South America - the journey begins.

Leaving Brecon on a sunny morning we headed across southern England to arrive at Dave's quirky property in rural Sussex where final checks on bags and paperwork were made before we retired to the pub for Guinness and freshly caught mackerel.

A leisurely morning saw us through to 2pm when we were delivered up to nearby Gatwick for check in - my paltry 10 kilo bag helped offset Chris's that seemed unfeasibly heavy and we were soon passing through the usual security pavlova where Chris was relieved of a suspiciously large tub of cocoa butter - this also relieved Dave and I as lord knows what he had intended using it for.
A short two hour hop to Madrid then gave us time for a good steak washed down with red wine to dull our senses for the 12 hour overnight to Lima. As we descended over rural Spain the orange street lights of the small villages looked like cobwebs on a dark moor.

Lima is 5 hours behind the UK so it was dawn as we arrived at 6am to pass uninterrupted through Immigration and Customs to be met by Guillermo - a taxi driver contact of Dave's - which required a convivial coffee break before we launched in to the chaos of Lima's rush hour.
Having driven in similar frenzies in Morocco this was of no great concern but it was a relief to be in someone else's vehicle as we jostled with beat up buses, delivery vans and a sprinkling of elderly Beetles.

Hotel Castellana ( www.castellanahotel.com ) in Miraflores took care of our bags as our rooms were prepared and we took off to find breakfast near Parque Kennedy, home to a large number of feral cats. The Spanish signs, menus and conversation were reassuringly familiar even if still largely unintelligible but we were soon tucking in as outside the city came to life.

A quick visit to the local airline office saw tickets to Cajamarca booked and we also changed sterling and dollars in to nuevo soles with one of the many authorised street dealers who offer better rates than the hotels and banks - fully legit but it still felt slightly clandestine.

The Museo de Chocolate was full of temptation but we resisted and even Chris decided not to restock on his confiscated contraband but the samples were delicious.

Back at the hotel we were shown good, clean rooms and rested for a few hours before heading to a bar for beer and chips to watch the rugby play off and have - in my case - an early night.

Today we fly at 2pm giving the others time to watch the rugby final whilst I will head off and explore the area - Cajamarca will be our base until Wednesday as we need to check out and load the new vehicle - a Hyundai people carrier- that will be our transport for the next month.


As it is early days the piccies are yet to materialise but this link here will take you to a large selection of some of my favourites from the last decade since leaving the farm.

My daily location can be seen at this link as we head north through Peru to Colombia and then Ecuador with our return planned for early December - this year a substantial El Nino is forecast which may dictate our itinerary and indeed we have decided to factor in 2 nights at the end back in Lima to allow for any disruption to internal flights.

MOT, LCB and the BBC

Following a very enjoyable week's farm sitting north of Brecon in unexpectedly good weather I welcomed Jan and Ian home after their successful jaunt to Iceland which looks worthy of a visit some time and is certainly on my list for the future.

I spent a sublime night at the sailing club a mile or two upstream of the old Severn Bridge with a superb moon and one of the highest tides of the year filling the pill with a mirror like calm. We walked up to the Oldbury Power Station to work off fish and chips enjoying the late evening views across to the Forest of Dean.

Sunday saw a circuit of the upper reaches of Cheddar Gorge starting at Charterhouse and following Velvet Bottom, the highlight of which on our return leg was spotting an adder which slowly took off in to the longer grass as the temperature was dropping.

On the Monday at the grand old age of 16 years and with 320,000 miles on the clock the trusty bus passed its 13th MOT for the sake of a £10 brake light switch which was good news.

However mindful of the possibility of a return to Morocco in the New Year and anxious
to avoid a repetition of this years trials (see January and February 2015 posts) I elected to have the steering rack and some coolant pipes replaced as the former had cropped up in a couple of advisories. I had planned to build on the success of the Way of the Roses bike ride a few weeks back and follow Sustrans routes up to London and back whilst the work was done but thanks to the rugby the garage could only do the work on the Thursday which did not leave me enough time.

Thus I dropped down to the Mendips for a couple of days instead to enjoy a ride around the lanes and tracks of the Somerset levels including a route through Glastonbury where the many devotees of the spiritual side of life provided an intriguing sideshow. A walk across to Crookes Peak was rewarded with crystal clear views across the Bristol Channel to South Wales and the Brecon Beacons after which I returned to Bristol for the precautionary work to be done.

