We have come to the end of our wonderful trip after 189 days or 27 weeks and 32,000km. The trip cost roughly $220 per day with the major expenses being the combination of fuel and car (service, new tyres, windscreen, excess etc). We did however spend more on food than on fuel, so it is interesting to note that it costs more to fuel 5 bodies…
We have come to the end of our wonderful trip after 189 days or 27 weeks and 32,000km. The trip cost roughly $220 per day with the major expenses being the combination of fuel and car (service, new tyres, windscreen, excess etc). We did however spend more on food than on fuel, so it is interesting to note that it costs more to fuel 5 bodies than 1 landcruiser. Coming in third on the expenses list was entertainment, but it did include 2 helicopter flights and all ou…
We have come to the end of our wonderful trip after 189 days or 27 weeks and 32,000km. The trip cost roughly $220 per day with the major expenses being the combination of fuel and car (service, new tyres, windscreen, excess etc). We did however spend more on food than on fuel, so it is interesting to note that it costs more to fuel 5 bodies than 1 landcruiser. Coming in third on the expenses list was entertainment, but it did include 2 helicopter flights and all our entrance fees and activities....but after all you go all that way and don't want to miss out on something.
Keeping this site has been fun and hopefully those who have visited have enjoyed our travels also.
The experience was educational for all of us and the kids grew both physically and mentally. They became more mature, responsible and empathetic (though unfortunately they do still fight, but not as much!). However the best part of our trip of a lifetime was the time spent together as a family from the mundane daily tent set up through to the magical swimming with sea lions, we spent every moment together. Our diaries will prompt our treasured memories and we hope the kids remember it forever. We were blessed with perfect health, lovely weather and some of the best sites Australia has to offer. We did leave some to do on future trips as Australia is just too big to do it all! We are converted 4x4 drivers and Stephen is planning the Cape York adventure for next time!! In the meantime we are living our next adventure as expatriates in Macau, China.
We have come to the end of our wonderful trip after 189 days or 27 weeks and 32,000km. The trip cost roughly $220 per day with the major expenses being the combination of fuel and car (service…
We returned home in time for the kids to spend a couple of days back at school telling their friends and classmates all about their trip. It was good closure for them as we will not be returni…
Jan
This is the cheapest way to do El Questro and would be the only way to do it with a family. You can request a private campsite on the river but should be pre-booked. We stayed at Emma Gorge and did not have our own transport. Definitely don't do that. If you do you are up for ridiculous transport fees to and from Emma Gorge. Also if you are booking early in the season, DO NOT go there without ringing and confirming everything is open. We went there at the start of the dry and were limited to one walk and a 4WD trip. The food at The Station was excellent however Emma Gorge food was substandard and very expensive. For example a Beef and Reef cooked to perfection on a Bar-be-que at the Station was $38 (5 star) and a similar menu at Emma Gorge was $50 (1 star). I would advise anyone staying independently at El Questro it is far better value staying in a new cabin at the Station than in a tent cabin at Emma Gorge. It may cost about $50 extra but much much better.
mum
Hello Eaton family, Can you believe I am sending this from the middle of the ocean on our lovely ship on waters that are now calm, but which last night were so very rough. Sorry I missed your phone call yesterday when we were in DJs with Jenny. She had been showing me how to use the mobile and when it rang I thought she was playing a trick to see how well we had absorbed the lesson - needless to say we failed once again!
Tonight we are going to the Captains cocktail party all dressed up in our finery and then we are going
to meet some folk we met last year - Norwegians. Al has already met them and he recognised them, but I am not sure I will. Tomorrow we are meeting Penel in Melbourne and escorting various children to various places before returning at 10.30 pm in time to leave for Hobart. It is indeed a hard life. Hope you were all able to pass the fitness tests at the doctors surgery on Friday and that all your other plans are coming together nicely.
Lots of love from those of us lucky enough to be all at sea, Mum and Allan
Kayelene
Hi Cath
I have been following your travels! I love your photos. WA is my home state - been a while since I've been there - but I do like those open spaces.
It's report writing time again and of course checking out your travels is far more interesting than writing.
Cheers
Kayelene
Hi Cath and Co,
Hope you had a great birthday Cath-Murray's next.. I just returned from a year 10 camp at Wiseman's Ferry-bushwalking and canoeing. Great until I had to drive a student to Richmond Hospital at 2a.m! Suspected chronic asthma-was bronchitis.
I'm just about to start lesson plans for Year 12..
