New Years Eve + Fat boy slim!

gonna have xmas at home and that, but any plans for NYE

and anyone gonna try see Fat boy slim on New years day?? u need a brighton post code i think, but thought may be possible!

anyone up for it?

on the river

a nice shot of us on the boat, and with the opera house in the background

happy birthday bay-beeeeee

justine joins us 30 somethings tomorrow, as she will be hitting the big 3-0 on the 24th october

so all together now,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JUSTINE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

more photo's

Juz has put a few nice photo's up recently on.....

http://justineboles.blogspot.com/

including a lovely one of the kangaroo with a little joey in it, which we saw in cape hillsborough

the story so far

this is more for my benefit, and is just a list of the all the places we have over nighted in, with some notes if its tricky to remember, and maybe a few notable people we have met - its a bit tedious but we needed to do it to remember everything - here goes

we did have numbers but the list has lost them when i copied in - i think it totals 177 at the moment

Singapore – sleepy sams
Malaysia - Pulau tiaman
cheriting – the shadow of the moon at half past four (guitar players)
Temen negara national park
Kota Bhurua (dentist Dr Tan)
Thailand – Ko tao – sunshine resort (scottish couple)
Our jungle house – Klaus
Krabi – A mansion
Ko jum – woodland (ray, sue and Dave)
Lanta resort
Trang
Saturn
Malaysia – Langkawi
Thailand – Ko bulon resort (freedom trousers, creepy old guy)
ko lipe (felix, puppy’s, jacks tour)
Ko adang – camping, waterfall
Ko turatao – camping, leech’s
Phuket – (daniel)
Bangkok – the villa
Hanoi – roof terrace place
Overnight train
Nha trang (pick pockets)
Mui ne for xmas
Saigon – graham
chau doc
Can tho
Delat (2 places)
Hoi An
Hue
Ha Long Bay tour (czhech rockers, belguim couple, french couple, bruce willis canadian guy)
Laos - Vientienne
Vang vieng – May lyn (jophus)
Louang Prabang (le cinema)
Nong Khiaw (2 dollar room)
Oudemaxi (old prision place)
Loang namtha
Muang sing (cottages, china)
Luang namtha
Na le (dodgy boatmen)
Louang Namtha
Hou xai (becky knocked over by bike)
Gibbon experience – treehouse 1
GE treehouse 3 (marcus, kerry, Brian ans Sue)
Thailand - Chang rai (pixie place)
Sappong - Cave lodge (french swingers, scientists tour)
Mae hong son (bike accident, rug people)
Pai – stilt house (canadians, sidney couple, marcus)
Chiang Mai
Doi inthanon national park
Ayyathaya – PV’s (‘’wonderful tonight’’ bar)
Malaysia – Kuala Lumpar – the colloseum
Phillipines – Pagsanjan (the president, the boatmen)
Daet – pizza place
Legaspi – kids followed us and introduced us to the gay guys on the beach
Donsol – (2 old guys, Tom)
Donsol beach place
Bithon Beach
Esperanza (cherie)
Malapuscua – ging ging (derk)
Cebu – cuckoo’s nest (karl, english bloke)
Tubigon (stilt place, good food)
Panglao – camping
Pamilican – 1 month (mary, gerald, gelmar, raymond, jomar, nadine, ading, lillia, jojo, ricky, mornai, joe, thiery, jan, patricia, jan-andrew, reno, carlo, daniel, mary’s dad)
Nuts huts (annoying new age owner)
Tagbiliran - Nisa’s
Dumagette – Vintage inn
Silay – bel de vere
Ilo Ilo motel
Valle verde – Guimeras (mango’s)
Family place – Ilo Ilo
Borocay – Jackys place
Roxas – Woody’s
Puerto galera – camping
Angeles motel
manilla – natividad pension
Manilla – Malvar (phillipino restaurant guy)
Malaysia – kota Kinabulu – Beach Lodge
Sapi – camping
Lucy’s homestay – (marc, julie)
Sri Jaya – tenom
TVRC – tambunan (helen, jerry and family , Rob)
Akinabulu KK
Uncle tans rest house
Uncle Tans Jungle Camp (brent, sarah, ronnie, emma, nick)
Semporna (view of mosque)
Lee’s guesthouse
Mabul – camping - Uncle chang’s (Yan, eric)
Lee’s guesthouse
Rose Cabin (Neville Southall)
Waras Hut (on the mountain)
Rose cabin again
Lucy’s homestay (marmite brekky!)
Phillipines - Bagio – Hotel 45
Sagada – St Josephs resthouse (manilla dudes)
Banaue – Greenview
Palawan - Puerto princessa – Puerto pension
Sabang – Mary’s (Vinny, Bippin, Brad, Phillipa)
Port Barton – Elsa’s – (grant , sarah)
El nido – Dara fernandez (Eric, the italian brazilians)
Manilla – Pension Natividad
Singapore (Helen,s place)
AUSTRALIA- Darwin – chillies
Gecko lodge
Leprechaun campsite (bruno)
Litchfield – (german girls, football)
Kakadu (rocky soundtrack tour)
Edith falls (Steve, Bentley)
Katherine – Riverside park
katherine – red gum (JB)
Larrimar – pink panther camp (space cadet park keeper)
Daly waters pub
Banka Banka (Graham, sue, thelma, les)
Berkley Homestead (truckies)
Free reststop near camooweal (sally, greg)
Mount isa - Copper mines (tony ‘piss oooffffffffff’)
Julia creek – free, by river
Free rest stop near Portland
Townsville – beach place
car – near harbour
Golf campsite (johny, Mary, Rolf, crazy sign guy, german students,
Car – by sailing club (tom – farango)
car – cul de sac
Bowen – car (moved on)
Showground camp
Bowen – near big mango
Airlie beach (gordo, Adam, jen)
Whitsundays, Madison (mark and ruth, sam and marnie, manualla and andreas, roger, nellie)
Airlie beach
Cape hillsborough nat park (ian, mimi)
Eungella nat park
Mackay – top tourist (grumpy old dears)
Maryborough (back of pub)
Reststop near gladstone (near bridge)
Agnes water (free)
Hervey bay – sophie??
Noossa river campsite
Brisbane (goodfella’s road)
Redcliff – scarborough (becky, chris, tim)
Straddie!!!!
Car near coles
Petrie free campsite
Getaway campsite (stayed at Pete and janes)
car by river (stayed at church’s)
Sufers paradise
Byron Bay (Paul, matt, jo, steve, rocko, barnie, nick and jenny, rett, beaver, jasmine, francesco, alison)
Ballina – car (mick)
Yamba – blue dolphin (Ali – little kid)
Brooms head – right on beach
Red cliff national park
Coffs harbour – Banana coast (tennis)
Dorigo national park (out by 10, sharpish!!!!)
Oxley wild river – Ebor
Connabarrabran – John oxley (telescope tour)
Forbes free camp – by the river, festival going on
Near Balranald (free camp, big fireplace)
Barossa – Nurioptia
Adelaide shores – Adelaide
Tanunda – barossa
Car park in Adelaide
Border town (well dodgy)
Stapleton – the Grampians
Port fairy (FPA – cold and rainy)
Apollo Bay – riverside (didn't pay, oops - warm pub)
Melbourne – Tims place
Eagle Point (nature reserve nearby)
Ben Boyd NP – near Eden
Narooma - outside town, blues festival going on)
Easts campsite – Kyama
Sydney – chris and beckys’
Koala Shores (no koala’s – pricey)
Sydney again
Bundeera – Royan national park)
Blue mountians -Perrys lookdown – Balackheath
Lithgow (nice pub)
Wollemi national park – dunns swap (the beach boys)
Wisemans ferry – camping FPA (crazy dancing)
Hunter valley - Big Four, lots of wine
Karen’s Place!

