Brisbane, QLD

Thanks to Jeremy, again, at the Base Hostel on Edward St, for letting us stay over the weekend, and for the beer and food vouchers for the bar downstairs we were extremely grateful.

Thanks to Justin and Erin at BWS on Queen St, for buying us a six pack of Coopers

Thanks to Callan Knight, the manager of Spiros bottleshops on Edward St for the bottles of wine

Huge Thank You to Heather owner of Rainforest Massage and Day Spa, in Indooroopilly for the kind donation of a massage and relaxation session. And to Danielle and Emma our masseurs we say 'ooh' and 'aah' and 'just right there thanks'.

THANKS MOST OF ALL TO ALL OF YOU AND TO EVERYONE WHO IN ANY WAY OR AT ANY TIME HELPED US WITH ANYTHING HOWEVER LARGE OR SMALL IN KEEPING US GOING AND MOVING US ALONG AND HELPING US RAISE THE MONEY FOR BOOK AID.

WE COULD NOT HAVE GONE ANYWHERE OR ACHIEVED ANYTHING WITHOUT THIS HELP, AND THE GENEROSITY, TIME, LABOURS AND FRIENDSHIP WE FOUND WITH IT.

TO YOU ALL WHEREVER YOU ARE : WE THANK YOU HUMBLY

Muswellbrook, Glen Innes, Warwick, NSW

Good on it, Pinaroo Leisure Park, along the New England Highway, for the camp

Thanks to the good people at the Caltex who filled our tank for us

Thanks to Aroma Delights Coffee House for the breakfasts

Good on yers yar, to the Fossicker Caravan Park, in Glen Innes for the camp down

Thanks to Volume Plus Servo in Glen Innes, for the $30 of fuel and the hot diggity dang hot chips

Thanks to Cellarbrations, Warwick for the bottles of wine

Thanks to Warwick Caravan Park for the camp on our final night on the road

Newcastle, NSW

Thanks to Gareth's cousin Jo for being in the right place at the right time

Thanks to Travel Lodge on Steel St too

Thanks to Sharon at the BP Mayfield Central, on Maitland Rd for the coffees

Thanks to Quix Food Stores, Mayfield, for the sarnies and snax.

Sydney, NSW

Thanks to the Shell in Royal Willens for the $40 of fuel, mate

Thanks to East Lynne Mobil Servo for the $30 of fuel

Many thanks to Blondies Takeaway on the Princes Hoghway for the feed

Thanks tio Elizabeth Plant and Jannah Burgess, Samuel and Maya for just being there when we needed a place to go, for the food, the smokes and the being good folk. And to Auto for being a good dog.

Thanks to the Caledonia Hotel for the carton of piss

Thanks to Ray Mears for teaching us to firmly believe that it's about the journey and not the destination

Thanks to Brett Swinney for offerinf to fill our van up with fuel, which we took him up on, and to which he followed through, and it was a delight to meet with him as well. Coo.

Eden, NSW

Thanks to Nicholson General Store Servo for the $30 of fuel to get us into New South Wales safely and righteously

Thanks to the fellas at Orbost Thirsty Camel Servo for the change from their pockets $12.50 of fuel

Much obliged and thankful to the Mobil Servo at Orbost for the $20 of fuel

Thanks to the Garden of Eden Caravan Park, in Eden, on Barclay St, off the Princes Highway

Bairnsdale, VIC

Thanks to Nadine at the Druin United Roadhouse for the $20 fuel donation

Thanks you Kevin and Julie Turrel at the Durnum Stump Tearooms for the sit-down and eat-it lunch

Thanks to Kent Langres at ther GPG Narrangan Gate for the $20 of fuel

Thanks to Kirsty at the BP in Wurruk for the coffees

Thanks to the people at Mitchell Gardens Holiday Park, Main St in Bairnsdale for the nights stay

Williamstown, North West Melbourne

Big thank you to Quest Williamstown North for providing luxurious accommodation

Judie Harris a lovely lady who helped us out with phone credit when we were in a pickle.

Thanks to Robert at Get the News Williamstown who donated phone credit

Our health thanks Glyn at Replenish for the organic veggies

Cheers Hobsons Bay Hotel for the drink

Thank you Amorosa for the wine

Good on ya The Rose Hotel for the drink

Our stomachs thank Marazita Bros for the food

Grateful grapefruit to Don Clemmens @ Ritchie's Pizza for the delicious pizzas, garlic bread and drinks

Cheers to Laverton Bottle’o

Melbourne, VIC

Thanks to the lovely folk at Otway Junction Roadhouse, along the Great Ocean Road for their $30 fuel donation

Nice one fella! to the Apollo Bay Handy Mart for the supplies.

