November 9, 2025 • 49 mins
#139. How's our big trip going so far? This is where you find out.
Welcome to The Silent Why - usually a podcast on a mission to open up honest conversations around grief and explore whether hope can be found in 101 different types of permanent loss - but right now, things are a little different!
If you've heard the previous episode, you'll have a good idea what this one is going to be all about.
We (Chris & Claire, your hosts) are on an adventure halfway around the world, spending some time down under. In this episode, we update you on our trip so far via Singapore to Western Australia.
And since recording (just a few hours ago), we've already remembered plenty of things we forgot to mention; like how warm the sea was in Singapore, the unexpectedly delicious ice cream sandwiches (thanks Mel!), the luge rides, the different Maltesers, and the glorious abundance of Earl Grey tea over here.
No doubt those stories, and many more, will make their way into a future episode.
So far we've seen and experienced some amazing things, but we've also had some disappointments, and you know us - we love to share it all with you, so tune in, and join us.
Plus, for videos of the kookaburra and bobtail lizard we mention, find us on social media.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Claire (00:02):
Hello, welcome to The Silent Why podcast, but also
welcome to Quarry Park inMandurah, Western Australia.
Chris (00:09):
Whoop whoop.
Under a big sky that's blue incolour, no clouds, surrounded by
trees and grass and rock andcrickets making noises.
Something's making noises.
Claire (00:22):
Butterflies.
Last time we were here, therewas a bobtailed lizard running
around, so we're hoping to seeanother one of those.
If you haven't seen one, Googleit, they're funny little
things.
Chris (00:30):
It wasn't just one.
Claire (00:31):
That's true.
We just see four.
Chris (00:33):
Did we see three or four?
Claire (00:35):
And a couple of adults.
Chris (00:36):
Bobtails.
Claire (00:37):
I'm just gonna take my hat off.
I left it on.
We've we just took some photosfor the artwork.
Chris (00:41):
With our Aussie hats.
Claire (00:42):
And uh I've left my hat on.
Hang on.
Okay, hats off.
Chris (00:45):
When we arrived, our hosts have generously gifted us
some headwear, which includesthe hat that I'm wearing.
Yeah.
Which is uh or it has uh we'reunaware of the Australian joke,
but it's it's quite notorious,would you say, this brand?
Seems to be, yeah.
Bushchuck.
Claire (01:01):
Yeah.
Chris (01:01):
So that's based on a beer, is it called Emu Export?
Claire (01:04):
Yes.
I think emus?
Do you call Emu's bushchucks?
Chris (01:07):
Something like that.
You're gonna see me waftinglots of flies around.
Claire (01:10):
There's lots of flies, yeah, because you might go
everywhere.
Chris (01:12):
Okay, you're gonna see me wafting flies.
I'm covered in insectpropellant.
Claire (01:16):
Because isn't one for the bites, he's had quite a few
bites, so he's uh he's extrasensitive at the moment to
flying things.
Chris (01:22):
So I'm covered in repellent, but I'm wearing my
bushchuck hat, which is veryfunny.
It's reversible, so the sidethere's there's a black side
with just a little bit ofbranding, or there's a very
colourful bushchuck.
So yeah, bush chicken,bushchuck.
Claire (01:36):
Bushchuck, yeah.
So yeah, check out the photo tosee that.
And I've got on not the hat Iwas gifted when I arrived.
I had a blue uh cap which I'vebeen wearing with a bin chicken
on the front, and you might haveheard us in the last episode
talking about bin chickens.
Um, they're actually Ibis.
Is that a bird?
Yeah, white birds with this biglong black beak.
Apparently they're known forgoing round bins.
We haven't seen one anywherenear a bin yet, but we have seen
(01:58):
quite a lot of them.
Um so that was my hat.
But then we also purchased abigger, proper Australian hat
where you get lots of shade allthe way around, and I'm wearing
that one today.
Chris (02:06):
And that thing underneath the chin like a chin scrap.
Claire (02:09):
That holds it on, which we've worked out as very useful,
yeah, because when it's windy,you just lose those things
instantly.
So I can see why they've gotthose um very handy.
Yeah, so we thought today wewould come along um to one of
the local parks near where we'restaying and record some stuff
for you because it's probablybeen the first opportunity we've
really had or felt we couldrecord some stuff.
(02:30):
And when we asked in the lastepisode for feedback on whether
you'd want to hear from us, umwe had some lovely responses
from people saying yes.
Basically, everyone's very kindsaying if you can we'd love to
hear it, but don't worry aboutit.
But people wanted to hear aboutthe travel tips and not travel
tips, or you know, the travelstuff that we've been doing and
experiencing.
We don't have any travel tips.
Um so yeah, here we are.
(02:51):
We thought we'd come and we'dfeedback on how things have gone
so far.
So we we flew to Singapore onthe 15th of October.
We had a week there, uh a fewcouple of nights in a hotel, and
then we say we quit his brotherand his wife and our two
nieces, um, and we experiencedSingapore for the first time.
What's your takeaway fromSingapore?
Chris (03:09):
Well, before we get to Singapore, uh how nice the
flight was with Mel, with ourlovely flight to Singapore,
that's true.
Claire (03:17):
We had um, although some of you know that you know we're
Christians, um, we pray aboutstuff, and one of the things
that I've been praying about wasthe person that I'd end up
sitting next to um on the plane,because it's a 14-hour flight,
and you know, there's somepeople you do and don't want to
be sat next to, and I was like,please let it be somebody really
lovely that we can bless on theway and that maybe they can
bless us, it'll just be a niceinteraction.
(03:37):
And she was the nicest personwe could have got.
In fact, if you're listening tothis Mel, because she said she
might listen, um, then yeah,thank you so much.
We've exchanged messages onInstagram and it was a lovely
flight, it was lovely to chat toher.
She's got parents in Singapore,so she gave us some tips on
things to do.
We were able to chat about lifein the UK.
It was yeah, it was reallylovely, so that was really cool.
Chris (03:59):
She gave us some great tips about Singapore.
In fact, in 13 hours and aflight with Mel, we had more
travel tips than the two of uscould piece together for all the
online research.
Claire (04:09):
Definitely, yeah.
Chris (04:10):
So, Singapore, yeah.
Well, no doubt.
I guess those that live thereor have been there lots are
probably sick of this being atalking point.
But no doubt the standout forme was just the sweatiness.
Claire (04:21):
The heat, oh my word.
Chris (04:22):
The humidity, just the hot sweat, the desire to get
into air conditioning.
Um, I can tolerate it, I don'tget too distressed with physical
discomfort too much.
So I can tolerate it to apoint.
But there were times where Iwas like, well, I can really do
with just getting away from thissticky sweatiness now.
Claire (04:39):
Yeah, I think we've when we first arrived in it, we'd
heard some real like stories ofpeople saying, Oh, it's
unbearable.
And we were like, what's itgonna be like?
But when we got there, Ithought I haven't like not
experienced this before.
It was like that when we werein Las Vegas, we've experienced
it in Turkey, we haveexperienced that kind of heat,
but what's so fascinating aboutit is it just seems to be
relentless pretty much all year.
And I think that's the thingthat is just hard to believe and
(05:03):
take on, and after a while youdo get to a point of like, yeah,
I'm I'm ready to be in adifferent country with some
fresher air or some dry heat.
Chris (05:12):
You get used to it, I'm sure those that live there are
my brother John and his wifeSarah and their two girls have
chosen to live there for twoyears uh for an experience which
they're absolutely loving, andso we got to experience a bit of
life with them while the girlswere on their holidays from
school, and so we did a littlebit of sightseeing, didn't we,
in the city?
And also uh for us, I think welove wildlife in nature, and so
(05:36):
going out to some of the parksand just enjoying the wildlife
from macaque monkeys in the wildto lizards, those uh monitor
what are they called?
Water monitors?
Water monitor lizards uh invarious sizes, one huge one in
that that park we went to uh onthe water opposite Malaysia.
(06:00):
The water I think was calledthe Doha Strait between Malaysia
and Singapore.
We went to a a park there whichwas fascinating and if the tide
had been out you'd seen a lotmore crocodiles.
We did see a couple ofcrocodiles, uh, but you'd have
seen far more if the tide wasout.
We were there and the tide wasin.
Uh, a very big fish eagle, wasit, or sea eagle flying over.
(06:23):
So yeah, we we loved thewildlife of Singapore.
Claire (06:26):
Although interestingly, we were told that most of their
birds are just kind of black.
There's not a lot of colour inany of their birds there, which
seems really strange to me.
Um I don't know if that'sactually true, but we didn't see
any.
Everything we saw, even if itwas quite pretty, was quite dark
in colour.
Chris (06:41):
No, John and Sarah, who lived there, have had more uh
more encounters with hornbillsthat are quite rare, I think so.
Oh yeah, they were there, yeah.
And cobras, oh nasty bigsnakes.
So I think they've they'veglimpsed a couple of cobras.
So yeah, we didn't we didn'thave that sort of running,
(07:02):
thankfully.
No.
Uh but still, I think justyeah, it's just surreal.
We spent a lot of time inwildlife parks in the UK in zoos
where it's all managedenvironments and enclosures.
But to be in the wild seeingmonkeys, uh yeah, it takes took
me a while to yeah, I just findit surreal.
Claire (07:20):
It's like you're in a sort of a you're in some kind of
zoo.
It doesn't feel like this isthe actual just natural world.
And then on the other side ofit, when we first got there, we
did a lot of the Marina BaySands, Marina Sands Bay, that
area, and we went around there.
I think we did like, didn't youcount like 22,000 steps or
something just walking aroundand that was hot.
Um but we wanted to see thethere's a famous hotel in
(07:42):
Singapore which um is called theMarina Bay Sands, and it's got
three sort of pillars and thenwhat looks like a ship on the
top of it.
Very odd sort of design, butreally stands out.
And a lot of people have givenus tips on how to go to the top
uh or part way up to see theview, and in the end, when we
got there, we were just like,ah, suck it, we'll just go up
and pay the money, go right tothe top, pay for the viewing
(08:05):
platform, and see it was alovely day and see the view
without any kind of glass in theway and everything.
So we did that, uh, and thatwas pretty amazing because we
got some lovely views overSingapore.
We saw them packing away the F1stuff because that had been the
weekend before, uh the GrandPrix.
Um yeah, and that was great,just a very different side from
the wildlife, just how theybuild things and how clean
(08:26):
everything is and wellorganised, and um yeah, that was
really cool, just exploring,but again, just so difficult to
do in the heat.
You're kind of kind of whenyou've got periods of time where
there's no shade, you're kindof rushing to the next bit of
shade, and you're just yeah,constantly sweaty.
Which, if like me, when you'renot really good with physical
discomfort, it's not the uh bestenvironment.
But I did kind of get used toit a bit.
(08:48):
Um you just have to have theright clothes.
It's about that with every bitof weather, isn't it?
If you've got the right gear,it's not quite as bad.
Oh kookaburra has just landednear us.
That's so cool.
I'm just gonna get my phone.
Chris (08:59):
Wow, that's nice in the park where we are.
So about 30, no, no, no, 20metres away.
A kookaburra's just landed onthe grass and is plucking what
looks like worms.
Okay, Claire's put the mic downto become nature photographer.
And it's now just flown into atree.
But they're large birds, aren'tthey?
They're almost like the size ofthe British duck.
Claire (09:21):
These are one of my these are definitely my
favourite birds so far, I think,because they're so friendly
looking.
They look like a stuffed toy.
They're just like everythingabout them just says I would be
great to cuddle.
Chris (09:32):
Yeah.
You don't get that with otherbirds.
Aren't they?
Very thick neck.
Claire (09:35):
Yeah, the whole thing is just fluffy looking and
friendly.
Chris (09:38):
Big beak and they eat meat.
Claire (09:41):
Yeah, that seems weird.
Chris (09:42):
Oh, it's coming back towards us.
Oh, it's even closer now.
Claire (09:50):
I'll put this video on our social media.
Chris (09:52):
And now it's gonna take off back into the tree.
Yeah, definitely the size of aduck.
And now it's back in the tree.
Claire (09:58):
Oh, they are cool though.
Chris (10:00):
Wow, great birds.
Claire (10:01):
Ah dear.
I'd love oh look, it's abobtail lizard.
Chris (10:05):
Oh yes.
Claire (10:08):
This place is amazing.
Chris (10:09):
There is a bobtail wandering around the grass.
Claire (10:11):
Yeah, so the bobtails are about it can be about a foot
long, maybe, quite fat, stocky,again, one of the more friendly
looking lizards.
Not much of a tail, hence thename.
Chris (10:20):
You can need to you need to walk and talk and go and take
a photo of it.
Okay.
Let's wander.
Claire (10:24):
I'm gonna leave my handbag there while we're
talking.
I think Australia's saferenough to do that.
Chris (10:27):
Because this is like an insight into because with these
microphones we can walk and talkand we can walk and talk.
Claire (10:31):
And I'll post these videos probably on the Instagram
story.
You'll have to catch them quitequickly because I they might
vanish.
I'm having to walk down aseparate set of steps because my
legs aren't as long.
Now we did hear that someonegot bitten by one of these.
I really don't know what you'dhave to do for this thing to
bite you, it seems too friendly.
And it well, it mainly runsaway from you, but it doesn't
(10:52):
look scary.
Sunnyest tail.
Oh kookaburra is back on thegrass.
Chris (11:02):
Yeah, there we go.
We should do a nature podcast.
Claire (11:05):
We should.
Well, I'm sure this is reallyinteresting to listen to when
we're just walking aroundlooking at it and everyone's
just listening to audio.
Chris (11:10):
101 different types of wildlife found in Western
Australia.
