Voyage of discovery - SE Asia

As I did with my travels around NZ, I kept a travel journal throughout my time in SE Asia. My original intention was to recount that virtually word for word – as I did with NZ – but I’ve come to the conclusion that may be a little long-winded. I’ve therefore decided to summarize our travels around SE Asia.

Singapore

Our travels started on October 12th when we flew from Sydney to Singapore. Immediately struck by how charming the people are - the immigration desk even offered us a boiled sweet! Arriving around 10pm we were still shocked by just how humid it was – felt like walking through a warm shower as we left the airport! We spent a couple of excellent days staying in Little India – as it was Diwhali the whole place was lit up by bright lights - really enjoyed the food (especially the vegetarian options). Had our first experience of a cold shower – but it was much needed refreshment if I’m honest! Not sure what to make of the ‘Merlion’ that is Singapore’s emblem – think the tourist board must have taken a LOT of drugs when thinking that one up!

Malaysia

A nine-hour train journey had us in Kuala Lumpur – of particular note was the Madonna tracks playing in the immigration area! – and another place we were pleasantly surprised by. Stayed in the non-descript area of Chow Kit, but the Hotel Cosmopolitan proved to be a great base – the rooms decent & the owner friendly and helpful. The mighty Petronas Towers dominate the city & we spent a lot of time staring up at them! Spend a lot of time walking around the city – enjoying the Bird Park, the War Memorial, Merdeka Square, etc & the spectacular views from atop the KL Tower – help us to put our walks into perspective. Amused by the Malaysian version of Steve Irwin who gives us a tour of the grounds (and makes a little girl cry).

With Lucy practically in tears due to the lack of toilet we board a bus for the 10-hour overnight journey to Kota Bharu – a sleepy town that is the sailing point for our trip to the Perintian Islands. Get to Kecil to find that the beach is closed! Walk through the jungle to find another beach is only just open – but the views are spectacular and the water is crystal clear. It’s also nice to find somewhere that is not developed – electricity only on for 4-5 hours on a night! Disappointed to find that our mosquito net has several holes in it, but relieved to find we only get a few bites. More amusing is the frogs bathing in the toilet water! End up running low on funds on an island without an ATM so have to decide against the snorkelling (which we hear is fantastic) and somehow make it back to the mainland on a vastly overcrowded boat. Little did we know it’s the last we’ll see of the sun for quite some time.

Thailand

Experience my physical border crossing – although almost miss having my passport been stamped until I notice a friendly Malaysian lady knocking on a window! Stroll across into Thailand and purchase a train ticket for our journey north. The ticket guy asks if we want a “seat ticket” which I take to mean the options are “bed” or “seat”. As we board the train it transpires that the choice is actually to sit or STAND for the 9-18 hr journey. We get to experience our first 3rd class train journey and whilst the seats are stiff (no padding), the conditions are cramped and there is no air-con (apart from the window) we enjoy the journey – the people are so friendly and the food is superb!

Eventually make it to Surat Thani around midnight & say goodbye to our travelling companions who have another 9 hours to go before they hit Bangkok. Check into the only hotel in town – the Queen Hotel – it’s extremely cheap and the room comes complete with several friends (a cockroach under the pillow, an ant crawling through my hair) and a fan that sounded like it was about to fly off and behead us. Woken by the smell (it was BAD) and so no hanging around for us as we continued our journey to Ko Samui. Arrived on the island to find the rain had started and it is fair to say that the roads were not fully prepared for the downpour. Checked into the excellent Matlang Resort and started to pray for sunshine! Turns out Ko Samui is a bit like Magaluf in Thailand – not something that I particularly enjoy – but we did have a great time, meeting several great people (including Mike, Roxy & Simon) – found some great places to eat & a couple of interesting bars. Watched England lose the RWC Final on a night that made me sick to be an Englishman – the crowd in the bar were just sickening. Had an alcohol fuelled night out on our final day – went well until we hit the tequila and went downhill rapidly after that.

A choppy 2hr boat ride (Lucy not feeling great!) had us in Ko Phangan where we stayed in the excellent Phangan Rainbow – complete with a range of lovely dogs! Loved the Amsterdam Bar (complete with ‘shroom cocktails), almost died in quicksand (scary!) and had our first experience of a “Friends” bar – literally played episode after episode of Friends. Best of all was the Full Moon Party – the reason we had hung around for so long – a cross between ‘spring break’ & the rave season from Matrix 2! Had a couple of buckets of Sangsom (Thai rum) & M150 (similar to red bull) that literally blew my mind – reckon the M150 must contain amphetamine…. Managed to fall asleep on the beach and miss the sunrise, but worst of all was the feeling ill for the next 3 days! Note to self: stay away from buckets of booze, especially those containing M150!

As luck would have it, the day we left the islands the sun came out – just our luck! – and everyone on the boat got sunburnt! Another overnight bus journey had us in the manic city that is Bangkok. A hustling, bustling city with perhaps the worst traffic of any city that I have visited. Decided on a night of luxury & checked into the Banyan Tree – our first hot shower of the trip! – and made good use of the rooftop pool & bar before enjoying a dinner at the bizarre ‘Bed Supper Club’. Loved the way that every conceivable place along the Ko San Road was turned into a bar – garage forecourts, pavements, VW campervans, even the back of a pushbike!

Leaving Bangkok was much more trouble than it was worth and a train-strike coupled with awful traffic & terrible directions meant that a 90min journey to Ayathuya took a total of 7 hours! Even when we made it to Thailand’s former capital we were dropped off at the wrong place, which wasn’t too helpful in a town of very few English speakers! Eventually found a place to stay – hosted by a lovely family but home to a dog that barked throughout the night & meant little / no sleep for the two of us. The city itself had lots of temples to explore, but with Angkor in mind we deliberately restricted ourselves to visiting only a few and then enjoying the sun a little.

A super luxury VIP bus – complete with toilet! – took us to the walled city of Chiang Mai. Again rain prevented us from doing a few things we wanted to do but we managed to find a cool bar – THC – with superb views of the city. Unfortunately, following our excellent day of cooking with the Happy Garden School, I was taken ill and was confined to bed for 3 days. It’s fair to say that I saw a lot more of our bathroom & a lot less of the city than I had hoped to. At one point I was hallucinating so vividly that I thought a sniper was trying to shoot me from across the street – and spent the night squirming in the bed to avoid the laser sight! Fortunately, I did get to see some of the impressive night market and sample plenty of the local cuisine. Would love to go back to the region to partake in the treks.

Laos

The friendly & efficient airport in Chiang Mai was our departure point as we boarded a small propeller plane for our flight to Luang Prabang. So many people had told us good things about Laos that we worried whether it could possibly live up to expectations. Let me tell you, the northern part of the country provides possibly the most dramatic scenery I have witnessed – certainly up there with New Zealand. Enjoyed watching the sun setting over the city before taking a trip around the night markets. Spent a lot of time just chilling and taking in the pleasant atmosphere – a relief after manic Bangkok & 3 days in a bed! Interesting that no beggars around – well apart from one guy who seemed to change his outfit 3 times a day, including one dodgy Hawaiian shirt! – due to the welfare state in what is still a communist country. Amusing to see the people carrying around baguettes (it’s a former French colony) and we became big fans of the local delicacy (small baguette with laughing cow cheese & salad!). Good to see that there is also now more than one ATM in the country!

One of the twistier road journeys I have experienced (rivals Skipper’s Canyon in NZ) took us through the mountains to Vang Vieng. Thought we had got off the bus in the wrong place as we were met by a deserted runway. Luckily, this was not the case & after a night of ‘Friends’ watching in a local bar we were up bright and early for a day of ‘tubing’. To the uninitiated, this involves travelling down the river in a rubber tube – basically the inner tube of a tractor tyre (I’m not sure who had the idea!?). We were told that without stopping the journey should take 90min – so it was with some surprise that we could still see the start 2hrs into the journey! The problem was that every 50 yards there was a bar pumping out music, offering bottles of Beer Lao (really good!) and a go on a rope-swing! How could we resist? Ended up completing the journey several beers to the worse and in complete darkness! An excellent experience and a must for anyone travelling through the region.

Not wanting to have another day of boozing it up on the river (we met a few people who went tubing every day for a fortnight!) we continued our journey south to Vientiane – the capital of Laos. A bit of a non-descript place if I’m honest but we enjoyed a stroll around the city and a couple of chilled out nights – sipping beers & watching pirated DVDs. Possibly the most interesting fact about the place was that the main monument – a Laos version of the Arc D’Triumphe – was built using cement the US had given for the building of a runway!

Cambodia

Following a very confusing spell at the airport in Vientiane – the international flight we were on left from the domestic terminal – a bumpy landing (the steward pretended to be worried) had us in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. Found the ‘Tat Guesthouse’ a very friendly place to stay & the family were helpful and accommodating. Had an emotional and thought-provoking time at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek – replete with a tower of human bones & some bones still sticking out of the ground – followed by a view of Tuol Sleng prison (14,000 entered and only 12 lived). Just amazes me that human’s can do such things to each other. A really emotional day – and we just had to turn down the opportunity to blow-up a cow with a bazooka.

Phnom Penh houses several excellent examples of colonial architecture – some of which have been left to rot in the past few years – but the streets & river are in real need of a clean-up as they are litter strewn & people think nothing of urinating in the street (a bit like London on a Friday night!)….a real shame.

