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Hi an update from oz

Well we enjoyed travelling down the great ocean road..beautiful…camping improved ..no more sickness in the tent.We made our way safely to Victor harbour in the south..and were greeted by Linda and Colin..who are extraordinary people!!so hospitable and welcoming we had a wonderful time and feel we had known them for years….they also introduced us to their church southern gateway and we had a brilliant time..a great bunch of folk doing a great job there.We left for the desert with our tent and a blanket..aircraft cutlery(stolen for survival purposes)rested and looking forward to our trip.It got very hot ..very quick..sleeping in a sauna on gravel in coober pedy was interesting..what a strange place..people live underground to escape the searing heat..and we choose to sleep under two layers of polyurethane!the pool really lifted our spirits in the morning.It took 3 days driving to reach uluru(ayers rock)and we were beginning to wonder if it was worth it..It was…we had a great time here in the desert..so different a landscape and culture..we loved the desert so much..gorgeous colour and light I just wanted to get my paints out!We walked around the base of the rock…in great time to see the sun setting all of its colours on this amazing monolith that rises out of nowhere.We also walked in the olgas..forgotten the aboriginal name…and Kings canyon..amazing.We did plenty of real bush camping..a little jumpy to me who isn’t a great lover of huge insects and snakes..we saw lots much to the children’s delight..Seth wont shut up about the creatures we found for at least another year!We headed on to the coast another 3 day drive..kids getting really fed up on the last day..6 hours in a hot car got the better of all of us..we ended up shouting and deciding we were going home to comfy beds..food(peanut butter and noodles..I will never stock in my cupboard again!!!)and sensible weather!!!!it was all over when solace was found in an ice cream and the kids were friends with Australia again.We travelled through mining towns and met lots of drunken men in swimming pools which seemed to attach to me for the whole evening..Hamish sits on the side grinning or reading his book!We went through Alice springs which was an interesting place..lots to see..loads of aboriginis live here it felt very different to anywhere else we had been.I.was drawn to the didgeridoo shop there…and the guy did workshops in the afternoon..the children and I went..I wanted to stay all week and learn it..the guy was an amazing player I could of listened to him forever..fantastic..I have one at home so when I return I will be harassing the neighbours with dulcet towns of Austrailias outback!Townsville in the tropics was good..had a great sea front with water parks for the kids spent a few cooling off hours there and got too much sunburn.Down the coast to Airlie beach a great camping ground lagoon on the beach..and we treated ourselves to a trip to the great barrier reef…fantastic to see this underwater world..Flora reckons she saw a reef shark…but no one else did..but she got out pretty quick afterwards..so who knows!Another few days down the queensland coast..(very flooded)and we eventually arrived near Brisbane..at Dee and Davids House..again an amazing couple so busy yet allowed us to recoup in thier home..we are so very thankful to God for all these amazing people who have been so hospitable..it has helped us so much.We took the kids to Steve Irwins Zoo yesterday..had a brilliant day..saw alsorts from cute koalas to Crocs..we held pythons alligators Kangaroos..a fantastic zoo everyone was so friendly and up beat..like the man himself…the kids had a wonderful day they wont forget..some lovely photos to follow this blog soon..just cant do it at the moment..so keep an eye out.We fly out to Singapore tomorrow night..and our trek around Malaysia and Borneo is to begin….then on to India in a few weeks.I think this is the scariest bit we are not familiar with Asia but are told its very cheap which is gonna help..we are going to leave our tent here(I`m personally distraught our camping trip is over…)Cant wait to come home now..keep us in your thoughts and prayers..lots of love Rachel Hamish and children,

Swan Hill was hot and dry, but they had a great outdoor pool where the children enjoyed doing stunts off the diving board… and enjoyed watching us try too!

We got involved with a small church there, lovely people, full of faith and made us feel so welcome.

We even met a crazy but lovely (i say crazy in a complimentry way) artist! just before we left. We visited her just as were leaving and saw her work which was fanatastic… I love it, her name is Toni Jessop check her out. She gave us a painting for my CD’s we were both delighted with our swap our painting is gorgeous and will be treasured!

We visited the local art gallery and in the centre was a full size Stienway Grand Piano and Hamish asked if I could play it and I did and they said they would love me to play it any time how brill so been writing some new stuff in an art gallery on a fantastic piano!! I am so blessed!

Left Swan Hill for our friends in South Australia south of Adelaide but we went via the Great Ocean Road. A great drive it was beautiful!! Photos will follow and the Blue lake at Mt Gambier.

Long drives and near the end of our budget so we have been camping!!! and it is OK the kids very excited about it. But the first night was a typical Macdonald tale!!

We camped near a beach and had a walk on the sandhills saw a Kangeroo and then an Echidna( a wierd spikey creature with a large snout…very cute.

