Yes, we are still in Port Douglas, making the most of being off the road for a bit whilst trying to get our logistics organised in an effort to reach Dili, Timor-Leste.  We are reluctant to travel any further south as we are hoping that Timor will open its borders before the end of the year which will see us heading back to Darwin.  The good news is that Covid cases in T-L have dropped dramatically and the state of emergency that has been in place for the last six months was lifted on 28th November.  The bad news is that the government has not yet made an announcement about when foreigners will be allowed to enter and so we are waiting.  In the hope that the situation will soon change we decided to take a leap of faith and start the process (at least from our end) to leave Australia. 

We were successful in applying for and getting our Indonesian business visas B211A.  This was very straight forward and we received both visas within a week of the applications being submitted.  Indonesia rulings around the Covid situation and international travel seem to be changing almost daily and at the time of our application no tourist visas were being issued to Australians.  From what we can gather, this seems to be based on a reciprocal attitude with other countries and at present Australia is definitely off the list, but given the amount of money the Australians pump into the Indonesian tourist economy it is easy to assume that this will change pretty soon.  In the meantime the Indo government is willing to issue business visas provided they are applied for by a resident agency.  We used Georg at the Permit House, based in Jakarta and Bali, who spoke good English and communicated with us throughout.  The total cost was $1,000.  The visas are valid provided we enter Indo before the end of January and are extendable 4 times which will give us 12 months in total.  Of course, there is the possibility that we don’t get to Indo before the visas expire but we were unable to apply for the Timor visas without a proof of return ticket or onward travel.  Once we received our B211As we applied to the consulate in Darwin for a letter of permission to enter T-L but our application was politely refused and we were told to keep up to date with ever-changing policies.  Undeterred, we then sent our application direct to the Consulate in Dili and are currently waiting to hear back.

Before we ground to a temporary halt in PD, we spent 100 nights out of 123 camping and covered an average of 135 km per day.  Many evenings have been spent marvelling at the vastness of the Australian night sky, certainly different to watching TV.  We camped just outside an army base near to Kakadu NP on a couple of separate occasions and one evening, in the space of an hour, saw six shooting stars.  Seeing one is always exciting, but one after another – wow!  When we first arrived in Australia over 20 years ago, one of the things we noticed was the sky.  Coming over from the UK where there are so many people, which naturally demands a significant amount of infrastructure, it is easy to go for long periods when only a small slice of sky can be seen.  This is definitely not the case in Oz and having spent many days and nights in the Outback where the sky is so vast we are both mindful of appreciating just how marvellous it is before we leave. 

Before we arrived in Australia, a mere 24 years ago, we had been back-packing for 12 months through South America, Southern Africa and parts of SE Asia on a pretty low budget.  We travelled for long distances on foot and then on bicycles and for the most part the travel was pretty rough.  We pitched our tiny tent in a variety of places including building sites, outside abandoned dwellings, on the perimeter of bus terminals and really anywhere that was convenient.  I say this because when we reached Australia we were in good physical shape, not in the slightest bit picky about our surroundings and hardened to life on the road.  It was therefore surprising to me that I found this huge country so confronting.  It was the first place we had come across where we couldn’t rely on finding good drinking water sources, the strength of the sun was like nowhere else we had been, the flies were relentless, the red earth all pervasive and the massive emptiness of the interior and sheer scale of the place more than a little overwhelming.  I never forgot this initial impression which shaped our original plan to drive directly from Adelaide to Darwin and get us and Bob over to Timor in the shortest time possible.  But, the arrival of Covid put a stop to our control over many aspects of life and so we found ourselves travelling through this unusual continent.  We are now so grateful that events conspired in this way and awareness of the beauty and diversity that is on offer here is firmly fixed in our minds.  However, I still believe this to be one of the most challenging overland environments you will find.

It is not so much the distances that need to be covered in order to explore this huge land mass, it’s more the climate and the emptiness of the space that you find yourself in again and again.  We have explored many different countries using different modes of transport and there is nowhere quite like Australia.  We have repeatedly travelled for 100’s of kilometres without seeing another person or any kind of infrastructure.  Obviously there are pros and cons to this – the isolation is becalming, a state not easily found on such a populated planet, but depending on your location and what time of year it is, the terrain and temperature offer a drive-through experience only.   Getting sufficient daily exercise is sometimes quite hard as being outside of Bob’s cool(ish) interior is not an option during the heat of the day and the small windows at sunrise and sunset are often utilised with packing up or setting up camp.  However, we both make a concerted effort to keep in shape.  Ian has a fitness programme provided to him by his personal trainer before we set off which amongst other things involved skipping.  It obviously needed to be thought about for some time before putting into practice but eventually Ian hit the mat and on the third occasion going through this programme pulled a calf muscle.  This didn’t seem too bad and just when he thought recovery was sufficient to resume with the programme Leroy took off over some sand dunes after a kangaroo with Ian in hot pursuit (at impressive speed).  It wasn’t long before Leroy was back but it was some time before Ian was seen limping back to camp.  Ian’s programme would no doubt have continued but, if you have been following our previous posts, you will know that we lost a yoga mat – the only thing we have lost so far - on our way back from the Bungle Bungle Range, what else needs to be said?  My own efforts involve yoga which goes someway to alleviate sitting in the same position for long periods of time.   