Decided against taking the boat to Battambang & instead headed straight for Siem Reap – home to the Temples of Angkor. Lots of bars & restaurants, all charging premium tourist prices. Our favourite was the ‘Dead Fish Tower’ – a multi-layered bar / restaurant serving great set-meals (Amok – a light curry was particularly good) and home to a crocodile farm!! No visit to Siem Reap would be complete without a viewing of the extensive temples & with help from our tuk-tuk driver – Sien – we had a fantastic 3 days of touring (although at times I felt ‘templed out’). Particular favourites were Ta Prohm (tree growing through the temple walls), Bayon (with it’s multi-faced towers), the gates of Angkor Thom (envisaged what it could have been like all those years ago with elephants walking through the crowds) and of course the wonderful Angkor Wat.

Thailand

Almost had a heart attack when asked to ride on the back of a moped with my backpack – the tuk-tuk drivers made the joke that it was a good way to get to Bangkok (500km away!). Fortunately, I made it on to the bus early so that I could secure a seat with some leg-room – I say ‘some’ because the rest of the seats were literally 30cm apart – ‘Ouch’! One of the bumpiest journeys I have ever experienced had us back in Bangkok around nightfall.

A couple of days of exploration of this thriving metropolis were more than enough – the sheer throng of humanity was too much at times. Didn’t get to see the pool on top of our accommodation – Rambuttri Village Inn – but we had a great room & spent plenty of time roaming the relaxed Rambuttri Soi with the occasional venture into the busy Ko Sahn Road.

Sad to say goodbye to SE Asia, but it’s good to be back in Australia.

I think it’s fair to say that Lucy & I had a superb time in SE Asia. Saw some wonderful sights, had some ‘interesting’ travel experiences and sampled some awesome food & beer. Most importantly, we met some fantastic people and it is that which made our journey complete. In particular, the native people we met were friendly and often willing to give all they had – even if they had nothing.

Favourite food: Kow Pat Krabang / Papaya Salad / Fish Amok

Favourite beer: Beer Lao (enjoyed the odd Chiang Haze)

Best Activity: Tubing

Most thought provoking place: Tuol Sleng Prison

Best thing about trip: The people / Spending time with Lucy!

NZ Odyssey Part 2 - South Island

Thursday 27th September

An unsociably early 6am start has us at the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal by 7am. It’s time to say goodbye to North Island & Wellington gives us a rainy farewell. Board the impressively large ferry for the 3hr / 90km crossing & find our way into the packed café for a cooked breakfast (served with canned spaghetti in place of beans!). Unfortunately, once we leave the safety of the harbour we hit the choppy water of the Cook Straits & Lucy turns a shade of pale before spending the rest of the journey feeling ill. I console myself with Lindsay Lohan & the new-ish Herbie movie. Fortunately, by the time I’ve been subjected to 15min of the absurdly bad ‘Bride & Prejudice’ the weather has improved & we’ve started to pass through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. The South Island is like a different world – the scenery more majestic, more dramatic & there is a sudden change in the weather (it’s now blue skies & bright sun). Arrive in Picton & it’s straight on to Nelson, hoping to complete the 150km journey in time for the tour of Mac’s brewery – unfortunately it’s closed! Whilst I wouldn’t quite call it bikini (or mankini) weather it’s very pleasant and we sit in the sun for a while enjoying a drink and a bowl of chips. Have a walk around the surrounding area, which contains a variety of fun-filled activities – mini golf, waterslide, bumper boats, sack slide & even a model railway. Spend the night at Old MacDonald’s Farm near to Abel Tasman National Park…drive past a variety of llamas & alpacas and are greeted by a lovely black cat with white socks.

Friday 28th September

Taken by tractor (the driver is a double of the guy on local billboards running for Mayor) to our pick-up point & then a boat speeds us into the Abel Tasman National Park – to Torrent Bay via Anchorage Bay. The sun is shining brightly as we set off on our 14km walk back & the clear day gives impressive views across Tasman Bay. A relatively gentle 4hrs later we are back at the entrance of the park – only a slippery walk to Cleopatra’s Pool & a steep (not official) climb from a beach form any sort of obstacle. The area is undoubtedly beautiful, but it does also remind me of the National Park near our home in Sydney & makes me think how lucky we are to live there! Fortunately, we avoid Sandfly Bay & my legs are saved from another mauling. Would like to come back sometime and kayak along the coast or perhaps do the whole 3-4 day coastal walk. We have lunch a short-distance away at Jester’s – a weirdly wonderful place complete with a small dell of plastic mushrooms, plastic tigers, an old boot to live in & friendly eels to feed! The food isn’t bad either – salted fish sandwich for me & a lovely tomato soup for Lucy. Hit the road again with the intention of making the west coast. Darkness descends quickly and I’m sure we are missing things as we head to Westport & then spend the night at Constant Bay. Since it’s dark we don’t appreciate the view, but we do appreciate the toilet & a chance to stay for free – hit the hay with the sound of the ocean in the distance.

Saturday 29th September

Take in some of the fantastic coastal views from Constant Bay before heading to Foulwind (named by Cook for the fierce winds rather than bad smell!!) to take a look at the seal colony. It’s amazing how high up the rocks some of the seals of climbed. Spend 10 mins deciding whether I’d rather be a seal or a penguin (I chose seal) then drive to Pancake Rocks for a view of the interesting formation. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong time of day for the blue hole to be functioning & we’ve also stumbled across the place with the most number of tourists so far. What a glorious journey it is along this stretch of road – ocean, road & then almost immediately the steep slopes that mark the start of the Southern Alps. By 2pm we’re in Greymouth for the tour of Monteith’s Brewery. By 2.40pm we’ve finished the tour & are pulling pints behind the staff bar – needless to say we are hammered in no time and so effectively stuck in Greymouth for the afternoon. Attempt to get a carvery – they aren’t serving, attempt to enter the Museum – it’s shut, the one-screen cinema is showing nothing of interest and the shops are shut…. That means we need to head to the pub to sober up! Tuck into sausages, salad & some grim veg patties at the Railway Hotel before heading back to the van & having sobered up (a bit) head south to Lake Mahinaupua.

Sunday 30th September

Fierce wind & rain whipping around as we wake – unsurprisingly we’re reluctant to get out of the van. End up clambering around inside the van to get ready – takes longer but it’s worth it! The rain really puts a dampener on things today & so we give Hokitika & Ross a miss and instead head for Franz Josef (the nearby glacier is named for the one-time Austrian Emperor). Decide to stay dry & head to the YHA for the night – time to do some washing, reading and preparation for our walk up the glacier. Watch the NRL Grand Final – and it’s almost as one-sided as the previous days AFL final – with the Melbourne Storm running out convincing winners against Manly (my team). Go to bed hoping for better weather.

Monday 1st October

It’s still raining and I’m starting to think that walking the glacier is not the greatest idea I’ve ever come up with! Stock up with sausage rolls & peanut slabs and after picking up some waterproof gear & crampons (called Talons these days) make for the face of the Franz Josef glacier. The view is stunning and it’s impressive that ice can create such valleys, whilst the lines that mark the glacier levels in 1750 & 1900 show just how far the ice moves. The rain of the past few days (it rains 250 days a year here) has produced some spectacular waterfalls but also created some torrents on the approach to the glacier. Walking on the ice is a little easier than I expected – the talons help! – but the water in my boots that fast becomes cold on the ice proves painful and I do start to wonder how I was going to get back down! At one stage my feet are so cold they feel as though they are burning – not a pleasant experience! After changing into dry socks & having a lovely hot shower we drive the 20km to Fox Glacier – not as impressive as Franz Josef – and then onwards along the West Coast. The break in the rain doesn’t last long and we are soon driving into dark clouds and a heavy downpour. Stop briefly to take a picture of the stunning view from Knight’s Lookout – rock formations in the ocean – before reaching our final destination for the day at Lake Paringa. Lucy is perturbed by the sign that read, “In heavy rain, lake can reach this point” and spends the whole night worrying about been washed away by the lake. A restless night!

Tuesday 2nd October

Not feeling the best after a poor night’s sleep – not helped by the constant pattering of rain, the rattling of the number plate in the wind or Lucy nudging me to ask about the Lake flooding. It’s still raining so don’t bother stopping on our way to Wanaka – however, the scenery is dramatic as we travel through the Haast Pass. Not much going on in the sleepy town of Wanaka and so we head to Queenstown via the insightful New Zealand Fighter Pilot Museum (they also have Airfix models). Arriving in Queenstown the view is spectacular despite the mist & rain clouds and we pass through town to spend the night in a lay-by along Glenorchy Road (surely one of the most beautiful roads in the world).

