===Update version ===

When you use the phrase 'middle of nowhere', i never really appreciated it. Not until I came to Laverton. Two days travel, with a 600km detour around Southern Cross, to Hyden, Norseman and then to Kalgoorlie, due to a bush fire in the Booraborrin area, was a pretty taxing trip. I hope the picture up above does it some justice. Hours and hours of that! This is a short one, but we really are in Laverton right now, and we have two CD's of photos, but as ever, technology is not on our side today. This blog will be updated witgh full stories, but in short, we are good, hot and very enriched by the outback experience, ad loving everythign about it.... including our GOLD find!!!!!! They don't call these the goldfields for nothing you know....As ever, love and peace to all of our loved ones, and even those reading this who don't know us -

Sar and Em too XX - Update version---

OK, the updated version..... there really is too much to tell, but life feels and tastes really different out there. In Thailand there is the 'same same but different' cliche - its actually true in Oz. Life and death feel different in the bush, and to our great surprise (and amusement) many, many, Australians have not been into the middle. Its a country with a white crust, and a black centre, with this idea of it being a totally inhospitable place. It is in fact the opposite. The bush was a place brimming with life, a land so ancient and old, that fertility has gone, so growing things dosn't happen easily, but where there is life (vegetation, animals etc) it thrives. Gum trees even have evolved to withstand bushfires - their bark actually peels, like skin, to reveal a new skin, ready to bloom again. within a few weeks of an incendary ripping through thousands of acres of land, green lush fertile branches will appear. Creatures love it, we saw dozens of roo, and met ozzies who had never seen any. We thought they were strange. In fact, white Australians are pretty odd creatures, with strange ideas about all kinds of things, not just cricket. we did meet Steve's friends Hannah and Andy, who were total gems though. They made us feel incredibly welcome, like Steve did, and were a real laugh. Really good people, who were very tolerant of our tourist needs, and incessant questions, including..... 'what is a bogun?' The question goes on, but we know, and you don't! You Bogun.

Early morning were a feature, and plenty of incredible sunrises, which are too stunning to put into words. Gold hunting has been a main feature, and Sarah (me) is due to be a 'gold widow' i reckon. Em has got the bug BAD and even has some gold porn from Andy and Steve, and finds the conversation about GOLD, finding it, looking at it, techniques for it, and all that glitters quite persuasive. I have to admit, it is, but perspective is needed too! Will try to get a decent picture on the blog of our find, but it is a bewdy!. In Perth, saw the TBP crew with some graf works, sounds familiar. I think They Bring Possums, not Danger though!

Leaving Perth was hard, it definitely was not about moving on, but leaving. Hannah, Steve and Andy all saw us off from the airport, and gave us a really good send off. We both feel we have made new friends, and ones we would like to see again. we even had a look at the job pages before we left, and well, well well, there are some GOLDEN opportunities out there, Sexual Health Co-ordinator for $76,500 (about 30k ) and the demand for workers is huge, there are pages and pages of jobs, and a realy shortage of good workers. Em and I have lots to think about......

In summary, the place is totally flippin mindblowing, and we saw parts so many others never do. We met people who are so lovely, accommodating, friendly and warm, they are thye real gold in all of this. Will never forget WA, and will hope to go back some day. maybe sooner rather than later...... as news of cold weather, flats falling through and money being really, really tight, we may just turn around and head back to WA. Actually in NZ now, adn a whole new adventure about to begon. we have hired a spaceship, and are looking forward to the next leg. A day of sleep inbetween has been awesome, we really needed it after travelling through time, with a foot of room in a very dry plane, but getting refreshed and back on it, planning routes to see Rufus and to go to a festival. Look up this: http://www.spaceships.tv/ for our method of transport......

Love to all, and will blog on/off real soon. We do miss our friends, and will be back in the UK on 3rd Feb. Ror, fancy meeting up soon? Will be at Mamas for first part of week, then Plymski on thus 7th.... be good to see you too bro, missing you lots. Miss all our mates. In fact, don't really want this to end, so, send money, tell the bosses were real sorry, but we found a better way to be.... FFfRrEEeeeeeeEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Join us, there is a whole world out here.........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Failing that, see y'all soon. Watch out Kiwis, here we come to kick the ass out of the last few weeks........ we got our own Haka now....!! XXX