Cruising Down Under

Km driven: 517

It's been a while since the end of the race, and posts have slowed a little. That's due to th need to get adjusted to the new lifestyle. But don't worry, there is so much going on that I'm going to have to do some extra posting to keep you all updated. Also, with the amount of K we're going to put on this odometre, there may be upcoming posts about car breakdowns. Soon? Who know. Take some bets maybe. Keep in mind we've got about 5000km to go

The beut van that we got has been keeping us company for the past week and we've had to learn the ins and outs of a different kind of backpacking. And it is different. I'm definetly a 'backpacker', as the definition goes, but this australia trip is very different from the kind of backpacking that has become second nature to me. So now I have to learn to cope with new problems and live differently to make sure that all goes well and we don't stop in the middle of a desert with no fuel.

The car is great! Drives like a dream, or to put it differently, drives like a toolshed. Originally we were supposed to have no aircon but due to a mix up at the rental agency, we were given the wrong van....which for us is the right van because it has a/c and a cassette player. Hoopah. The inner bowels of the car have a double bed and single bed at night or during the day: a table and two cushioned benches, a stove, a fridge, a microwave, sink and some shelves. Additions we've made include: speakers for the iPod, camping chairs donated to us by some aussies, The Killers Hot Fuss cassette and a cowboy hat. Crucial items

We've driven out to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains to try some hiking but were severly rained out. Still, we trekked to the highest peak in the mtns in the rain and saw some beautiful sights. We even played darts in a secluded old-timey pub. Current plans put me in Sydney for tomorrow's Australia Day where an old (old!) buddy of mine from Sunshine Village ski school has given me the invite to a real Aussie bbq. After that it's road trip time to Melbourne which is about 1000km away down south. The drive down will be along the coast and hopefully by the next update I'll tell you how my surfing skills are.

Cel in Australia: 043 848 4642