Thanks to Danny's Takeaway, Carlisle St, St Kilda for the bacon sandwiches and coffee

All the good good people at the Travellers Motel, Carlisle St, but especially to Martine and Anthony who let us stay for two nights

Thank you Abe Farrugia, McDonalds for the breakfast

Thanks to the fella at St Kilda Tailor and Laundrette who let us wash some festering mould off our clothes.

Thanks also to the kindly people at St Kilda Beach House Hostel for the night's accommodation.

Good On good Old John at the Oslo Hotel, Grey St St Kilda for providing two nights accommodation

Many happy thanks cheers mate salutations to Nick Taig, Tour Coo-ordinator at the Carlton Brewhouse, Abbotsford for donating to us a tour round, and thanks too to Ros for the tour itself and the drinks and goody-bag afterwards.

Cheers fellas, to Ram and his brother Ramsey at Hello Dolly, Charcol Chicken Takeaway, on Acland St, St Kilda for the scran.

Thanks to Haithan at Falafel Xtra for the feed, man.

Good on buddy Laurence at the Prince Wine Store, St Kilda for donating his takehome-aftershift-beer to us.

Thanks to the Niagra Hotel, on Lonsdale Street for the coffees

Andrew at the Telstra Shop, on Elizabeth St sorted us out a treat with a phone charger didn't he, he did

Darren at Melbourne International Backpackers, on the corner of Franklin and Elizabeth St donated a weeks accommodation to us in the cbd, and is the sort of top notch fella we all love and respect.

Cheers The Nash pub, Victoria St, Abbotsford, for donating a couple of schooners of the amber stuff

Thanks also to the Prince of Wales Hotel, in Abbotsford for the coffee.

Thanks to Pen Lynch, lovely Melbournian and tru-blue friend who cooked dinner for us at her house in Balaclava

Thaks to the La Trobe Cafe, on La Trobe St, for the food.

Many thanks also to Thai Culinary, on Elizabeth St for the feed. Love it.

Michael Caine's No.1 fan and witty raconteur Steven 'Steve' Foyle deserves a mention for his gift of homemade cd's he sent from Japan. Rub you rong time.

Thanks to the Immigration Museum, on Flinders St for donating the entry fee in.

Hare Krishna foodery, Crossways, on Swanston St we thank for the meal donated.

To the lovely Jessica and Hannah working at Gloria Jeans, Swanston St, for the coffees, I say 'ciao' and 'bellissimo senor'. Bonjour mange tout!

To Corey, irrepressibly cool and funkier than Samuel L Jackson's afro comb, at the Acmi Lounge, Federation Square, for the 'longus blackus coffemeemos', and the 'piping hot - snackages' it was good to have met you dude. 'Peace love and mung beans to the people', indeed.

Thanks to New Zealander Max, staying at the Melbourne International Backpackers for the soup. Thrillin bro!

Thanksarooney to Edward at the Food Inc on Elizabeth St

Oi psst this one's with me, said Mary, as she led the Welshman into the John Brack Exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery of Victoria.

Thanks to Gloria Jeans, Swanston St, for the coffees.

To Medallion, Souvlaki Bar and Cafe, on Lonsdale St, thanks is earned for the pleasure of the finest lamb kebab in the country. Sincerely.

To Cafe Victoria, 512 Elizabeth St for the brekkie croissants and coffees

Thanks fella, Moussa Maroun at Cafe MiMo, on Swanston St for the lunch and dinner. fine fodder.

Huge mega thanks to Xiang Hair salon on Smith Street or fixing Anne's mop top. The cut and colour is wonderful and the staff are great!

Also thanks to Natasha at Toni and Guy for offering her services

Thank you Ramona and Sandy at Fatto a Mano for the sandwiches and muffins

A True Blue Aussie this man, good old Tim at Beverage Masters, on Victoria St, who paid for a six pack of Melbourne Bitter for us

Thanks to Romana and Sandy at Fatta a Mano in Fitzroy for the muffins and sandwiches

Thanks to Volare cafe, on Brunswick St in Fitzroy for the coffee

At the Hotel Discovery! Thanks to Lisa van Oss for arranging a few nights at this lovely hostel in the heart of the cbd

Thanks to You Misti Dullard, events manager at the Queen Victoria Markets for arranging at short notice a stall for us over the weekend

Princetown and Apollo Bay Great Ocean Road, VIC

Thank you to N.O.B Shields, Nelson Kiosk, Nelson, for the warm welcome into Victoria with the coffees, pies and bag of biscuits.

