Abrams Family World Travel

Vancouver: Growing To Love It

THIS city continues to grow on us. Even during our wet, grey reception period following our arrival, we were never disillusioned. Coming from England, I felt at home.

We haven't yet explored a fraction of all this city and its surroundings has to offer. But so far we like what we have seen.

As a city, Vancouver isn't so big that you can't get around. We live in the suburbs, but the bus services are great and we can get downtown in no time. If I were living here longer, I would definitely consider hiring or buying a bike to get around. 

Although I've met a lot of people who've been in car accidents, the driving doesn't seem particularly aggressive or perilous. 

And when you try to cross the road - not even at a pedestrian crossing - nine times out of ten cars will slow down for you. It happened to us in Australia quite often and we thought it strange (probably because we'd just arrived from Bali in Indonesia, where it's manic). But in Vancouver it's the done thing. I rarely, if ever, see any signs of road rage.

Being a Londoner, I have a gripe with expensive public transport, but in Vancouver I can buy a pass for $91 (£58) per month that gives me unlimited access to buses, trains and ferries. And on Sundays my pass covers the whole family. In the UK I'd be spending close to that in one week for an off-peak ticket!

I've touched on the wonderful food options here in a previous post. Vancouver also offers amazing views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains, where you can ski, and it's close enough to the ocean to go surfing. 

The downside is that the cost of living is high. Rent is expensive and the locals complain about it. But what I like most about being here is the people - they are so friendly and engaging. 

Passengers on the bus will thank the driver when leaving. It's contageous. On a recent journey, Zenchai hailed: "Thank you, bus driver," as we got off at our stop. 

I can't recall how many times I have been places with one or both of the kids and ended up getting into long conversations. People approach me and are approachable.

We have also met many parents who are raising their children in a like-minded way, either homeschooling or 'unschooling'. There are plenty of options for alternative education. 

In terms of safety, Vancouver rates highly. There are some areas downtown which are probably best to steer away from, but that's the same for most big cities. Where we are, on the west side, it feels very secure. We're in a beautiful neighbourhood. 

Now that the weather has turned, we've ventured out more. Over Easter we enjoyed near-summer-like conditions. It was glorious. We went to Stanley Park, the biggest in Vancouver. It seemed like the rest of the city was there also that day. 

It was fun for us all, especially the kids. We walked along the coast, visited a playground, Zenchai got to experiment with Parkour wherever he could and, once we were able to catch a bus home, we stopped off for a bite to eat at one of our favourite places, TeraVburger, where Zenchai said he wanted to spend his birthday.

Guess we'll be heading back there again then.

 

 

 

 

Vancouver: Riding A Brainwave

ONE great thing about CrossFit as an activity (besides it being a strength and conditioning program) is that it's tremendously sociable and a fantastic way to meet people.

With me now doing my coaching apprenticeship at a facility with around 600 members, I get to meet lots of new faces (and also forget many names of people I am introduced to, but I'm working on that).

Slowly, I'm starting to remember them, though. Maybe my brain power isn't what it once was or I'm just meeting too many people in one swoop for my grey matter to deal with.

The brain is an interesting subject. Soon after I arrived in Vancouver one girl in a class I was helping to coach - Julie is her name -  offered me a ride home (as she lived near to where I am located). 

During conversation she told me she was a brain professor at the University of British Columbia.

Since that initial meeting, Dr. Julie has kindly driven me home several times and we always get talking about something interesting.

As she's an authority on the subject of the brain, the other day she helped me bury a few myths: 1. that we cannot produce new brain cells; 2. that we only use a small portion of our brain in a lifetime.

She said both those alleged 'facts' are baloney, explaining that from information on a new science paper she had just read we do produce new brain cells all the time and, interestingly, that whether those cells live or die is often dependent on whether we are learning new things. 

Funnily, if what we are learning is difficult and painful it helps those cells to survive, which made us both laugh considering we do CrossFit.

As for us only using a small part of our brain in our lifetime, she said all our brain is in use all the time. Who am I to argue? She is a brainy professor after all. 

World Travel: Groundhog Day

TEN pm and we were driving around Auckland when we should have been in the sky, on our way from New Zealand to Vancouver, Canada.

We had been sitting at the gate for our international flight when my name was called over the loudspeaker.

Jamie and I glanced at each other, thinking 'what could this be about?'

I was soon to find out. 

When I got to the Air New Zealand representatives, I was told we couldn't fly - because we didn't have an onward-bound ticket from Canada.

We were going to Canada for three months, everything booked, and were not sure of our next move, so left it open.

