Its hard to believe that another year has passed and Im putting the finishing touches to my trip to Australia. On the 10th June I will be flying out to Perth WA ,for ATE which is the largest international trade show in the southern hemisphere. Tourism Australia do a sterling job of organising people from all over the globe to converge in Australia for this annual event. Before the hard work starts we are having a little break first. We are flying up to Ningaloo reef to see what this part of Western Australia has to offer. One of the highlights is we are hoping to swim with the whale sharks off the reef. I have just paid for my air tickets and I am waiting for the final confirmations coming through for hotels and tours .

 Travel day minus 1

On this note, I have been trying (in vain) to recapture my youth! Just received my tickets for the Specials gig next week. Most people under 30 will now be saying "WHO"!! Got to go down to Alexandra Palace for the gig and so Ive just got a great hotel rate through Superbreaks. My mate has got permission from his Mrs to go as well so should be a great weekend! Ah for the 1980s when mobile phones were bigger than bricks and computers took up whole rooms. How technology has changed.

April was a busy month for Gazelle Newcastle

Intrepid explorer Gordon was on tour with 8 Premier Aussie specialists from the UK going down under to ATE

ATE is the worldwide convention which showcases what Australia has to offer the world

The specialists do the hard work so you dont have to.

We know where to find the best bargains, best hotels even down to the best value for money nightlife.

Stay tuned as more info will appear as and when it happens

to be continued........................

 Arrived at Sydney Airport 6am and one quick change later and we are on the road.

If anyone has 100 things on their "bucket list" (ie 100 things to do before they die) you will need to lengthen your list as Australia has loads more to do!

Met up with a Harley bike tour for the day, just the thing after being couped up on a plane for 24 hours!

Spent the night at Paperbark camp, luxury tents. Wasn't like this in the scouts!

Next morn, up bright and early and off on a power boat to look for dolphins, major tip here, dont do this if you have a hangover !

At our hotel this evening there are two wedding dos, looks like an outtake of Muriels wedding and Neighbours circa 1989 as all of the guys are sporting permed blonde mullets!!

Another must do today is the Illawara treetop walk, mega views all around. Off to wine tasting next!

En route to Sydney, stopped at the Don Bradman Cricket museum which is excellent. Very interactive ideal for kids and dad in fact all the family. Dont know why the staff didnt like our comments about who has the ashes at the moment!!

Stopped the night at Coogee in the suburbs of Sydney and did the coastal walk to Bondi (about 2 hours). Nice pub at the end!

Another must do, go for a surf lesson at Bondi, (Lets go surfing-Bondi surf School are mega)

Eventually arrived in Sydney for the week

ATE was hard work (over 95 appointments in 4 days), mind we played hard as well

Even since I was there last year, Aussie has so much to do, and the locals are very friendly .

Another must do is the bridge climb, even if you are scared of heights, it is totally safe and the professional guides look after you(careful you dont go out the night before as you are breathalysed before you are allowed on the bridge)

What better way to see Sydney than on a Bonza Bike Ride, only one small hill so even the unfittest person can do it!

Staying at Paddington for 2 nights (suburb of Sydney) , really good place where you can mingle with the locals rather than tourists. Great restaurants and bars abound.

All too soon, back at the airport homeward bound

Another good tip for you. If you are in Transit at Singapore, go to the Rainforrest Lounge on the first floor. You can get a shower and lounge access for £4.00!  Well worth it before the 14 hour flight back to Heathrow!

Train back North, thank goodness for Grand Central, £15 first class upgrade, well worth it after 24 hours from Aussie!

After a 7 month delay due to a certain Icelandic Volcano cancelling the original trip ,I was eventually en route to Botswana.

Met the other guys at Heathrow and it was like a hyper school trip. The day had at last dawned.

Flew down to Gaberone via Joburg, the airline we travelled with was not as good at the Emirates flight I had taken 4 weeks before but Air Botswana from Joburg to Gaberone was superb, very friendly and professional.

Immigration at Gaberone was exceedingly quick and courteous.

It was then we met our host, Dawn Parr from Botswana tourist board. Not only a great host but a great photographer as all of the Botswana and animal photos on the website were taken by this lovely lady.

Mind you, she had her work cut out with us motley crew. With all of the phobias (snakes/spiders/creepy crawlies/dark etc) we had between us, Dawn must have thought what had she let herself in for! 

We had a trip round the haunts of "The Ladies Dectective Agency" , that of the book and BBC TV series fame.

Following day it was like a scouts outing , packing the van up and heading off into the wild blue yonder.

Once you got out of the capital (like most cities really heavy trafffic) it was onto good sealed roads which were a drivers dream.

First couple of nights were spent in Tuli, where we saw an abundance of wildlife.

A must do is to have a sundowner and/or breakfast on an escarpement when you are in Africa.

Onwards from Tuli to the Kalahari

Checked in at Limpopo Airport (blink and you miss it) for the next stage . Flying is the best way to get around Botswana because of the distances /terrain involved.

A real out of Africa experience flying over the land being able to view the wildlife from above. Makes a change sitting with the pilot as well.

Two hours later (after going via a refuelling stop) we landed at the airstrip at Kalahari Plains.

This was a tented lodge, but anything you think you know about camping , forget it. This was luxury camping. Second night there was even a leopard in camp. Amazing!

The lodge faced a large salt pan (big wide open savannah space) and you could sit in the bar watching the wildlife. Although this didnt make up getting close to the animals on the landcruiser.

Two days later and off to the Okavango Delta.

You wouldn't think  you were in the same country as this is a wetland. Again we saw copious amounts of game, including my must do of walking with an elephant!

You can book a tour, which you meet a mahout in the bush and get up close to the elephants and actually walk with them. This was by far the best experience of all, highly recommend it!

Finally we took off for another airstrip this time Chobe

This was where Liz Taylor and Richard Burton once tied the knot! If it's good enough for them.............

This time, we were on the river safaris, an abundance of hippos and crocs, you could literally touch them from the boat!

All good things must come to an end and we were soon on the way home.

Good points to remember

1. No jetlag to go to Botswana

2. Very friendly people

3. Best variety of Safaris I've ever been on

4. Great accomodation, from tents/lodges to 5 star hotels

5. Once you are there, great value for money

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