About This Site

This website records the overlanding and other travels of Nina and Rob Blackwell and covers a period from March 2009 to the present. The images above are just a taste of the photographic record of our travels. Click here to see all of our travel photos.

Most of the travel recorded here has been vehicle based, and undertaken as overlanding adventures. Over the years we have had a number of vehicles and we have grouped our travels into Adventures based on the vehicle used.

Below you will find a summary of each of the different adventures and links to detailed pages about those adventures.

Clicking here will take you to a consolidated map of all out adventures. Each marker on the map represents a 'camping' spot where we spent at least one night, and the different adventures are represented by different colors.

Finally we hope and plan that the adventures are not yet over.

Hence when we are exgaged in yet another adventure the section below entitled The Latest News will have summaries of the latest posts from which readers can link to the current adventure and all posts related to that adventure.

Our Adventures

The Americas

This is the earliest adventure recorded on this website and started in March of 2009. At the time we were novices at this overlanding thing and really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. As it turned out .... read more

Around the World

Our longest overlanding adventure occupying approximately 5 years and taking us around the world from the far East of Canada, across North America, the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Russia, then through the Asian continent to explore Europe and then finally .... read more

Australia

Our 2019 Australian adventure was sufficently successful that we are now living back in Australia, planning a new travel vehicle and some more Australian based exploration. The new vehicle is currently undergoing some modification and preparations and sometime in 2nd quarter of 2023 we will be able to do our first trials.

Stay tuned .. once it is in our hands we will give you a tour and run down.

..... click to see more.

Antarctica

We will end 2019 with a cruise to the Antarctic aboard the Greg Mortimer. This is a new ship, having just completed its maiden voyage and is named after a famous (in Australia at least) mountaineer and antarctic traveler. ..... click to see more.

Asia 2020 and 2023

At long last we are about to restart the Asia trip that was aborted by COVID19 in 2020.

..... click to see more.

Travels with our Earthroamer

After completing our The Americas adventure we mistakenly believed that we would not undertake any more vehicle based travel outside North America and with that mind set, in 2011 just after OverlandExpo, we purchased a used 2008 Earthroamer. However as plans .... read more

Motorcycle Adventures

In 2015 on our annual return to the US, I Robert, decided to get myself a motorcycle license (my first ever experiences with motos) and a year later (again on our annual return to the US) I bought my first motorcycle a 2011 BMW1200 GS. That same year that motorcycle presented me with a broken leg and thats why we did not return to Europe that year. It was probably inevitable .... click this link to read more.

Upcoming - A Great Train Journey

In the second half of 2024 we are undertaking A Great Train Journey, from Singapore to London by train. Not one train but a series of interlinked train routes. That will take us through Malaysia, Laos, China, Tibet, Kazakstan, Georgia, Azerbajan, Turkey, Austria, and France. ..... click to see more.

The Latest News

First Overnight Train (On the train, Thailand)

Journal entry for Sunday 11th Aug, 2024 (day 7, miles 0)

Another fast start today. Out of the hotel at 9:00 for a 10:00 train to Pandang Besar, a border town between Malaysia and Thailand, where we do border processing and pickup a night train to Bangkok. That all sounds pretty straight forward and certainly the first train was. A modern Euro-style electric train that went as fast as 150km/h. There were a lot of stops along the way and a significant number of locals getting on and off. There was not much to see during the ride because of heavy jungle close to the track that obscured ones vision. Where a view became available one noticed that palm oil forests were still plentiful but compared to yesterday there were now more rice fields. Late in this leg we saw a number of large limestone outcroppings, each attended by its own cement factory.

 ...click/tap to read the full post

Palm oil plantations (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Journal entry for Saturday 10th Aug, 2024 (day 6, miles 0)

An early start today, breakfast at 6:00, a 7:30 departure from the hotel, and a new route from hotel to station. Why a new route ? Well the shopping center we traversed yesterday evening was not open early enough.

 ...click/tap to read the full post

First border crossing (Johor Bahru, Malaysia)

Journal entry for Friday 9th Aug, 2024 (day 5, miles 0)

Today was a big day; the convening of the tour group, first (very short) train ride, and first border crossing. And all of this happening on the day that celebrates 59 years of the nation of Singapre.

 ...click/tap to read the full post

The Merlion and Marina Bay (Hotel, Singapore)

Journal entry for Thursday 8th Aug, 2024 (day 3, miles 0)

This morning we caught the local subway to The Marina Bay Sands Hotel, that famous Singapore building consisting of three towers with a boat resting across the top of the towers. The metro station at Bay Front is in the shopping mall that sits between the hotel and the harbour. So we started our visit to this tourist mecca by walking around the mall. It is breath taking in its opulence, every up-market brand you have ever heard of and many you have not.

 ...click/tap to read the full post

Some Singapore History (Hotel, Singapore)

Journal entry for Wednesday 7th Aug, 2024 (day 2, miles 0)

Today is Wednesday and we don't meet our travel group until midday Friday. So we have a few days to ourselves, so what to do. Well our neighbours back in Sydney just had a short holiday in Singapore and they recommended the Singapore National Museum, so that was the excursion for the day. As it turned out the museum is within an easy walk of our hotel and on the otherside of a hill that is the sight of Fort Canning and Fort Canning Reservoir

 ...click/tap to read the full post