This gave Bill and I the opportunity to cycle out to Bath and return via Bradford on Avon with its stunning tithe barn. Returning along the cycle track I picked up a slow puncture so the only solution was coffee and cake at the Avon Valley Steam Railway whilst glue dried.

 
 Anyway the van was all done on our return and I set off in due course for a weekend in Carmarthenshire staying at Church House Farm near Llanstephan. A coastal walk gave us wonderful views across to Laugharne and east to Gower which were enhanced by the low tide and shimmering sands. On the beach dozens of large stranded jellyfish awaited the return of the water, one in particular eerily resembling the ghostly sea spirit from Pirates of the Caribbean. Llanstephan Castle occupies an impressive spot above the village and on our return route the views changed again as the sun set.








 A good walk in Brechfa forest finished off a busy week and saw a change in the weather as a low swept in from the west so I decided to stay at the Rhandirmyn campsite and get some laundry done.

An email from Greg however persuaded me to make a random dash for rural Cambridgeshire to inspect a similar van with only a quarter of the mileage that looked to be in exceptional condition so I headed off in torrential rain for my first foray ever in to the Far East. A random red dashboard light whilst on the Midlands motorway network indicated alternator trouble but I carried on to Ramsey south of Peterborough where a rather shady dealer seemed disinclined to answer any questions and nearly had a fit when I donned my boiler suit, head torch and bright inspection light before disappearing under the chassis. Suffice to say all that glitters is not gold so I was soon on my way to a small Certificated Site where a temporary repair to the alternator trigger wire was undertaken and the battery recharged thanks to hook up.

Wednesday saw me heading to Sheffield with the journey pleasantly enlivened by said wire parting again on the busy A1 - another repair thanks to a Little Chef car park but the heavy rain seemed to enter my right ear and exit my left without interruption - somewhat worrying. Finally as I hit Sheffield the wire parted for a third time but this time was repaired in the sun outside Penny's house.
Thursday saw a good 30 mile plus bike ride around the surprisingly quiet and rural roads east of the A1 and south of the M62 covering Sykehouse, Yorkshire's longest village. The Indian summer made for perfect conditions and allowed for another two days of riding, one around Bradfield and another based north east of Mansfield in again surprisingly quiet rural lanes. A good walk with a friendly crowd in the Peak District on Sunday rounded off a cracking trip.


So after a few days up north I headed back to mid Wales for an intriguing assignment. My involvement with the Mountain Bothies Association stretches back 30 years but the organization is this year celebrating its 50th year and has received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service which has attracted some welcome publicity. Thus the BBC approached the Publicity Officer and asked to film a small item for the breakfast news - mid Wales was selected as being convenient to both the reporter based in Bristol and the cameraman based in Salford and arrangements were made to meet in the Elan Valley to use the recently rebuilt Lluest Cwm Bach Bothy.
I wandered in early on Monday morning and to my surprise woke 3 slumbering medical students on their first ever bothy venture - as the building was in good order I returned to the van and considering the likelihood that the Beeb might not fully appreciate the principles of bothying headed to Rhayader to pick up some bits and bobs for supper.
Our Chairman Simon arrived mid afternoon followed by Phoebe who has written a book about bothying and eventually John the reporter and Tim the cameraman.
After a brief orientation for the newcomers we walked the mile or so across the bogs to the reservoir edge keeping a close eye on Tim as his camera and kit carried a cool £50,000 price tag.
The rest of the day was fascinating as the experts set up shots, conducted interviews, inspected rucksacks and traced the history of the occupation, abandonment and eventual rebuilding of this magical place. The weather again stepped up to the mark and Tim set up a tripod mounted Go Pro to capture the stars before we retreated indoors to a crackling fire, jacket spuds, corn on the cob and garlic bread as yes they had no bananas.

After more filming of the interior, night sky and Phoebe's backpacking gear I retired to the relative comforts of the van enjoying the stars and silence as I tramped across the bog.
Back in the bothy bright and early next morning I caught the hard core team stirring gently and our work was concluded with final sequences and interviews before we trudged out with Craig Goch looking idyllic as the sun rose from behind the hill. We said our goodbyes and I headed down to Brecon delighted to find the red light on again but an hour of spannering at Jan's saw I hope a more permanent fix and the power steering plus alternator belts tightened.

