075-079 - Cape Range National Park

The amazing waters of Turquoise Bay

After leaving Exmouth, we headed “around the corner” to Cape Range National Park. It’s a funny thing how you adjust to distances on a trip like this. Our campsite was in North Kurrajong campground, which was around 100km away, but to us, that was literally around the corner. I guess it was a little like when we lived in Alice. As soon as you left town, distances started with 3 figures and went up from there.

But we were going “off-grid” for a week with no nearby shop so we stocked up at the local IGA and shipped out.

And, after a short jaunt, the Ranges over which the sun had been setting for a week, now played horizon for sunrises. As the crow flies I doubt we’d gone too far, but as you can imagine, they ask you to take the long way round. Should point out, that the really long way around would be via the 4WD track from Coral Bay all along the coast, finishing with a pretty interesting crossing of Yardie Creek. I’d love to tackle that drive one day with a mate or two, as I reckon it’d be a real adventure.

Our campground at Cape Range was very nice and looked recently constructed. Clean, flat with nice crushed rocked sites, serviced by regularly cleaned drop toilets. The campground had a lovely host in John who was quiet but always around if required.

Unfortunately the wind kept the awning in most of the time, but it was a great clean site.

Now there is a well balanced fridge.

But the highlight for sure, was the park bench and table that was located at the top of the dunes behind our site. Sure, it was communal, and everyone could access it from paths, but to us, it was like our own perfect dining table.

We were advised when arriving that there was “Happy Hour” at 5pm each evening to watch the sun set down over the Ningaloo Reef… Oh wow… I love a place that doesn’t have a bar, but yet still manages Happy Hour!

I think that just about became my favourite time over the week there, walking up with a beer or two and chatting to the other campers around us to hear their stories and tales, and tell our own. Whilst there was only 10 sites in our campground, there was always a few new faces here or there. And each night the sunset gave a unique and different show. From cloudless skies, to overcast, to drizzle and everything in between, no evening was the same.

Here are some various Happy Hour snaps...

Looking back up from the rocks at people gathering...

The kids often flitted between the table if there was biscuits and dip, to down on to the beach. Sam decided that he wanted to fish one afternoon. A perfect world.

And this is what we came for... This was night one, and if I'm honest, was the pick of the lot. The sun simply melted behind the horizon.

It just doesn't get old...

One of the days was raining and overcast, and ironically, we had the biggest turn out. I think it was a case of "one in, all in".

Our site relevant to Happy Hour. Commuting was simply painful.

Some prefer cloudless skies, but clouds bring different patterns, hues and shadows.

There are simple reasons why the TV hardly gets a run in our life at the moment.

I’m so glad we ‘chose’ this site (it was just about the only one available) as it was nigh on perfect National Park camping. We toured the other campgrounds whilst there, and I think we had the pick. Sure our beach might not have been as fruitful fishing as hoped, but no one ever complained and there was always something to do or a place to explore.

Our time at Cape Range varied between fishing, snorkelling, fishing whilst others snorkelled or snorkelled whilst others fished. We also threw in a bushwalk in there for good measure along with a boat cruise up Yardie Creek.

The bush walk was quite interesting for one particular reason that we were being taunted by rain the whole time. The clouds were threatening all day and we got intermittent showers but somehow managed to time our walk in the middle of the day to perfection. The walk took us down the river bed of Mandu Mandu Gorge before taking a hard left, followed by a hard steep ascent up the canyon face and a walk back along the ridge line. There was no doubt that it was pretty challenging, even for our experienced mountain goats. I spent the whole time hoping that the wound on my foot, still recovering, would not split itself open. That and hoping the heavens were kind to us and not try and drown us atop the range. Thankfully both hopes were met and we all descended unscathed.

Mandu Mandu Gorge from the river bed.

James about to start the climb out of the gorge. As you can see, he's ready to roll.

Not our standard shot. I mean, those things, I think they're clouds aren't they?

Us nervously keeping the pace up for fear of the Apocalypse.

The impressive Mandu Mandu Gorge. I actually think the dark clouds make this picture even more spectacular than just the river bed.

The Yardie Creek boat cruise was something that proved to be more enjoyable than I had otherwise expected. Our guide was brilliant, once again walking that fine line between informative guide and entertaining comedian. He was quite the skilled skipper as well, navigating the rocks and shallows quite well. My particular favourite part of the walk was when he yelled at some bushwalkers atop the ridge who were clearly ignoring the signs to stay away from the ridge.

