We stopped at Pink Lake, but the kids were unimpressed as it didn't look very pink today.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/nupy7umu.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/u2a8u6y7.jpg)
We then left Esperance and continued our journey towards Albany.
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We drove towards Raventhorpe and the weather changed for the worse. We encountered rain and wind. The roads were narrower too
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/asada9yd.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/te9eryja.jpg)
We ate lunch in the van as it rained outside and then continued on.
We had a break in Jerramungup and passed the signs for our original destination. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/epeje4u3.jpg)
We found the best playground yet and the kids dodged the rain and had a really good play whilst I read my book and DH had a rest.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/muhu7yma.jpg)
As we left, we saw a rainbow
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/bemeqege.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/y2e6ezyp.jpg)
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We are finally here!!!!
After 2,966.60 km we are in Albany, WA. We are at a friend's house with a great sea and bush view. We have arrived safely and are still talking to each other and looking forward to an Indian meal together tonight. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/25/me4equpe.jpg)
Thankyou all for your encouragement. We are having a great time, and the adventure is not over yet 😃
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On average, how many kms a day did you do ES? Glad to hear you have reached your destination, how long before you turn around and do the return trip?
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So happy you arrived safely AND STILL TALKING !
Loved the trip. Envious .
Gert
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Welcome to WA ES and family. When do you return? We leave on the 8th. We won't be travelling quite as quickly as you.
Drive safely.
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What a lovely view to sit back and enjoy at last. Am enjoying the road trip ES and you are probably relieved to get out and stretch your legs and maybe sleep in a proper bed (or not?)
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Thanks everyone.
Most days we have travelled about 500-600km. I'm not sure how long we will be in Albany before we head home again or what we will do whilst we are here. I am "going with the flow " and letting DH organise it all. We are aiming to be home again next Monday or possibly Tuesday.
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ES, you and family have done very well to do that many Ks a day. We sometimes do 500 a day and feel that is a big day for us, and you have children to cope with as well. Hope things go well on the trip back
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ES it's been wonderful "travelling" with you. Love the photos.
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Loving the pics ES keep safe :) :)
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Oh, I'll just miss you!
I came home from Albany on Monday and will be going back there next Thursday for a few days.
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I do love your photos ES. Are they with an ipad? I'll have to see what I can do when we go over. We do between 500 and 600 a day when we go over the Nullabor. Then when we are touring we do anything from 40 to 400km to get to what we want to see next. I think our trip down the Eyre Peninsula will be very slow with little jumps from place to place, then much the same on the Yorke Peninsula. I am getting excited. I'm trying to be nice and leave some prepared food so that when things are super busy at home DD won't starve-like being on call.
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Cookie you had better start a new thread for your trip. Lots of pics please.
DD is a big girl and will survive. lol,
DD is off for two day trip so I am gunna try the sour dough again.
Gert
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Have so enjoyed your road trip and photos ES. I don't think I will ever have the experience of crossing the Nullabor so it has been lovely to share your journey. Enjoy your stay and have a rest.
Marie
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MJ even if you were on AlbNy, we would probably miss each other as our visit is so brief. Sorry, too, to SueJen, Amy and Rainbow and any other local members. It looks as if we will be starting our journey back again tomorrow. :(
Cookie, I have taken all the photos on my iphone4 and uploaded them using Tapatalk It is smaller and lighter than the iPad and much easier to carry around. Besides, the iPad has been hijacked by the kids. It's a pity that we don't have more time on this trip to look around a little more. Your trip should be much more leisurely. There are some lovely spots on both the York and Eyre peninsulas. We have had some lovely holidays over the years.
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Drive safely ES.
Yes Gert you are right, usually the food I leave DD is still in the freezer when we get home.