I check for small details like this before planning trips. And while it's clearly stated before entering countries like Australia and New Zealand that you need an onward-bound ticket, I didn't read anything similar for Canada. Well, apparently you do. I must have missed this one. 

So after representatives failed to help me sort it out as time approached for us to board, I was advised to go to the internet counter and book a flight. Any flight.

With time ticking, I searched the net for a good deal, but there was nothing cheap and when I finally nailed a flight (which wasn't cheap), my credit card denied the transaction. I suppose the fee was too large and it flagged up a security warning. It's great to know my credit card people are watching out for fraudsters, but it didn't help me on this occasion.

I was resigned to defeat. There wasn't enough time left. I returned to the airline counter and explained what had happened. Out came the manager, all apologetic but firm, doing her job and explaining we had to come off the flight.

"So what next?" I asked.

"You'll have to get another flight," she replied.

"You mean buy another one?" I asked.

"Possibly," she said.

This was now going from huge inconvenience to disaster. But I managed to stay calm. I accepted our fate and had to fill in landing cards, as though we had all arrived in New Zealand, in order to go through immigration and passport control to collect our luggage etc.

It took forever. Soon Jamie and the kids, all looking tired and a bit flummoxed, joined me.

We made our way back, finding it hard not to think about the prospect of doing it all again the next day. There was good news around the corner, though. It turned out we didn't have to buy new flights and that we would be put on the same flight 24 hours later, so long as we had proof of an onward-bound journey in Canada.

All of us were hungry. We finally got through to the main airport area, where we had to wait to be reunited with our bags and then sort out paperwork for the flight the next day.

Another manager came over to me to explain the situation, saying that ALL non-Canadian and non-American citizens must have onward-bound flights upon arrival in Canada. That means Kobra and I, since Zenchai has an American passport. 

Then more good news - he said the airline (Air New Zealand) would put us up in a hotel for the night and pay for the taxis etc, which was a relief given our cab meter was at NZ$84 by the time we arrived.

So we waited, snacking on apples and letting the kids run around the busy airport, until finally we had taxi and hotel vouchers presented to us.

We loaded ourselves into a cab and set off, only for the taxi driver to end up in the wrong part of town.

Eventually, we got there - too late for any dinner. Quickly, I sent a message to the person who had offered to fetch us from Vancouver airport, hoping she'd get it in time. We then just stripped off and got into bed. What a day. 

The next morning I was on the internet checking out flights until a friend (and travel agent) helped me out. We were all set.

Slowly, we made our way through the day. I took Zenchai to a nearby park to allow him to exert some energy and work his legs in readiness for 13 hours on an airplane.

Eventually, the time came to again set off for the airport - 15 minutes away. We arrived in good time, produced our documents showing we would be leaving Canada, and headed on through to the gate once more.

It was a tough flight, though. None of us, except for Kobra, really slept. Zenchai was over-tired and probably over-stimulated from the in-flight entertainment. Air New Zealand is a great airline, but we struggled through to Canada.

Upon arrival, the immigration lines were long. We queued until an officer saw Jamie nursing Kobra and pulled us out to a faster track.

But the immigration officer grilled us. "Where are you staying?" "How are you affording this?" "How long have you been travelling?" What sort of work do you do?" "Where was your daughter born?" "Does she have a Brazilian passport?" "Can I see it?" etc.

That wasn't the end of it. We were then pulled out of line again, this time to have our bags searched. It appeared like a random procedure, but I didn't think we particularly looked like smugglers.

In the end, though, the officer asked some more questions, took our passports, presumably ran a few checks and came back satisfied. 

We were in Vancouver, safely. It was colder than in New Zealand - cloudy with drizzle, but not as cold as I had anticipated. We arrived at our home for the next three months, a cosy Laneway Home, and slowly settled in. Seasoned travellers we may all be, but it still doesn't get any easier. 

New Zealand: 19 Days On The Road With Two Children

IT didn't exactly start perfectly, with Zenchai throwing a tizzy in a car park in Christchurch (a case of being too hungry). But it only could get better from there. And, thankfully, it did.

Some 3,404km and nearly three weeks later, we'd explored New Zealand's stunning South Island, crossed the Cook Strait back to the North Island, and driven up to Auckland.

The landscape in NZ is overwhelmingly spectacular. Each day, when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did. Often we'd see ice-capped mountains, rolling green hills, blue lakes - all in the same location!

The roads, especially on the South Island, were practically empty. No traffic jams. There were occasional, though brief, roadworks. But it was a pleasure getting around.

However, we tried not to be on the road too long each day (between two and three hours) to save our children from boredom and confinement. Often we'd time the driving for when Kobra would take her nap. 

