The Tree4Hope at In The Woods Festival - a perfect hidden gem of a festival set in an enchanted secret woodland.

A lovely hope planted In the Woods.

In The Woods Festival game to help accept that somedays you're the pigeon and others you're the statue...

Pigeon ammunition.

And fire! Stangely, there was no shortage of festival goers lining up to play a statue.

Resulting in real works of art!

Ethical arm party In The Woods.

East London may have seemed a little quieter as over 750 of its residents escaped to the exclusive In The Woods Festival.

Locally sourced lunch.

Posing at the Pinhole Passport Booth.

We certainly left with some lovely memories from In the Woods Festival.

Hot air balloon sailing through the late summer evening sky.

Once you have flown, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. [Leonardo da Vinci

In The Woods is a festival that's good for the soul.

The Tree4Hope in full bloom.

Great music was experienced from a natural amphitheatre in a forrest clearing lit by twinkling lanterns.

We were unfamiliar with most of the lineup but it turned out to be our favourite of the summer. Every single band was incredible!

Looking forward to sampling some grub In The Woods.

An amazingly energetic & vibrant set from Laurel Collective who are the curators of In The Woods Festival.

We found a comfortable branch to perch on and devoured our burgers with rocket and mozzarella - soo gewd!

Amongst the trees, we were utterly seduced by Alt-J's hauntingly beautiful performance.

Enchanting surroundings, carefully selected talent, lovely crowd, flowing local ale & great grub

The woodland was full of art including this engaging, reflective installation by Rob Mulholland.

One last hope from this scarlet haired beauty before we left for London.

A suitcase full of hope and memories.

London bound across the mermaid bridge!

Welcome to Festival Number 6!

The Tree4Hope on tour through the eccentric Welsh village of Portmeirion.

Portmeirion was designed and built by a quirky millionaire in the 1920's who had fallen in love with Portofino in Italy.

Festival Number 6 took over the charming Welsh villiage which was also home to the cult 60's TV series, The Prisoner.

Human chess - reenacting Checkmate from the 60's cult classic, The Prisoner at Festival Number 6 in Portmeirion, Wales.

View of the central piazza in Portmeirion. Not your average festival backdrop!

Friendship - from an old poetry book found in a charity shop in Portmeirion, North Wales. Each line evokes a friend.

The Tree4Hope by the mysterious Stone Boat which featured in The Prisoner.

A sea breeze through fluttering hopes. The Tree4Hope's buoyancy aid could be useful here.

Not your average festival offer. #FreeHugs.

The gorgeous Cath Kidston girls on tour with Vera the van accessorised with Band4Hope wristcandy.

This hope resonated deeply with us.

Optional glamping at Festival Number 6.

Forget the summer of 69 - Portmeirion plaque.

Portmeirion estuary view.

The dreamlike setting of Festival Number 6.

All aboard when it poured! The Tea Stop double decker bus at Festival Number 6.

Like a floating acrobatic angel.

Balloon ballerina.

Dancing above us in the sky.

So long Portmeirion and Festival Number 6! (As they bid farewell in The Prisoner) Be seeing you...

London bound through North Wales.

Such a great way of thinking! Another lovely poem from an old book found in a Portmeirion charity shop.

Double rainbow day with hollyhocks and thistles.

A good omen before Shambala Festival.

Installation by Lunar Rising at Shambala Festival

Gazing out across the lake with the Tree4Hope at Shambala Festival.

Rocket stove workshop at Shambala Festival.

You try 11 festivals in a row

Collecting hopes.

Roll up! Roll up! Rosa Bloom's boutique of curiosities!

Hot air balloon landing behind the Tree4Hope at Shambala Festival.

Upcycle philosophy - imagine if we all lived by this.

Upcycle operate from shacks created from used Tetra Pak containers - Tetrashacks!

These Upcycle Tetrashacks are light, waterproof & inspire us to be more conscious of the waste our consumerist lifestyles produce.

The Upcycle Free Shop is an interactive recycling centre. Bring your trash, leave with an upcycled treasure.

Runa's wonderful shop beneath a tree at Shambala Festival.