Wednesday 3rd October

It’s COLD!! Get dressed quickly and layer up – Lucy has SIX! – before heading for the Lake Sylvan Trail. Almost don’t make it as we end up in a ditch whilst doing a u-turn, but Lucy comes up with the winning idea of using mats for traction and we pull clear. Eventually get to the start of the track, cross a swinging bridge and find the trail is waterlogged – so a wasted journey! At least the sun is shining as we head back to Queenstown and as ever the beauty of the lakes amazes me as we drive along Glenorchy Rd. Feed a couple of birds with seeds from my hand as we eventually reach the start of a viable track at Queenstown Hill. Surprised by the steepness of the trail, but the hard work is worth it as we are awarded with more stunning views of the surrounding area. At one point we walk into a wooded area and the temperature drops so much so quickly that the cold grips the heart and makes me think of death – a bit of a relief when we hit the sunshine once more. Go up the extra steep 15min climb to the summit and are rewarded with fantastic views of Queenstown, Franklin, Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding areas. If anything the journey down is tougher on me as it jars my knee, but we make the most of the views and stop at the ‘Basket of Dreams’ before meeting a friend on the way down. This ‘friend’ is a lovely tabby cat who catches our attention from an age away – running towards us for a pet! Arrowtown and its Chinese settlement is our next stop. ‘Dorothy Browns’ cinema is an interesting, if expensive experience and we settle down to watch the amusing ‘Eagle vs. Shark’ – enjoying a cheese board during the interval – even the miserable staff do not put a dampener on the evening. Back to Queenstown for a fish supper – bought from Aggy’s fish shed by the lakefront – consisting of prawns, mussels, squid, cod, scallops & chips washed down with L+P. Park up for the night by the lake, but the strong winds almost lift the van from the floor and I struggle to sleep.

Thursday 4th October

Surprised to find that the van is still in one-piece when we wake. Less surprising is the fact that it is raining again! Change our DVDs, spend some time in a net-café and have brekkie washed down with a bowl of hot chocolate before hitting the road for Invercargill. Lots of rain on the journey although it did relent a touch by the time we arrived at the Southland Museum & Art Gallery – which houses Henry the Tuatara reptile, a display of quilts & some random Maori artefacts. Start on the ‘heritage walk’ but decide against it just in time to arrive back at Podracer when the shower starts. Find that somehow the battery is flat and the call to the AA (located just over the road) costs the princely sum of $80. In an effort to charge the battery a little we do the 50km round-trip to Bluff (NZ’s oldest European settlement) where we view the windswept landscape before spending the night in a Top 10 campsite – it’s nice to have a hot shower again!

Friday 5th October

Another hot shower to start the day – fantastic! Having abandoned plans to head across to Stewart Island we go through the centre of Invercargill and head along the Southern Scenic Route (which isn’t that scenic unless you’re into sheep!). Pass the time listening to Ross Noble goes global – very amusing – and the Chris Evans’ podcast. Find some glow-worms in a disused rail tunnel near Milton – the dark 400m tunnel we need to pass through to get them worries Lucy but it is an interesting sight (directions given by a kind old lady in the nearby information centre). We’re soon in the Scottish settled City of Dunedin (Celtic for Edinburgh) and after working our way through the one-way system, dodging a student street race and heading past several frat houses we make it to the campsite – complete with very annoying school hockey team. Go into town for a drink and find a bar within the Octagon (centre of town) that serves a wide selection of Monteith’s – lovely! Couple of pints & then back to camp for a showing of A Fish Called Wanda – still amusing after all this time.

Saturday 6th October

Hung-over for the first time in an age – don’t miss that feeling – but beans on toast with sausages acts as a quick cure & the hot shower finishes the job. It’s raining again so we decide on a drive along the Otago Peninsular to Taioroa Head – perhaps one of the most scenic drives brings us to a wildlife reserve teeming with birds & fur seals. Enjoy an afternoon in the peaceful botanical gardens, and are pleasantly surprised by the layout & the impressive aviary. Catch Jamie Foxx & Jennifer Garner in The Kingdom – an action movie that I thought presented a couple of interesting issues. Amazing that there are over 5000 Princes in Saudi Arabia, all living in palatial residences. All those petro-dollars are sucked up by the few rich, leaving many poor & disenfranchised. What happens when the oil runs out? Whilst I’m intrigued by the Middle East and it’s history it certainly is not a place I want to live in anytime soon. Spend the night in a freebie campsite aka rest area 40km north of Dunedin. Have to mention the ‘Undy 500’ – an annual event that sees students from the University of Canterbury (Christchurch) buy a car for under $500, kit it out & then drive down to Otago University (Dunedin) for a week of drink & debauchery…..superb!

Sunday 7th October

A good night’s sleep is ended by the call of nature & the departure of a Maui campervan. Takes an age to get Lucy out of bed, but we’re on the road by 8.30am, listening to commentary of the NZ v France RWC 1/4 Final. Delighted to find England beat Australia in the earlier game & as the sun is shining we pull into a rest area close to the ocean & Shag Point to have breakfast and listen to the end of the commentary. The nation seems to be plunged into despair as the French come back to win 20-18 (helped by some ‘interesting’ referee decisions). Next weekend it’s England v France in the semis – totally unexpected! We head to Oamaru via the fascinating Maraki boulders (just how do they occur?) and arrive in time for the tour of the Opera House. Oamaru is described as one of NZ’s more alluring and undersold provincial cities and I have to agree – it’s a charming little place with some interesting building, an air of Victorian grandeur and some of the ship-owners play up to the Victoriana image. Most bizarre image of the trip was stepping outside of a toilet to find two men in Victorian rig-out peddling down the street on Penny Farthings! Had lunch in the Criterion Hotel – also decked out in Victoriana – and sink a couple of beers. The hoggart (a 1yr old sheep, so not lamb & not mutton) was simply delicious. Buy some supplies for dinner from the local award-winning Whitestone Cheese Company – before walking along the sea front for 10 yards prior to been blown along a side street! Jumping back into Podracer we head to Bushy Beach to spot some Yellow Eyed Penguins – rare and on a windy day I think we are lucky to see the 3 we did! – and then to the Blue Penguin Colony (plenty of those to see!!!). Entrance up $5 in a year so that’s inflation for you – but still worthwhile to see the little fellas make their way up the beach – even get to see a very amusing penguin fight!

Monday 8th October

After spending our last night in Podracer we sleep-in and it’s 9.30am before we are on the road to Christchurch. Abandon plans to check out the Banks Peninsular (Cook only made 2 errors in charting NZ – one was naming Banks Peninsular an island, the other making Stewart Island a peninsular) as it’s raining again. Arrive in Christchurch too early to check into hostel and so park up & dodge the rain by having a very pleasant lunch in Cathedral Junction – great looking sausage rolls but I plump for a delicious chicken ‘flute’ washed down with hot chocolate. Check into Base backpackers – in a lovely old building by the cathedral – and get an interesting attic room with views of the city. Empty our belongings out of Podracer and then it’s time to say goodbye! Almost sad to say goodbye to our home of the past month and it’s going to be strange not having the option to pull over and sleep where we stand. Almost makes me wish for a housebus…. Almost! Have dinner at Dux de Lux – housed within the former University grounds – and enjoy a sample tray of the own-brewed beers. Amazing how quiet the place is compared to when we were here in January, but then again that was a weekend and not a Monday night! Nice to be back in a warm bed, but do have a few thoughts about our time in Podracer as I drift to sleep.

Tuesday 9th October

Awake at 3am – Lucy is nervous that we’ll miss our 4am alarm call. Struggle to get any more zzzz’s and drag myself into shower. Not sure why I booked such an early flight back to Sydney! Into the shuttle at 4.30am & checked through by very friendly staff. It’s going to be a shame to say goodbye to NZ – especially as it’s stopped raining – but I’m sure we’ll be back at some point and we do have the next leg of our journey to look forward to!

NZ Odyssey Part 1 - North Island

Tuesday 11th September

Arrive in Auckland and take the “super shuttle” into town. Turns out it’s not so super as it takes so long to do the short journey into the centre that we arrive at the Spaceship Office after closing. Lie blatantly about arranging a late pick-up & soon are on our way in Mir – our home for the next month. Realise our map is nowhere near detailed enough but still make it to Avondale caravan park – feels like we’re in someone’s backyard – we probably are! Have dinner at Middle East Café – great falafels etc. Turns out DVD player in Mir is not working so watch an episode of South Park on iPod – very amusing – voulez vous couche avec moi?

Wednesday 12th September

Head into Auckland for a first look around. First impressions are more favourable than I expected. Take ferry over to Devonport and have fish & chips in a little park before heading up Mount Victoria – great views over the harbour. Realise it’s impossible to tell new house from old as the architecture has not changed in 70 years. Head back on ferry & go to the cinema at the bottom of the Sky Tower to watch Nicole Kidman’s latest movie – The Invasion – fairly good, as usual Lucy spends the entire movie jumping at the slightest bit of suspense!

Thursday 13th September

Arrive at the Museum of Auckland for an early start. Get ripped off on the parking, but get over that as we view the great collection of Maori artefacts. The selection on volcanoes is of particular interest too. Pop back to Mir for lunch to find we’ve left our food back at the caravan park; so go to Mount Eden for a walk instead. Leave Auckland for 1st time, heading north towards Bay of Islands. Decide on our 1st night of “roughing it” and after much driving about on deserted country lanes we pull up on a secluded & “remote” beach area at Sandy Bay. Go to sleep to the sound of waves 0 just what I’d imagined this journey could be.

