One last post....

Well after almost seven weeks on the road, we finally made it to our final pit-stop, London. So, sadly, that's it for this adventure, but, in the word's of Russell Coight: "We've seen some pretty special places and met some pretty special people."

If you've been checking this blog from time-to-time, you can probably guess that I've had the time of my life! I've just been constantly amazed by what we've seen and done, and by the people we've met. It seems like such a long time ago since we left Melbourne, and just looking back at it all, I can't believe we've covered so many miles and been through so many places.

It would be impossible to pick out the main highlights without going on forever, but if I had to pick one stand-out, it would be standing on the Great Wall of China at sunrise with nobody else around, and not a thing to be heard, looking over one of the most incredible landscapes you could imagine. Definitely one of those moments to stay with you for the rest of your life.

It's been great to be able to share all these experiences along the way through this blog - hope you've enjoyed keeping up to date with where we've been in the world. And maybe it's even served as some inspiration to anybody thinking of doing this or similar trips (do it, do it!).

Thanks so much for all the emails and comments along the way - even those hassling me when I hadn't updated the site for a while! :) It's been great hearing from everyone along the way, and getting updated on all the news on the homefront (Hawks won in round 1? What?).

And also a big thanks to Steph, firstly for coming along on this crazy trip with me, and then for putting-up with me the whole way! Hope you got as much out of the trip as I did - thanks heaps, and Happy Birthday!


Well that's about it. Time for real life to kick-in as I start my life in London with the hunt for jobs and a place to live... but bring it on! Pretty excited about setting-up here for a while - will keep you posted on how it all turns out.

And Happy Easter everyone - hope you're all safe, well and happy.

Take care and keep in touch.



Razza... out.

...and even more photos - Czech Republic

Before heading to London (the end of the trip, and the point where the real world of working for a living awaited me!) we took a few days to just chill out in Prague. Most of the sightseeing in Prague is done by simply walking around and take it in - the charm of the buildings and the streets are what make this place great (oh, and the beer - Czech beer is awesome, and is quite a bit cheaper than bottled water).

Prague is a little touristy though, and can fill up quickly with massive guided tour groups, English stag parties, and Eurpoean schoolkids on camp, so after checking out a lot of Prague we took another side trip to Cesky Krumlov, a small town about 3 hours bus-trip from Prague where it is really laid-back and quiet, and they have incredible food. It's such a cool little place - could have stayed there forever!


Anyhow, some photos...

First-off, Prague:

The old town square (perfect weather the day we got there):

A view of Prague Castle from across the Vltava River:

Wenceslas Square - Prague's main drag - in the evening:

The view of Charles Bridge (and the sea of people along it) from a tower in Prague Castle:

Steph in the Palace Gardens, and another great view of Prague:

Ahhh... Charles Bridge without a billion tourists (we had to get up pretty early to see it, but definitely worth it):

And then on to Cesky Krumlov:

The town was built on the bend of the Vltava River:

Snow falling inside the castle grounds (every one of these towns has a castle):

Great view of Cesky Krumlov and surrounds (isn't it cute????):

A gorgeous church on the bank of the river:

Some pics from Russia (part 2 - St Petersburg)

And to keep the photos coming, here's a selection from the St Petersburg leg of the trip....

One of the gorgeous little canals in the city, with gorgeous buildings lining each bank and the 'Savior on the Spilt Blood Cathedral' (yep, that's what it's called) in the background (very similar to St Basils in Moscow):

The famous Palace Square:

A handful of pics from inside the Hermitage Museum/Winter Palace, which is definitely the most impressively huge and elaborate buildings I've ever been inside (it was once the home of Catherine the Great - who evidentally had way way way too much money - and is also the largest art museum in the world):

The view across the main river of St Petersburg to the old fortress:

The Bronze Horseman - the statue representing Peter the Great's victory over Sweden back in the day, which claimed the land St Petersburg was built on:

Overlooking the rooftops of the city, off to the Winter Palace and the Palace Square:

Tree-lined promenade that was once a canal to the Admiralty shipyards:

A statue on St Petersburg's main street (Nevsky Prospekt):

Some pics from Russia (part 1 - Moscow)

Hi everyone - here's an Easter-treat for you... more photos from the trip! These photos are a tiny selection from the three days in Moscow:

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St Basil's Cathedral in the famous Red Square:

An excessively large cannon on display inside the Kremlin:

Sculptures Park, which is home to hundreds of statues that were removed from Moscow streets at the collapse of the Soviet Union:

An impressive cathedral near the Moscow River (sorry, can't remember the name of it!):

Just one of the amazing subway stations deep underground in Moscow:

Some images from in and around the Red Square at night:

Some more pics... Mongolia and the train to Moscow

The Mongolian scenery on the train from Beijing to Ulaanbataar:




Downtown UB:

Giant buddha statue on the outskirts of town:

Great view of UB from the WWII war memorial:

A ger tent out in the Mongolian wilderness - our home for a night:

A group of scared Aussies on tiny, not-so-tame Mongolian horses:

Sunrise in the countryside (absolutely amazing):

And the beginning of our four-and-a-half day trip to Moscow:

Sunset as our train rolls out of Mongolia...

...and good morning in Siberia:

This crazy, golden-toothed guy got us from Ulaanbaatar to Moscow:

Who needs an esky?

Madness - one of the many 'market stops' on the train platforms (twenty minutes to sell as much crap as possible!):

Pics from Honkers

Hi all - at the moment we're resting up in Cesky Krumlov (small town in south Czech Republic) so I've finally got a chance to upload some photos. Thought I'd start with a handful of pics from Hong Kong...

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This is the Bank of China building - one of the most popular buildings in Hong Kong:

Awesome views of the city from around Victroria Peak:





Bruce Lee strutting his stuff in Hong Kong's 'Avenue of Stars':




Hong Kong island from across the harbour:




Hong Kong alive at night:




One of the crazier buildings we saw:


Stunning night-time view of the harbour from Victoria Peak:




Leaving the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, ready for the Trans-Mongolian railway!