We did most of our camping in DOC (Department of Conservation) campsites. We received a booklet when we hired our Rocket rental vehicle and each night aimed for a DOC site near where we aimed to stop.

The sites are all relatively cheap (around NZ$15 per night) and in some extraordinary locations. The entry fee goes towards maintenance of the sites. Facilities are usually quite basic. We did most of our bathing in chilly but stunning, picture-postcard lakes or rivers. For shaving, I would try to find a public toilet en route or use the reflection of the car windows as my mirror. 

We were mostly fortunate with the weather. It was summer time after all. We hardly saw rain the first week and there were just a few days when we were washed out. 

The rain would also make it harder for sleeping. Not only did it sound loud pounding on the roof, but our canopy at the back of the vehicle would, in the case of a heavy downpour, leak a little. We just turned ourselves around, so our heads were in the middle of the vehicle rather than the back.

But, generally, we all slept reasonably well. We were tightly packed, but that was great on the few chilly nights when the skies were clear. 

In campsites there would often be children for ours to play with. We could see Zenchai's confidence growing in approaching other youngsters. He had a ball. So did Kobra. One day when we stayed by the amazing Lake Hawea, north of Queenstown, Zenchai just walked over to some children and the next thing we knew he was on a speedboat trip. He just took off on the lake. We laughed about how our son was off with some strangers we'd never met. But we felt sure he was safe and loving it. I heard him brag to one other child as he boarded the boat, "I've been on a ship called the Sea Shepherd. It's a real pirate ship, you know?" 

However, Kobra fell asleep while Zenchai was out on the water and, because we needed to get going, Jamie and I started looking at each other, thinking 'How long is he going to be out there?' 

In the end, I had to kayak to the boat (using a kayak our camping neighbours had kindly offered to us) to get Zenchai back. Like those neighbours, the people we met along our trip were always friendly. I found customer service in NZ to be outstanding, too. The Kiwis are a welcoming bunch. 

Starting in Christchurch, we headed south to Dunedin, where we visited this steepest street in the world and observed the endangered yellow-eyed penguins and seals at a special conservation.

From there we made our way across land, via Gore towards Te Anau, where there is a fabulous lake and we stayed the night. The following day we headed north to the unforgettably stunning Milford Sound in Fiordland, taking in the mountains, valleys and breathtaking scenery. 

There is just one road there, Milford Sound being the only fiord accessible by land. Make sure you fill your vehicle with petrol before you head there as there are no gas stations. 

We headed back towards Te Anau, camping by a river for the night at Deer Flat. The next day we ventured towards Queenstown, which was more spectacular than I ever imagined.

Although it's full of young people on adrenaline rushes (lots of adventure-type activities going on here) and a ski town in the winter, Queenstown is beautiful. The water, almost turquoise in parts, reminded me of Europe's fantastic Adriatic Sea. 

Queenstown can be expensive, so we headed out for our next stop at another special DOC campsite at Moke Lake.

The next day, after passing through sparkling Wanaka, we stayed at Kidds Bush at Hawea Conservation Park, again by the lake. It was also breathtaking.

We didn't feel disappointed until the next day, when we camped out at Paringa Lake and got ambushed by sand flies. We had been warned. But it didn't help. It was so severe they came through into the car during the night along with mosquitoes. We slept mostly with covers over our faces and then Jamie and I made an executive decision first thing in the morning - to sling everything in the back of the car and get out as fast as we could! 

On the next stage of our journey we passed through the gold-mining town of Ross, which is apparently sitting on NZ$700 million of the precious metal. Zenchai got his own mining pan and gave it a go in the nearby river, excitedly hoping he'd get rich. No such luck. 

By the time we reached Hokitika further up the west coast, rain was on its way. For the second night running (but for different reasons) our sleep was broken. But the kids didn't seem to be affected much. With rain lashing down, we took to the roads and, because we couldn't see a great deal, just kept driving, getting as far as Motueka.

There, we found a decent campsite, full of children for Zenchai and Kobra to play with. The next day we headed to Golden Bay in the impressive Abel Tasman National Park, where we had the beach to ourselves. The sun was out, but the wind fresh. Zenchai and I did some sprint training and then built sandcastles.

We moved on to Kaiteriteri, staying in the Bethany Park campsite where they offered a family deal for only NZ$20. Zenchai made friends again. He was playing football in the dark. The next morning, with the sun shining gloriously, we headed for the beach before hitting the roads, passing through Nelson as we proceeded north. 

Hours of driving took us to Rarangi, where we stopped at the remote Whites Bay. It took some finding, going up lots of winding roads. That night, before dinner, firemen came to our site to warn us of a possible Tsunami from the earthquake in the Soloman Islands. The beach was closed. But nothing happened. 