Friday 14th September

Wake up to find we are not so secluded and in fact are parked in front of someone’s house – fortunately they are not home! Watch the sun rise over the ocean and then set off on a long day of driving with a glorious sky at our back. Russell – NZ’s 1st capital – is our first stop of the day. A sleepy little town & it’s hard to imagine this ever been the capital city of anything! After a brief walk along the Bay it’s back in Mir & soon we’re on our way to Hokianga Harbour via the Paiha car ferry (great views on the water). Pass through the small towns of Opononi & Omapere stopping briefly to visit the museum & watch the superbly old-school 50’s documentary on “Opo – the gay dolphin” (this from a time when gay had a different use!). Have a lovely lunch at a quaint craft centre & then onto Waipoua Kauri Forest. Kauris are grand old trees – some up to 2,000 years old – and a photo really does not do justice to the scale & majesty of them. It’s no wonder that the early settlers cut them down to make ships & homes, just a relief that they left some standing. Tane Mahuta (God of the Forest), Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) & the Four Sisters are the most impressive specimens. Abandon plans to stay in the forest campsite and, after an aborted attempt to stay in Helensville, head back towards Auckland. Almost have an accident on the way as we realise the windscreen does not work and are unable to wipe away a deluge of water & mud. Go to sleep with the sound of the harbour in our ears as we spend the night at Takapona Beach Holiday Park. About to give up hope of ever watching the end of a movie on the DVD player as despite driving for 500km the reserve battery gives out in minutes.

Saturday 15th September

Wake up at 6am with every intention of going to the Maori Market at Okara. Turn off the alarm & don’t wake until 7.30am! Abandon market plans and head for our main mission of the day – a trip to Ranitoto Island. Realise that we don’t have any food or water for the trip (the island has no amenities) and so dash to Subway where we are confronted with the slowest sandwich maker in history. Make it to the ferry with a minute to spare & Lucy spends much of the journey waiting for a coffee that never comes – I enjoy the views & hope she’s not puking! Spend the next 5-6 hours walking & exploring this amazing volcanic island – only 600 years old. Awesome views from the summit and some interesting lava caves to explore. The walk blows out a few of the cobwebs – much needed. A quick spritz of deodorant back at Mir (I can see how backpackers have a smelly reputation!) and then out for dinner. We arrive at the Occidental – a Belgian bar – and are immediately taken by the wooden seats, décor & the great range of beers. I have a Kreik (fruit beer) followed by a Kwak (this comes in a hour glass shaped glass – intended for use by stagecoach riders so they could drink & control the horses at the same time – drink driving is nothing new!) Order 2 pots of mussels that are excellent, particularly enjoy Lucy’s steamed in a broth of Kreik & cinnamon. Struggle to finish the mussels as they arrive with the biggest bowl of fries known to man. Roll up Queen St. to K’Road where we slip into a bar for a quick drink and then onto the “Wine Cellar” – a small music venue recommended in our in-flight magazine. Sip a few glasses of cider; meet a guy from Sydney called Hamish (a member of the “Teddy Sexuals”). Slip into the backroom to watch an excellent performance from “Date with Doom”. Not sure whether the bloke with the hobbyhorse makes the performance better or not, but it’s certainly surreal! Realise it’s time to go when vodka shots arrive. Leave Hamish looking the worse for wear & head to bed.

Sunday 16th September

Problems continue to mount with Mir – now it’s no break lights, a faulty iPod cable & a dodgy wiper. It’s time to trade in – and after some very unhelpful advice from the “helpline” we head back to the Spaceship office. It’s time to say goodbye to Mir & hello to Pod Racer – a slightly newer model but with 213,000km on the clock it’s done near 80,000km more than Mir. Joy of joys the iPod lead works so no more rock radio & we even have the bonus of the cooker not rattling! Meet with Lucy’s friend – Bryan – for lunch at his hostel in Mount Eden. Turns out we’ve been lucky with the rain. After lunch we’re back on our travels - heading for the Coromandel Peninsula. Pass through the small town of Thames & the number of campervans on the twisty roads reminds me that we will be on a more worn route from now on. The scenery is amazing with rocky beaches, views across the bay to various islands, clouds creating pictures in the sky and the tree lined hills providing a great backdrop. Enjoy an amazing sunset over the Bay – pinks & oranges flood the sky – as we spend the night at Shelley Beach (just north of Coromandel Town). Put the rear awning up – creating a lot of extra space – and settle down to watch the Bourne Ultimatum on DVD – after realising we’d left out DVD’s in Mir, along with Lucy’s torch. Give up wrestling with the skips in our pirate movie and are quickly asleep beneath the stars.

Monday 17th September

Bit of a sleep-in & the breakfast by the beach – we’re joined by a cheeky bullfinch who takes a shine to my oats! A short drive into Coromandel Town & a stroll around. The art gallery is showing an exhibition from local artists – some great pieces with wonderful colours & it’s very tempting to buy something. Back into Podracer for the short drive to Hahei with more amazing scenery along the way. Stop for lunch at Mercury Bay – Cook stopped here to view the passing of Mercury – and arrive at the campsite around 2pm. The view from our pitch is simple amazing – 30 secs from the beach, volcanic islands & ocean form our view for the evening. Laze in the sun for a while before borrowing a spade & heading to nearby Hot Water Beach. This does exactly what it says on the tin & I’m amazed at just how hot the water is – some of it too hot to touch. Join a family in a pool they’ve dug in the sand (the hot water comes up through the sand when digging) and it turns out they are staying in the next spot to us at the site. Two lovely kids and the boy asks if we’ve met the Queen!! Remind me of Owen & Matilda (Lucy’s nephew & niece) as the little boy twitters away and the girl can’t get a word in! Their Mum & Dad appear to have the opposite relationship & I’m slightly scared by her facial hair! A 2nd family joins us – Mark, Karen & Michaela – from Auckland – they are friendly too & invite us over for a bottle of wine (they too are staying at the same site - but with a villa). Feel like I’m cooking in the water so we head back for a shower & dinner in the van – enjoy the pleasing view. Feel guilty about not taking anything with us but head over to the Ryan’s & share a bottle of Merlot. Spend a couple of hours chatting – the Maoris, the McCann’s & terrorism in London are particular topics. Go to sleep beneath the stars & with the sound of the ocean ringing in our ears – could get used to this!

Tuesday 18th September

Woken at 5.40am by birds singing – sounds like an alarm is going off! Watch the sunrise over the ocean and then it’s out for a 90min walk to Cathedral Cove (reminds me of Durdle Door in Dorset). Impressive views but not too impressed with the number of steps! We’re the first visitors of the day and relish the solitude for a while before heading back. Fry-up at Podracer, again enjoying the views and explaining HP Sauce to the little boy next door. Pack up our stuff, say goodbye to the view and then it’s on to Roturua via the coastal road through Taurarga - The uneventful journey seems to take forever to get us the 165km to Rotorua. The Rough Guide is not exaggerating when it says you’ll smell the place before you see it! The sulphur from the thermal pools can be smelt 15km away. Check into the Thermal Holiday Park & head to the thermal pools for a dip. Pleasantly surprised by the effect and spend a couple of hours turning into prunes and chatting to a Kiwi named Jim. Tells us to invest everything in the Kiwi housing market (a sure sign the top is in?), goes on to talk about his son’s European tour & his interest in horses (the trotting kind). Before you know it he has Lucy singing along to a classic Kiwi song – “Hangi tonight”. Jim kindly drops the song words off for our future reference – am sure we’ll be singing it the next time we have people over. Do 1st washing of trip and sit down to a pasta meal and our first taste of NZ TV – it’s NCIS so nothing new there! Joined at dinner by an English couple (Wendy & Mike) that have moved to Australia (near Ballina) after leaving the RAF. Seem a pleasant couple and have to admit to enjoying meeting the people on the trip almost as much as viewing the sites. Think we might end up staying in Rotorua for longer then we initially thought – seems so much to do & I think our senses have already become immune to the sulphur smell!

Wednesday 19th September

Dodgy sausages & burnt eggs for breakfast (they soon go in the bin) before spending much of the day at the Government Gardens & Museum of Rotorua. The Museum is housed inside a grand “Bath House” that the Kiwis once hoped would be the “great spa of the southern hemisphere”. They hadn’t factored on the distance putting people off, or the hydrogen sulphide in the thermals corroding the pipes & turning the walls black. The Museum is home to a collection of items detailing the workings of the spa (not sure I fancy the electric shock treatments), some more general historical items & a moving exhibition about the entirely Maori B company that fought in N. Africa & Italy during WWII. Somewhat bizarrely there was also a collection of clogs! Spot of lunch (nice club sandwich & a lovely piece of hummingbird cake washed down with a vanilla shake) then a walk around the lakefront to a small Maori settlement – Ohinemut. Of particular interest are the Tamatekaua Meeting house with it’s ornate frontage & the St. Faith’s Anglican church – complete with Maori carvings & a window positioned so that Christ appears to be walking on the lake. Back to the site for soup & sandwiches, a dip in the thermal pools before bed, and a brief listen to our new CD (Dennis Marsh – Out of New Zealand – featuring Hangi Tonight). Have an interesting conversation with a guy from Brisbane – he’s an ‘industrial chaplain’ and had a fascinating story to tell. He was brought up at missionary school, joined a biker gang & renounced god, but after surviving a serious accident without a scratch he found Him again. He now offers spiritual guidance to others & supports numerous efforts to help the unfortunate in India. Also met a family of 7 from Melbourne who are staying together in a campervan – they must get on! At dinner we are joined by the owner’s cat – Panda (black with white socks & face) – who takes a shine to me – spends 15 mins on my lap, burrowing into my arm before I put her down for bed.

