Afternoon, just spent two enjoyable days in Chiang Mai (northern thailand) and am now sitting at a border crossing to Laos. Presently, some local has sped off on a moped with a fistful of dollars and our passports so we could be destitute and selling clothes at the side of the road here for some time. Stayed at a great place in Chiang Mai, basically an ostentatious, colonial hotel with woodwind section playing by the pool during dinner. Very tranquil, though so...

Arrived in Bangkok a couple of days ago and have seen heaps. Day one we wandered to the Grand Palace and met a guide - 'KJ' - the most honest person you could ever meet. Within an hour, she informed Stu and I that we were 'simple' in appearance and that Stu wasn't a patch on Michael J Fox. I was also apparently bound to be good in the kitchen as my looks clearly weren't going to get me terribly far... Anyway, from there she did tell us a h...

Greetings from the outback, Just spent an invigorating few days on the farm in Foster. Have been out searching for wombats, at the market buying traditional lemonade, in the local pub (which has the largest wooden spoon in the world) and even went out to to tell some people to get off the land. No Deliverance-esque incidents to report. Tonight we're out platypus hunting (not for their pelts or anything, just to have a look) and we will be heading off tomo...

Hi Readers, We've arrived, jetlagged but excited. Been a hectic first few days. The 27th was a mixed bag. Emma spent the day with her mother (on her 60th birthday) and the rest of the family. I witnessed 7 hours of humiliating cricket and Gooner drinking over 10 rum and cokes. The cricket was a good laugh as any hope of victory had long passed. Baiting Brett Lee was amusing and he took it well. Mike and Gooner were in good spirits when I left for the 60th b...

We wound down for the trip in the company of a few friends and a bottle of icelandic schnapps. It was emotional evening, Angus in particular struggled to control himself in the garden. The party games were unconventional though I think it goes without saying that 'hoover on the snowman' will stand the test of time.Good to see a few faces before we left.Stuart and Emmap.s. thanks again to claudia and pete for the bags and a special mention to toni for her ...