Thanks to Melissa Diss at the Port Fairy Roadhouse, Port Fairy for the feed

Thanks also to the Princetown Recreation Camp Ground for letting us stay and warm ourselves with a nice hot fire

Yvonne Papadopoulos of Iluka restaurant for the sandwiches, big thanks.

Thanks Cafe Nautigals for the scones

Thank to Emelyn Leder @ the Blue Bird Cafe for the fried goods

Mount Gambier, SA

Thanks a lot Craig Richards at the Kingston Shell Roadhouse, Kingston for the 25 litres of fuel

Cheers matey, the Robe Mobil Roadhouse, in Robe, forthe $10 fuel

Ta very much Julie, at Big4 Caravan Park, Mt Gambier

Meningie SA

Thanks to Lakeview Takeaway for the Fish n' Chips

Thanks to the Lake Albert Tourist Park for the nights camp there.

Good on yer to Keith and Tess at the Dascal Diner fore the feed.

Thank also to Meningie Bakery for the much appreciated on-the-road-food.

Huge thank you to Deborah Kerrigan at Coorong Medical Centre and Pharmacy for the advice, treatment and medicine. Boy, without you helping us out the trip may have been over.

Adelaide SA

Thank you so much to Brian and Angela Stebbing of Namaste Restaurant for the divine food and brilliant night.

Highwway One Caravan Park, Paralowie put us up and it was good

Paralowie Caltex filled us with 40 litres of fuel

MacDonalds fed us

Thank you to Campbell Brodie and Jessica Leo of the Adelaide Advertiser for covering our story.

Thanks to Matt at Caltex Port Wakefield for the coffees and pies

Good on yer John at Sunnies Backpackers on Franklin St for the two nights accommodation, saw no reason not to help and we were grateful for that

Thanks to Kathmandu Nepalese Restaurant on Hutt St for the delicious meal

Gentlemanly and friendly, the guys, Chris, Phil and Chris at Print Solutions, Giles St, for printing for us 500 flyers we thank unreservedly.

To Gary and Barry and Belinda at the Travellers Inn on Hutt St we cannot but utter words of thanks for putting us up for a week-an-a-bit and for giving us access to the internet and phones but humbly grovel an intricate haiku of unending beauty to their munificence. We're still writing it though.

Smokin' Joe's sandwiches we ate, and tasty too, but the taste of them. Thanks fella.

Thanks to Adelaide Coffee Bar, on King William St for the coffee.

Thank you Kyrikos Vithoulkas @ Piatto Cafe Restaurnt Rundle street

Nice one to Bass and Beth at the Falafel Stop

Hunger shooed away for another day due to the Botanic Garden Kiosk, thanks.

Thanks for the flu relieving soup from the Organic Cafe in Adelaide city centre

Thanks Rio Coffee for the elevenses and take away bread and fruit.

Thanks to MArk at Un Caffe Bar for the sandwiches



Thanks to vodafone Australia Foundation for the phone credit

Thanks to Beau, IGA Hutt Street for the phone credit

A big thanks to Hajime Nijima of the Adelaide Technical Service, Level 2 163 Halifax street for dropping everything and giving my camera a good service, cleaning the sensor and the lenses. Thank you thank you.

Thanks to Trent at the General Havelock Hotel for the meal

Ta to Blue Lemon big baguette bar for the sandwich and coffes.

We courteously bow and thank the Golden Dragon Restaurant, on Hutt St for the takeaway rice.

Thanks too the Hudson's Coffee lot on Hutt St for the goodies and nicelies.

Praising Mike and Evan at Gloria Jeans, in the Rundle Mall for the coffee's and cakes.

Thank you Cafe Michael 2 Authentic Thai on Rundle Street for the tasty thai green curry and noodles.

Thank you for the fried rice Maple Huse Asian Restaurant, North Adelaide Village

Nice one Peter of ABC Adelaide for the can and book donations and for having us in your studio

Adelaide state library for allowing us internet access. The general public can get free internet for 30 minutes a day.

Frank Liu, 21 Hindley st Adelaide Hotpot for the meal, cheers mate

Thank you to my sister Paula Race for the phone credit !

Thanks for Marina Tanaka for her offers to help that came to us months and months prior to us landing in Adelaide.

And we got a lot of Mail in Adelaide!
Cheers Barry Wroth of Esperance for the parcel of laminated newspaper articles of us.
Thank you Lesley Pinder for the sports bra (a long needed item) and Book Aid reading material.

