Sunshine Coast!! SP

When we got the camper we started to drive 10 hours to Sunshine Coast and once we got there we went to go get some dinner. After dinner we went to our camper park because we wern’t freedom camping. Finally, we got there I was so surprised to see a WATER PARK!! We parked and had showers until bedtime. In the morning I woke up and had some cereal for brekkie/breakfast. Then we walked around and looked at all of the facilities. Once that was over we hung around and grocery shopped. Before bed we played a new card called phase 10 and had some hot chocolate! The sun was out when I woke up and we went to the jumping pillow and played there for a while, until two kids came as well so we played with them and made friends. We told them we might be able to see them at the water park and then we got in to our swim suits/togs/swimmers/bathers whatever. We landed in the water park and played games for a while. The next day we were going on a sailboat for a night! Once everyone woke up we started our journey to the snorkeling place!! We saw MANY fish. Now we were going home to a nice camper bed? (Not) The next day we went on a jet skiing tour I saw so many gigantic sea turtles it was so cool!! Now we are going to Gold Coast.

Yeppoon SP

During the drive to our first stop before Gold Coast was a place called Yeppoon. We were on a roundabout when my mom saw a billboard for The Yeppoon Show and we were there for it so we decided to go the next day!! Once the camper was parked we walked down to the shops in town I got a boomerang so we went to the beach to try it out!! That night we had Sausages and Pasta. In the morning we woke up had breakfast and went to see the show. When we got there we went straight to the horse jumping!! Surprisingly some were really small riders and did so well. After that we went to pig racing! It was so funny basically everyone got a ticket and if your number was picked you had to choose a name and a colour of a pig! Mine got picked so I choose red with the name of Porky!!!! Then we went to the show bags so they are bags with candy inside I got one and so did Jonah! We went to a petting zoo and Aussie encounters thing. Guess what I got to hold a baby Alligator and pet a chicken! Then we went to a pool out of the Show when we came back we saw lots of fireworks! Now we are driving somewhere new!!

East Coast Adventures!! JP

East Coast Adventures!

On May 30th, we left from Melbourne on a 6 hour plane ride to Brisbane. In Brisbane, we picked up our camper van and headed up to Hervey Bay for a couple of days. We arrived in Hervey Bay and went to a safety briefing for how to drive on Fraser Island. We then drove to free camping parking lot to sleep before an early wake up to get on a barge over to Fraser Island.

The island runs North/South and we arrived on the West side but were staying in a hotel on the east side for 1 night, so we had to cross the island to the hotel and then headed up the beach for the rest of the day.

 On the Eastern beach we went to a creek that you can drift down on a floaty, 

an old shipwreck...

and a lake called Lake Wabby. First we went to the creek and went up and down the creek a couple of times then drove down the beach to the shipwreck called the Maheno Shipwreck. We took some pictures there and then headed to Lake Wabby. Once we got there, we parked the car in the hard sand and walked to Lake Wabby. After Lake Wabby, we went back to the resort for dinner and then chilled out for the remaining 2 hours of the day to get a good nights sleep. 

The next day, we went to another beautiful lake called Lake Mackenzie. We spent 2 hours there and then headed back onto the barge back to the mainland.

After a night inland we drove for 10 hours up to Airlie Beach. We stayed in Airlie Beach for a little longer. The first night we parked our camper van in a camper van park. That night we got to bed at a reasonable time because that morning we got up and got on a sailboat for a 2 day sail. After getting on the boat, we headed off to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Whitehaven Beach! 

First we took a dingy onto the land and then hiked to a lookout over the beach and then crossed the hill to Whitehaven. Over there we played in the water and had a great time looking over the beach. Then we headed back to the boat for dinner and a not so good night's sleep. In the morning be had breakfast and then headed off snorkeling in the coral reef. It. Was. Amazing! We saw all kinds of fish and coral and then sailed back to Airlie Beach. 

And headed back to the camper van park. The next day we went to a dried up waterfall and stood on top of where all the water comes out. After that we went on a jet-ski tour of the inner part of the bay. Now we have 4 days to get back to the Gold Coast and then we’re headed to Fiji!!

What’s To Come - JP

Let’s start from now. Right now we are driving back down the East Coast of Aussie to Noosa. Then we are staying there for 2 nights. After 2 nights in Noosa we head 3 hours south to the Gold Coast for 4 nights on a farm stay, on the beach and in amusement parks. After 4 night in the Gold Coast we hop onto a plane to Sydney, then we fly from Sydney to Auckland, and finally we fly from Auckland, New Zealand to Nadi, Fiji. First we stay on the Coral Coast for 1 week at a resort by rocky beaches and coral. Then we take a water taxi to Plantation Resort with white sandy beaches for another week. Finally, the thing you’ve waited all year to hear. After Plantation Resort, we fly home to Canada!!!

