Thursday, 4 September 2008

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

...and the best bits of Australia


Snorkelling on the Barrier Reef. Crumpet the Koala. The Sydney Opera House. Kangaroos. The Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Echinda crossing the road. Steak & Moreton Bay Bugs (a cousin of the lobster). Turtles swimming in a coral reef lagoon (don't forget to pronounce Turdles). The duck-billed platypus (a lifetime ambition acheived!). Friendly folk - everyone! Sunshine (no rain!). The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains. The hot chocolate (melting chocolate buttons by candle) in Katoomba. Automatic car + Cruise control! (Sat Nav says 'sit back and relax for the next 300kms')... The Croc show at Australia Zoo (tribute to Steve Irwin).

And now, finally, the best bits of New Zealand...


Most impressive view and SO worth the hundreds of kilometres to reach it: Milford Sound. The anticipation. The effort to get there. The drive through the range. The Homer tunnel. The keas. The cruise. The dolphins. The view. The weather. All mind-blowingly fantastic...


And a close second - spending time with our lovely friends Xanthe, Greg, Sophia & Jessica (we miss you guys!).
Now the best of the rest. The South Island. The glow worms. The whale-watching trip. Being on a boat with a pod of dolphins swimming ahead of it. Throwing snowballs on a snow-covered volcano. No queues, anywhere. Best drink: great coffee - everywhere. Best snack: homemade sausage roll from the tea shop in the Old Town at Cromwell. Best ice cream: the incredibly large single scoop on Ninety Mile Beach. Most impressive architecture: "tin town" - Tirau (buildings shaped like dogs & sheep). Most surreal experience: standing at the face of a Glacier. New Zealand milk - don't know what they do to it but it's gorgeous! Favourite birds: the Pukeko (although in Australia they call it the Purple Swamp Hen!), the Fantail (does a little dance in the air as it catches the insects you disturb as you walk), the Tui - the most incredible song, and the Kea - a green mountain parrot. Favourite animal - Sea Lions. Most unusual experience: sand tobogganing. New Zealand beef - so delicious. The thing we didn't manage to do this time round but would like to do next time: Abel Tasman Park (mostly only accessible by boat) and the Tongariro Crossing (8 hour walk across a volcano plain). Would most like to go back and explore some more: Tauranga. Most unusual place: volcanic Rotorua. Most stunning beaches (so many but these are our faves): Cathedral Cove, Orewa, Piha, KareKare. Best wine: chilled Mills Reef Chardonnay in a little restaurant in Tirua (on the Coromandel). Best value: (everything thanks to the exchange rate!) Scallops - about 70p per half dozen! Best value day out: Karangahake - explore goldmine workings with a torch, all FREE (including the parking). Best value accommodation: a camping cabin at Shotover, $45 for the night (about £20). Best alternative to a UK product: Weetbix by Sanatorium (even nicer than Weetabix!). Cutest thing: Emma taking a Llama for a walk at the farm park at Hanmer Springs. "Is going to get some getting used to not having": bags packed for you at the supermarket (and pleasant staff who chat to you while they're doing it!). Best food product (other than milk and beef): Soggy Bottom Sausages from the Clevedon Farmer's Market. Best piece of marketing: Radio Morning Show slogan "Wakes you up like a full bladder". Most pleasant surprise: the dunny (dry earth toilet) half way round a 4 hour circular walk around a volcanic crater lake. Best experience: volcanic hot pools (Waiwera, Miranda, Turanga & Hanmer). Most unusual journey: being driven up 90 mile beach (it really is the highway and a better ride than the unsurfaced road!). Funniest sight: Angora bunnies being shorn. What would we recommend to people thinking of going? All of it!!! (except the venison pie in Arrowtown) ;0)
Best tip: our most useful piece of kit - a 99p plastic picnic set from Asda - plates, dishes, beakers, cutlery. Meant we could have breakfast & a picnic lunch wherever we were, perfect for life on the road.

What we enjoyed the least

The Venison pie from the bakery in Arrowtown (full of gristle, yuk)! Lets get this right, not the cafe/bakery in the middle of the High Street, I'm talking about the Pie Shop at the top of the High Street. How dare they call themselves gourmet..... Total rubbish. Do not go there. I mean I bit into the pie and the whole content bit back as a massive piece of gristle. How could any chef put that into a pie and call himself gourmet ?? Bums on seat methinks, passing trade..... This rant was brought to you by Timmy!

