Ducking Winter down under

It's raining, hallelujah!

2012-01-26T21:58:00.000-08:00

Our house in the jungle and a few other pix

8 hours and the loss of a day in time we arrive in Fiji. The dateline crosses here so we left Hawaii at 8 Friday morning and arrived at 3.30 Saturday afternoon! The first thing that hits is the humidity. A stop-over in Samoa where we stand in the aircraft doorway to ease our legs and breathe in the heat prepared us, but not for the crashing thunderstorm – and the ukulele band - on arrival in Nadi. From the air we could see how lush the islands are with the classic turquoise waters inside the coral reefs and the white sand ringing the rainforest. The driver of the shuttle to the hotel (where we have to wait overnight for the hopper plane to our island) obligingly detoured to a shop for us to buy water and then also gave a local a lift on the way. The hotel has all mod cons, but a short walk along the highway to look for somewhere to eat reveals this as a small oasis in a more primitive setting. On a site of market/supermarket we found a bakery with food and enjoyed a delicious Chinese/Korean style meal served by a gentle Fiiian with flowers in her hair. Here we get more for our pound than in US with 2.6 FJ$ to the £1 and prices less than in US in general. We took the afternoon flight on an 18-seater (!) rubber band job from Nadi to Savusavu on Vanua Levu, the second largest island where we have a home exchange planned – with no idea what we are going to except that Andrea will be at the airport to pick us up! Glenn thought that De Haviland stopped making air craft after the second world war Mosquito bomber but this “TwinOtter” proved us wrong (unless of course it was pre-war!); we were the only 2 passengers and sat up behind and between the two pilots so they can’t have made any money on this 1.5hr flight. It was a stunning flight over the reefs and lagoons.

It is cyclone season and we arrived with an unsettled forecast but nothing could prepare us for the battering humidity. The house exchange we had was in a pretty rainforest setting just 200m from a lagoon but the incessant rain and the greenery provided the humidity and also blocked all breeze from the house. The house was stifling hot with its tin roof and we spent most of our time on a mattress on the veranda under a mossie net with a fan blowing on us. There was, actually, nothing to do and nothing to see and only a few km of surfaced roads. In the end we hired a rent-a-wreck with air-con and spent as much time as possible in it. The mossies and ants couldn’t get at us in there either – Sue reckons the mossies were well-prepared for our British Army spec deet, loved it and told all their friends.

The House “Boy” and his daughter were very sweet and took us to see their village. There is a particular etiquette necessary in all villages. One must not wear hats or sunglasses – it is disrespectful to the village elder who is the only one allowed to wear a hat. You must find someone to present you to the elder and buy a gift of the local brew sold in coconut shells to give him after which you will be allowed to visit! You must not pass in front of someone sitting, only behind; must not sit with your legs straight out in front, but bent to the side or cross-legged – in particular not to have the soles of your feet facing the ceremonial cup or the elder! You must learn the greetings too and, as in many places, it is impolite just to go up to someone and start asking questions, you must greet them properly first. Whilst we were there, a group arrived from the Cousteau Resort and we had a bit of ethnic dancing by warriors and maidens and then the kava ceremony. We won’t go into the kava but Glenn was offered some, it’s a bit like swamp water, but browner, and it wasn’t until 2 days later that his bowels gave out, so maybe it wasn’t that after all.

The only place to escape the humidity was underwater and Glenn did 4 dives, 2 of which were 30miles out by dive boat to a protected marine park and it was the best dive of his life. Red Sea, Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef are all rubbish compared to this, shame it’s so far to get to but probably also the only reason that it is so beautiful. Even so, the dive operator took out people who really weren’t up to it and they started kicking the coral fans to bits – but these were good customers so, hey, hell…. The current on the last dive a real challenge and Glenn has reef burn along both inner forearms where he had to hang on to the reef for grim death and watch the world get flung by. It’s going down gradually- the reef burn that is.

If you are ever tempted to fly with the local joke monopoly airline Pacific Sun, don’t. Now we know where “coconut airways” went to in the sixties. They started cancelling us 2 weeks before we got here and now they have cancelled 4 flights, they don’t inform you even though they have all our contact details. When they do fly, they announce (only after take-off) that the plane was overweight (Fijieans tend to be on the large size and they weigh you here with the luggage, thankfully not “speak-your-weight”) and that they have left 100kg baggage behind, of course it included ours.

Today is Friday, we lost our onward flight to Tonga last Tuesday and have been festering at an airport hotel (at least the bedroom is aircon and we are loath to leave it) for today’s flight (yes, cancelled). We might get away tomorrow but have lost 4 of our 6 nights on Tonga and even if we get there, it will be just for 1 day. Suddenly our next flight from Tonga to Auckland is looking very civilised. We’ve been lied to, fobbed-off, refused all help with meals, accommodation and transfers. Today did it for Glenn and he marched backstage to the airline offices and cornered its most senior person here in his office for an hour and gave him the option of listening or calling the police. It took an hour to recount all the woes and at the end the manager quite agreed that they were all imbeciles and said that even he was looking for a new job. He is trying to get us 1500 bucks to replace our extra outlay but don’t hold your breath.

