Dave turned an old Volkswagen service station into his home. It accommodates Dave's lifetime collection of LPs, antiques, and junk no-one wants. Dave himself is a unique creation with a huge heart.

Meeting Dave on Sunday evening gives us a blast. We are shaking the hand of a man aged 65, proprietor of bright sparkling eyes, with a head full of long dreadlocks, a Hawaii shirt and beach shorts covering his body, and walking the grounds with bare feet. His voice has an inspirational, calming character, and his gestures and sayings invite to feel home. "Easy-Peasy", "Good on You!", "Faaa'n-Tastique!", "Make yourself feel at home" are expressions that put us in place like being the missing piece that just needed to come along.

The journey to Adelaide is marvelous. Alistar brings us to Auburn town (20 km south of Clare), where shadow, cookies, and bananas keep us happy in the midday heat. Soon we are off to Gawler (50 km north of Adelaide), right opposite a shopping mall. Huge traffic and oven baking temperatures make it tricky to catch a right, until a former hitchhiker brings us 2 miles ahead to a perfect spot outside town. While waving good-bye an old man pulls over, smiling at us brightly. This enchanting young-spirited 75 year old shows clearly that the state of mind is what matters most in life. Every word he speaks is full of gratitude, an honest Thank You! to the Universe, the deep trust in God. Regular exercise for mind and body, voluntary work for elderly and disabled people, flying remote control airplanes, and a yearly visit to his remaining relatives in England keep him agile. After the death of his beloved wife he moved into a house in an area where they had lived when young. In doing so, his loss turned into joy for he finds here the memories of happiness they have shared together in the past.

As if waiting for a hot pizza delivery Lisa welcomes us right on the street in front of her house, where she is surrounded by her thousands of cactuses and succulents.

Upon ariving at Giedre's farm Abudu (meaning "both" in Lithuanian) we feel home immediately. Her and Mark's house is cosily furnished, decorated with Giedre's art and a book shelf full of spiritual literature. Although they lived only for 4 months at the farm, they enjoyed already veggies from their own garden and a huge amount of free range eggs from their happy chicken.

Although daughters Dominique and Daniela (2) as well as Mark are sleeping already, Giedre invites us for a cup of tea, a yummy self-made chocolate cake, and a lovely chat around the dinner table. When we mention that we feel like helping someone out in a farm for a change, she gets the idea to get in touch with her friend Alistar. In the morning, a mere 15 minutes after calling Alistar, it is clear that we will leave Giedre's family in the afternoon. That was a fast forward from one to another friend, and although we are a bit sad to leave so soon, we are happy we can be a helping hand to Alistar.

January 14. Leaving Ashfield (Sydney) at 2 p.m., it takes us three hours and several kinds of public transportation to reach the outskirts of Sydney. A kind bus driver leaves us at the entrance of the Freeway towards Adelaide, where 10 minutes later we get our first ride towards Clare near Adelaide. The tricky situation further on didn't bother lively Brahim at all. He stops for us right on the highway, puts in the backgear, and drives backwards to the entrance of the highway we are standing at. "What a risky action!" says Augustas. "Risky? Everything is perfectly under control. What should happen?" And there we are, in an old rusty car, which had just become Brahim's own.

December 27, 2010

Monday. We follow Augustas relative's invitation to Sydney, which means we have to cross the dry and deserted Nullarbor (1.200 km long) between East and West Australia. We are of good hope to get there fast, starting at 9 a.m. from Esperance. Four hours later we are in Norseman.

Here we meet two young hitchhikers waiting for a ride their 5th day already. We wish them well, believing we will be gone in a short while - until dusk. Meanwhile friends with the boys, we are joined by 5th hitchhiker Graham (about 60 years old). For 38 years on the road, he is well equipped with 2 tents, and a radio to arrange truck rides. His hitchhiking stories appear interesting, besides the warnings about the police, which - according to him - prevent him from getting rides.

At night the boys share their dumpster diving treasures with us before they hop onto the cargo train to Kalgoorlie. They speculate to do the same with the train eastwards from there on.

December 28, 2010

Tuesday. Soon after our four hour nap we split from Graham, who continues his negative police stories. We count a 24 hour wait when Augustas suggests a visit to the supermarket. On the way there we meet Chris. He is going eastwards in his van, and although he has got only one extra seat, he agrees to take us. We leave Norseman around 4 p.m. and manage proud 400km until midnight.