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I slept in a real bed last night:) and will again tonight. Today's weather report was not encouraging - cool with showers. We had a leisurely breakfast then headed for Denmark. We had a wander around the pretty town and the kids spotted the playground. Unfortunately it was being renovated and the kids couldn't play.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/epygu2ej.jpg)
By the time we left, the rain had started
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/ahujypuv.jpg)
We headed down the road and stopped at a maze. It was down a road that was only a single car width most if the time due to the trees. Luckily we didn't pass any other cars.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/8ejypery.jpg)
At the maze we had a competition boys against girls, but we both finished at about the same time! Some of the wildflowers were in bloom and it was really pretty
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/y8y4upem.jpg)
After the maze, we stopped at a farm that sold toffees, cider, jams and spreads. DH bought cider and toffees and I bought a Chilli, tomato and passion fruit jam. I was also tempted by their strawberry, mango and cinnamon jam. DD made friends with their dog and we had trouble persuading her to leave. it started to rain again, which explains why the countryside was so green
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/8e2e2a9y.jpg)
Our next stop was just past Bow River at the National Park where you could walk above the forest floor. There was a suspended walk that allowed you to walk in the tree canopy. I loved being up so high and looking down at the magnificent red and yellow tingle trees. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/y9ugasap.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/a3yhe6ud.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/7u6ahyra.jpg)
We then went on a guided walk on the forest floor which was fantastic. We were able to walk through the base of some of the trees. They are so large and individual and this is the only place in the world where you can find them. Many of them are hundreds of years old
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/u7yqe8u7.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/gyqeqavu.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/tu7utane.jpg)
DD and I enjoyed the treetop walk so much that we did it again. we didn't care that it rained on us. You can see from this photo that we got rather wet, but we couldn't of cared less! This photo is at the highest point, 40m above ground
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/26/ysapyvyb.jpg)
There were some pretty flowers in the forest too
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I thoroughly enjoyed our visit today- it was well worth driving over 3,000km!
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Beautiful photos ES have a safe trip home :) :)
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The Tree Top Walk, really spectacular ES usually only do the walk around the bottom though, don't like heights too much. Great place to take photos though.
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I love your photos ES, they are really good. Thanks.
Suejen I did the tree top walk ONCE only. I ran from each secure piece to the next, and if Dh or anyone made it move I would scream blue murder. Some people gave me weird looks, I don't know why? :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
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Braver than me cookie😀😀😀
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I thought I was pretty brave as I can't even walk up steps that you can see through usually.
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Braver than me cookie
Cookie I'm afraid I could not walk it. Thank you ES for the wonderful photos, really enjoying your trip. Safe trip home.
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I am about to run out of signal as we are in Norseman and I won't have signal again until I get to Ceduna.
Yesterday started slowly as everyone else slept in. DH had sampled lots of WA wine the night before. I slept badly as the mattress was uncomfortable. I packed up the fan whilst the family had brekky. DS wanted eggs, but I was too busy packing up, so he dug his heels in and refused anything else. I said that was fine, but he would need to wait until lunch before he would get any more food. He was really grumpy, so we left him to his own devices.
It was pouring with rain, and at one point, when I looked out the window, I could no longer see across the bay. If was Just grey. On SueJen's advice, we drove out to the gap. If started hailing as we took the turnoff, but it eased to rain. DH Nd DS. Decided to stay in the car whilst DD and I went out and braved the elements. We got wet, but it was worth it. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/5apy7yba.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/uhujube4.jpg)
We also had a look at the bridge
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The only vehicles in the car park were campervans. I think the weather had put everyone else off!
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Great pics ES, hope it was worth it for you
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On the way back, we stopped off at the Great Southern distilliary. It was nice and dry inside and DH got to taste some single malt whiskeys. It was a lovely place and we decided to stop there for an early lunch. We ordered the tasting plate and it was delicious. It had locally caught squid, smoked chicken, Turkish bread, Brie, fetta, olives, fruit, chorizo, and a few other yummy things. DH is going to order some whiskey when we get home. It was a lovely lunch, and DS had got over his grumpiness.
Albany was the coldest place in Australia, with a forecast top of only 12C It was still raining outside, and we started our journey towards Esperance.
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It continued to rain on and off, and we were blessed with beautiful rainbows along the way. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/tyvy2uny.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/yqequpu6.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/e9u4yvaj.jpg)
It was dark as we approached Esperance and bucketing down. My back was sore, I was coming down with the cold that the rest of the family had enjoyed, and I was ready to stop for the night. Unfortunately, DH was determined to press on to Norseman. To top it off, we had dinner at a fast food establishment.
