Paws and Reflect

Kia Ora Readers! We're currently in a little campsite in Moruya, South Coast, NSW and I'm writing and looking out on some very happy cattle munching very, very green grass in the field behind. Hard to believe that only a few weeks ago, according to a local, it was all brown and dead looking and they were watching the behemoth that was the Currowan Bushfire bearing down on them from the hills beyond. As we hit Autumn in Australia officially tomorrow (March 1st), it gives us chance to reflect on what has been an 'incredible' summer of weather extremes with loss of lives, property, domestic and wild animals, and also the thousands of acres of native bush. Fire and Flood. This current stretch of the South Coast has been incredibly sobering; none more so when forced to stop at road repairs yesterday. Both sides of the road revealed many destroyed houses amongst the trees. These were people's homes that once would not even have been seen from the road. And this sc...

G'Day Readers, Shazzzaaaaa here ; now we've established we are those 'Ladies in a Van', it's back to tales of travel! So, Australia is currently throwing all manner of weather at us but, in true Briwi (British Kiwis) tradition, we are sailoring on (not permitted to use soldiering for obvious reasons apparently). Having travelled through horrendous drought ravaged areas, and also fire aftermath and destruction, we have just endured what feels like days of rain and, thus, flood. Whilst it certainly is time to celebrate the rain in a number of areas, in others it has now caused further problems. Coronavirus is providing pestilence but thankfully Australia doesn't appear to have run out of food yet? That said, as I write, the birds here in Kangaroo Valley are sounding positively joyful and the ground is greening almost before my eyes. Nature is a wondrous thing. We bid a temporary farewell to Jenny and Ronni in Elanora, Gold Coast on the 5th Februar...