Gail and David Hello friends - yes dear Helen, our holiday has indeed gone fast! In fact we are back on Wednesday morning (it is Monday here in England and we catch our flight at 10.30 this evening ugh...). Our final days have been blessed with great things. The weather has been exceptional - 35 degrees celcius on some days - we need to get back to Australia to get cool! David caught up with some more friends and yesterday we saw David's nephew Michael, partner Sharon and their lovely daughter Lu Lu. We experienced the best english pub of the trip - a wonderful place called the Wheatsheaf - complete with their own vegetable garden and roaming chickens! It is strange to realise that the trip is almost over. It has felt as though we have been away for months and the size of our bags reveals that we have in fact been away for ages. We had to send £100 worth of goodies back via post already. We did this because we discovered that each kilo of excess baggage is charged at £30 per ilo when you arrive at the airport! Ugh! Anyway - we are both looking forward to the delights of returning - YES Helen - riding at Malabar will definitely happen - can you search for the phone number and we will ring as soon as I return. Chicky - get the fur coat on because we will be visiting soon to check you out. We will upload our final pictures when we return to the land of Lola! All our love and thanks for the fish.

Horsie Helen hi G&D how are u 14 days till u come home and guess what i'm on SCHOOL HOLIDAYS for 3 WEEKS! Crappy thing is that I sprained my wrist but it's all better now! Also I was thinking bout our usual subject (horses) and I thourght one day (once your bac we could go for a nice long ride at malahbar or something anyho Got to go Love From HELEN!!!!!!! PS miss u

chicky Meow,Gail and David!!!Hope you are both well and having a wonderful time.Lucky ducks!My fur jacket has started to begin its final stages of growth,something I 'm happy about as winter's fury has come!Mum and dad both well and send lots of love but are working very hard!The grandparents and great granny are all doing well and send much love and can't wait to see you both soon!We all can't imagine how quick time has passed!Also thanks heaps for the post cards!Time to go,all my love Chicky Puss!!!!!!! meow meow!

chicky Meow,Gail and David!!!Hope you are both well and having a wonderful time.Lucky ducks!My fur jacket has started to begin its final stages of growth,something I 'm happy about as winter's fury has come!Mum and dad both well and send lots of love but are working very hard!The grandparents and great granny are all doing well and send much love and can't wait to see you both soon!We all can't imagine how quick time has passed!Also thanks heaps for the post cards!Time to go,all my love Chicky Puss!!!!!!! meow meow!

Doug Glad that you are still having such a wonderful time in sunny Europe, have been following the weather there and the temperatures seem lovely and warm. Winter has fianlly arrived here and you will need your winter wollies when you get back. All of CPS sends thir best wishes and we are all looking ofrward to the slide show that you are promising

Gail and David Hello darlings - how lovely it was to hear from the CPSers - congratulations all on the Cambionista win! It truly is a win for all the CPSers (as it seems to me that noone was immune from the involvement!). Lovely to hear from Helen S - great news from Trinkett! Lovely also to hear from Vicki and in absentia from Saru - give her a gardening thanks from me! I am looking forward to the cookies from David as a celebrational win - we can have a Friday arvo dunking session and I will finally get to celebrate Steve the elders belated bday! Lovely also to hear from Alana - though I am sorry that Ireland will have to await another visit. David and I are still with his sister - which is a serene and thoughful environment - just the place to work through some of the wonderful thoughts I have had over our journey. Dearest Alexa - I am glad to hear that as always your positivity shines through! That is a wise thought about Blip arriving when it suits best - including our darling Thomas. We too are starting to eagerly anticipate the return home - we have already discussed another backyard gathering to bore you all senseless (visions of 1960's slide nights!!!). It is lovely here - but when I read all your messages I am reminded how lovely it is to be home. I feel blessed to have such loving, thoughful and wise friends! ALL OUR LOVE!

Alana Hi Gail and David. Sounds like you are having so much fun, makes me want to jump on a plane and go o/s myself, maybe next year. Are you heading to Ireland at all, even for a few days. Gail they really do have little people in Ireland and at the end of every rainbow is a pot of gold. Life in Sydney is much the same, we are well into June, but it feels like March, so no Winter yet. The disappointing thing for me is NO SNOW. Take care and I look forward to your next message. Cheers xx.

Alexa Hi!! Still no news just waiting! I have resigned myself to the fact that this baby will not be with us early, and that I probably have a week to go, at least. I must have a really comfy womb!! I am well sore not sleeping cause of all the peeing and kicking eating like a horse all normal things for this stage. We actually got a little excited the other night and started to count the time between contractions, but they stopped so that led to nothing! And Mike went to Brisbane today for work, something we were sure would trigger the labour, but no luck there!! This is just a very big lesson in patience for us. Thomas has been a little challenging this last week, he has two new teeth and I think the last two are on their way. So he has been very unsettled and clingy. He can say medicine now though so when he is having a real tough time he comes up to me and says medicine and points to his mouth and teeth, so I can give him some panadol. What a smart little fella! Maybe this is why Blip will be a little longer, just to give TJ a chance to cut his last teeth and then settle down again. I am grateful for the way the universe works. Nothing else new to report I am afraid. Basically I feel as though I am in a holding pattern waiting for our big arrival. Nicky is still waiting too, Ill let you know when something happens there. It is great to hear that you are having such a wonderful time, thanks too for the post cards they are beautiful. You are in our thoughts everyday, and I have to say that I am missing you both so much!! Love and kisses, Lexa