“Hey mate, it’s not worth it! Get back from the edge! Don’t jump! Freo will eventually win a flag!”

It was a competition between the river water and the sky as to who could put on the best display of blue on this day.

Family shot on the boat. If you look closely you can see Matt Butcher doing an excellent photo bomb. The Butchers joined us for a day of swimming and touring.

Yardie Creek near where the freshwater ends and the saltwater starts

A beautiful piece of landscape.

The Cape Range was rugged and beautiful and not like an area I’ve seen before. The ranges striking, brown and red, tumbling down on the flats before meeting the amazing waters of the Coral Coast. It would be a terrible place to be colour blind.

On our last night we were actually joined in the neighbouring site by Seth and Daphne from B’s whale shark swimming tour.

Eventually though, we had to watch our final sunset and happy hour over our awesome campsite and we had to move on. The van once again held up brilliantly to a week of free camping and we’ve now got our water rationing down to a reasonably fine art. Feet washing is a must, but showers are somewhat ‘negotiable’.

A beautiful spot. A wonderful spot. A spot to come back to.

Here's a couple more random beautiful shots from our time there...

The amazing waters of Turquoise Bay, teeming with fish.

A school of Darts... Just how many are there? Whish are fish and which are shadows?

Sam snorkelling up...

Yes, even yours truly gave it a bash. It's a pretty cool thing to do. Until you swallow half the ocean and snort it back into your goggles.

 Turquoise Bay. Yep. It's that amazing. No filter required.

Sitting atop the point in the wind and drizzle looking for the ULF radio station off in the distance.

More 'Lighthouse Maths Lessons'

With the rain came the Roos. This was the turn off into our camp ground. The roos, attracted by the water pooling on the road were everywhere. Not a place to come flying through at high speed.

The definition of optimism. Or futility. One or the other. Or both.

A random fish...

Yep.. if you look closely, that's a passing dolphin.

The Oyster Stack snorkelling spot. Not for the first timers (like the young guy I had to pull out of the water before he got smashed on the rocks)

Luckily Sam and B aren't first timers now!!

Rock pool hunting. One of our favourite pastimes. Like Nature's Lucky Dip.

Evie' relocating a bunch of small crabs and molluscs off the rocks into a rock pool to create a 'farm'. 

James and I sneaking off to Sandy Point for a quick fish whilst the others did some school work one day. It's a hard life sometimes.

The piece of driftwood B thought looked like an animal. Here she is patting it's nose....

I was more fascinated by the rocks that had embedded themselves in the driftwood. Or was that the other way around??

Truck Modifications - Halfway Review

I thought I'd take the time to write a review on the modifications we'd done to the truck to make life easier were going. Were they infact, making life easier?

Unlike the van, which has remained largely untouched from factory, the Rock Truck is no longer what you'd call 'standard' and the list of additions and extras is enough to make the wallet scream and the insurance man smile. It also ensures Mr ARB keeps not only his Royal Melbourne membership, but probably his holiday home in Noosa as well.

Everything we've added to the truck ultimately was with the big trip in mind so any modications such as massive mud tyres and 20" three piece chromes were never really in consideration. Paramount to most of the decisions was the weight that it would add to the car and whether or not, once we add the Lizard's ball weight on the back, we'd have enough to remain 'legal' with respect to Tare, GVM, ATM, GCM, MGM, NAB, ANZ and FLW. And whatever other acronym we needed to be aware of.

So... have they been worth it? Let's work from front to back shall we? Hell, I might even give it some sort of wanky score out of 10... 

Bullbar
Thankfully we haven't had any run ins with the local wildlife on our journey but we've had our fair share of close calls. Roo's at Worroora nearly got a kiss, the bulls at Cheela Plains would have made a dint if they didn't move on, and Rosy and Ruby (the names we've given the two donkeys at El Questro) have had some low speed inspections from the roadside. So aside from the odd bird here or there that has probably come a cropper, the bar provides more of a antenna and spotlight mounting point than anything else.

Actually, it provides a lot of peace of mind too which can't be undervalued. Would I be without it? Not on your ninny. Whatever a ninny is.

Score: A robust 7/10... until we need to use it.