Claire (11:14):
Okay, back to our bit in the shade.
We found a step in the parkthat is nicely shaded.
Chris (11:20):
Kookaburra's uh quite content in the tree.
Claire (11:23):
Yeah, he's happily.
Chris (11:24):
Must have good eyesight to be bobbing down like that
onto the grass to find worms andthen back into the tree.
Claire (11:30):
Anyway.
Chris (11:31):
Nice little interlude.
Claire (11:32):
Yeah, back to Singapore.
So yeah, we saw a lot of umSingapore from the city side of
things, right through to thewildlife.
Chris (11:43):
Definitely big highlight was the food.
Claire (11:45):
Food, we did love the food.
It was the first time we'd beenin the country.
Where the food was majoritysort of East Asian, which is you
know, noodles and rice andchicken and soy sauce, all the
good stuff, and definitelyenjoying that.
I think I could be very healthyon a diet of what they eat.
Chris (12:02):
For the first time, I think, ever you you had a few
breakfasts that consisted ofnoodles and rice.
Claire (12:06):
Yeah.
Chris (12:06):
That you were really quite happy with.
Claire (12:07):
Yeah, definitely.
Chris (12:08):
A lot more so than the sweet stuff.
Claire (12:10):
Savory goes down a lot better for me than the sweet.
I mean I love the idea ofpancakes and waffles and all
that, but actually the noodlesare good.
Chris (12:16):
If you've heard anything about Singapore or um uh enjoyed
uh spending time thereyourself, you might be aware of
the hawker centres that arequite a big deal with eating um
quite rough round the edges,would you say?
Um off the tourist, off thebeaten track in a sense, but
really local and great value forfood and really good food as
(12:39):
well.
And uh there's certainly somepopular hawker centres where
tourists will go to, but yeah,the locals will enjoy eating
there uh more than the sort ofthe Westerners.
Claire (12:49):
Yeah, and it's pretty reasonably priced.
I mean Singapore as a whole isknown as being quite expensive,
but actually eating those sortsof meals I thought they were
quite reasonable, very, veryhealthy, very what you know,
fresh, hot, well cooked.
Chris (13:01):
Um, I found Australia to be more expensive than Singapore
in in parts, but I guess we'llcome on to that.
Claire (13:07):
Yeah.
Chris (13:07):
Uh so yeah, any other highlights from Singapore?
I think just experiencing itreally.
We've got another couple ofnights there on the way home in
four weeks' time.
Yeah.
Claire (13:17):
It's interesting to be in a country with so many rules.
That's the other thing I'd say.
They've got a lot of they'revery strict on um so it's very
it's known as a very safecountry.
You can just leave stuffanywhere and it won't get
nicked.
And the reason is because theirpenalties are so harsh.
So fines of thousands ofdollars or time in prison just
for doing things like walkingacross the road at the wrong
(13:38):
place, like jaywalking.
Or um one of the weirdest oneswas being naked.
Like if you're caught, even inyour own home, but if someone
sees you from outside, if you'reseen by sort of the public as
it were, you can be fined forthat.
Chewing gum, not allowed tohave chewing gum, not allowed to
chew gum.
Um, yeah, all these differentkinds of things, it's quite a
strict country in reality.
Chris (13:58):
Yeah, I carry chewing gum with me uh quite often,
certainly on trips and holidaysdays out, that sort of stuff.
Uh and you were treating mylittle can of chewing gum while
we were there, my little plastictub.
You were treating it like itwas some sort of class A drug.
Like, don't put it away, don'ttake it out, don't take it out.
Claire (14:13):
Mel told us that was one of the tips from Mel, wasn't
it?
No, don't chew gum.
Chris (14:17):
Okay, still it's not a class A drug.
No, it's just I wasn't chewingit, it was just carrying it on
the side.
Claire (14:22):
Um so yeah, quite uh but and because of that, it seems
to be quite well run.
Like the public transport isamazing, very clean, very quick,
very efficient, very cheap.
Um so yeah, it just interestingto be a country that's run very
differently from ours.
So yeah, that's good.
Chris (14:39):
Score score out of ten top chunks rating for Singapore.
Claire (14:44):
Oh that's difficult.
All c every country's sodifferent.
I don't know how you how youwould what would you say?
Chris (14:50):
Oh I'd give it a I'd give it a seven.
Claire (14:54):
Seven, okay.
Yeah, that's probably fair.
I was thinking eight, but Ithought that does seem very high
and the weather does knock itdown a bit for me.
One of the things I would sayis it's not somewhere I would I
went and thought I want to livehere.
Some countries I've come awaythinking I could live there.
It wasn't one of those.
Was that mostly because of theother thing?
Largely because of the weather.
Would have loved to for thefood.
Um but yeah, the weather I justthink for me is a little
(15:15):
intense.
I'd need need that to cool offevery now and then.
So yeah, okay.
Seven out of ten for Singapore.
Chris (15:22):
Then back on a plane for a five-hour flight to Perth.
Claire (15:26):
Yeah.
Chris (15:26):
From Chang'e.
Oh, Chang'e Airport, that wasimpressive, wasn't it?
Claire (15:29):
Yes, before we've got a butterfly garden in our terminal
that was just free to go in andwander around.
And when we went in, it wasreally warm.
Like, you know, when you walkinto butterfly tropical houses
at the zoos and stuff, they'rereally warm.
So we walked in, we're like,oh, it's one of those warm
places again.
We like you know, a bit fed upbeing warm, but anyway, all
these amazing butterflies, andthen we realised it wasn't a
warm.
There's a smell of jet fuel,wasn't there?
(15:49):
It was just outdoors.
They'd encased in like a sortof a netting cage, this area for
the butterflies, but it wasjust the outdoor air that we
were stood in, it wasn't heatedat all.
So that gave you an idea of thekind of temperature you're
you're kind of walking aroundin.
Chris (16:02):
But very nice airport.
We'd heard very good thingsabout the airport, and we
haven't seen it yet, butapparently the waterfall there's
a waterfall, water featurethat's the highest indoor
waterfall in the world.
Something like that.
In the arrivals or departures,or one of the terminals.
So we've not seen that as yet,but we'll make a thing of that
and spend a bit of time.
Some people were saying it'slike a destination to go even
(16:24):
just to do shopping or for atrip out, you'd go to the
airport.
Claire (16:27):
Their airport, from what I can make out, is kind of
open, so you don't go throughsecurity until you get to your
gate.
So in our country, you gothrough security first, pretty
much, and then you're stuck inthis big departures lounge where
you can't get out of againuntil you go to your gate, and
then you just get on the plane.
Whereas in Singapore you gointo the airport and you don't
do security until you actuallyget to the gate to get on the
plane.
So people can wander in andout, so it is a place you can
(16:50):
just go to and look around.
You don't have to be flyinganywhere.
So I think that's why it's itthey've made it into such a kind
of destination.
Chris (16:56):
Okay, so that's the airport.
Then we arrived in Perth, andnow we've had what two and a
half weeks, three and a halfweeks.
Claire (17:04):
The 23rd we flew of October, so yeah, I don't know
exactly.
Chris (17:08):
In Western Australia, uh mostly based.
We've not been into Perth asyet in terms of the city.
We've been south about an hoursouth of Perth in a city called
Mandurah.
Claire (17:17):
Two weeks, three days.
Chris (17:18):
Two weeks, three days, and since then we've experienced
British weather.
Claire (17:23):
Yeah, we've had some proper rainy days, we've had
some windy days, we've had somegrey days, we've had some sunny
days.
Chris (17:29):
It's definitely hotting up now, so I think the forecast
ahead in this part is up in theearly 30s, uh heading that way
this week.
So it's hotting up, and we'vespent a lot of time just
chilling out and spending a lotof time with with our host with
Dave and Trace.
Big shout out to Dave and Tracefor their generous hospitality,
(17:49):
looking out for us and lookingafter us.
So we spent a lot of time withthem.
We've had a few trips out, afew day trips, a few mornings or
afternoons out.
And then we're just back a fewdays ago from a bigger trip
which was south into a famouspart of Western Australia.
Claire (18:04):
Called Margaret River.
And there we were looking,well, we went and did quite a
few things, didn't we?
We started off by well we werewe were staying in an area
called Narrabuk Narrab.
Yeah, spelt with a G Narabbeach, spelt with a G, to
Ganarab almost.
I don't know what the sign andG thing is, a bit like Nat and
that's true.
(18:24):
I was gonna say Ganoo.
Ganoo.
You pronounce the G for Ganoo.
Don't hear of Ganoose anymore,do you?
It's not Nu, is it?
It's Ganoo.
Chris (18:32):
Is it Ganoo or Wilderbeast?
Claire (18:34):
Yeah, I think so.
Anyway, so Nat is my onlyexample then.
So um yeah, it's a bit likeNat, Ganarabub, but it's Narabub
beach, and uh there's a lovelybeach there, and then just down
the down the coast from that isSurfers Point, which we were
quite keen on.
Anyone who's followed us for awhile will know that we have
been out to Nazare in Portugal acouple of times to go and try
and see the uh the big waves andthe big wave surfers out there.
(18:56):
So we love watching peoplesurf.
We don't surf ourselves, wehave no experience in surfing,
but we do love other peopledoing it.
So we went to Surfers Point,saw some people surfing out
there.
It was a very windy day, sothat produced a few waves.
Um and then we went to HamlinBay, which is famous for
stingrays, coming up to thebeach and feeding.
We did not see any stingrays.
(19:18):
The weather was again quitewindy, everything was a bit
churned up, so um we didn't seeit, but we did for the first
time go in the Australian Sea.
Chris (19:27):
Yeah, the Indian Ocean.
Claire (19:29):
We wore rash vests which we've bought since we got here.
We were the only people wearingthem, everyone else was in
bikinis and swimwear, so uh Idon't know if we look more like
locals or tourists, but we hadon our full, full long sleeve
rash vests, and yeah, we went inthe sea, and then uh we were
just sort of enjoying that.
It was not warm, we thought thesea might be warm, it wasn't,
it was freezing.
(19:50):
And as uh myself, Chris, andDave were trying to work out how
to take a photo of ourselveswhile we were waist deep in the
water.
Dave just happened to utter,watch out!
Chris (19:59):
Um He didn't even get out.
Claire (20:00):
I don't even think he got it out, no.
And as we turned round, therewas a wave just behind the three
of us that was I mean, Icouldn't see the top of it, I
could just see I see it went upto the top of your head.
Um, and it just wiped all threeof us out.
We just went, I felt like I wasin a washing everything went a
bit slowly in a washing machine.
I remember thinking to myself,I don't know which way's up.
Thank goodness it was shallow.
Chris (20:21):
Um did your life flash before your eyes?
Claire (20:24):
This is it.
So uh yeah, that was fun, andnobody saw it and no one got a
video of it, which is reallydisappointing because we'd love
to have seen what it lookedlike, all three of us just
getting completely bowled over.
Chris (20:34):
I'd been using a new bit of technology to record video,
and I'd been recording bits ofvideo in the sea before then.
I was so disappointed that Iwasn't recording.
Wasn't recording, yeah, thatwould have been pretty.
It would have captured thedrama of what felt like uh a
close call with death.
I can remember that I can stillfeel the slap on the back of my
(20:54):
head from this wall of water.
Claire (20:55):
Yeah, I think my head touched the floor.
I can't remember.
I did bash my ankle onsomething, but yeah, I wasn't
planning on going under, gettingmy hair wet or my face wet or
any of that stuff, and that allwent out the window.
Had a full nasal rinse ofseawater, so it was a yeah, it
was an experience.
That was our first experiencein the Australian Sea.
Chris (21:13):
There'll be some people that will be appalled with us
for going to that area andhaving no interest in wine
because it's a hugely populararea for uh wine lovers, of
which we are not.
So loads of vineyards, loads ofbig name wineries that I'm told
export.
So in the UK, Australian wine,much of it will have come from
(21:35):
this Margaret River area.
Uh so we saw we drove past lotsof that.
Um we did go to a cave, thatwas pretty incredible.
Claire (21:41):
Oh yeah, Lake Cave.
Chris (21:42):
There's there's five or six big caves you can visit on
tours.
Cave Road.
And we went to one of themcalled Lake Cave.
That was incredible.
Claire (21:51):
Yeah, there's hundreds of caves in that well, over a
hundred caves in that area, butabout six or seven that are open
to the public.
And um we chose Lake Cave,which was pretty amazing, really
well done.
300 plus steps to get down andback again, so it was a good day
of walking.
Chris (22:06):
Um I think that was a cricket that just landed on you
that you brushed off.
I think so.
Well, something started makinglittle ch chirp chirp noises on
the grass.
Type of cricket.
Yeah, constantly beating fliesoff us and things.
Claire (22:18):
Oh my goodness, so many flies.
So you'll probably you mightsee photos if we post them of
the beach.
It was beautiful, like classicwhite stand, blue blue sea,
absolutely stunning.
But the flies, the minute youstop moving for about three
seconds, they were on you, onyour face, on your lips, on your
nose.
Oh, it's horrible.
Wasn't expecting that.
Chris (22:37):
I feel like with Dave and Trace, it's one of those things
that they're just used to.
They're probably sick ofvisitors that come and just
constantly you know, when you'reused to something in your
country, when someone comes tovisit, like in Britain, where
all we talk about is theweather.
Claire (22:47):
Yeah.
Chris (22:48):
Uh so when other people come and just like, oh, it's so
cold, isn't it?
So it says, Yeah, just get onwith it, deal with it, we're
used to it.
So others here were just like,oh the flies, how'd you do
anything with the flies?
They're just like, just dealwith it, just accept it.