Today I nipped up Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons on an absolute cracker of a day, joining a young soldier not long back from Afghanistan for the start and finishing late in the afternoon with meeting a couple of Ozzies from Melbourne who were enjoying the unusually fine conditions - tea and biscuits were devoured as we exchanged stories before they head off to the Lake District for the rest of their stay.

Anyway I am off to waddle round the badminton courts before a boys weekend at Rhandirmyn where there is no phone signal to interrupt a couple of days of activity and merriment - the South America trip is fast approaching so malaria tablets and travel insurance are in place  - BE WARNED it gets very expensive once you've had an MI so look after your health to protect your wealth.......

Piccies at this link and locations at this one.

Hope to post again before departure.

An Active Autumn

A 6am start from Sheffield, just before the August Bank Holiday, saw three of us embarking on the 170 mile Way of the Roses which required a minibus ride across the Pennines to Morecambe where in bright and blustery conditions we paid a visit to Eric's bronze statue with the Lakeland Fells as a backdrop after a substantial builders' breakfast in a beachfront caff.
Over the next 3 days we covered around 70 miles a day heading first to Lancaster on an old railway line and then up in to the Yorkshire Dales via quiet lanes and empty byways. The Bank Holiday crowds were largely avoided as we passed through stunning scenery and toiled up long ascents before flying down country lanes to sheltered valleys. We were very fortunate in having dry conditions and an occasional tail wind with comfortable B&B accommodation easing weary muscles. Good pubs restored our energy levels each evening with lunch stops taken on the hoof at such gems as Clapham where we rested by the lively stream. A steep climb out of Settle tested our stamina and the the fast descent at Greenhow Hill our nerve before a night outside Pateley Bridge in a stone farmhouse.
After Brimham Rocks the going became easier as we passed through Ripon and York although new construction work in the latter's centre caused some temporary route finding challenges. We picked up a spare tyre for one bike before heading to Millington near Pocklington for another good night in the local pub and a solid night's sleep. The second puncture of the trip appeared overnight but was soon sorted and before long we were spinning through the delightful Yorkshire Wolds and towards the east coast where as we dropped in to Bridlington we had the first and only rain of the trip  - a short sharp shower - which soon cleared away and allowed us to arrive warm and dry at the B&B having negotiated the BH visitors enjoying the lengthy sea front.
We walked a few miles south on the sandy beach to ease tired muscles and enjoyed a good curry that evening to celebrate three memorable days - a huge thank you to Andy and Mandy for great company, a barrel of laughs and a bagful of memories and also a big thumbs up to Sustrans for a superb and well thought out route that exceeded our expectations.

Back in Shropshire I decided not to tackle the coolant pipe precautionary work on the van as a new part sourced from VW looked as if it wouldn't fit so I will wait until the MOT next week and have it done alongside any required work. 

In early September I spent an enjoyable few days supporting Sarah and Liz as they tackled a four day horse trek - the Brecon and Radnor Loop which started above Talgarth and rather like our Way of the Roses passed through stunning scenery on little used roads and tracks. I assisted at the odd busy road crossing and Crad assisted in a transit through Brecon before the usual team gathered for the pre Brecon Beast preparatory work with signs assembled, the campsite facilities installed, T shirts collected and the water and fruit supplies collated. 
Good weather saw a trio of us heading over the Beacons in rented 4x4's to ensure that the 800+ riders would have a safe and enjoyable day. Warning signs at steep descents, refreshments at the top of steep climbs and signage on the remoter sections to reassure riders visiting this stunning area for the first time all formed part of a well practiced routine.
The actual event passed very smoothly - a large number of marshals around the course, admin teams back at Beast HQ, Brecon Mountain Rescue on the tops and a group of us roaming around the route to provide mechanical assistance, deal with issues as they arose and remove the signage after the last of the riders all worked as efficiently as ever to ensure that everyone was accounted for and a substantial amount raised for local charities. I would like to thank Dale as usual and Chris for his first year of involvement as both worked hard at a a variety of tasks and gave considerable support to this very worthwhile event.