Spotlights
Haven't used them other than a run between Kalgoorlie and Gibson Soak which ended up trailing into dusk and nightfall. However I've used them in the past and they're great but I wouldn't think that they're a must have. Whilst any true 4WD should have some bunny burners or light bar, I wouldn't say I had to have them for the trip. But then, I suppose it's nice to have them and not need, rather than need and not have them. Not an expensive addition and don't exactly blow the weight allowance.

Score: An illuminated 6/10

UHF Radio
Now this is one thing I've found far more valuable than expected. When you are permanently towing a van around, you realise that you are a fairly big target for people to run into. You are slower than most, and the other big things, such as the Tonka Truck outside of Fowlers or the road train leaving Karijini pose significant overtaking hazards.

The radio has probably been the most valuable, from a point of safety, addition to the truck. It's allowed us to communicate with, and other to reach us, without hassle and confusion.

From the road trains announcing their impeding arrival at the single lane bridges at Fitzroy Crossing to another advising us of roadworks south of Port Headland, it has simply been brilliant.

And since adding a single hand held radio to go in the car, we have now returned to our normal communication levels when parking the van. We used radios before coming on this trip but they died shortly before so we'd gone back to the tried and true "waving in general directions and muffled expletives" combination. This removal of stress and frustration is worth the price of admission alone.

It would be the first thing I would add to any serious touring vehicle in the future. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Score: A well communicated 9/10

Snorkel
Interesting one this. Probably something that makes the truck look cooler than anything else, it's another peace of mind addition I would add. If you subscribe to the theory about cleaner air higher up off the road when following people on dirt roads, then it has certainly been worth it's weight in gold. We've eaten enough dust and dirt on this trip to double as a family of large earthworms.

As a river crossing tool, other than in El Questro, there hasn't been much to worry about. Having said that, I did manage to make a 'bow wave' on the El Questro Gorge crossing yesterday so I would probably argue that the water is perhaps getting deeper and I'm getting braver.

Once again, it's a "nice to have", but I don't believe a car is going to suffer too much by not having one. But yep, it does make us look more 'legit' in the National Parks, so that's importnt right?

Score: A sitting on a fence in clear air 7/10

Clearview Mirrors

Our 'Dumbo Ears' have been excellent, and are extremely convenient, handy and practical. Sure they are some of the most expensive mirrors you will ever buy, but when you are spending the best part of a year in a car, and towing a van for most of that, it really is quite reasonable. Even more so if you consider we could probably flog them off when we get back for about 50% of what we paid.

And yes, whilst they certainly don't make the truck look better or tougher, they make it a hell of a lot easier to drive, and that's what we bought them for.

Based on the number of sets we've seen out here installed on vehicles, I'd say I'm not alone. I'd also say that Mr Clearview might play in the same group at Royal Melbourne as Mr ARB.

Score: A clearly visible 10/10

There's a sizeable difference. And size matters, right?

You can see why people call them Dumbo Ears....

Roof Platform
Or should I say ' The Royal Surfboard Holder'. It's prime function on this trip has been to give us somewhere to tie the surfboard to, which incidentally has remained largely unused. However, when we've ventured off road without the Big Green Lizard, it has proved invaluable as a place to tie the chairs and tents down. Whilst I'm not sure racks wouldhn't have sufficed as well, the roof platform has been great and has also allowed the kids to climb up on occasion for a better viewpoint and excellent photo prop, cue Francois Peron National Park. Probably something we'll use a lot more going forward, I'm happy with our roof storage system.

Score: A tied down 7/10

It's a nice place to sit... according to James.

Awning
Other than to make sure I knew how to set it up, the awning hasn't come out. But another case of having and not need than the other way around. It's nice to know we've got shade and shelter if we need it and perhaps as we venture out more we will.

I think we could happily live without it, but knowing the future swag trips with the kids, I know I'd end up with one anyhow. As a result, we manage to get it included in the "Big Trip Spending" rather than the "Matt's 4WD Mod Dreams".

Score: A shady 6/10

The only time we've unrolled it... and people put their chair in the sun... Sigh...

Suspension

For those petrol heads wondering, we had the heavy duy constant load EFS suspension upgrade installed before we left by the guys at 4x4 Obsession in Melton. It's been in the car for a little while now, so has softened up a tad, but when empty there's no denying the back end rides like a horse and cart. However once a little weight (i.e. the van) sits on the back, it all comes into it's own.

We do use a WDH for more peace of mind, and improved dynamics but to be honest, it isn't really required. The truck handles the rough stuff as well as I could expect and given the price we paid, I'm very happy with the results. We may go to something a little softer once the touring is completed, but really, no complaints here.

