Decades of Travel Search Results

Discover decades of travel across the globe with real stories, tips, and diaries. Explore Holiday 1995-2024. DECADES OF TRAVEL DECADES OF TRAVEL DECADES OF TRAVEL DECADES OF TRAVEL Three Decades of Long‑Haul & Motorhome Adventures Real travel diaries from 1995 to Today across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Europe, Asia, Pacific Islands and a whole lot more Content being continuously added by KeefH Web Designs New? Start here Explore More The Journeys Route Plans Join Us Best Travel Blog On Desktop view at 80% Make Your Own Choices Select via Tag Decade for Travel The 90s The 00s The 10s The 20s Region for Travel Australasia North America Pacific Islands Asia Travel Style Motorhoming Cruises Family Travel with Friends About Us WHAT & WHY! 3 Decades of Travel Blogs This site is dedicated to showing all the travels we Hellinger's (i.e. Keef & Annie) have had between 1995 & 2024 and beyond, mostly in a motorhome but not exclusively, and is both a merge and an upgrade in style and currency in website design terms over our 4 existing "Travel Diary" blog websites created at the time , they have been recreated here in one merged website by KeefH Web Designs. Featuring travel across the 90s, Noughties, 10s & 20s, so come with us and discover photos, dairies, hints and tips across North America, The Pacifics, Oceania and Asia. Dig deeper & enjoy Learn More WHO! KeefH (KHWD) As the designer and developer I have had great fun bringing my 4 older style websites up into the mid 20s style, they feel fresher and more relevant whilst retaining some of the look and feel of the old sites via background colours, based on Australian , Canadian, Malaysian and generic site colours. All the textual data and videos are migrated , see what you think! Our Long Haul Journeys Explore Now EXPLORE MORE About Journeys Our motorhome travel blogs celebrate the joy of life on the road, blending practical touring advice with warm, first‑hand storytelling. They chart scenic routes, campsite discoveries, and real‑world tips for navigating long haul destinations around the world in a home on wheels and more. Holiday 1995 Australian Travels in NSW, ACT, Victoria & Queensland Initially staying with Annie's brother in Sydney, then hiring a car, travelling to Canberra, and then along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, flying up to Cairns and hiring a 6 berth motorhome to see the Atherton tablelands and beyond Holiday 1997 Disney 25th Celebrations Travels in Florida, USA Mostly centered around Orlando, staying in Kissimmee, with trips to theme parks for the boys, but travel across state to Clearwater, St Pete's, West Palm beach, Naples, Cocoa beach, Cape Canaveral, Boca Rotan, Key West, Melbourne beach as well as the Everglades , Disney's 25th Celebrations. Holiday 1999 The Rockies Travels in the Western Provinces of Canada Hiring an All Drive Classic 3000 to travel both British Columbia and some of Alberta to visit friends who live in Edmonton, we saw amongst others the Rockies, the Inside Passage, Prince Rupert. Started with car hire in Vancouver across to Vancouver Island Holiday 2007-8 Long Haul Travels down under in 2007-8, lots in a motorhome Follow a year‑long 2007–8 gap‑year adventure across the USA, Australasia, and Asia, with travel stories, photos, videos, and tips from KeefH Web Designs. Highlights were New Zealand and travel on the Ghan, but there were many more, dive in why don't you? Holiday 2010 Canadian & USA Travels across most Provinces of Canada Explore our 2010 motorhome journey across Canada and into the USA in a brand new hired motorhome (scary) with diaries, photos, videos, and province‑by‑province highlights from a 92‑day coast‑to‑coast adventure. Combined with our 1999 trip we have now been all the way across Canada in a motorhome Holiday 2013 Long Haul Travels with a Round The World Ticket Follow our 2013 adventure across Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, featuring wedding celebrations, motorhome travels, photo galleries, diaries and immersive travel stories, hopefully to inspire you , maybe even create a bucket list for retirement, it is what happened for us Holiday 2014 French Travels including Monaco, Switzerland and San Remo Italy We journied through France on an unforgettable three‑month motorhome adventure. Explore scenic routes, charming villages, stunning coastlines, and real on‑the‑road stories from 4,611 miles of travel. Perfect inspiration for anyone dreaming of freedom, discovery, and life lived one breathtaking stop at a time. Holiday 2016 Motorhome Guide Scandinavia Plan your perfect European and Scandinavian motorhome adventure with real‑world tips, border advice, fuel insights, route ideas and practical guidance from months on the road. A traveler's guide packed with experience, helping you navigate Europe and Scandinavia with confidence, ease and unforgettable freedom. Holiday 2017 Friendship Travel Diary for 2017, The Big Trip with pals We can thoroughly recommend travelling with friends, double the motorhome experiences. Discover our 2017 ‘Big Trip’ across Singapore, Australia, the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Malaysia, with friends, motorhome adventures, travel diaries, galleries and immersive photography Holiday 2018 Motorhoming around Ireland Explore Eire through our 2018 motorhome adventure—scenic coastal drives, hidden bays, campsite reviews, practical tips and real on‑the‑road experiences. Discover wild Atlantic views, historic towns and the best stopovers for a smooth, memorable journey across Eire’s stunning landscapes. Perfect inspiration for planning your own Irish road trip Holiday 2019 Discovering the delights of the Faroe Islands & Iceland Journey through the Faroe Islands and Iceland in our 2019 motorhome adventure—rugged cliffs, fjords, volcanoes, remote campsites and dramatic coastal roads. From ferry crossings to