Category: travel planning

  • Way out West 2025. 26th of July.  Day nine.

    Roadside camp near a tower about 50kms from Kintore to a trackside camp between dunes on the Sandy Blight Junction Track, WA. A bit of a slower start this morning no rain to contend with and we got away from camp at about 9:30. Into Kentore to fuel up and get ready for our first…

  • Easter Tidings and trip preparations almost complete. 1 April 2024

    Phew! And that’s no April Fools blog title either. The Easter break couldn’t have more conveniently placed. It coincides with end of school term and we leave on 5 Esses trip on 3/4 April. I was very unprepared and have used the time off work to get lists finalised and cases and cubes packed. There…

  • Last goodbyes. 3 March 2023

    Describe the last difficult “goodbye” you said. I had made a choice not to write what is about to follow- however the writing prompt from WordPress above was a bit of an omen. This is a travel blog, half the adventure of travel is the planning and preparation. However, this week has seen a pretty…

  • Todays the day. Leaving home. 8 March 2023

    Finally last night I managed to dislodge the first iceberg of the trip. From my 1960s Kelvinator. See the pic above. Off to the hairdresser for tidy up and colour. I was pondering last night that I haven’t introduced the crew I’m travelling with. We met many moons ago through Volleyball and have had many,…

  • ‘T’ minus one and counting. 7 March 2023

    Well the lists are well thumbed and ticked. I had plans for a chill day. Jobs to do included – Activate Aus Post SIM and Flexiroam data pack, clean out fridges and visit a couple of people with some last minute updates, attend the AGM of Rail Trail at 5pm. Sounds simple huh? Out of…

  • Juggling and the excitement builds.

    Sometimes the excitement comes from the oddest places. When purchasing milk earlier in the week I was excited that this one will see me through to our departure date Whilst there has been a lot going on. Yesterday and today the excitement is building. Mary, Phil and I have been an anxiously awaiting our VISA…

  • Top Features on the Sylvia Earle – Aurora Expeditions™

    In honour of her inaugural voyage to Antarctica, take a look at the coolest features of our new, purpose-built ship, the Sylvia Earle. — Read on www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/blog/coolest-features-onboard-the-sylvia-earle/

  • 11 days and counting…. 25 February 2023

    I have spent the day phaffing around, packing etc. Went to Traralgon to pick up some stuff and also dropped into Mary and Phil’s to collect our documentation from Peregrine (Cathy at Peregrine arranged our flights for us – she is Steve’s travel agent and has been amazing. It was just a tad exciting to…

  • Pre-trip update #2. 11 February 2023

    Well as the days fly by, we each continue to plod away getting organised. Mary, Phil and Steve came to Moe today for lunch at our new and fabulous wine bar – Penny Lane followed by a trip meeting to check in with plans and get ourselves organised. We are closer, but haven’t nailed the…

  • ‘Back in a heartbeat’ – Antartica, Chile, Argentina and Easter Island March/April 2023. 1 January 2023

    Prelude: Pre-COVID, Steve, Phil, Mary and I considered an Antarctic trip, but dismissed it at the time. During 2021, Aurora travel was offering some discounts which had us reconsidering and booking an expedition on the brand new and still being built ship ‘Sylvia Earle’. Our next step was to make it happen and make some…