And given we take the truck off the tarmac, the additional strength and clearance afforded by the upgrade means we can tour confidently and capably, driver experience notwithstanding.

Score: Undoubtedly well supported 8/10

Giving not only the suspesion, but pretty much everything else on the truck a work out...

Tyres

Now, when I think of money well spent on the truck, the first thing that comes to mind however are the tyres. I ummed and ahhed and ahhed and ummed prior to leaving as to what to get and what would be required.

The standard Bridgestones had done 70,000km without fault (other than a nail outside of Bonny Doon) and had proven themselves more than capable for our needs. However, they wouldn't see out the trip and not wanting to try and price up a fresh set of shoes somewhere like Barkley Homestead, a decision to renew prior to the trip was made.

We upgraded the tyres to All-Terrain for added performance off road and bought a light truck variant as well for addiitional strength when towing for extended periods. We stuck with Bridgestone and went with a set of 697's for a couple of reasons:

1) Friends of ours have used them in the past with little issue or concern. Real world reviews by people I trust come above pretty much anything else in my opinion. There's no bias or agenda.
2) Cost.... The local Marsh dealer was able to do a great deal on a set that pretty much made them $60 a tyre cheaper than any other option I was looking at. Timing played a part in this, but I'd done my research so I knew when I got given the price it was something I couldn't refuse.

So far, 19,000km down, I have absolutely no complaints. I've had them as low as 15psi on beaches and up to 50psi on the highways. We've done sand, dust, rocks, rivers, mud, road, asphalt, gravel, concrete and just about every other surface I can think of, and not one complaint so far.

I think anyone embarking on a serious trip should consider their wheel and tyre combination as it really adds value, safety and comfort. We could just as well get a few blow outs over the next few weeks, as luck plays a fair chunk in it, but a little bit of preparation, knowledge and investment can go a long way.

Score: A well rounded, high quality 9/10

Exhaust

I had originally intended to get an ECU remap and exhaust upgrade through the 4x4 Obsession guys to give the Rock Truck a little bit more grunt to play with. But for whatever reasons (some kind of computery trickery black magic stuff) the ECU remap wasn't possible. It didn't really worry me too much as this was more of a 'nice to have' upgrade rather than a neccessity. The Truck has towed without issue or struggle prior to this; I was simply trying to make it do it with even less stress.

I went through with the exhaust upgrade anyhow and have since benefited from minor power upgrades and truck that I believe breathes a little better. It has played a little havoc with the torque curve of the engine, and when towing sometimes hangs on to 4th a little longer than I would like, but I've learnt to trust ECU and transmission and really we trundle along without impeding anyone on the road or creating any issue for the car itself.

I don't think it was really required, but it certainly hasn't hurt the vehicle's performance.

Score: A breathable 7/10

Canopy

This was one addition I'd never be without, before, during or after the trip. Sure, having a ute it old school cool, and yes it makes sitting in the back at Bathurst more difficult, but I still wouldnt be without it. Added security and storage away from the elements makes it without a doubt a must have for our crew.

We've had the Ascent Canopy from ARB on it for a while now and if I'm honest, it hasn't been without it's problems. It has had a repeated issue sealing and remaining waterproof, but to be honest, this has been well supported by ARB through attempts in trying to improve it. In the end, I have just accepted that during heavy rainfall and car washing, a bit water will make it's way to the front of the tub. It's not a deal breaker by any means.

The smooth lines and central locking features of the Ascent Canopy is why I chose it and they have proven to be brilliant over our time. No latches or second keys, just unlock the car and flick it open. It's freakin' gadgety brilliant.

On this trip however we've had an issue with the rear hatch door unlocking. A bit of a PITA as I had to go back to opening it with a key (oh the horror!!) but once again, through an ARB partner in Broome, was able to get it 'repaired' under warranty. I use the term repair loosely as within a day or two the right latch started playing up on the rear door. I can't help but think that we robbed Peter to pay Paul with that one. Still, with the help of my mate Matt, we managed to turn a 10min fix into a 90min frustration session with a bit of swearing. Still, it's fixed and the canopy is once again working as it should.

It might not be for everyone, but I doubt I'll have another ute/dual cab without a canopy.

Score: A lockable and well covered 8/10

Drawslide

Now this is an interesting one. Possibly the only one I might consider I've got 'wrong' although the jury is still out and I'll need to check by the end of the trip.

