Well well my faithful readers. All good things eh?
Yes our time abroard has finally come to and end and we are in frantic preparation to depart the shores of Australia - which happens in 32 hours if you're interested. We fly into Bangkok tomorrow where I'll have 3 days to tour the city before heading back to the sunny UK. Isla however still has a 3 month voyage ahead of here with trips to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and India. Me? Jealous? Surley not!
So how has this year been? Well to tell the truth it's totally rocked. There have been times where I've stared out the flat window into the torrential rain for days on end and nights where the temperature was 7C and we didn't have enough covers to keep warm (and certainly no central heating) and in those situations I've felt like the trip was a waste and not the experience I was hoping for. Work also didn't help. I've learnt a great deal over the year and the people were great but work after all is... work and not exactly akin to the travel mentality.
But as I said, generally, it's rocked. I've had the most incredible experiences here and they've given me a different outlook on life and real insights into what's important and what's not. I hope to bring that attitude back to the UK with me and use my future spare time more fully that I have done in the past. No more endless weekend doing the same old rubbish i.e. in the same pubs drinking the same crappy lager, having the same debilitating hangovers, writing off the whole of the weekend and spending too much cash with could be used to send us on trips around the continent etc. I think that there is a lot to offer us in our spare time. We just need to know where to look for it.
So what were the best experiences of the year? Well I'll give you a list of ten in no particular order but they are things that I'll never forget. Incidently, these pictures are from the Bridge Climb that we did last night. It was our last "event" in Sydney and we'd kept it till last so that we could obtain and unforgetable view of the city which has treated us so well for the last year (although it's not in the top 10!!!)
1. SkydivingFor me this was far and away the most exhilarating, exciting and unexpectedly pleasurable experience that I've ever had. So much so I did it twice. If you have been reading the 365 then you'll have noticed that it's my single largest entry and, personally, I think it's the best piece I've ever written - such was the inspiration of the dive.
2. Whale WatchingI'll never forget those massive creaturesin Hervey Bay mugging the boat as we shouted with glee and waved out hands furiously for almost an hour. They just looked at us like we were morons. We were certainly acting like that. An incredibly humbling morning.
3. Diving with turtlesIn the vein of "Finding Nemo" I literally got to "Grab Shell" and hang on to the last of my breath at the giant Green Sea Turtle sped through the water trying to shake me off. Awesome fun!
4. Sydney ObservatoryI think it was our guide that made this such a memorable experience. Although there was plenty of looking through telescopes and the stars and planets it was the chat he gave us outside the observatory on the hill, high above the city lights that made this tour. Waving his green laser pointer around like a 6km long light sabre he pointed out solar systems, constellations and suns with the unbridled enthusiasm of someone who not only enjoys his job but does it as a hobby in his spare time also.
5. Great Ocean RoadOK, so the scenery was pretty repetetive and the weather was shockingly bad but this was one of my favorites because we were in a rubbishy little camper van that faithfully got us from one sodden camp site to the next. We sat cramped in the back playing cards and drinking wine out of plastic cups with only citronella candles for light. And with no fixed plans for the week we could go anywhere and see anything making it feel like a proper adventure.
6. Singapore Zoo Night SafariThis was eerie and slightly spine tingling as we trammed round the dark zoo with the nocturnal animals roaring and screetching outside of our vision. A definite must for anyone who visits Singapore.
7. Balanese FoodI have never, and will never eat a meal as good as this one as long as I live. A gastronomic experience if ever there was one, enjoyed with Laura in Geelong. Phenomenal.
8. Hunter ValleyWine country. Need I say more?
9. The Rach 3 at the Sydney Opera HouseMy favorite piece of classical music in the most famous opera house in the world. It doesn't get much better than that. And also my folks - who are big classical music fans - were there enjoying that bit of creative musical genius with us.
10. Getting EngagedNot really anything to do with Australia or travelling but something pretty life changing none the less. For those of you who don't know I asked Isla after her first skydive (my second one) where she overcame her petrification and threw herself out of a plane at 13,000ft because I got down on my knees and begged her to and landed in a field where I got down on one knee and begged her to marry me! She said yes (phew).
So there you have it. A whistle-stop tour of some of my favorite, memory-etched events of the last 12 months. There is still plenty to add to the 365 and I'll get there eventually but we're leaving tomorrow and realistically I'll be completing the blogs in Scotland which just isn't the same. Anyway, thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you all soon for some of that crappy lager I was mentioning earlier!
Z
Well well my faithful readers. All good things eh? 
But as I said, generally, it's rocked. I've had the most incredible experiences here and they've given me a different outlook on life and real insights into what's important and what's not. I hope to bring that attitude back to the UK with me and use my future spare time more fully that I have done in the past. No more endless weekend doing the same old rubbish i.e. in the same pubs drinking the same crappy lager, having the same debilitating hangovers, writing off the whole of the weekend and spending too much cash with could be used to send us on trips around the continent etc. I think that there is a lot to offer us in our spare time. We just need to know where to look for it. 
Hey everyone. Just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone who has been reading the 365 Challenge. There's been over 1000 hits in the last 11 months and I hope it's provided a few laughs for you all. To date I'm at 74,000 words (or 302 pages on Word) and it should provide a reasonable framework for some sort of book/novel/toilet paper. 