It's like, I can't, I can'tstand still because five flies
land on my mouth and my eyes.
Claire (23:02):
And the weird thing was when we got changed to go in the
sea, they got these toiletsthere, which are kind of like a
little bit like old, neglected,outdoor sort of toilets.
And in the toilet, which arequite big, big toilet, big, you
know, rooms almost to getchanged in as well as the
toilet.
In that room, there were noflies.
It was the only respite I gotfrom the flies.
And in England, that would havebeen the only place the flies
(23:25):
were congregated.
Chris (23:25):
Yeah.
Claire (23:26):
So I didn't understand that at all.
Chris (23:27):
That blew your mind.
Claire (23:28):
Yeah, I did.
Chris (23:28):
No flies in the toilet.
When you step out of thetoilet, you get it covered in
flies.
So um yeah, Trace also boughtus from her workplace some they
were at clearance.
She got four mosquito nets thatyou put over your head if
you're wearing hats and thenthey drape down.
And I thought it was a bit of ajoke.
I haven't said this to her.
I mean, Dave's gonna belistening to this, we have to be
careful what we say.
(23:49):
Uh but yeah, I thought it was abit of a joke.
Just like, ha ha ha ha ha,Brits need mosquito.
But then genuinely, we've nowseen people walking around the
beaches and those hiking,wearing these heavy.
Claire (23:58):
If I went back to one of those beaches and we were gonna
hang around for a while, Iwould definitely put it on.
I'm not a fan of them landingon my face.
Chris (24:04):
Well, I said they're not gonna they're not gonna bite
you, but they're just irritatingthat you you just keep bashing
them away from your face andthen they land on you again, and
you land your ear on the yeah,arms.
Uh I thought I had one or twoon me and you were walking
behind, you said you've got like15 on your back.
That's all right.
Claire (24:20):
It's all over people's clothes.
So that wasn't fun.
Chris (24:22):
So no, we're we're not a fan of the flies.
Claire (24:25):
These are the things you don't see.
You see these beautifulpictures on Instagram.
Oh, lovely dragonfly gone past.
You see these beautifulpictures on Instagram, all these
lovely beaches and people doingstuff.
If you feel bad about that way,you feel a bit jealous, or you
feel like you know, just a bitcrappy because you don't get to
do stuff like that with nicebeaches, just remember there's a
high chance they're covered inflies.
Just doesn't show on thephotos.
Chris (24:46):
For every stunning image of the Indian Ocean and a white
sandy beach, there's aphotographer covered in flies.
Claire (24:51):
And I remember when we went to the Maldives, the white
sand there, they didn't want youwalking on it too much because
of the sand flies, because theybite from the sand.
So there's a lot of thingsabout these beautiful beaches
that they don't tell you.
So just think about that.
Chris (25:02):
So we've been south, we had four nights away, and now
we're back in Mandurah for theweekend, catch up on some
washing and some rest, and thenwe're heading north up the
western coast of Australia.
Tuesday.
Our end destination is Exmouth,as they pronounce it, or
Exmouth, like we have inEngland.
Yeah.
And we're heading up the coastpast some places called like
(25:23):
Coral Bay, Shark Bay, so lots ofocean life and shell beach
flies, maybe.
Claire (25:30):
Yeah, hopefully seeing dolphins, maybe some rays, stuff
like that.
It's yeah, but definitelygetting hotter.
I think it's about 35 up therenow.
And it's weird because Imessaged a friend and I said to
her going north, but it'll gethotter.
And she's like, Oh, that's soweird, because in England you go
south to get hotter, and ofcourse, with the other side of
the equator.
So, whereas most people gosouth where we are to get hotter
(25:50):
weather, because you're headingtowards the equator, here you
have to go north towards theequator to get hotter weather,
so the further south you are,the cooler it is.
So, um yeah, it's a weird kindof backwards sort of thing.
But we're learning, I'msurprised with the language in
Australia, how many things havebeen said that I haven't
understood.
Just little words they have.
Like um Tracy's had talkedabout um I'm gonna get the ports
(26:14):
down from upstairs.
I had no idea what she wastalking about, but that was
suitcases.
She asked me when I firstarrived if I wanted to put the
jug on.
That was the kettle.
And all these littleexpressions, I'm just like, I'm
sorry, I've I have no idea whatyou mean.
So there's lots of littlethings, just little words they
use.
I was like, gosh, no, I didn'tknow they used this.
Um they have to pay extra fortoilets in their house.
Chris (26:36):
Toilet tanks.
Claire (26:37):
Yeah.
They like can have a toilet,but if you want another one,
you've got to pay for it.
In England we have more toiletsthan people in most houses.
Chris (26:42):
So it's Well, I don't know about that, that's a
stretch.
Claire (26:45):
Well, what we're building now for people, if you
look at the new buildings, mostof them will have an ensuite, a
main bathroom, possibly a secondensuite, and a downstairs
toilet.
A lot of houses, the newer oneswe build now, have three to
four minimum.
Chris (26:57):
And no toilet tax in the Ukraine.
Claire (26:59):
Yeah, the older houses would just have one outdoors.
Chris (27:00):
But uh I've been surprised, I naively thought
that Australia would be cheaper.
And I naively thought becauseyou can get about two, just over
two Australian dollars to theBritish pound in currency, I
thought we'd be like reallyrich.
But actually I'm amazed howmuch how much more expensive
stuff is here.
(27:21):
Um, everything from fresh fruitand veg, salads, through even
local stuff, through to beer,bread.
Uh, it's a lot more expensive.
And we'd we'd said well we'replanning for months that as part
of this this time we'd we'dlook to spend a week in
Tasmania, but we quite quicklywrote that plan off when looking
at the prices of the flights.
That again I naively thoughtthey'd be a few hundred pounds
(27:43):
to get to Tasmania each return.
Almost like an internal flight,but didn't realise it would be
nearer like a thousand poundsfor the travel.
So we knocked that one on thehead and thought said we'd spend
a bit more time in WesternAustralia uh exploring.
Fuel's definitely cheaper, sodiesel I think here is cheaper
than we're used to paying fordiesel at home.
(28:04):
Uh it's about £1.40, £1.30.
Well about £1.30 at home alitre, and here it's about £80p
a litre.
That's in British obviouslycurrency.
Um but I'm surprised by howmuch more expensive.
Like I bought six Royal Galaapples from the supermarket, and
I think they cost about fourpounds.
(28:26):
Four British pounds, abouteight Australian dollars.
And at home that'd be about onepound fifty, about three
Australian dollars.
So uh yeah, some things aredouble the price, um, a lot more
expensive.
So that's that's yeah, that'sthat surprised me.
Okay, just a break frominterlude.
(28:47):
We now have a kookaburra aboveus, almost directly overhead,
about twenty feet up in thetree.
So we've now got a differentview of a kookaburra.
Which is quite pleasant.
Claire (29:04):
So cute.
Yeah, we're trying to get himto laugh.
There'll be a few people outthere listening that would have
also started singing kookaburrasits in the old gum tree,
because that keeps going throughmy head every two, three days.
Chris (29:22):
You'd have to work to stop singing that, didn't you?
Yeah.
Uh kangaroo kangaroos are a lotmore cano.
Claire (29:30):
Yes, I think on one of the last episodes, I don't know
if I said it, but I had theimpression that kangaroos
weren't this side of Australiaso much.
I thought they were the otherside.
That was so wrong.
They are everywhere.
Even in like the little fieldsin between housing estates,
we've seen a whole herd ofkangaroos and they've got joeys
with them and pouches.
Chris (29:48):
Are they herds?
Do they flock?
Claire (29:50):
Yeah, apparently are herds.
I don't know if that's theofficial name, but it's a herd.
Maybe there's a like a a bounceof kangaroos or something.
But um We've seen them in theas you're driving along in the
car.
In fact, they were the firstthing we saw from the airport to
our house where we're staying,we saw them in a field just
hanging out.
So yeah, kangaroos everywhere.
(30:11):
And we saw an emu, we've seen afield of emus with six or seven
in, and we saw one running downthe road ahead of the room.
Chris (30:15):
All in the while that was the most bizarre scene.
Claire (30:18):
That was so funny.
Chris (30:19):
And the as we were driving down this long straight
road heading out to the coast,there was this mirage up ahead
of this lumbering sort of mess.
We're like, what's that?
Ahead.
Not the thinking, is it someoneon a horse?
Is it someone cycling?
And then realizing it's justthe whole sort of shape of it
and the way it was floppingaround was a bit weird.
(30:39):
And as we then got closer toit, realised it was an emu
running up the road being mobbedby other birds, it was a bit
cruel.
But then we got quite close toit and again got photos, but
it's the strangest sight to seethis giant bird lumbering up the
road.
And then, yeah, as youmentioned, the day before
yesterday on the way back fromMargaret River, we drove on the
highway on the freeway past afield, and there were six of
(31:01):
them all in this field.
Just again, it's like what?
Claire (31:04):
Yeah, how is that in the wild?
So weird.
One thing we have realised isthat so a lot of people, I
think, with Australia,especially in England, you have
this impression of all the bad,dangerous stuff being in
Australia, the spiders, thesnakes.
There's signs everywhere hereon the floor, like snakes live
here.
We've not seen a single snakeanywhere.
Chris (31:22):
And we've been looking.
Claire (31:24):
Yeah, and it was something singing above us.
Kookaburra still sat therehappily.
Um we haven't seen any snakes.
There are signs, and they arearound, but I think they're
quite rare by the sounds of itto see one.
But everything that you fear inEngland, in Australia, seems to
be in Queensland.
Chris (31:42):
Yep.
Claire (31:43):
Every time we look something up, because we hear
about something new that'snasty, whether it's a shark or a
jellyfish or a snake or aspider, what a scorpion,
whatever it is, you look it up,it's in Queensland.
So if you want to avoid all thebad stuff in Australia, don't
visit Queensland.
Chris (31:56):
Yeah, I can that seem to be the place where all the bad
stuff happens in Australia.
Claire (32:01):
There's not a lot here that's really they have got
red-backed spiders which canbite you, but they're not like
fatal or anything.
Chris (32:07):
Um they could be to a like a baby.
Claire (32:10):
Oh, kookaburra just land on the grass again.
Good eyesight.
Chris (32:15):
Straight down, grabs the worm, and then so pretty.
Claire (32:20):
Got these lovely blue tint to their wings as well.
Chris (32:23):
Kingfisher-esque.
Are they part of the kingfisherfamily?
Claire (32:26):
They should be.
They look like the sort offluffy bigger cousin.
Chris (32:30):
Yeah, lovely.
Claire (32:32):
Very sweet.
Chris (32:33):
So, yeah, that's probably the the points of Australia.
Claire (32:37):
Wildlife, food, temperatures, much much drier
temperatures, even when it ishot, very bare, very bearable,
and their houses are built forit.
So that's the only thing that'sinteresting out here.
Almost all the houses are likewhat we would call bungalows.
Like one story, maybe they'vegot a room upstairs, but all
very low, wide, kind of reallyweird compared to England where
(32:57):
we just build upwards two, threestories all the time.
So that's interesting to see.
Chris (33:01):
Uh, in terms of how we're doing, what kind of update
couldn't you give on us?
Because I think we'll behonest, this hasn't hasn't been
the we've not realised the dreamas yet.
Claire (33:13):
No.
Chris (33:14):
That we had bold, unrealistic, now we realise
expectations of what this timewould be.
Oh, there's another cocoa burrojust flown behind us.
We're surrounded by cocoaburrows.
Claire (33:24):
It's a sign.
Chris (33:25):
There was me thinking they were a rarity.
I don't know what it's a signof, but no, lunchtime probably.
But yeah, I mean we we expectedthat we would use this time.
I think we spoke about in thelast episode that we did about
how we love to go deep into ourmarriage stuff and spend time
when we go on holiday focusingon our marriage and focusing on
(33:48):
each other, and we've not hadany opportunity really to do
that.
It's been it's been quite theopposite, really, if anything.
I think you'd sort of joke thatwe'd just become friends rather
than lovers while we've beenhere.
So that's that's a bitdifficult to navigate.
Partly because of our ownchoosing, I think, having chosen
to accept uh Dave's verygenerous offer of using their
(34:09):
place, so living with them andit's their holiday as well, so
Dave's on holiday and time offwork.
So yeah, we've not had thewe've not had the time to drill
into some of the stuff we wantedto focus on in childlessness.
We've not done anything reallyaround that.
And as well as that, you'vebeen unwell literally since we
got to Australia.
You've not had a healthy dayyet in Australia, which has been
really frustrating.
(34:31):
Ah sweet.
Claire (34:34):
Yeah, that is yeah, that's been probably my biggest
frustration.
I landed and within about 24hours had a quite swollen
feeling throat, you know, whenyour glands are up.
And I was like, oh no, I'mfighting something.
You had the same thing the samemorning you woke up feeling the
same, and within about 24-48hours you were fine.
Chris (34:53):
I'm still snotty.
Claire (34:54):
Mine lasted for about a week, and then I was starting to
feel better.
I had a day when I felt better.
Then last Sunday we went to achurch in Australia to um check
that out, see what that waslike, and by that by that
evening I felt bad again, butwith a different symptom, like a
sore throat inside and gettinga bit snotty.
And since then I just have notbeen able to shift this cold,
(35:16):
just can't breathe properly frommy nose without thank goodness
I packed a VIX nose spray.
Um, and yeah, we found a nasalrinse that I can do to try and
help with that.
And I was on paralysor for along time.
I'm off that now, but yeah, Ijust can't shift it, so it's
been two weeks of trying toenjoy stuff, but at the same
time just battling throughsymptoms and low energy, which
(35:38):
is not welcome.