For those not in the know, I invested in an Ezi Reach draw as our rear storage solution. The reason for this was primarily due to the height difference between B and I believe it or not. B isn't able to reach through the canopy windows to reach anything, even more so since the suspension raised it up 2" or so! As a result, B wasn't able to reach anything that was further than a foot in past the tailgate. Seeing 9 months on the road of having to get everything out of the truck, I found the Ezi Reach through some research and eventually invested in it.

Essentially what it allows us to do is slide out the entire tub of the Colorado out the tailgate when you can reach more easily and effectively. This also negated the need for an individual fridge slide.

For the most part, it's been as required and does what it has needed to.  The latching mechanism was playing up and was causing a few issues trying to slide the draw out. As such, I ended up not using it as intended and just reach in. However, my mate Joe managed to help adjust the mechanism such that it returned to as purchased and once again I can slide the tray as required.

A side benefit of the tray is that it limits storage to ensure that it still slides without catching on the tub or canopy. This is a good feature for life on the road as it prevents me from overloading the rear storage space and keeps all our weights under control.

However the jury is out for the prime reason that B hardly ever gets anything out of the rear of the truck regardless! As a result a more standard draw system might have been more efficient and useful!

I love the slide and do get plenty of compliments and onlookers whenever it's in use. I'm just not sure it's the best touring solution. Time will tell...

Score: A slippery 5/10

......

So I think that's about it for the truck.We have other gadgets in the car such as the thumper battery, fridge, HEMA and the like but I don't really class them as modifications as we can move them out of the vehicle and put them elsewhere.

Looking over at the Rock Truck now as it sleeps all nice and shiny (it had a wash today!) I think we're pretty happy with how our rig has turned out. I've seen some amazing setups and vehicles on my travels some of which make you drool, and some make you shake your head. Old Mate at El Questro who had a chopped Landcruiser 200 series turned in to a dual cab was immense and just something to behold. Some dream yank tanks always catch my eye and some hardcore off roaders who you hear before you see them always make the head turn.

But really, The Rock Truck is what we have and it's doing an amazing job taking us and it's best mate the Big Green Lizard around the country....

Coming soon: Big Green Lizard - Halfway Review

Ponderings Part 1

So.. B informs me that we're now at Day 112...

Wow... Like seriously... Wow.

I can't believe that it's now been that long already. I mean, there's no denying that we've gotten used to the lifestyle, dare I say it, even become complacent with it at times. I'd say the lack of blog updates might correspond with this as well.

Would I say the 'novelty' has worn off?

Probably not, but definitely the honeymoon period is over. The freshness and excitement that met every pack up and set down of the early few weeks is well and truly in the past. But I'm hoping that might also be something that we can recapture as we now pick the pace back up as we bid the Broome area farewell and head to the Kimberleys.

I've also managed to score a bluetooth keyboard that allows me to type and 'ponder' whilst we are offgrid.

(I'm currently sitting in a rest area a few kilometres short of the Bungle Bungles listening to... well nothing. The clamber of the keyboard is only occasionally interupted by a passing road train a few hundred metres away on the highway).

So as I sit here, closing in on the four month mark in a fortnight, I'm trying to get a handle on where we've come, where I've come, and where we and I might be going from here. I think i might be wise to ponder on a few things to help it get back into perspective, and ensure I get the most out of this trip.

TIME WITH THE KIDS:

Currently at 112 days non stop, I've hung out with the kids around 1350 hrs (based on 12hrs a day). Some might argue that given they sleep around 1m from me, I could probably bump that time up! In the same time, in a normal 16 week period of work, assuming I retained the standard 2.5hrs per workday on average I saw the kids and same 12hrs a day on the weekends, I would have seen them a total of 584hrs. So lets round that up to 590hr just to be nice...

1350hrs vs. 590hrs.... I've been involved in 760hrs more of their lives (and them mine) than I would have done 'normally'. Converting back to days, that's already 63 more days I've managed to spend with them.

Now, there's no denying that this increase in parental contact time has taken a while to adjust to, from both sides. And it's certainly more concentrated I'm sure when you spend this time in a 20ft long box on wheels.

"Go to your room Sam! Oh... hang on... um.... go outside... nope... can still hear you... um... go... ah jus go!"

We are always on each others toes, metaphorically and actually, and sometimes the proximity can get a bit too much. Often I'll find myself getting frustrated at little things that shouldn't really matter too much.

