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 !!

Happy Birthday Grace !



Hope you have a lovely Birthday Grace



Lots of Love from Lali





I took the pictures on this beach - near Margaret River, Western Australia



An early birthday celebration ...... and struggling to find 'a cock' in Hong Kong!!

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong!



Eva, Aisling and myself with the Hong Kong Skyline at night!



Yum Cha



Eva, Phillip, Aisling and I having traditional Yum Cha!



Aisling discovers she likes frozen fruit!

Hong Kong at night



Eva tells me this is a sign for some sort of strip club - I thought it just made a nice photo!!!



You only need 1 candle when you are 21!




Me, my brothers and the kids!




Happy Birthday to me!




A good excuse to make my favourite cupcakes




Surely I can't be that old!! Oh yes you are says Cameron!! haha





Me looking vaguely decent, don't expect I'll look like this again for the next 4 months!!



Hello

I am off on my travels again so thought it was time for a quick update.

Last weekend before I set off on my travels again I had an early birthday lunch to celebrate reaching a land mark birthday, I will let you guess how old I will be in 9th April!!!! :-) I have posted a few photos from the really lovely birthday lunch I had.  I had some lovely cards and beautiful presents so thank you everyone but I think there is some mistake I can't be that old!

So on Wednesday evening I flew to Hong Kong for a few days which has been good, I met up with a friend I used to work with in London, Eva and her family, including baby Aisling who is 8 months and gorgeous.  Eva and her husband Phillipa were great hosts and spent Friday evening and Saturday showing me the sights.  On Saturday morning they took me for traditional yum cha (probably spelt wrong) which is like having chinese brunch. I will say it was interesting!! As most of you will know I am quite particular about my food (some may say fussy) and I would say that some of the food was a little challenging!! But all being washed down with a class of coke helped!

Having purchased a new travel clock (my old one was stolen in Uganda!) in one of night markets last night, I was dissapointed (but not surprised) to find that when I got it back to the hotel last night it didn't work!! So today I was on a mission to buy a new travel clock, I didn't think it would be too hard in Hong Kong, but I was wrong! No, No cocks, No cocks I was told repeatedly as I went from one shop to the next.  I know its a bit pathetic but I couldn't help but snigger every time I walked out of a shop. In one shop I went to and asked if they had any travel clocks the lady shouted out to her colleague, do we have any ccoks and the other one shouted, no, no cocks here !! hahahaha  little things eh!! :-) You'll be glad to know that I eventually located a suitable 'cock' and its now safely packed away until I am in need of it !

Just a couple more hours now until I leave for the airport to fly to Perth! Hope I get 2 seats to myself on the plane again - makes it that bit more comfortable!

Bye for now

PS In Africa it would take me on average 1.5 hours to write each blog - it took so long to upload the photos, today its taken me about 25 minutes and I've uploaded double the amount of photos - well I guess I am in the technology captial of the world!!! (apart from when you want a cock!! :-)