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Well everybody, this will be the final installment in our blog-a-thon for this trip. We'll be too busy to do it justice when we get home, and there's a couple of things to be said, before we forget in the hustle and bustle of normal life... Again, this installment isn't about keeping everybody informed and up to date, it's to provide us a history and account of how we feel now that the trip is over, and we're nearly home...
There's much to say, so in an effort to keep it organised and logical, I've asked myself questions, like an interview, in order to provide sensible and understandable answers. Hopefully, this will cut down the rambling waffle I normally go on with. Before I start that though, I just need to say that this has been the very best experience we've ever had as a family. If you have the time and ability to do something similar to this trip, with your own family, I cannot recommend it to you highly enough. Take the time, spend the money, hit the road... There's no better way to bond with each other, and learn about yourself and your kids than to be all alone with each other, for an extended road trip. We've absolutely loved it, thrived on it, and would most definitely do it all again...
Ok, you're dying to know, I can sense it! Ask your questions...
You're nearly home. What have you learned on this trip? You mean besides the fact that we need to stay out of bakeries? There's so much, it's difficult to give a simple answer. You'll need to be more specific...
Ok. What have you learned personally on this trip? Ahh, ok. What I've learned above all else, is that everything I want from this life, everything I need, I already have. It's just been taken for granted. Life gets over complicated with the hustle and bustle of business and work and school and sport, and all this other junk that's going on, and you lose sight of what's truly important. It's not until you strip all that other stuff away, and get your focus back on the basics, that you realise it. Sometimes, the simple things in life really are the best. Pack a lunch, go for an hours walk in the rainforest to see a waterfall, with the people you love most in this world, and you'll know what I mean. Sit on a lookout at sunset, eating a pizza, and watch the sun go down, again with the people you love most. It's basic stuff, but you'll refocus on what's important... Or, if you've got the time, go to Airlie Beach and spend the day on an Ocean Rafting Tour with your family. It's the same thing, just alot more exciting!! The other thing I've learned is that it's really difficult to get romantic with your wife, in a caravan that rocks back and forth with every movement, and that it's best left until the kids are well and truly asleep... Was that what you meant when you asked the question?
What have you learned professionally on this trip? If I tried to tell you everything we've learned for our business, we'd be here forever. Suffice to say, we're overly critical of our own business. We see too much of what's not right, and not enough of what we've achieved. There's no doubt about our place in BIG4. We'll never be a Cairns Coconut or a North Star, but that's not what we want either. We just want to know that what we're doing is the right thing for the industry, and that we're not falling behind, and we've learned that we don't need to worry on that front... The number of ideas, both basic and brilliant, that we've picked up is incredible, and we can't wait to start implementing some of them back at work. Wait and see...
What do you think, you will remember the most? There are a couple of things that immediately spring to mind. They're not places or activities or sights, but rather moments that occured, and we just stopped and went wow!! The first was the Minjin Swing in Cairns, when Dylan took the leap and faced his fears and did it with us. This happened again at Dreamworld when he finally agreed to do The Claw. He was scared to death, both times, but he did it anyway... I admire that. The second moment was also in Cairns, when we got to watch Jeremy develop and manage his first crush on a girl called Claire. He new he liked her, and he wanted to talk to her, and try to get to know her, but he also knew it was for a very short moment in time. It took a couple of days, but he finally made the effort to speak with her, even though he felt awkward and uncomfortable. He was so mature and grown up about the whole thing, it made us realise he's really growing into a fine young man. All he wanted was an "I LOVE CAIRNS" keyring to remember that moment... Both our boys have made us very proud... The other thing I think I'll remember forever is to never, ever, ever take a stone, no matter how pretty, from a sacred aboriginal site, as a souvenier...
