• Grant Russell
  • Kate Bougoure
  • Findlay Russell
  • Grant Russell
  • Kate Bougoure
  • Findlay Russell

Grant's Long service

141 day family adventure through Asia, from Sri Lankan beaches to Japanese snow fields Read more
  • Trip start
    September 11, 2024
  • Covert beer

    September 18, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    When your restaurant hasn't paid their liquour license. Hide it in a giant Lion cooler that you can't drink out of. For scale that's a 500ml can

  • Sri Lanka test match

    September 22, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    Currently at the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand test match at Galle Cricket ground. Very weird as currently only foreigners are allowed in (for free) due to a nationwide curfew currently being imposed as a result of yesterday's federal election (fears of unrest/protests). Total audience of 6. A couple from the gold coast and us. Currently the curfew is scheduled to end in a couple of hours but could be extended.Read more

  • Finally feels like travel

    September 23, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Weligama. Glad to show the kids proper travel outside of tourist restaurants etc. Beer - $1.50. Dinner (kottu and hoppers - $1.50) and finally some surf...videos to follow. Loving the chaos but it helps when you are Australian and they love usRead more

  • Weligama Surf

    September 24, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    Some videos and pics from a full day at the beach. The kids were keen for a surf. Not a bad little break next to a small island about 200m from our accommodation. FYI the island has a villa on it owned by some English bloke, prices start at $1000US/night.Read more

  • Last night in Mirissa

    September 27, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    Sad to be leaving probably our best spot of the trip so far but hopefully on to better things tomorrow with a 2.5 hour drive to Udawalawe National Park for some elephant spotting (and hopefully more). Last surf for the kids today until our next surf stop at Hiriketiya beach. Also our last lunch at Jesmin restaurant. I say restaurant but just a tiny local joint with great local food. Lunch cost $6 for everyone. Curry, roti, kottu, hoppers, drinks. Also a great afternoon with Froggo watching the Storm / Roosters final on 9Now thanks to my VPN purchaseRead more

  • Bit of rain

    September 29, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We have been so lucky with the weather. Dry 2.5 hour drive inland to our accommodation...10 mins later the skies opened. Early start in the morning for our safari with clear skies apart from about 20 mins around lunchtime. Back at the hotel and it has poured all afternoon. Our hotel is right where 2 rivers meet and the view from our room is amazing. Watching the rain has been awesomeRead more

  • Udawalawe NP Safari

    September 29, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    I can't say much more than what the photos already say. I think the kids really enjoyed their first safari. Elephants, spotted deer, 2 types of monkeys, mongoose, hornbills, crocodiles, 1 million peacocks, monitors...the list goes on. The weather helped us out alot...only a little bit of rain right at the end of the safari and it has been pissing down since we got back to our hotelRead more

  • Hiriketiya (Hipster beach)

    October 1, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Quite a nice little bay with reasonable surf but it felt a bit like it's more for the influenzas... a bit much for someone with grey in his beard. Which reminds me.... 2 twenty somethings from NZ at the cricket in Galle stopped me and said, "excuse me sir, would you mind taking a photo of us". Give me strength. The night finished well as frog and I got a couple of 8 ball games on albeit on a snooker table.Read more

  • Tissa Lake

    October 2, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Sensational hotel on Tissa Lake, our base for Yala National Park. Great pool, awesome dinner (finally some meat) and had the place almost to ourselves until sunset when a tour group rolled in.

  • Yala National Park

    October 3, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌬 32 °C

    Got very lucky today starting with a freak sighting of a sloth bear (only about 20 in the park) topped off by an even rarer, luckier sighting of a Leopard (only about 20 in the whole park). Also managed elephants, spotted deer, crocodiles, chamelion, monitors, monkeys, boar, jackals (hunting and catching a rabbit), buffalos and others I can't recall at the moment. Only hiccup was national temperance day... No bottle shops open....temperance my arse....lost my temperance (maybe that's what it means)Read more

  • Elephant Highway B35

    October 4, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    Took a chance driving on the highway through Yala National Park (there is a history of elephants charging and pushing tuk tuks over). Feel like we got lucky to have a large bull blocking the road only 1km in. From observations and the video it appears that the elephants toys with people and cars to amuse themselves (and also try and coax a feed from passing traffic). Had to wait for a local bus to provide cover so we could get passed (couldn't do it otherwise). There were 3 back seat drivers shouting expletives about how to tackle the situation.Read more

  • More of my new hobby

    October 5, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    This time Class S14 #982 and S14A #989 in Ella with tea plantation in the background. It also turns out that I am the family champion of tea picking...had the largest basket to fill but also the highest percentage filled. Tea tasting at the end of the picking which was interesting to learn about the different team and how they are produce but still some distance behind a decent double espresso. Finished off the night playing some 8 Ball with Frog at the local pool hall (might have been a late night as the time read AM by the time Frog and I rollled home).Read more

  • Trainspotter's Heaven

    October 6, 2024 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    9 arch bridge today. Luck continues to be on our side again. With no planning we arrived at 9 arch bridge only waiting for 10mins for a train to pass. Decided to walk back to Ella via the train line with another 2 trains to pass. Class S14 #971, M6 #788 and M6 #797. Finished off the afternoon with Frog and I watching the NRL grand final with panthers betting the storm after another poor showing from the bunkerRead more