Reismee; April 2016. English.

We have started on the last weeks at OZ. It doesn’t feel like it is almost done, this seemingly endless time of traveling as a holiday of a year, but the end is slowly moving towards us day by day. This is not only because we got a date with Sydney airport but also the weather is giving us a significant sign.

Till Thursday morning the 7^th we will be in Canberra at a semi bush camping just at the north end of the city. While we were there we went to say good bye to our dear relatives and even dough the weather is still good for the time of the year in the daytime the night are getting colder. We even had to put on the heather at night sometimes. The last days it was between 25 and 30 degrees and even 31 today with lots of nice sunshine. But today the wind became pretty strong and then expectation is that starting Thursday the temperature will drop to around 20 in the day and 5 at night. For us that is the sign to hit the road again and move towards the coast were it will be warmer but the chance of rain is gaining as well.

Our Holden Rodeo is sold this week and that while our trip is not done yet, but we can keep the car till we done. This car has really grown to us because it took us everywhere and was our steady partner for more than 43.000 km. besides the fact it towed the caravan to any place we wanted to go.

We will end up at Westwinds where we have to go carefully through our close to decide what stays, what comes with us and what goes to the Op Shop. The van needs a very good clean before we store it. Packing our suitcases needs a lot of attention to make sure we keep the scale below 30 kg a person and we only take one piece of hand luggage each, after all the trouble we went through with the departure of Ben junior. I think we can fill five suitcases with legal and illegal stuff and souvenirs.

We are going to miss all of our relatives, friends and new done up friends during this trip. We are going to miss out on “wine o ‘clock” and “beertime”. We are going to miss out on all the travel talks and campfires, the long balmy night, the endless freedom and space.

Just to say it short; the end is getting near, sadly enough.

Hooray, the end is in sight.

Yes , yes , yes we will see our kids, grandkids, brothers, sisters, brothers in law and sisters in law and many friends again. We will live in a house of over 150m2 instead of 12 m2 like now, again. Always a nice warm shower whenever we want. We will live out of a wardrobe again instead of out of a backpack. We will be able to go to birthdays again and celebrate festivities.

Just to say it short; we are jumping on two different thoughts.

Hereby, some pics from Canberra and surroundings and the relatives there. The next travel blog will be from an about the coastal area between Batemans bay and Morton. Which is most probable the last one before leave OZ.

In a couple of weeks we are back in The Netherlands, where we are going to bother everyone with our homesickness and our long stories of OZ, we are going to use our mixed languish and ask for “wine o’clock and beertime” and suffer for an undoubtfull long time from a jetlag.

We asked everyone there to support us in our difficult battle, and if they don’t we will flee back to our current life again as “grey Nomads”.

See you all somewhere in the future, tot ziens, (see you),

The Downunders.