The End

So this is it. 207 days have passed since we started our big adventure. 207 days full off big and small highlights, challenges and new experiences. 29’961 kilometres driven. We have seen more than we could dream of, met more good people than we could wish, had more fun that we possibly could imagine. We never run in any kind of serious trouble, our car never broke down, we were never seriously ill (except for Robins very painful but harmless ear infection), didn’t even get a flew despite very low night temperatures in Red Centre. We didn’t run out of money, sever short of water or short of fuel. We never got tired of seeing new places, driving to new sights, walking to another lookout. Our curiosity never took an end. And best of all: we are still friends! Know each other better than ever, know our limits, our strengths. Dag is the perfect driver, careful and experienced. Robin is the indispensable spotter – without him we hadn’t seen certain damages on the car and I wouldn’t have seen all the birds. Kids just see the world more attentively. When it comes to myself, I guess both Dag and Robin agree that I have been the perfect cook, serving varied dinners every night, never short of anything, often trying out new dishes. What else can I say than this trip has been a tremendous success.

Sitting on the plane towards Singapore now, both Robin and I have been close to and in tears several times during the last 24 hours. It is just so hard to accept that it is over now. As Robin put it: “The best part of my life is now over!”. Luckily, we all know that he will soon get over it and realise how lucky we are, taking home all these beautiful memories and experiences.

What really saved us during the last days was the visit of my brother from Hongkong. We spent happy days at the beautiful Kewarra Beach and he helped us a lot getting through with selling our car, driving us back and forth to the buyer in town. We did a few nice trips together, went for a hike and just enjoyed each other’s company. I am convinced our last week wouldn’t have been as pleasant, with both Robin and me being quite emotional about our departure.

Packing was quite a hassle, trying to fit everything into our bags. We ended up with 88 kg, 90 being allowed… Again, my brother was of great help, driving us to the airport. And that was it.

Soon we’re home in Oslo, unpacking, getting used to our normal life again. But it will never be the same again – we are not the same. This long journey has marked us for the rest of our lives.  

PS: all the pics in this blog are taken by Dag. Unfortunately, I managed to lose my mobile phone (with the newest photos) at Cairns airport. Something had to go wrong in the very end…

Author: cobaroblog

Travelling architect View all posts by cobaroblog