Thursday 20th September

Woken at 7.30 am by Jim knocking at the window – Lucy almost jumps out of her skin! Open Podracer’s door to find Panda sat waiting for us….. not quite as enjoyable as waking to Spot sat on my head! Time for Zorbing – throwing ourselves down a hill in a large inflatable ball filled with water. Try to stand up & run but fail miserably and as we come to a rest we pop out of the bottom of the ball – like a scene from an alien birthing movie! We dry ourselves off; swap our DVDs at the spacestation & then head to the other side of Rotorua for a visit to a Maori settlement – Whakarewarewa – where we bump into a few people from the campsite. Our guide appears to be the Maori Robert DeNiro (even has the tear drop on the cheek) and proves entertaining in our 45 min tour – followed by a cultural performance (song & dance including the Haka) & a sample of Hangi (traditional food cooked in the ground). The village is still lived in and the thermal springs are used for coking, bathing & even heating the homes – although I guess it must get pretty hot during the summer as even the floor feels hot to the touch. Particularly fascinated by the symbolism of the meeting house or Wharenui – the head is at the front on the roof, then the arches are the arms, the columns the legs, windows are eyes and you enter through the mouth. The spine goes along the centre of the roof, the ribs decorate the ceiling & then the heart is the central pillar. When family come to visit, this is where they stay and up to 200 people can be housed. The final part of the tour is the impressive Pohutu Geyser & then we are left to explore the rest of the village – mud pools & volcanic lake. Most amusing part of the day had to be Lucy’s attempt to make a Maori face – stick out tongue & protrude eyes – she managed to go ‘bong-eyed’!
Next we’re off to Taupo, stopping at the Honey Hive on the way to sample to delicious honey & mead and to learn all about bees. Also make a brief stop at Hulea Falls – used to run a hydroelectric plant that generates 26% of NZ’s supply. An old lady asks me where my spaceship is…..Park up for the night at Reid’s Farm (bequeathed to travellers by a farmer) in a lovely spot by the Waikato River. All alone apart from a large blue van converted to look like a house! About to cook dinner (a tin of rice pud!) when a couple of strange looking blokes pull up in a battered Cortina estate. Lucy is soon talking to Andre (from Hamburg – who has been here for over 25 yrs and used to be a bushman extraordinaire & now an artist) and Peter (who looks a bit like Millsy and he breaks in farms as well as shearing sheep bums). Andre soon has his 1st bottle of home brew out & is offering it around; before you know it we’re all sat around his burning sweater swigging beer. Famous last words – “Don’t worry I’ve done this before” – are muttered just before Andre throws some diesel on the fire – he soon has a flaming can of diesel in his hand! Attempts to throw the can into the nearby river, fails, and instead we see the bush go up in flames. Unsurprisingly, the family in the nearby campervan are soon moving on. It starts to get a bit chilly as darkness descends & soon Andre is mentioning a ‘dead’ tree he has had his eye on. Before you know it, Peter is up the tree with a machete & we’re pulling on a rope tied around the trunk. Eventually, we resort to a saw but pretty soon we’re sat around an excellent campfire. Have an interesting time, talking, swigging home-brew and wondering at the beauty of fire. Peter has some great tales to tell & Andre keeps asking if he’s attractive before handing out the booze. Only downer of the night was the arrival of Grant – one of Peter’s friends – who had discovered ‘The Secret’ on the Oprah Show. He spends an hour confusing the hell out of Andre by asking if people could be beamed up a la Star Trek. Sad to say that his goal in life – his visualisation for the Secret – is a housebus….. Think big! Thankfully he goes before Andre produces the machete! Our early night turns into a 2am finish & whilst it’s sad to say goodbye to our new friends, I’ve caught a chill & need the warmth of the sleeping bag & Lucy’s embrace. Where are the thermal baths when you need them!?!?

Friday 21st September

After the late night around the campfire we wake up to the sound of a little green bird in full vocal flow. The blue ‘housebus’ has gone but a Frenchman in a Wicked Van comes to keep us company for a while. Drive back to Hulea Falls & follow a walking track back into the town of Taupo. Pass our site of the previous night & end up at the Spa Park giving a majestic view down the Waikato River. Almost tempted by the bungy (much cheaper than on the South Island) and have a bit to eat before purchasing a new day pack (having realised the one attached to my rucksack is pretty useless). Having failed to be impressed by Lake Taupo we have a brief look in the small museum – the major exhibit been a garden that won a prize at the Chelsea Flower Show & a collection of Airfix models! Head back to the Spaceship & on to the ‘Craters of the Moon’ the landscape really is of an otherworldly nature as gas vents through the rocks & mud bubbles in the crates. Next, we’re on our way to National Park & are transfixed by our 2nd viewing of Lake Taupo – the sun is setting & the colours, silhouettes & shadows are awe-inspiring. Stop for petrol at just about the friendliest petrol station ever & then it’s on to Discovery Lodge, just outside of Whakapapa. Notice the difference in air temperature immediately and get the thermals & sleeping bags ready. Have an early night…. It’s cold!

Saturday 22nd September

It’s still cold when we awake but the sun is shining and soon we feel the need to get out of the sleeping bag & multiple layers of clothes we slept in. Today we’re doing the Tongariro Crossing – NZ’s most popular one-day tramp. The previous day we had brushed off the Taupo Visitor’s Centre recommendation of taking an ice pick & crampons, and on arriving at the start of the guided tramp we felt justified in that. The sun was just breaking through & the low-lying clouds were shifting…in fact it looked like a glorious day ahead. Setting off on the walk with our guide – Grant – we were informed that we’d be going uphill for 4 hrs – ascending 700m in the process – then downhill for 4 hrs – descending 1100m. Despite the whining accent of a honeymooning Boston couple we had a good group, the scenery was fantastic and we were soon making our way up towards the Lords Of Rings location for Mount Doom. All was good for the first 2-3 hrs and then the weather started to close in. Soon, we were walking through snow, with more coming down, along with an icy wind and clouds that offered little visibility. This made for horrendous walking conditions and also meant that the view of the magnificent lakes, crates & volcanoes was all but gone. Most disturbing incident came as we were about to rest at the ‘Hot Rocks’ as the annoying American girl managed to disappear beneath the snow – saved only by her backpack & ice-pick! She was lucky to escape serious injury – there one minute & gone the next. Battling on through the snow we started to descend – sliding rapidly downhill on our bottoms for a good 200ft – and by this stage we’d discovered that our waterproof pants were not all that waterproof. Having ice in our boots & pants did not a happy Lucy make. However, once below the cloud cover we soon started to warm up & dry out (a bit) and could finally start to appreciate the splendid views. The downhill section was hard on the knees but before you knew it we were back at the car park waiting to be picked up – wet & sore but feeling a sense of achievement in getting through the experience. From there it's in the van & on to a local café for hot chips and a quick beer to quench the thirst. The crossing was a great experience, I only wish the weather had been kinder so that we could marvel at the views and not be so wet. As it is, I think we’ll have to buy some postcards (or try to come back to do the crossing at a kinder time of year). What a relief to get back to the site, have a hot shower & a warm drink – amazing how such simple things can give such a great pleasure. Grant – our guide – recommends a pub called “The Old Hotel” for dinner & so we head to National Park where we are pleasantly surprised to find we are just in time to order food (it’s 8.29pm). Order the old favourites – burger & chips – and settle down in front of the log fire with a bottle of Monteith’s Golden (Lucy has Winter Ale – tastes like treacle!). Entertainment is provided by the locals dancing around the jukebox – in particular an old bloke in a shell-top reminds me of Frank from Shameless, whilst an hold Maori woman with no teeth dances with her daughter. The whole place reminds me of a scene from Shameless – bar staff much friendlier though! After the days exertions the beer soon hits me and I’m asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Have a weird dream about taking my CBT using a golf club to manoeuvre around traffic cones!

Sunday 23rd September

Up early and head south towards Taihape via National Park (which isn’t quite so lively today) and a quick stop in Whakapappa Village that really doesn’t have much to offer apart from the Chateau (hotel) & impressive tourist info site. More clouds today & weather up high sounds awful so it appears it’s just as well we did the crossing yesterday as would have been no chance today. Scenic drive down to the River Valley Lodge on the Rangitikei River – impressive valleys and we’re immediately taken by the whole set-up. Park-up facing the river & waterfall then back up the steep slope for a round of pitch & putt. Find my time spent at the driving range is useless, but we have a great time knocking the ball about in the sun. Fox terrier comes to pay us a visit before darting off into the bush & we pass two cherry blossom trees teeming with bees. After golf we have a beer (jugs of Speight’s & Mac’s Gold) & lovely roast beef dinner whilst looking at various images of rafts capsizing. As the evening gets going the log-fire is lit in the centre of the room & drinking games are started – the nail game & ‘riding the bus’ are chief culprits. Meet a lovely Finnish couple over dinner & discuss the adventure ahead. Back to Podracer around 9.30 and sleep to the sound of rain pelting down.