I think that we are expanding our “places to avoid list” such as SE Asian cities with the Pacific Islands. You can see why Captain Bligh had his work cut out here. It’s such a shame because the average Fijians are so friendly and genuine.

Bula Vinaka for now…..

Westward Ho. Around the World in 80 Delays.

2012-01-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

Brief comments on the above photos:

- Glenn (in his dreams) on his first surf lesson close to the world-famous “Pipe”.

- The portions are enormous, the arses are AWESOME (no, folks, this is not Sue) and it took an hour to get this ‘gal out of the railings

- The sunsets are enormous and just plain AWESOME

Its only the 12^th day of the new year and already in the past 2 weeks we’ve taken 3 flights, 2 hire cars and this is the 9^th different bed we’ve slept in!

Leaving on Boxing Day at the start of our big trip was difficult for me as I lost my Dad just 3 days before Christmas. Apart from the shock, there was the emotional pull of wanting to be with family, but we decided to carry on as my brother will be arranging the funeral

The long haul flight from Heathrow to LA was the most comfortable we’d ever experienced. Air New Zealand premium economy is amazingly high spec and has now spoilt us for the future! By comparison United Airlines from San Francisco to Honolulu was c***. The plan of flying west has really worked and we’ve not experienced jet lag so far….We met Glenn’s son Tim at the Radisson hotel in LA as planned, but all was not well with him. He had a really bad dose of food poisoning and his journey from Mexico to be with us had been fraught with complication. Nevertheless we set off for San Diego the next morning – trial by fire on 7 lane highways in a small (by American standards) hire car surrounded by huge trucks vehicles that looked like they came straight out of cartoons. Installed in our first motel we left Tim to recover and went in search of the ocean. We watched the sun set into the Pacific at the end of an old pier with fishermen and families vying for space in the dilapidated wooden café selling clam chowder and tacos with chillies and cheese. We took a drive through suburbia on the way back to the motel and marvelled at the excess in Christmas lighting. Already noticing the waste in packaging and too large portions of food (everyone needs to take out a doggy bag it seems), we now wondered at the cost both to the pocket and the planet in the burning of so much energy. Not only Christmas lights, but all the commercial signs and gas flares illuminating walkways to restaurants just abound everywhere in the cities.

Tim recovered enough to be able to do a tour of the Midway (aircraft carrier) in San Diego next day with his dad while I took a tour bus of the city. In fact Glenn quips that already on this tour he has been on an (each is “AWESOME”) aircraft carrier, the last of the great battleships the “Mighty Mo” USS Missouri and a submarine and Sue has eaten a lot of ice cream – so all are happy!

SanFran was memorable for its good weather for the time of year and we did all the usual things. Glenn ate crab. And more crab. He went up and down every Switchback on every Cable car (poor, sad thing) and I went shopping (yeehah). We then visited with (notice how we are stumbling into the vernacular) Sue’s sister-in-law and managed to start leaving stuff behind, in which will probably become a repetitious and senior feature of this trip.

Onwards to Hawaii and Waikiki beach. We write this from our 17^th floor condo (we think it is called Benidorm Towers) but somehow it isn’t Benidorm but if it is, it has ATTITUDE! It is as beautiful as they say so that we won’t bore you. The pix speak a thousand words. It is full of great WWII ships (Glenn made me put that in). Some above water and, sadly, some underwater…….. But the Americans do do things well at their visitor sites.

We move on into the 3^rd world tomorrow and may lose internet for a while. Those lovely people in Fiji have already moved one of our flights and cancelled another, so we are not best pleased and the weather looks like unrelenting warm rain for the entire stay in what is, of course, cyclone season. It’s not all plain sailing but Glenn reckons it won’t affect the diving too much so he plans to get seriously wet anyway. Aloha from Oahu…

PS from Glenn: did I mention the great ships!!?? PLEASE, PLEASE someone ask me for more pix of them!

Farwell to the "Land of the Long White Cloud"

2010-02-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

South Island has not only been dramatically better weather-wise than we were led to believe but also fulfills the promise that nothing can really prepare you for the beauty, the splendour, all the superlatives you care to choose. I know we look a bit battered above (11 days of coach travel does that to you, especially with 06.00 wake-ups every morning....!) and a bit world-weary but, honestly, there is nothing comparable which we have so far seen in our short lives.

We have done all the active bits that Glenn's head for heights will allow and watched all the bravehearts throwing themselves off bridges tied vaguely to an elastic band and running off cliffs with a handkerchief and a ridiculously young but strapping and blond Kiwi tied to their backs. Why more don't die remains a mystery, but I'm sure my travel insurance wouldn't have permitted it (that's my let out). But we have variously done insane jet-boating thru wafer thin chasms, white water rafting (I don't think I'll ever do it on that "pussy" Aveyron river again), sea-kayaking, lugeing down mountains and loads of other stuff that all leaves you with a gigantic and stupid grin from ear-to-ear. Glenn's Bucket List is getting ever shorter as he ticks off gliding in the most beautiful spot on Earth. There's just 2 things left he's having trouble with so if any of you have any ideas, the input would be appreciated: (1) Play the guitar like Mark Knopfler (2)Fly a Tomcat off a Nimitz-class carrier (back seat would do).

