And that's a Lap Wrap

After a whole year of bouncing around this vast land, the 'Holway Round' has officially come to a close.

We decided to bring it all full circle by ending up in Bendalong, which is very special to us. When we first landed in Australia almost 19 years ago, Bendalong was one of the very first places we camped and a spot we've returned to year after year. It just felt right to make it the final stop on this epic journey.

Joined by 20 of some of our favourite humans (plus 3 doggos), everyone had a lot of fun walking, surfing, kayaking, finska battles, hammock lounging, wildlife spotting, and of course, talking, laughing and partaking in a few beverages.  Basically, the perfect welcome back. We couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up this crazy, amazing year.

Above:  Bendalong Buddies (photo escapees:  Jonno, Lisa, Chris)

Below: Heidi admiring the view with her next-door neighbour, Bonny

Jonno proving that camping is seriously hard work

Nothing Defies the Defender

Despite a reputation for unreliability, our trusty Defender, didn’t miss a beat.  She conquered The Cape, gobbled The Gibb and even bounced her way through The Bungle Bungles unscathed. For a new gal, she has packed in a lot in her young life.

This is where she took us:

10 Few Fun Facts and Stats

- KMs Travelled:  37,500 (23,300 miles)

- Fuel: $8,500

- Number of times we set up camp:  120

- Camp fees: $9,500

                 - Best Beach in Australia:  Wharton Beach, WA 

- Breweries visited: 55 (All logged on the on Untappd App)

- Times we had to be rescued:  zero

- Times we had to come to the rescue of others:  3

- Repairs:  3 punctures and 1 windscreen chip

- Fatalities:  3 kangaroos, 2 goannas, a gazillion flies 

 

 Critter of the Week - Eagle Ray

A camp in Bendalong isn't complete without patting the resident Rays

Word of the Week – THANK YOU!

We have gratitude in abundance to dish out.

First up, a massive shoutout to all those amazing strangers who somehow morphed into lifelong friends along the way. You know who you are – the ones who shared those unexpected, incredible moments with us in some very remote places. Honestly, you'll always have a place at our table.  Please come visit.

Huge thanks to Wendy and Paul for being absolute legends and looking after our trusty car and camper at their farm while we flew back home from Perth mid-lap.

Of course, to our incredible 'old' friends who made that final Bendalong camp such a blast - you guys totally nailed the return!  We couldn't have asked for a better crew to share those last few days with.

And to everyone who followed along on this crazy ride, leaving comments on this Blog and on Facebook, and cheering us on, especially from the UK - thank you! 

We really hope our Holway Round blog gave you a chuckle or maybe even sparked a bit of wanderlust.  None of us are getting out of this alive - so grab life by the bollocks and go for it!

Honestly, our minds are completely blown by everything we've seen and experienced. And get this – we only travelled around the edge! The vast, wild interior and, of course, Tasmania are definitely calling our names for future adventures.  

Signing off with one final thought ...