still here in maitland

just hanging out here at karen's still, had a lovely BBQ last night and pru and ant came around with there 12 week old baby Hugo!

had a lovely night, lots of nice food and Toohey's old - a fine brew indeed !

hunter valler

the wino's strike again! we landed in hunter about 4 pmm and managed to get to two wineries that night, then we did the walking tour the next day and got a bit trousered, as you do - even got a lifet back in the back if ute from the woman in the last winery.

we are now staying at karen landers in Maitland, which is lovely - had a heavy night last night and we are feeling it a bit today!





so again, its the wine review - part 2 - the memory fades in certain bits, but this is what we tried, and the ones we bought are in CAPITOLS :-)

Kelman
06 rose
04 semmillon
05 SEMMILLON
03 shiraz
04 shiraz
05 late harvest semmillon

Saddlers creek
02 CLASSIC MERLOT
06 rose
?? cab sauv
?? reserve shiaraz
single vinyard shiraz - very nice
muscat dessert wine

Pokolbin Estate
06 rose
05 tempranino (lovely)
05 nebeola
99 shiraz - nice
04 starboard (port) shiraz

Lindemahns
99 sparkling shiraz
90 limestone ridge
05 05 verdello
99 steven shiraz

Ivanhoe
05 reserve verdello
05 chambourcine
04 2 pressing shiraz
06 rose

Mount view
04 reserve semmillon
04 reserve verdello
05 willow flat (sem/cdy)
04 reserve chardonnay
06 ROSE SHIRAZ
04 pinot noir
02 BASSALT HILL SHIRAZ/CAB
03 reserve cab sauv

Briar ridge
04 SPARKLING PINOT NOIR CHARDONNAY
06 white trio
06 early harvest semmillon
05 cabernet rose
04 OLD VINES SHIRAZ
05 stockhausen shiraz

Petersons wines
04 semmillon
05 verdello
06 HV viognier
04 merlot
04 CHAMBOURCIN
cellarport
05 mudgee shiraz viognier
06 mudgee rose

