Have to apologise for not emailing a lot lately or contacting friends. Have been busily planning a big trip. We have decided to see our own country with Geoff's new found freedom. As we are always going overseas, we thought it was time to see Australia in a motorhome - yes blond and ash blond nomads!!
Ash blond nomad
We have spent the last 2 months busily looking for the ideal 'home' to drive around in - taken quite a few buses, bombs and everything else for a test drive. Some gear crunching in the old buses but decided it was too stressful to drive around in those vans with the old gears. The interior layout was also a challenge. What could we enjoy living with? Finally, eureka - we found the ideal home - it is a Ford Transit motorhome complete with shower/toilet - 2nd hand (Geoff has to clean the can). It is currently being 'touched up' and so we won't receive it until mid April.
Our future temporary home
In the meantime we are looking for the useful gadgets that will be required for this trip such as BBQ, tarp, chairs, portable oven, esky fridge for extra food space, mosquito screens to fit into the van etc. Have been to the motorhome/caravan show at the Gold Coast and got a heap of ideas from the displays and also from fellow 'nomads'. There are quite some people travelling around doing the same. Had no idea there are so many and all with a wealth of knowledge to us fledglings! We are the young things in the scheme of things from what we can see, which is a very nice feeling.
Will start our journey around mid June after Geoff has finished his studies and I have finished my job. In that time we hope to fill it with the necessities. Will probably head straight to Ayers Rock via several stops inland and then up to Darwin and follow the WA coastline. We will be leaving out Queensland initially as we can always come back and do that. We have already seen some of Qld coastline but feel we can fill that in when returned. As we have no idea what to expect and how much we will like it, we can't say how long we will be away. We may decide to work along the way as people are doing, this is unknown yet. We will hope to be back by summertime end of this year. Apart from possible floods, the heat is not a good time to travel. We also have travel plans in March next year overseas. If we really like it then we can pick up the journey at a later date - if we are still financial by then???
Our cockatiel will probably be staying with Mike, if he is ok with that.
We will be contactable via email (laptop), mobile phone and skype (when we know how to use it)!
That's our news for now and apologies if we haven't been in touch for a while.
From the blond nomads.
author and traveller