Chris (35:39):
Which is ridiculous.
We said this morning, didn'twe, after all the build-up,
certainly with your hormonestuff and the last 12 months of
preparing for this hormones andHRT, and really hoping and
praying that we get to thisplace.
Uh, it's unbelievable to thinkthat we've now been in Australia
for two and a half weeks, andthe hormones have actually been
eclipsed by feelings of cold andcongestion.
(36:01):
Yeah.
And the hormones have beenalright, and yet you've not
actually been able to appreciatethem being better because
you've felt congested and notsleeping well.
Claire (36:13):
Well, I thought I'm not sleeping too badly, but it's
just that you know when you wakeup and your mouth's really dry
and your nose stops yourbreathing, it's that kind of
stuff which gets in the way.
It's um I'm doing everything,you know, I'm trying to get a
bit of sunshine, I'm havingveggie mite, that's got B
vitamins in it apparently.
Umanges for a bit of vitamin C.
Doing all the right stuff, so Idon't understand really why I
(36:36):
can't seem to shift it.
I'm really hoping I shift itbefore we head up on our north
trip on Tuesday.
Chris (36:41):
That's the plan we were going to go out today, but
decided not to to try and haveanother opportunity for you just
to chill out and try and letyour body rest and fight this
thing.
Yeah, I think before we begin aanother trip which is gonna be
hot.
Uh it's gonna be moreuncomfortable physically because
of the heat where we're going,that you really don't want to be
taking a cold away with you.
Claire (37:01):
I think the problem is even when you relax, you're not
at home, are you?
So I don't know how much yourbody ever fully relaxes when
you've got like a what are youlooking at?
Chris (37:09):
Kookaburra.
Claire (37:11):
You're so distracted, it's a deep, meaningful
conversation.
You're just staring around intospace.
Chris (37:15):
Well, there's kookaburra around.
Claire (37:16):
Well, focus, you've seen kookaburras already.
Um so yeah, it's beendifficult.
Chris (37:21):
So we continue to try and work out uh and manage our
expectations, uh, which isconstantly evolving because I
mean you start a trip like this,obviously, with the whole trip
planned out uh ahead of you, uh,and then you continue to manage
expectations as as time marcheson.
That's probably more like thepodcast meet, isn't it?
(37:41):
For how do you, when you'rejourneying to use that word
through something, continuallyreassess and change your
expectations in order to try andlive comfortably and try to try
and reach contentment.
Um, because we've over the lasttwo or three weeks we've not
been content with our lot, havewe?
So the more we manage ourexpectations of what we want to
(38:03):
get out of this time, the morecontent we might feel.
Claire (38:07):
Yeah.
Chris (38:08):
I mean You look like you disagree.
Claire (38:10):
Not necessarily.
I think there's a lot to be Idon't want it to sound like
we're just you know ungratefulwhen we're here on this amazing
holiday and we're just likedon't feel good about our lot
because it's an amazingopportunity to have But I think
yeah, it's easy to put a lot ofvery high expectations on such
an opportunity and think youknow, we'll be able to do this,
this and this, and sometimesthat's just not possible.
(38:33):
Plus the fact when we got here,I think, you know, like we
said, we're kind of switchingoff.
And when you switch off likeproperly for a good amount of
time, y it's the last sort ofplace that you'd have a deep
conversation.
It just doesn't really happen,does it?
So I think it's um yeah, it'sdifficult to be able to do all
(38:54):
that stuff.
And we didn't know what it wasgonna look like.
We didn't know if we were gonnaget here and be on really good
form and love it, or if we weregonna suddenly switch off and
not be able to do much.
So yeah, I don't know.
Chris (39:04):
Good job we planned to keep things quite uh sedate then
in a sense while we were here.
We didn't have many trips in,did we?
Claire (39:12):
No, we s we set the expectation low of just hanging
out in Perth if that was the thething that we were gonna do as
as the a baseline, which wouldbe something amazing.
As it goes, we've planned quitea lot in.
Um we did plan out our ourfirst plan.
We put loads of stuff in andthen we sat and looked at it,
and the next morning we woke upand like this is a massive
mistake.
We need some space to just tobe able to do other things and
(39:35):
enjoy being here.
We can't just keep going fromone thing to the next all day,
every day.
So we did change it fromMargaret River.
We stayed in one place and wentthere rather than moving around
every day.
The next one is different, weare moving around every day for
about ten days, so that's gonnabe busy.
But after that, we've then gotsome got about two weeks of just
downtime here locally to dolocal stuff.
(39:55):
There's a lot of stuff we wantto do around here that we
haven't done, like RotnestIsland and Penguin Island, and
the P West trees got the dolphincruises, and so there's a lot
of stuff locally that we mightdo.
But uh yeah, we'll see.
We'll see how it goes.
But yeah, it's been differentfrom what we expected.
And I think when you think thismight be like a
once-in-a-lifetime type thingfor the length of time that
(40:16):
we're off, for the amount oftime that we're here, yeah, it's
easy to put very highexpectations on on what you want
out of it.
And what do we want out of it?
We wanted to see stuff, wewanted to have fun, we wanted to
enjoy it, we wanted to havegood conversations, we wanted to
reassess life, we w we wantedeverything really, didn't we?
And I think we're realisingthat might have been a bit
ambitious.
Chris (40:35):
Uh yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
We wanted everythingemotionally, more than
physically, more than just likethe excitement of a big trip.
I think we want just to be inin an absolutely good place to
reset.
Uh, and that's that's not whatwe've done as yet.
Um maybe that maybe that willcome in the weeks ahead.
Let's say we've got four moreweeks in Australia, so that's
(40:56):
loads of time.
Um I d I uh yeah, I find what Ido find hard, and I'm wrestling
with myself, just to come backto some point you made, is that
whole concept of looking on thebright side.
I don't know how to get thatbalance right, whether it's just
internally or externally withother people.
You know, I'm a gratefulperson, and there's so much that
(41:19):
I'm thankful for.
But also you need to talk aboutthis stuff, I fell, and be
realistic about this stuff.
But whether it's between thetwo of you or with friends as
well, if you want to be able toprocess this stuff with company,
it does feel like you could beeasily accused, whether you're
accusing yourself or someonemight be thinking about it, that
you're just ungrateful.
(41:40):
Yeah.
Or you need to look on thebright side, you've got a glass
half empty rather than a glasshalf full mentality.
So I find that hard, youmentioned that.
Yeah, just a few minutes ago.
But knowing how to talk aboutthis stuff, how do we talk about
this stuff together and workthis stuff out and help each
other with our expectationswithout both of us thinking that
(42:01):
the other one's just being abit negative?
Claire (42:03):
Yeah.
Chris (42:04):
How do we do that?
Oh, someone's distractedkookaburra, I think.
Claire (42:09):
I'm about to come back and look at you and say, are you
distracted?
Two kookaburras just landed nearby.
I was waiting for you to saysomething.
Um, yeah, no, I think that isdifficult, and I I do think
being grateful is important.
Okay, because it's sodistracting because now there's
a kookaburra right above ourheads.
Chris (42:27):
Literally ten feet away from our heads.
If it pooed, it would hit me.
Claire (42:32):
This is a good example, I think this is this is a good
example.
So you know, we've got somestuff going on.
I'm not feeling brilliant rightnow.
Which is a shame anddisappointing, but I am really
appreciative of the kookaburrabeing sat nine feet above our
head.
So I think that that's what forme that's what it is about
finding things to be gratefulfor.
(42:53):
So I'm very grateful for that.
I'm not gonna write thatexperience off because I feel
crappy with a cold.
So I think it's that's thething, but you're right, it is
very easily turned into look onthe bright side, and I do think
if people are struggling in anysituation, it's never massively
helpful to tell them that unlessthey are people who do need to
hear it because they're nevergrateful.
If anyone knows us, I thinkthey know that we will be
(43:15):
grateful for experiences, wewill be enjoying the wildlife,
it's not something that is justum nothing to us.
Chris (43:23):
And it reminds me of several podcast episodes that
we've done in the past wherepeople have spoken about, our
guests have spoken about holdingthe tension or sitting in the
tension of the two, the good andthe bad, the grief and the joy.
That it's you know you don'thave to have one or the other at
any one time, you can hold thetwo in tension.
So I'm minded to think of that.
That you know, it is okay to tobe glass half full and glass
(43:49):
half empty at the same time.
Yeah.
Is it okay?
Does that make sense?
I don't know.
Uh I'm working on that myself.
I said I'm I'm not I'm not atpeace with my own self on this
trip as yet.
I'm fine, I'm trying to findthat.
Claire (44:04):
I also think it's because like I think getting
away from me in holidays bringsup things, it makes you think
about life, and then normally wewould talk about that and
process it before we go backagain.
I think that we'll be havingthings coming up on this holiday
already, but we haven't hadtime to talk or process them, so
they're j we're just sittingwith it.
And that's not verycomfortable.
You know, things like notfeeling well.
I've had that so often on somany holidays, that's a massive
(44:28):
disappointment for me.
I feel like I'm gonna have toprocess that that it's happening
once again.
Things like childlessness, youknow, we've been around in
different touristy places andstuff, we've seen people
teaching their kids to surf andyou know, doing all these family
things together, and you know,that makes me think about what
I'm missing out on and what Ihaven't got, and I haven't had
(44:48):
time to stop and process it.
I think how do I think aboutthat?
There's stuff going on um youknow, around us, Tracy's just
about to retire from her job.
That makes me think, I don'tfeel like I've even started in a
job that I could retire from,and it that gets you you know
thinking about where you are inlife and what's happening, and
there's a lot of stuff coming upbecause we've walked away from
(45:11):
the routine.
And if we don't at some pointsort of process that before we
go back, then I think that couldbe quite damaging because
normally we would process it andgo back having talked about it
and feeling better about things.
So yeah, I think that's anotherside of it.
We're just having to sit withthat for a while until we get
the space and time to to talkproperly and really think about
stuff, and that's probably justa bit uncomfortable, but
(45:31):
necessarily a bad thing becausewe just have to make sure it
doesn't ruin the other goodthings that we're experiencing
along the way, like thekookaburras, which have all gone
now.
Chris (45:39):
Yeah, one that's one in that over there.
I can just see it.
You can't.
I can make it out.
I've been following it,tracking it.
What a joy.
Uh yeah, but that wasunexpected, wasn't it, that
we'll be taking things back toor thinking that we're taking
stuff back to the UK to process.
Claire (45:55):
We're not planning to take it back, we've still got
time, that's what I'm saying.
We haven't discovered it nowbecause we haven't done it yet.
This is what happens whenyou're distracted by a cuckoo
burrow.
Chris (46:02):
That's not what happens when I'm distracted by a cuckoo
burr.
But I I understand that, and Ithink I'll join you in that.
We're living with people, andso um we're spending a lot of
time around each other, so it'snot like the two of us are just
able to I guess get boredtogether and then start talking
(46:24):
about stuff.
Claire (46:24):
It doesn't naturally come like it would if you were
just doing a holiday with two ofyou.
Chris (46:27):
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
If there's the two of us in thehotel room, then there's a lot
more space there to talk aboutall things.
Claire (46:36):
So yeah, hopefully, it's interesting and not too
depressing for people.
Chris (46:41):
Well it's us, isn't it?
It's probably us.
Claire (46:43):
If you listen to this podcast, you're used to you're
used to big topics that can be abit down and sad, but also with
hope, and there is always hope,and I'm definitely hopeful,
it's not the end of our holidayyet.
I'm hopeful to have time andspace to do that stuff as well
as all the other cool stuff.
Yeah, looking forward to what'sahead, just hoping I can shift
this cold in time to enjoy itfully.
(47:04):
But um I don't know when we'llcould because we're now going
away for about 10 days on thisnext trip.
Um there won't be opportunitynecessarily to record stuff and
post it.
But uh maybe when we're backwe'll see what we're doing then
and if we can update on anythingelse.
If we can, we will.
If not, it will be our episode.
So first episode we get back,we'll do our chatty Christmas
(47:25):
catch-up.
That's the other weird thing.
People are messaging us likeyou know, Britain's starting to
get ready for Christmas coming,and it's getting darker, and
we're just here in the innersunshine with no evidence of
Christmas anywhere.
So very strange that we willjust roll straight back into
Christmas, have to get all ourstuff out and uh get the lights
up and find a tree andeverything, start planning
Christmas, which will be likeliterally two to three weeks
(47:46):
away when we get back.
So I'm quite looking forward tothat.
Having something to focus onlike that straight away will be
quite cool.
Um, and I think we've reallymade Christmas into something
better for us over the years,something we can look forward
to.
So that's good.
But that'll be yeah, if wedon't do anything before,
that'll be the next episode, butmaybe we'll do something we'll
get back from our trip, see howwe're doing, update people.
Chris (48:03):
Yeah.
Claire (48:03):
And hopefully I will be a lot clearer in my voice and
not quite so nasy.
Chris (48:09):
Well, I'm surprised it's taken us this long to do this
one.
I think this is sort of fourweeks in.
Claire (48:13):
Yeah, we definitely thought we would be able to do
something.
Chris (48:15):
I thought we'd be I thought, again naively, that
would be like maybe doing likeweekly short updates on stuff,
but again, it's just not justnot being something we've been
able to think about doing.
Claire (48:26):
No, but we do feel the loyalty to our listeners and
wanted to update you withsomething and thank you to
anyone that's messaged or askedhow we're getting on.
Um that's much appreciated.
And I will post some things onsocial media.
I'll probably post some of thekookaburra and bobtail stuff
I've just recorded so you cansee what I'm talking about.
Um so have a look at that onour social media.