What are your favourite moments from the trip? Well, this could be a long answer, as there's so many, but lets start from the beginning:
#Spending time at Sovereign Hill with Tristan and Meegan and their two girls. A rare opportunity, and priceless... #Arriving at Coober Pedy, and just not understanding what was going on. It's a strange place, and although you can drive there, it really is on another planet. Just cause you can drive there, doesn't mean you should #Sunset over Uluru. Everyone does it, and there's a reason why... #Discovering Palm Valley, a lush tropical oasis in the middle of the desert. Hard to get to, but worth every bit of the effort. #Learning that even the best laid plans can go wrong. s*** happens! The best thing you can do is roll with it and accept that everything will be ok. In our situation, things worked out better than our best laid plans. #Unearthing the truth about dinosaurs in outback Queensland. They were real, and they've got the bones to prove it. #Ocean Rafting, snorkelling, Whitehaven Beach, swimming with Wally the fish, in fact anything to do with the Barrier Reef is just superb. #Driving, jungle surfing and walking through the Daintree Rainforest. It's natures paradise, and will absolutely blow your mind with it's beauty. #Quad biking with Jeremy and deliberately getting as dirty as possible. #Birdworld at Kuranda. The boys are still talking about it. #Watching Dylan's sheer joy feeding the kangaroos at every chance. #Discovering Paronella Park, and learning that dreams really can come true. #Spending the day on Magnetic Island. One day wasn't enough, so we'll have to go back. #Australia Zoo. It's just bloody amazing... #Finishing our adventure at Dreamworld. It's always a fun time...
What did you do right on this trip? Well, we spent a long time planning and preparing for it. We saved hard really hard to make sure we could do it, and we committed ourselves whole heartedly to it. We waited until the boys were old enough to be independent and responsible, and to make sure they'd remember it as they got older. We swapped cars, and prepared the Pajero as much as we could. We also made changes to the caravan. We put carpet tiles throughout, which made a huge difference to the warmth of the van, and was easier to keep clean with a small vaccuum cleaner. The Dyson heater was essential. We stuck to our guns, and refused to take the xbox, and we learned we could live without it on a daily basis, but the iphones, the ipad and the laptops were absolutely necessary. We began and maintained this blog, which was one of the best ideas we had. Keeping this journal up to date, and writing on a regular basis, when our feelings and emotions were fresh, will really benefit us when we read it back in later years, and all those memories come to life again. We signed up to NRMA Premium Care, an investment of $175, which saved us $3000, and is something we'll do each and every time we begin a journey such as this. We made sure that we weren't doing too many kilometers each day, and that we had enough time in each place to stop and explore properly. We didn't want to be arriving somewhere one day, just to pack up and go somewhere else the next day, and spend all day following the white dotted line. That would have been a waste. I think that was our strong point, our combination of travelling time and resting time was just right...
What would you do differently next time? I wouldn't take a Jayco, they're crap. I also wouldn't take an expanda caravan. The Jayco's are just too cheap, and they start falling apart immediately. The expandas take time to set up and pack up every time, and although they're fine for weekend trips, having to make and unmake beds every time gets very annoying. It's also frustrating when they leak in the rain. I'd take a van that is set up inside, and stays set up when you travel. And our next caravan will have more power points, we never seemed to have enough. Also, we wouldn't waste money on an annexe. We hardly ever used it, could have easily managed without it, and the $2000 would have been better spent on other things...like a diff lock...
And finally, the future? Well, the world's our oyster, and the best parts of the world are right here in our own country. There's no doubt we'll be doing more of this as a family, although the trips won't be as long. We've all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and could easily keep going. As the boys get older, and begin to build lives of their own, I know Jo and I would love to do more of this by ourselves. I'm not a religious person, but I pray we're able to keep going. We've caught a bug, and there's noone I'd rather do it with...
- comments
Aunty Min (I wrote a msg last nt but it didn't save, so I'll try again) I am so pleased that you have had such a wonderful time as a family, both physically, doing all the fun stuff & spiritually growing together. That bond with be invaluable as the boys grow older for sure. Family road trips are the best. Can't wait to see you & hear about where you next adventure will take you. Good luck settling back into normal life again. Talk soon. Love ya guts you lot. Xx
Michelle Barrois Three Cheers hooray hooray hooray Thanx for letting us come into your life Pete & I loved it
Teaghan Good to hear you are all home safe and sound. Thanks for sharing your amazing adventure. I've loved reading it and look forward to rereading when we plan our own adventure in a few years. Take care love teags