Home Again

Well, we are back at home again and madly trying to get back into (and remember) the old 'at home' routine.  Jack went back to school on Monday, and Cooper (reluctantly) went back to kinder then too. 

We arrived home to a broken washing machine, so Mum and Dad looked after the kids for a few hours on Monday morning while Justin and I investigated, and purchased a new, 9.5kg top loader.  It was the only top loader of its size which would fit in the 65cm gap we had available and was delivered today.  It took quite a while to work out how to turn the thing on.  It is a little bit space age!! The hope is that this one will be able to wash more than 2 towels at a time.

17th – HOME!!!!

We arrived home today.  We only had 580km to travel today which has become a ‘short’ day after our travels.  It was a fairly easy drive with only one stop for lunch.

After lunch all three kids fell asleep in the back of the car.  This is the FIRST time it has happened on our entire 3 month holiday. UNBELIEVABLE!!

The Garnetts all think of Lynne when we see a rainbow so it was lovely, after our big adventure, to be welcomed into Melbourne with a gorgeous rainbow:

 

Mum and Dad helped look after the kids while we unloaded everything from the car and the kids were VERY excited to be home again.  (and I must say I am pretty excited to be home too!).

Our holiday has been one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had.  We had a fantastic time, learned a lot about Australia and its spectacular landscapes, animals, and plants. BUT, after 3 months travelling in a little caravan, it is LOVELY to be home!!

16th – The big drive home.

Our aim was to travel 1000km today.  I made it 975, how annoying, so close!! Our aim is to get home as quickly as possible now, so we wanted to break the back of the trip home.

We left at 4am and travelled 300km before breakfast.  We stopped at Tailem Bend for a fish and chip tea, where they had a lovely big steam train in their playground which was a BIG hit with the boys:

We then travelled another 50km or so and have finished at Coonalpyn.  We ran into this strange wet stuff falling from the sky... I believe it is called.... rain????

15th – Coober Pedy

Today we took a bus tour of Coober Pedy, which included looking at the ‘Breakaways’, a mountain range of incredible colour:

And the dog proof fence (and yes, he is howling…)

And an underground house.

We also saw a mine, an underground church, and were taken on an extensive drive around the small town.  I am astounded that anyone would live here.  It is dusty, has no vegetation at all, is extremely hot in summer, extremely cold in winter, and has no water.  I don’t think I’ll be relocating here!!!

14th – Drive to Coober Pedy

Today we left Ayres Rock and headed to Coober Pedy.  The drive was fairly flatish…  We saw a tree once:

And we left Northern Territory to enter South Australia:

And then we hit the weird ‘moonscape’ surrounding Coober Pedy.  Where the opal mine, they dig holes in the ground and leave the piles of excavated rock next to the hole.  As a result there are mounds of white clayish dirt everywhere:

A very dusty place, and it is really getting cold now!!

13th – Kata Juta (The Olgas)

We started the day with a quick 1 hour walk into Walpa Gorge in the Olgas (now known as ‘Kata Juta’).  It was a lovely walk, though Justin had to walk ahead with the older two boys:

 while I slowly walked and mainly carried Lachlan who was, I admit, very entertaining:

On the way home we saw our first wild camels of the trip:

After that it was back to Yulara where they have free activities during the day.  Jack painted a boomerang:

And the kids did some spear throwing, and then we watched a traditional dance display which involved me getting up with the girls to do an emu dance:

And Jack stealing the show with his praying mantis dance.  Fantastic!!

12th – Climbed Uluru!

What more can be said – while I walked some of the base of Uluru with a newly met friend of mine and our kids, our husbands both did ‘the climb’.  The walk around the base was really great, lots of caves, meeting places and places for the kids to play. (Justin had the camera so no photos – sorry!)

Justin enjoyed the climb and made it all the way to the top, enjoying the view of the Olgas at the top:

 

And was thrilled to finish!!

 

We also watched both the sunrise and the sunset over the rock.  Justin did sunrise, and I did sunset.  It really is beautiful.