Vintage browsing at Shambala Festival.

Elvis and some foxes with the Tree4Hope outside The Lost Picture Show cinema.

We've met the foxes at a few festivals. They told us that every hope they've added to the tree thus far has come true!

We had a strange feeling that we were being watched at Shambala Festival.

JazzHands at the Jazzification Station. The glitter train stops here!

Sangita helped us collect hopes.

The Lost Picture Show is a sumptuous travelling cinema which evokes the golden era of movie-going.

If you ever need a tutu, a pair of wings or some nipple tassles, Jester is your man.

Hope gathering.

A young boy's hope :'(

Sangita, our Shambala helper.

At Shambala Festival with the Tree4Hope!

Sunset at Shambala Festival.

One last hope tied to the tree for this year and the foxes strike a pose.

Shambala Festival firework reflections.

Bonfire amongst the giant tulips.

ALWAYS SAY YES - graffiti wisdom.

Graffiti ghosts.

'Waste' is a purely human construct signifying our disconnection from nature & our loss of balance in the flow of life. Upcycle aims to readdress this balance.

Upcycle Eco-Rangers! These umbrellas have been saved from landfill & are going to be used to create the new Band4Hope tree!

There's a lot of rubbish left after a festival. Thankfully, Shambala Festival make sure it's all recycled.

Packed up & ready to go, so long Shambala Festival! Thanks for having us!

Baby Bow Wow! We found our precious boy at DARG animal sanctuary in hout bay. He was only two weeks old when they discovered him abandoned in the township Imizamo Yethu.

It was love at first sight!

Imizamo Yethu, Bow Wow's birthplace.

It's a tough life in the township for stray dogs.

Proud, newly homed pup overlooking Cape Town.

It's tirin' bein' this cute.

Hitting the trail with our furry new addition.

Cooling off after a long walk.

Road trippers.

Bow Wow admiring the view with Lachlan at the Outeniqua Pass, South Africa.

Loyal protector, Lesotho.

With the Himba tribe. Purros, Namibia. {Such warm, kind people. By the time we left, Bow Wow was a red head from all the stroking.}

Camp Life deep in Kaokoland, Namibia.

Bow Wow hunting with the Tsumkwe Bushmen Tribe, Namibia.

Watching the great goddess moon rising over the desert on our last night in Tsumkwe.

The Vagabond Adventurers!

One small step for a township puppy, one giant leap for canine-kind. Makgadikgadi Pan, Botswana.

It really felt as though we had set up camp on the surface of the moon.

Language of play. Lüderitz, Namibia. {Coming face to face with a jackal is a potentially dangerous situation for a dog but one night in Namibia Bow Wow taught us an important lesson; life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react. He approached the jackal in play mode and we watched for several minutes as the two bounded around together. The language of play is universal.}

Sampling the locals favourite beer, Chimbuku, on the banks of the Cleveland Dam, Zimbabwe.

We wonder if Bow Wow remembers lovely long walks along Muizenburg beach in Cape Town.

Kings Cross canine.

Bow Wow enjoying the sights of London from a black cab.

Our African street dawg, perfectly at home on Portobello.

Quick skinnydip in Holland Park fountain - you can take the dog out of the township but you can never take the township out of the dog.

Classy canine.

'A nice green park with some dogs please. Now drive!'

Under the blossom in Dundee, Scotland.

Bow Wow's pond dipping does not impress the cat.

Bow Wow just wants to make friends...

My brother Hamish is Bow Wow's new best friend.

Very pleased that haggis and beans is on the menu.

In Argyll, Scotland. 11,506 miles from Imizamo Yethu...

Snuggles with B dub.

Is this a happy dog or what?

Jumping for joy!

Chillin'.

Enjoying bonny Scotland.

Stalking an enormous bunny.

Scottish summer.

Peace offering.

Illegal bed hopping and spooning.

Bow Wow's brekkie. He likes an egg or sardines on top of his Hill's dog food.

Extreme fetch. Bow Wow doesn't seem to mind swimming in icy Scottish waters.

At St Andrews beach, Scotland.

It's still tirin' bein' this cute!

Summer picnic with Hamish by the hearth!