Monday 24th September

Rare treat for breakfast – baked beans with sausages on toast! Meet at 8.30am for our rafting trip – force myself into damp booties & wetsuit and then into the mini-bus for a 20-minute ride to the start of the river-run. The road isn’t as bad as Skipper’s Canyon, but don’t think Lucy was too fond of the twists & turns. Our guide is a cool Kiwi guy called Tommy who lives very near the lodge (works in farming much of the year – shearing sheep’s bottoms) and our crew is made up of a Finn (from the previous night – his wife is ill), 2 Texans (who are the only others in a campervan) & a guy from Utah. Rapids are much better than previous rafting experiences – the Rangitikei is said to have the most grade 5 rapids in one section in NZ. Some of the drops are spectacular & apart from a few deliberate attempts at swimming I’m amazed we all manage to stay in the raft. Towards the end of the trip we all get out, climb a large rock and jump into the water – the jump is much bigger than I initially thought & really gets the heart going. Our 3 hrs of fun is over all too quickly & we’re back at the Lodge for lunch (lovely ham & pumpkin quiche) and a viewing of our photos & footage. The sun breaks through the clouds & so we decide to spend another night – intending to play boules, enjoy the spa and catch up with some reading….maybe even practice the nail game. Unfortunately, the sun doesn’t last & we spend the evening sheltered inside, reading, enjoying the view from the spa tub, eating a pasta dinner & snoozing with the resident cat on my lap (the other cat sleeps on top of the PC monitor!). The Kiwi Experience bus crowd are a lot less lively than the drinking game crowd of the previous day & so an early night beckons.

Tuesday 25th September

A cooked breakfast in the lodge and then we’re on the road again to Wellington – the nation’s capital and a place we have heard rave reviews about from a number of friends. Unfortunately, the reputation for bad weather is also well deserved and we are met by a cold southerly wind blowing up from Antarctica. Decide to spend a couple of nights in the YHA to combat the weather and take a break from the van. We spend the afternoon in Te Papa – the Museum of New Zealand –, which is housed in a fantastic, modern complex. Plenty for the young & old to do but best of all is it’s free! More info on volcanoes – I’ll be an expert by the time we leave – and Maori, but I find the ‘Passport’ exhibition most interesting (it’s about the early settlers). Walk around town, heading up the much vaunted but slightly disappointing Cuba St. Have a great noodle dinner and then having missed the movie at Wellington’s oldest cinema – The Paramount – we head to the revamped Embassy (all art deco elegance replete with huge mirrors & chandeliers). Watch ‘Perfume’ – an intriguing little movie about an orphaned child, who is brought into the world in awful circumstances, is mistreated as a youth but develops an outstanding sense of smell. The tale then follows his twisted journey to create the perfect scent – helped on his way by a manic Dustin Hoffman cameo. It’s gruesome in parts, without ever showing ‘extreme’ violence, and the scene of execution is amusing without meaning to be…. Think the Cockney accents in 18th Century Paris spoil it somewhat! After that it’s bed & our 1st night indoors for a fortnight.

Wednesday 26th September

Up at 7am for an ‘internet catch-up’ session, but even in an hour I only get the bare minimum done – no chance of even starting my travel blog so I guess that will now have to wait until we get back to Oz. After that, it’s on with the thermals and into another bitterly cold Wellington day. 1st stop is the cool looking Espressoholic for breakfast – which is lovely – and then onto the cable car that takes us up a steep incline to the Botanical Gardens. Fantastic views greet us at the end of our brief (3:30 min) journey, but the rain soon spoils our fun & so we duck inside the cable car museum for a brief respite. Once the rain lets up we amble through the gardens, passing the duck pond, tulip garden (full bloom) & rose garden (out of season) on our way into the city. I’m sure the walk would have been beautiful if not for the weather, but as it was it was still nice to have a walk around together. Bit of a confusing time map reading before we pass the old parliament building (looks like stone but it’s actually wood) and make it to the Parliament Buildings just in time for the tour. Afterwards, stop for a glass of Mac’s White (wheat beer) in the nearby ‘Backbencher Pub’ – has walls adorned with cartoons & spitting image style latex puppets of kiwi politicians & sports stars. Abandon plans to visit the wildlife sanctuary – time & weather – and instead pop along to the Museum of Wellington City & Sea. Of particular interest is the moving display about the Wahine ferry disaster which took 51 lives in April 1968, and an impressive hydrographical display that relays a couple of stories of Maori legend. However, nothing can compete with the revelation of where the term ‘jandal’ come from. Turns out a kiwi visiting the 1956 Tokyo Olympics was taken by the footwear sported by the Japanese team, came back to NZ and created hiss own…. So it’s a combination of Japan & sandal.

The Big 3-0

Well, it's been a month since I last had a chance to update my blog, and as we're in the middle of packing up the house it's going to be a short update. So, what has happened in the last month?

Well, first of all I celebrated my 30th. Lucy kindly bought me a lovely cake, made from ice-cream & complete with a photo of Spot! Did feel kind of strange when I was digging my spoon into a part of his head! And I also got a helicopter flying lesson - a fantastic surprise. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait for a while to make use of that. As part of the celebrations we headed off to Byron Bay for a long weekend - we didn't have any idea how long that would turn out to be.

Arriving on the Saturday morning, things got off to a great start when we were given the wrong room key & walked in on a middle-aged couple in the middle of some weird sexual act. I've got the image imprinted on my mind - scary - but very amusing! Spent some time walking along the beach, checking out the bars and restaurants, ate a massive pizza & of course took the 'happy bus' to Nimbin in order to buy some special cookies.

In fact, even on our last day in Byron - when the rain started - we had a lovely time just chatting, reading & chilling in a cafe for much of the day waiting for the bus to the airport & our flight back to Sydney. Unfortunately, things started to go a bit wrong from the moment we got to Ballina airport (a tiny regional place that makes Teesside look massive). Fog had descended & the rain had got heavier - which made landing a large plane on a small runway - without radar - near impossible. The result was that our flight was cancelled (only the tiny regional express planes were moving)...initially we were ok with the thought of checking out a new place for the night. Then came the bombshell that the next flight we could get on was 2 days later.

I'm sure Ballina is a lovely place when the sun is shining. Unfortunately, it was raining....heavily. And trying to find something to do was a bit difficult, so we ended up paying visits to the RSL for food (very good as it happens), the cinema (Chuck & Larry was much better than I expected it to be) & the toy shop to buy a game of Battleships to pass the time. What made matters worse was that the weather just did not seem to be getting better & I was starting to think we might not get out a 2nd time around - so a back up plan of bus (12hrs) or train (11hrs) to Sydney had to be looked at - I just couldn't have spent another day there. On the morning of the flight our host informed us that her husband's flight had been moved from Ballina & so we were not entirely confident that we'd be leaving...fortunately our flight was ok. Think I would have slit my wrists if it had been cancelled. Think I'll stick to driving to Byron from now on!

Apart from the trip to Byron, we have been keeping ourselves busy with preparing for our move (lots of paperwork, a medical & now packing up the house) & spending time with John & Vicky on their recent trip (really nice to see a familiar face). At times it feels as though we're in a world of our own here on the Northern Beaches. In fact, the last time I went into the CBD was to see Maximo Park (who were VERY good) a few weeks ago - I definitely don't miss that journey into work each day.

Oh - one other thing that we did was attend the 'Dog Day Out' at Manly Lagoon. Basically a day for dog owners to bring their dogs along for a variety of events... Lucy & I just had to go and watch. Somehow we won the raffle - which consisted of a variety of dog food - which we donated back to the home (don't think we could have eaten it ourselves!) - and received an invite to go along & see the home and what they do there. If only we could buy the beagle that has been sitting in the Mall's petshop for weeks....

Good news on the MBA application - I got into the AGSM & so will be here for another 15-18 months... the downside to that is that I'm currently going through the immensely tedious visa application process. If it's like this for a student visa, I'd hate to think what it's going to be like if we apply for permanent residency.

Finally, Monday is our last day on Queenscliff Road....in fact, our last day in Oz for a little while as on Tuesday we're flying to New Zealand. A month touring around in a campervan....let's hope we have a bit more luck with the weather. And then following that we're heading to SE Asia (Singapore, up through Malaysia to Thailand & then Laos & Cambodia...depending what we can fit in). If anyone has any suggestions on places to visit then I'd be happy to listen.

Might be a while before I get a chance to update again, but I'm going to try and do a couple of updates whilst we are away. Due back in Australia at the end of November / start of December.

House Party...

Had our first house party on Saturday night. We celebrated a combination of things - my 30th, our first wedding anniversary & our first year in Oz. About 20 people turned up in total and we managed to churn our way through a LOT of wine, beer & sausage rolls. I felt ok until the tequilla shots came out... followed closely by the chilli schnapps (never take a recommendation from a cab driver!). Mind you, in comparison to Lucy (who was put to bed by her Irish friends) & Gish (who managed to pass out in the spare bedroom & do his usual trick of puking on himself) I was in good nick!

Can't quite remember how they happened, but when I woke up I had bruises all around my left elbow & knee... vague memories of a trip into Manly too. Not sure why the pubs wouldn't have let in a bunch of hammered people? And why does the house smell so bad?!

Moral of story - if you're going to have a party....don't have it at home!

A year already?!

Having spent Sunday recovering from Saturday's house party, we had our 1st wedding anniversary to celebrate yesterday. I can't believe it's been a year since we said "I do"... the time has really flown & we have packed so much into the last 12 months. If the rest of our marriage is as exciting & fun-filled then it's going to be an awesome time.

To celebrate the anniversary, we went out for dinner to Garfish - a little place in Manly. Oysters followed by snapper pie (which was excellent but really feeling the garlic cloves!) washed down with water - we abstained from booze due to our bodies taking a battering on Saturday (and I'm not just talking about the bruises on my elbows!). Afterwards, we headed to the Manly Boatshed for comedy night... not sure I'll be heading back in a hurry, although the last bloke was good, it just didn't compare with "Up The Creek" in Greenwich.