Later that week I traveled back to Shropshire to share a family day in memory of Dad who passed away two years ago - as always Mum amazed us with her fortitude and determination to enjoy to the full her new life and opportunities despite the sad event that triggered off so many changes.
 
More recently I met an old friend in mid Wales for a couple of days of mountain biking which included a visit to our bothy (Moel Prysgau) on the Towy that for once was in immaculate condition although frustratingly only the very next day another irresponsible group of off roaders drove in and left large amounts of litter, churned up the ground and yet again caused damage and destruction.
We will try and get in and clean up again soon but consideration needs to be given to more serious deterrents as otherwise we may lose the use of this very special place.
I was impressed by Greg's T4 camper - very similar to my venerable beast but with a quarter of the mileage - which he picked up for a very good price and we managed to shoot some good Go Pro footage as I now have faith in the suction mount that I purchased recently.
On our journey across the Cambrian Mountains we caught up two well laden BMW bikes with strange but familiar plates - Marco and Ursala were from Wellington New Zealand and were at the end of a 6 month European tour that had begun with shipping the bikes to Dubai for a trip through Iran, Turkey and then north - their blog here is well worth a browse and will keep me amused and inspired for some time.



I am currently looking after a smallholding near Brecon where a few of us gathered for a long walk on a section of the Epynt Way and a good mountain bike ride over local hills to Brechfa pond followed by a walk in blustery conditions around the Usk reservoir neat Trecastle.
Reroofing one of the old barns awaits the last of the materials to complete the job which should soon be done so meanwhile the scaffolding offers a unique opportunity to photograph the house and fields and the airy barn will allow me to check over the van before the MOT early next week. 
 The outcome of this will dictate my activities for a week or two but I hope to head north in early October for a few days, return via the motorhome show at the NEC and hopefully gather with friends for a few days before we head to South America in late October. A visit to the Practice Nurse today saw the last of my inoculations so a mild dose of Yellow Fever is possible over the weekend - but at least they are all done so it is now a matter of arranging some travel insurance and funds prior to departure.

Piccies sit here and where I sit sits here - an update will follow in early October.

An August Month

Having planned to spend August in the UK as there were a number of milestones to be celebrated I have been visiting various friends, exploring new places and revisiting old favourites.

We joined friends at the excellent Camping and Caravaning site near Rhandirmyn to enjoy a walk round the Dinas RSPB reserve, the spectacular Llyne Brianne dam and remote splendour of the Abergwesyn Gorge followed by tea at the forest cafe near Beulah. The Royal Oak provided a good meal as ever and we hope to return in September once Mike has fully recovered from an operation.

A return to the Doethie Valley ride in mid Wales gave me a chance to chat with the guys undertaking the repairs to the deep erosion gulley that so far has taken 300 tonnes of shale to fill and will require probably a thousand or more to complete. The dumper drivers were shifting 5 tonnes at a time up the steep rough track where a mini digger was filling the gully. Heavy rain the previous week made the track down the valley a bit more challenging but it still amounted to a cracking day. 

Early August saw a gathering of old friends near Brecon for a 60th birthday bash where nocturnal giant Jenga caused amusement and risked injury to participants and onlookers alike. During the day I had fitted a new leisure battery - being an AGM type it could be placed on its side under the passenger seat overcoming the usual height restriction and should provide 118 AH of power for the forthcoming winter trip south. A new smart charger was also wired in permanently to keep things properly topped up - I have another identical one that tops up the engine battery when on hook up so have I hope covered all angles.

A good walk in the hills above Aberedw on the Sunday rounded off an excellent time after which I headed in to the forests of mid Wales to remove 20 bags of accumulated rubbish from the bothy recently the subject of an unauthorised visit by off roaders. Later that week the abandoned 4x4 was removed using a timber forwarder so with luck the thoughtless driver whose details are known will receive a large bill.

I returned to Shropshire that week to celebrate Mum's 80th birthday. The kindly neighbours took us out for coffee in Montgomery followed by a surprise champagne and nibbles party in the communal gardens of her estate which were looking at their summer best. That evening we celebrated in style at a local restaurant although my sister in law was unfortunately absent after the sad passing of her father.

