Well folks, after 13350 kilometres, 2303.31 litres of fuel and 56 amazing and incredible nights away, we are finally home. This will be a relatively short post as there really isn't much to report on.
We awoke on the final morning of our trip to a slight drizzle and a temperature reminiscent of the day we left. The Prado engine sparked to life and we were on the road by 6:45 that morning. By comparison, we had a very short, 220km drive home and it went very quickly.
The nearer we got to home, the more apparent the realisation that our trip was coming to an end became. In my mind I was reliving the trip from location to location; from Burra through to Moama.
We arrived at our home just after 9:30am. The lawns were terribly overgrown, but apart from that it was just as we left it. Opening the door was an odd sensation and it felt like we had been away for a matter of months, not weeks. I guess with the multitude of places that we had been and things we had experienced, this was something to be expected.
We spent the rest of the day unpacking and scrubbing the van from top to toe. The Central Australia red is an extremely stubborn stain that has managed to find its way to most of the surfaces of the van. Personally, I think that it adds character :)
That night I had prepared a simple slide show of some of the better photos from our trip to show Sarah. We sat there in silence reliving what we had just experienced. It is funny just how quickly the 'little' details fade from memory. I think we will revisit these photos from time to time and some of them we are keen to get enlarged to hang on the walls of our home.
So...what can I say? What an amazing and fulfilling adventure we have had. Without an iota of a doubt, this has been the best thing we have ever done. Sarah and I both agree that while there have been some wonderful times in our lives, we certainly feel that we are the happiest we have been in a very long time. The trip has certainly brought us closer together as a family and has given us the motivation to do many more.
Our amazing daughter and fearless leader, Ranger Ebony, has continued to leave us beaming with pride at her interest and enjoyment of the great outdoors. It was also great to have met up with our friends, Tan and Dave, and my parents along the way. We have made some truly special memories that have enriched our lives and served as a reminder to what is truly special and important in life.
We have been overwhelmed with the amount of people who have taken the time out of the very busy lives that society has come to expect of us, to follow our adventures. It has been great to get so many messages and phone calls from friends and relatives. Thank you for that. We hope you have enjoyed reading the blog and seeing all of our pictures.
Finally, if you happen to be reading the blog and find yourself wondering whether you could attempt a trip like this I would not hesitate in giving you a push out the door. You won't regret it!
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