Vaughanie's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hello, and welcome to my website. It is a record of one particular trip - but a long one. I left London in September 2004, with my boyfriend Phil, for a road trip across Africa. This trip took me from the gorillas of the Congo to safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. Through lush, green Uganda and exciting Zimbabwe. The Okavango Delta of Botswana, the desert of Namibia and finally South Africa and magical Cape town and the Garden Route.
From here we flew into Australia to find my long lost relatives of Perth and Sydney. Plus we had friends to look up in Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast.
New Zealand became our home for 9 months, where we both lived and worked in Auckland but had time to explore both islands extensively. I think it is safe to say we both fell in love with NZ.
After this, our exciting stops in the Pacific Ocean - Tahiti and Easter Island before our final 6 month over land trip through South America. From the desert of northern Chile into the highlands of Bolivia and Peru. Back down to sea level for Argentina and Uruguay before finishing with Carnival in Brasil and U2 in Buenos Aires before flying home via Madrid in March 2006.
It has all been an amazing experience and I have seen places I have only previously dreamed of. If anything the trip has only left me wanting more - it's a big world out there and there is so much to see.

I hope you enjoy the website.

1. The sun shines a hell of a lot more than it does in London. The weather really has been great
2. People are GREAT! From locals to fellow travellers - people are incredibly friendly where ever we go
3. I wake up when I want and go to bed when I want. No alarm clocks!
4. I have seen the most wonderful scenery - from tropical rainforests to the driest deserts in the world to gorgeous beaches to deserted islands, to mindblowing mountain scenery....
5. Amazing wildlife at every turn..... mountain gorillas, lions and elephants on the plains of Africa, swimming with dolphins, whale watching, alpaca on the antiplano of Bolivia, swimming with sharks in Tahiti, snorkelling with tropical fish, camels in the Namib Desert........
6. Sunrises and sunsets. I didnt realise before what wonderful times of days these are
7. Food. Sampling new cuisines, the freshest fruit and veg, coffee fresh from where itīs grown, Argentinean steaks the size of your leg........ the list is endless
8. The beat of music..... from African kids booging on down with a rythmn I can only dream of, to the latino vibes of south america - especially tango which I have fallen head over heels in love with - it has all been good.
9. Wine and Vino! This trip has accidently become a wine tour of the new world - from Stellenbosh in South Africa, Margaret River in Australia, endless vineyards in NZ and now Chile, Peru, Bolivia (yes, they have good wine) and Mendoza, Argentina. Wonderful
10. The sky! - I have seen the most stunning skies everywhere and any Londoner would appreciate, that's a very special thing

1. My mum and rest of family
2. Mates
3. Going down pub to watch footie on a cold Tuesday night to a proper pub with proper atmosphere
4. Food - chocolate is crap everywhere, beer is great but I miss a good pint in a pint glass. Bisto gravy granuals, beef monster munch, special K, frazzels. Ok enough, I'm getting hungry
5. A decent cockney accent. I love any english accent when I hear it.
6. HIGHBURY - bugger, this needs to be No 1! Going to a live game as opposed to watching it at 3 in the morning
7. Having a base and not having to lug my damn rucksack with me everywhere I go!!!!!!!!!!!
7. Clothes - I cant tell you how boring it is wearing the same clothes for 18 months