A busy schedule then took Mum and I back to Coventry for her to stay with old friends while I accompanied Penny to a wedding in nearby Cubbington. Superb weather underpinned a day of celebration - the bride and groom left the church in style in a wagon and horse combination and at the reception we all enjoyed a hog roast and energetic dancing.

After giving the van its 52nd service (312,000 miles) I noticed that a couple of coolant hoses and a steel pipe are looking tired so will replace those later this week after my return from a few days in Sheffield. 

Last week whilst walking in Pembrokeshire we saw a sign advertising a garden open and teas available and were rewarded with a surprise visit to Ffynonne - the family home of the Lloyd George family. The caretakers gave us a warm welcome and we decided to return the following day for a tour of the impressive house - this was well worth it and gave an insight in to the life of an important family with many links to historical events, political dynasties and royal lineages.

A short visit to Sheffield started well with an 8 mile walk above Marsden in the Pennines followed by a trip in to the impressive Standedge Tunnel. This made for an excellent day which included a brief foray in to Holmfirth - no sign of Compo and his friends.

Walking tomorrow will be followed by a meal to plan the finer details of next week's intended coast to coast bike ride - Morecambe to Bridlington - after which I will return south to change the aforementioned pipes and depart for a few days wild camping in mid Wales.

The trip north should have included a trip to see family in York but my aunt has joined the MI and stent club so we decided to give her time to recover before calling in, probably in the early Autumn when I also hope to spend a few weeks in Scotland before the South American trip.

Before then September will see the Brecon Beast take place on the 13th followed by farm sitting locally, the van MOT and some preparation for a return to Morocco and then a planned venture through Italy and down to Greece and beyond for 2016.

Thus as ever you can review the above by the photos here and follow my meanderings from time to time here. 

The clip below is a hint of more to come from the Oz trip.

  

A Rare Summer in the UK

Perhaps the most striking feature for us after the many weeks in Australia's red centre was the vibrant green of the British countryside in June.

The van had stored well in Carmarthenshire although a small hole in the exhaust had enlarged so a couple of new sections were fitted by ATS in Brecon which should give me a Europe wide warranty for impending travels.

Just before we left for Oz in April a rear spring had failed so having sourced from T4sRUS new heavy duty springs and some new rear shocks - worth doing as the originals had covered 310,000 miles - I jacked the van up in a friend's shed near Brecon to undertake the work.

What should have taken an hour per side soon began to unravel as the top bolt was seized in to the upper shock bush and despite much effort would not budge. Thus the only option was to carefully burn out the rubber to give some play, cut away the shock absorber and then cut through the steel bush without damaging the bolt - all tricky given the limited access and awkward angle.

Anyway eventually the bolt came out and that side was soon re- assembled, however similar issues on the near side were compounded by the bolt head shearing off - not something easily replaced in Brecon on a Saturday morning. Jan and Ian kindly lent me their Kangoo to pop up and see Mum and source a new pair of bolts from the helpful staff at TPS Shrewsbury on the Monday morning.
So the van now sits higher and firmer than it has for years and combined with the front suspension work done after Morocco should pass the Autumn MOT but I am aware that with such high mileage other issues may arise and I need to consider my options.

Having looked at alternatives earlier in the Spring I am taken by the Wild Ax Solaris - see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co4viT6mbpY  which offers the flexibility I need and a few more creature comforts. However with an 8 month waiting list this in itself throws up other considerations.

I spent some time in the Cambrian mountains before and after celebrating Sarah's birthday in Pembrokeshire - one of our bothies had been visited by a group of off roaders who as well as leaving rubbish, trampling the ground and damaging fixtures and fittings had also abandonned a Suzuki jeep having failed to extract it from a bog using MBA tools - Natural Resource Wales are currently looking at the substantial costs and logistical issues of removing the vehicle as it is many miles from tarmac and hundreds of yards of rocky challenging track from even the forestry road.

Whilst on a return visit a group of off road motorbikes turned up and whilst the exchanges were polite and friendly enough I was grateful to have had the Go Pro quietly recording the event being in a minority of one.
A scramble along the Afon Pysgotwr gorge near Rhandirmyn was an unexpected adventure - a return some time to tackle the river as a canyonning trip would be good fun.




