2021 – We have a Plan ……

We’ve finally resigned ourselves to the fact that we’re going to be in Australia for a while yet. So much so that we’ve formed a “bold and cunning plan”, something we’ve avoided for a while because, well, things keep changing. 

The last month or so, we’ve really begun to get itchy feet, as a consequence we’re just going to ignore what “might” happen and forge ahead with our new plan of action😂

Let the planning begin!

When we arrived in Australia in June 2019, we expected to stay for 6 -12 months, travelling round the country anti-clockwise, following the weather. Things changed, to say the least, but we did eventually make it to Northern Queensland (where we currently are), so nearly all the way round!

There really isn’t a safer place to be at the moment, but we’re getting bored and want to travel again. Staying in places for a month at a time was great for a while, however the novelty is fast wearing off: The whole reason for choosing this lifestyle was that we love to keep moving and anticipating the next part of the journey.

So the plan is to drive (sort of) clockwise, back to our starting point, Darwin. We leave our current house on 4th February and will head South towards Port Augusta as quickly as possible, before it starts getting too cold there. We want to avoid any major cities (Brisbane, Sidney, Melbourne) so will stay well off the coast.

At first we were going to take the route that goes via NSW just because there are more places to stop along the way. However, since the new Covid outbreak in Sydney, state borders are starting to close to people coming from NSW (WA was the first).

As we don’t want to get stuck in NSW, the alternative is to cross direct from QLD into SA. This involves going deep into the Outback, passing through 3 deserts (Strzelecki, Sturt Stoney and Tirari) and traversing the unsealed Birdsville Track.

It should certainly make for an exciting trip after these past months of luxury! Who would have thought that I, who swore never to go back, would end up looking forward to returning to the Outback.

The pictures below were taken in 2016. The very first time we came to Australia and travelled round in our camper.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

There are 3 things that could thwart this plan:

1. More state borders start closing as covid outbreaks occur.
2. Flooding: The track becomes impassable.
3. Our visas don’t get granted. It’s been over 8 months since we requested a new one. Since then, we’ve had to have medicals and most recently had to submit police reports. Another month has passed and we haven’t heard anything.

Still, we’re going to hope for the best and, in the mean time, enjoy planning our next move.

---

We’ve been asked who the rodent is who frequently turns up in our photos

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

He’s known as “Ratty Jr.” (Ratty Snr. is in a storage box in Kuala Lumpur and has been for the last 7 years). Jr. has been our travel companion since the beginning.
When we first started out, we had very little luggage and everything had to have a purpose. Ratty was my one indulgence. He’s lost a bit of fur over the years and his whiskers are getting sparse but he’s still a damn good looking rat.

Our total belongings when we set out in 2015 – So clean and new 😂

---

We’re down to the last couple of days of 2020, the sun is shining, it’s 29℃. We’ve just eaten the last oysters and squid for this year.

Heres wishing everyone stays safe and that 2021 turns out to be the redemption we’re all hoping for. HAPPY NEW YEAR! xx