But seriously, is it that hard to put your shoes in the freakin' shoe box??

On the flipside though I think I've relaxed a bit more about other things. My usual PIA manner for bed times has wained considerably of late and I think the kids have enjoyed that. And whilst we know when we've let them stay up too late (and pay the price the next day with grumpiness) I think we all understand that there is no 'normal day'. Dinners are at different times and places and often with different people. There is no way to standardise it, no matter how much I might have tried in the earlier days.

And I now have a new found love of reading the kids the 'family book' at the end of the day when the oppurtunity arises. It reminded me of how I used to read to each of the kids at home when they were little and how much I enjoyed it, and yet, did it less frequently as they got older and learned to read themselves. So now, when the evenings allow it, when we haven't done much or everyone is heading to bed at similar times, I really do love plonking between the bunks, James handing me Carrot the Parrot (his pet pillow) to lean on and we escape into a fictional world. Right now, and I suspect for most of the trip, it will be the world of Harry Potter.

I'm just wondering how long it will be until my impersonation of Gilderoy Lockhart will remain funny.

So... yep, I have greatly appreciated the extra time with the kids.

DISTANCE:

The trip computer on the car ticked over 15,000km on the drive today. That's not bad going if I do say so myself... And whilst I won't get to stat heavy on this post, as I'd rather save that for when I have access to the "Master Spreadsheet" on grid, let's just think about that for a moment Matt.

That's a long, long way. We're not in Kansas anymore Toto...

It's also strange as other than a few days early on, I don't feel as though we've gone that far... But once again, perspective comes into it. Today is a great example of that... We drove 390km today, without too much of a fuss or a protest. It was, dare I say it, 'normal'. So I suppose what would have normally in the past quite the trip, is something we now just accept. Time in the car is... normal.

Bu there's no denying, it's a massive country... The jury is still out if we'll get around it in time...

And for my last ponder for the evening...

SAND OR DUST:

I can't decide which one pisses me off more when it's in the car. I think I've relaxed my approach to the cleanliness of the car, accepting that the back seat will often look more like a transfer station than a vehicle. The outside is even more of a write-off. Scratches, dust, smear marks, door handles covered in sun cream which are then covered in red, white, bone, ivory, cream, beige, off-white or brown dust making it look like a crime scene full of finger prints.

But surely it's all just a sign of us really enjoying the adventure to the full?

Test Post from offline

So this is just a test post using the Bluetooth keyboard, and typing on Blogger whilst offline.

At first instance, it looks pretty good. This keyboard is a little clunky, but I'm trying to find a way to make sure that I test out most keys on the keyboard.

Bear with me with any typos...

Either way... I think this combination could work. I might yet get this blog back up and running.

Where's the blog?

I'm still here... somewhere...

Some of the 'regular' readers might be wondering where the blog has gone? Has Matt gone AWOL? Disillusioned? Or just plain lazy?

To be honest, it's a little bit of all of them and a whole lot more.

The blog is still, and will always be a work in progress.

I'm working on some stuff in the background so there will be times when a whole lot of updates come along.

But I reckon the biggest impact of late will have been the two fold...

a) Catching up with friends and family regularly over the past fortnight or so. We've been catching the Butchers regularly and quite often this has led to a few beers here and there, which eats in to the evening which is "blog" time. Meeting the McGuirks on the road a few times has had the same effect. And just when I thought we'd hit the 'city' in Broome for some quality reception, my folks go and drop in on us... How dare they?

b) The McGuirks have given us the Game of Thrones DVD sets, and if we're honest, we're binge watching our way through these once the kids are in bed (headphones on of course). This too eats in to blog time.

So convenient excuses they are, but I think it's more than that too.

Looking over the blog of late I notice it's becoming a bit like a large Facebook update, which is great, but not really what I hoped. I want this blog to be a place where I come to look back on the smaller memories as much as the bigger ones. The bits where I recall the weird minor anecdotes or perhaps the emotions I'm feeling at the time. Things that don't really come across in photos yet make up a critical part of life on the road.

So if that means it takes a little longer then so be it.

So yes, I'm very much still committed to this page and with our friends and family about to take off, I think we're on the road, just the Marshians again for the next few weeks at least. Maybe I'll be able to catch up.

But really, I think I might evolve the blog a bit more. I might focus on the different facets of life on the road.

We'll see how I go.