Who? ME?

Bow Wow is now under STRICT instruction NOT to go into the pond!

Scottish watering hole!

Glossy coat? That'll be the sardines...

Busted!

Lachlan cycling towards a herd of wildebeest and the sun.

Sunbaking hippopotamus family on Mlilwane's mirror lake.

You can tell that this is a male giraffe by the hernia like protrusion on his tummy…

Lucie and the naughty nyala.

Roan Antelope 'Back to Africa'!

That's me, Beatrice the White-Fronted Bee-Eater.

Watch out for the crocodiles, Lucie!

At Guernsey Festival we met Sarah Griffith who delivers aid to Haiti's worst affected earthquake survivors.

Sarah set up the charity called Bridge2Haiti in the aftermath of the shattering earthquake which hit the island on January 12th 2010 killing hundreds of thousands of its citizens and making over a million homeless.

Bridge2Haiti is a small charity making a big difference to the people who need help most in the Haitian slums of Port-au-Prince. Projects include the rebuilding of this school behind the slums which educates over 400 children.

Bridge2Haiti provide the children with paid teachers, classrooms, books, clean cholera free drinking water, a daily meal, uniforms, stability and a chance of a better life.

When Sarah visited Port-au-Prince last month to deliver aid, she also took some Band4Hope wristbands and a box of 'I hope that in my lifetime...' tags.

Bebe hopes that in her lifetime she becomes a big business woman and is able to help her community.

Fedora was eleven years old when she was trapped in her family home after the earthquake. She survived for nine days by drinking her own urine. Tragically, her younger brother died at her side. Bridge2Haiti help Fedora's family with rent and sponsor her education. Fedora hopes to travel the world and have an iPod.

Sarah passed her Band4Hope on to Emily who cares for nine orphans in Haiti including this baby bundle of hope, Tyson. Emily hopes that in her lifetime she impacts one life, inspires one person and leaves something behind that is worth remembering.

High apartment blocks lace the beaches which reminded us a lot of Durban in South Africa.

Balmy days, brightly coloured wild birds, squeaky clean beaches and hibiscus flowers in full bloom.

On New Years eve we ordered a feast of fresh seafood from a local fishmonger - oysters, prawns, crab and Moreton Bay bugs (a species of lobster which tastes much better than it sounds).

Fresh seafood and friends - what could be better?

Miriam's lobster necklace perfectly matched the occasion.

We saw in the bells with sparklers on the beach and the boys took an impromptu dip in the warm water.

Happy New Year!

Hamish, Lachlan's brother, posing against a cloudless sky.

Bobbing along before we braved the rides!

Our cabin door in Byron Bay.

Ready to explore Byron Bay.

Retro golf buggies.

We enjoyed a picnic in some shade before browsing a nearby arts and crafts market.

Miriam and I were in our element discovering beautiful one off pieces and chatting to the artists who had so skillfully handcrafted them.

Lapping up beach life in Byron!

It was fun to explore another unfamiliar shoreline with the sun's rays warm on our back.

Gazing over the purling ocean.

The restaurants and bars were abuzz with creative bohemians. We so enjoyed people watching and as a special treat ordered champagne and cocktails!

Brunch glorious brunch!

A Byron Bay brekky burger with the works: hash brown, avocado, cheese, bacon, egg, chutney, mayo, lettuce…. delicious!!

Roadside stop in a milk bar on the way to Nimbin.

In the loo, we spotted this strange instrument waiting for its owner.

Nimbin shack.

Because of Nimbin's rich agricultural land and perfect climate, some intrepid hippies in the 70's decided to set up communes there, striving for the idealistic Utopian dream of the time.

The small hippy town is infamous for its tolerance to cannabis use and the land and climate happen to be ideal for growing the drug.

The area has attracted many artists, writers, actors, musicians, small farmers, environmentalists, idealists, permaculture enthusiasts and mainstream society dropouts.

Writer Austin Pick described his initial impressions of the village this way: "It is as if a smoky avenue of Amsterdam has been placed in the middle of the mountains behind frontier-style building facades. ... Nimbin is a strange place indeed."