Now he's got that off his chest (!), other least memorable points included...Invercargill. The "art deco" town on the way to Queenstown, so not worth the effort! The crossing from the south island to the north island (lumpy is an understatement, but luckily - unlike our friends the Nobles - we weren't asked to strap ourselves in!). Sandflies at, guess where, Sandfly Point. So small they're almost invisible but OUCH - they really can bite! Air New Zealand - the engines wouldn't start on 2 of our long journeys (not what you want to hear!), service was adequate but uninspiring.....Any products made by Watties (they're the equivalent of Heinz but they fill everything - from Rice Pudding to Baked Beans - with half a dozen teaspoons of sugar!). The chair lift to the top of the mountain at Queenstown - vertical up a cliffside - what made us do it??? Hot Water Beach was a big shame - the tide wasn't going out sufficiently when we were there so we didn't get to dig a big hole in the sand & sit in volcanic hot water! DOH! Ah well, maybe next time ;0)

Oh, and the rain.

The bits we missed the most


Family & friends. Our cat, Lucy (pictured).
Terry Wogan. Sarah Kennedy. The BBC. Janet & John. Our coffee machine. Buildings older than 1900AD. The National Trust. Canals. Central heating. Rolling green hills. London. H&M (Emma). SQUIRRELS!!!
That lovely feeling you get when you climb into your "own bed"...
Oh, and Cadbury's chocolate. We knew they made Cadbury's at a genuine Cadbury factory in Dunedin on the South Island of NZ so we took a detour and visited. There are three Cadbury factories worldwide - Birmingham (visited many times); Dunedin (have now been there) and Tasmania (now on our to do list)...
The thing is, even though it really is Cadbury, they have to change the recipe (a) for local taste and (b) because it has to be able to tolerate the sometimes much higher temperatures over there, so they have to reduce the melting temperature.
It wasn't really Cadbury as we know and love it though....

The bits we missed the least...


Tesco. Crowds. Traffic. Surly attitudes & bad service (pictured). The weather (although we really had some in Auckland!). Having a mortgage. Dealing with utility companies or local authorities. Taxes. Alarm clocks. The work-day routine. Instant coffee. Paying to park your car!

The best and worst of the last 6 months...

Well, finally, after 2 weeks getting ourselves re-grounded, we have time to publish our "best and worst of the last 6 months". We're going to publish in 4 parts, here goes... Part One: What we missed the least. Part Two: What we missed the most. Part Three: The least favourite things about our trip. Part Four: The very BEST bits. Right, now that's explained, here's Part One...

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

Back online!





Phew, over 2 weeks without the internet, that was a culture shock!!! First we had to order the line from BT (welcome back to the UK!) and then we had to wait for our belongings to come out of storage to get the router to connect us to the line! Thanks to our friend Marilyn we've been able to keep up with email but here is a belated entry for the BLOG!!!


The journey back was not too bad at all, an overnight flight to Hong Kong and we all managed to sleep for over 5 hours which is a first for us. Of course, we landed in China during the Olympics so there were mascots and flags everywhere - the equestrian events were in Hong Kong.


A special mention here for Hong Kong airport, it is spectacular. Three incredibly tall storeys underground, a subway train to take you between terminals, and all spotless and totally efficient. We stayed at the hotel at the airport and it literally is at the end of the runway, some amazing views from our window, first of the pool in the quadrangle, then the runway, then the harbour, and finally a volcano in the background... And the most awesome thing - we could watch the planes land right outside our window and there wasn't a sound - you could have heard a pin drop!


Hong Kong itself seems to be a city of two halves. The harbour area is glass and shiny and tall office blocks and air-conditioning. They even have air-conditioned tunnels between buildings so you don't ever have to go outside! After a wander around we got a taxi to the old town and had a delicious chinese meal. It's all hustle and bustle, noise, traffic and seemingly smooth-running chaos!


After our whistlestop tour (24 hours precisely) it was time to move on and complete our final journey back to the UK...

Wednesday, 13 August 2008

Farewell NZ!

Tonight we leave Auckland just before midnight and arrive in Hong Kong about 6.30am in the morning.

Preparing for our "That's All Folks" entry, we are busy compiling a best-of and worst-of our adventures and will publish as soon as it's finished!

