Title: Drive Around Australia's Outback

Dear Friends of Drive Around the World,

Here's an journal update from Australia!

After two months apart, the LONGITUDE Expedition team has reunited in Brisbane, Australia and resumed their Drive-A-Thon for Parkinson's by heading up the Queensland coast. Our expedition team is once again functioning as a solid unit, on the road, and in the comfort of our Certified Discoverys. It didn't take long for each of us to slip back into the smooth-shifting gears of the well-oiled machine that is Drive Around the World.

Thanks in large part to shipping sponsor, Wallenius Wilhelmsen lines, our team took delivery of the Land Rovers from the Port of Brisbane with nary a hiccup. The most tedious portion was waiting for the diligent quarantine workers to spray a high-pressure hose into every nook and cranny of the vehicles' undercarriages, ensuring no stray seeds or grains of sand will find their way into the Australian Outback. After spending more than two hours on EACH vehicle, we were surprised to see them come out looking dirtier than when they went into the wash! In all sincerity, the folks at the port did an amazing job of getting us in and out smoothly and on schedule, and we are quite grateful for that!

Our drive through Australia began with a visit to Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's 'pet' project--the Australia Zoo. Our team agreed that it was the most amazing zoo experience we've had, and you can read about our adventures in the journal section of drivearoundtheworld.com. Continuing north, we arrived in the small town of Miriam Vale to spend the night on an Australian cattle ranch belonging to new friends Steve and Suzanne Dougall. There, we spent the following day exploring a 5000 acre cattle station and capped it off with an authentic Aussie BBQ. Departing the ranch, our convoy bee-lined for the city of Cairns to dive the Great Barrier Reef and also to begin preparing the vehicles for the hard off-road journey across Australia's Gunbarrel Highway.

The following week, near Ayers Rock, the team welcomed the ninth guest in their Take Me With You! program--a journalist from Overlander Magazine--Gregor Stronach.

The drive across Australia was an epic one, consisting of off-road adventures and interesting research site visits for our Parkinson's and education programs. Each day has been shared with you, online. You can catch up on the journey in the newest journal category, "Australia journals!"
http://news.drivearoundtheworld.com

And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to watch Drive Around the World, The Movie, by using the appropriate link below:

Download movie - Windows Media users:
http://www.drivearoundtheworld.com/movie/DATW-LONGITUDE.wmv
Download movie - Apple QuickTime users:
http://www.drivearoundtheworld.com/movie/DATW-LONGITUDE.mp4

JOURNAL TEASERS:
[Click on the links to read the full journals from the latest batch.]

28 April
The Great Barrier Reef...SHARK!!!
A blow-by-blow account of the team's first experience together on the Great Barrier Reef.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000608.shtml

27 April
To the bat cave.
Adam's hilarious account of what happens when a group of explorers meets a group of flying foxes at eye-level.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000609.shtml

23 April
The team visits the Dougall cattle station
Colin McAuliffe explains the trick to raising happy cows while describing the team's adventures on a true Australian cattle property.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000584.shtml

22 April
Harriet, Sweet Harriet.
Nancy Olson describes the day the team left Brisbane, beginning with a run through the Botanical Garden, followed by a trip to Land Rover, highlighted by a visit with Charles Darwin's pet tortoise at the Crocodile Hunter's zoo, and ending with a night of eager anticipation on a true Australian cattle station.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000585.shtml

April 19, 2004
Brisbane, Baby, Brisbane!
See some beautiful pictures of the city and read Neil's description of his first impressions of Brisbane.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000575.shtml

April 16, 2004
Team arrival day!
Nancy Olson's account of the team's reunion after nearly two months apart.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000546.shtml

April 12, 2004
Back in Oz
Neil Dana describes the horrors of sticker shock upon arrival in expensive Australia.
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000574.shtml

And now, just sit back, read, and leave the driving to us!

Until next time,

Nancy