Respect for the elderly. Michael Noyce

In Uzbekistan, 2015 is the Year of the Elderly and there were terrific signs wherever we drove to remind the locals of our presence and demographic. Here is one such sign in Fergana City, an area that DFAT advises not to visit.

We thought it may have been the old cars that attracted so much attention and created heaps of goodwill. But perhaps it was simply the locals responding to the year of the elderly and showing us the respect we undoubtedly deserve.

As part 2 of Stage 2 of the Bondi to the Baltic expedition, from Tbilisi to Helsinki through Russia, is about to commence, it is hoped that the Russians show the same respect to our 'ageing' adventurers as was displayed to them throughout Uzbekistan.