This is the week that was

Had a busy week with another trip down to Sussex Inlet - this time we stayed over & had a nice meal in the RSL, did a bit of wildlife spotting (birds, kangaroos & possums) & enjoyed a lovely boat ride with Greg - you'd never guess how big the place was without the viewpoint from the boat. Also gave Lucy's mum (Celia) a change to see the place & catch up with John (who had visited her in the UK many moons ago).

On the way home (well almost) we headed to Canberra & I have to admit that I liked the place much more the 2nd time around - perhaps it's because we had more time there, or maybe it's because Lucy & I didn't have an argument, but either way we enjoyed the brief visit - even the James Cook fountain / jet was working (not that impressive though). Spent a few hours looking around the impressive Australian National Museum (everything in Canberra seems to start with Australian National), although if someone could explain what that 'courtyard of dreams is' then I would appreciate it! Next, we headed to Parliament Hill. Now, I have to admit that I didn't expect to be impressed by the new building... but I was wrong! It is new, but then so is the country (at least the European history) and so the building feels appropriate. Everything is built on a grand scale, entirely with Australian materials (apart from some of the marble) and there has to be an advantage to having a building designed with a modern parliament in mind - the extra media facilities & offices etc. We also had an excellent tour guide who was up on her Parliamentary knowledge - both of Australia & elsewhere. Afterwards, we were able to contrast the new with the relatively old by taking a look at the Old Parliament building - amazing how they managed to get anything done in there! Then it was a bit of thai food before the 300km back to Sydney.

On Friday evening, Lucy & I headed to the Hordern Pavilion to watch the Arctic Monkeys. Now, after been slightly disappointed by them at Glastonbury, we hoped that the smaller venue would give them a helping hand... and I have to say that they were much, much better. Admittedly, they were helped out by the fact the very poor support act (Operator Please) made them look good! (The converse was true at Glastonbury with Kasabian appearing beforehand). Somehow, I ended up at the very front - started to be pushed forward from the off & just went with the flow - and spent a very hot & sweaty 90 mins in the 'mosh pit'! The Monkey's still have a bit of work to do on their stage presence, but their music is good (love the lyrics) & they seem to have done ok with the 2nd album.

Saturday we were up early for a tour of the Opera House - and that provided a fascinating insight into the workings of the building & the history behind it. The guide was superb & of course the building itself is stunning. We also had our questions answered on why there is a series of plastic rings hanging from the ceiling of the concert hall (it's to do with the acoustics) and I'm sure we'll try and go back to see the mightily impressive organ in use.

Our favourite place - Angel - for breakfast on Sunday, with views over Freshwater Beach (I had eggs Benedict with Ocean Trout - lovely!) and then on to Palm Beach for a bit of a walk. In fact, a bit of a trek up to Barrenjoey lighthouse to partake of the tour (bit of a waste) & enjoy the fantastic scenery. Stopped off at the surf-club to allow Lucy's mum to have her picture taken with the 'Summer Bay' sign & then home via the ever busy Newport Arms.

Back to the Hordern Pavilion again on Sunday evening - this time for the Kaiser Chiefs. Thankfully, I managed to miss the 1st support act (it was Operator Please again) and caught the very good 2nd support - Wolf & Cub (who sounded very similar to Wolfmother & had an interesting line-up... 2 guitarists & 2 drummers). Having missed out on seeing the Kaiser Chiefs at Glastonbury, I was very keen to catch up with them here.... and they were superb. Once again, I ended up 'moshing' and the music was perfect for that - think I was bouncing up & down to every song. Surprisingly, 'I Predict a riot' wasn't part of the encore (Oh My God was the big one there) and the fans here seem to enjoy the songs from the new album more (they certainly got the biggest cheers). Ricky Wilson might not have the best voice (Lucy's view) but he certainly knows how to get the crowd going - and enjoys a bit of crowd surfing too! Thoroughly enjoyed myself - even if it did take me 30 minutes to get out of the car park afterwards! One word of warning though if you go to a KC concert... bear in mind that a lot of Leeds Utd fans will be present & whilst I've nothing against that, they should remember that heat + sweat + football tops does not make for a very pleasant odour!

Think that'll be it for a while on the gig front - unfortunately we miss The Killers as we'll be in Asia at the time - let's see what the year end brings.

What to do with my Sunday evenings?

Well, it had to happen sometime. After 100 days, the seventh series of Australian Big Brother has come to an end, avoiding a repeat of last year's 'T-bagging' incident ....and with a member of the fairer sex winning for the first time. I have to admit that both Lucy & I became avid viewers of the show over the course of the series - mugs aren't we?! - and whilst not watching every night would try to make sure that we were home for the Sunday night eviction. Not sure I'd be doing the same with that annoying Charley character from the UK show.

A couple of differences from the UK show - Friday night games (similar to 'It's a knockout' with the winner effectively gaining immunity from eviction the following week), Sunday night evictions (rather than Friday in the UK), a complete minger to present it (her name is Gretel, but one of this year's contestants kept calling her Hansel!) & a much narrower range of people (tend to be blonde & aged 19-25). Also had a 'couple' put in together at the start (& then her ex turned up!).

For me, Travis was the star of the show - almost a caricature of what you would think an Aussie bloke is like - with his habit of putting an 'o' on the end of everything, and also wearing a singlet at all times! However, both Aleisha & Zach (who made me laugh with his camp comments) both deserved to make it to the final, and just 500 votes separated them.... the 'counting' with all those adverts was very, very annoying though.

However, the funniest moment of the show was on the final night when Michelle (a really annoying contestant) was seen shouting after John Howard (PM) in the street... saying that she loved him and that he was 'sick' (it's the first time I've heard anyone on TV cheering for him!). When interviewed on the show she then said she loved him because 'he looked like an ewok with Mr Magoo glasses!'. Could not have summed it up better myself!

Guess I'll have to find something else to keep me occupied on an evening... Australian Idol anyone?!

Harry Potter & the exceedingly dull movie...

Went to see the latest Harry Potter movie on Saturday evening & somehow (magically perhaps?) it made two hours seem like five! A slow plodding movie for the majority of the time, perhaps seeking to look at the relationships between the characters rather than concentrating on the wizadry, left me feeling bored. The only things of interest in the entire movie was amusement at the fact that each of the characters now look about 5 years too old for the parts they are playing (they'd better get a move on with the last 2 movies), and as each scene passed Harry looked more and more like Bibbs!

There was also a striking resemblance between Dudley Dursley & one of my former Uni housemates...

I've also just finished reading the book - the final installment in the series - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows. Much, much better than the movie with a good blend of character development & plenty of action to keep the characters busy. Although, the epilogue is so sickly sweet that it makes you want to hurl. I won't give away any of the plot (it wouldn't be fair) but would definitely recommend it if you've read the previous books, and the ending might come as a surprise to some.

Weng Weng & YouTube

I was driving around Sydney a little while back, listening to the radio and they were talking about an addiction to YouTube. In particular, they'd found several videos of a Filipino actor called Weng Weng. So I checked them out, and I have to admit they are VERY funny. Turns out Weng Weng holds the record as the shortest actor in a leading role (2ft 9in!). He plays a sort of James Bond role in 'For Your Height Only' & 'The Impossible Kid'.... watch as he beats up 10 'normal' sized men & then jumps into bed with a hot woman! Unfortunately, the little fella is dead now so no hope of him reprising the role after his internet success.

Also on subject of YouTube... if you use iTunes then I would thoroughly recommend subscribing to the 'Best of YouTube' video podcast. There's some excellent stuff on there with particular favourites a little girl threatening to "kick a monster's ass before it kicks hers", a telephone conversation with a call centre trying to explain why 0.002 cents is not the same as 0.002 dollars & a treadmill music video (one of many amusing videos by Chicago band OK Go).

Finally,came across a show on ABC radio, which was very much like the 'Legends' program on Century Radio in the UK. However, instead of Bernie Slaven, Eric Gates & Malcolm MacDonald, they had 3 NRL players (can't remember their names). Brought back memories of home.....

Road Trip

Having arrived back in Sydney to be confronted by yet more rain & wind (only 4 days without rain in 2 months), Lucy & I decided to go in search of some sunshine (or at least less rain!). Initially, we thought of a trip to Fiji or the Cook Islands – however it turns out that the deals advertised by STA Travel etc are not anywhere as near as cheap as they make out (one trip to the Cook Islands was shown as from A$ 690, but when we priced it up came to over A$ 2,200!). Next thought was that we are in a great country, so why not find somewhere here with sunshine…. Cairns & the Great Barrier Reef was our original intention…. Then we looked at the map and realized that would be a 6,500km round trip – that might take more than a week! So Fraser Island became our target – with a few stops on the way.

Setting off from Sydney on a Sunday morning with a car full of camping equipment & red wine our first stop was Coff’s Harbour. On the way we passed our first piece of ‘Australiana’ – a replica of Ayre’s Rock (or Uluru as they call it now). Arriving in Coff’s around 5pm, we pitched the tent (yes we were staying in a tent for part of the trip) - Not for the first time on the trip we were asked how we were going to sleep in a ‘little tent’ - seems that every Australian either owns a very large tent, caravan or camper van. Some of them have gone to ridiculous lengths – converting buses and even articulated lorries into camper vans! We went for a little wander into town – passing the pet porpoise centre on the way – and grabbed some dinner at a very decent Thai restaurant. Just as we were to find on the rest of the trip, there wasn’t much open after 7pm and so we had an early night.