(48:46):
And yeah, apart from that, Ithink that's everything from
Australia for now.
Thank you for tuning in.
Chris (48:53):
G'day We should have started that way.
Claire (48:57):
We should have started with it, yeah.
Anyway.
Chris (48:58):
So more to come.
Find us on social media @TheSilentWhy pod, yeah.
On Instagram, Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, X, threads.
There we go.
Claire (49:13):
There's the list.
Chris (49:14):
And uh yeah, we'll be in touch.
Claire (49:17):
Goodbye.
Chris (49:18):
Goodbye.
Hello, welcome to The Silent Why podcast, but also
welcome to Quarry Park inMandurah, Western Australia.
Chris (00:09):
Whoop whoop.
Under a big sky that's blue incolour, no clouds, surrounded by
trees and grass and rock andcrickets making noises.
Something's making noises.
Claire (00:22):
Butterflies.
Last time we were here, therewas a bobtailed lizard running
around, so we're hoping to seeanother one of those.
If you haven't seen one, Googleit, they're funny little
things.
Chris (00:30):
It wasn't just one.
Claire (00:31):
That's true.
We just see four.
Chris (00:33):
Did we see three or four?
Claire (00:35):
And a couple of adults.
Chris (00:36):
Bobtails.
Claire (00:37):
I'm just gonna take my hat off.
I left it on.
We've we just took some photosfor the artwork.
Chris (00:41):
With our Aussie hats.
Claire (00:42):
And uh I've left my hat on.
Hang on.
Okay, hats off.
Chris (00:45):
When we arrived, our hosts have generously gifted us
some headwear, which includesthe hat that I'm wearing.
Yeah.
Which is uh or it has uh we'reunaware of the Australian joke,
but it's it's quite notorious,would you say, this brand?
Seems to be, yeah.
Bushchuck.
Claire (01:01):
Yeah.
Chris (01:01):
So that's based on a beer, is it called Emu Export?
Claire (01:04):
Yes.
I think emus?
Do you call Emu's bushchucks?
Chris (01:07):
Something like that.
You're gonna see me waftinglots of flies around.
Claire (01:10):
There's lots of flies, yeah, because you might go
everywhere.
Chris (01:12):
Okay, you're gonna see me wafting flies.
I'm covered in insectpropellant.
Claire (01:16):
Because isn't one for the bites, he's had quite a few
bites, so he's uh he's extrasensitive at the moment to
flying things.
Chris (01:22):
So I'm covered in repellent, but I'm wearing my
bushchuck hat, which is veryfunny.
It's reversible, so the sidethere's there's a black side
with just a little bit ofbranding, or there's a very
colourful bushchuck.
So yeah, bush chicken,bushchuck.
Claire (01:36):
Bushchuck, yeah.
So yeah, check out the photo tosee that.
And I've got on not the hat Iwas gifted when I arrived.
I had a blue uh cap which I'vebeen wearing with a bin chicken
on the front, and you might haveheard us in the last episode
talking about bin chickens.
Um, they're actually Ibis.
Is that a bird?
Yeah, white birds with this biglong black beak.
Apparently they're known forgoing round bins.
We haven't seen one anywherenear a bin yet, but we have seen
(01:58):
quite a lot of them.
Um so that was my hat.
But then we also purchased abigger, proper Australian hat
where you get lots of shade allthe way around, and I'm wearing
that one today.
Chris (02:06):
And that thing underneath the chin like a chin scrap.
Claire (02:09):
That holds it on, which we've worked out as very useful,
yeah, because when it's windy,you just lose those things
instantly.
So I can see why they've gotthose um very handy.
Yeah, so we thought today wewould come along um to one of
the local parks near where we'restaying and record some stuff
for you because it's probablybeen the first opportunity we've
really had or felt we couldrecord some stuff.
(02:30):
And when we asked in the lastepisode for feedback on whether
you'd want to hear from us, umwe had some lovely responses
from people saying yes.
Basically, everyone's very kindsaying if you can we'd love to
hear it, but don't worry aboutit.
But people wanted to hear aboutthe travel tips and not travel
tips, or you know, the travelstuff that we've been doing and
experiencing.
We don't have any travel tips.
Um so yeah, here we are.
(02:51):
We thought we'd come and we'dfeedback on how things have gone
so far.
So we we flew to Singapore onthe 15th of October.
We had a week there, uh a fewcouple of nights in a hotel, and
then we say we quit his brotherand his wife and our two
nieces, um, and we experiencedSingapore for the first time.
What's your takeaway fromSingapore?
Chris (03:09):
Well, before we get to Singapore, uh how nice the
flight was with Mel, with ourlovely flight to Singapore,
that's true.
Claire (03:17):
We had um, although some of you know that you know we're
Christians, um, we pray aboutstuff, and one of the things
that I've been praying about wasthe person that I'd end up
sitting next to um on the plane,because it's a 14-hour flight,
and you know, there's somepeople you do and don't want to
be sat next to, and I was like,please let it be somebody really
lovely that we can bless on theway and that maybe they can
bless us, it'll just be a niceinteraction.
(03:37):
And she was the nicest personwe could have got.
In fact, if you're listening tothis Mel, because she said she
might listen, um, then yeah,thank you so much.
We've exchanged messages onInstagram and it was a lovely
flight, it was lovely to chat toher.
She's got parents in Singapore,so she gave us some tips on
things to do.
We were able to chat about lifein the UK.
It was yeah, it was reallylovely, so that was really cool.
Chris (03:59):
She gave us some great tips about Singapore.
In fact, in 13 hours and aflight with Mel, we had more
travel tips than the two of uscould piece together for all the
online research.
Claire (04:09):
Definitely, yeah.
Chris (04:10):
So, Singapore, yeah.
Well, no doubt.
I guess those that live thereor have been there lots are
probably sick of this being atalking point.
But no doubt the standout forme was just the sweatiness.
Claire (04:21):
The heat, oh my word.
Chris (04:22):
The humidity, just the hot sweat, the desire to get
into air conditioning.
Um, I can tolerate it, I don'tget too distressed with physical
discomfort too much.
So I can tolerate it to apoint.
But there were times where Iwas like, well, I can really do
with just getting away from thissticky sweatiness now.
Claire (04:39):
Yeah, I think we've when we first arrived in it, we'd
heard some real like stories ofpeople saying, Oh, it's
unbearable.
And we were like, what's itgonna be like?
But when we got there, Ithought I haven't like not
experienced this before.
It was like that when we werein Las Vegas, we've experienced
it in Turkey, we haveexperienced that kind of heat,
but what's so fascinating aboutit is it just seems to be
relentless pretty much all year.
And I think that's the thingthat is just hard to believe and
(05:03):
take on, and after a while youdo get to a point of like, yeah,
I'm I'm ready to be in adifferent country with some
fresher air or some dry heat.
Chris (05:12):
You get used to it, I'm sure those that live there are
my brother John and his wifeSarah and their two girls have
chosen to live there for twoyears uh for an experience which
they're absolutely loving, andso we got to experience a bit of
life with them while the girlswere on their holidays from
school, and so we did a littlebit of sightseeing, didn't we,
in the city?
And also uh for us, I think welove wildlife in nature, and so
(05:36):
going out to some of the parksand just enjoying the wildlife
from macaque monkeys in the wildto lizards, those uh monitor
what are they called?
Water monitors?
Water monitor lizards uh invarious sizes, one huge one in
that that park we went to uh onthe water opposite Malaysia.
(06:00):
The water I think was calledthe Doha Strait between Malaysia
and Singapore.
We went to a a park there whichwas fascinating and if the tide
had been out you'd seen a lotmore crocodiles.
We did see a couple ofcrocodiles, uh, but you'd have
seen far more if the tide wasout.
We were there and the tide wasin.
Uh, a very big fish eagle, wasit, or sea eagle flying over.
(06:23):
So yeah, we we loved thewildlife of Singapore.
Claire (06:26):
Although interestingly, we were told that most of their
birds are just kind of black.
There's not a lot of colour inany of their birds there, which
seems really strange to me.
Um I don't know if that'sactually true, but we didn't see
any.
Everything we saw, even if itwas quite pretty, was quite dark
in colour.
Chris (06:41):
No, John and Sarah, who lived there, have had more uh
more encounters with hornbillsthat are quite rare, I think so.
Oh yeah, they were there, yeah.
And cobras, oh nasty bigsnakes.
So I think they've they'veglimpsed a couple of cobras.
So yeah, we didn't we didn'thave that sort of running,
(07:02):
thankfully.
No.
Uh but still, I think justyeah, it's just surreal.
We spent a lot of time inwildlife parks in the UK in zoos
where it's all managedenvironments and enclosures.
But to be in the wild seeingmonkeys, uh yeah, it takes took
me a while to yeah, I just findit surreal.
Claire (07:20):
It's like you're in a sort of a you're in some kind of
zoo.
It doesn't feel like this isthe actual just natural world.
And then on the other side ofit, when we first got there, we
did a lot of the Marina BaySands, Marina Sands Bay, that
area, and we went around there.
I think we did like, didn't youcount like 22,000 steps or
something just walking aroundand that was hot.
Um but we wanted to see thethere's a famous hotel in
(07:42):
Singapore which um is called theMarina Bay Sands, and it's got
three sort of pillars and thenwhat looks like a ship on the
top of it.
Very odd sort of design, butreally stands out.
And a lot of people have givenus tips on how to go to the top
uh or part way up to see theview, and in the end, when we
got there, we were just like,ah, suck it, we'll just go up
and pay the money, go right tothe top, pay for the viewing
(08:05):
platform, and see it was alovely day and see the view
without any kind of glass in theway and everything.
So we did that, uh, and thatwas pretty amazing because we
got some lovely views overSingapore.
We saw them packing away the F1stuff because that had been the
weekend before, uh the GrandPrix.
Um yeah, and that was great,just a very different side from
the wildlife, just how theybuild things and how clean
(08:26):
everything is and wellorganised, and um yeah, that was
really cool, just exploring,but again, just so difficult to
do in the heat.
You're kind of kind of whenyou've got periods of time where
there's no shade, you're kindof rushing to the next bit of
shade, and you're just yeah,constantly sweaty.
Which, if like me, when you'renot really good with physical
discomfort, it's not the uh bestenvironment.
But I did kind of get used toit a bit.
(08:48):
Um you just have to have theright clothes.
It's about that with every bitof weather, isn't it?
If you've got the right gear,it's not quite as bad.
Oh kookaburra has just landednear us.
That's so cool.
I'm just gonna get my phone.
Chris (08:59):
Wow, that's nice in the park where we are.
So about 30, no, no, no, 20metres away.
A kookaburra's just landed onthe grass and is plucking what
looks like worms.
Okay, Claire's put the mic downto become nature photographer.
And it's now just flown into atree.
But they're large birds, aren'tthey?
They're almost like the size ofthe British duck.
Claire (09:21):
These are one of my these are definitely my
favourite birds so far, I think,because they're so friendly
looking.
They look like a stuffed toy.
They're just like everythingabout them just says I would be
great to cuddle.
Chris (09:32):
Yeah.
You don't get that with otherbirds.
Aren't they?
Very thick neck.
Claire (09:35):
Yeah, the whole thing is just fluffy looking and
friendly.
Chris (09:38):
Big beak and they eat meat.
Claire (09:41):
Yeah, that seems weird.
Chris (09:42):
Oh, it's coming back towards us.
Oh, it's even closer now.
Claire (09:50):
I'll put this video on our social media.
Chris (09:52):
And now it's gonna take off back into the tree.
Yeah, definitely the size of aduck.
And now it's back in the tree.
Claire (09:58):
Oh, they are cool though.
Chris (10:00):
Wow, great birds.
Claire (10:01):
Ah dear.
I'd love oh look, it's abobtail lizard.
Chris (10:05):
Oh yes.
Claire (10:08):
This place is amazing.
Chris (10:09):
There is a bobtail wandering around the grass.
Claire (10:11):
Yeah, so the bobtails are about it can be about a foot
long, maybe, quite fat, stocky,again, one of the more friendly
looking lizards.
Not much of a tail, hence thename.
Chris (10:20):
You can need to you need to walk and talk and go and take
a photo of it.
Okay.
Let's wander.
Claire (10:24):
I'm gonna leave my handbag there while we're
talking.
I think Australia's saferenough to do that.
Chris (10:27):
Because this is like an insight into because with these
microphones we can walk and talkand we can walk and talk.
Claire (10:31):
And I'll post these videos probably on the Instagram
story.
You'll have to catch them quitequickly because I they might
vanish.
I'm having to walk down aseparate set of steps because my
legs aren't as long.
Now we did hear that someonegot bitten by one of these.
I really don't know what you'dhave to do for this thing to
bite you, it seems too friendly.
And it well, it mainly runsaway from you, but it doesn't
(10:52):
look scary.
Sunnyest tail.
Oh kookaburra is back on thegrass.
Chris (11:02):
Yeah, there we go.
We should do a nature podcast.
Claire (11:05):
We should.
Well, I'm sure this is reallyinteresting to listen to when
we're just walking aroundlooking at it and everyone's
just listening to audio.
Chris (11:10):
101 different types of wildlife found in Western
Australia.
Claire (11:14):
Okay, back to our bit in the shade.
We found a step in the parkthat is nicely shaded.
Chris (11:20):
Kookaburra's uh quite content in the tree.
Claire (11:23):
Yeah, he's happily.
Chris (11:24):
Must have good eyesight to be bobbing down like that
onto the grass to find worms andthen back into the tree.
Claire (11:30):
Anyway.
Chris (11:31):
Nice little interlude.
Claire (11:32):
Yeah, back to Singapore.