Love to all. Lib
Mum @ Allan
Hi there Cathy, Hope you are in a really great place to make your birthday tomorrow a memorable and special one - after all it will probably be your last in Australia for several years. Happy Birthday from us both. Since our recent visit with you all (which was a wonderful experience) we have a very good idea of where you are at as it were and know for sure you won't be doing any 5 star hotels or cruises or even fancy dinners on Friday night!
We had a lovely weekend at the Hunter Valley music festival where the atmosphere was amazing - 5,000 odd people all sitting out under the stars, mostly on the grass on rulgs or BYO chairs. We were in the middle of the 5th front row on their chairs, where we certianly saw everything very clearly. Obviously a lot of work goes into making this night such a wonderful success. Lots of love to you all and happy birthday from Mum and Allan
Penel
Hi Cath, Wishing you a very cool birthday on Friday. The first birthday on the road, with another next month! I hope it's a memorable day and everyone makes a big fuss of you.
Not much to report at this end. Holly is getting ready for the year 6 'graduation' and farewell party, Josh is getting ready for his school music tour of the Castlemaine region of Victoria over the Melbourne Cup weekend, and YABC performances after that. Tim is madly writing film scripts and editing a film for uni, and just had his first audition for quite a while (for a commercial). I'm getting ready to begin my interviews with CEOs and Board Chairs for the book I am compiling and Peter is getting ready to find another job. Lot's of 'getting readys...'
Thankfully, beyond that life is smooth sailing! Long may it last.
You are heading towards the end of your trip, how does it feel? It will seem really odd coming back to life in suburbia, no matter how short that time will be.
All love, Penel, Peter, Tim, Josh and Holly
Libby and Murray King
Hi everyone,
Just saw your BEAUTIFUL photos. I loved the photos of Cape Leveque. So you are back on the road? Hope all is well. Cath, sorry I didn't get back to you-will ring later this week. I'm back into work after a great little break in Oberon with Mum and Dad on a 2,000 acre property. We also enjoyed Hannah's birthday lunch at Mt Tomah-loved the Asian walk-the gardens are so well structured.
Visited Dad today-he had a hernia operation yesterday but is doing well-stubborn as ever. As for your Mum-I'm very impressed with her computer skills!! I'll try and visit her soon. I haven't heard anything from the Passport Office, so presume all is well.
Murray's almost finished his job at the Church. It's all gone very smoothly. Tori had a clarinet exam yesterday-got Grade B+ for Grade 3 so we'll have a break from the scales for a while..Looks like we'll definitely be coming to Hong Kong in April for easter-especially if we've saved our money from K.I. Decided not to go.
I'll be in touch for the BIG 42.....
LOVE LIB
Lauren and Carol
Dear Matthew, We have a new boy in our class his name is Daniel and He looks just like Jonathan Sheedy. They are the same size and they have the same colour hair. They even have the same raincoat.
We really like getting your emails. We really miss you. We can't believe that we might not see you till year 5
From Carol and Lauren
jemima and keenan
dear matthew how big was the salt water croodile. We hope you are having a good time. We thoght your storys were intresting.I hope you like our masage.
David
From David, The animal you were holding,was it a crocdile or an aligator? I hope you have a nice holiday. Where are you in Broome. I hope you are having fun. Is
Ariel and Riched
Dear Matthew we loved your e-mail but it is very sad to hear you might come when it is year 5.We really miss you but we had a good holiday and we hope you are to.Is the crocodile that you were on real or not?Were you scared of holding the baby crocodile? Love Richard and Ariel.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
gorge& Michael
Dear Mathew hi we hope your car is being repaird and georges wire it was on fire. Michael got a new game called lego star warsII game we miss you
hailie mcguire- awesome
re: Stephen tummy sliding between rockholes Litchfield NPJan This is the cheapest way to do El Questro and would be the only way to do it with a family. You can request a private campsite on the river but should be pre-booked. We stayed at Emma Gorge and did not have our own transport. Definitely don't do that. If you do you are up for ridiculous transport fees to and from Emma Gorge. Also if you are booking early in the season, DO NOT go there without ringing and confirming everything is open. We went there at the start of the dry and were limited to one walk and a 4WD trip. The food at The Station was excellent however Emma Gorge food was substandard and very expensive. For example a Beef and Reef cooked to perfection on a Bar-be-que at the Station was $38 (5 star) and a similar menu at Emma Gorge was $50 (1 star). I would advise anyone staying independently at El Questro it is far better value staying in a new cabin at the Station than in a tent cabin at Emma Gorge. It may cost about $50 extra but much much better.
re: El Questro, Western Australia