geothermal wonders, this guide captures two wild Nordic worlds and offers inspiring, practical insight for anyone dreaming of an unforgettable northern road trip Holiday 2022 Family Travel Stories , returning for Disney's 50th Celebrations. Returning to Florida again we stayed in my little sister's timeshare in Davenport. We had a great time with our son and his family and sharing Disney through the eye's of our grandchildren was magical. It also showed us that we have definitely altered our energy levels since our trip in 1999. #haha Holiday 2024 Combined Cruise & Road Trip , Alaska and Canada Combining a fabulous cruise to Alaska, which we had planned to do in our hey day but was too expensive, for my 70th with my sister and hubby, and then time on Vancouver Island with friends from Edmonton, and then driving across British Columbia into the prairies to meet up with Annie's cuz in Stettler. Holiday 2025 Our latest long haul trip to Scottish Islands Less haul , more road miles really! Discover our 2025 campervan adventure through Scotland, Shetland and Orkney—remote islands, rugged coastlines, ferries, wildlife, quirky campsites and unforgettable northern scenery. A fun, practical guide packed with real experiences, mishaps and highlights to inspire your own wild and windswept UK island road trip. KHWD Other Motorhome Travel Blogs More Motorhome travels ,over 200 travel blogs with Hints & Tips Although the travel diaries featured here on this website mostly are précised in our motorhome travels blog site there are many more of our trips featured there especially 3 months around Scandinavia, 2 months in France and 2 months on the Faroe Islands and Iceland, amongst others, enjoy! KHWD Travel Video Blog site Decades of Adventure Captured on Film This is our totally responsive version of this website created by KHWD using WIX studio. A heartfelt archive of 30 years on the road, this travel video blog captures the joy, wonder and nostalgia of exploring the world. Each film feels like opening an old diary—full of colour, memory and meaning—inviting you to relive adventures and spark new ones of your own. Route Planning - These are overall help but each travel year has it's own suggested travel route الأسئلة الشائعة Travel Inspiration Travel Stories Travel Diaries Motorhome Adventures Long-Haul Travel Family Trips Maps & More What is the Decades of Travel website? Decades of travel website covers currently Holidays between 1995 and now curated by KHWD. It is a modernised archive of over three decades of long‑haul travel, motorhome adventures, maps, diaries, images and videos created by Keef & Annie. It merges four older travel diary sites into one updated, easy‑to‑browse platform. There are route maps to chose from and clever filters covering every blog we have ever published to fit your travel requirements. Where can you find inspiration for your next trip? Explore our curated travel stories, photos, and guides to spark ideas for your upcoming adventures. Are the travel blogs useful for planning my own trip? Yes. Each trip includes: Real‑world itineraries Campsite and route suggestions Practical motorhome tips Honest reviews and personal insights Maps, videos, and day‑by‑day diaries Does the site include family travel content? Yes. Family‑focused trips include: Florida 1997 Disney’s 50th Anniversary in 2022 Multi‑generational travel with grandchildren How do you travel long‑term in retirement? Long‑term travel in retirement is all about freedom, planning, and pacing: Travel slowly — enjoy each destination without rushing. Choose comfortable accommodation — motorhomes, apartments, and long‑stay lodges. Build rest days into your itinerary — especially on multi‑month trips. Stay connected — use mobile data, local SIMs, and travel apps. Budget realistically — long trips are easier when costs are spread out. Prioritise health and insurance — essential for peace of mind. Our site’s 3‑month and 2‑month adventures are perfect inspiration for retirees planning similar journeys. +44 7843962729 KeefHWebDesigns@outlook.com Decades of Travel Images Travel Video Blog by KHWD 143 Longmoor Lane, Sandiacre, Nottingham, NG10 5LT England, UK Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement Cookies Adventures of a Lifetime, Holidays 1995-2024 Long Haul Travel Blogs Original Travel Archives Join our mailing list Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list. Just coming........................................... The live "Travel Video Blog" by KHWD "History of Travel" lectures which influenced Lonely Planet Books 50 years ago, The Hippie Trail was a huge influence.... Tony Wheeler is a bit of a hero of mine

A 2025 campervan guide to Scotland, Shetland and Orkney with routes, ferries, campsites, scenic highlights and practical tips for an unforgettable northern adventure. 2025 Travel Guide - Shetlands & The Orkneys 🗺️ TRAVEL ROUTE — SCOTLAND, MULL, ORKNEY & SHETLAND (2025) Motorhome Trip No. 60 — 13 Aug to 11 Sept 2025 Total: 1,921 miles • 8 ferries • 9 islands visited 1. NOTTINGHAM → TROUTBECK HEAD (13 Aug) Depart home after two weeks of prep A66 via Greystoke Overnight at Troutbeck Head CAMC, Cumbria 2. TROUTBECK → OBAN (14 Aug) Long scenic drive via Loch Lomond Lunch at Tarbet Hotel (Haggis pakora debut) Overnight at Highfields Holidays, Tralee Bay (Kiel Crofts) 3. OBAN → ISLE OF MULL (15 Aug) Ferry Oban → Craignure Drive to Ardtun to stay with Chris & Allyson Explore garden, polytunnel, new pond “Loch Langthorne” 4. MULL — Ardtun, Uisken, Lochbuie (16–18 Aug) Uisken Beach walk & craft chat Pub overlooking Iona Lochbuie walk to castle + Old Post Office café Relaxation day with friends Weather: stunning all four days 5. MULL → OBAN → INVERNESS-SHIRE → DUNNET BAY (19–20 Aug) Ferry Craignure → Oban Argyll coastal route north Lunch stop in Helmsdale Overnight at Culloden Moor CAMC Next day to Dunnet Bay CAMC + beach walk 6. SCRABSTER → ORKNEY (21 Aug) Ferry