I have just come back from a road trip for work. I left Monday morning and came back Wednesday afternoon.
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| Lush Green Wet Lands. |
I feel I was very lucky to be able to go, as I enjoy going to the different schools in the Northern Territory to see staff, help out and have an understanding of their remoteness. I speak with people on the telephone every day and I love to see them face to face when I get a chance. Some areas are very remote and and extremely isolated.
This week I went to the Kakadu region. So I snapped a few photos of the beautiful scenery on the drive for you all to enjoy.
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| On The Road Again, Packed My Bags, I'm On The Road Again. |
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| Majestic Rock Formations. |
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| Double Danger: Flowing River and Crocodiles Galore. |
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| I'm Nervous Of River Crossings. I Wouldn't Want To Jump Out To End Up Croc Food. |
To keep the trip's entertainment frugal for myself I made sure I packed four of my FREE magazines and cheap DVDs I had gathered from op shops. I also took my lap top, a packed lunch and 3 litres of frozen water.
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| Free Mags. Out Dated By A Couple Of Months: But Fine For Me. |
However I do get a generous travel allowance of $85 per night so I bought dinner on both nights at The Miners Mess. The Miners Mess wasn't open to the public. It's only for staff and contractors from the mines but I went in and paid and no one said anything to me. The buffet and steaks were only $13 and it was delicious. The food was varied and different on both nights. I had 2 plates of vegetables and meat dishes, then a plate of salads and then a plate of desserts!!!! Yes I put on lots of kilos in 3 days, but life is for living out loud and that is what I am doing :-)
The super perk on the trip was having a little "me time" as Dolly had to stay home, the second perk was the gorgeous hotel room just for me, paid for by my employer. A big bed with fresh white sheets!
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| Lovely Hotel Room. |
I planned to laze around in the bathtub after work as I don't have a bath at home. I also aimed to swim in the pool to cool down. However I worked late each day and started super early each morning making me too exhausted to pamper myself in the bathtub or luxuriate in the swimming pool. I did watch some mindless TV, which was fun. And even though I was working each day, it felt like a mini holiday as I had no cooking, dishes or laundry to do. Also not having Dolly constantly chatting to me allowed me to rejuvenate myself and think a few things through.
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| Ready to Eat Out - No Floating In The BathTub. |
So all in all, I kept my trip frugal and have left over travel allowance to pay for more important projects in my life. The work was a nice change from my office work and I have returned to the office feeling refreshed and much happier.
How about you? Been on any trips lately? Where did you go and how did you stay frugal?
Hello
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying your blog, lots of interesting ideas. What a great trip and how good are you - planning ahead to stay on the frugal path! Sorry you didn't get to luxuriate in the bath, that's a shame. Our frugality on trips is more due to our lifestyle as we're vegan so take all our own food and drinks with us, much cheaper than motorway service stations coffee and chips! However we then loose out as motel freebie toiletries are rarely cruelty-free and nowadays vegan versions are usually several times more expensive than high-street brands!
Great photo's too - glad you got across the river!
pamela x magicalmeadows.blogspot.com
Hi there,i really enjoyed your photo's,thank's for sharing,it's the first time i have seen your post,regard's Carol from Adelaide
ReplyDeleteAmazing scenery, I usually network and stay with people I know, or with people who know people I know, I usually take food as payment (homemade/home grown) From April to the end of September I will stay in our tent.
ReplyDeleteHi Pamela,
ReplyDeleteMy hotel freebies (toiletries) are eco with no animal testing which I think is very rare. The ink on the label is Soy Ink and Bottles made of biodegradable and compostable materials. I used only 1 bath towel and kept the room clean preventing extra chemical cleaning. Kakadu needs to be protected.
Hi Carol,
I hope to put up a few more photos of the region in the coming week.
Hi Frugal Life UK,
For personal travel I use my networks, CouchSurfing, WWOOFing and cheap backpackers/hostels. However for work we stay in motels/hotels or a classroom floor with a swag if they are not available. I like staying on classroom floors, I read all the kids books and get an extra allowance of $80 per night!!!
Beautiful scenery. I rarely travel, but love staying at hotels for the same reason... no messes to clean up! I buy magazines at a store here called Half priced books. You can get issues that are only a month of two old for 50 cents. Hope you enjoyed your bath! I don't know what I would do without my bathtub, it is my sanctuary. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteHalf Priced Books sounds like it would be my downfall!!! I love books so much.
I was too tired to laze in the bathtub :-(
I just had quick showers and flopped into bed with the TV going and a small paper craft project I had wanted to try out.