Sydney

Bob says: We have made it! After such a long trip I could do with a holiday!! We are currently shacked up with Ruth's lovely Auntie and Uncle, Vanessa and Leon, with one or two things to sort out, jobs, home etc. Fingers crossed please!

Jervis Bay

Bob says: We were on this beach December 30th. You've got to ask yourself, why the hell did we come here!

The Kosciuszko National Park

Bob says: Now you maybe thinking that now we are in OZ we would be buckling down and getting some work done, well you'd be wrong. Here we are camping and walking in the beautiful mountains during our trip back from Melbourne to Sydney. Again, thanks to Andrew and Sue for lending us the camping gear and the car!

Xmas in Melbourne

Bob says: We spent a superb xmas with a difference, i.e. hot and sunny, with my Uncle Andrew and Auntie Sue. A highlight for the wife was a day at the boxing day test match, I have never seen her so excited! We also toured up to the temperate rainforest north of melbourne where this parrot kindly posed for a picture. Thank you to Andrew and Sue, plus extended family for putting up with us and treating us to a fine xmas.

Kuala Lumpur

Bob says: Kuala Lumpur, the end of our trip! very sad! Out of interest the buildings above are the Patronas Towers, 2nd highest in the world, although 2nd, as any Aussie will tell you, is only 1st of the losers. Be prepared OZ, Bob and Ru are on our way!!

Koh Tarutao National Park

Bob says: After Phi Phi, the island of Tarutao was a true Thailand paradise we had been looking for. It is a national park so tourist development is currently restricted, this allied to the fact that it is difficult to get to, meant that we had the island virtually to ourselves. Top picture shows the tent that we hired from the park office. We spent 3 days like Robinson Crusoe, Ruth being man friday but with a nicer ass!

Koh Phi Phi

Bob says: The top beach picture was where we stayed and the other pics are some islands off phi phi were that movie 'the beach' was filmed. Exactly where I am standing complete with a squirrels tail around me chin, Leo de Crap was stung by a mozzie!

All is not as it seems in paradise. Post Tsunami, Thailand has been re developing this coastline at an incredible rate. Unfortunately, all inclusive resorts, 7 elevens and macdonalds have been given free reign. Ruth visited Phi Phi before the Tsumami and says that the island has lost much of its original beauty, accommodation on the island was pretty much restricted to wooden hut bungalows set amongst palm trees, now there are a multitude of concrete eyesores. And Phi Phi is supposed to be a National Park! This unfortunatly is the tip of the iceberg. Whilst in Krabi our Thai climbing instructor told us that following the Tsunami many people not only lost their houses, friends and relatives; Apparently in Thailand there are few laws relating to land ownership if you do not own a building on that land, so following the destruction the developers moved in and the people had to leave! I kid you not!! Along this coast nearly 9000 people lost their lives. I can't imagine how many homes were destroyed. It is the saddest thing I have ever heard!!