We continued on and luckily the weather abated We arrived in Norseman at about 10pm, and DH suggested that we camp by the side of the road. My bladder said otherwise and we quietly pulled into the caravan park for the night.
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I lost mobile coverage as we pulled out of Norseman, so wasn't able to complete my post earlier. We have made it to Eucla, and DH has signal on his phone, so I am pinching it!
We woke up to sunshine today, and a happier family. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/y9eqeju9.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/yjenavus.jpg)
We set off relatively early and stopped for lunch at Caiguna after refueling at Baladonia. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/4u2ary7a.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/ybatudym.jpg)
We then drive down Australia's longest straight stretch of road (90 miles), while I caught up on some marking.
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There is even an emergency airstrip on the road for the Flying Doctors
We made it to Eucla and have a site of the night. We are having dinner in the restaurant, and the kids are amusing . themselves by drawing on the paper tablecloths. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/gyheguvy.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/28/ny4etasy.jpg)
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We are only 50ks from Albany but only got to 9 degrees here yesterday. Have heard the distillery is very good ES.
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so glad you are having a great trip ES
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Wow, what a trip. Pity bout the cold though. Love all the pics.
Gert
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Just a quick update before I run out of coverage again. We have crossed the border and are back in SA. We left Eucla this morning and are at wuddina. We will get to our friends farm in about an hour.
WIll post photos later :)
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In home territory ES but still a long way from home - enjoy the time with your friends.
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Wudinna is a nice place. I really love the statue they have to the local farmers,of the local,granite.
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We woke up to sunshine at Eucla and headed off towards the Nullabor again. We stopped at a lookout at the marine park with a view well worth stopping for. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/30/epa3a9y6.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/30/yzyma7a4.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/30/pazevugy.jpg)
DH wasn't keen to stop anywhere else until wegot to Nullabor for lunch. I cooked omelettes with ham, mushrooms, capsicum, grated zucchini, carrot and cheese to use up the veggies before we went through the quarantine point at Ceduna. It was really yummy, but as usual, I set off the smoke alarm in the van :( and had to hold the frypan out the door.
We got petrol yet again, and set off across the nullabor
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I could not imagine anything worse than cycling along these roads with all the large trucks passing by at high speeds, but we saw quite a few cyclists.
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Having asked everyone if the needed to go to the toilet before we left, five minutes down the road, DS piped up that he needed to do "number two's". We all rolled our eyes, as this was the third time he had done it this trip.
We had to stop and he found a spot in the bush.
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We continued on to Penong and found a playground for the kids whilst DH had a long break We then swapped places and I sat in the back of the van until we had another break in Wuddina.
We decided to continue on to our friends' farm and spend the night with them.
On our way to WA, we saw a lot of dead animals on the road, but on the return journey we hardly saw any at all. On the SA side of the border, it was mainly wombats, and on the WA side, it was mainly Roos, plus one camel. Our luck ran out, and we hit a small roo. Luckily the only damage to the van was to the plastic mudguard over the front wheel, and we were a little shaken, but fine. I hadn't seen it hit, but heard the loud "thunk" sound as it bounced off. We continued on, and I got sore eyes from looking out for more roos. Then about 5km from the farm, we hit another, larger roo. This time, I saw it hit and it did more damage than the first. We are unharmed, but shaken We did more damage to the front bumper of the van, but nothing too serious We have checked the lights, and although We lost high beam, the headlight still works.
We were relieved to arrive at the farm and have something to eat
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/30/ymyny7am.jpg)
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We have had a restful day at the farm today. It is one of the oldest farms in the area, and the newer house is built behind the original farmhouse. I've picked a ton of lemons to take home, and visited the horses. We went for a drive around the farm, and saw a couple more Roos jump across the road in front of us! We were taking a leisurely drive and going very slowly :)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/30/ajyqeje9.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/30/pa5a8uqe.jpg)
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Sounds like you're having a great time. Pity about hitting the roos, glad to hear you're all ok and not too much damage.
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I am really enjoying your trip ES thanks for keeping us up to date on all the happenings. Hope you don't encounter any more live stock on the road.