Thank you to the Clinique counter Myer Adelaide for the sample

Thanks 33 on East for the coffees, bread and bananas

Thanks MAx Zollo of Al Fresco East end for the sandwiches

Thanks too to the ANZAC Day Diggers.

Nice one Tanya Hanckel at the Organic Barn

Thank you to Tailem Bend Old Pioneer Town, for donating a tour round to us. A very interesting place.

Wudinna, Kyancutta and Port Augusta SA

Thank you Kyancutta general store and fuel station for the fuel donation

Thank to Ellen of Wudinna Golden Wattle Roadhouse for the fuel

Thanks to Raandall and Selina Hodge at the Shoreline Caravan Park, Gardiner Avenue, for the nights stay

Thanks to Tim, Meg, Jess, Marie, Merv, and Steven at the Caltex for the $50 fuel card

Thanks to Subway for the sandwiches, or whatever it is you call those things, subs, or whatever, but, they are tasty, so it's not really important is it.

Thanks to the Tin Man Roadhouse, Port Pirie, for the coffees and cakes

Along the Nullarbor SA

'Welcome to South Australia' said Paul Crawford at the Border Village Roadhouse as he filled our tank for us and fed us too.

Thanks to the Nullarbor Roadhouse for the camp the brekkie, and the only wild dingoes we've seen so far

To Penang Roadhouse we say thankyouverymuch in an Elvis style because, well, the guy was that cool wasn't he, and these people deserve to be flattered by association

Smoky Bay Caravan Park. They squeezed us in besides the ladies toilets on the only spare patch of anything as we forgot it was Easter weekend. Thank you again

Thank You to Wunderna Roadhouse for the $20 of fuel

Get into it! said Terry at the Liberty Windinnie Roadhouse as he donated $30 of fuel to us

Along the Nullarbor WA

Thanks to Trish Grknic at the Caltex in Norseman for the 25 litres of fuel

To the BP in Norseman we cowtow and offer sacrificial goats in the honour of, for the coffees and lammingtons.

Mate. Balladonia Roadhouse provided us with a 'donga' each to sleep in and in was bloody comfy set up too brother

Caiguna Roadhouse only went and gave us coffee and sandwiches didn't they. Thanks.

Mundrabilla Roadhouse Caravan Park made sure we weren't served up as roadkill by giving us a place to stay for the night.

Esperance WA

"...and unto thee I hereby set you these tasks three" said Derek Clarke to us, in a lay-by just outside town, where he met us, handed us a folder, with maps, an itinerary, three enigmatic challenges to complete and just a hint of the overly-dramatic. It set us up for all that was to come...

To Laurie and Rachel Seton, and their impish kiddiewinks, the willowy and elegant Rowan, the livewire chatterbox Sarah, irrepressible little Liam and ball-obsessed dog Oscar for the hospitality, the goodwill, and all that goes with staying in a wholesome family atmosphere.

Thanks to APEX who put so much effort into helping us with our fundraising and who disclosed what the three challenges were that Derek had merely hinted at, made sure we were well looked after, well saturated with alcohol and acquainted with everyone in town, to Steve and Dave, Sheree, Sarah, Ross, Derek, Laurie and everyone else

To Wrothie, Barry Wroth, who belies his name to be a very placid and nice man indeed. Until you get him inside a 4x4 and place him along a stretch of open coastline that is. Kill it Wrathie! kILL IT!!

Thanks to Ross Beckett and daughter Sarah who harassed passersby and motorists to elicit donations as we were completing challenge three

Thanks to Luke Winter of Radio West for the interview

They own the Bay Automotive Group and are by name called Stuart Ward and Bruce Kelman, but what is in a name? can you distill the essence of a person from their moniker, their birth-stamp? a Rose by any other name is just as sweet, and sweet indeed are these two gentlemen, as men of the world, men of honour, men to be reckoned with and to be depended upon, men to the very end.
So, in tribute, and defying all convention, is the best we can do for these two giants, who went our of their way for us, above and beyond, who went out on a limb, who sorted us out with supplies, with fuel, with clothing, with things to do, who took us to dinner, who made it their mission to to go and get us absolutely smashed in Stuart's Night Clubesque games room, the suitably titled Sin City, and who still, to this day, carry on the good work. A privilege and honour to meet these blokes.

Thanks to Greame Lamer at Retrovision for the phone and the headsets and sim packs to barter with and use

Bloody Thorpie! Brett Thorpe, Captain of the Ant, took us fishing out to the Figure of Eight and we caught fish, fought the elements, bravely crewed the boat by eating the odd sandwich and holding on tightly as Thorpie, bloody Thorpie, gave us a great day out and the breaking of our duck at catching fish.

