The Big Trip. Done.

We are back, we made it and we even got to the wedding on time.Thanks to abit of niffy driving from Neal and Lemon drizzle cake at the Bristol pitstop from the rentals we all made it to the church on time!! Big big big CONGRATULATIONS to Ben and Charlotte :) A great day.

Now its jobs, houses, hockey and real life. Well untill the next time......

Watch this space, te he he...!

Charlie, Jo, Tina and Ruby xx

Bye bye Yamba :-(

Hellllllllllllooooooo!

We are back online and saying bye bye Yamba. An amazing little village up in the mountains of Africa. They took us in for 2 weeks and made us feel soooooooooo very welcome. Despite the poverty that they all live in, they all seem to have big smiles on their faces and made us all feel at home. Jo taught the nurses all she knows whilst I helped build and teach them computer skills. It was a humbling experience. We both didnt want to leave :-( but have now just added another place to return too :-) http://www.villageafrica.org.uk/

We currently in Tanga.....waiting to catch a bus to Arusha at 6am tomorrow :-( Then we are catching another bus to Narobi to then catch our flight to London to hopefully get to the wedding on time. Watch this space!!

But for now its Kwah Heri Yamba - the people and the volunteer friends we made there. We both will miss you!

And hello England, see you in 3days!!!!!

Charlie and Jo xx

More proof on Flickr!!

More proof we actually made the top.....

www.flickr.com/photos/49802755@N06/sets/72157624882974918/

And just incase we havent told you all enough - sponsorship pages are:


www.justgiving.com/charlieandjo


www.justgiving.com/joandcharlieclimbkilimanjaro

Charlie and Jo xx

Proof we did get to the top!

We did it, 5985m!!!!!!!!!!

Woah, well we made it, 5895m. I think one of the hardest things both Jo and I have done on this trip. Just when you think you can see the top....its not!!!

Jo thought her legs were going to pack in at one point....well until I said you have legs like elephants they wont stop working. Te he, she soon got moving. :-)

I also had a meltdown near the top, well actually two if you count before then at 4600m when we saw a guy flat out. But near the top at about 5300m. I was asked if I wanted to go down? No. Do you want to go up? No. However I was dragged (by the guide), pushed (by Jo) and pulled (by the group) up to the summit. So happy to have made it!

We would like to put the sponsorship plea out there again. Please sponsor us, we made it up and it was very very hard!!!! www.justgiving.com/charlieandjo

So a couple of days to relax then off to the village, then home!!

Charlie and Jo (no legs or knees left) xx

Mole Hill in T-minus 21hrs

We are here in Moshi, all ready and raring to walk up the small hill behind our hotel!!

Watch this space, fingers and toes crossed everyone!

Ohh and if you havent all ready, please dont forget to sponsor us!

Thank you and see you after the hill, yeeeeeeekks!!!!

Charlie and Jo xx

Tanzania........

Right, Australia is done, well the west coast anyway! I am now sat in a very warm 'Business Centre' (well there are 5 computers, 5 rickity chairs and a rubbish fan!) in Tanzania!! Very different to Australia thats for sure!

Finished off Australia watching Aussie rules football - well watching the very fit men run around more than the sport - followed by a very tasty roast dinner then it was a 14 hour flight to Johannesburg! Yawn!

Luckily our travel contacts paid off as we were able to meet up with Nicola and even got to sleep in a lovely bed in a lovely flat for the night! (after a very long day it was so nice!) Had a whistle stop tour of J'burg (including the dodgy city centre at 10pm - dont worry mum we locked the doors and jumped very red light!!) THe highlight was definately the springbok steak and osterich sausage!!! tehehe

So now it is only 4 days till we tackle the little hill, please someone explain why we are doing this!!??!?!? it will be fine, it will be fine, it will be fine........!

WIll keep you updated as a nd when we get to the internet!
Love Jo and Charlie xx

And so back to Sydney..... 9days!!

And so back to Syndey, where it all began. We have just enjoyed our final Greyhound bus, which was an overnight one (13hrs) from Bryon Bay to Sydney. I tell you we both think South American night buses are so much better that Australian ones. We both still have numb behinds and walking around in a daze after not alot of sleep. The buses have v hard seats, are cold and stop everywhere for breaks etc. Yawn. Give me a South American bus any day, food, warm drinks, blankets, comfy seats, armed police, bald tyres, cracked windscreens, pot holes......(ok maybe not that side!!) :-)

Anyho we are now in Sydney, tomorrow meeting up with one of my cousins, cousin Sam and hopefully staying with him, his gf and their dogs and then on Sunday will be meeting up with another cousin, cousin Catherine before boarding our flight to Johannesberg on Monday. So you could say we have a busy couple of days sorting all things African. Mainly stocking up on chocolate bars and sweets to get us up the big hill. Another countdown has began 9 days.......yeeeek.

