It's Been A While

Since the last blog entry. I haven't checked, but I think I last did an entry some weeks ago. Things have ticked along here. We cycle most days, and swim most days. The funding bid is a slow and painful process, as is the website for Blue International. I've not done any writing, as I promise myself I would do. So what have we done?!

Well all this week we have been volunteering for Conservation Volunteers Australia. We've been helping down at a site that is looked after by a local Landcare group, just in Darwin town. The storm drains from the city run through the land, as so there is soil errosion problems. We have worked really hard in boiling heat and humidity to build defences from soil errosion and to clear weeds and tall grasses. It's been hard back-breaking work, but worth it. There have only been three of us on the job regularly, that been Sam and myself along with Daryl the CVA team leader.

Apparently we got a mention in Parliament here. The MLA (title for an Oz MP) brought us up in dispatches, in reference to the tree planting we did down by Rapid Creek a few weeks ago. Crazy to think that we've only been in Oz a month and have already been talked about in Parliament. Typical!

We are now waiting on things. Confirmation from Immigration that we can work as volunteers for the Red Cross here, and also our police checks, so that we can work on youth projects that the Red Cross run. That'll be good, and getting in with the Red Cross is a good thing anyway for the future.

We are also waiting on money coming through from the UK tax office, money they have owed us since July last year. When the money comes through, we may treat ourselves to a trip to the Red Centre as they call it. Go and see Ayers Rock maybe. Whatever anyway, we need to get out of Darwin and see some more of Oz than this. If we can get to Perth we can stay with Cat. The problem is how expensive it is to travel around Oz. It's cheaper to fly back to the UK than it is to cross the country here. Australia is such a rip-off for traveling, I would not advise anyone to come here unless they have an endless supply of money or can work their way round. Unfortunately I can't, as I'm too old to get a working visa.

Anyway, 2 months to go here. Which will fly by before we know it I'm sure. Then it's Indonesia for the last month before back to the UK. I won't say 'home', as we don't have one. I'd still ike to go back to Laos, that would be ideal. We need to get the bid sorted, and we have factored in flights to and from the UK. Sam wants to spend some time in the UK before we head to Laos, if it does all come off. Which is fair enough.

I am totally knackered. Three days of hard graft, working in 32C heat and 93% humidity, shifting tons of rock by hand, and having only slept around a total of 8-10 hours in all that time, takes it out of you. Too weak to type! Bye....