The World Cup

We set off from Sydney on Friday 11 June with Mike, Drew's Make-A-Wish volunteer coming to see us off and give Drew an Australian Jersey. We arrived in Perth in the afternoon. We met the other Make-A-Wish family who we would be travelling with. They also had 2 boys Jack and Harry and we hit it off straight away. All the boys had a photo shoot with the West Australian paper and afternoon tea. Our suite was huge and we all enjoyed the spa, except for Drew because of his dry skin. We left bright and early the next morning for our flight to Johannesburg and then on to Cape Town (arriving Sydney time 5.30am) so we were all pretty tired. Up early next morning for our flight to Durban, where it was much warmer than Cape Town. We all needed a bit of a rest in the afternoon, before getting ready for the big game. We were all decked out in our Socceroos gear and the boys were armed with their vevezulas. The crowd was huge but there were no dramas getting in and the stadium was magnificient. We were there 2.5 hours early but the time flew and the atmosphere was like nothing we had ever experienced before. Our seats were four rows from the front and behind the German bench. Although the result wasn't what we hoped for, it was an amazing experience. The next day up early again and off on a mini safari. We saw zebras, giraffes, blesboks, elans and wildebeest in their natural environment. The boys also got up close and personal with a baby crocodile and python, before we were back to the airport for our return flight to Durban. The next day we just chilled out around the hotel, sleeping in, watching football, although I did go shopping and we had a nice dinner at the hotel with Jen, John, Jack & Harry. We spent Wednesday on the City sightseeing bus. Cape Town has an amazing aquarium and we had a tour of the city and District 6, which was a contenious area in the apartheid era. We also went up to Tabletop Mountain in the cable car, it was a fantastic view, although foggy and very cold. The shark diving was cancelled due to a large swell :o), so we had our own tour guide and went down to Cape Point. We went and saw a seal and penguin colony along the way and baboons on the side of the road too. Friday again the boys hung around the hotel, anxiously waiting for Jack & Harry to return from their overnight safari for a game of football on the lawn, whilst Mum hit the markets for the last minute buys. Friday night were we fortunate to get tickets to the England vs Algeria game, again the atmosphere was incredible, although England didn't play particularly well. The next day it was time to go home - already. We had an amazing time and shared it with a wonderful family, which really made the trip. None of it would have been possible without the Make-A-Wish Foundation, so thanks to all involved in making Drew's wish happen. I was brought down to earth when we returned home and appreciated our trips and our good fortune, even more. A boy around Drew's age that we met on Drew's return from Sydney had his bone marrow transplant in April and all appeared to be going well before we left. When we returned I found out he had relapsed. Our thoughts are with him and his family in this distressing time.