Audrey wilkinson
06 verdello
05 temramillio
05 cab merlot

Brian Mcguigan
sparkling chardonnay
sparkling shiraz
pinot noir
cab sauv/shiraz
traminer

Tyrells
06 semillon/sauv blanc
06 rose
06 sparkling shiraz
lost block cab sauv

Oakvale
o6 rose
06 verdello
04 SHIRAZ

Petersons house
'gateway'sparkling
sparkling shiraz
SPARKLING MERLOT
reserve sparkling shiraz - lovely , but too expensive

and there you have it, and the crazy thing is , we drank most of them last night with karen and ashley! good fun though

wisemans ferry

after wollemi we headed for wisemans ferry which was much nicer than we expected. its a lovely little town, and we found a nice campsite which had a bar, and a band on. And the great thing was that everyone was totally and completley battered! old men taking trousers off, jumping on stage, and doing the wedding dances! top night

also turns out the campsite we where in is a bit infamous cos a couple of days earlier a guy ahd pickedd up a snake which bit him 5 times, and he's now fighting for his life. it was on national news as well. crazy!

and to top if off there was loads of kangas there, we walked between about 40 of them on the adjacent golf couse! you just dont ever get bored of these boucing fella's!

(just a note to myself - the place with loads of koala's in the south was called kennett river - have to go back there)

fun fun fun

what a glorious couple of weeks! dont know how we've managed to squeeze a two week 'holiday' into our big holiday, but we've done it!

after camping with chris and bexky in port stephens we headed off to royal national park to camp for the night. We managed to not pay for it somehow, but it was lovely and right by the shores
next day we headed off for the blue mountain which are totally stunning. we went to penrith (nothing like the english one) and then to katumba which was kind of nice but nothing special. we found a campsite called perry''s lookdown and we had the campsite all to ourselves. it was a free national park one and we a lovely fire. i think the first pic above is the view from the campsite - superb!
then we headed to lithgow for the night, headed to the local pub for a few - instanly got talking to the barman and the local 'married 4 times'drunk! still it was entertaining, and when we asked for a carryout the barman took a few dollars from me and gave us about 6 beers - brilliant!!

next day we headed towards dunns swamp (near rhylstone)which may be one of the best camp sites we have been too - right next to the river, lovely hills and basic sites (3 dollars a person) - it was lovely, so we had a couple of nights there. on the way we saw pearsons lookout (above) and had alovely drive towards newnes which is part of the wollemi national park.

film classification

i should just point out that the film 'Wolf Creek' is actually pretty graphic, and at times very very scary!

there's all the old horror movie blunder's, like not properly killing the bad guy, going back the killers premises, and the classic - taking far too long to leave the danger scene

but..... its still quite good, and i nearly spilt my wine, and juz nearly dropped the kettle! oops

some nice old pics

this is two nice pics, ome of on top of mount kinabalu a few months ago - at about 8am in the morning! a vey proud moment

and the other is in the pure NSW outback (i think) when we where just surrounded by nothing for as far as the eye could see - which was a long way as it was just pure flat - very spooky and one of my best memories of australia! (untill we saw wolf creek)

have just developed loads more pics, so hope to get them up soon, but prob next week as we are away camping again tomorrow

see yer

PS, cheers for the photos lydia, they where great

few more things

we've just a t had a great week in sydney here - we had the parklife festival, then a lovely evening drinking by the bridge and the opera house.

a mellow night in, and then a cruisy evening at 'slip in' a pretty cool bar by the river, followed by some food at the asian market

now we have just returned from a weekends camping in Port stephens near nelsons bay. The campsite was rediculousy expensive, and meant to have some koala's there but we saw no evidence, even though i reckon we where just unlucky

we even managed to hire a 'tinny', an oz tin motor boat for two hours (self drive) which was great fun - we saw a few dolphins and even a lonely penguin

which reminds me, we went to the aquariam here last week which was fantastic, they have loads of penguins, grey nurse sharks and loads of seals which we saw being fed, and even a full grown salty crocodile which was quite scary

im sure there's more to add but i cant remember

(just tried to add a picture of royal national park too, but not sure its worked, so there may be a blank space above)

see yer

Wolf creek

we are about to embark on one of our last little road trips tomorrow so we though it may be a safe time to watch wolf creek! the oz film about a crazy murder of some british backpackers

well, not necessarily a good idea - the car is EXACTLY the same as ours! same gas lamp, surf board on the roof, even the same karrimats! its a wee bit freaky to say the least!

watch it, and feel our fear :-)

kyack. kyack, kyack!

we have actually made it too sydney now - well, we did last week but i just aint had time to do the blog. Well, i have if im honest but its been a pretty much full on week but i'll be adding all the details in the next few weeks

We managed to get to a festival last week, and met up with an old friend (phil scott) from the wirral, and we are having a lovely time staying eith chris and becky here -


Tomorrow we are all heading camping in a place called Port Stephens which looks nice - should be good

will get back shortly woth some more waffle :-)