Miles driven - 8,253
Miles travelled - 11,580
Hello reader! Isn't life wonderful? Today, for instance, I'm in Bangalore, a city I can't tell you much about because we arrived last night as darkness fell, but not even the choking smog and gridlocked traffic can stifle the joy in my heart. Today is one of those 'anything is possible' sort of days. Can you feel it? You could change the world today, I can sense it. You've got that super-confident 'world at your feet' aura about you. You look great, too. Have you lost weight?
OK, enough of that. I'm after a favour.
Our aim, as you know, is to busk our way from Liverpool to New York. Surprisingly, despite 18 months of planning, that's about as detailed as our mission got. Being under prepared, under rehearsed and under funded was what made it exciting. Making plans day by day, learning to play our instruments and trying to make our cash stretch are all daily realities to be embraced. The next leg of our journey is through Australia and New Zealand, and we've realised we need your help.
The funny thing about Australia is, as we've travelled and we've told people our route, that's the one place about which people have said "I've got a friend in Oz if you need somewhere to park your van for the night". And when I reply "Yes please! Can I have their address?" they don't look even slightly alarmed.
From various random places between our 'home from home' staying with friends in Brisbane (while we wait for Penny's ship to arrive), and our 'jumping off' point in Melbourne we've had genuine offers from generous 'friends of friends' inviting us to camp on their drive. This is a really valuable offer, not only because 'wild camping' is a big no-no in Australia and the cops are quick to move on stray campers, but because we'll get to meet lots of new friends. Friends with a toilet! And maybe even a washing machine!
So then we had an idea. What if we offered something in return? A song? Hmmm...hardly Charlie's golden ticket, is it? It was Bethan's passion for baking that clinched it. She's survived almost 6 months without an oven and one of the first things she'll be doing in our friends' kitchen in Brisbane is baking her legendary lemon drizzle cake.
"That's it!" said Jill. "We'll offer a traditional English high tea!"
"Ooooooooohhhhh" we all responded, eyes wide at the prospect of cake.
"Cucumber sandwiches, crusts cut off, a pot of tea and Betty's cake," she went on. "We can buy the ingredients pretty cheaply, and if they'll let us use their kitchen we're sorted."
And so, project Put Us Up Down Under was born.
How can you get involved? Simple.
If you know anyone living on the east coast of Australia who might like a visit from us, a delicious English tea and, if they're really unlucky, a song, then put us in touch! Email them NOW with a link to our web site www.beatnikbeatles.com and to this blog at
http://beatnikbeatles.blogspot.com/2011/01/put-us-up-down-under.html
http://beatnikbeatles.blogspot.com/2011/01/put-us-up-down-under.html
Then, having checked us out online, if they're up for it, they can email us at sim@beatnikbeatles.com
From Mackay in the north down to Melbourne in the south, we're making it our aim to try and get all the way down Australia just using 'friends of friends' power. As well as saving us money on campsites and hotel rooms, UNICEF can benefit too. One 'friend of friend' who's been in touch (remember Fiona who did our Indian cookery class?) is organising a charity barbecue, gathering a load of mates for a Beatnik Beatles singalong and fundraiser. Brilliant! We'll also be popping in to local radio stations in towns we visit to do some PR and try to bolster our UNICEF pot.
If you're reading this and you've got friends in New Zealand, we need them too! North Island, South Island, we need 'em all! Put them in touch. And if you're the person in Tasmania who used the 'comment' button on the blog to invite us to your place...yes please! We're going to Tasmania, and we'd love to visit you! Email us - sim@beatnikbeatles.com
This blog has had over twelve and a half thousand hits. Wouldn't it be an amazing experiment in harnessing the power of the online community to see if we can travel the height of Australia just by hopping between one reader's mate and the next? It would also be a very cool chapter of the book, and you can be part of it!
So spread the word, ask around, and Put Us Up Down Under! It's the ultimate feel-good gesture that'll give you that yummy warm feeling inside, almost as good as the feeling your friends will get eating Betty's lemon drizzle!
PS - On the subject of new friends, remember Stefano and Federica whose wedding rehearsal we crashed in Italy? Here's a photo they sent us of their wedding day. (Details in blog 'A scary day - parts 1 & 2')
PPS - The Agonda gig went well, Jill did play the recorder and we raised £37 for UNICEF! Pictures, video and the new India (part 1) photo album are all online now at www.beatnikbeatles.com
