Beautiful Bali

Apart from the occasional shower Bali was an island paradise. With almost two weeks to enjoy myself i went in search of watery adventures. Jet skying, snorkeling, para-sailing (the best), swimming, surfing & failing at it lol and just good ol-fashioned lazing on the beach. Touring was a bit difficult since they're set up for groups or pairs of people but fortunately scooter hire was cheap as and fun. The monkey forest was enjoyable apart from when the monkeys tried to climb me to steal my grapes. They had the grottiest little paws but were pretty cute so they were forgiven.




Although there was a lot to do in Bali I am well prepared and looking forward to returning home. I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a tired man can feel, a tired man at the end of a long journey whose destination is so close. I hope that each and every person that has prayed for me realise my gratitude for their love. I hope that everyone Ive interacted with this year was encouraged by my presence, I hope they forgive me if they were not. I hope I can make it home safely. I hope to rejoin my friends and family again. I hope that that my joy and love for them is as strong as i remember in my dreams. I hope.

At Worlds End

It might be because I just left a 3rd world country, it may be because Johannesburg painted such a terrible picture of South Africa or it could be that its almost identical to Hobart but Cape Town is one the most beautiful cities I have enjoyed this year. Cape Town was en rout to my next leg and I'd allowed a quick 3 days to see and do whatever I could squeeze in. I started with a leap from the lions head and then a visit to Nelson Mandelas prison on Robben Island. A trip to the fluffy African penguins down at Boulders Beach and then met 4 Germans and another Aussie who together hiked up Table Mountain. At the top the clouds flowed over the apostles like a slow motion waterfall and when the sun eventually set the sight was truly majestic.



Soon after I was meeting up with Leow Mei Yi in Kuala Lumper, Malaysia. A friend who's studying at Utas she insisted that I should come to over so she could show me her country. To be honest after experiencing everything Africa had to offer I just couldn't get the energy to go out and explore properly. With 3 days Mei Yi and I just walked around the capital experiencing the culture: shopping, eating, fish foot massage, etc.. Id hate to be the fish that's gotta nibble feet all day but my feet loved it. I took a lot of willpower to do it since I'm extremely ticklish. Mei Yi on the other hand had no problems, she's pretty tough :o)

Hmm not as much Bobby humour in this blog compared to others. Maybe a lame joke will balance it out.

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?

Heartbreaking

"Hello my Friend" is what Ive heard a hundred times each day as i walk through the streets of Malawi. The local life here is worlds away from life back home and words cannot do it justice. You have to be here to see the deprivation they live in, hear their enthusiasm as they struggle to earn a living, smell that stench that is only and always found in 3rd world countries and feel the energy of the community that is abundant with life & culture. The food tastes pretty good too but It'll never compete with a pizza. I'll miss this amazing place and would love to come back. Will I? I'm just working on the present at the moment, trusting whatever future I have to God's great plan.

Disaster in my last week. The rains are finally here which is fantastic for everyone but when it rains here it buckets down and tragically the septic tank collapsed due to the build up of water around it.

We only finished building it last week. This is another blow for the orphanage as its already suffered its fair share of disappointments. However I firmly believe "...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" Romans 8 v28. The work will continue here after I'm gone so please add to your prayers all the people involved in this project from the vulnerable children in Malawi to those in Australia who have given so much time, money and energy.

On a more cheerful note the rains mean that planting season has arrived. Yay! the aim is to eventually make the orphanage self-sustaining. Rather than have 'rich' white people pay for everything year after year. Eventually the site will generate its own food and income through the vast fields available for farming. Everyone got stuck in and started planting maize, bananas, paw paw and other stuff I can't name.


So from me its farewell to the kiddies as I leave Malawi. I feel like I'm finally on the home stretch now.

WARNING - Child Exploitation

_______________________________
______Happy Birthday Mum :o)______

Malawi - The Work Begins

Over the last couple of weeks so much has happened. If you’ve been praying for something and then they are finally answered it is easy to see how God has always had a plan in your life, pitfalls and all. My miracle came about two weeks ago in the arrival of Robert and John Boyle. These Aussies from Victoria have been involved in the project for over a year and returning for their 3rd visit to continue work on the ORBUS orphanage construction project. In what can only be put down to God’s perfect timing we have embarked to do as much work on the project while we are here.