Most of the travellers we have met were part way through the Big Lap.  There appears to be a well trodden path which, when correctly followed, will see you in the right place at the right time, as opposed to us being in the far north at a time when everyone else seems to be heading south.  The National Highway is a 14,500 km ring road around Australia and is the longest National Highway in the world with a record for the fastest lap set in 2018 at 5 days, 13 hours and 43 minutes https://www.drive.com.au/news/around-australia-speed-record-broken/.  In case you were wondering, their vehicle of choice was a Land Cruiser and when we were getting ready to leave Adelaide and start our adventure, many people queried our choice of a Land Rover over a Land Cruiser.  This in itself was not really surprising as you only need look at how many Land Cruisers there are on Australian roads to know that the Toyota brand is well supported.  Having driven a Land Cruiser for the past 15 years I need no persuading on the reliability and suitability of this particular vehicle but when it came down to it the thought of buying and converting a Defender 110 was just more exciting that doing the same thing with a Troopy.  Only time will tell if this decision turns out to be a bad one and whether the prophesies of many that alluded to the probability of numerous break downs and the difficulty in sourcing parts will come true.

As expected we have met many different types of people travelling around and, given our more senior years, have been secretly thrilled to have felt included amongst the most diverse of groups.  We never took this for granted as we hit the road and expected to feel a little out of place from time to time.  A few months down the track and we have spent our time in the midst of European back-packers, surfers, 4WD enthusiasts, fishermen, the big-rig monied set and, of course, the grey nomads.  We can’t take much credit for the ease of these connections as Bob and Leroy are much more interesting than we are and definitely promote curiosity, but the overall friendliness and hospitality we have encountered has been an important factor in our trip so far.

In the meantime, as we are relaxing into the tropical lifestyle that PD offers, we decided it was only fair that Bob had a bit of down time as well and so we purchased a couple of entry level mountain bikes. As well as exploring the town and environs, Ian decided we should try out a local MB track and we drove to the start of a short 8km loop which looked to be of moderate difficulty and had the advantage of taking us to Hartley Falls which promised no crocs and the opportunity for a swim.  Our first effort was cut short when Ian had a puncture after we had grunted/sweated three quarters of the way up a (very) steep hill and so had to abandon our plans and limp back to Bob.  The local bike shop replaced the tube and we set off a couple of days later with a spare tube and repair kit.  Unfortunately, the second effort was no more successful as we took Leroy along and he ran out of steam at the exact same spot of the puncture.  This resulted in one of us enjoying the downhill ride back to Bob and returning up the hill to rescue Leroy.  Our third attempt was a little more successful in that we managed to get past the bogey spot but after cycling further up the hill (we really were pretty high up by now) we realised we were in completely the wrong place.  Despite evidence to the contrary, Ian’s position in his capacity to co-pilot us around the world is secure as the only other candidate for the role is usually asleep in the back.

How is Leroy getting on?  As observers, we would have to say that he is loving his new life, he is healthier and fitter than ever before and gets to spend all his time with us which is what most dogs probably desire the most.  Of course there are pros and cons to travelling with a dog especially in a country such as Australia where all the National Parks are out of bounds.  There are also limitations when looking for places to camp or stay as accommodation that extends to pets is sometimes hard to find, although I think this is improving.  Yes, he takes up quite a bit of space, not excluding his personal possessions and the amount of food he insists on travelling with, he is often smelly and the amount of hair he sheds makes me think about knitting jumpers.  Despite all this, he adds a dynamic to our group that is truly valuable.  His demand for daily walks makes sure that we explore our surroundings in a way that I am not sure we would otherwise and helps us maintain our own fitness levels.  As mentioned before, he is a great conversation starter despite the fact that he won’t let many people touch him and is really quite anti-social.  And, not that we have run into any trouble, but there is no question that he provides a solid security service and does bring a sense of safety from time to time.  He has his own trampoline bed which has proved to be a great success and an ever increasing supply of balls which he seems to find everywhere we go.  He also has “Woolfie", a little brown stuffed something that is the only thing that has survived since he was 12 weeks old.  Most of all, he has an unwavering dedication to getting full enjoyment from every day, he never complains and is a source of constant amusement.

As we wait to progress on our way, we are working our way through PDs many bars, cafes and restaurants and have been contemplating our new lifestyle and changed circumstances.  We both agree that our decision to travel full time is the opportunity of a lifetime and, for the most part, we are smiling and laughing our way through the experience.  Of course, we have our off days but we are pretty compatible when it comes to ignoring each other and are both capable of switching off, a state of affairs that we are able to sustain for as long as is needed.  The tension usually eases when one is desperate to share something with the other or we start to laugh whilst in the middle of an argument which is annoying but effective. 

On reflection, we have been looking at our travels within Australia and agree that we have made so many memories in the last 6 months and seen rather more of this country that we initially intended.  Time has started to slow and there is a feeling of timeless anticipation stretching out in front of us.  Prior to selling up, most of our adult lives have been an exercise in routine and discipline and although these aspects are still important whilst on the road, they do not carry the same weight.  The relief in the shedding of responsibility that comes with owning a demanding property and the freedom that opens up by stepping away from the security of a familiar environment is truly liberating and neither of us have wanted anything we have supposedly given up which is both a little surprising and hugely encouraging.

From an objective point of view, we appear to be slowly returning to a version of our younger selves, as we are both able to glimpse the people we were when we first met and committed to continuing our lives together.  As you age together and deal with all that life throws at you it is easy to lose parts of yourself along the way.  Take it from me, these parts are not lost, maybe just buried a bit! 

We asked each other what part of this new life had provided the most enjoyment.  Ian was very quick to show me his feet which have thrived from many barefoot walks along the beach and are now tanned and almost unrecognizable.  Not something you probably think about much sitting in brogues in an air-con office for long periods of time, or maybe it is?!  For me?  Not picking up horse poo every single day in all weather - my back will be eternally grateful.