Valentines day, not only took us back up into thinner air but the 14th February also coincided with entering the 14th country on our trip...Argentina! Our comfortable double decker bus left Santiago at 7.30am bound for Mendoza in Argentina, some 350 km away. Not overly far, but it would take the best part of the day, as there was a small matter of the Andes mountains standing in the way! I remember the classic film 'Alive' based on a true story about a rugby te...

We were so tired we could so easily have been dreaming as the taxi approached downtown Santiago but we were here and not for the the first time on this trip, it was pinch yourself stuff! Nine months ago when the decision had been made to take a gamble and change our life as we knew it, South America was the first destination on both of our lips..we were very excited! Friday the 11th of February 2011 was quite literally 'Ground Hog Day' and until now the longest ...

Within the last week we have sipped a Singapore Sling in the Raffles Hotel, melted in a Sydney heatwave, and taken our first glimpse of the Chilean Andes but none of these were as exciting as visiting 'Hobbiton' in New Zealand. I didn't actually realise there was a real life 'Shire' that you could visit, but as Lord of the Rings fans it was a place we are glad we happened to be passing by- it was truly fantastic! Unfortunately that's about all I can actually say ...

It was 10pm on a Sydney Saturday night as I wandered toothbrush in hand to the shared bathroom. The lounge area was still full of fresh faced young backpackers, glugging merrily at the free wine. As I cleaned my teeth in a bathroom I shared with the oldest man we had seen at the hostel and an old Japanese fellow, I couldn't help thinking....Was I too old for this Australian backpacking lark or did we simply have a different approach to it all now? Australia is t...

From Tianaman square to the bright lights of Singapore, the last 4 months in Asia has quite literally flown, driven and sailed by! We have now moved from Singapore to Sydney and the first half of our journey has come to an end. Four months traveling across one of the most diverse of continents that has heralded such an amazing mix of scenery, architecture, culture and wildlife. We have trekked through jungles, relaxed on glorious beaches, swam in crystal clear wa...