Scrabster → Stromness (NorthLink Hamnavoe) Pass close to Old Man of Hoy Overnight at Point of Ness Campsite, Stromness Explore narrow Stromness streets 7. ORKNEY — Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness (22 Aug) Visit Skara Brae, Skaill House, Ring of Brodgar, Standing Stones of Stenness Move to Kirkwall Ness Campsite (Pitch 16) 8. ORKNEY SOUTH ISLANDS — Italian Chapel, Burray, South Ronaldsay, Mull Head (23–25 Aug) Highland Park Distillery Italian Chapel (Lamb Holm) Burray fête St Margaret’s Hope Burwick viewpoint Walk at Mull Head & The Grotto Woolshed visit Cruise ship watching from campsite 9. ORKNEY EAST & NORTH — Birsay, Broch of Gurness, Orkney Brewery, Kirkwall (26–28 Aug) Birsay & Earl Patrick’s Palace Broch of Gurness + seal watching Orkney Brewery (Quoyloo) Kirkwall: Cathedral, museum, craft fair, Orkney Saga Centre Evening ferry from Hatston Quay → Shetland 10. SHETLAND ARRIVAL — Lerwick → Sumburgh → Scalloway (29 Aug) Arrive 7am on Hjaltland Sumburgh Head (deserted, dramatic) Jarlshof (rain stopped visit) Check-in at Scalloway/Tingwall Community Campsite (Pitch 2) 11. SHETLAND WEST — Bixter, Sandness, Walls, Stanydale (30–31 Aug) Original Cake Fridge (Bixter) Sandness (far west) Walls harbour (Foula ferry point) Stanydale Neolithic Temple Return to Scalloway 12. SOUTH SHETLAND & BRESSAY (1–2 Sept) Gulberswick Bay Ferry Lerwick → Bressay (7 mins) Explore Bressay: Laird’s House, Mail Shop, Noss viewpoints Return to Lerwick Overnight at Levenwick Community Campsite (Pitch 4) Visit Sandwick, Hoswick, Mousa ferry pier Jarlshof (full visit this time) 13. NORTHERN ISLES — Yell & Unst (3–4 Sept) Explore Lerwick: Bod of Gremista, Commercial Street, Peerie Café Ferry Toft → Yell (Ulsta) Overnight at Burravoe Community Campsite Drive east coast of Yell → Mid Yell → Gutcher Ferry Gutcher → Unst (Belmont) Haroldswick: Viking longhouse & longship Burrafirth & Papa Little views Return via Brae (fish & chips) Back to Scalloway Campsite 14. CHILL DAYS IN SCALLOWAY (5–7 Sept) Museum (Shetland Bus) Scalloway Castle (Earl Patrick’s grim legacy) Town walk Extreme winds (40–60 mph) Final nights on Shetland 15. SHETLAND → ABERDEEN → STONEHAVEN → FORFAR (8–9 Sept) Ferry Lerwick → Aberdeen (Hrossey) — very rough crossing Stonehaven: art deco pool, Waterfront Café Dunnottar Castle (too steep to complete) Forfar CAMC + Forfar Loch 16. FORFAR → NORTHUMBERLAND → HOME (10–11 Sept) Warkworth: lunch + castle Through Northumberland National Park Final CL stop near River Beamish Return home to Nottingham SUMMARY Nottingham Troutbeck Head (Cumbria) Oban Craignure, Isle of Mull Ardtun / Uisken / Lochbuie (Mull) General Wade’s Military Road (Loch Ness views) Culloden Moor (Inverness‑shire) Dunnet Bay Scrabster Ferry Terminal Stromness, Orkney Kirkwall, Orkney Hatston → Lerwick (Shetland Ferry) Scalloway, Shetland Levenwick / Sumburgh (South Shetland) Yell & Unst (Northern Isles) Aberdeen → Stonehaven → Forfar → Warkworth → Home A 2025 campervan guide to Scotland, Shetland and Orkney with routes, ferries, campsites, scenic highlights and practical tips for an unforgettable northern adventure. Set off on our 2025 campervan escapade through Scotland, Shetland and Orkney, where the roads are narrow, the sheep are fearless, and the ferries test your faith in both timetables and gravity. From windswept cliffs to campsites that may or may not be level, this guide captures every laugh, mishap and jaw‑dropping view. Perfect inspiration for anyone dreaming of a northern adventure with a side of chaos. The most northerly house in the UK on Unst, Shetland The write up is coming......

Explore our 2018 motorhome travelling guide to Eire & Ireland—routes, tips, campsites, and scenic highlights for an unforgettable Irish road trip. 2018 Travel Blog & Guide - Eire / Ireland 🇮🇪 2018 Ireland Route Map (Motorhome Trip No. 34) 16 June – 6 July 2018 • 21 Days • 1,995 miles ROUTE (Chronological) Nottingham → Southerndown, Vale of Glamorgan (Wales) Southerndown → St Davids, Pembrokeshire St Davids → Fishguard Ferry Port Fishguard → Rosslare (Ferry) Rosslare → Ferrybank Caravan Park, Wexford Wexford → New Ross → Waterford → Cahir (The Apple Farm) Cahir → Tipperary → Limerick → Adare (Adare Camping & Caravan Park) Adare → Tarbert Ferry → Killimer → Kilrush → Doonbeg (Strand Camping) Doonbeg → Lahinch → Cliffs of Moher → Doolin (Nagles Campsite) Doolin (Aran Islands boat trip – Inis Mór) Doolin → Ballyvaughan → Galway (Galway City Caravan Park) Galway → Connemara → Clifden (Eco Beach Campsite) Clifden → Omey Island → Renvyle → Westport → Achill Island (Keel Sandybank) Achill Island loops → Keem Bay → Doohoma → Ballina (Belleek Caravan Park) Ballina → Enniscrone → Easkey → Strandhill (Strandhill Campsite) Strandhill → Sligo → Mullaghmore → Ballyshannon (Lakeside Caravan Park) Ballyshannon → Donegal Town → Killybegs → Slieve League → Dungloe Dungloe → Gweedore → Magheraroarty → Fanad Head → Ramelton → Ballyshannon Ballyshannon → Beleek (NI) → Garrison → Parkes Castle → Battlebridge (Leitrim) Battlebridge → Strokestown House → Roscommon → Athlone (Ballykeeran ACSI site) Athlone → Tullamore → Portlaoise → Bennettsbridge (Nore Valley Park) Bennettsbridge → Johnstown Castle Gardens → Rosslare Ferry Rosslare → Fishguard (Ferry) → Welshpool → Shrewsbury → Nottingham 18 Route Visuals Explore our 2018 motorhome travelling guide to Eire / Ireland—routes, tips, campsites, and scenic highlights for an unforgettable Irish road trip. Discover our detailed 2018 motorhome travelling guide to Eire & Ireland, packed with scenic routes, campsite reviews, coastal drives, practical tips, and real‑world experiences from life on the road. Explore hidden bays, historic towns, wild Atlantic views, and the best stopovers for a smooth, memorable Irish adventure. Perfect for planning your own motorhome journey across Ireland’s stunning landscapes. Camping outdoors in Eire The write up is coming......