So yeah, we saw a lot of umSingapore from the city side of
things, right through to thewildlife.
Chris (11:43):
Definitely big highlight was the food.
Claire (11:45):
Food, we did love the food.
It was the first time we'd beenin the country.
Where the food was majoritysort of East Asian, which is you
know, noodles and rice andchicken and soy sauce, all the
good stuff, and definitelyenjoying that.
I think I could be very healthyon a diet of what they eat.
Chris (12:02):
For the first time, I think, ever you you had a few
breakfasts that consisted ofnoodles and rice.
Claire (12:06):
Yeah.
Chris (12:06):
That you were really quite happy with.
Claire (12:07):
Yeah, definitely.
Chris (12:08):
A lot more so than the sweet stuff.
Claire (12:10):
Savory goes down a lot better for me than the sweet.
I mean I love the idea ofpancakes and waffles and all
that, but actually the noodlesare good.
Chris (12:16):
If you've heard anything about Singapore or um uh enjoyed
uh spending time thereyourself, you might be aware of
the hawker centres that arequite a big deal with eating um
quite rough round the edges,would you say?
Um off the tourist, off thebeaten track in a sense, but
really local and great value forfood and really good food as
(12:39):
well.
And uh there's certainly somepopular hawker centres where
tourists will go to, but yeah,the locals will enjoy eating
there uh more than the sort ofthe Westerners.
Claire (12:49):
Yeah, and it's pretty reasonably priced.
I mean Singapore as a whole isknown as being quite expensive,
but actually eating those sortsof meals I thought they were
quite reasonable, very, veryhealthy, very what you know,
fresh, hot, well cooked.
Chris (13:01):
Um, I found Australia to be more expensive than Singapore
in in parts, but I guess we'llcome on to that.
Claire (13:07):
Yeah.
Chris (13:07):
Uh so yeah, any other highlights from Singapore?
I think just experiencing itreally.
We've got another couple ofnights there on the way home in
four weeks' time.
Yeah.
Claire (13:17):
It's interesting to be in a country with so many rules.
That's the other thing I'd say.
They've got a lot of they'revery strict on um so it's very
it's known as a very safecountry.
You can just leave stuffanywhere and it won't get
nicked.
And the reason is because theirpenalties are so harsh.
So fines of thousands ofdollars or time in prison just
for doing things like walkingacross the road at the wrong
(13:38):
place, like jaywalking.
Or um one of the weirdest oneswas being naked.
Like if you're caught, even inyour own home, but if someone
sees you from outside, if you'reseen by sort of the public as
it were, you can be fined forthat.
Chewing gum, not allowed tohave chewing gum, not allowed to
chew gum.
Um, yeah, all these differentkinds of things, it's quite a
strict country in reality.
Chris (13:58):
Yeah, I carry chewing gum with me uh quite often,
certainly on trips and holidaysdays out, that sort of stuff.
Uh and you were treating mylittle can of chewing gum while
we were there, my little plastictub.
You were treating it like itwas some sort of class A drug.
Like, don't put it away, don'ttake it out, don't take it out.
Claire (14:13):
Mel told us that was one of the tips from Mel, wasn't
it?
No, don't chew gum.
Chris (14:17):
Okay, still it's not a class A drug.
No, it's just I wasn't chewingit, it was just carrying it on
the side.
Claire (14:22):
Um so yeah, quite uh but and because of that, it seems
to be quite well run.
Like the public transport isamazing, very clean, very quick,
very efficient, very cheap.
Um so yeah, it just interestingto be a country that's run very
differently from ours.
So yeah, that's good.
Chris (14:39):
Score score out of ten top chunks rating for Singapore.
Claire (14:44):
Oh that's difficult.
All c every country's sodifferent.
I don't know how you how youwould what would you say?
Chris (14:50):
Oh I'd give it a I'd give it a seven.
Claire (14:54):
Seven, okay.
Yeah, that's probably fair.
I was thinking eight, but Ithought that does seem very high
and the weather does knock itdown a bit for me.
One of the things I would sayis it's not somewhere I would I
went and thought I want to livehere.
Some countries I've come awaythinking I could live there.
It wasn't one of those.
Was that mostly because of theother thing?
Largely because of the weather.
Would have loved to for thefood.
Um but yeah, the weather I justthink for me is a little
(15:15):
intense.
I'd need need that to cool offevery now and then.
So yeah, okay.
Seven out of ten for Singapore.
Chris (15:22):
Then back on a plane for a five-hour flight to Perth.
Claire (15:26):
Yeah.
Chris (15:26):
From Chang'e.
Oh, Chang'e Airport, that wasimpressive, wasn't it?
Claire (15:29):
Yes, before we've got a butterfly garden in our terminal
that was just free to go in andwander around.
And when we went in, it wasreally warm.
Like, you know, when you walkinto butterfly tropical houses
at the zoos and stuff, they'rereally warm.
So we walked in, we're like,oh, it's one of those warm
places again.
We like you know, a bit fed upbeing warm, but anyway, all
these amazing butterflies, andthen we realised it wasn't a
warm.
There's a smell of jet fuel,wasn't there?
(15:49):
It was just outdoors.
They'd encased in like a sortof a netting cage, this area for
the butterflies, but it wasjust the outdoor air that we
were stood in, it wasn't heatedat all.
So that gave you an idea of thekind of temperature you're
you're kind of walking aroundin.
Chris (16:02):
But very nice airport.
We'd heard very good thingsabout the airport, and we
haven't seen it yet, butapparently the waterfall there's
a waterfall, water featurethat's the highest indoor
waterfall in the world.
Something like that.
In the arrivals or departures,or one of the terminals.
So we've not seen that as yet,but we'll make a thing of that
and spend a bit of time.
Some people were saying it'slike a destination to go even
(16:24):
just to do shopping or for atrip out, you'd go to the
airport.
Claire (16:27):
Their airport, from what I can make out, is kind of
open, so you don't go throughsecurity until you get to your
gate.
So in our country, you gothrough security first, pretty
much, and then you're stuck inthis big departures lounge where
you can't get out of againuntil you go to your gate, and
then you just get on the plane.
Whereas in Singapore you gointo the airport and you don't
do security until you actuallyget to the gate to get on the
plane.
So people can wander in andout, so it is a place you can
(16:50):
just go to and look around.
You don't have to be flyinganywhere.
So I think that's why it's itthey've made it into such a kind
of destination.
Chris (16:56):
Okay, so that's the airport.
Then we arrived in Perth, andnow we've had what two and a
half weeks, three and a halfweeks.
Claire (17:04):
The 23rd we flew of October, so yeah, I don't know
exactly.
Chris (17:08):
In Western Australia, uh mostly based.
We've not been into Perth asyet in terms of the city.
We've been south about an hoursouth of Perth in a city called
Mandurah.
Claire (17:17):
Two weeks, three days.
Chris (17:18):
Two weeks, three days, and since then we've experienced
British weather.
Claire (17:23):
Yeah, we've had some proper rainy days, we've had
some windy days, we've had somegrey days, we've had some sunny
days.
Chris (17:29):
It's definitely hotting up now, so I think the forecast
ahead in this part is up in theearly 30s, uh heading that way
this week.
So it's hotting up, and we'vespent a lot of time just
chilling out and spending a lotof time with with our host with
Dave and Trace.
Big shout out to Dave and Tracefor their generous hospitality,
(17:49):
looking out for us and lookingafter us.
So we spent a lot of time withthem.
We've had a few trips out, afew day trips, a few mornings or
afternoons out.
And then we're just back a fewdays ago from a bigger trip
which was south into a famouspart of Western Australia.
Claire (18:04):
Called Margaret River.
And there we were looking,well, we went and did quite a
few things, didn't we?
We started off by well we werewe were staying in an area
called Narrabuk Narrab.
Yeah, spelt with a G Narabbeach, spelt with a G, to
Ganarab almost.
I don't know what the sign andG thing is, a bit like Nat and
that's true.
(18:24):
I was gonna say Ganoo.
Ganoo.
You pronounce the G for Ganoo.
Don't hear of Ganoose anymore,do you?
It's not Nu, is it?
It's Ganoo.
Chris (18:32):
Is it Ganoo or Wilderbeast?
Claire (18:34):
Yeah, I think so.
Anyway, so Nat is my onlyexample then.
So um yeah, it's a bit likeNat, Ganarabub, but it's Narabub
beach, and uh there's a lovelybeach there, and then just down
the down the coast from that isSurfers Point, which we were
quite keen on.
Anyone who's followed us for awhile will know that we have
been out to Nazare in Portugal acouple of times to go and try
and see the uh the big waves andthe big wave surfers out there.
(18:56):
So we love watching peoplesurf.
We don't surf ourselves, wehave no experience in surfing,
but we do love other peopledoing it.
So we went to Surfers Point,saw some people surfing out
there.
It was a very windy day, sothat produced a few waves.
Um and then we went to HamlinBay, which is famous for
stingrays, coming up to thebeach and feeding.
We did not see any stingrays.
(19:18):
The weather was again quitewindy, everything was a bit
churned up, so um we didn't seeit, but we did for the first
time go in the Australian Sea.
Chris (19:27):
Yeah, the Indian Ocean.
Claire (19:29):
We wore rash vests which we've bought since we got here.
We were the only people wearingthem, everyone else was in
bikinis and swimwear, so uh Idon't know if we look more like
locals or tourists, but we hadon our full, full long sleeve
rash vests, and yeah, we went inthe sea, and then uh we were
just sort of enjoying that.
It was not warm, we thought thesea might be warm, it wasn't,
it was freezing.
(19:50):
And as uh myself, Chris, andDave were trying to work out how
to take a photo of ourselveswhile we were waist deep in the
water.
Dave just happened to utter,watch out!
Chris (19:59):
Um He didn't even get out.
Claire (20:00):
I don't even think he got it out, no.
And as we turned round, therewas a wave just behind the three
of us that was I mean, Icouldn't see the top of it, I
could just see I see it went upto the top of your head.
Um, and it just wiped all threeof us out.
We just went, I felt like I wasin a washing everything went a
bit slowly in a washing machine.
I remember thinking to myself,I don't know which way's up.
Thank goodness it was shallow.
Chris (20:21):
Um did your life flash before your eyes?
Claire (20:24):
This is it.
So uh yeah, that was fun, andnobody saw it and no one got a
video of it, which is reallydisappointing because we'd love
to have seen what it lookedlike, all three of us just
getting completely bowled over.
Chris (20:34):
I'd been using a new bit of technology to record video,
and I'd been recording bits ofvideo in the sea before then.
I was so disappointed that Iwasn't recording.
Wasn't recording, yeah, thatwould have been pretty.
It would have captured thedrama of what felt like uh a
close call with death.
I can remember that I can stillfeel the slap on the back of my
(20:54):
head from this wall of water.
Claire (20:55):
Yeah, I think my head touched the floor.
I can't remember.
I did bash my ankle onsomething, but yeah, I wasn't
planning on going under, gettingmy hair wet or my face wet or
any of that stuff, and that allwent out the window.
Had a full nasal rinse ofseawater, so it was a yeah, it
was an experience.
That was our first experiencein the Australian Sea.
Chris (21:13):
There'll be some people that will be appalled with us
for going to that area andhaving no interest in wine
because it's a hugely populararea for uh wine lovers, of
which we are not.
So loads of vineyards, loads ofbig name wineries that I'm told
export.
So in the UK, Australian wine,much of it will have come from
(21:35):
this Margaret River area.
Uh so we saw we drove past lotsof that.
Um we did go to a cave, thatwas pretty incredible.
Claire (21:41):
Oh yeah, Lake Cave.
Chris (21:42):
There's there's five or six big caves you can visit on
tours.
Cave Road.
And we went to one of themcalled Lake Cave.
That was incredible.
Claire (21:51):
Yeah, there's hundreds of caves in that well, over a
hundred caves in that area, butabout six or seven that are open
to the public.
And um we chose Lake Cave,which was pretty amazing, really
well done.
300 plus steps to get down andback again, so it was a good day
of walking.
Chris (22:06):
Um I think that was a cricket that just landed on you
that you brushed off.
I think so.
Well, something started makinglittle ch chirp chirp noises on
the grass.
Type of cricket.
Yeah, constantly beating fliesoff us and things.
Claire (22:18):
Oh my goodness, so many flies.
So you'll probably you mightsee photos if we post them of
the beach.
It was beautiful, like classicwhite stand, blue blue sea,
absolutely stunning.
But the flies, the minute youstop moving for about three
seconds, they were on you, onyour face, on your lips, on your
nose.
Oh, it's horrible.
Wasn't expecting that.
Chris (22:37):
I feel like with Dave and Trace, it's one of those things
that they're just used to.
They're probably sick ofvisitors that come and just
constantly you know, when you'reused to something in your
country, when someone comes tovisit, like in Britain, where
all we talk about is theweather.
Claire (22:47):
Yeah.
Chris (22:48):
Uh so when other people come and just like, oh, it's so
cold, isn't it?
So it says, Yeah, just get onwith it, deal with it, we're
used to it.
So others here were just like,oh the flies, how'd you do
anything with the flies?
They're just like, just dealwith it, just accept it.
It's like, I can't, I can'tstand still because five flies
land on my mouth and my eyes.
Claire (23:02):
And the weird thing was when we got changed to go in the
sea, they got these toiletsthere, which are kind of like a
little bit like old, neglected,outdoor sort of toilets.
And in the toilet, which arequite big, big toilet, big, you
know, rooms almost to getchanged in as well as the
toilet.
In that room, there were noflies.
It was the only respite I gotfrom the flies.
And in England, that would havebeen the only place the flies
(23:25):
were congregated.
Chris (23:25):
Yeah.
