Celebrating the big event in Darwin!

You can take the girl out of England but you can't take England out of the girl!! haha 

Didn't she look gorgeous!

Celebratiing with my Dutch friends (I think they thought I was quite crazy with the pictures on the wall!! :-)

Look at the crowds Wills not your shoes!!

Easter Eggs, the Top End and Wedding Fever!!

Happy Easter!!! Exchanging easter gifts with friends from my west coast trip!

Trying to put my finger up a turtles bum!!!! haha

A croc in the Adelaide River



Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu National Park



A bit of a worry!!

Edith Falls - we swam here!!

Wallaby at our Camp site

Me at Katherine Gorge, it was as gorgeous as I remember from 20 years ago!




Moon rising over the sea in Broome - aamazing sight

 


Australians have such a way with words (the words on the bottom say say, lift tail for Butt Hole ) hahahaha- An ash tray in the northern territories




Swimming hole near Florence Falls



Gorgeous Fragipani flowers

Cooling off at a swimming hole (its 37 degrees!!) making very good use of my rashi!! (swimming top)

Florence Falls, Litchfield NP

Wangi Falls, Litchfield NP

Massive termite mound Litchfield National Park

I can't help feeling patriotic today so I've decorated the wall in my hotel room

There's wedding fever in Oz too!

The sunsets are breathtaking

So another busy week has passed by and this saw me visit places I first saw almost 20 years ago on my first trip to Australia, Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Park and I certainly wasn't dissapointed, the best part (aside from the beautiful waterfalls, stunning sunsets, breathtaking views and scenery) was there were no where near as many files as there was last time (thank the lord) I had my fly net at the ready as previously I remember being plagued by millions of the little buggers but this time it was relatively civilised - well thats if you discount having cane toads in the showers and frogs plopping out of taps when you turn them on yes (yes this did happen to me one morning about 6.30 - I'm surprised you couldn't hear me screaming in the UK!!)  Yes I can safely say that I am done with the australian outback and camping for a while, we decided on our last night of camping at Mount Bundy Station that enough was enough and yes its great to be at one with nature, but a clean bed, air conditioning and my own bathroom (with no frogs and toads) wins hands down at the moment!!

So today is the royal wedding day and yes wedding fever is alive and well in Australia too, its on the TV 24 hours a day at the moment - though we are 8.5 hours ahead here so I will be watching through the night as Kate and William tie the knot! I am feeling very patriotic today so I went out and bought a magazine and decorated my hotel room in preparation for the big event (god knows what the chambermaids must think!! Crazy Pom probably!! haha). I have been listening to rousing british music ...Jerusalem and Elgar and singing very loudly.. I kind of wish I was at home for the big event and feel just a tiny bit homesick when I see all the mad english people  on TV sleeping on the streets outside Westminster Abbey !! But hey ho I'll be in Sydney on Monday so its not all bad!! haha.

Anyway, better go now and get ready for an evening of TV viewing. :-) Happy Wedding Day William and Kate!

West Coast Adventures

My tent and bedroom for 6 nights (thank god for thermarests)



Karigini National Park - absolutely beautiful




Sporting the latest 'must have' accessory, the Fly Net, frying onions in the outback!



Here's one I caught earlier ( a baby shark)



Sunset at Pardoo Station



Take only pictures, leave only footprints (90 mile beach WA)

New friends - trying out the self timer

The infinity pool at ECO Beach - how perfect!



The sunset view from my safari tent at ECO beach



No I haven't got chicken pox, they are mozzie bites - the little buggers



The distances in WA are incredible














Hi everyone

Just a quick update I'm afraid as I have exactly 11 minutes until I need to be at Broome airport to catch my flight to Darwin... Oh the life of a busy traveller eh!!

Apologies for the lack of posts just recently but havne't had proper access to the internet for the past 2 weeks and I am now just in transit so have practically no time to update you all.  But thought I would post a few quick photos anyway.  WA (Western Australia) has been amazing, its so beautiful here, wild, unpsoilt and natural, I have loved it.

Tha camping trip was the best laugh, there were some great people on my trip, especially those you will see cramped in my tent!!

In short the skies at night were incredible, the distances travelled immense (approx 2.5 thousand miles in 10 days) the coast line was beautiful and immense unlike anything I think I have ever seen.  The camping was interesting, thank god I invested in a thermarest mattress (which everyone else laughed at - but secretly wanted!!) the food was brilliant and I enjoyed helping out most days - you'll see me frying onions in the outback. Such a great trip and a shame it got cut short because of bad weather (the rain has been awful in the top end of the country and hence some of the national parks we were due to visit are closed!!.  As a result I am flying to Darwin and doing a 3 day trip in Kakadu, Lithcfield and Katherine Gorge instead and then flying on to Sydney next Sunday.  I have been to Kakadu and Katherine before but I remember it being stunning before so its no great hardship!!

Today I got an email from one of the girls at Jolly Mercy - one of the staff scanned and emailed it to me, it was so sweet and yes I did get tearful - - she sent greetings to my family and friends - including my Dad and Sharon - I mustn't wish away my time but cant wait to get back to see my little cuties ;-)

Anyway, better go that 11 mins went very quickly.

Love to you all.  A xxxx

A few photos to make you Jealous!!

I do like to look my best of the beach!! I had to buy a 'rashy' (swimming top) as its too damn hot to risk getting burnt to a crisp!



Coral Bay a little piece of paradise!



How about this for a perfect beach!

The Pinnacles

Monkey Mia dolphins

I was picked to hand feed a dolphin.. was like an excited child!



A quick photo stop on a VERY long journey




Home for the next 7 days, thank god I bought that blow up matresss, its a god send!



Natures window, truly stunning!

A few pics of WA from the Birthday Girl!!!

Lovely Wetsuit !!!

Gorgeous Weather for swimming with Dolphins

A beautiful sight!

Play time



On a visit to Margaret River WA



Cape Lewin Lighthouse, near Margaret River, WA

Spectacular Wave Rock!

Yours truly at Wave Rock!

It does rain sometimes!!! But not very often!

Freemantle Prison - I love a visit to a prison!! Convicts were last here in 1991!!



Like something out of the Thorn Birds eh! Total population - 8!!! We stopped here for afternoon tea




I didn't get lucky :-)



A shop you would like Dad!

And of course a Kangaroo!

So what a way to spend your 40th Birthday, swimming with wild dolphins - it was just fantastic, add to that perfect weather and I think its been an unbeatable day!!

I've had a packed week since arriving in Perth with trips to Margaret River, Wave Rock, Freemantle and today swimming with Dolphins, its really been fantastic.

Some dissapointing news was that the trip I am starting tomorrow has been cut short by 10 days as the weather in the north of Australia has been so bad there is severe flooding and thus lots of the outback roads and national parks we were due to visit are cut off and impassable - I only found out last night so now I am busy trying to make new plans - I was stressed about it for a minute or 2 until Sharon reminded me that having to rearrange travel plans was better than being at work.... too bloody right (sorry Harvey :-) haha)

So the next 10 days sees me off up the west coast of Australia on a camping (yes camping) trip, I am a little concerned (to say the least) about some of the conditions I am going to find myself in but hey ho, it will be an adventure which I am sure will create a few laughs (for you all) when I find some time to blog next!  So my washing is done, my backpack repacked and my sleeping bag (!!!) and sleeping mat (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) at the ready and we'll see what the next 10 days brings.

Over and out!!

PS happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me !!