Next day our first port of call was the Big Banana – the large concrete Banana which started off the craze for all the ‘big things’ in Australia. There’s now a big pineapple, big rocking horse, big wine bottle & even a big spliff (that one is in Ninbin if you want to pay it a visit). After fighting our way past the American tourists who were buying bananas like they were going out of fashion, we treated ourselves to banana & honey smoothies before heading up through the banana plants for a lovely view over the coast.

Getting back into our ‘little car’ (it’s a Golf) we proceeded to Byron Bay – stopping off to take a picture of the Giant Prawn on the way. At Byron we stayed in a funky, hippy style of place called the Arts Factory – this place was there at the birth of the whole Byron ‘thing’ in the 60s. Have to admit that it brought back memories of Glastonbury as we headed to the little campsite at the back of the place (a few less people though). If you are heading to Byron would recommend checking this place out (you don’t have to stay in a tent!) as it’s complete with a library / book exchange, decent bar, cool cinema & has lots of activities going on. For instance, the night we were there a talent contest was held – don’t know where they plucked the people from but they were all very good – including the poets. You can even stay in a tepee or a converted double decker bus if you feel like it! And if you are running short of cash you can even work for your board. Had a good night there shared some of our wine with a German girl called Yana. and then headed to the cinema to see Zodiac (which I’d seen before, but seemed more thrilling the second time around).

Without even seeing the main town or beach of Byron, we continued our journey the next day, taking us to Hervey Bay – the northern most point on our trip. To put the size of this country into context, we were approximately 1,200km north of Sydney and we were still 1,700km from Cairns (as the road sign kindly told us). On arriving at Hervey Bay we had a struggle putting the tent up as the tent pegs just would not stay in the ground – so we spent our time hoping that the wind would not pick up! And the place was not exactly the most lively of the trip, although our tent was pitched about 10yards from a beach with white sand & crystal clear water….a few pelicans checking the place out too. We found a place called ‘Blackdog’ to eat on the first night (good place – interesting take on asian food), and I made use of the bbq facilities to do a stir fry, teppanyaki style on the Wednesday night (actually the great thing about all of the camp sites we visited was that they had seating areas and bbqs so that you didn’t have to spend all of your time in your tent / trailer).

Now, we were confronted with the only real disappointment of the trip…. The reason we were in Hervey Bay was it’s proximity to Fraser Island – we couldn’t take the car to explore as the whole place is made of sand, no tarmac roads, and so only 4wd are allowed – even then they are frequently stuck. Unfortunately, we had neglected to book one of the excursions to the Island – thinking that it would not be too difficult to get on one in the winter – we hadn’t taken into account the whale watching season. As it turned out, we had a lovely day on the Island anyway, heading over on the passenger ferry to Kingfisher Bay & doing a couple of the walks, including one to an old Commando training post. The whole place was picture postcard perfect – white sands, clear water & not a cloud in the sky – we had found the sun we were searching for!

Saying our goodbyes to Hervey Bay & Fraser Island, we turned south & headed for Noosa, stopping at Rainbow Beach on the way. Now, I have to say that the beach was nice, but does not deserve the ‘rainbow’ tag – three slightly different shades of sand were present, but that probably had more to do with the tide than anything else. However, the Carlos Sandblow was very impressive – views of the ocean on one side, the valley on another & a large sand-dune that was gradually blowing inland. Arrived in Noosa Heads & checked into the grand old Hulse Lodge YHA – providing us with our first bed of the trip. The rooms were nothing flashy, but the grub served was good and the other facilities were much appreciated. After a quick walk around town – perhaps the most ‘touristy’ of the places we visited on the trip – we had a few beers in the hostel bar and chatted away to a German primary school teacher (don’t think we found out her name) & a girl from Preston called Donna…. Had a bit of a sore head the next morning. Friday, we headed out to the nearby national park for a spot of walking – which was lovely – and then headed to the cinema to watch Transformers! A lot of tongue in cheek humour, a stunning ‘love interest’ and some great special effects, made it an enjoyable movie – but I wouldn’t go out of your way to catch it – if you do though you might want to buy a Chevy Camaro. Product placements (all the cars / trucks were made by GM (and not Porsche & Lamborghini as in the cartoon), Mountain Dew robots, etc) abounded but the only really bad part was that they never once uttered the phrase “Robots in Disguise”…. Very disappointing.

On Saturday, despite getting up at 6am, and walking 10km through the national park, we failed in our quest to spot a koala – think we’ll just head for the zoo next time! – and after getting over our devastation (we did however see a whole bunch of turkeys walking around) we headed to Brisbane to meet up with Ian & Sarah (who had stayed with us in Sydney for a while back in Feb). Stayed in another cool hostel, complete with cool / interesting bar called Birdee Yum Yum (like the bar I mentioned in Hong Kong it had bird cages, but there were full of dolls in various compromising positions), swimming pool & hot tub. Turns out it was in the ‘Valley’ which is the hot-bed of Brisbane night-life – and after past experiences with trying to get a taxi in Brisbane that wasn’t a bad thing. Had Yum-Cha for lunch & then walked along Brunswick Street (must be the local weirdo hang-out) for a beer & a game of bowls (which we didn’t have time for by the time we got there). A nice trip along on the river on the ‘jetcat’ before heading out for the night. Started off at the hostel bar with pitchers of cider for $8… by far the cheapest booze I’ve encountered in Oz. Then headed to a Lonely Planet recommended restaurant called The Vietnamese Restaurant…. No surprise that it served Vietnamese food. Headed to the bottle shop on the way & got a bit of a laugh from the guy behind the counter when we bought a 4 litre box of white wine for $10 (didn’t taste quite as bad as you would guess – certainly not after the 3rd glass) & again when we entered the restaurant with box in hand. We ordered the set menu for 4 & I think we ended up with enough food on the table for 24 people…. Lovely food, but made all of us feel a bit guilty when we had to leave so much. Where is Bric when you need him?

After filling our faces we headed out, but much to our disappointment we were faced with queues to get in just about everywhere – and cover charges to get into a pub, what is the world coming to? After not been classed as cool enough to get into the upstairs bit of GPO (a converted post office which I visited last July following the Bledisloe Cup game) we headed to the downstairs bar for some pretty average margaritas (too much salt, not enough tequila) and some ‘breaks’ music. One of the Djs was accompanied by a trumpeter which was quite cool. Quickly becoming bored of this place, we headed back along the streets, trying to avoid the crowds (thinking about it, Oxford St & Kings Cross in Sydney has a similar thing – why do they like queuing for a beer?) to find somewhere else to hang. One place (The Beat) seemed pretty interesting, but when asking the doorman what type of place it was, his brilliant description (“Downstairs techno, straight, Upstairs chart music, gay) made us move on & so we ended up back at the hostel bar. 2 things about this place that I would remember if you ever decide to own a bar…. 1) Never put the only ATM in a position which effectively blocks the only entrance to the place, 2) If you only have one toilet in the place, do not position it so that you have to walk across the packed dancefloor to get to it, especially not if you’re selling pitchers of beer at $8 a shot! Anyway, we had a good time. It was great to catch up with Ian & Sarah (although I did miss Sarah’s “Shut Up”) & sort of nice to be back in a City with all of the amenities that go with that (i.e. places are open after 7.30pm).

Woke up with an awful hangover on Sunday – felt relieved that we hadn’t got into the dodgy rum shots again - not good at the best of times but especially so when we had 30 mins to get out of the room and start our 10 hour journey to Port Stephens. Quite why I had decided to plan such a long journey for that day I’m not sure, but to be honest it wasn’t that bad. The roads in Australia can be a little monotonous, but listening to podcasts of the Chris Evans show (good old BBC) made the time practically fly, and we made it to Port Stephens – or more accurately Shoal Bay – around 8pm. For the first time in a week we watched a bit of TV – I fell asleep during X-Men. This morning we were feeling refreshed (although having a dicky stomach from the cheese sandwich of the night before – if you ever see a cheese called ‘tasty flavour’ then avoid it – not sure why we didn’t think that in the 1st place!). Can’t really say we did an awful lot in Port Stephens, but it was another lovely day, another pretty beach and another stretch of crystal clear water. Would also recommend the accommodation we had as good for a group of friends or family to go and chill… easily room for 6 if not 8 and only $79 for a night. Stopped off at Nelson’s Bay lighthouse (small, informative museum & great views) & had a fantastic Venison in red wine & prune sauce pie from ‘Red Neds’ – yet another great Lonely Planet recommendation (fast becoming our bible here) before deciding against a small (96km) detour to Tea Gardens (to look for Koalas – probably wouldn’t have seen any anyway) & headed back to Sydney. Got home about 3.30pm & now washing to do & things to clean before Lucy’s Mum arrives later in the week.

So, end of road trip summary – 6 towns, 8 days & 2,795 km - had an awesome time - meeting up with friends, seeing some wonderful scenery, particularly the beaches, & most importantly it didn’t rain for the whole 8 days!!! More than can be said for the UK by the looks of the news tonight!

Almost a shame to be back in some ways, and certainly looking forward to our next trip around Oz (there’s plenty of it to see) and then NZ & SE Asia. Bring it on!