You can be on the most beautiful beaches in the world and then an hour later be awed by the snow on Mount Cook. You can stick your finger in the super-heated vent of an active volcano and then go walk on a glacier. You can stroll in glorious rain forest with tree ferns ten-a-penny (and, hey, no snakes, no spiders, no crocs) and then stand under a waterfall in spooky Milford Sound and the watch the blasted sandflys drown. You can see a Maori ceremony and then watch the whites massacre a haggis on Burns night in full tribal regalia (the whites, not the Maori). I'm not going to go on about it because it mostly defies description.

Yes, we'd like to come back.

There aren't many people here and we seem to have met most of them. That's also an advantage with House Exchange and the family we are staying with in their gorgeous house high in the hills above Christchurch are typical of the unfailing helpfulness, friendliness and humour of these "can-do" pioneering people. If there is one complaint it's that you can't whip a map out on any street without every other person coming up to you to ask if you need help with the way. And they're not trying to sell you anything. Glenn's managed to leave all 3 phones and simcards in various houses and boats along the way (head still in the clouds, silly grin, silly man) but all have been reunited via the Grand Plan here in Christchurch. Why don't they make a mobile that takes 3 simcards?

Yes, I know it's a bit far. But, Hey, (notice if you will the use of the acquired vernacular) whether you are shattered after a 10-hour plane ride or a 20-hour one, there's not much difference. And if there's anyone who says they'd like to get out to somewhere like rural France but where they speak English, then we can recommend New Zealand to you. The only condition is that you like lamb. Glenn is in heaven.

Back slowly towards reality tomorrow via the delights(?) of Bangkok and the usual day-to-day worries of how to fill the last few empty weeks in April in the houses. Then we've got to start being nice to people again. Oh, well, it will all seem like dreamtime............

Harrison Ford and the Craters of Rotorua

2010-02-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

OK. So it stopped raining. We went for a walk between showers in the Wahine national park – the foot of the Tararua mountain range south of Masterton. No-one told us there was a swinging bridge; the longest/highest in NZ, 300m above a stunning gorge and about 200m long. Glenn’s worst nightmare - he broke out in a sweat just approaching it. Heights don’t bother me, so I went first and waved encouragement from the other side. He started out gingerly, but unfortunately more people arrived and crowded on behind him making the movement worse (now he understands the sign on old bridges “soldiers break step”)….anyway he made it, we had a great walk and crossed it again later.

You know you’re approaching Rotorua by the unmistakable stench of rotten eggs in the air. The drive was superb, if long, going from lush valleys to high desert plain – good skiing country in the winter – round beautiful lake Taupo and arriving in the capital of living volcanic craters. How amazing to see steam coming from odd clearings in the woods, geysers shooting up and mud fumaroles glooping in profusion. Even the local park had fenced craters doing their stuff among the flower beds.

Our motel had its own sulphurous plunge pool tapped directly from the bowels of the earth. A constant 40C and smelly. I braved it twice a day - it did wonders for the psoriasis and the aches and pains. Trouble is, no-one mentioned it turned silver jewellery black instantly! Luckily it cleaned up ok. Spent so long deciding which Maori cultural event and hangi (meat cooked in a steam pit) to go to that we didn’t do any – saving it for next time. We met several couples from the home exchange site with a view to staying at their houses in the future. All delightful, but one or two with boats/jetties/campervans in spectacular waterfront positions . Glenn had arranged a series of meetings so we had coffee, tea, lunch and two dinners to attend which rather cut down on our cultural visits, but we did spend a whole day in Waimangu thermal park, one of the newest geothermal parks (The last eruption in 1976). We had it almost to ourselves as we wandered down the cinder paths coming upon amazing formations, colourful deposits, steaming pools and miniature volcanic eruptions. The best and brightest was the blue pool in the photo. A crater which overflows and feeds the trickle of a stream below heading out to lake Rotorori. The colour is due to the suspension of silica particles in the water, plus sun and a blue sky helps. The temperature of the stream and the various lakes and ponds is above boiling point, so although they looked tempting a quick finger test is enough to discourage. After a 2.5 hour stroll we came to the lake surrounded by panga tree ferns. A flock of black swans glided on the, now, cool waters and the cicadas were deafening. We caught an old 50s bus back to the car.

The rolling green of middle earth (hobbitland again) gave way to the coast at Napier, finally. So many miles of beautiful scenery, native bush, sheep, cattle and rivers; over the rackety bridges, reminiscent of Madison County, but without the coverings, and through the small townships and villages with their clapboard houses and churches also with an American slant. The sea front is long, golden and delightful. Shaded areas, picnic tables and BBQs. Manicured gardens everywhere and an art-deco town like a movie set stacked up against the rocky promontory – row upon row of pastel frontages with curved corner windows and wrought ironwork.

Back at Masterton, Jeanette and Phil had laid on a party for us! All their friends and children seemed to be there to greet us and everyone had brought a plate of food, except us!!! It was a great send-off (I even got invited to join their book club evening with a group of 13 delightful and interesting women). Next morning it was a 5.30 start to catch the train to Wellington and the Interisland ferry to Picton on the “mainland” as the South Islanders call their part of the country, for the start of the next phase…..

