If you get up early enough, you can enjoy sunrise across our lake.  This morning we were not quick to get up, instead enjoying a lazy morning before venturing into Budgewoi, which is universally known as Budgee. As you cross the road bridge over Budgewoi Creek, which joins Lake Munmorah and Lake Budgewoi, you might […]

We only had one race on Day 3, in the afternoon.  Normally we would enjoy the sleep in and the leisurely morning, but today was HOT.  By the time we arrived at the venue in Erina, it was about 36 degrees, and we were wilting before we even made it out of the car park.  […]

Lately I’ve been watching the British TV quiz show “Pointless”. I enjoy the mental challenge of thinking about the answers differently.  This afternoon’s race featured some pointlessness, but it wasn’t a challenge I could say I relished. As we approached the afternoon’s venue, we could see that it was on a steeper slope, with a […]

The carnival that we’ve come for is the Oceania Championships for the elites, who are vying for selection to the World Champs.  For us plebs, it’s a series of four races with a cumulated score.  All four races count, so there is no dropping your worst result. Race 1 was in Tuggerah, at a small […]

Another uneventful day on the road.  We made it through Sydney before the long weekend exodus got underway, and pulled into our new home in Budgewoi shortly after 3pm.  The back deck looks straight over Lake Munmorah, and we watch black swans, pelicans and kayakers glide past.  We settled in quickly, unpacked, shopped, and waited […]

Tonight we’re in Gundagai, halfway to the NSW Central Coast, where we are headed for “Sprint the Coast”, a three day orienteering competition. Captain Kumamon was going to be left at home, until I did some checking, and realized that despite his extensive travels overseas, he has never been on a proper Aussie Road Trip. […]

Happy New Year! Our plans for 2026 are: Here are a couple of maps, prepared with my trusty orienteering course setting software. The first one is the full picture, the second one is a better look at the plans for England:

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm; more on that later.  We got up super early, so that Ian could do Parkrun, at the pretty Friedrichsau Park.  Parkrun is not all that big in Germany, and he lined up with 26 others.  He got a round of applause for being from Australia, and completed his 5 […]

After the crowds and noise of a day at Legoland, we were looking for peaceful places to spend the day, without venturing too far from our base at Blaustein.  I already knew that I wanted to visit Kloster Wiblingen, with its spectacular library.  And our host suggested that the Kleine Lautertal nature reserve was a […]

For anyone wondering why we came to southern Germany, and Ulm in particular, the main reason was Legoland.  It was all planned so Ian could shop right at the end of the trip.  We’ve never been to a Legoland theme park, so I tagged along (I think I was there to carry the shopping).  Even […]