Step into 2024 with KHWD Holidays — a year of real journeys, honest stories, and motorhome adventures across the UK and beyond. Explore fresh routes, hidden gems, campsite reviews, and photo‑rich travel diaries designed to inspire your next escape. Whether you’re planning, dreaming, or reliving the road, this is your gateway to a year packed with discovery. 2024 Alaska & The Rocky Mountaineer Travel Guide 🇺🇸🇨🇦 Alaska & West Canada 2024 – Full Travel Route Summary 1) Vancouver → Alaska Cruise (Celebrity Solstice) Inside Passage → Icy Strait Point → Skagway → Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier → Juneau → Ketchikan → Inside Passage → Vancouver Vancouver (Canada Place) – Boarding Inside Passage – Northbound Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) – Gondola to mountain top, forest tram Skagway (USA) – Yukon Suspension Bridge → Fraser → White Pass & Yukon Route Railway Endicott Arm – Narrow fjord Dawes Glacier – 360° ship turn among heavy ice Juneau – Capital; Goldbelt Tram to Mt Roberts Ketchikan – Very wet day; brief walk ashore Inside Passage – Southbound Vancouver – Disembarkation 2) Vancouver → Vancouver Island (Sidney, Cordova Bay, Victoria, Saanich) Tsawwassen → Swartz Bay → Sidney → Cordova Bay → Victoria → Saanich Vancouver → Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal BC Ferries: Tsawwassen → Swartz Bay Sidney – Meet David & Cathy Cordova Bay – AirBnB stay Victoria – Provincial Parliament lunch China Town & HOHO Bus Saanich – Observatory viewpoint Cordova Bay – Local exploring Swartz Bay → Tsawwassen – Return ferry 3) Vancouver → Kamloops → Canmore → Stettler → Banff (Car Hire Road Trip) Vancouver → Hope → Merritt → Kamloops → Canmore → Stettler → Banff Vancouver → Kamloops (Trans‑Canada Highway 1) Vancouver Fraser Valley Hope Coquihalla Highway Merritt Kamloops – Overnight Kamloops → Canmore → Stettler Kamloops Chase Salmon Arm Sicamous Revelstoke Glacier National Park Rogers Pass Golden – Time zone change Lake Louise Banff Canmore – Overpriced motels noted Kananaskis / Dead Man’s Flats Calgary NW (Stoney Trail) Airdrie → Olds → Red Deer Stettler – Meet Rob & Sandy Stettler → Banff (Return leg) Stettler Red Deer Airdrie Calgary Banff – Drop off hire car 4) Rocky Mountaineer (Banff → Kamloops → Vancouver) Banff → Spiral Tunnels → Continental Divide → Kamloops → Thompson River → Fraser Canyon → Vancouver Banff – Departure Spiral Tunnels Continental Divide Field Golden Glacier NP Rogers Pass Revelstoke Kamloops – Overnight Thompson River – Desert‑like scenery Fraser Canyon Hope Vancouver – Arrival & end of trip SUMMARY Vancouver Alaskan Cruise Icy Strait Point Skagway Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Juneau Ketchikan Victoria Kamloops Banff Stettler Rocky Mountaineer (Banff to Kamloops to Vancouver) Vancouver USA 2024 ALASKA for my 70th Birthday celebrations on a Celebrity X Cruise. You can see the full write up on our motorhome-travels Blog 204 or continue to view here, thanks for looking DIARY SUNDAY 150924 FIRST DAY AT SEA ON THE SOLSTICE After a hearty breakfast at the Carey centre on Endowment land at UBC Oscar picked us up about 11.05 am and drove us to the cruise ship terminal at Canada place in downtown Vancouver, you know the one that looks a bit like Utzon's Sydney Opera house #justsayin Canadian friends. Getting there in downtown was a nightmare, unbelievable levels of traffic controlled by the cops, if you are in the wrong lane you are going around again, 1 hour maybe, luckily Oscar has been there before. Traffic levels so intense as 4 cruise ships all in together with passengers coming and going. Anyhow we did the customs checks etc. and then much to my surprise but sheer delight because of my walking stick Annie and I were fast-tracked through everything and onto the ship. We were supposed to board 1.30 pm, got on by 12 noon, poor Linda was supposed to be on at 11.30 am but spent almost 3 hours queueing and Ian's legs were killing him. Anyhow Annie and I did the emergency learning stuff and headed to the buffet for an early lunch. Nice it was too. We then discovered our cabin for the next 7 days and our luggage arrived a bit later on in the evening. All very smooth. Great weather so some fab views from our balcony as it left Vancouver. Take a look! MONDAY 160924 KEEF'S THREE SCORE & TEN BIRFDAY! What you can't be 70 I hear you all shout. Mentally I would totally agree, physically however I might have to start agreeing. I seem to be sticking it to the stick much more often these days and I've promised Annie and Linda I will start the knee replacement process. Anyhow enough of the gloom, it was a truly fabulous day. Cheeky Linda and Ian had decorated the outside of our cabin which obviously we didn't notice until coming out for breakfast. Very embarrassing but it meant I got to have a long chat with the Rhinestone cowboy who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary , we matched on the same ship’s cakes, but with a different legend. #haha The day was spent relaxing mostly on the balcony with the usual cruise interruption for a top up of food, what's the line , "come on as passenger, go off as cargo" #smile I had pre booked my birthday meal for Le Petit Chef experience and it was certainly memorable. The beef wellington element in terms of food was mouthwatering. See the videos especially those of the little chef in action, memorable and completely different. After the meal in the evening, we went to the theatre which although spectacular was a little confusing. Tired we retired a very very HAPPY and memorable 70th birthday, thanks to all for making it so much fun. And there is a clever video of Le Petit Chef at my Birthday meal, just so clever TUESDAY 17th SEPTEMBER, ICY STRAITS POINT We completed the inside passage and arrived at the Hoonah collective made cruise ship terminal at Icy Straits point, the 2nd highest location for our trip in Southern Alaska below Skagway however. Beautiful sunshine as we arrived c 1.30pm. After disembarkation and a nice walk across the bridge we exchanged our excursion passes for the red gondola ride to the top of the mountain and the forest excursion tram. We ascended to be afforded some wonderful views and a chat with 2 Americans whilst we waited for our forest ride. A local Klink-it (pronunciation not spelling which was Tsilingit band) elder did some tribal demoes around the fire, all very interesting. The forest tram ride was very informative and asking questions of the Kling-it driver it was totally clear that they would favour independence from the states, which my guess is will never happen, too much rich minerals and oil at stake. The driver also told me that they had started with 4 cruise ships day, they are now up to 260+ per months so a steady stream of profit for them. Anyhow have a look at the slideshows. WEDNESDAY 180924 SKAGWAY, YUKON SUSPENSION BRIDGE & WHITE PASS RAILWAY Arrived whilst it was still dark in Skagway. We had by now mastered the fine art of ordering breakfast and having it delivered to the door on our selected time in the next morning. Luxury, you just leave your order sheet pinned to the cabin door handle, and they deliver, I've tried it since we are home but sadly it didn't work #haha Anyhow as our trips in Skagway started early it was ideal. It was a full day but in our humble opinion the best day in Alaska, truly memorable, nice to share with Linda and Ian. Initially a coach trip up to the Yukon border meaning we crossed back from the States into Canada, initially visiting the Yukon Suspension bridge and as our driver, a resident of Skagway got us their early we had the place to ourselves, as we were leaving the tourist coaches were filling up. We even got our passport stamped; a touristy thing similar to the forgotten world highway in New Zealand. After that he collected us and took us to the Fraser border crossing to board the White Pass and Yukon train back into Skagway, one of the real great train journey, following the gold mining Klondike trail. Have a look at the slideshows, the second of which about 4 minutes in will give you a complete train journey. Hope you enjoy! The coach driver told us that by 20th October more than half the population of Skagway, himself included, would leave Skagway for the winter, no cruise ships, no employment and mostly stuck indoors. They all head off to Whitehorse and way beyond for the winter. 