Helen S Dear Gail, thank you for your postcard and apologies for not writing earlier. It's been great hearing your news and seeing your gorgeous photos - it sounds like you and David are having a wonderful time and getting to see some beautiful sights. I see Lola is up to her usual tricks - raiding the pantry. I think Carly and Lola went to the same school. Carly too, has been nicking food (mainly large quantities of chocolate and chocolate covered coffee beans which were gifts to Cyn. Poor Cyn didn't even get the chance to enjoy them!). Trinkett is recovering very well from her surgery and is gaining weight and looking very happy. I had lunch with Margaret S and Yin H (ex DFW) recently - it was a belated celebration of Margaret's 50th birthday. Margaret is very happy working with Lynnette and has settled down a lot and is back to her normal self. She sends her love. Saru has kindly repotted your plant and it's doing very well. It's been relocated and seems to be enjoying it's new environment. We had our Gemini Girls' weekend away recently to the Hunter Valley and had a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing time. 8 of us went up for three days and the birthday girls had a great birthday weekend. As usual, Cyn managed to stretch her birthday over several weeks of celebration. I've had a busy time this month with 3 of my family member's birthdays - not to mention the many friends and other family birthdays during this time. I hope you David enjoy the rest of your trip and I look forward to seeing you upon your return. Au revoir ma cherie. A beintot. Love Helen xx

Vicki It really does sound like you are having a wonderful time - you sound both relaxed and excited describing your adventures. Doug has told you the only really exciting news re Cambio (oh .... 'cause I know Helen and Douglas will 'dob' on me ... I hope you don't mind, but I have been enjoying your mustard on my sandwiches!!!) Love Vic.

Vicki It really does sound like you are having a wonderful time - you sound both relaxed and excited describing your adventures. Doug has told you the only really exciting news re Cambio (oh .... 'cause I know Helen and Douglas will 'dob' on me ... I hope you don't mind, but I have been enjoying your mustard on my sandwiches!!!) Love Vic.

Doug After reading your last message it is easy to see what a wonderful holiday you are having. The English country side sounds wonderful, and relaxing, and glad it is bringing back memories for David. Some excellent news from here at work. The Cambio project was nominated for the Satff Awards for Excellence, and WON!. The CPS team, including Steve have got an award each, and yours is here awaiting for you when you get back. Steve sends his regards, and has said that the reason why he hasn't posted anything is that things are so quiet that there is nothing to report. I have heard from Rebecca in Dublin, she is enjoying it there. My David has been making chocolate macadamia cookies for people here at work, will make some for you on your return to celebrate the Award.

Gail and David Hello dear friends we have just returned from a few days in south west England and it is delightful to read the messages from you all. Lola - beware of that cupboard - we were hoping we may have returned home to find you a little svelter - no hope of that with cupboard raids... It was also really great to hear from the Laws and Chris and Bea, Steven and MJ, Andre and as always the lovely Helen!. We are enjoying the travels, but it is really great to hear the thoughts from home!!! Anyway, we are now back again wth David's sister - the lovely Maureen in her wonderful serene and tranquil home! So since our last blog we have done some touristy things - Stonehenge (which David left standing - unlike Chevy Chase) the Tate in Cornwall - slightly disappointing in terms of the installations but great in terms of the building and the locality. We visited David's childhood village and I realised that he comes from a place that is straight out of the Lord of the Rings. Really delightful countryside - we have walked up a couple of Tors in Dartmoor and the Quantocks. Helen you will be pleased to know I met a nice hill pony - called Blitzen - but just as I was about to touch him an old man came out of the woods and mentioned to me that they bite savagely - so no touch was recorded. It is foaling time on the moors - some really gorgeous little arrivals this year. We had the best meal of the trip with David's friends John and Sandra - hung meat and a blue cheese sauce to die for. Alexa you will understand it when I say that my cravings have started already - speaking of which it was lovely to hear from you on the phone! Keep up the spirits and baby Blip will be with us in just the right time. It was wonderful for David to catch up with his friends - especially lovely to meet up with Sandra, who spoilt us rotten! Over to David now for his blog - but LOVE TO YOU ALL!!! Well the west country or as Gail calls it south west england is a place I spent my miss spent youth, it was lovely to go back to places I had not been to since I was in my early teens, some had changed beyond recognition and some had changed only slightly but some had not changed at all. It was at times really quite emotional but lovely to see again. Crowcombe Park Gate, I didnt remember the hill to be so long I literally pushed my bike up there with a load of other people on our way to summer camp. Milverton, lots more houses, they've cut down the big Oak tree, it was a land mark. Hay Tor, wind blowing, cold but sunny. A trip on the river Dart and I am sure we passed the place where I attended a Scout Jamboree, the slope of the field (paddock) seemed just the same and there were canoes up on the bank. I could go on but I wont. The best all for our trip so far and especially to the west country is that we have had sun every day and temps in the high 20's most days and I have even got a tan.

steve law what a trip you guys are having. Just walked past the computer and have sat down and been reading your travel blog good fun . We have had a lovely weekend down at woonona/wollongong with the ladies going to Illawarra antique shops and the blokes going to Albion Rail Aerodrome to visit the the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum. They have an airworthy Lockheed Constellation decked out in Qantas colours, 3 DC3/ Dakotas 2 Neptunes and lots of other stuff. Good for the boys. Kids just went swimming . Water temp 20C air Temp 22C Steve and cathy

Steve, MJ & Sam Hi Guys hope all is going well. We are having a great time at Marrickville and we thank you again we don't want to leave. Everything is great although we have not spent much time there with work and a few weekend trips. We have only spent a couple of days wondering around but stillwould like to do more so stay away a few more weeks. Hows the hols??? hope you are having a great time. Sorry we have not contacted before this but it has ben frantic Steve, MJ & Sam