The crossing of the Cook Strait was thankfully fine and as the boat wound its way through the stunningly pretty fingers of Queen Charlotte Sound we could see that this was probably going to be the best scenery of the trip. Our transport was a clapped-out old Nissan, but then it was a cheap rental at £20 a day. It did have air-con and it was automatic, so no complaints there. We stopped off at Havelock and the ‘Slip Inn’ right on the quay for some really delicious food and wine – greenlipped mussels and cold white wine. Judy and Tom who kindly put us up for a few nights in Nelson, are the parents of some more home-exchangers with whom we will stay for a few days at the end of our south island tour. We took a water taxi to Bark Bay in Abel Tasman national park. The little cove was so pretty and inviting that we decided to have our picnic and swim before the long walk to Torrent Bay. There were just a couple of German backpackers playing a yukele when we arrived, but by the time we left there was a flotilla of sea kayakers who also thought this was a nice quiet bay….the water was warm, blue and deep, however, and we had some shade from the rocks above a little freshwater stream so the setting was idyllic and, for once, the weather was glorious. Finally dragged ourselves away and began the hike. And what a hike! The trudge was all through sub-trop bush with masses of tree ferns for shade, but there was a lot of uppy/downy stuff and we didn’t seem to be getting very far as we kept seeing the same scene every time we broke cover round Sandfly cove. Finally we emerged in Torrent bay and collapsed into the cool water to await the last water taxi back to Kaiperiperi. It’s hard to properly describe such a beautiful place as there are so many here, but it seems that each one just gets better and better. Today we completed a very small section of the Queen Charlotte track which, again, has shade from those amazing tree ferns with ‘to-die-for’ views at every turn. We both are amazed at the lack of people, given that this is such a destination. We rarely see more than one or two others on our walks. One elderly American today asked us about the tree ferns as she had never seen any before and said ‘isn’t this just the most beautiful country in the world?’ I have to say we might need to agree with her by the time this trip is over.

We’re now back in Picton spending a quiet evening before our train journey to Christchurch tomorrow and the start of the 11 day organised tour of the rest of South Island. On our way back from Nelson we stopped at the Highfield Estate vineyard and had the most wonderful lunch with a wine tasting and a very fine bottle of Pinot Noir. Having missed lunch at another winery due to this mornings walk, we made sure we got a meal at the ‘Toot and Whistle’ – a pub near the train station of course. One of the strange things about this place is that if you leave it til late to find a restaurant you are often disappointed. Not because they have no room, but because they are closed! Everyone seems to go to bed at 9p.m. Twice now we have gone without supper due to lack of interest…… will make sure we pack a picnic for tomorrow. Now, about that glass of wine…….

and then the rains came...

2010-01-26T16:02:00.000-08:00

Below is where we've been living on and off for the past 2 weeks and the car which our hosts have lent us (Glenn's kind of number plate). They have about 30 acres here and it's the kind of place where their nearest neighbour entertains us by coming and going in his helicopter!

Despite the photos, we've had more wet days than dry since we've been here. Pity our hosts who are kayaking and walking the Queen Charlotte track in s. island! although the last blog was only on line a few days ago it was actually written 2 weeks ago and published to the wrong site - my mistake! Should pay more attention but the brain is atrophying with all this rain...

The papers here are full of the fact that there has been 3 times the annual norm of rain for January causing havoc on the roads, and disrupting all the summer and sporting events. The rugby friendly at Mangatainoka, sponsored by Tui a local brewery, descended into riot with no less than 7 streakers on the pitch some dancing and doing handstands before being removed - the rain didn't deter them! Other local news includes a row over an advert for a bar person 'beer wench wanted - a midget or large-chested woman to serve beer to rugby fans" - what response would that receive in PC UK I wonder?

We went down to our hosts bach (beach house) to join them for a couple of days before they left for their own holidays. What a magic place. It took an hour to drive over the neverending hills (you can see why they chose this place for the Lord of the Rings - the locations are everywhere) and then 5km of gravel track ending at a remote and rugged bay on the pacific. Jeanette and Phil's 'Blue Bach' is as close to the sea as you can get. At high tide, there are only about 3m separating you from the surf as you sit on the deck. One or two other bachs hidden amongst trees are around the bay which stretches for over 5km. Behind us the folded hills littered with sheep and cattle. Phil took Glenn with him on a fishing trip - they launched the boat by tractor from a sandy beach a little way along, running it into the surf off the trailer. They couldn't find his lobster pots, but put out a net and after only 1/2 hour caught several large 'mokey' - big white fish - and a couple of sand sharks. Phil dealt with them expertly and we had the freshest and most delicious fish supper that evening.

Back at Masterton the weather got worse and we've had rain almost every day, sometimes torrential. We took a trip down to the furthest point of n. island to the little fishing village of whaigu and the Pinnacles - there is a tortuous track of 5-6km out to the lighthouse and a seal colony which we braved. It was worth it to find a small colony of fur seals with just the cutest pups amongst the jagged rocks. Got as close as I dared to film them, but the males looked quite threatening and you are told never to get between a seal and the sea - wonder why....