The project has suffered many setbacks not just from the weather but also poor management. So the Boyles are here for over 2 weeks to manage and supervise the construction and get as much done in that time as possible. They have hired a bulldozer and backhoe and so many things are happening; it’s a whirlwind of activity that is a testimony of God’s grace and provision. The most important goals are: get the water mains connected, sewer pipes and sewer pit constructed, roof installed for one of the buildings, clear out the land and plant maize, an orchard and plus lots more. The biggest blessing has been from the water pump installed about a month ago and it’s incredible how just one pump benefits the entire community. One man has been farming the land for years and now he has a water source mere metres away, you can imagine how grateful he is.



With the sun rising over the distant mountains the work site is a dazzling scene. The orphanage is seen nestled between fields of green, yellow and brown with mothers and children wearing their colourful array of bright clothing. In the morning the women work away carrying buckets of water on their head some with a babe strapped across their back. Malawi men are up and about digging or building and the average labourer gets 350 kwacha a day or $2.50 Australian, most don’t even wear shoes. The orphanage is a generous project from the Presbyterian church of Australia. It is hoped that when it is finished it will be self sufficient and the locals will take pride and care in the building and use it for the care of orphans and vulnerable children. To experience this project has been truly humbling.



The Boyle’s head back today after a very productive couple of weeks. Blessings is a good Christ-like Malawian (The guy in the marines shirt) that has been very helpful on the project. Between him and me we hope to wrap up the remaining tasks in the next few weeks. Prayer is always appreciated, especially for the people of this country.

This is Africa

I am in landlocked Africa, in the middle of a country so full of mosquitos that they are the national animal, a country so hot that you get sunburnt in the shade, this is the heart of Africa, this is my temporary new home, this is not Spain, this is Malawi. Ive been here for about a month and have seen enough of this country to realise how special this place is. The more I learn here the more i find i don’t know. For example: This country is very religious, church attendance is high and those who don’t go are looked at as wacky. However crime is high, adultery and teen pregnancies are frequent and corruption everywhere. Unemployment is so high (ive heard 85%) and poverty is rampant however many Malawians, ministers and Christians exist here and do a lot for the less fortunate. Spend a few weeks here and you will see a country thats not made for tourism (like the many ive been to so far) but a genuine nation struggling, trying to use its weak economy like a feeble crutch to stand up and declare “We are Malawi and we do not need aid”.



I am grateful for the warm welcome i have received from Rev Lewis who works with the Presbyterian church. My first 4 weeks have been mixed. As you can read above this country has made a big impression on me. Its people culture and history are a new experience and impossible to relate but i will try. On a sorer note I unfortunately arrived in this country minus my phone and camera (Hence no photos yet). I think some South African Airways baggage handler has an unfortunate habit. It sux that they were nicked but if he needs to steal to have a good life then I feel more sorry for him than for the loss of a couple of things. On the positive I have been provided a place to stay at the Presbyterian Synod in Blantyre at The Resource Centre for the 8 weeks that I am here. Apart from the occasional black-out, water outage, heat and mossies it’s a luxury.

So why am I here? Good question sonny jim. Unfortunately my role here so far has been limited. The task I was to be working on: ORBUS the orphanage construction project has been scaled back and the buildings are being used to accommodate orphans in the most need. I’ve been helping out fixing and sorting things out at the resource centre but theres only so much i can do. I spend more time in prayer and bible reading than I have before and although I am grateful for the opportunity to relax, learn about Malawi and its struggles and read from the Christian library i’ve been praying that an opportunity to serve here will grow. Pray for the Christians of this country, the poor, the sick, the widowed, the corrupt, its leaders, the unemployed and the criminals. I have had a lot of time to pray and I have been praying a lot for everyone I can think of. Recent scientific surveys show that I pray more for those who read my blog.

Congratualtions to Charlie Kuiper on his amazing escape from the womb. I reckon you’ve joined a good family mate and you should have a lot of fun. See you in a few weeks.

In The Jungle

Last month I arrived on African soil for the first time and started a 2 week adventure with no regrets.. except for maybe Johannesburg. The first 3 days I spent travelling around Kruger park checking out the wildlife. From Cobras to Giraffes, Lions to Antelopes and a bit of everything in-between. Elephants were as common as wallabies back in Tas however I am yet to see any elephants who died as a result of road-kill. My favourite sighting was the family of Hyenas that lay across the road on our last day. They weren’t going anywhere and it was a satisfying to just watch these guys as they took their time getting out of our way.

The rest of my time was spent volunteering at a wildlife reserve called Zingela Predator Conservation Project in the NE of South Africa near a city called Alldays. The main purpose of the reserve is to provide sanctuary for cheetahs, leopards and other predators that are threatened by local farmers. It was pretty dramatic from day one after poachers came the night before and killed some of the warthogs. Along with poacher stake-outs we fixed fences, fed the Roans (a type of antelope), tracked cheetahs, leopards & hyenas plus did whatever else was required. We worked 8 hours a day and did nothing during our free time. Needless to say it was a lot of fun. I normally only leave updates on this blog so that people with short attention spans don’t get overwhelmed *coughkuiperscough* but I did have a once in a lifetime experience and those who are interested can read on.