Charlie and Jo xx

Chillaxing in Bryon Bay

Well its been about a week since the last post....and im guessing you all wondering what are we getting up to!!??

Well the truth is not much...... After Fraser Island we headed to Noosa, where we stayed for 2 days mainly chilling and running on the beach. Next stop after that was Brisbane where we stayed just one night before heading to where we are at the moment, Bryon Bay. Here we have mainly been chilling and running on the beach. Jo is Sergent Jo, the running machine :-) Tis good though need a bit of training for the big moutain which is fast approaching. 12 days!!

Bryon Bay is very cool little place to hang out, we are thinking of going for a surf but often lazing on the beach gets in the way....maybe tomorrow... We have been topping up the tans in what is Australias winter, tis crazy. I think there winter is better than our summer!! :-)

After Bryon we are heading straight to Sydney where hopefully we shall catch up with some of my cousins who appear to be living in and around the area.

Charlie and Jo xx

Australia Pictures...

Hey,

A few pictures from the Oz leg can be found on....

www.flickr.com/photos/49802755@N06/

Charlie and Jo xx

A whale of a time!

Well since our last post from the amazing Whitsundays (we are still on a high from it!!) we have been keeping ourselves busy. We currently in Hervey Bar where we have just returned from a 2day 1night 4x4 adventure on Fraser Island.

Before then however we went to Rockhampton and inland to Emerald where we went searching for real sapphires. It was back breaking work digging around in the mud, washing and sieving the soil/rocks however both myself and Jo were lucky to find a total of 5 sapphires that are big enough to be cut. Unfortunately we didnt find any big enough to pay for our trip or the next one, but apparently it is possible so there is another place to return too!!!

After trying to find our fortune we headed back to the coast to Hervey Bay where we went whale watching, we saw about 17 humpback whales splashing, jumping and playing around our boat. It was pretty amazing and they are massive, especially when compared to our little boat!

After whaling around we headed to Fraser Island where we drove around in 4x4 along the beach and in lots of sand. Also lots of fun!! Driving in soft sand is definitely a different driving experience!

Next stop for us is Noosa further down the coast and then onto Brisbane. I cant believe only 2 weeks left here....where does the time go. We will be home before you know it :-(

1st a big moutain though......ekkk.

Charlie and Jo xx

Wow the Whitsundays.

Wow, what can I say we have just spent 2days, 1 night aboard the mighty Iceberg sailing boat, sailing around the Whitsundays. We saw turtles, humpback whales, dophins, manterays, big fish, little fish, amazing white beaches.

Im not sure I can say anything else that brings the whole adventure justice, so here are just a few pictures that say far more than my words! One of our best trips on the Big Trip so far :-)

Carins to Magnectic Island

We have been going down the coast from beach to island to beach to island. Its tough! After exploring Cairns - and finding Nemo on the barrier reef plus making friends with the locals (well Melbourne...) we headed down the coast to Mission Beach. Here we stayed in a hostel named the Treehouse which was pretty much as the name suggest a treehouse in the rainforest. Unfortunately as we were in the rainforest we did encountered a spot....well alot of rain. Jo even said I would quite like the sun to be out. Im telling you she has changed!!

After Mission Beach we headed to Townsville and then onto another island - Magnectic Island, apparently it is Magnectic!!. The sun is now out here - and Jo has said im not quite sure I like the sun being out. Ok - so she hasnt changed that much!!

In Townsville we met up with two fellow travellers (the sister of someone I work with in Bristol). We spent the night exchanging our travelling stories and eating steak. Good steak. We have eaten alot of steak!! Good luck finding another job and deciding your next move Phil and Nicola!! :-)

We think we are going to spend 2 nights here on the islands (well thats if the sun stays out) but it might be more....so watch this space.

Hope all is well back in England

Charlie and Jo xx

And so to Australia

We are now in Australia - gud day to ya all!!

We had abit of an interesting start to the journey here - firstly Jo not having a visa, very odd when she did have one but apparently it didnt show on the computer. We then got one but then they put her birthday as the day she got her passport issued. She looks old for a 3year!! Anyway after all that drama we managed to board our the plane to Syndey and then another onto Cairns where we are now starting the Aussie leg.

We did spend some time exploring Sydney - we wander over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera house and the Rocks area very nice. Also found a few chinese markets - well alot...so much so we thought we had landed in another country!

We are now in Cairns where the average temperature seems to be 27 degrees. Tomorrow we board a boat to explore the Great Barrier Reef :-) Im on the lookout for Nemos!

Hope you are all well

Charlie and Jo xx

A taste of the south island - and more on Flickr (eventually)

Here is just a taste of the many many photos we have taken from our trip around the South Island.....