For now, farewell as we begin our long return journey! Julie, Tim & Emma xxx

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

Reef Pictures



Not sure what the resolution of these pictures will be like as I've copied them from the internet, but here's a fabulous aerial picture of Lady Musgrave Island. Of course being at sea level we can only see the island itself which doesn't give any impression of how it sits in a coral reef lagooon. Remember this is an hour and a half out to sea, with no other land or islands in sight. And here's a picture of a turtle taken underwater so you can get a better idea of what we saw when we were snorkelling...underwater camera next time!!! :0)

Monday, 11 August 2008

Weekend Walk



On our final Sunday afternoon here in Auckland, the weather cleared and was beautifully sunny so we went on a 5km tramp around a peninsula called Shakespear Park near the seaside town of Orewa. A bit muddy underfoot (thanks to the pudding cows!) but the walk took us up and down dale through farming country, with terrific views of Auckland City and the Coromandel Peninsula; and the islands of Rangitoto, Tiri Tiri Matangi and Great Barrier Island. A stunning finale to our weekend, topped off with a delicious roast beef dinner! Thanks so much to our friends and hosts for making our last few days down-under warm and welcome as always...

Sunday, 10 August 2008

Farewell Celebration!




Tonight we had a meal out with our lovely friends Xanthe, Greg, Jessica and Sophia at a Mongolian restaurant. Select your ingredients, sauces and oils and take it to a massive hotplate for the delightful chefs to cook before your eyes...kind of indoor barbeque! Great fun for everyone...

Saturday, 9 August 2008

A Koala Ambition Fulfilled



One of the must-do's on our trip to eastern Australia was to visit a Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane called Lone Pine. Emma had an Adoption Certificate for Christmas for a 2 year old Koala girl called Crumpet, and it was our mission to go and meet her.


Here's a picture of Emma cuddling a Koala called Teresa, and a beautiful picture of Crumpet (she wasn't on cuddling duties today!) They have over 130 Koalas at Lone Pine and they work actively with the Australian Koala Association. They're based in a beautiful spot by the river in Brisbane.


From here we headed for the airport and headed back for a final weekend in Auckland...

Friday, 8 August 2008

Some time to chill...




Well, after a hectic few days, from rollercoasters to crocodiles to coral reefs, we decided a chill-out day was in order so we stayed for another night in Caloundra instead of heading for Brisbane. It's a quiet seaside town, weather glorious, seafood gorgeous! Last night we had Moreton Bay Bugs which are a bit like lobsters but look more like woodlice - didn't think about it too hard - they were delicious!! ;0)


Anyway, a lovely shot of the beach which overlooks Pelican Island and hey presto, a Pelican! He was mooching around waiting for the fishing people on the prom to gut their fish & throw the bits back in (nice)....and here's the apartment where we stayed, balcony overlooking the sea...(sigh)

Thursday, 7 August 2008

Crikey!





Our penultimate day trip in Australia, the obligatory trip to Steve Irwin's legacy Australia Zoo. Crocodiles. Salties. Tasmanian Devils. Kangaroos. Wallabies. Wombats. Koalas. And all on a massive scale and high-octane.....the Snake and Croc show was big, bold, sleek and professional...and a thoroughly fab day out...

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

1770





Regular viewers will be thinking that is must be impossible for us to "top" anthing we have been so fortunate to have seen throughout our five months in New Zealand. We too, thought MIlford Sound the ultimate. Not so. For today we snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef............ Sadly we didn't have an underwater camera so there is no account of our encounter. But everything you have ever seen about the Reef is exactly as it is. From Jacques Custeau's early films back in the '70s, the colours and forms of the Reef are truly mind blowing when you are actually there looking down on them.... I consider myself truly lucky having been fortunate enough to have travelled so extensively with both work and holidays, but today has been the most ultimate experience to date. Julie narrates the story from here.... by Tim x

Goodness, today was a big day. We set off from the harbour at a tiny place called "The Town of 1770" - named after Cpt Cook's first landing in Australia. The catamaran left at 8am and we sailed (pretty lumpy) for 90 minutes out into the Pacific ocean. Temp 26 degC, clear blue skies. Our destination; Lady Musgrave Island; a tiny desert island nature reserve, surrounded by a coral reef lagoon. This is the most southerly point of the Great Barrier Reef - it stretches north from here for over 2,000kms.





On arrival we anchored in the lagoon, then off on a glass bottom boat to the island itself. We walked one side to the other (c.10 mins) with a talk about flora and fauna...the amazing thing, a campsite, right in the middle - to use it costs $4 a night although you have to take every conceivable supply with you, water etc.





Back to the boat for a leisurely buffet lunch, we could then don our wetsuits and snorkel gear and get into the water. As the day goes on the tide goes out and the water gets more shallow, and warmer, so the later you snorkel the better. We all went in for a while and were awestruck at the coral, fish, sea-slugs - and just the unrealness of being there! The guy running the glass bottom boat promised us sight of turtles if we went on his next excursion, and we could get dropped off in the lagoon and swim back if we wished, so we did. WE SWAM WITH TURTLES!!! (pro. Turdles)...I still think someone needs to pinch me so I wake up! ;0)





We sailed back taking a slight detour to avoid low-tide in the harbour, which meant we encountered Dolphins and two Humpback Whales on the way back, oh, and a sunset for good measure. Arrived back at the harbour after dark, exhausted, overwhelmed, slept until 10.30am next morning................phew...................this one goes into the record book.