During one of the lunch breaks i was doing some sprints and turning back I saw the silhouette of what looked like a dog at the other end of my course. It was looking at me and then behind as if trying to figure out what i was running away from. As it got closer the light revealed that it was in fact a leopard tracking me down. I walked back slowly to my cabin/tent, if I went too quickly Jackal (that was the leopard’s name) started to jog a bit too so i slowed down. Once in my tent I saw the Leopard walk into our site and gradually follow my tracks back to my tent. Once there he saw me through my flyscreen and whined like a big cat wondering why I wouldn’t come out and play. It took a lot of will power to resist the invitation. He then did a circuit of the tent trying to find a way in. After a lap he saw me through one of the side ‘windows’ and jumped up to put his paws on the tent. The tent collapsed and the big cat scrambled to find its feet again and reclaim some dignity.



Shortly after that the reserve owner and creator Anthony came with his co-worker and paintgun to scare Jackal back into the bushes. Jackal is one of the few predators that Ant has rescued from the bush and keeps on the reserve. Ant is an incredible guy with an amazing life. He spent years rescuing big cats from farm areas and relocating them to wild reserves. He once spent 6 months living in a reserve making sure his cheetah was strong enough to kill wildlife and avoid being killed by the lions. He spent 3 years working in Dubai solely to pay for the 50km electric fence required for the reserve that he currently runs. Along with his army of African workers he, his wife and 1.5 kids they live and work at the reserve and are looking to expand to accommodate lions next year. It’s a bit hard not to be awed by how much he has done for these beautiful and endangered animals. Definitely the right place to go if you ever want a genuine African experience.

A lion with his pet Buffalo

A very belated birthday blessing to my little sista Pippi. I hope you enjoyed your special day and got all the presents you wanted. I may be bringing back a leopard with me that can use a new home.

Pain, stress, anguish!!! Its all happening here

Arrgghhh. Ok so Im stuck in deepest South Africa so I apologise to all those who want to know if Im still alive. Let me say first “yes I am still alive” but after waiting all week to find out if Collingwood had obtained the Holy Grail I almost had a heart attack when I found out the result. And I still wont be able to watch it next week. I think its great the pies are going so well I just wish they chose a different year. Arrgghh

More seriously though I have finished my 22 day tour around Europe and have finally left the continent. The last half saw me travel through Austria, Germany (Munich & Berlin), Prague and Holland. Munich was by far my favourite part and rivals Switzerland for the top spot. I loved the people, the food and the city itself. It looked like something out of a fantasy. I will miss the adventure of exploring the Western world and its history. Its with a little sadness but a lot of excitement that I move on to whatever I'm doing next.

Praying that all of you are well and that your Faith remains strong. I now journey onto Africa where I will meet and worship with other brothers and sisters of Christ. After my work is done I hope to be with you all when I return on the 22nd of December. Be strong and of pure heart, serve God, the church and each other wherever you see an opportunity. May God guide and bless you until I am amongst you again. (I am currently reading Pauls letters too :o)... and Go Pies

Europe Unplugged part Uno

Words cannot fully explain how amazing this trip has been so far. At the moment I am half way through my 22 day camping trip around Europe. So far I have been to France, Switzerland, Italy and Venice and have 5 more countries to go. This trip has been better than my best expectations and it’s hard to describe the sensation. It’s sorta like a camp that we used to do during summer as a kid except instead of going out and playing footy or doing arts’n’crafts each day we end up in cities looking at the Eiffel tower, coliseums or epic churches with awesome architecture. As well as enjoying the countries I’m loving the people I’m travelling with.

We started with 32 and to date I get along great with all of them. Everyone is here to make the most out of Europe as opposed to drink every night away which is what i feared. Instead there’s about 6 couples, 3 guys and the rest are girls, all hailing from 6 different countries. The best thing is our leaders, the Team Leader/guide is a funny easy going guy who loves his random facts, the chef is one of the funniest chicks i’ve ever met and her food is incredible and finally our driver is an ex-British marine who goes jogging with us occasionally. That's right my group has a bunch of nutters who want to go jogging during their holiday, i’ts sweet as. We get to see the country in ways that few others ever will... and the fitness doesn’t hurt with all the second helpings we can’t resist.