It wasn't far from there to catch the ferry across the Strait from Picton, where there is an excellent kids playground. Luckily for us the Strait was calm (ish). It was a glorious day. By 4.30pm we were in Wellington again. We didn't stop, instead heading onwards Otaki, where we camped at Otaki Forks, a gorgeous spot in the Tararua Forest Park. We had the place to ourselves and a glorious river to bathe in the next morning - though it was the coldest plunge pool I'd ever experienced!

We did a spot of shopping in Otaki at outlet malls, especially for Icebreaker clothing as we equipped ourselves for our next stop, Vancouver. Icebreaker clothing is expensive (it supposedly doesn't smell from prolonged use), but there were some great deals.

Our journey took us back to Napier, where we stayed with friends for three nights, having intended to be there only two. We just couldn't bring ourselves to leave and I got to revisit CrossFit Napier - three times!!

From Napier it was a two-hour drive to Taupo, where we stopped for lunch, and then another 90 minutes to Tauranga, where we ended up at a caravan park not typical of the places we had frequented on the rest of our journey. It was cheap (NZ$20), but the notice in the kitchen warning about theft in the area didn't exactly make us feel at home.

The nearer to Auckland we went, the more traffic we encountered. Tauranga, for instance, was surprisingly congested. We ended up racing the clock a little to reach our hostel in Auckland, buy food for dinner and our flight out of New Zealand the next day and then take our rental Rocket to a car wash before dropping it off by 4pm.

We made it without a hitch. The staff at Spaceship (Rocket) were friendly as ever. They didn't baulk at the broken tent either. It was a (standard) NZ$25 cab fare back to the hostel as we entered our final 24 hours in New Zealand. 

In terms of travel highlights since we departed the UK over three years ago, New Zealand is right up there at the top. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand: Seeing It All On A Budget

IF I had known New Zealand was as spectacularly beautiful as it is, I would have come here sooner. Or at least planned to do so.

Or if I had listened to my wife when she was telling me how special NZ is (she lived there 10 years ago), we'd have maybe visited this part of the world first. Who knows? Or maybe saving NZ for last - or near-last - was a smart move. 

For an outdoors lifestyle, New Zealand offers everything from beach to mountains to skiing to surfing to hiking to tramping to any number of sports. Is there a more scenically beautiful country in the world? 

Although we arrived here before Christmas and spent time in Auckland, Napier and Wellington (my wife's old stamping ground) in the North Island, we desperately wanted to see the South Island, too - without missing too much.

New Zealand isn't cheap, though. We explored a variety of ways of seeing all we could in the near-three weeks remaining at our disposal. But there wasn't a way we could think of - with a family of four - without stretching the budget.

As a single person or a couple, costs can be reduced dramatically (you could even resort to hitch-hiking if you had to), but with little ones it's not that simple, though in Motueka we did meet an interesting and adventurous American/Canadian couple (see Jasonschlarb.com) who had been cycling NZ with a two-year-old!

The big issue for us was how to get around. We ruled out bicycles, obviously. Do we buy a car and then sell it before we leave? Do we go by coach, but then be limited to seeing only what the coach tour allows (and deal with the motion sickness our kids get on buses) and then have to stay in costly hotels? Do we rent a vehicle, but then fork out around NZ$80 per night in accommodation on top? And long distance train travel in NZ is pretty non-existent.

We looked at all sorts of options, but seeing as accommodation and food are usually the two most expensive elements of travel, a rental camper of some description fitted the bill. Why not have a house on wheels?

The regular campers (three or four-berth) were just too expensive at around NZ$120-plus per day (in high season, which it was) and used up too much fuel. Trying to get a relocation camper didn't work either as in NZ the time period given to drive a vehicle from one location to another is limited and fuel doesn't come free as is usually the case when relocating in Australia.

In the end we found the Spaceships/Rockets. These are Toyota cars with double beds in the back. They can be hired in NZ from three locations: Christchurch (which we did); Auckland; Queenstown. They also are classified as cars, which means it's cheaper to take on the ferry from Picton (in the south) to Wellington. The ferry crossing at NZ $258 still wasn't exactly a snip, though.

We shopped around for our Spaceship and got a good deal from the Christchurch location at NZ$55 per day. With a Sat Nav, our daily rental was NZ$60 (approximately £30). We also hired a tent for NZ$100, which came in useful (for storing luggage at night) even though I slept in it only once (usually, Jamie, Kobra and I would kip on the double bed at the back of the Rocket and Zenchai in the reclined passenger seat up front).