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What a pity those animals jumped out in front of you ES, hope the hire company doesn't give you any hassles over the insurance part of the hire fee.
The last place you would find me would be on a bicycle on that road - got to be keen to take trip that on.
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Loving reading about your trip. Hope not too much damage :-[
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Thanks for the photos etc ES. Rotten luck about the Roos.
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ES, those damm roos, thank goodness no one is hurt. Stupid animals.
H :)
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Shame about the road kill. Good thing you were not driving your own car and glad no one was injured apart from the critters.
Wonderful adventure or us all.
Gretch
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Imagine hitting a camel :o
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We were lucky to get off so lightly. I would not like to hit a camel.
We got up early and left the farm this morning.
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We stretched our legs at whyalla, and drove towards Pt Pirie and Pt Augusta, with the Flinders ranges in the distance.
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We noticed that the traffic was increasing as we got closer to Adelaide as lots of people were retuning from the long weekend. We didn't stop much today as we had to return the van by mid afternoon.
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There was a lot of traffic around Pt Wakefield, but it flowed quite well due to the new roadworks that have been completed over the last few years. Unfortunately, there are major roadworks on South Road which slowed us down.
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ES have thoroughly enjoyed your journey and lovely photos. Sorry to see you had a run in with the wild life
Marie
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We are home!!!!!!
We travelled 6,095 km in 12 days in a campervan with 2 adults and 2 kids. At times, it felt like family origami as we folded and unfolded ourselves in and out of the van. When the beds are set up, there is not much room to move around. Luckily the kids get on well as they have spent a lot of time in close proximity to each other. I can't count the number of times I bumped my head in the last two weeks. I'm sure that lots of families in much larger caravans had a chuckle at us squeezing into our van.
It has certainly been an adventure and we have had a great time together.
When we drove into our street, there were welcomes drawn on the road in chalk, as we had been missed by the other kids in the street. (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/01/ajyzurud.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/01/ra2yza3u.jpg)
We quickly unloaded the van, assisted by one of our cats
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DH drove it back and I followed in my car. It was really weird driving my car as I felt like I was sitting on the road - I have been used to sitting up high in the van, and my car felt so small in comparison.
The kids have had a great time catching up with their friends this afternoon as I've been catching up with the washing. LOL.
It's been fun, but I'm exhausted now ;)
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I love being away in the van but I love getting home too. >:(After the tiredness wears off I always feel inspirational to do something around the house. ES that was a huge amount of Kms. to do in 12 days, I think it was an experience rather than a holiday.
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Welcome home ES and family. What a journey, what an experience for the kids and well done to all of you. Thank you for sharing this experience with all of us forum tragics.
(http://www.desicomments.com/dc1/02/81456/81456.jpg) (http://www.desicomments.com/thank-you/thank-you-23/)
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ES I am glad you are home safely and it sounds as they you had a wonderful time. Thanks for all the lovely photos.
CP several years ago as we were leaving Norseman someone (a truck I think) had hit a mob of camels just outside town. There was dead ones every where and even babies. It didn't smell very nice either. It had all been removed by the time we came home.
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There's no place like home.
What a great trip and lovely memories you all will have.
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A fantastic experience Emerald Sue and have thoroughly enjoyed reading about it and looking atvyour wonderful photos,
We didva month in a camper van with our kids when they were young all around the UK and it was fabulous fun but even in a month we didn't clock up that many km. :)
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What a fantastic time! Thanks for sharing your photographs and stories - and what a lovely welcome home! It sounds as though you live in a very friendly and closeknit community, ES. Hope you catch up on some much needed rest now . . :D
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(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/01/ba2yneqa.jpg)
Thanks for the trip.
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Welcome home ES.I've enjoyed following you on your road trip with your photo diary.Gobsmacked at the long straight roads there :o
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Thanks for your photo diary, ES.
I have really enjoyed following your adventures!
It's gone so quickly - when's the next trip we can look forward to? :D
Sue
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Welcome Home ES.
Thanks for the journey, enjoyed following your adventures.
Marie
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Welcome home ES glad you had a good trip thanks for all the photos they were great :) :)
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Welcome home ES! Thanks for sharing your holiday with us, it was thoroughly enjoyable! ;D