Drove back in the rain but took a different route along the edge of a large lake. Everywhere seems so deserted and unspoilt. If this was UK there would be wall to wall development along the lakeshore with golf courses and pleasure boats. It is a heritage area, so perhaps this explains it!

Another day, we went into Wellington, but as it was raining, just for a change, we didn't do much exploring. We did the famous Te Papa centre which is part museum/part galleries and exhibitions. A wonderful place with so much to see and learn about the culture and history of NZ. Drove around some of the 'millionaires row' houses along the bay and out to the point - again lots of opportunities for Lord of the Rings sites and trips. Ended by visiting the Otari-Wilson Bush natural gardens late in the day and had it all to ourselves - in the rain. It was very beautiful with just natural bush down in a gorge, arranged with treetop walks, waterfall tracks, ponds and clearings. the fabulous tree fern were huge and created natural umbrellas to keep off most of THE RAIN...

We took ourselves off to the bach again on our own for a couple of days and walked for miles along the sandy beach at the edge of the surf one day when the sun was out for a change. Just chilled and watched the sea change from morning to night. Tried another walk over land to honeycomb rock, but got bogged down, literally, due to all the RAIN so aborted. Did I mention the RAIN?

Sydney to Hobbitland and beyond.....

2010-01-23T03:42:00.000-08:00

I think we fell in love with Sydney. The place, that is, not a fella! We spent such a nice time with my cousin Linnet and husband Nick in Saratoga which, once again, is on a beautiful inland waterway. Still enchanted by the call of Kookaburras in the morning as opposed to sparrows and blackbirds and the flashes of bright colour as lorakeets and finches jostle for space in the lush tropical growth. The only other wildlife we managed to see was a truly beautiful eastern waterdragon. Linnet had seen him before at a nursery which has a very pretty cafe set amongst dense greenery and waterways and the day we went for coffee, he charmed us by crouching next to our table like a statue and devouring most of my 'rocky road'. He is now christened Rocky (see photo). The also-charming young waiter told us the sad tale of a 'joyrider' who screeched into their parking lot killing the waterdragon's mate. The cafe closed in mourning for the day... As they mate for life, poor Rocky is doomed to bachelorhood, but he now has a lot of friends who feed him royally.

We travelled into Sydney by train to stay at a hotel for a couple of nights so that we could see more of the city. We really walked our feet off for 2 days and nights, but so enjoyed the harbourside cafe society, the street performers, the lights and the people. The botanic gardens were a delight and such a green haven with flying foxes roosting in the trees - and actually destroying them as we learned, but since they are protected the gardens are having to find ways of 'encouraging' them to leave which are non-invasive! How pc can you get!! Everywhere the views are spectacular - the opera house of course, the bridge and the business district skyline in the gold of the setting sun is stunning. We had a particularly great evening at the opera house bar where we met my cousin's daughter Amanda (my second cousin/cousin once removed?) who works nearby at the Rocks. At 6 p.m. the 'bar' which encompasses the public seawall seating, is buzzing. An eclectic mix of theatregoers, backpackers and suits all vying for the best spot. We sat and observed, as oldies are apt to do, and Glenn coined it when he said that Attenborough should come and film here as it was the greatest observation on the human mating game ever! The body language spoke volumes...but what a place to be to watch the sun go down with a bottle of chilled wine and a fab tasting plate of very interesting tapas smoothly organised by Amanda.

On the 10th, we flew Sydney - Auckland NZ and picked up a rental car and stayed one night in the city before driving 4 hours north to Russell in the Bay of Islands. Found Auckland to be pretty uninteresting, except for the great views from the other side of the city at Devonport, which is a quaint suburb. Did enjoy a couple of hours in a brilliant 'Irish' pub with a very good live group doing lots of the music from our younger days, until the one guy in the place older than us latched onto us. Since he was obviously the town drunk and we weren''t sure whether we were responding correctly due to his NZ accent, our failing hearing and the noise level, we decided to call it a day and got out while the going was good - a couple had already been thrown out by the bouncer so it was probably time to go anyway!

We were hosted in Russell by Kathy and Rob, also HomeExchange members, who very kindly gave us a room with them for 3 nights. Kathy is travelling to Europe this summer with a group of friends and will spend a few days with us in Najac en route. The views from their windows are of the bay and the islands - just a lovely location. They had a bbq for us to meet their friends, also members of HomeExchange, so it was great to put faces to e-mails, so to speak. The area is just beautiful (coastal shot above). The countryside on the drive up there is awesome. I guess the fact that this was, and still is, a volcanic region is what gives the hills their incredible shapes - but unlike most volcanic regions I've seen, these are closely carpeted with velvety grass and so many tree-ferns they form a forest of their own. The beaches are heavenly as the tropical vegetation and banks of agapanthus and cana lillies come right down to the sand so that you can lie on grass in the shade of the huge magnolia trees and just walk a few metres into the surf. The water was cooler than OZ, as is the air temperature, but for us this was a huge relief so we spent most of our time with a picnic and a cold bottle on the beach swimming and reading and browsing round the little towns. The towns remind me very much of the US southern states with the clapboard houses and churches, delicate iron balustrades, wide streets and covered walkways. Very smalltown, very friendly and, best of all, individual shops - no 'out of town' shopping here, you go to the butcher, the baker and the farmer's markets. There are small supermarkets, but the emphasis is on small.