It was fascinating to look around the Nimbin museum which tells the story of its residents desires to shun normal society and live an alternative lifestyle. They talk of peace, revolution, and spirits.

Nimbin plant and paint effects.

Many artists from the community have contributed to creating the wacky museum which features embellishment in one form or another on just about every surface.

We spent the night in a bunk room above a bar with a wide balcony and a resident green prince.

Morning campers!

The Hemp Embassy, Drug Education Centre, Nimbin.

On the way back to Broadbeach we stopped in a few old-fashioned towns to rummage around their op shops (Australia's name for charity shops) and have been wearing our finds ever since.

Back on Broadbeach - what Gold Coast holidays are made of.

We joined friends in Surfers Paradise on our last evening for a delicious japanese meal.

The chef was tickled pink that Hamish could converse with him in Japanese and this led to them warbling some old tunes from his homeland.

This put us in the mood for some serious karaoke and in Surfers Paradise there are lots of places to choose from!

Fun times!

Night stroll along the beach under a full moon. What a perfect way to see in 2012!

Warm evening at WOMAD - while the parents listen, the kids are all over it.

Band4Hope HQ at WOMAD - after the mud at SGP, it was heavenly to feel soft clover beneath our feet!

Delicious coppery goodness! Photo credit Jonathan Lappin

This polar bear is helping Greenpeace to defend the Arctic. Find out more & help at www.SaveTheArctic.org

Lucie and the #Tree4Hope by Jonathan Lappin

Photo credit Jonathan Lappin

The Tree4Hope is made almost entirely from recycled materials.

Reading hopes from around the world and from every generation at WOMAD.

High hopes at WOMAD.

The Manganiyar Seduction- like an enormous, blazing, musical advent calendar. Each box slowly opened as the music built to a hypnotic finale!

Dawn breaking at WOMAD over tipis and Airstreams.

Minty fresh start to the day.

Roll up! Roll up! A modern day message in a bottle!

Lovely Louis from Saint Valentines Liquorice Co. stall helped us gather hopes at WOMAD.

Our resident hula hope-er, Daisy.

The hope gathering team at WOMAD.

WOMAD kisses. Photo credit Jonathan Lappin

Growing with us from our dawn until our dusk, sharing our childhood memories and grown up dreams.

Joining the parade WOMAD.

Soaring peacock parade!

Even hope gatherers need a break now and then.

Liquorice tasting with Louis! He has a story for every type from the Saint Valentines Liquorice Co.

Lachlan and Louis grooving to the Buena Vista Social Club at WOMAD.

The dancing wolf of WOMAD.

Country retirement suits the enormous urban fox from London.

Treetop fairy dwellings at The Secret Garden Party.

Preparing for playtime.

Disco nap.

Hope spreading wrist candy.

Hope planted at The Secret Garden Party.

Lazing on the lake with birthday boy, Zeb.

Thumb war mud wrestling.

Serenity, happiness & peace

The Tree4Hope growing in The Secret Garden!

Guiding the Tree4Hope through the garden.

Try pulling a Tree4Hope through this!

The disco lake at SGP - YES!!

Poppy spied these fawn like festival goers gazing up at the fireworks.

Our view from our leafy bower.

Poppy and Rich couldn't quite remember SGP's secret knock...

The Tree4Hope with some lovely hairy humps - check 'em out!

What you get when you cross a violinist, a helter skelter and a whole lotta hope!

Jolly's violin playing inspired some wonderful hopes.

Fabulous handmade sunnies!

Jolly - Busker4Hope!

A moment captured at SGP, a way of being, free...

After the flying powdered pigment fight.

Hope planted at a very muddy SGP.

Synchronised expression at SGP's parade!

With my paint splattered cousin, Tom!

A genuine hope from my cousin, Tom.

Jolly's sweet melodies drew the crowds.

What did this tribal beauty hope for?

Monty modelling his master's Band4Hope.

Flying free at SGP.

Hope gathering while the King of Festivals, King Charles, holds court in The Secret Garden.

King Charles whipped the wild things into a frenzy!

Happy 10th birthday, SGP! Thank you for the magical memories & see you next year!