A weekend near Priddy was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, enjoy a good walk past the huge TV mast and return via Wells with a pleasant evening in the Hunters Inn where little has changed over my thirty of years of patronage - although the pub grub does now offer a veggie option I stayed with the traditionally excellent chilli. An amusing anecdote arose from showing friends some photos outside as when starting the computer a few days later I noticed a number of damaged pixels on my screen. Having arranged for a collection and repair under warranty, Mum whilst looking at the problem, accidentally touched the screen and the defect disappeared - it turns out that tiny droplets of tree sap were the cause of the issue and a humble return call was made to John Lewis!

A good party in Brecon was followed by a trip north to see Penny in Sheffield where we enjoyed our usual energetic week, the highlight of which for me was a day on her family's narrow boat heading along the Aire and Calder Navigation from Castleford to Leeds. The comfortable and sophisticated 58' boat is powered by a diesel engine that also tops up a large battery array. These power (via inverters) a fully equipped kitchen with oven, fridge/freezer, a washer/drier, entertainment systems and all the mod cons of a normal home. Hot water to a full size shower and central heating is also available from the diesel systems as the vessel is gas free - something that appeals to me in a camper van. In fact I was so taken by the notion of life afloat that it may well be an option for me in a decade or so when perhaps the travel bug has been truly swatted.

After mooring in the centre of Leeds we enjoyed a good meal out before Penny and I caught the train back to Castleford where the parking attendant who lives by the car park was waiting for our safe return on his front door step - amusingly his ticket booth is on wheels and he rolls it back and forth from his garden every day!

The following day we visited Elsecar Industrial village and the impressive Wentworth Woodhouse estate near Barnsley followed on the Thursday by a decent bike ride around the cycleways of Rotherham where the former industrialised mining areas are greening up rapidly. During this ride I was persuaded to embark on a coast to coast ride from Morecambe to Bridlington in late August which should be good fun.




Over the weekend I stopped near Cromford to meet up with friends who also travel full time - we first met in Wolfsburg a few years ago and share a similar approach to life on the road whilst adopting markedly different methods.
Thus I was royally fed and entertained in their comfortable coachbuilt van located on a small site above Dethick. A new scooter gives them easy access for getting out and about which otherwise sits in Pete's man cave - a nice IW box trailer that gives them oodles of storage. A walk on Saturday included a visit to an excellent local butchers in Holloway for a home made pie followed by paths and lanes above Cromford - some of which were a bit of an ordeal thanks to head high vegetation. However a descent from the top along the High Peak trail gave us the opportunity for ice creams in the sun at High Peak Junction before a steep walk back up to the field.


In Shropshire all is well - Mum has been in her new home for exactly a year and seems very happily settled. Now that all the houses are completed and the roads surfaced it is a very lovely place to be and no doubt the last few Wintles properties will soon be sold.

So looking ahead August and September are busy after which I may run the van down to Portugal before heading to South America so that I can continue south for the winter just before New Year.
Reports will continue via the blog and you can track me at this link or enjoy the photos here.

South Australia and the final leg back to Victoria

The huge stretch of the Nullarbor (my 3rd crossing now and still as enchanting as ever) entailed a couple of overnight bush camps and included the sighting of an escorted abnormal load of mining equipment that even by Australian standards was remarkable.
We detoured inland a little to stay at Pildappa Rocks which provided excellent camping, a good fire and sublime sunset photos from the smooth granite surface where rainwater pooled up to provide patches of lush grazing for the kangaroos. Around the circumference of the rock the farmer had created dams and walls to collect the run off for irrigation as this is still a very dry part of Australia.

 

Kimba saw us at the point regarded as the mid point of the run between Perth and Sydney and we eventually overnighted memorably at Mount Remarkable National Park where emu, parrots and roos had little concern over the tented bipeds.

The long pier at Port Germein provided another refreshing walk and later inland we visited Barra, a former copper mining town whose ruined engine houses and stacks were a reflection of the early Cornish settlers traditional skills.

At Morgan we crossed the Murray River on the chain ferry and camped on a tributary where pelicans watched us warily as our trip drew to a close. Indeed a final night at Baileys Rock saw the first real rain of the trip but we were rewarded by good sightings of a tawny wide mouthed owl chasing the moths attracted to the trailer lights.