On the 14th, we took back the car and flew Auckland to Wellington - south of North Island. Phil and Jeanette met us and brought us out here to their home at Masterton. What a place! This will be the longest of the home exchanges we have arranged and it couldn't be better. Another beautifully designed house in 14 acres near the Taraparua mountain range, Wairarapa lake and an hour's train ride to Wellington city. They are francophiles and there are echos of french living everywhere in the house from the glasses (made in France) to the decor and the lovely parterre garden Jeanette is creating. They have their own cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens so as well as a pretty vegetable garden, we have a freezer full of organic meat to eat plus venison (locally raised), fresh eggs and crayfish from their 'bache' (New Zealand beach house)! The bache is on the east pacific coast about an hour away down a gravel road so is very remote. We're invited to join them there for a couple of days before they leave for their own 'summer' holiday in the south island with their family. While they're away we can go and use it as well, so we have great options for exploring this part of North Island. They have also lent us their toyota 4WD which makes it even easier!

The downside? Well, it started raining yesterday and today is torrential and blowing a gale plus the temp has dropped and we're scrabbling for warm clothes - Glenn left all his fleeces and jumpers in the Whitsundays - we've even lit a fire!! We did go for the best pizza outside Italy last night. A log cabin in the woods with a watermill generating electricity, a woodfire oven for cooking and no licence. They only cook on Friday nights only 9 choices of pizza, but, boy are they good. We took our own wine and glasses and joined the locals at trestle tables for the feast.

13 hours time difference from UK, 12 from France and 35 degrees south of the equator it's the furthest we've ever been from home, so as I write this at 2 in the afternoon on Saturday, it's 1 a.m. UK time, we're upside down and the water really does go down the plughole in the opposite direction!

So, kia ora, have a g'day, mate, she'll be right!

2010-01-05T23:41:00.000-08:00

No guesses for where we are now from the top picture! We are staying with Sue's cousin at Saratoga, north of Sydney and they have been showing us around their part of NSW. We were delighted to go down to Sydney on their boat and have a private tour of Sydney Harbour, followed by a picknick on board, followed by a rough trip back up the Pacific to their inlet Broken Water in Brisbane Bay (nowhere near Brisbane). Tomorrow we are going to stay a few days in Sydney itself before moving off to NZ on Sunday

The bottom shot is Surfers' Paradise (eat your heart out Joel) in Quensland, where we were well-entertained by Lynne and Chris (old friends from Wimborne). I hasten to add they do not live on the "Costas" but they just had to show us this excess on the great drives they took us. The shot is from the the top of the 74-floor Q1 tower and shows the ocean as well as the Broadwater which runs parallel for at least 30 miles along the coast to provide wonderful sheltered boating away from the ocean swell. Reminds me a lot of the Inland Waterway in the USA which runs from Miami hundredsof miles north to the Chesapeake and beyond.

Have to say that for us Brits this part of NSW is climatically preferable to Queensland, which is both hotter and much more humid. I'd like to say that the middle shot is a typical Queensland shot but it isn't but it comes close. We saw some great semi-tropical rainforest up there but this picture is in a nursery (cheat!) in NSW but comes very close to the rainforest.

Hear the weather continues to be dreadful in Europe and therefore best not to say anymore lest some start throwing things at their computer. So I won't. But thinking of you all, all-the-same.

2009-12-24T03:51:00.000-08:00

That's the 'phib on Whitehaven Beach and then Whitehaven at lowish tide from the air, one of the most beautiful sights anywhere. Below is the Barrier Reef, no that's not land, it's all underwater. This reminded us of the Med and the "island" in roughly the position of Corsica is actually the famous Heart Reef. From directly above, an absolutely accurate heart picture and a favourite spot for proposals! To give an idea of scale, we're quite close, Heart Reef measures about 4m in diameter.....

2009-12-24T03:39:00.000-08:00

Flights of Fancy...

2009-12-24T03:32:00.000-08:00

Glenn checks with Greg the pilot that he hasn't been drinking, has he? I fly better when I have, he retorts. None the wiser, we board the seaplane with a family group for an hour's flight over the reef and islands. Glenn sits next to Gregg and you can see he is thrilled to be in the co-pilot's seat - but is warned to 'touch nothing'. After a brief drill on how to open the doors and jump out if instructed (!), we are off and I am surprised at the ease with which this amphibian takes off the runway and how stable she is in flight. Just high enough to get the most fantastic aerial views of the islands, we get a great guided tour. The tide is low enough to show the irridescent rings of white fading to turquoise which mark the islands' boundaries with the Coral Sea and stand out starkly against the green vegetation of the interiors. Only 2-3 islands are inhabited - and those by holiday resorts. One with an airstrip and 2 high-rise which I feel is not in keeping, but necessary for the tourist trade they want to attract here. The plane dips to left and right over Whitehaven beach - the beautiful white one in our previous photos - and we see that at one end there are white dunes in serried waves which ripple back into the interior of the island like a river. Silica sand thrown up from a volcanic fault millenia ago creating a beautiful image. 50km of open ocean and then a staggering view of the barrier reef curving out and over the horizon, so vast is it's area. The shades of blue, green and white create an effect which looks like the verdigris mottling on old copper as it sweeps into banks and circles shaped over time by tide and coral growth. At one point we see a large shark cruising along a bank of coral, unaware of the human audience above.