2024 7 Days Between 15th to 21st September ALASKA From Vancouver, in sequence we saw the Inside Passage, Icy Straits Point (Hoonah) , Skagway (amazing), Endicott Arm a long narrow fjord if you like leading to the Dawes Glacier, which the wonderful ship’s Southern Alaska, up to Skagway, is a region rich in natural beauty and history. Here's a quick summary: Geography Southeast Alaska, also known as the Alaskan Panhandle, is a narrow strip of land extending about 500 miles from Misty Fjords National Monument to the base of Mt. Fairweather. The region is characterized by its stunning Inside Passage, a network of waterways, fjords, and islands. Key Locations Juneau: The state capital, accessible only by boat or plane, known for its scenic views and outdoor activities. Ketchikan: Known as the "Salmon Capital of the World," it's famous for its totem poles and rich Native American culture. Skagway: A historic town that was a gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush, offering a glimpse into the past with its preserved buildings and museums. Activities Wildlife Viewing: Opportunities to see bears, whales, and eagles in their natural habitats. Hiking and Boating: Numerous trails and waterways for outdoor enthusiasts. Historic Tours: Explore the Gold Rush history in Skagway and other historic sites. Transportation Alaska Marine Highway: A ferry system that connects many communities along the Inside Passage. White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad: A scenic train ride from Skagway to the Yukon border, offering breathtaking views. captain got as close as he dared, he described it as the most icebergs he had ever seen there, it took a Titanic effort (geddit?) to avoid them #smile then we headed into Juneau , Alaska's capital, Ketchikan and returned to Vancouver on the inside passage past Vancouver Island. Here are the ships daily newspapers delivered each night to our cabin, with chocolates no less, luxury indeed for us Septuagenarians. The first video is the ship's log THURSDAY 190924 ENDICOTT ARM, DAWES GLACIER, JUNEAU Another early rise but just so worth it, initially dark when we entered the Endicott Arm, which is traditionally a fjord, not naturally associated with Alaska. Some fabulous views and then the first teeny icebergs came floating by, which got more and more intense as we approached the end of the fjord which is the Dawes glacier. The captain did a 360 degree turn as close as he dared to the glacier having already announced that this was the most ice he had ever seen, now was another ship and icebergs but the less said about that the better. Such spectacular views, waterfalls everywhere, some elements of Milford sound as a comparison. We were treated to Dr Ann's commentary to accompany the voyage up the fjord to the glacier which created some wonderful learning points. After the glacier we headed off to Alaska's capital. Linda and Ian did the Mildenhall glacier trip, we walked around, did a bit of tourist shopping, called in at the cultural centre, had a chat with an elder and admired many woven rugs and totem poles. Juneau is fairly cut off but there were still a surprising number of cars there. The road runs out in about 37 miles from downtown. Annie was a little tired so returned to the cabin. I decided to go up Mount Roberts via the Goldbelt Tram, the mist faded, and I got some fabulous views from the top. Sadly we were not allowed out, probably sensibly, because of the presents of a bear at the top a few days earlier. On descending I walked along the board walk past the brewery (no I didn't go in, honest) reading up on the Haida culture as I went. We all met up in the restaurant for evening meal before going to the show. Served ably by Kier who was great and his boss Miguel who was...less good and a little to pushy on "good feedback, I need score 10" FRIDAY 200924 KETCHIKAN, A VERY WET DAY We arrived in a very wet Ketchikan having had lunch with Linda and Ian. After their glacier tour yesterday Linda was feeling exhausted and didn't want to go on the crab fishing trip with Ian, we were asked but passed. Annie and I left the ship for literally 5 minutes, it never stopped pouring down. We had a chat with the ex-harbour master who offered us a free trip on his salmon boat, we declined far to choppy and wet. He told us they were down on visitors in Ketchikan today as 4 cruise ships had decided not to land. Anyhow we all met up for supper in the restaurant later, Ian had been at a crab feast (not their catch I'm afraid as not eco) so only joined us for puddings. SATURDAY 210924 LAST DAY AT SEA, INSIDE PASSAGE THEN DISEMBARKATION The last day was spent at sea, relaxing , watching the Inside Passage views, admiring both the British Columbian coastline as well as that of Vancouver island as we traversed between the two, eating, drinking, chatting and playing trivia games in the observation lounge (guess the Diva music - Hmm the modern ones we really didn't know but Tina etc. were easy) and at about 5am on the 22nd being docked in Canada place, downtown Vancouver. It has been a wonderful trip. 24 Alaskan Diary CANADA 2024 WESTERN CANADA for our combined 70th Birthday celebrations on the Rocky Mountaineer train Amongst other adventures i.e. Meeting up with pals David and Cathey in Cordova Bay / Victoria on Vancouver Island, Hiring a car and travelling across British Columbia and Alberta as far as Stettler and noticing just how much Canada has changed, Tsawwassen ferry so different, Vancouver / Raincouver so much more built up than it was back then, and the avelanche covers on the Trans-Canda Highway 1 so much more imroved and pronounced, we did this western end of Canada back in 1999 with Doug as a 15 year old, you can see that trip 25 years ago, you can also see the full write up on our motorhome-travels blog , blog 204 or continue to view here, thanks for looking. It was so nice coming back again University of British Columbia, Vancouver BRITISH COLUMBIA The home of Vancouver Island, we travelled through all of British Columbia (BC) west to east then east to west on this trip firstly by foot, ferry and car, then the Rocky Mountaineer back westward. The border with Alberta is between Field and Lake Louise although the time zone changed around about Golden in BC. Field was a fascinating place but the scenery through BC is spectacular. There is no point in me using words, just look at each individual day’s images. I also learnt a lot not least that Victoria on Vancouver Island is the provincial capital not Vancouver, its biggest city or Raincouver as we learnt to name it. Driving from Vancouver to Kamloops on the TransCanada Highway 1 is a scenic adventure through some of British Columbia's most beautiful landscapes Here's what you'll see along the way: Vancouver to Hope Fraser Valley: Start with the fertile farmlands and charming small towns of the Fraser Valley. Coastal Mountains: As you head east, you'll enter the lush, wet coastal mountains, with dense forests and rushing rivers. Hope to Lytton Coquihalla Highway: This section offers stunning views of the Coquihalla River and the surrounding mountains. Lytton: Known for its hot summers, Lytton is nestled in a narrow valley with the Thompson River running through it. Lytton to Kamloops Lytton Canyon: A dramatic landscape with steep cliffs and the Thompson River winding through1. Desert-Like Terrain: As you approach Kamloops, the scenery transitions to a more arid, desert-like landscape with rolling hills and sagebrush. Kamloops Welcome to Kamloops: A charming city surrounded by mountains and situated on the North Thompson River. This drive offers a mix of lush forests, dramatic canyons, and desert-like landscapes, making it a memorable journey through British Columbia's diverse natural beauty Vancouver Island, Mostly Victoria Alberta, Meeting Annie's Cuz in Stettler 2024 14 Days in Canada, 2 days Vancouver Uni Area arriving from Heathrow, 5 days Vancouver Island with friends (after Alaskan Cruise), 4 days across to Alberta to see Annie's cousin, 2 days Rocky Mountaineer (*what a trip!