I can’t finish this blog without picking some highlights. So far I have loved Venice and Switzerland above the rest. The Swiss have a cool history and the villages are beautiful amongst their mountainous snowy alp settings. And Venice was a lot of fun getting lost in. With no roads in the city Jason (my tentmate) and I got lost countless times trying to navigate the thin windy streets ending up at countless dead ends trying to find ways over the canals. The French Riviera was a great place to swim and relax in the sun between packed days of exploration. The best thing though is sharing this experience with fellow adventurers. It’s been unforgettable so far and I couldn’t be much happier especially with 11 days to go :o)

There and Back Again

Back by popular demand I present Bobby's Blog. That's right I got complaints that I haven't updated in too long. So for your interest I present 'There and Back Again'

A lot had changed, or hadn't changed...Quinns summed it up best. He felt like id just been away for a couple of months. To me the last 7 months of travelling, touring, making a new life in the UK, and general nerd sought activities make it feel like Id been away for 2 years. That made me all the more special for me to see all my friends and family again. It was all too short and it was with reluctance i left so much behind to continue my adventures.




The wedding was perfect. Lyndal was happy and nervous, whenever she has a huge smile and is speechless you know its a once in a lifetime thing :o) Dad's speech at the reception was great and made me feel proud to be a Gane. I'm glad Dave's in the family and hope he feels the same way. I hear the prayer was pretty good, apparently I prayed that their family receives the support of family, friends and electricians so it was pretty thorough.



"Lets just say that my wife is the only Red head that got my vote today"
Sir David Jolly

Its fun to be a Nerd

This has got to be the coolest thing i have ever seen: The "Festival of History"... it is awesome and nerdier than it sounds. Every year thousands of re-enactment societies spend the weekend and live and work (and fight) exactly as people would from that period in history. They have re-enactors from the Romans invasions 2000 years ago right up to the 2nd world war and everything in between. Knights fighting, jousting tournament, Napoleon war battle with horses and cannons, Boer war and a full on WW2 ambush re-enactment complete with half tracks (a sort of tank), artillery, a hurricane (plane), German, US and British troops.

It is a huge site with camps set up for each period of society. You could go over and meet the 'people' and see how people lived, ate & behaved. The attention to detail in their clothes, weapons and knowledge was impressive. Never have so many nerds been at one place at the one time.

These groups have a lot of fun with recreating the past and if I had the opportunity Id find it difficult to choose just one period of history to love and recreate myself. But if forced I think Id choose to be a knight from medieval times or join the Germans from WW2. Don't hate me but they're a pretty funny group, a bunch of English guys who can't even speak German who like understanding the similar yet losing soldiers of WW2.

Again pictures speak better than words here so allow me to present to you the ner.. I mean Legends:

Lords of London

Ello ello, good day to you young squires and lasses. It is the last few weeks of my time here in England and I've finally made it to the centre of the British empire... Nodnol! (or London to you non-red dwarf fans). The Van Engen girls, Cat and Jess came over from their European travels to be joined by myself for 4 days of fun & exploration. It was great to see friends from home (even if they are from Hobart).

To be honest though after the bull runs, Gallipoli, historical festivals and reenactments etc London was a bit of an anti-climax. It was beautiful but not really an exciting adventure or memorable highlight. Although doing all the nerdy stuff we could was still fun especially our trip to Kings Cross Station. We found all the streets and stations from the monopoly board (except one :o( and visited a few interesting places. 221b Baker St home of Sherlock Holmes and Buckingham palace where we saw the changing of the guard. The guard band played the Indiana Jones theme at the palace. Really cool but no idea why...


My personal highlight of London was my trip to Lords the week before. The Home of Cricket hosted the 1st test between Australia and Pakistan and i was there to watch the first days play. Although light was bad our lads fought bravely and did ok. To me it was a great day to just sit back and relax as my days left in this country slowly but inevitably come to an end.


I have another nephew now too. Claire and Rob Sykes gave birth to a prince of a lad named William Jacob. Another reason to thank God and pray for a safe and swift journey home :o)

Running with Bulls - Pamplona Spain

Epic, unreal, can't believe they still do this. Cannot believe how much fun this was. So wish I was back in that arena dodging bulls.



The bull run was ok. There was a panic as the bulls came and i dramatically fell over as the bulls passed us. By the time i got up they were long gone. We chased after the bulls to get into the arena... and then the fun began. One at a time they release 5 baby bulls into the arena who chase all the idiots (including my good self) who remain in the arena. Corks are attached to the horns to stop gouging but the baby bulls love to hit and flip. A few guys even got stuck on the horns and carried. I got a bit too close twice myself and the 2nd time i had to grab his horn cause he'd hooked under my jumper.