That cosy set-up worked well, though had some drawbacks as in summer it stays light for longer and Zenchai often didn't nod off until around 10pm. Also, once or twice his long legs would reach out in the night and knock the controls and we'd wake up with the hazard lights blinking!

Going back to costs, though, you have to also factor in fuel prices, which add up as you cover ground each day. But having refused to shell out for the Galapagos Islands when in Ecuador in 2010, we didn't want to repeat the mistake of not seeing somewhere special (the Galapagos are expensive to see, but completely unique) because of the price. Some experiences are worth any price, if you know what I mean. 

We trimmed our costs further by eating in practically the whole time. We'd stop at supermarkets, buy our produce and cook out with the equipment (two-hob portable cooker) that came with our Rocket vehicle. 

Another cost to bear in mind is campsites. Freedom camping is prohibited in New Zealand anywhere but in designated areas. Fines can be hefty.

We found the DOC (Department of Conservation) campsites to be the best value. Often they would charge NZ$6 per adult and NZ$3 for children aged over five. This meant we were staying for NZ$15 per night. For that, you would at least get the use of a toilet. Usually, there was running water (though not always drinkable). Some sites had showers (but cold). 

Many of the DOC sites are in scenic reserves, by lakes or rivers or the ocean. We found some exceptional places to put our heads down for the night.

However, some regions of NZ have more DOC sites than others and when we couldn't locate one we'd resort to the more pricey campsites  (Top 10, Kiwi etc) that have hot showers, kitchens, TV rooms, playgrounds, pools, internet etc. These were priced anywhere between NZ$20 and NZ$60, though we never paid above NZ$55.

But Jamie and I certainly preferred the DOC sites, just for their beauty, peacefulness and being so close to nature. The more touristy sites were just too busy and lacked any real character or privacy.

When the costs were totalled, though, this is how it was broken down in terms of average daily expenses: campsites NZ$26.60; petrol NZ$52.43; food, drink and essential items NZ$57.66.

Not exactly rock bottom prices, but you'd struggle to find a room for four anywhere on our route for anywhere close to what we spent at campsites. And how could you feed your family three times a day for less than what amounts to £30 without venturing to a fast-food joint?

If we'd had longer to travel, we would have probably opted to buy a second-hand camper. They can be cheap in NZ. I met a Frenchman at our hostel in Auckland who had bought a camper for NZ$3,500, driven over 10,000km over two months and sold it for about the same price! It can be done.

We could have been more lavish with our spending and gone on plane trips, tours, cruises etc. But, with two young children, that didn't really work. We had our enjoyment by exploring mostly what New Zealand offers for free - the great outdoors.

We skipped many places we had hoped to visit, but that just means we'll have to come back again. 

World Travel: Surviving Motion Sickness

I'M not the worst in our family for motion sickness. I recall years ago, when on holiday in Mauritius on a deep-sea fishing trip (my pre-vegan days), being sick the entire time (about six hours). And as a kid, when we used to take family trips through Europe, I'd often have my head hanging out of the window of my dad's Renault 16 (especially on winding roads) or whatever model he had at the time.

But Zenchai's in a different league. He'll get sick if we go over a speed bump! No, I'm exagerating the point, but the little guy is terribly sensitive to motion sickness. He's okay on city buses, trains, quad bikes and Indian/Thai tuk-tuks, but fast taxis, bumpy aeroplane rides, rough ferry crossings and long-distance coaches in particular have his little guts stewing.

What prompted this blog was our trip down from Auckland to beautiful Napier by coach on New Year's Day. I thought it was a relatively smooth one, but not Zenchai. 

About two hours into the journey, after he'd chowed down a few peanut butter sandwiches (not the Stig sandwiches he's pictured with above) for breakfast, he started to feel ill. 

I noticed the signs - the frequent yawning. But we didn't react fast enough. Zenchai complained he wasn't feeling well. Jamie, sat in front of us with Kobra, started searching for a bag and then handed it to me. I tried getting it open. But it was too late. As I fumbled trying to find the bag opening, Zenchai projectile vommited all over himself and me. Yuck!

Then something amazing happened. An Australian passenger travelling alone (a man and father of two teenage boys) quickly dashed to the rescue and offered his help!

Armed with a bag of baby wipes, I accepted his assistance (of course) and handed them to him. Between us, we managed to mop up most of the sick. 

We've been through this scenario before, especially when in Ecuador, where the roads are winding and the drivers handle them like maniacs.

So armed with some experience, here are our tips for surviving motion sickness with children.