Thus after 7 weeks and almost 7000 miles the trip was over - unloading the trailer and airing the tents and swags was soon accomplished before we enjoyed a meal in the local pub and for me the first pint of Guinness for a couple of months. PnK dropped us off for the Melbourne train and two hours later we were at the Alto hotel once more for a weekend of rest, recuperation and laundry. The Queen Victoria market was revisited and we also explored the excellent Royal Botanical Gardens, strolled along the Yarra and made our way back through Chinatown finding the urban vibe a huge contrast to the remoteness of most our trip.

Bargain Car Rentals lived up to their name by providing a brand new Hyundai for £10 a day that gave us a chance to return to the Victorian Alps for a week - it was winter but still warm and sunny encouraging us to spend a day with hired bikes on the Great Victorian Rail Trail starting at Yea and passing through a brick lined tunnel that reminded me of the newly opened ones under Bath back home.

Cosy cabins on campsites provided for our accommodation at Yea, Mansfield and Rutherglen with the opportunity for some local walks including to the summit of Mount Timbertop for views towards Mt Buller where the ski season was in its early stages.

After a relaxing week we returned the car to Melbourne Airport and were soon underway on a long but smooth return to the UK with a brief stop in sweltering Dubai, a crowded train from Reading and a peaceful night in the van back at Carmarthen where all was well.

At present there is a slight hiccup as replacing the rear shocks and springs has proved temporarily tiresome, however new bolts will be sourced tomorrow and fitted Tuesday freeing me up to have a nose around favourite Welsh haunts, catch up with friends and look forward to a variety of events over the rest of 2015.

The final batch of piccies for this trip can be found here and it would be appropriate to finish by thanking PnK for a memorable trip that allowed us a rare opportunity to travel to some amazing places. The stillness of the desert, its remoteness and the very nature of travel in such a harsh environment will remain with us for a very long time.

Sporadic locations via SPOT here but irregularly for the time being until we head off to South America in October. The page only keeps locations for about a week so may well be blank at times.

Down to the Nullarbor

So after some good daytime exercise at Mount Augustus and a couple of restful nights we headed south to Meekathara and before long were enjoying 'smoko' or coffee break at the old Mount Gould gaol built to incarcerate sheep rustlers who hassled the early settlers 150 years ago.

Stunning desert scenery provided the back drop to our steady progress and memorable overnight stops in the desert added to the sense of adventure. Thus the picture perfect small town of Sandstone came as a surprise with well kept streets, a cracking pub and an interesting museum - a creditable effort to the 60 or so permanent occupants of this once bustling mining settlement. We enjoyed an excellent pub lunch before heading off once more in to remote country.

In the 1960's a certain Len Beadell had been contracted by the government to push routes through these remote areas with his 'Gun Barrel' Team and his legacy is a grid of dead straight tracks named after family members that are now graded annually and permit access to very remote parts of Western Australia. The Ann Beadell highway took us south east to Leonora where we again refueled and later stopped at Yeo Lake homestead.This was a beautiful but sobering place in the middle of nowhere that two brothers had tried to establish as a working sheep or cattle station - the simple tin hut was reminiscent of some of the bothies back in the UK and had a well with a hand pump and a rudimentary bucket shower that provided us with a good wash.

The weather had clouded over a bit and indeed after a night in the bush on the Connie Sue (Beadell) track we packed up in the first rain of the trip.
However things soon improved as we headed south under clear skies which led to a chilly night as we were now well south and east.

Reaching the Trans Australian Railway at Rawlinna was a milestone and we were lucky to see a vast freight train heading west with a mixed load of containers, pipes, trucks and minerals. However after following the line to Neale's Junction we struck south on a rough track once more stopping 90km north of Cocklebiddy for our coolest night yet. 

Thus we reached the Nullarbor and turned left heading east on the final leg of our 11000km journey. Huge road trains and fellow travelers were something of an oddity and the superb white dunes at Eucla near the sand smothered old telegraph station were a stark contrast to the desert scenes of the previous month. Similarly as we turned down to the remarkable cliff tops above the Head of Bight we marveled at the empty seas, distant horizons and glorious colours.

We are now off for a week exploring Victoria so I will hopefully post again before we depart for the UK next week to update the final leg of this superb trip. 

Locations will appear here 

and the latest crop of pics can be found here.