We get to land on the sea at one of the anchored pontoons attached to the Great Barrier Reef - the family of 6 disembark and we have the plane to ourselves. At this point, Gregg opens his door and gets out, standing on one of the floats to assist people into the rib which has come to collect them. The engine is still running and the plane is moving - Glenn asks what he should do if Gregg falls in and is met with another scathing remark!

In a shower of spray and noise, which must send the fish into meltdown, the plane is off again and we get a personal tour of the reef and islands once more before coming in over Shute harbour and an aerial view of the house we are occupying so that we can see we truly are at the highest point of the bluff.

An unforgettable experience and our luck held with the weather and the tide to get the best views.

Later, we decided on a walk at a local beauty spot - Cedar Falls. The drive (thank god for the air-con) takes us through the old sugar cane plantations where the cane is still grown and the little railway first started in the late 1800s is still in place criss-crossing the highway from time to time. When the rain comes it is obvious that this area suffers a great deal of flooding from all the warning signs and measuring sticks. The homesteads are interesting and reminiscent of Louisiana with 'stoops' and rocking chairs - mostly sitting on stilts, one assumes for reasons of flood or snakes. Some of the trees are beautiful and full of blossom despite the drought although some are bleached white in the searing heat; the cattle are gaunt and appear to have no grass. Cedar Falls has no falls. The creek is dry, there is a muddy and uninviting waterhole, but no falls. 'when the rains come...' say some locals who are enjoying a tinny in the shade.

We carry on to the end of the road - Conway beach. Now this is more like it. There is a small township on another beautiful horseshoe bay of sand, completely deserted. We sit under some coconut palms in the shade with a cooling breeze and watch the white horses on the ocean while enjoying our own tinnies. We walk the length of the beach near the shallows, careful not to go in; the stinger season means that even bits of jellyfish which have broken off and washed up can still cause a fatality. Sure enough, there are the bodies of many of them lying on the sand where the water has ebbed. No wonder the beach is deserted!

2009-12-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

Getting Wet Hair

2009-12-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

OK, we had enough of being lazy and it was time to play tourist.

So we booked a day trip out to the Barrier Reef (3 hours on a fast cat, 60 miles, as far as Poole-Cherbourg). Picture 1 shows the pontoon they have there, tethered above the reef and you get 4 hours to use the glass-bottom boat, the semi-sub, the underwater observatory, water slide AND YOU GET TO DIVE (we chose this operator as the only one not to insist on a current dive medical for Glenn). Very pleasant but not the greatest diving I have done, no wonder, with 100 people thrashing around each and every day.

Next day we did a trip just around the Whitsunday Islands themselves and took in another dive, an island resort and the world famous Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday itself. That's Sue on this beautiful, beautiful beach in her fetching snorkel suit. The suits are de rigeur coz they have jellyfish here that are so small you can't see them and so venemous that they do kill. I think I read somewhere that Queensland has more things to kill you than almost anywhere on Earth.

The local knowledge divers told me that if I wanted to scare myself to try http://www.yongaladive.com.au/ for the BEST dive in Australia just a couple of hours north of here but they are booked this week. Nature's way of telling me that I didn't want to dive with bull sharks, sea snakes, below my allowable holiday-insurance depths, in a fast current and in a shipping lane. What the hell, hoping for a cancellation. If not, fall-back position is next most dangerous thing, zipping around the reefs in a small sea plane to get some great pix (probably not insured for that either). Essential to do it at low water for best views but this week we are on neaps, never mind.

pass the XXXX Sheila!

2009-12-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

Singapore was a funny place - anyone who's been from France into Monaco will know what I mean. It isn't really Asia at all (except for the humidity of 90%) -it's clean - everything works - people are genuinely helpful without wanting to sell you something: in short, a little unreal. We lost a day by sleeping for 18 hours and then thought we were sleepwalking on the streets in the central district (Glenn's back was bad and not helped by the 13 hour flight) when we could hardly see a soul but then cottoned on to the N.American idea that everyone was trogging it underground because of the heat and humidity, not the snow! Underground (or above ground in some really amazing skyscrapers) everyone was making money or spending money, but staying cool, and being quite vertically challenged. We did the tourist bit. If you think where they started, from the surrender in 1942 to the japs, from independence in the 60's, what they have done in a small place without any natural resouces is simply amazing. They should give lessons to the rest of Asia (just not in mild fascism). China town was disappointing, but the Botanical gardens were fantastic - particularly the orchid gardens, but it was surreal to see dozens of decorated christmas trees in the steamy heat with humming birds and parakeets instead of robins!