1. Don't read.

2. Get fresh air (if possible).

3. Watch the road and get a seat near the front if on a coach or bus.

4. Get your child to sleep if he or she can.

5. Travel on an empty stomach (which is contrary to a lot of advice, but just my experience). If you must eat, try potato chips (we don't usually eat them, but they apparently work for those with sensitive guts and we tried it recently on Zenchai - with success)

6. Carry extra clothing.

7. Make sure you have sick bags.

8. Take baby wipes or something to clean up a mess with.

After Zenchai had emptied the contents of his belly, he was pretty much okay. He at least survived the remaining three hours on the road, though Kobra had her turn and spat up all over Jamie, who isn't a great coach traveller either.

But don't let all of this put you off embarking on long travels with your children. After all, if we can survive then surely anyone can. 

 

Mornington Peninsula: Community At Last

THE sound of children playing was Zenchai's wake-up call. Usually painfully slow to get dressed after rising, Zenchai, like Superman going into a telephone box, would bounce out of bed, rip off his pyjamas and throw on his play gear. Then he unzipped the tent and was off.

Often we wouldn't see him for hours - though we could nearly always hear him. The kids in the campground would ride their bikes and scooters endlessly, in and out of puddles, around the toilet area where the ground was flat and along the trail path. There was no concern for traffic. Children of all ages playing freely in the streets - isn't that what childhood should be like? The cars drove slowly and carefully and the kids learned to stop and allow them to pass.

Mostly, visiting families would arrive on the weekends and leave before the work week started again. That felt strange to us. One minute the campsite was deserted and then crammed and then deserted again.

Zenchai continually had to readjust. He made some good friends and had great fun doing what young boys and children do. There was hardly any need for parental policing - just lots of kids playing happily together. Kobra, as she does, just fitted in where she could and wanted to and smiled at everyone. She loved having all the children around.

We had a community and met some great people - all so friendly and welcoming. We shared food, time, stories, experiences and played cricket, using a chair as our wickets. The children joined in, too. It was great fun.

We all headed to the beach one roasting day when the temperature, freakishly for spring, nudged 40 degrees. It was so hot Jamie had to take her chair into the bay to stay cool. 

But in Melbourne the weather never remains the same for long. Soon the winds, rains and cooler climates rolled in. The sun poked its head out from time to time.

This camping experience really grew on us. My cousin came down from Melbourne and we hung out with her children. We took some family bike rides along the beach front after dinner together. We found another fine playground with ramps and Zenchai got to practice new stunts. 

We took some excursions in the local area, heading up Albert's Seat and beyond for some strawberry-picking and visiting (for Zenchai) a car museum (which was pretty impressive). 

It was only when the rain came and was prolonged that life became really challenging. Our dining area, with chairs, drying clothes, table and fridge, would get damp and cramped. If the rain persisted it would be hard to clean dishes or clothes or even venture far. Shoes got muddy and getting in and out of the tent proved a struggle.

One night towards the end of our stay the winds, joined by heavy rain, reached 110kmh. I thought the tent was going to take off. But it stood firm - and the gazebo, too.

Dealing with adverse conditions is all a part of the adventure and experience, I suppose. The days, which seemed long to begin with when we weren't so sure what we were doing, soon flew by at a rate of knots. 

November, December and soon it will be Christmas again. Where has the year gone?

Australia: Sydney To Melbourne By Campervan

WE set off with a great sense of excitement, the buzz one gets from anticipating a completely new and long-anticipated experience.

By the time we had finished - 1,126 km later - we were all pretty whacked and with butt pains. If we were to take this journey again, I would certainly allow at least six or seven days.

There are many stunning spots along the way and things to do and see. But we had only four days to make the journey and around 300km to cover each day. With children, we tried to make frequent stops or time the driving around when Kobra would take her naps. Sometimes this meant passing by towns we would otherwise have stopped at and looked around. In truth, I underestimated the length and time of the journey.

Having said that, it was a great trip and experience. Australia is a vast and magnificent country and there are fewer better ways to sample that than on wheels.

For the economically-minded, you may want to consider doing it our way. We opted for a relocation vehicle return - that is a rental vehicle that has been driven one-way and needs to be taken back to its original location. Although it is often advertised as 'free', it isn't. Still, it's cheaper and more enjoyable than flying.

Usually these deals crop up at the last moment, so I kept tabs on several websites before landing a 4-berth Toyota Mobile Home with standbyrelocs.com.

It was really simple to book. I saw the vehicle I wanted (which matched the dates available for me) and telephoned. I did most of it over the phone, received confirmation and details by email and turned up on the designated day to collect the vehicle.