So our first night of camping was a spectacular one but for all the wrong reasons!! We settled into our little tent (a warehouse bargain!) on our charity shops (called here Op shops short for oppurtunity shops) blankets and sleeping bags, feeling very pleased with ourselves…..Then our Darcy said she felt sick….well those of you with kids know there are kids you have to lie with and comfort for ages when they feel sick and there are kids who give you a 2 second warning!! Well our daughter is off the latter variety!!!

It exploded like a volcano…over our beds…. you would had thought there was a Croc in our tent at the speed we all got out!!!

After a shower and a major overhaul of availiable clean blankets…we had a cold nights sleep and awoke to pouring rain!!!! It felt like we were in the Lake District!

I do think camping is a necesary evil and most definatly overrated!!

We are now with some friend and have a room to ourselves and a bathroom and been made to feel so welcome… we are thankful toGod for peoples hospitality.

I sang in the church last week and again tomoorow, which is a great oppurtunity to share with other people.

We will write again soon, honest!!

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Hi since we last wrote we traveled to Coffs harbor..and took lots of evening beach pics..of the surfing beaches after Sydney which was wet but great fun..Check out the fruit bats in the park!then we traveled to the blue mountains which were beautiful..great canyons and waterfalls..just lovely.As you can see we spotted lots of kangaroos..and Flora and Seth fed one!We have driven miles of flat scrub land..you can easy drive a good few hours without seeing any sign of life..(apart from the wildlife).We have had a wonderful time 2 hours north of Melbourne with friends we have been made very welcome..and its been really relaxing.Went along to a church last Sunday and were invited to dinner..then went out on the Murray river in his little speedboat and fished(got 1 much to our kids delight).They invited us to Kangaroo lake yesterday and we had such a laugh in the boat..swimming..being pulled on a huge donut thing behind the boat..called a biscuit!!and then had a go at knee boarding..the Australians and their weird and wonderful sports are quite mad!!we had a fab time.Also the kids went kayaking…a great evening ended with a most amazing sunset..hope you like the pics..catch you soon..love Rachel.x

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Hi how are you? n a motel room in Sydney so I am writing in word to post when we have internet. We are all fine and enjoying oz! we have rented a car and stayed with friends in Brisbane..they didn’t tell us they had 3 spare rooms..and an amazing pool and garden..fantastic..the kids looked like dried prunes couldn’t get them out of the water. We only met these people once..I invited her son to lunch he was visiting from Australia..and came to our church..we got talking cos he said he liked my singing..he had lunch with us..and from that we are now here his mum said if we were ever over in oz we could stay with her!!one good turn deserves another..but I think we got the best deal thank you God! drove down to Sydney..long way..2 days driving..but lovely and we saw kangaroos..I was sooooo excited!!what a saddo! it has been warm but rainy here..I didn’t think it rained here….We went to hillsongs church and were so blessed…some of the churches we have seen have been inspirational..amazing kids clubs..with climbing walls….computer games everywhere..just the coolest places you could imagine..not a problem getting your kids there!!Totally professional..at hillsongs they even had a room for parents with special needs children..which was fab…and have pregnancy and babies groups..then crawlers! The class my girls were in had a table full of make up and nail varnish amongst many other things..you can imagine how tasteful they looked afterwards!!!We went to the beach in the afternoon..lovely..till it started raining again…did abit of surfing!!(no..not really..just a bit of swimming and getting knocked over by killer waves!)Then we went back to church in the evening..and heard the most amazing message about praising god in the middle!(.God is so good and is speaking to us..I think sometimes its good to get away..its easier to hear him without the usual distractions..writing lots of songs just words at the moment….and feel he is somehow leading me to breakthrough spiritual barriers through prayer and praise. and he is filling me with faith to overcome in spite of how inadequate I may feel…..I am not there yet but filled with a confidence that God will finish the work he has begun. This trip has made me so aware of my vulnerabilities..fears and stuff..and I have to either trust him or not..no other way…scary but necessary!!!the kids have behaved so badly all day ..I could have throttled them( in a Christian loving family kind if way!!)we went round some art galleries after we had spent 3 hours waiting in a queue at the Indian embassy trying to get visas!!not the easiest of days for them..we are all tired tonight! Oh the police caught the guy who robbed us..reckon he will get 6 months…. Ate some amazing pizza tonight and feel like my stomach will pop….it was worth it!!well off to bed soon.. absolutely cant wait to come back home and see you all!!!and to have a bath and a cuppa in my own house!!Darcy made me laugh today she said in such a sad voice..”I just want to go home” I felt so bad ..then I asked her ..where? She said..The motel of course I’m tired!..kids eh! love to you all I need to sleep hope you are ok.. God bless…hugs and loves..Rachel.

Seth up a tree

Cathedral Cove

Hot spa on Hot water beach well ace!!

market place port vila

collecting starfish

big pig sharing the beach

Hideaway island

sunset Vanuatu

girls dressed in local gear

Waterfall in the North Island

Rachel and Seth athe great Kauri trees