Tuesday, 5 August 2008

To Paradise...



We decided to make the best use of the few days we had left and went in search of the Great Barrier Reef. Another 500kms north is a lush green belt like a market garden - they grow Sugar Cane, Avocados, Strawberries, Macadamias....the town of Bundaberg is said to be the most consistent climate in Australia, ranging only from 32 degrees to 24. A little further north again and we stayed in a gorgeous seaside town called Agnes Water. We rented a 2 bedroom bungalow (pictured) for 3 nights so we could enjoy the sunshine & beach, and take a trip to the reef...Here's the beach at Agnes Water, a 5 min walk through the bush from our bungalow.

Sunday, 3 August 2008

Seaworld





Fab day, 24 degrees and sunny, spent all day at Seaworld. Am exhausted. Loads of lovely things to see - Sharks, Polar Bears, Sealions and Dugongs (a member of the Sea Cow family). Em got to go in the pool with the Dolphins!!! :0)




Saturday, 2 August 2008

Warner Brothers Movie World



Well, having done the WB Studios Tour in LA, we thought it only right to do the Movie Theme Park here in Queensland. White knuckle rides, Warner Bros shows and the obligatory 'Parade' made for a terrific day! Oh, and about 22 degrees and sunshine was an added bonus!


Tim and Em went on this Superman ride, vertical up and then straight down again. I volunteered to take pictures ;0)


And here's them getting drenched on the Log Flume.


Strange, they're both too tired to go out tonight!!! :0)

Friday, 1 August 2008

Aussie Wildlife



As well as seeing exotic animals in the zoo, there are lots out here in the town. As well as Sparrows and Seagulls cruising the picnic areas for scraps, these monsters muscle in! The Sacred Ibis stands about the size of a Pea-hen and they nest in the palm trees overhead. Flying around are Cockatiels and Rosellas. Here's one feeding on the nectar from some kind of seed cone. All fascinating stuff!!! Thankfully we haven't encountered anything scary or poisonous (yet!)...

Thursday, 31 July 2008

Surfers' Paradise


We managed about 600kms in the last couple of days and have reached our first sunshine destination - Surfers' Paradise! A huge, long beach, gleaming tower blocks and a young, happening atmosphere...This region is where the big theme parks are located, our schedule for the next few days! For now, though, a well deserved afternoon on the beach...

Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Choco-heaven!


Nothing much to report today as we spent most of the day travelling from Newcastle to Ballina - on our way to the Gold Coast for some fun in the theme parks and then more animals at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Australia Zoo - it's all go! However, by way of a filler, here's a pic of Em enjoying a truly 'hot' chocolate in the cutest Chocolate Cafe in the Blue Mountains. You get what looks like an oil burner - complete with lit candle - in which you melt your chocolate buttons (like a mini fondue really) - then you pour in hot milk, stir and enjoy. And all this by an open log fire. Have I died and gone to heaven? ;0)

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Australian Reptile Park



North of Sydney as we head up for Brisbane is the Australian Reptile Park. A massive treat, our first sighting of a Duck Billed Platypus!!! A real one!!! Most reptiles are behind glass so can't be photographed but here's a fab fibreglass model of a frilled lizard from the entrance, and a shot of the zoo keeper feeding a chicken dinner to Elvis the Crocodile.

Monday, 28 July 2008

Sydney Harbour Bridge


Back to Sydney for a final day, we opted for the walk at road level over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which gave us fabulous views of the city and the Opera House. From here we could see at close hand the people who'd opted for the "over" the bridge option - not for the faint-hearted!!!

Sunday, 27 July 2008

Blue Mountains

We headed out of Sydney for a couple of days, west to the Blue Mountains. I guess the view was something like the grand canyon, but greener, vast and asolutely stunning. Here's Tim and Em in front of the Three Sisters.

Saturday, 26 July 2008

Koala Fun






Featherdale Wildlife Park is about 40 mins west of Sydney and a great showcase for Ozzie wildlife. Kangaroos, Wallabies, Echidnas, Ibis, Dingos, and of course the hallmark Koala. Had a lovely day, Em got to stroke a Dingo puppy and we all got the chance to stroke a Koala and a Kangaroo. We feel like true Antipodeans, now, notice the upward inflection on the end of this sentence? It's all good, eh?