Siem Reap - Cambodia - MP

A quick 6 hour bus trip north of Phnom Penh gets you to Siem Reap. In ancient times, Siem Reap was the capital of Cambodia but when trading started to increase with neigbhbouring countries the capital was moved to Cambodia since it's directly on the major trading river called the Mekong River. 

We are traveling in the off season so we really don't have a full perspective of how busy Siem Reap can be. It was much quieter than Phnom Penh with many markets, restaurants and other money grabbers.  

For a couple of dollars, these little fish will nibble off your dead skin and give you a foot massage. You sit at the front of the store and relax and watch the world travel by while the fish do their thing. Pub Street is a major section of downtown Siem Reap with many bars and restaurants. We ate dinner along this street a few times. Cambodian (Khmer) food is really cheap. Family dinners cost less than $20 and have huge servings. We've tried curries, stir fries, fried rice, fried noodles, fried ice cream, sticky rice and a Khmer favourite called Ahmok Fish (curried fish and vegetables on rice). My meal last night was Curry Chicken. It cost $3.

One night we supported a local business and attend the Phare dinner and Circus. The amazing artists compled all of these fantastic stunts and tricks. See my Instagram account for video since it's hard to explain with words. At the end of the night, some of the performers (artists) posed for a picture with us! All of the profits from this evening go to supporting a school that takes disadvantaged kids off the street and provides them with schooling opportunities. The plot of the performance was about two brothers running a bar in Siem Reap. It was funny and entertaining. The live music was really cool too. 



We realized that renting a Tuk Tuk for the day was the best way to see the temples in and around Angkor. For $15, you get your own personal driver who takes you to whichever temples you're interested in seeing. We bought a 3 day pass to see the temples and really just touched the surface of what they had to offer. Luckily, kids under the age of 12 are free to see the temples (Jonah turns 12 in 10 days).  Each time we ventured in the Angkor area we were met with amazing views, some crowds (nothing compared to the high tourist season), and sweltering heat. 



The picture below is from Ta Prohm, the Tomb Raider temple. All throughout the temple, trees have grown up over the walls and laid their roots. Each temple had a theme. This temple had many of these trees linking ancient architecture with nature. 



We took Lynn out to the Footprints Cafe for lunch on Mother's Day. It serves amazing food and all profits from the Café are donated to local Siem Reap projects that support local families and businesses. 



Another afternoon and evening was spent touring a fishing and rice villlage built on stilts. The water level changes over 10 meters between the rainy and dry season. We're traveling during the dry season so the water levels were at their lowest. This village was very different than anything we've ever seen. Traveling to the village we stopped on the side of the road to taste Bamboo Sticky Rice, a local treat. It was delicious. The rice is cooked on an open fire stuffed inside a bamboo shaft. You peel back the bamboo like a banana to eat the cooked rice and bean.

While in Kompang Khleang (the stilt village) we toured the local primary school, walked through the village and took a touring boat out to Tonle Sap Lake to see the sunset and witness the floating houses on the lake. It was a once in a life-time opportunity to see how these people live along a river that changes so much throughout a year. During the rainy season, the village becomes a "floating village" with no access by roads. 



This was our favourite temple. The Bayon Temple has over 200 smiling faces throughout. The smiling face is the image of the King during the period of construction. We walked all throughout and around this temple. This temple was located within a larger area called Angkor Thom. 



With a 4:15 AM wake up, a 4:30 Tuk Tuk ride and entrance into Angkor Wat at 5 AM, we were able to watch sun rise over Angkor Wat. It was a beautiful sunrise. Afterward, we took a tour of less popular temples since it was our third day of site seeing. 

Siem Reap was amazing. Our hotel was quiet and near some amazing little restaurants and within walking distance to downtown. It had a clean pool with lots of sun in the mornings. The service was amazing and morning breakfast was yummy. Fresh mangos were delicious. 

Next stop, Kep, a coastal town in the south of Cambodia near the Vietnam border. 

Phnom Penh - Cambodia - MP

We arrived to Phnom Penh during the late morning, after an overnight flights from Australia through Kuala Lumper and onto Phnom Penh. It was already very hot and felt like 40 degrees. It took some time to get our tourist visas, clear customs and get SIM cards for our phones. Then we loaded into a hotel shuttle that took us to Tea House Asian Hotel. The traffic was crazy with Tuk Tuks and mopeds going in every direction. 

Phnom Penh is extremely busy with so many smelly, moving parts. It's sensory overload in every direction. It is customary to J-walk through traffic when crossing the street. The oncoming cars see you, swerve or slow down and you just keep moving across the road. Sometimes, if you're feeling quite confident, you can put up an open hand to signal that they need to stop. They don't. Instead, they swerve or slow down. 

The next day we toured the Royal Palace and the Emerald Pagota. The King was home, unfortunately we didn't get a chance to see him. The grounds were beautiful and hot. It is respectful to wear clothing that covers the upper arms and goes below the knees. As you can see, we're wearing some heavy clothes in sunny weather over 40 degrees. 

