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Us at the Pyramids in Egypt

Pat and myself at the wonderful Pyramids in Egypt during our 2008 world odyssey

G'day, it's always a pleasure to welcome visitors to my little corner of cyberspace.

It's now been nearly five years since we sold our eight-acre property in Gympie, Queensland, Australia, to hit the road full-time as 'not-so-grey' nomads in our custom-built 25ft luxury caravan and four-wheel-drive.

Oh, and our two Balinese cats - one a diabetic and the other minus his gall bladder - travel with us!!

Like us, the furry felines seem to be thoroughly enjoying their lifestyle. We initially travelled with three cats but our 20-year-old sadly passed away nearly two years ago. A week later one of our other cats was diagnosed with diabetes and now has two insulin injections daily. We took on the task with some trepidation but have become experts with those needles!

And so to all those shocked people who see this strange guy lurking in public toilets surreptitiously feeding used syringes into those yellow disposal receptacles ... it's just me getting rid of our spent needles when pharmacies and vets refuse to take them off our hands. Nothing more sinister than that! Mind you, I do get some really funny looks but am now over the embarrassment.

There were more vet bills last year when our other Balinese cat took ill. Turns out he had a leaking gall bladder ... so out it came. Amazing the difference after his operation ... he's now full of life and acts like a kitten again!

It's amazing the fascinating people we have met since embarking on our travels. Take, for instance, the lady who travels everywhere with her own cat ... well, at least the poor departed pussy's ashes in an urn. Seems she can't bear to be without her beloved pet.

And not forgetting the elderly gentleman who couldn't bear to be parted from his pet python, the slippery customer having its own special quarters in its owner's caravan.

Then there was the gentleman who took on the mighty banks after losing a fortune thanks to one of their questionable overseas investment schemes. He led a successful class action which saw the banks forking out millions in compensation, and he went on to write a tell-all book about it. A fascinating character.

The list goes on.

Just how long we continue our nomadic lifestyle remains to be seen, but I reckon it will be some years before we tire of our freedom.

We recently bought a 31.5-acre property near Gin Gin in Queensland and have had a roadway and power installed to the house pad at the top of the ridge, which offers stunning views of surrounding farms and mountains. We decided to call it Eden and may settle there one day.

Anyway, let me tell you something about myself and family. My name is Dennis Amor (formerly Dennis Poxon), an expatriate Pom (an endearing term used by Australians to describe an English person). My wife and best friend is Pat (actually, it's Patricia and she hates being called Pat!). We are both vegetarians.

I am a retired journalist who worked on the now defunct Oldbury Weekly News (UK) for seven years and the Wolverhampton (UK) Express and Star for 17 years before moving Down Under 22 years ago. I now keep myself busy writing and producing the monthly web-based Caravanning News, which is increasing in popularity with more than 10,000 page downloads monthly.Christmas family gathering

Meet me (wearing Christmas hat) and my Aussie family ... Pat (second from left) with son Steven (right) and daughter Andrea (second from right) and their respective families. Pat's 92-year-old mum is on the extreme left.

Andrea was born in Wordsley (near Dudley, UK) and Steven in Birmingham.

Steven and wife Diane have two young children, Brendan and Keeleigh. Andrea and husband Greg have two sons, Aleph and Telek.

Pat worked in the labs at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham and ran our gift shop - aptly called The Gift Box - in Hagley Road, Quinton, Birmingham, before we moved Down Under.

We are marine turtle nuts, spending a huge chunk of each summer at the famous Mon Repos turtle rookery and a remote beach in Queensland carrying out vital research and collecting data to help these wonderful but endangered and vulnerable survivors from the dinosaur age to survive.

Our family has enjoyed much travelling together, visiting exotic places such as the South Pacific Islands, Europe, South America, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Greece, Spain and Turkey to name but a few. One of the most moving places we've had the good fortune to visit was Israel and Bethlehem where Jesus was born 2008 years ago. We saw lots of wonderful holy places and swam (well attempted to!) in the fascinating Dead Sea.

Our travels in 2007 took Pat and myself to Hawaii, Bora Bora, Papeete, Moorea and Fiji. Then, a few months later in February 2008, it was off to Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Egypt, Greece, Spain, the UK, America and Canada. It was a wonderful world trip and we saw fabulous sights and met some fascinating people. India was something of a culture shock but I would willingly return to spend more time with the friendly and helpful locals.

I am glad to say both Andrea and Steven have inherited our passion for travel and surrender to their itchy feet at the first opportunity. In fact, Steven and his family have moved to Vancouver, Canada, for a couple of years, and Andrea and her family have jetted off to the UK for a while.

I also have two daughters, Ruth and Celia, living in the English Midlands. I send them lots of love.

Some of my favourite things:

  • Travel (including caravanning).
  • The sea.
  • Food, especially Indian and Thai ... yummy!

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Updated May, 2009