*) , 1 day back in Vancouver Uni before flying home CANADA This is our 3rd trip to Canada, once in 1999 when we travelled very similar the same path to this trip with Doug aged 15 and then again in 2010 which enabled us to say we have travelled from west to east coast of Canada in a hired motorhome. We say mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) on Vancouver island in the park and we have also been to North Sydney in Nova Scotia where it apparently officially ends but as you can see from the map we have even been further through Newfoundland and Labrador as far as Red Bay. So we have probably travelled most of the TCH's 7476 km's. This trip was basically Vancouver, Tsawwassen (in Delta), Vancouver Island featuring Swartz Bay, Sidney, Cordover Bay, Victoria, Saanich, Hope, Merritt, Kamloops, Chase, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Revelstoke, Roger's Pass, Golden, Banff, Canmore, Dead Man's Flats (love that name), Stoney trail around Calgary, Airdrie, Olds, Red Deer, Stettler and back to Vancouver. What a privilege it was to travel on the Rocky Mountaineer. Rocky Mountaineer to Home ALBERTA After Field on the TCH we entered the Banff National Park and for us the start of our Alberta time. As we were not visiting David and Cathy in Edmonton this time as had a fab time meeting up in Victoria, we travelled around Calgary on the Stoney Trail on up through Airdrie Red Deer, the David Thompson highway , Summer River and into Stettler for 2 days principally to meet up with Annie's cuz Rob, but Stettler itself proved to be a very interesting Prairie town. Traveling from Canmore to Stettler via Red Deer, while bypassing Drumheller, presents a variety of scenic views and quaint towns. Here is what to expect along the route: Canmore to Calgary Bow Valley Parkway: Offers breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains, including the iconic Three Sisters peaks and the serene Bow River. Canmore: This picturesque town nestled among mountains is ideal for a brief stop to stretch and relax. Calgary to Red Deer Calgary: This vibrant city provides numerous amenities should you need to make a stop for supplies. Highway: Traveling eastward, you'll traverse the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, characterized by its farmlands and small communities. Red Deer: This lively city boasts a blend of city conveniences and natural splendor, highlighted by the Red Deer River. Red Deer to Stettler. Open Prairies: Journeying through Central Alberta, you'll be greeted by expansive prairies, undulating hills, and pastoral farmland. Buffalo Lake: Located just south of Stettler, the lake features picturesque views, recreational day-use areas, beaches, and opportunities for activities such as fishing and boating. Stettler. Arriving in Stettler: This charming town boasts a deep agricultural heritage, set amidst scenic farmland. The drive offers a rich tapestry of experiences, from alpine panoramas to the vastness of the prairies, ensuring a memorable trip through the heart of Alberta's countryside. 2024 Canadian Diary FRIDAY 130924 HEATHROW TO VANCOUVER Left from home reasonably early just in case there were any further issues with the car, couldn't afford to miss the plane. Meet and greet at Heathrow terminal 2 was fairly painless once we had paid a fortune being in the lower levels which sign posted M&G, silly us, should have realised its actually on level 4, location row B. Note to self for next time at Heathrow "get it right" smile So, the Air Canada flight was OK, not like the return journey but that is another story. Watched the Amy Winehouse biopic "back to black" but as I had a window seat spent a lot of time enjoying initially the Faroes, then Iceland with a spectacular shot over Isafjordur, then Greenland which seemed to be totally ice, wonder why it was not called Whiteland ? Then it was Hudson Bay and some of those Eastern Canada / Nunavut / Yukon areas until we landed in Vancouver. It was raining hence Raincouver. The scheduled taxi was late but eventually we met Sunny a lovely man whom we grew fond of over the holiday. Sunny ferried us to the Carey Centre, we saw the Coyote in the grounds and eventually jet lagged out slept well. We were in North America keen for the days ahead! SATURDAY 140924 WET LOCAL WALK AROUND UBC PLUS JET LAG SNOOZE Slept somewhat erratically, not surprisingly as no idea which time zone we were in. Had lovely, included breakfast in University , such a lovely lady serving and then booked lunch and dinner at the uni, both of which were very good. Went out so a walk around the area, it rained consistently, and some kind ladies advised us not to go down to the beach as steep and slippy steps. Good advice. We did find a coast viewing spot but as Annie's knee was hurting we returned to the campus and read / drifted off to sleep in between meals. Good to catch up before our Alaskan adventure. We also learnt quite a bit about William Carey, the missionary after whom the Carey Centre is named, this area was big theology departments. The next 7 days are the ALASKA cruise SUNDAY 220924 FERRY, MEET UP WITH DAVID & CATHY, SIDNEY Sunny picked us up from the cruise ship terminal at Canada Place, well not quite. Our ship had arrived early, and they let us off really early and customs was a breeze, so I had texted Sunny to let him know the pickup time had been bought forward. He couldn't park where we had been dropped off by Oscar, so he asked us to make our way to the front of the Pan Pacific hotel just outside Canada place car park. He drove us through Richmond and Delta plus other areas to Tsawwassen, which was so much more built up than we remembered it for 1999. Quite a long limo journey, probably about 45 minutes. Then we got our ferry tickets, very cheap as foot passengers, weight our bags and sent them on as checked luggage, good stuff. Long queue to get on with lots of sports teams going back to the island, maybe they had been to Kamloops, he capital of mediocre tournaments on a Saturday, who knows. I texted David to say we were on the 10 am ferry, the journey is about 90 minutes. Amazed at the number of islands the ferry traverses around. David picked us up, Cathy was at church. So lovely to see them again. Travelled to Sidney, which I do remember from years back. David showed us a co habiting house set up they had looked at and explained what it was all about, sounds like their future. We then had a coffee and a lot of catch up, Cathy joining us. A stroll around the lovely Sidney and a fab fish restaurant on the sea front, bliss. After that we went to check in at the Air B&B in Cordova bay. Tee hee it was lovely but at the top of a steep hill and the key lock was bust so the front fell into the bushes . David kindly