Made a lot of friends this trip and will put this day down as one of the best of the year, gotta be in my top 3. Next time I go I might try to see a bit of Spain while im there :oP

Congrats to my little bro Matt who has found a girl that has the the unfortunate affliction of being attracted to him. Hope she likes Harry Potter :o)

A part of History

Before I say any more on my travels I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my tales. Knowing that you care enough to see what I'm up to means a great deal to me and my thoughts are always with all my family and friends back home and I am really looking forward to seeing you all again for the wedding. (And give presents for those who asked nicely :o) If I may I'd like to I ask for prayers for continued safe travel and God's guidance in times ahead - specifically Malawi and the role of this child at the start of next year

I had a brief look of Wales by spending a couple of days at it's capital. Words cant express the breathtaking effort to make Cardiff's castle design and decoration as amazing as it was. From the childrens walls painted with Aesop's fables (to bring humility) to stain glass windows of father Abraham's stories in the bedroom. The ladies tea room had gold plated decorations, an internal fountain and by itself is worth 30 million. The Welsh culture were very friendly and surprisingly patriotic. They hate the English of course and the biggest rift comes from the fact their flag (the dragon) is the only omission from the union jack.

Wimbledon was a lot of fun. Camped out all night to wait to buy tickets in the morning. Saw Hewitt and Federer both win their matches but they didn't compare to the match on court 18. Isnar and Mahut played to 59 games each on the day we were there. Titanic effort from both players and despite the length of the game (and the fact it was tennis we were watching) every point was watched with excitement and anticipation. I'm chuffed to have had the pleasure of watching these two gladiators battle it out and to have been there for such a historical contest.

My weapon of choice

Robin Hood has always been my favorite fictional character. Defender of the poor, hangs with his mates in the forest, gets the beautiful maiden. Whats not to like apart from death and lawbreaking?

As a maker of wands and all things nerdy I feel it has long been on my list to create my own bow. Here in the heartland of the Robin Hood legend I found a 2 day longbow making course. With the aid of Lee the guy who makes longbows for a living I recreate the merry outlaws weapon of choice and 6 arrows of my own colours. It was a jolly good fun to make and is an incredible memento of my trip to the motherland. Just hope I can get it home :o)



You guys let Julia Gillard take charge??? Hmm maybe my longbow has a practical use after all

He didn't fall? Inconceivable!

Scotland was an amazing place full of history and rugged terrain worthy of Lord of the Rings grandeur. Ireland was not. While the Scots take pride in their culture, language and identity, the Irish seem to almost resent theirs. Probably due to the great potato famine (i kid you not) where the separation between the rich and poor became so extreme that millions died or left the country. The rich dealt with their English conquerers and could speak the language but the poor spoke only Irish. Thus the Irish language became a peasants language and English slowly took over as the native tounge. Irish is rarely used today except by 'uncultured' country folk. The country are gradually starting to take pride in their culture and language but its still a while to go yet.
True story: A couple of farmers came into Dublin to check out their Irish capital. Irish was their first language and they happily conversed in this... until a schoolkid yelled at them to go back to where they came from. (He thought they were Polish).

Anyway enough history (sorry about that but the Micks didn't give me much else to talk about). Went to the Guinness factory - cool tour, Guinness tastes gross. But the real highlight of my trip around South Ireland was our tour visit to THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY Thats right - THEY DO EXIST!!! The princess bride was filmed here. View was special but it was so much cooler knowing Andre the Giant once powered his way up this mountain with 3 people on his back. Inconceivable!



Happy birthday to my little bro who turned 21 recently. Seeing that I can't be there to do it personally can someone do me a favour and wrestle him to the ground (Watch out for his headlocks) and remind him he's not so big :o)

Too Nerdy for Words

JRR Tolkien grew up in Halls Green, Birmingham and every year they have a "Middle Earth" festival to celebrate his creative fantasy imagination... or what we now call today: geekdom. So much fun and nerdiness, I felt more at home here than on many other parts of my travels round the world. The highlight of the day was a tribute play which showed JRR as a lad and the different areas of the park where he would have played with his brother and probably would have imagined scenes for LOTR. Some scenes from his books were reenacted too. Sweet!

Rather than bore you with more of my ramblings i'll let a few pictures do the talking instead. Enjoy!









ps Congratulations to little Sis and big Dave on their Engagement - Lyndal & David Jolly. Many friends and family at this moment are sharing in this celebration in an engagement party back home. My thoughts and prayers are with you both :o)