Thank you to the Bay Rotary Club for all they did for us too

To Brian Tolhurst, notable Rotarian and baker, who ensured we had enough bread to take accross the Nullarbor

To Jock "The Wrecker" Murray, esteemed Rotarian, raconteur and gladabout, who filled us with fuel before we left.

To Paul Wennegal, who sponsored one of our challenges to the tune of $250, and helped us out in other ways too, we thank and say 'tis was a pelasure, sir'

To Lee Mackay, who donated to us another $250 if we help her out on the Sunday morning serving brekkie to the participants at the Relay For Life fundraiser.

To the fellas at Auto One who provided us with the jerry-cans we needed to cross the Nullarbor

To the other Rotary Club and Rob Leiper who introduced us, for the opportunity to talk and for the good will shown to us there

Yipee-kay-ey! To the Library ladies, Anne Hilton, Jayne Arnold, Marni, and Gladys and Mags who fed us quiche and cakes and were so nice as pie to us.

Thanks to Lucy, at the Onshore cafe for breakfast

To Henrietta and Donald MacKenzie, who run their olive farm in town, and who offered work to us, a place to stay and delicious homemade dinners. Very interesting octogenarian couple, inspiring too, and so full of vim and gusto, joi de vivre and a lust for life that retirement for them means being as active and as busy as ever, producing Olive Oil for sale as others their age sit and drink tea and watch Countdown

Thank you Esperance

Ravensthorpe WA

So much thanklings they turn to giant THANKS shooting through the sky, as we utter exclamations of gratitude to Jenny and Andrew Chambers at Yooroonga Farm for our beds, for feeding us, for the work at the Community Centre that elicited the donation of $250, and all the goodwill and friendship shown to us.

To Rees, starting his second day at Yooroonga Farm with the Chambers family when we arrived, we thank him for the $50 donation left to us

Good on ya Mazz and Geoff, the neighbours of Andrew and jenny and a bloody good sort too

To Jessie and Geoff Fairhead, who donated $100 to us for a mornings work attacking their garden with the vim and gusto characteristic of Ancient times people, the ones with the wisdom to know the difference between hither and thither

Thank you to Neil and Tracy Harding at the BP Roadhouse for the $50 fuel donation

Thanks to Paula Race, Anne's little, by by no means insignificant, sister who paid for the upkeep on Anne's Flicker Photo account. There's more to photography than point-and-click.

Albany WA

Jasmine Kinnore at Daralane Patisseries, on York Street, we thank for the sandwiches, coffees and delicious and most welcome slice of apple slice each. Yum? Yum!

To Michael John Delli-Benadetti owner of Nonna's Restaurant for the meals he donated and the mornings work he gave us next day for the $100 we earned for Book Aid

Thanks to Wayne at Premier Hotel/ Cellar for the Carton of beer donated to us

Ever so many thanks to the lovely and generous Joanna owner of the Bayview Backpackers YHA on Duke Street for the room, the internet, for letting us wash our clothes and for the box of tomatoes from her sister's productive veggie patch that she gave us that Phil put to such good use with a splendid tomato soup (see Phil's 'On the Hop Cooking Tips' coming soon).

What more can be said about Terry and Trev at CC Kebabs who, on behalf of owners Bob and Penny, served up some top notch scran

As Aretha Franklin uttered "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" to you Raylene at Star Caltex, North Road for the $50 fuel donation

To Shaun at Boxwood Hill Roadhouse for the Coffees and snacks

Denmark WA

Keeping it real and really keeping us alive, we thank the benevloence of the Eziway Food Store for the fresh fruit and veggies we got given

Thanks to the Rivermouth Caravan Park for our stay there

Thanks to Barney Arvison at the Telecentre Network for the internet time donated

Thanks too to the BP Shop for the $10 of fuel donated

And to the Co-op Shell for the 15 litres you gave us to keep us keeping on

Nornalup WA

Thanks to Tony and Marge who run, own and manage, with aplomb and joi'de verve, the Nornalup Riverside Chalets, and who not only gave us a place to stay but a canoe with which to explore the Frankland river, a hop skip and a jump away.

Thanks to Maureen who said of course we could go and walk on the suspended bloardwalk among the canopy of the tremendous Tingle and Karri trees in the Majestic Valley of Giants forest

Thanks to Nigel for feeding us and fueling us up at the Bowbridge Roadhouse