retrieved it #hero We then parted company to settle in, D&C house sitting just down the road. A fun day. Keef bought Annie some Canadian socks in one of the shops the ladies enticed us men to enter MONDAY 230924 70th LUNCH IN BC's VICTORIA PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT After breakfast and sitting out on the balcony reading and admiring the coast , David and Cathy arrived, after a quick catch up we headed off into Victoria. Cathy dropped the 3 of us near the parliament building and went and parked somewhere she knew about. We went through security, were given BC badges having parted with driving licenses as security , waited for Cathy, it what seemed like the dungeon or prison wing of an old Victorian building, in fact the BC parliament building. The Harvey's had kindly booked us in for lunch. It was a lovely lunch even if our waitress was a bit brusque, maybe she had been a prison warder there in a previous life #smile After lunch we had a stroll along the front with a brilliant set of tour guides, D&C, must give great feedback on trip advisor. We saw all the boats, including the bath tubs to Fisherman's wharf plus the front of the Empress, minus it's Virginia creeper after all these years, spruced up by Fairmont hotels which it is now owed by (along with Banff Springs and Le Château Frontenac in Quebec city. We visited the tourist info, spent time in Cathy's favourite Rogers chocolates, saw the floral killer whale display and then had a good nose inside the Empress, to the point where Keef was told he was not a resident and was not allowed out on the roof top garden, shame! Some fab architecture, all exhausted after that we returned to Cordova bay for the evening. TUESDAY 240924 US IN VICTORIA WITH D&C, LINDA IN VANCOUVER David and Cathy picked us up early, wonderful sunny day, for breakfast at a Gluten Free (Cathy is) cafe in the Saanich area called Charlotte and the Quail, food to die for and pretty good coffee. The lady serving us what a little high pitched, but we soon got over that as the food arrived, it was totally yummy. After breakfast we had a good look around the attached formal gardens, manned mostly by volunteers and what a great job they had made of it. David bought a gardening book, and we all strolled around taking endless flower and tree photographs, and quite right too, a fab gardens. After that we drove up and up to the centre of the universe observatory, with spectacular views. You could see the Olympus mountains in Washington State. After this they took us on a fab drive along the truly tremendous coastal road, flash house and hotel viewing, gardens, traditional cemeteries, whale watching in the mist, until it cleared listening to the sound of ship's foghorns, then only the even more wonderful Fisherman's wharf with its quirky housing and residents to match. #superb We had beer , wine and fish (halibut or salmon) and chips on the sea harbour front until such time as the temperature dropped. It being quite late in the eve , about 7.30 pm if memory serves me right, we returned to Cordova Bay, all in all a fab, fun day with many laughs. WEDNESDAY 250924 A VERY WET DAY IN CORDOVA BAY PLUS BBQ Cathy's cousin and wife had returned late last night so they stayed there today, having to both catch up, pack and tidy up after spending a while in their house both house and cat sitting. Max (the cat) certainly matched his name. I joked that he was a skinny thing before the Harvey's arrived and over fed him #teehee We picked a good day to chill, relax and read, the rain was torrential nearly all day both Vancouver and Victoria get their fair share of "weather". Cathy had given me some halibut and salmon her cousin had caught the night before and they did some shopping kindly for us I did a fish and salad BBQ in the evening, David had bought an apple crumble for pud and Cathy had cheese and bikkies. This was our last night together, we will miss them, we had an extraordinarily good time together, thanks so much for your hospitality, David and Cathy. We stayed in contact via text whilst we each went our separate ways. THURSDAY 260924 HOP ON HOP OFF BUS VICTORIA & CHINATOWN After showers etc., and a cooked brekkie to keep us going, we noticed a cracked window in the bathroom which was either there before or not? Victoria had had a 4.1 earthquake over night. Anyhow we got an uber to the Empress in Victoria and caught the Hop On Hop off bus , doing a complete circuit first around, much of which we recognised from the Harvey's guided tour. All hugely interesting with commentary on the bus. We were glad we stayed on to take the bus to Chinatown as lots a cruise ships were in later and the bus and place were heaving. Chinatown is very interesting; we visited the free museum down Fan Pan alley (sometimes referred to as tin pan alley) We had a lovely coffee (the best in Canada or Alaska) at a coffee shop just outside Chinatown plus lovely cake and bought a pasty to take back to cottage. It was raining a lot so we called it a day at about 4pm and got a uber back to Cordova Bay. Nice tea, packing for early start tomorrow and earlyish to bed for our onward travels and new adventures. FRIDAY 270924 FERRY BACK TO VANCOUVER, PICK UP CAR, DRIVE TO KAMLOOPS Up early, it was still dark, rang for an uber which annoying always stopped one block away in the main road down the hill. Care when putting the key back in the cottage outside key safe, as pitch black i didn't want to drop it, especially as the battery in my phone was now regularly dying. Wheeled the suitcases to the top of the hill, in the dark. Keef went slowly down to the main road , found the uber guy, and got him to drive up the hill to collect Annie and the suitcase, good driver, took us to Swartz bay. Ferry back to Tsawwassen, Sunny was waiting for us and kindly took us to the Avis office at Vancouver airport in Richmond. Checked in, picked up the keys, loaded the cases and off we went. Bit nerve wracking initially in a very busy Vancouver but soon got used to it and we were on Highway 1 heading towards Hope. After Hope it was onto to Kamloops, we stopped for both refreshments, mediocre coffee and many photo opportunities. A good days travel. We arrived in Kamloops as it was getting dark, some lovely colours on the hills. Kamloops is semi-arid. Kamloops is known as the "Tournament City of Canada" basically because on Saturdays the hotels / motels are free from Rocky Mountaineer travellers, the train comes into Kamloops 6 days a week, 3 journeys in either direction and that was true when we arrived late on a Friday evening and surprisingly found everything initially was fully booked with parents and their young lads for a mini baseball league tournament. As one of the wags on our train journey said you are most likely to end up in conversation with a mediocre lacrosse player #haha We did eventually find accommodation at the Ramada which had a great breakfast included in the price, which was quite high at approx. £175 but nothing in comparison to the extortionate price charged in Canmore the next day at £235 and there was no breakfast AND THEN BACK HOME FRIDAY 041024 CAREY CENTRE THEN FLY BACK HOME Bit of a lie in as no rush today and we were ahead of the game. Lovely extended breakfast in the uni canteen. Checked our just before 11 and waited for Sunny to come and collect us. He took us to terminal 2 at Vancouver airport, we had a bit of time to kill before we could check in at 1.40 pm, but time went quickly. Once thru security we had a meal, the plane left on time, but this was definitely the worst of the flights. Folk were in our seats and had to be evicted , the charger didn't work, the movie wasn't great (a Kevin Costner Cowboy) and the food was even worse. Still, We got back to Heathrow, had to register the fact that they had lost our suitcase , picked up car easily and drive home, stopping for coffee and some minor provisions, tried to stay up as long as we could then crashed at about 8 pm. We were home. What a FAB holiday. 