Considering that flights from Sydney to Melbourne are around $250 per adult, our total outlay came to around $400 for two adults and two children.

This included hiring a baby seat for $30, a Sat Nav for $10 per day and reducing my insurance excess to $100 from $1,000 by forking out $18 per day. We also received $150 worth of petrol free (make sure you keep your receipts), which meant my share of the fuel costs came to approximately $100. The other significant outlay was for powered sites at camping grounds, which ranged from between $35-$40 per night. And camping grounds along Princes Highway are easy to find.

The relocation staff were very professional. Zenchai and I took the bus and then train from Five Dock, Sydney, where we were based, to Mascot, where we collected the vehicle. While the paperwork was being processed, we were given a mini laptop to watch a video about how the camper operated.

Zenchai and I drove back to Five Dock to collect Jamie, Kobra and the luggage and then we were on our way, targeting Lake Tabourie as our first stop, though it took us a long time on a Friday afternoon to get out of Sydney.

We arrived in Lake Tabourie just as the sun was going down and the campsite reception was closing its doors.

It was a fantastic spot, which only really became apparent in the morning, when (after a fairly rough night sleeping - temperatures dropped dramatically) we saw the ocean and the river. The way they combined - with the bright blue sky - reminded us of our time in Piracanga, Brazil.

On that first night we made a makeshift dinner (protein bars Jamie had made before the journey, plus some toast and a protein shake each) and then got the camper ready for bedtime.

For two persons these campers are perfectly adequate, but with four it's challenging, especially when you have two lively kids dancing around (as you can imagine after being couped up) and more luggage than available room.

Kobra tipped over a tub of dried mulberries and then her protein drink spilled all over a cushion. Then Kobra knocked Jamie, while she was devouring some coconut yoghurt, and that ended up over Jamie and the furniture. Needless to say, our first evening was one of serious adjustment.

Although the camper came better equipped than many apartments we had rented, it was tight for space once the bedding was down. Kobra tripped over my foot at one point and hurtled down the gap by the sliding door. Zenchai was up and down the bunk ladder, thinking he was in a playground, and trying to build with cushions.

We finally got to bed around 10pm - Jamie and the kids down below while I squeezed myself - literally - on to a shelf above. With barely enough room to turn, I somehow got through the night and dragged my aching body out in the morning, yearning for the nearby toilets (nice and clean), while the kids still slept, of course. 

For the children the campsite was great also, not just for playing on the beach and by the water, but because the facilities for young ones are outstanding. We gave Zenchai and Kobra time to burn some energy in the playground before we departed.

Back on the road, with Jamie and Kobra in the rear and Zenchai beside me as my navigator, we headed for Pambula Beach. We were lucky with the weather the whole way. It had been raining in Sydney when we departed, but became progressively brighter as we headed towards Melbourne.

At the end of the second day we reached Pambula Beach with enough daylight for the kids to play while Jamie prepared dinner. Again, the facilities were first class and we had the added attraction of wild kangaroos EVERYWHERE. So, too, were kangaroo droppings!

Although the camp staff said to keep away from the kangaroos and pay them little attention, I couldn't resist being fascinated, so the morning after our arrival - this time Zenchai slept up top and I joined Jamie and Kobra down below - I took the kids for a closer look. The kangaroos weren't afraid. They even came sniffing around our camper - for food, of course.

Each day was a quest for balance and co-ordination - giving the kids enough play time and preparing meals while they did so. Ideally, though, we'd have stayed a day or two at each camp site or gone into town to see what was on offer or spent more time at the beach. And the surrounding areas offered great trekking and outdoor pursuits. The options were endless.

On day three our intended target was Lakes Entrance. The roads were long and mostly straight. We passed through a pretty town called Eden, famous for whale-spotting and I wish we'd had time to visit the Killer Whale museum. Eventually, we stopped for lunch by the water in Mallacoota, which is a 20km detour off Princes Highway but well worth it. Everyone, except me, of course, napped as we passed mile after mile of national forest. Road signs warning against tiredness were everywhere. Often we seemed like the only vehicle on the road.

By the time we reached Lakes Entrance, we had a few more hours of daylight remaining, so we ventured further, to make our drive on the final day less daunting, and stopped for the night in the town of Sale.

It was another chilly evening. This time we all huddled together in sleeping bags to keep warm and got up early, with frost on the windscreen, in readiness for the remaining 200km.

Zenchai was excited to reach Melbourne, because there he would be staying with friends of Jamie's who have three boys.

We made it ahead of schedule. I dropped off Jamie and the kids then headed into Melbourne to return the vehicle, get my deposit back and then, by train, find my way to the family for the beginning of the next chapter of our journey.