After the Palace, we took our first adventure into one of the many markets. The markets were narrow and busy with many sellers vying for your attention and money. In each market, there is a food section. These sections smell of raw meet, fish, sweat and spices. It's a unique smell that is difficult to get use to.  



The major two religions of Cambodia are Buddhism and Hindu. The majority of people are Buddhist. Sculptures of the Buddha are seen everywhere. Each Buddha position has a different meaning. This is the mediating Buddha. It is suppose to encourage inner peace. 

We had a wonderful time in PP. We also took a sunset/dinner boat cruise on the Mekong River and learned about the Khmer Rouge genocide of the late 1970s by visiting a concentration camp (Torture Centre). We started to try different foods and are becoming quite efficient at taking Tuk Tuks around the city. Our hotel had a great hot breakfast buffet and outside swimming pool. When we had some down time, we usually spent it in the air conditioned hotel room on our devices connecting with friends and family through social media, email and FaceTime. 

Next stop Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor...

All the best, MP

We Are Celebrities (not really) - JP

The one thing my family and I find very funny but also kind of annoying is the amount of people that want to get pictures with my sister and I. Wherever we go people always stare at our blond hair because everybody here has dark skin and dark hair so it’s weird for them to see two white kids with blond hair in Cambodia. The annoying side of being stared at and asked to take pictures with is that sometimes our family wants to get a move on and go see more temples and other things but we find it funny too. Siena and I try to just let them take picture and move on with our life.

Stilt Village - SP

On Sunday the 13th of May we went on  a tour of a stilt village. I want to share with you information about this tour. Firstly, the bus for the tour came to pick us up at our hotel called Sonalong Boutique Villas.  

Once picked up,  we started our journey with four other people from many different places. We had three stops. The first stop was for a little break on the side of the road to get sticky rice and we all were showed how to open the bamboo because it was in bamboo sticks. 

Eventually, everyone opened their own bamboo shaft and tried the rice.  For me it teased so good!

Secondly we stopped at a place with the smell of baking because it was a Cambodian Donut Shop. So we had some. 

The next stop was the Stilt Village! When went as far as the bus could go and got into a Tuk Tuk. They were repairing a road so we had to get out and walk.

Aftert hat we got back into a different Tuk Tuk and went to the stilt village. We walked through the village to a school for a tour. 

In the school, we got a little “lesson” from one of our tour guides. 

Then after that we went onto a boat for a tour down the river to Lake Tonle Sap. It was a cool tour seeing how these people live on and near the water. 

Once we got back it was time to go home, sadly.

Cambodia - LP

Our first impression of Cambodia was formed during our drive from the airport to our hotel and it was NUTS! The traffic, especially the mopeds were everywhere. If traffic got too congested, they went up on the sidewalk. And there were multiple people on most of them...2, 3, 4 people, children and even infants. Helmets? Only on a select few 😳 

Thankfully the ride was uneventful & we were VERY pleased with our hotel upon arrival. 

After some recovery time from our overnight flight, we took to the streets to check out Phnom Penh. They were busy, loud and commonly quite smelly! We walked toward the Mekong River and very quickly realized that NO ONE walks around in PP, hence all of the tuk tuk drivers on every corner. We made it to the Sisowath Quay and found a dinner spot...with cheap beer.

Cheers 🍻 

The kids had their first experience of kids begging for us to buy wallets, postcards etc. There were lots of activities along the promenade of Sithowath Quay, for both locals and tourists. 

Sisowath Quay.

It was after dark when we finished dinner, so we took a tuk tuk back to our hotel...perhaps my new favourite thing to do in Cambodia! SO MUCH FUN!

Day 1: Royal Palace tour and Central Market.

We enjoyed an excellent guided tour of the Royal Palace and learned a few Cambodian traditions along the way. We learned the meaning of the different hand positions on the Buddha statues...meditating, protecting, steadfast. We also learned that they have a different colour of ceremonial dress for each day of the week. 

The Royal Palace Gardens were immaculate!





Ceremonial outfits change by the day of the week. Sun-Sat. We can only imagine it would look pretty spectacular to see everyone dressed in the same colour at a celebration.

The Central Market was massive, busy, HOT and stinky. Our kids got their first taste of bartering. 

Day 2: Russian Market & Sunset Boat Cruise along the Mekong River

More bartering (the kids are starting to get the hang of it:), more stinky food stalls...with fresh meat hanging in 40 degree weather 😳

STINKY food stalls!!!

Russian Market

Tuk tuk riding:)

Sunset dinner cruise along the Mekong River.

Fishing villages along the river.



Sunset over the Sisowath Quay. 



Sisowath Quay by night.

Phnom Penh night market.

Next stop: Siem Reap for a tour of Angkor Wat and temples in the surrounding area. Stay tuned:)