shona hiya! hope your havin a great time and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! hope to see you soon xxx

Fran & David Hi Alison Have a great birthday and enjoy the next stage of your travels. We have loved reading your blogs! Hope you had time to take some photos.

Kim Hey Allison! It's Kim from the tour your family did up the west coast of the US way back when. :) Your father had sent me an email and a link where I could get a hold of you. I figured I would drop by to see what you were up to lately. Email me back sometime. Kim

Chris Dear Ali, This is the first blog I've thought "rather you than me!" Don't fancy all that tail bashing or castrating business myself thank you very much. It wouldn't be me unless I tried to offer you advice, so here goes..... Ray Mears (who I would LOVE to go on an expedition with) reckons these things help reduce insect bites; wear loose fitting tightly woven fabrics, don't use perfumed products as this attracts insects and he says to light a fire to keep them away. I'm sure your colleagues know what works for them, and the vinegar sounded good. Oh yes, if anyone gets to a chemist, any kind of antihistamine (hayfever tablets, like loratadine or cetirizine the non drowsy ones) may help any allergic reactions resolve faster. Keep up the good work, love you, Chris, Moo, Addy and Mina xxxx

Fran & David Hi Alison We are really enjoying reading your experiences.   Hope you can keep it up!    Love Fran & David

chris Watched Dame Edna the other night. Apparently, Aussies say "how's ya day been" to eachother as a greeting. They usually hear the reply, "it's a ripper mate". Shane Warne was on saying he just says it as soon as he wakes up now to cut out the small talk. It was funny at the time .....! Glad you just got achey and no upset stomach in the bush...when do your chopper lessons start?! Can I be your first passenger......pleeeeeeese? xx

Hannah Hey sweetie, I am so jealous, sounds like you are having an amazing time.  Lovely blog, v eloquent.  Though I don't like the sound of killing day, smoko sounds good though, I could get into that.  Glad to hear you're looking after yourself, sun cream and all that and the horses are treating you well.  Aussies are usually so proudly healthy, I guess the salt thing must be that they sweat it out.  From your description I'm picturing you in chequed long sleaved shirts, very outback style, brokeback mountain without the homosexuality...  Sounds fantastic how you're really able to get your hands dirty and get involved and i'm very jealous about the helicopter ride.  Not much going on here, still in at 8 every day, i'm on urology week this week, so loads of scrotum inspections which i think the blokes really enjoy!...I've got to take 3 days off though cos i'm getting a lump removed from my foot and the doctor doesn't seem to think i'll be able to walk for a few days, though we have bupa, so i saw him on harley street and it's happening in a private hospital, very swanky.  However, its under local anaesthetic and I've seen a few ops recently under local and i'm rapidly losing faith in it's ability to prevent pain...I'll update you on that following tomorrow...     Aside from work and my foot, there's not much going on, very sad life i do lead, all my mates are revising for their exams in may and have gone to their various homes.  if you can try looking at joe's wedding photos on my space, they're lovely, he's called joey on it but i'm not sure how you find it if you don't have an account.anyway, got a lecture about uti's now so must run, xxxxx

chris Sounds great fun. Nice to be with extended family, so still lots of people to chat to.  We're looking forward to the june blogs already!!! You'll be the queen of wildlife and 'barbies' when you get back. Hope you don't throw up + squit too much while you're camping.Loads of love,Chris, Moo, Addie and Mina xxxx

Ellie Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!I'm soooooooooooo jealous - it sounds like you're having the most fabulous time!! (...and I have revision - Are you sure you don't miss it??!!) Time has gone so quickly, I can't believe its almost 2 weeks since you went. I miss you so much already. I can't tell you the number of times I've picked up my phone and started scrolling through my phonebook to call you before I realise you're not in the country! There's a bit of news to catch you up on, but I'll send you an email or a facebook message, or both. Which do you check more often? It may be a fairly long babbly email (what else do you expect?!) so I'll probably wait until I'm back in Cambridge with a quicker more reliable internet connection before I write it though, so it may not be until Friday. Was it a 16:1 ratio, did you say, men to women? No wonder they asked that question on your application about how you'd handle 10 drunken men?!lol - who'd have guessedyou might actually have to put it into practice!! hehe :-DWill be in touch soon. Lots and lots of love,ElliexxxxxxPS All the Smiths send their love, and Mum and Dad say if your Mum and Dad want to come over at any time they'd love to see them :-D xx

Dad Great blog from Nardoo to-day. Quite some place you have ended up at.Enjoy the muster. Give my regards to Skippy and watch out for those low flying boomerangs in the outback.Love from Mum Dad & Bess

auntie margaret What a super time you are having. Have just read all your news on our visit to Ely. So gald all is going well for you.  

auntie Margaret

auntie Margaret

Emma Blackburn Hey hey my fellow traveller! Glad to see you're keeping up with the blog! Sounds like you're having a fantastic time! I'm jealous about all the lovely food you're eating. I am currently in Mumbai, just escaping the heat and beggars for a while (also no idea where everyone else is - I am trying to practice being on my own as I leave the others during Thailand). Fly out to Bangkok at 5.30am tomorrow so heading to the airpport at midnight. Cannot wait to be lying on a beach and getting rid of this Dehli belly once and for all! I've already had to run out of this internet cafe and find a loo!Anyway, hope you continue to have lots of fun and the project is all good.Lots of lovexxx

Grace Hey Ali,Very jealous, it sounds fantastic! Never seen this site before - I like it.Promise to keep us posted!Take care!Grace xx