See more on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49802755@N06/sets/72157624499036090/

xx

So goodbye New Zealand - its been emotional!!

We are now back in Auckland - after a bit of niffy driving by Jo to catch our flight from Christchurch to Auckland. We both thought the flight was tomorrow (being Friday) and our flight to Sydney was on Saturday, anyho after a last night check we realized we had no time to explore Lake Tekapo. Well except to see the sunrise over it - yes I practiced my new photographic skills!! I'm not quite a pro yet but the pro that taught us only picked up his camera at 28 years old. There is hope for me yet.....

So we now leave NZ, which is sad. We have had some v good high points but also some low points (draw a line and all that) but this does me that we definitely need to return to explore more (there is still lots to see) and rest any demons that may have arisen!!

Thanks go to our host in Queenstown. It was great to see the Blackford clan again :-) The week spent there felt like a mini holiday within our extended trip so was a good time to stay in one place and recharge the batteries - oh yeah and ski..and jump off a bridge, and play frisbee golf, and go on a boat trip.....

Anyho next stop is Sydney where we then board a flight to Cairns to make our way down the east coast back to Syndey. Busy busy!!

Watch this space for Aussie tails.

Hope you are all well back in sunny England

Charlie and Jo xx

P.S Ernie also says sweet as, hey bro thanks for driving me fun places!!

The end of New Zealand is near........

So only 1 week left of New Zealand .....boooooooo!

We said good bye to Cazoline this morning as she makes her way to Uk (via Mount Cook, Christchurch, Auckland, Sydney and Singapore!!!) Ernie is already missing her as dont think He or CHarlie likes my driving that much!! Dont worry Dad i am being sensible! Safe travels Miss Meads!

You will all be please to know that Caroline and Charlie can now take perfect photos after going on a 5 hour photography course yesterday! Apparently it is all about putting it on manual and choosing the right setting .....it is going to be a long 3 months!!!!! tehe

At the moment we are being put up by one of Charlies childhood sweethearts! It is very good to have a bed and proper house to go back to.....thank you Alex and Shel! We will repay the favour when you visit Bristol, although cant promise a 4 bedroom house!!

You will all be please to know that Caroline has found true love.....Rex the dog is still pinning at the window for you! ;0)

Looking to hit the slopes in the next fews days....snowboarding in July.....crazy! Will let you all know how it goes!!

love Jo and Charlie xx

Soooo....tramping!

Hello all! I know it has been a while since i have blogged but all is fine, no need to send the search party out just yet, Charlie and Caroline haven't killed me yet! ;0)

So onto our recent tramps (For those not versed in Kiwi language tramping = walking!)

Firstly we completed a very sedate and picturesque walk along part of our Charlie's very own, Queen Charlotte's Track in the northern Sounds near Picton. Here we didn't see another soul and had the deserted sandy coves just to ourselves for lunch. From here we thought we would pick up the pace a bit and so onto Frans Joseph glacier on the west coast. After seeing the glacier up close yesterday we thought that a more overall view would be in order. For us to do this the only option was a very hard tramp on Alex Knob! Although it was pretty high (1300m) it was still a fairly easy Knob! hahahaha

Onto Wanaka tomorrow - very nice lake apparently! ;0)

Over and out from me!
Love Jo, Charlie and Caroline (plus Ernie of course!)

Welcoming Ernest, poop poop!

We have been travelling around the South Island in our new friend, Ernest or Ernie to his mates. We picked up this green mean machine in Christrchurch and so far taken good care of us. Only one minor engine light problem that was quickly resolved by a friendly garage. Oh and also one small problem which means I cant drive him :-( so im being chauffered around the south island! :-)

We have seen lots of wildlife - sperm whales, seals, albatrosses, penguins, dolphins (dusky and bottled nose!) and also lots of sea and beaches and mountains. Again its been tough life! Oh yes and we have done lots of tramping, I think one of our best tramp so far was a section of Queens Charlotte's Track near Picton. Lovely!

Today (Sunday) on our way to Greymouth from Nelson we visited the faultline of an earthquake, that happened in 1900s. I was quite excited. We also stopped and looked at some limestone formations that are called pancakes. Again I was quite impressed!

Next stop I think for us is Fox Glacier and then Wanaka and then onto Queenstown. So much to see!

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine back home :-)

Charlie, Jo, Caroline and Ernie xx

Hello from the South Island!

We are now in the South Island - currently in Christchurch....which fells even more like England, especially with road names like Gloucester Street and Oxford Parade!!

We have mainly spent our time exploring the city, tomorrow - being Monday for us we collect a car - we have opted on a different form of transport after sleeping in a very cold Dug! We will then head off to start exploring, hopefully seeing some whales and maybe even letting Jo finally on the slopes with a snowboard!!

Watch this space :-)

Charlie, Jo and Caroline xx