The Itinerary

There are a number of restrictions on where we can go and for how long. The details are not fixed, but the broad strokes are. At the bottom of the blog's main page you can find a Google Map with the itinerary overlaid. Click the Next button to see in sequence the places we plan to visit. (I hate javascript programming, so it's a testament to the simplicity of GoogleMaps API that I was able to program this overlay very quickly).

The restrictions have mostly got to do with the kids. Perhaps that's not a fair way of describing things: part of the reason for the trip is to show the kids a bit of the planet while it's still possible. But when we leave they'll be 8 and 6, and realistically we have to chose the route and the timetable accordingly. This shows itself in two main ways:

1. On four separate occasions, we stay put for a month at a time: This allows the kids to have a respite - something of a normal life with a routine. It also allows us to homeschool them more effectively. I'll blog on this another time.
2. We have chosen to stay in developed countries for 6 out of the 8 months, and those developing countries we will visit will be relatively OK as regards health and general safety.

So it looks like this:

1. 2 weeks in China (Beijing, Shanghai and perhaps Xi'an)
2. 4 weeks in Sydney
3. 4 weeks on the road in Australia
4. 4 weeks in Brisbane
5. 4 weeks in Auckland
6. 4 weeks on the road in New Zealand
7. 4 weeks in Queenstown (or thereabouts)
8. 1 week in Tahiti
9. 6 weeks between Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina.

But we're definitely open to suggestion/correction...