Claire (23:26):
So I didn't understand that at all.
Chris (23:27):
That blew your mind.
Claire (23:28):
Yeah, I did.
Chris (23:28):
No flies in the toilet.
When you step out of thetoilet, you get it covered in
flies.
So um yeah, Trace also boughtus from her workplace some they
were at clearance.
She got four mosquito nets thatyou put over your head if
you're wearing hats and thenthey drape down.
And I thought it was a bit of ajoke.
I haven't said this to her.
I mean, Dave's gonna belistening to this, we have to be
careful what we say.
(23:49):
Uh but yeah, I thought it was abit of a joke.
Just like, ha ha ha ha ha,Brits need mosquito.
But then genuinely, we've nowseen people walking around the
beaches and those hiking,wearing these heavy.
Claire (23:58):
If I went back to one of those beaches and we were gonna
hang around for a while, Iwould definitely put it on.
I'm not a fan of them landingon my face.
Chris (24:04):
Well, I said they're not gonna they're not gonna bite
you, but they're just irritatingthat you you just keep bashing
them away from your face andthen they land on you again, and
you land your ear on the yeah,arms.
Uh I thought I had one or twoon me and you were walking
behind, you said you've got like15 on your back.
That's all right.
Claire (24:20):
It's all over people's clothes.
So that wasn't fun.
Chris (24:22):
So no, we're we're not a fan of the flies.
Claire (24:25):
These are the things you don't see.
You see these beautifulpictures on Instagram.
Oh, lovely dragonfly gone past.
You see these beautifulpictures on Instagram, all these
lovely beaches and people doingstuff.
If you feel bad about that way,you feel a bit jealous, or you
feel like you know, just a bitcrappy because you don't get to
do stuff like that with nicebeaches, just remember there's a
high chance they're covered inflies.
Just doesn't show on thephotos.
Chris (24:46):
For every stunning image of the Indian Ocean and a white
sandy beach, there's aphotographer covered in flies.
Claire (24:51):
And I remember when we went to the Maldives, the white
sand there, they didn't want youwalking on it too much because
of the sand flies, because theybite from the sand.
So there's a lot of thingsabout these beautiful beaches
that they don't tell you.
So just think about that.
Chris (25:02):
So we've been south, we had four nights away, and now
we're back in Mandurah for theweekend, catch up on some
washing and some rest, and thenwe're heading north up the
western coast of Australia.
Tuesday.
Our end destination is Exmouth,as they pronounce it, or
Exmouth, like we have inEngland.
Yeah.
And we're heading up the coastpast some places called like
(25:23):
Coral Bay, Shark Bay, so lots ofocean life and shell beach
flies, maybe.
Claire (25:30):
Yeah, hopefully seeing dolphins, maybe some rays, stuff
like that.
It's yeah, but definitelygetting hotter.
I think it's about 35 up therenow.
And it's weird because Imessaged a friend and I said to
her going north, but it'll gethotter.
And she's like, Oh, that's soweird, because in England you go
south to get hotter, and ofcourse, with the other side of
the equator.
So, whereas most people gosouth where we are to get hotter
(25:50):
weather, because you're headingtowards the equator, here you
have to go north towards theequator to get hotter weather,
so the further south you are,the cooler it is.
So, um yeah, it's a weird kindof backwards sort of thing.
But we're learning, I'msurprised with the language in
Australia, how many things havebeen said that I haven't
understood.
Just little words they have.
Like um Tracy's had talkedabout um I'm gonna get the ports
(26:14):
down from upstairs.
I had no idea what she wastalking about, but that was
suitcases.
She asked me when I firstarrived if I wanted to put the
jug on.
That was the kettle.
And all these littleexpressions, I'm just like, I'm
sorry, I've I have no idea whatyou mean.
So there's lots of littlethings, just little words they
use.
I was like, gosh, no, I didn'tknow they used this.
Um they have to pay extra fortoilets in their house.
Chris (26:36):
Toilet tanks.
Claire (26:37):
Yeah.
They like can have a toilet,but if you want another one,
you've got to pay for it.
In England we have more toiletsthan people in most houses.
Chris (26:42):
So it's Well, I don't know about that, that's a
stretch.
Claire (26:45):
Well, what we're building now for people, if you
look at the new buildings, mostof them will have an ensuite, a
main bathroom, possibly a secondensuite, and a downstairs
toilet.
A lot of houses, the newer oneswe build now, have three to
four minimum.
Chris (26:57):
And no toilet tax in the Ukraine.
Claire (26:59):
Yeah, the older houses would just have one outdoors.
Chris (27:00):
But uh I've been surprised, I naively thought
that Australia would be cheaper.
And I naively thought becauseyou can get about two, just over
two Australian dollars to theBritish pound in currency, I
thought we'd be like reallyrich.
But actually I'm amazed howmuch how much more expensive
stuff is here.
(27:21):
Um, everything from fresh fruitand veg, salads, through even
local stuff, through to beer,bread.
Uh, it's a lot more expensive.
And we'd we'd said well we'replanning for months that as part
of this this time we'd we'dlook to spend a week in
Tasmania, but we quite quicklywrote that plan off when looking
at the prices of the flights.
That again I naively thoughtthey'd be a few hundred pounds
(27:43):
to get to Tasmania each return.
Almost like an internal flight,but didn't realise it would be
nearer like a thousand poundsfor the travel.
So we knocked that one on thehead and thought said we'd spend
a bit more time in WesternAustralia uh exploring.
Fuel's definitely cheaper, sodiesel I think here is cheaper
than we're used to paying fordiesel at home.
(28:04):
Uh it's about £1.40, £1.30.
Well about £1.30 at home alitre, and here it's about £80p
a litre.
That's in British obviouslycurrency.
Um but I'm surprised by howmuch more expensive.
Like I bought six Royal Galaapples from the supermarket, and
I think they cost about fourpounds.
(28:26):
Four British pounds, abouteight Australian dollars.
And at home that'd be about onepound fifty, about three
Australian dollars.
So uh yeah, some things aredouble the price, um, a lot more
expensive.
So that's that's yeah, that'sthat surprised me.
Okay, just a break frominterlude.
(28:47):
We now have a kookaburra aboveus, almost directly overhead,
about twenty feet up in thetree.
So we've now got a differentview of a kookaburra.
Which is quite pleasant.
Claire (29:04):
So cute.
Yeah, we're trying to get himto laugh.
There'll be a few people outthere listening that would have
also started singing kookaburrasits in the old gum tree,
because that keeps going throughmy head every two, three days.
Chris (29:22):
You'd have to work to stop singing that, didn't you?
Yeah.
Uh kangaroo kangaroos are a lotmore cano.
Claire (29:30):
Yes, I think on one of the last episodes, I don't know
if I said it, but I had theimpression that kangaroos
weren't this side of Australiaso much.
I thought they were the otherside.
That was so wrong.
They are everywhere.
Even in like the little fieldsin between housing estates,
we've seen a whole herd ofkangaroos and they've got joeys
with them and pouches.
Chris (29:48):
Are they herds?
Do they flock?
Claire (29:50):
Yeah, apparently are herds.
I don't know if that's theofficial name, but it's a herd.
Maybe there's a like a a bounceof kangaroos or something.
But um We've seen them in theas you're driving along in the
car.
In fact, they were the firstthing we saw from the airport to
our house where we're staying,we saw them in a field just
hanging out.
So yeah, kangaroos everywhere.
(30:11):
And we saw an emu, we've seen afield of emus with six or seven
in, and we saw one running downthe road ahead of the room.
Chris (30:15):
All in the while that was the most bizarre scene.
Claire (30:18):
That was so funny.
Chris (30:19):
And the as we were driving down this long straight
road heading out to the coast,there was this mirage up ahead
of this lumbering sort of mess.
We're like, what's that?
Ahead.
Not the thinking, is it someoneon a horse?
Is it someone cycling?
And then realizing it's justthe whole sort of shape of it
and the way it was floppingaround was a bit weird.
(30:39):
And as we then got closer toit, realised it was an emu
running up the road being mobbedby other birds, it was a bit
cruel.
But then we got quite close toit and again got photos, but
it's the strangest sight to seethis giant bird lumbering up the
road.
And then, yeah, as youmentioned, the day before
yesterday on the way back fromMargaret River, we drove on the
highway on the freeway past afield, and there were six of
(31:01):
them all in this field.
Just again, it's like what?
Claire (31:04):
Yeah, how is that in the wild?
So weird.
One thing we have realised isthat so a lot of people, I
think, with Australia,especially in England, you have
this impression of all the bad,dangerous stuff being in
Australia, the spiders, thesnakes.
There's signs everywhere hereon the floor, like snakes live
here.
We've not seen a single snakeanywhere.
Chris (31:22):
And we've been looking.
Claire (31:24):
Yeah, and it was something singing above us.
Kookaburra still sat therehappily.
Um we haven't seen any snakes.
There are signs, and they arearound, but I think they're
quite rare by the sounds of itto see one.
But everything that you fear inEngland, in Australia, seems to
be in Queensland.
Chris (31:42):
Yep.
Claire (31:43):
Every time we look something up, because we hear
about something new that'snasty, whether it's a shark or a
jellyfish or a snake or aspider, what a scorpion,
whatever it is, you look it up,it's in Queensland.
So if you want to avoid all thebad stuff in Australia, don't
visit Queensland.
Chris (31:56):
Yeah, I can that seem to be the place where all the bad
stuff happens in Australia.
Claire (32:01):
There's not a lot here that's really they have got
red-backed spiders which canbite you, but they're not like
fatal or anything.
Chris (32:07):
Um they could be to a like a baby.
Claire (32:10):
Oh, kookaburra just land on the grass again.
Good eyesight.
Chris (32:15):
Straight down, grabs the worm, and then so pretty.
Claire (32:20):
Got these lovely blue tint to their wings as well.
Chris (32:23):
Kingfisher-esque.
Are they part of the kingfisherfamily?
Claire (32:26):
They should be.
They look like the sort offluffy bigger cousin.
Chris (32:30):
Yeah, lovely.
Claire (32:32):
Very sweet.
Chris (32:33):
So, yeah, that's probably the the points of Australia.
Claire (32:37):
Wildlife, food, temperatures, much much drier
temperatures, even when it ishot, very bare, very bearable,
and their houses are built forit.
So that's the only thing that'sinteresting out here.
Almost all the houses are likewhat we would call bungalows.
Like one story, maybe they'vegot a room upstairs, but all
very low, wide, kind of reallyweird compared to England where
(32:57):
we just build upwards two, threestories all the time.
So that's interesting to see.
Chris (33:01):
Uh, in terms of how we're doing, what kind of update
couldn't you give on us?
Because I think we'll behonest, this hasn't hasn't been
the we've not realised the dreamas yet.
Claire (33:13):
No.
Chris (33:14):
That we had bold, unrealistic, now we realise
expectations of what this timewould be.
Oh, there's another cocoa burrojust flown behind us.
We're surrounded by cocoaburrows.
Claire (33:24):
It's a sign.
Chris (33:25):
There was me thinking they were a rarity.
I don't know what it's a signof, but no, lunchtime probably.
But yeah, I mean we we expectedthat we would use this time.
I think we spoke about in thelast episode that we did about
how we love to go deep into ourmarriage stuff and spend time
when we go on holiday focusingon our marriage and focusing on
(33:48):
each other, and we've not hadany opportunity really to do
that.
It's been it's been quite theopposite, really, if anything.
I think you'd sort of joke thatwe'd just become friends rather
than lovers while we've beenhere.
So that's that's a bitdifficult to navigate.
Partly because of our ownchoosing, I think, having chosen
to accept uh Dave's verygenerous offer of using their
(34:09):
place, so living with them andit's their holiday as well, so
Dave's on holiday and time offwork.
So yeah, we've not had thewe've not had the time to drill
into some of the stuff we wantedto focus on in childlessness.
We've not done anything reallyaround that.
And as well as that, you'vebeen unwell literally since we
got to Australia.
You've not had a healthy dayyet in Australia, which has been
really frustrating.
(34:31):
Ah sweet.
Claire (34:34):
Yeah, that is yeah, that's been probably my biggest
frustration.
I landed and within about 24hours had a quite swollen
feeling throat, you know, whenyour glands are up.
And I was like, oh no, I'mfighting something.
You had the same thing the samemorning you woke up feeling the
same, and within about 24-48hours you were fine.
Chris (34:53):
I'm still snotty.
Claire (34:54):
Mine lasted for about a week, and then I was starting to
feel better.
I had a day when I felt better.
Then last Sunday we went to achurch in Australia to um check
that out, see what that waslike, and by that by that
evening I felt bad again, butwith a different symptom, like a
sore throat inside and gettinga bit snotty.
And since then I just have notbeen able to shift this cold,
(35:16):
just can't breathe properly frommy nose without thank goodness
I packed a VIX nose spray.
Um, and yeah, we found a nasalrinse that I can do to try and
help with that.
And I was on paralysor for along time.
I'm off that now, but yeah, Ijust can't shift it, so it's
been two weeks of trying toenjoy stuff, but at the same
time just battling throughsymptoms and low energy, which
(35:38):
is not welcome.
Chris (35:39):
Which is ridiculous.
We said this morning, didn'twe, after all the build-up,
certainly with your hormonestuff and the last 12 months of
preparing for this hormones andHRT, and really hoping and
praying that we get to thisplace.
Uh, it's unbelievable to thinkthat we've now been in Australia
for two and a half weeks, andthe hormones have actually been
eclipsed by feelings of cold andcongestion.
(36:01):
Yeah.
And the hormones have beenalright, and yet you've not
actually been able to appreciatethem being better because
you've felt congested and notsleeping well.
