Well, here we are. Over six months in sunny Australia, four of which here in Melbourne. Not the easiest four months to be honest, as some of you will know but some probably not. April 17th we moved in to our little home, almost exactly the time Jaimie fell ill. (Note - Jaimie is in great health now!) Since then we've been in a state of well, recovery I guess is the best way to put it. Winters never the best time of year for any health issues to arise but then in a funny way, it was probably the best time (if there is such a thing) for us. To be settled in a good home. For as great as van life is, its not the place or lifestyle to suit dealing with and the recovery from any form of serious health issues!
Let it be known, winter in Melbourne is a REAL winter! Packed with all the usual homely treats that one comes to expect from this time of year, yes they've got it all. OK so its no Huddersfield winter but then we're nowhere near chuffin Huddersfield! Am I the only person to come to Australia believing that I was heading to a land where the sun always shone, the beer was cold and people threw boomerangs? Well the beers cold, everything's bloody cold!!
Why not head North? I hear you ask... Well there are a number of things binding us to Melbourne currently, some easier to swallow than others but when I think about it... for all the reasons we might be here now I wouldn't rule out the incessant British voice in us and its sway on our logic, the voice that would only tire of sunshine like winter, which believes that if something's worth pining for then it is worth waiting for, and summer will be all the richer for it.
Saying that... WE JUST WENT TO BALI!
Well its practically an extension of Australia! As a friend of ours states when he hears of our plans, "Well, you haven't seen Australia until you've seen Bali!" Luckily for us he was referring to Kuta, an Ibiza-like destination for hoards of Australians, not exactly the trip we were lucking for, which is fine as Kuta is merely one sorry little corner of a beautiful, epic and diverse island.
'Holiday', not a concept too familiar to Miss Jaimie Beynon, backpacker, vanner, all-round traveller... Fortunately I have a good grasp of the concept and all it should entail. So after some debate and research and some conversations that went something like this.. "hmm, don't you think that moving on to another destination around Indonesia 'everyday' may be a little intense for a two and a half week 'holiday'?.. or "Do we really need an infinity pool with views of the volcano?" (we did actually, yes) Anyway in the end we settled on a near perfect itinerary for all that the pair of us wanted and needed form the trip. Enough babble here's some photo's!....
Walking in the back streets of the Sideman Valley when half the village comes
rushing out of their homes to gawk at the funny looking British people melting!
Let it be known, winter in Melbourne is a REAL winter! Packed with all the usual homely treats that one comes to expect from this time of year, yes they've got it all. OK so its no Huddersfield winter but then we're nowhere near chuffin Huddersfield! Am I the only person to come to Australia believing that I was heading to a land where the sun always shone, the beer was cold and people threw boomerangs? Well the beers cold, everything's bloody cold!!
Why not head North? I hear you ask... Well there are a number of things binding us to Melbourne currently, some easier to swallow than others but when I think about it... for all the reasons we might be here now I wouldn't rule out the incessant British voice in us and its sway on our logic, the voice that would only tire of sunshine like winter, which believes that if something's worth pining for then it is worth waiting for, and summer will be all the richer for it.
Saying that... WE JUST WENT TO BALI!
Well its practically an extension of Australia! As a friend of ours states when he hears of our plans, "Well, you haven't seen Australia until you've seen Bali!" Luckily for us he was referring to Kuta, an Ibiza-like destination for hoards of Australians, not exactly the trip we were lucking for, which is fine as Kuta is merely one sorry little corner of a beautiful, epic and diverse island.
'Holiday', not a concept too familiar to Miss Jaimie Beynon, backpacker, vanner, all-round traveller... Fortunately I have a good grasp of the concept and all it should entail. So after some debate and research and some conversations that went something like this.. "hmm, don't you think that moving on to another destination around Indonesia 'everyday' may be a little intense for a two and a half week 'holiday'?.. or "Do we really need an infinity pool with views of the volcano?" (we did actually, yes) Anyway in the end we settled on a near perfect itinerary for all that the pair of us wanted and needed form the trip. Enough babble here's some photo's!....
rushing out of their homes to gawk at the funny looking British people melting!