Our Final Blog

Thursday 10th December

Well we are writing this our last blog with mixed emotions – excited we are going home and also sad that this trip has come to an end for us.

We have travelled to 25 different countries and still can speak only one language.
We have driven 27,170 kilometres – Rae has driven 5 of them – yes that is right 1,2,3,4 &5
We have had 477 hours of driving
We have left our carbon footprint with approx 3200 litres of fuel with fuel cost of over $8000NZD
We still have our wing mirrors on the camper – been some very very close calls
Fastest we have driven in camper is 131km and the fastest we went with Roy driving on German autobahn was 180km – nearly turned into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Latest night we had was 4.15am in Castlefinn, Ireland – great Irish hospitality
Earliest morning we had was 4.15am – Running of the Bulls
Most beer we drunk in one day was at Octoberfest, lost count.
Two of our favourite places were West Coast of Italy and the South of Germany – will have to return!
We have 92kg of luggage to bring back with us tomorrow and lots of goodies left in camper which we will pick up late February from Tauranga.
Tans have faded in the last two months and the kilo’s have gone on – winter comfort food.

We have been away nearly 8 months and we think of the changes that have been happened for our family and friends whilst we have been away – new additions to families, loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, new jobs, new business ventures underway, new houses and many other changes.

We feel that we have really lived in each of the countries rather than just visited them, because we have the camper we have shopped in the same places as the locals rather than just staying in a hotel.

We have seen some incredible things and been to some amazing places, we have also meet wonderful people along the way that have all helped to make this dream of ours complete.

We feel very fortunate to have had this trip and we will look for jobs again approx April so we can work for a couple more years and do it all again. Next time we think we will concentrate on a few different places rather than travel all over and also next time we won’t be gone as long….just for the summer months. That is unless we can persuade “Lonely Planet” to employ us as researchers and writers for their books.

We are going to be at Motunau for at least 5 weeks when we get back, before we take off as gypsies again so feel free to visit. We arrive back in ChCh Sunday 13th.

We are away to bed shortly has we have a 11 ½ hour flight to LA and we then have 5 hours there before we have a 13 hour flight to Auckland.

Thank-you all who have read the blog and we will see you all soon.

Brent and Rae