A group of Australians arrived in camp which of course Jamie and I are always excited to greet. They were a group of Doctors mostly head of Emergency Departments from various hospitals over Sydney who had travelled a few times prior on charity work and now had become friends. We had a chat to them over afternoon tea and it turns out one of them, Dr Alan Giles is the head of Emergency at the SANS hospital at Wahroongah. The hospital is located 2 kms away from Jamie’s parents home and was much frequented by the Buckley household for many years including where Jamie had his tonsils out back when he was 6 years old.

Dr Alan Gale and his gorgeous wife Carole live in Concorde and discovered via the Flatdogs website prior to their arrival we were Aussies so they very thoughtfully brought us a 2 giant packets of Tim Tams and a jar of Vegemite which was a great treat.

Over the following days we very much enjoyed chatting to Alan and Carole and it turns out that Alan was the Doctor who cared for Jamie’s Mum Marjorie at the emergency unit when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Oh bizarre and what a small world.

Another coincidence a guest Rosemary who was born in Chipata came to celebrate her 57th birthday at Flatdogs and visit the hospital where she was born with her husband John. During her stay she asked me about booking a massage at the local Bush Spa. When checking what type of treatment she would like she mentioned she had breast cancer 2 years prior and still suffers terrible pain up her arm from the removal of lympth glands. I asked her who her Oncologist was and it turns out it was my Mum and sister Robyn’s Breast Cancer Surgeon Dr Peter Schwartz.

Over the past 2 years there has been so many coincidences and relationships with our guests that have proven “it is a small world”.

Thanks to all our guests for contributing to our truly sensational time at Flatdogs, we have loved spoiling you, caring for you and aiming to over deliver on your expectations of your stay at Flatdogs.