Like Ronnie Corbett, I digress. Perhaps I should start at the beginning. The plan was really to go to NZ and now I have to explain why we are in Oz for a month. Well, there is this amazing site called homexchange.com and we hoped we could travel by exchanging houses, although this would have to be non-simultaneous since few would want to come to France in the European winter. So, we looked for people with second homes to exchange and whilst we were looking, we were approached by an Australian couple who were proposing their FABULOUS second home overlooking the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland in exchange for time in one of our properties. It was too stunning to miss and if you are interested in their website to see how the other half live, ask us for the link. It must be a first since we are in heaven without dying. Obviously above you have the shot of Raffles Hotel in Singapore but the other 2 are shot from the deck here, a single of Shute Harbour below and a 3-shot stitched together to give the panorama over the Whitsundays.

We flew into Brisbane and the owners (who live there) were incredibly kind and met us at the airport at 7am and looked after us until our onward flight at 5pm to the Whitsundays. They're coming to us in France next September. We also met with another Brisbane couple who, at the last minute, are taking one of houses in March (the clock is ticking, we have to be back there to greet them on their arrival 8th March after our return flight back into London on 27 Feb) and in exchange have proposed their beautiful second home at Noosa should we ever come back to Queensland (yes, please). Glenn is going to eat humble pie later after hoping to use this trip to reinforce his prejudices about Australia - he blames his daughters for making him watch Neighbours.

From here after sitting looking at each other on Christmas Day (it'll be a first for both of us not to be able to share Christmas with our families but, hey, maybe our families are glad about that!) we fly back to Brisbane on Boxing Day to stay with an old friend from Wimborne who has now relocated back to her native Oz. Then after New Year we fly to Sydney to stay with Sue's cousin and THEN we get to go to NZ.....

More about that later. Did I tell you yet how FABBY it is here?

Apparently the XXXX brewery is near here - for all those who are interested - but seriously, cold beverages of any description are welcome and I can now see why Australians and Americans have such huge fridges.

The plane was delayed a couple of hours and we arrived, too late to see the stunning views, due to cyclonic conditions in Darwin!!! So opening the electrically operated curtains from bed to reveal this panorama in all its glory was quite something. Who needs pictures when you have a view like this! The house is on a high promontory, along with several others all equally well hidden in the bush, and overlooks the Whitsunday Passage with the islands (most uninhabited) overlaid in varying shades of green and blue beyond. Tiny Shute harbour is below us where you can watch the activity of the yachties in miniature. I don't think we are going to venture far away from here for the next 12 days, although we do plan to visit the Great Barrier Reef for Glenn to dive and me to snorkel one day and visit one or two must-see places.

We finally got into action late yesterday afternoon to venture out in the car our hosts have so kindly left for us. We had been existing on beans on toast just because it was too gorgeous here and we were too lazy, but did manage to find a shop still open after 6 on a Sunday to get a few provisions in order to change the menu. Today we'll venture further and do a proper shop.

So far the only wildlife we have seen are cokatoos which make an almighty racket, but are pretty to watch, no roos or wallabies - but we are told there is a 'saltie' (salt water croc) in a creek near here and there was a rather large crab-like spider on the terrace table yesterday morning.....Also, fish in the harbour which bite off your toes (I kid you not) if you go wading. Did I tell you how FABBY it is here?

that last from Glenn - I think it's all too much for him. I leave him to it while I go for my regular 50 lengths in the pool and see what he does??

Overcast and showers forecast with temperatures from 29-31C lower humidity than Singapore, but still hard to get used to. Going to take one of the ceiling fans into a local repair shop this afternoon whilst shopping (Glenn just can'r resist being Mr. Fixit). Considered getting a christmas tree, but will stand firm against all things seasonal as planned. Doesn't stop us getting in some smoked salmon and champagne though...!

2009-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

OK, so no-one likes round robin letters, but this is different - hey, this is new technology even if we are a couple of TOGS (thats Terry's old geezers for the uninitiated). So watch and learn all ye who are yet to discover the joys of blogging.

We haven't even started out yet, but thought I would just have a practice session to see if this works. I have changed from my original mail address to this one so will also have sent out a new blogaddress for you to access.

The purpose is for us to diarise our travels, not only for you poor souls left behind in the midden of a european winter, but for our benefit when we get back. You see, the aging process may well develop more quickly in the heat and STML (not a sexually transmitted disease, but short term memory loss) will probably mean we won't remember a thing. 'Have I had my dinner yet?' syndrome creeping ever closer.

D-Day for leaving here is Saturday 5th which is worrying since we aren't ready yet, but when we do get our act together, we are staying with friends for a couple of days in UK and from there fly out for the first leg (why do they call it that? My daughter very seriously corrected her grandad when she was 5 and was told they were on the 'last leg' of the journey and told him it was 'the last wheel' - since they were in a car at the time....) which takes us to Singapore. Neither of us have been that far east before and its likely to be a shock, but a pleasant one I hope. Just praying that we don't get swine flu or any kind of flu before we go since we are told that everyone is scanned as they exit the 'plane and if just one person has a temperature (what about hot flushes?) then the whole flight is quarantined. Mind you this is usually in a nice hotel, so could be worse, but really don't want to lose out on our time in Oz.

So, hasta la vista, a bientot, til later....