 

 

Bali: Island Life In Pictures

Magnificent temple houses on every corner

A buriel ceremony within days of our arrival

And everyone gets involved

One way of drumming up new business

Are Balinese the most talented artists on earth? These types of shops are everywhere

 The wonderful Monkey Forest, where we (and the long-tailed macaques) had some fun

Hard at work in the rice fields

Are we watching them or are they watching us?

The Galungan festival - children take to the street and dress up in costume

Amazing rice paddies - they are everywhere

Another fabulous street procession brings us to a standstill

The local women are so hard-working and there seems to be no such thing as retirement

 

 By the ocean - in Sanur - and Kobra has her own ideas about sun block!

We get out before the rush - this is the motorbike car park (or part of it) by the beach

Hitching a ride, Kobra thumbs a lift from a generous local

Duck-herding, Bali-style...they come and go really quickly, so I moved fast to get this shot

 

 

Ubud: Driving Rules? There Are No Rules

MY heading is a bit misleading, but there are certain things you need to know before taking to the roads here. Of course, there are rules. It's not complete chaos - like driving in India or Cairo. But at times it feels like it. Actually, most of the time.

It doesn't help most of the roads are so narrow and full of holes and that there are scores of motorbikes, most of which overtake without hesitation on the inside and out. Near-misses are a daily occurrence. Jamie refuses to drive here.

At least the Balinese mostly wear helmets (which isn't the case in Chiang Mai, for instance). But you see three or four people to a bike and sometimes a parent carrying a small child who is fast asleep!

There is plenty of pollution because traffic in the centre can build up. We keep the windows up and AC on when we get into town - even though we dislike using AC. 

But driving in this charming town is made a little harder because our cheap car rental doesn't have much oomph. Just the other day it conked out going up a steep hill. I had to yank up the handbrake and start it up again with a long line of impatient traffic behind me. Even in first gear and with plenty of gas, it choked its way up.

Much of the time our Suzuki feels like a tank. It's not quite swift enough to dodge the barking mutts out in the street, some of whom just laze in the road and don't even move as you approach, which doesn't help when you need to swerve around it and a vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction. Then there are all the chickens, roosters, the pedestrians, children, people carrying large loads…you really need to have your wits about you.

If you get out of town, you might encounter cattle and pigs along the road, too. We've found the signposting in some more remote areas out of town almost non-existent. It's really a case of knowing your geography, having a map and asking directions. But I've been advised to always get a second opinion. Balinese are polite people, so will give you any direction rather than say they don't know.

At major junctions it is not clear who has the right of way. I really couldn't figure it out. In the end, I just forced my way out. Then I read an article from a local trying to make sense of it. She said it's about eye contact! That didn't help me, seeing most cars have tinted windows and motorcyclists helmets. Big trucks and buses usually won't take their turn, so beware!

If a car flashes you in England, it usually means the car is letting you pass. But here it signals the opposite. I got caught out a few times and it's hairy.

And if a car puts on its hazard lights at a junction it usually means the vehicle is going straight and not that it has a problem. 

Parking can be a hassle as well. With the roads being so narrow, you need to find either an official parking spot or stop to the side, leaving enough space for passing traffic. 

Be careful not to go too far to the side on the small side streets, because they all have deep gutters (used for burning litter). Once you're in there, you're not coming out - without the help of a tow truck. I've seen a few motorbikes being fished out.

And in the centre of town, where it's really busy, parking is harder. In some areas if you find a spot (not too difficult early in the day), the chances are you will be charged, though the fee is minimal. Don't bother trying to argue because there are no signs saying you must pay to park. 

However, I did complain when parking at the Monkey Forest for that very reason. Someone just turned up as we left and demanded payment. I told him he needed to inform me in advance and not when I had finished. 

But that's how things work around here. If they can extract another 1,000 rupees from you they will. 

When all is said and done, having a car (even our slow one, pictured above) is better than not having one - unless you are located centrally.

The alternative is taking taxis and, as visitors, we've been overcharged several times. Bargain hard with them. Everyone here seems to be a taxi driver. 

Although I prefer to walk when I can, it isn't always an easy option, particularly in heat and with young children. In places there are no pavements and where there are, often they are horribly uneven. 

Zenchai, for one, prefers getting around by car, but that's because he didn't enjoy the street dogs all barking at him.

The Balinese people aren't so aggressive, though. In fact, they are on the whole very friendly. And even on the roads, it's more a case of volume of traffic and disorder and worn road surfaces than terrible driving which makes getting around feel so perilous. However, my wife isn't convinced about how capable the Balinese are of controlling their vehicles.