Claire (36:13):
Well, I thought I'm not sleeping too badly, but it's
just that you know when you wakeup and your mouth's really dry
and your nose stops yourbreathing, it's that kind of
stuff which gets in the way.
It's um I'm doing everything,you know, I'm trying to get a
bit of sunshine, I'm havingveggie mite, that's got B
vitamins in it apparently.
Umanges for a bit of vitamin C.
Doing all the right stuff, so Idon't understand really why I
(36:36):
can't seem to shift it.
I'm really hoping I shift itbefore we head up on our north
trip on Tuesday.
Chris (36:41):
That's the plan we were going to go out today, but
decided not to to try and haveanother opportunity for you just
to chill out and try and letyour body rest and fight this
thing.
Yeah, I think before we begin aanother trip which is gonna be
hot.
Uh it's gonna be moreuncomfortable physically because
of the heat where we're going,that you really don't want to be
taking a cold away with you.
Claire (37:01):
I think the problem is even when you relax, you're not
at home, are you?
So I don't know how much yourbody ever fully relaxes when
you've got like a what are youlooking at?
Chris (37:09):
Kookaburra.
Claire (37:11):
You're so distracted, it's a deep, meaningful
conversation.
You're just staring around intospace.
Chris (37:15):
Well, there's kookaburra around.
Claire (37:16):
Well, focus, you've seen kookaburras already.
Um so yeah, it's beendifficult.
Chris (37:21):
So we continue to try and work out uh and manage our
expectations, uh, which isconstantly evolving because I
mean you start a trip like this,obviously, with the whole trip
planned out uh ahead of you, uh,and then you continue to manage
expectations as as time marcheson.
That's probably more like thepodcast meet, isn't it?
(37:41):
For how do you, when you'rejourneying to use that word
through something, continuallyreassess and change your
expectations in order to try andlive comfortably and try to try
and reach contentment.
Um, because we've over the lasttwo or three weeks we've not
been content with our lot, havewe?
So the more we manage ourexpectations of what we want to
(38:03):
get out of this time, the morecontent we might feel.
Claire (38:07):
Yeah.
Chris (38:08):
I mean You look like you disagree.
Claire (38:10):
Not necessarily.
I think there's a lot to be Idon't want it to sound like
we're just you know ungratefulwhen we're here on this amazing
holiday and we're just likedon't feel good about our lot
because it's an amazingopportunity to have But I think
yeah, it's easy to put a lot ofvery high expectations on such
an opportunity and think youknow, we'll be able to do this,
this and this, and sometimesthat's just not possible.
(38:33):
Plus the fact when we got here,I think, you know, like we
said, we're kind of switchingoff.
And when you switch off likeproperly for a good amount of
time, y it's the last sort ofplace that you'd have a deep
conversation.
It just doesn't really happen,does it?
So I think it's um yeah, it'sdifficult to be able to do all
(38:54):
that stuff.
And we didn't know what it wasgonna look like.
We didn't know if we were gonnaget here and be on really good
form and love it, or if we weregonna suddenly switch off and
not be able to do much.
So yeah, I don't know.
Chris (39:04):
Good job we planned to keep things quite uh sedate then
in a sense while we were here.
We didn't have many trips in,did we?
Claire (39:12):
No, we s we set the expectation low of just hanging
out in Perth if that was the thething that we were gonna do as
as the a baseline, which wouldbe something amazing.
As it goes, we've planned quitea lot in.
Um we did plan out our ourfirst plan.
We put loads of stuff in andthen we sat and looked at it,
and the next morning we woke upand like this is a massive
mistake.
We need some space to just tobe able to do other things and
(39:35):
enjoy being here.
We can't just keep going fromone thing to the next all day,
every day.
So we did change it fromMargaret River.
We stayed in one place and wentthere rather than moving around
every day.
The next one is different, weare moving around every day for
about ten days, so that's gonnabe busy.
But after that, we've then gotsome got about two weeks of just
downtime here locally to dolocal stuff.
(39:55):
There's a lot of stuff we wantto do around here that we
haven't done, like RotnestIsland and Penguin Island, and
the P West trees got the dolphincruises, and so there's a lot
of stuff locally that we mightdo.
But uh yeah, we'll see.
We'll see how it goes.
But yeah, it's been differentfrom what we expected.
And I think when you think thismight be like a
once-in-a-lifetime type thingfor the length of time that
(40:16):
we're off, for the amount oftime that we're here, yeah, it's
easy to put very highexpectations on on what you want
out of it.
And what do we want out of it?
We wanted to see stuff, wewanted to have fun, we wanted to
enjoy it, we wanted to havegood conversations, we wanted to
reassess life, we w we wantedeverything really, didn't we?
And I think we're realisingthat might have been a bit
ambitious.
Chris (40:35):
Uh yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
We wanted everythingemotionally, more than
physically, more than just likethe excitement of a big trip.
I think we want just to be inin an absolutely good place to
reset.
Uh, and that's that's not whatwe've done as yet.
Um maybe that maybe that willcome in the weeks ahead.
Let's say we've got four moreweeks in Australia, so that's
(40:56):
loads of time.
Um I d I uh yeah, I find what Ido find hard, and I'm wrestling
with myself, just to come backto some point you made, is that
whole concept of looking on thebright side.
I don't know how to get thatbalance right, whether it's just
internally or externally withother people.
You know, I'm a gratefulperson, and there's so much that
(41:19):
I'm thankful for.
But also you need to talk aboutthis stuff, I fell, and be
realistic about this stuff.
But whether it's between thetwo of you or with friends as
well, if you want to be able toprocess this stuff with company,
it does feel like you could beeasily accused, whether you're
accusing yourself or someonemight be thinking about it, that
you're just ungrateful.
(41:40):
Yeah.
Or you need to look on thebright side, you've got a glass
half empty rather than a glasshalf full mentality.
So I find that hard, youmentioned that.
Yeah, just a few minutes ago.
But knowing how to talk aboutthis stuff, how do we talk about
this stuff together and workthis stuff out and help each
other with our expectationswithout both of us thinking that
(42:01):
the other one's just being abit negative?
Claire (42:03):
Yeah.
Chris (42:04):
How do we do that?
Oh, someone's distractedkookaburra, I think.
Claire (42:09):
I'm about to come back and look at you and say, are you
distracted?
Two kookaburras just landed nearby.
I was waiting for you to saysomething.
Um, yeah, no, I think that isdifficult, and I I do think
being grateful is important.
Okay, because it's sodistracting because now there's
a kookaburra right above ourheads.
Chris (42:27):
Literally ten feet away from our heads.
If it pooed, it would hit me.
Claire (42:32):
This is a good example, I think this is this is a good
example.
So you know, we've got somestuff going on.
I'm not feeling brilliant rightnow.
Which is a shame anddisappointing, but I am really
appreciative of the kookaburrabeing sat nine feet above our
head.
So I think that that's what forme that's what it is about
finding things to be gratefulfor.
(42:53):
So I'm very grateful for that.
I'm not gonna write thatexperience off because I feel
crappy with a cold.
So I think it's that's thething, but you're right, it is
very easily turned into look onthe bright side, and I do think
if people are struggling in anysituation, it's never massively
helpful to tell them that unlessthey are people who do need to
hear it because they're nevergrateful.
If anyone knows us, I thinkthey know that we will be
(43:15):
grateful for experiences, wewill be enjoying the wildlife,
it's not something that is justum nothing to us.
Chris (43:23):
And it reminds me of several podcast episodes that
we've done in the past wherepeople have spoken about, our
guests have spoken about holdingthe tension or sitting in the
tension of the two, the good andthe bad, the grief and the joy.
That it's you know you don'thave to have one or the other at
any one time, you can hold thetwo in tension.
So I'm minded to think of that.
That you know, it is okay to tobe glass half full and glass
(43:49):
half empty at the same time.
Yeah.
Is it okay?
Does that make sense?
I don't know.
Uh I'm working on that myself.
I said I'm I'm not I'm not atpeace with my own self on this
trip as yet.
I'm fine, I'm trying to findthat.
Claire (44:04):
I also think it's because like I think getting
away from me in holidays bringsup things, it makes you think
about life, and then normally wewould talk about that and
process it before we go backagain.
I think that we'll be havingthings coming up on this holiday
already, but we haven't hadtime to talk or process them, so
they're j we're just sittingwith it.
And that's not verycomfortable.
You know, things like notfeeling well.
I've had that so often on somany holidays, that's a massive
(44:28):
disappointment for me.
I feel like I'm gonna have toprocess that that it's happening
once again.
Things like childlessness, youknow, we've been around in
different touristy places andstuff, we've seen people
teaching their kids to surf andyou know, doing all these family
things together, and you know,that makes me think about what
I'm missing out on and what Ihaven't got, and I haven't had
(44:48):
time to stop and process it.
I think how do I think aboutthat?
There's stuff going on um youknow, around us, Tracy's just
about to retire from her job.
That makes me think, I don'tfeel like I've even started in a
job that I could retire from,and it that gets you you know
thinking about where you are inlife and what's happening, and
there's a lot of stuff coming upbecause we've walked away from
(45:11):
the routine.
And if we don't at some pointsort of process that before we
go back, then I think that couldbe quite damaging because
normally we would process it andgo back having talked about it
and feeling better about things.
So yeah, I think that's anotherside of it.
We're just having to sit withthat for a while until we get
the space and time to to talkproperly and really think about
stuff, and that's probably justa bit uncomfortable, but
(45:31):
necessarily a bad thing becausewe just have to make sure it
doesn't ruin the other goodthings that we're experiencing
along the way, like thekookaburras, which have all gone
now.
Chris (45:39):
Yeah, one that's one in that over there.
I can just see it.
You can't.
I can make it out.
I've been following it,tracking it.
What a joy.
Uh yeah, but that wasunexpected, wasn't it, that
we'll be taking things back toor thinking that we're taking
stuff back to the UK to process.
Claire (45:55):
We're not planning to take it back, we've still got
time, that's what I'm saying.
We haven't discovered it nowbecause we haven't done it yet.
This is what happens whenyou're distracted by a cuckoo
burrow.
Chris (46:02):
That's not what happens when I'm distracted by a cuckoo
burr.
But I I understand that, and Ithink I'll join you in that.
We're living with people, andso um we're spending a lot of
time around each other, so it'snot like the two of us are just
able to I guess get boredtogether and then start talking
(46:24):
about stuff.
Claire (46:24):
It doesn't naturally come like it would if you were
just doing a holiday with two ofyou.
Chris (46:27):
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
If there's the two of us in thehotel room, then there's a lot
more space there to talk aboutall things.
Claire (46:36):
So yeah, hopefully, it's interesting and not too
depressing for people.
Chris (46:41):
Well it's us, isn't it?
It's probably us.
Claire (46:43):
If you listen to this podcast, you're used to you're
used to big topics that can be abit down and sad, but also with
hope, and there is always hope,and I'm definitely hopeful,
it's not the end of our holidayyet.
I'm hopeful to have time andspace to do that stuff as well
as all the other cool stuff.
Yeah, looking forward to what'sahead, just hoping I can shift
this cold in time to enjoy itfully.
(47:04):
But um I don't know when we'llcould because we're now going
away for about 10 days on thisnext trip.
Um there won't be opportunitynecessarily to record stuff and
post it.
But uh maybe when we're backwe'll see what we're doing then
and if we can update on anythingelse.
If we can, we will.
If not, it will be our episode.
So first episode we get back,we'll do our chatty Christmas
(47:25):
catch-up.
That's the other weird thing.
People are messaging us likeyou know, Britain's starting to
get ready for Christmas coming,and it's getting darker, and
we're just here in the innersunshine with no evidence of
Christmas anywhere.
So very strange that we willjust roll straight back into
Christmas, have to get all ourstuff out and uh get the lights
up and find a tree andeverything, start planning
Christmas, which will be likeliterally two to three weeks
(47:46):
away when we get back.
So I'm quite looking forward tothat.
Having something to focus onlike that straight away will be
quite cool.
Um, and I think we've reallymade Christmas into something
better for us over the years,something we can look forward
to.
So that's good.
But that'll be yeah, if wedon't do anything before,
that'll be the next episode, butmaybe we'll do something we'll
get back from our trip, see howwe're doing, update people.
Chris (48:03):
Yeah.
Claire (48:03):
And hopefully I will be a lot clearer in my voice and
not quite so nasy.
Chris (48:09):
Well, I'm surprised it's taken us this long to do this
one.
I think this is sort of fourweeks in.
Claire (48:13):
Yeah, we definitely thought we would be able to do
something.
Chris (48:15):
I thought we'd be I thought, again naively, that
would be like maybe doing likeweekly short updates on stuff,
but again, it's just not justnot being something we've been
able to think about doing.
Claire (48:26):
No, but we do feel the loyalty to our listeners and
wanted to update you withsomething and thank you to
anyone that's messaged or askedhow we're getting on.
Um that's much appreciated.
And I will post some things onsocial media.
I'll probably post some of thekookaburra and bobtail stuff
I've just recorded so you cansee what I'm talking about.
Um so have a look at that onour social media.
(48:46):
And yeah, apart from that, Ithink that's everything from
Australia for now.
Thank you for tuning in.
Chris (48:53):
G'day We should have started that way.
Claire (48:57):
We should have started with it, yeah.
Anyway.
Chris (48:58):
So more to come.
Find us on social media @TheSilentWhy pod, yeah.
On Instagram, Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, X, threads.
There we go.
Claire (49:13):
There's the list.
Chris (49:14):
And uh yeah, we'll be in touch.
Claire (49:17):
Goodbye.
Chris (49:18):
Goodbye.
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