Hot!

Cairns October 2021

After 3 weeks based in the Kununurra Hotel, Zebra Rock Bar (‘The Office’), taking in the sights in the mornings but sheltering from the heat during the day, it became apparent that the 40^oC+ temperatures and high humidity were here to stay. A scan of the towns on the way back to Cairns presented a similar picture. As camping in those temperatures is out of my comfort zone, it was time to make a dash home to the coastal cool of Cairns. 11 days and 2800km later, just like that! .. I ended up where I started 14 months ago.

Having been some 10 months since the last post its about time for an update!

Kununurra to Cairns

Cairns October 2021

The trip back to Cairns was fairly much along the same route taken at the beginning of the trip, other than avoiding the corrugations around Borroloola that resulted in a hole in the mowers petrol tank. Some highlights:-

The House Sitter

Cairns 11th October 2021

My return to Cairns came with a WARNING!

I like to think the above clip resulted in people hastily deciding to take a holiday and having no option but to leave their lovely houses to me. Possibly not, but more importantly big thanks to all those who entrusted me to look after their house ‘and in some cases plants and the odd animal‘ … ‘Gumbus’, you know who I’m talking about!

Many thanks to those who offered their house: Callum, Ellen & John, Deb, Denis and Stella, Robin and Richard, Angela and Ian and Bobbie and Alan. Also thanks to Lyn and Mal for connecting me with Bobbie and Alan. Housesitting was the perfect solution as I planned to ride the mower overland to France at the end of the wet season.

Update

Zadar, Croatia 3rd September 2022

The plan to ride overland from Cairns to France was put on hold in mid March, one week before I was scheduled to depart. At the last minute an unexpected change of plan saw me fly to Scotland to assist my son Callum, who had been accepted to work in the Fourth Valley Royal Hospital, Falkirk as a Medical Scientist but while waiting for the paper work to come through ended up struggling with ‘immigration psychosis’. Long story short after 3 months in Falkirk, Scotland, Callum’s job came thru and he is now working and I headed to Zadar a week ago to catch up with my friends Charles & Maru who will be holidaying here in a few days .

Scotland

Edinburg, Glasgow and Falkirk 14th May to 25th August 2022

A couple of pics from Scotland:-

The Dunmore Pineapple

As far as Scotland’s architectural delights go, nothing comes close to the Dunmore Pineapple. Located half an hours drive north of Falkirk, it had me mesmerised. I’ll let the pictures and text in the slideshow below explain. By the way if you are after holiday accommodation with a difference the Pineapple is available to rent for $120 per night which is pretty good value as it sleeps 4.

Canals

Falkirk is at the junction of the Union Canal the Forth and Clyde Canal which connect Edinburgh and Glasgow. Riding bicycles along the tow paths is effortless as the canals are perfectly flat … except for the occasional lock. Callum and I spent many hours riding along them on our second hand Raleigh bikes. This clip is about a canal tunnel just up from Callum’s apartment. More information about Callendar House here.

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Getting back to Cairns – ‘the sketchy plan’

Zadar, Croatia 6th September 2022

I’m heading to Sofia, Bulgaria on the 7th September so I’m on the direct rail link to Baku, Azerbaijan. The train in Azerbaijan is not running yet due to Covid, but hopefully will be by the time I get there. From Baku hop over the Caspian Sea somehow and rail it to Central Asia. Then it really does get sketchy … possibly in mid November before it gets too cold migrate south to India. That’s the sketch plan, what will actually happen? … the Gods wouldn’t have a clue!

Due to my changing sim cards in each country, the best way to contact me is on WhatsApp using my Cairns phone number.

Cheers from Zadar

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