2024 21 Days in Canada and on our Alaskan Cruise with my Sister Linda & Hubby Ian SATURDAY 280924 KAMLOOPS TO CANMORE VIA BANFF After a hearty breakfast in the Ramada Kamloops, shared with a visiting 1st nations excursion group, we packed up checked out and hit the road with a lot of distance to travel today. We saw Salmon Arm (not great), 3 valleys gap, Revelstoke where we stopped for Pharmacy and Post office , Golden for Tim Horton's and lunch and clock change, as well as seeing lots en route. We thought we might stay in Banff for the night but as gridlock struck as we drove in we rapidly changed our minds. Saturday evening, Rocky Mountaineer train in, it was heaving and our budget didn't stretch to the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Interesting that Fairmont now own most of these classic Canadian railway hotels, Empress, Banff Springs, Frontenac etc. etc. So we went onto Canmore, filled with fuel and set about finding a place for the night. Wow Canmore is expensive.! See our slideshow. At the ski lodge we saw 2 guys kite surfing if that's the correct term, not something we would ever entertain at 70 Here is the Trip Advisor review I left for the rip-off Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge, we have never been so disappointed or overcharged. "A COMPLETE RIP-OFF! No price list on display when we arrived. Extortionate charges for a one bed queen / no breakfast. As pensioners we were even promised a discount, but I’ve checked my bank statement, and the full price was charged so that was a lie. $420 cad / £229. We could have stayed in a posh London hotel for less, indeed I told the receptionist this. She told us it was high season, and the price dropped when the snow fell , which must be rubbish as it’s a ski lodge and winter will be when they make their money. It feels like they just charge what they like to tourists. Surely a reputable business should have its price list on display. I am even more upset that I could have got the same via the UK if I had pre booked for £75. I will advise my family and friends in the UK and Canada to NEVER use “Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge” Even the car park was a waterlogged dirt track and as disabled we had to lug suitcases upstairs after they got dirty thru the mud bath car park. So, so ripped off and angry." SUNDAY 290924 CANMORE TO STETTLER We packed up at our hugely overpriced one bed in Canmore, it was pouring at the time so the muddy car park was awash with water and mud. I carefully carried each suitcase over the obstacle course to put each in the boot / trunk trying for as little mudslide as possible but slightly failing. We called in at reception to check out vowing never to return, at least to that establishment. We filled up with gas and had breakfast at one of the fast-food joints. Wendy's I think, perfectly adequate for our journey onto Stettler in the Prairies. Back on Trans-Canada Highway one we made our way around Calgary on the Stoney Trail, up through the outskirts of Red Deer and onto the David Thompson highway, where we stopped for the autumn colours at the Summer river before reaching Stettler where we had a subways for lunch before checking in at the Super 8 motel. One of the most amusing stories was when we arrived in Stettler at the Super8 (ok maybe not so super #smile more Adequate8) and checking in the lady asked us where we were from, we answered with our usual Nottingham, home of Robin Hood and Kevin Costner, and said we were there to meet Annie's cousin Rob Littlejohn, she laughed obviously not believing the coincidence , that was until I told her my real name was Will Scarlet . Driving from Canmore to Stettler via Red Deer, while avoiding Drumheller, offers a mix of scenic landscapes and charming towns. Here's what you'll see along the way: Canmore to Calgary Bow Valley Parkway: Enjoy stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, including the Three Sisters peaks and the Bow River. Canmore: A charming town surrounded by mountains, perfect for a quick stop to stretch your legs. Calgary to Red Deer Calgary: The bustling city offers plenty of amenities if you need to stop for supplies. Highway 2: As you head east, you'll pass through the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, with farmlands and small towns. Red Deer: A vibrant city with a mix of urban amenities and natural beauty, including the Red Deer River. Red Deer to Stettler Open Prairies: The drive through the Central Alberta region offers wide-open prairies with rolling hills and farmland. Buffalo Lake: Just south of Stettler, this lake offers beautiful scenery, day-use areas, beaches, and opportunities for outdoor activities like fishing and boating. Stettler Welcome to Stettler: A quaint town with a rich agricultural history, surrounded by picturesque farmland. This route provides a diverse experience, from mountain vistas to prairie landscapes, making it a memorable journey through Alberta's beautiful countryside. MONDAY 300924 MEET UP WITH ROB AND SANDY IN STETTLER Up early we had a really good breakfast at the Super 8, chatting to the lovely receptionist who was amazingly friendly. It is worth noting that 2 nights at the Super 8 and breakfasts was still vastly cheaper than 1 night in Canmore, you can tell I don't like getting ripped off! Anyhow after brekkie we drove around to discover Stettler especially the grain stores on the outskirts and surrounding the main downtown. Stettler has a mini stampede to rial Calgary, well when I say rival I clearly don't mean it. We liked Stettler , it had a lovely feel to it, to call it a one-horse town is unfair, I saw 2 #smile We went shopping in Dollerama and Walmart then returned to our room and waited for Rob & Sandy to arrive, what nice people. Annie had not met her cousin before. We had coffee in the cafe (lots of it and various interruptions from an over attentive lady waitress) however I did earn something about CFL Canada's equivalent of gridiron. We then had some drinks and a meal, the afternoon was a delight hatting about just about everything under the sun, with a lot of humour chucked in for good measure. So glad we made the effort to meet up, too good an opportunity to miss. TUESDAY 011024 STETTLER TO BANFF We had breakfast with Rob and Sandy, got the receptionist to take some photos, said our goodbyes , packed our cases and set off back to Banff taking a slightly different route back to the Queen Elizabeth Highway, cross land as directed by the Jeep's satnav, sadly because there were lots of road works (or construction as it is know in Canada). One back on the main highway it was full steam ahead, past Airdrie, Stoney Trail around Calgary, back onto the TCH 1 and into Canmore having first pulled into various tourist spots on route for some Fuji moments. Filled up the car in Canmore as had to return it full of gas. In Banff it was still raining but we stopped in front of the mega Banff Springs hotel, then checked in at the Bow View Lodge hotel, our refuge for the night prior to our well awaited Rocky Mountaineer train ride tomorrow. With time to spare until 4 we called in at the Avis office who said not here, all very confusing for car returns #recommendation You have to drop off in the bottom 2 floors of the local car park, shame Avis did not mention that, oh well, sorted we walked back to the hotel in the rain, it was not very far. After 4 we went and did the Rocky Mountaineer guest formal check in in the local mall, they gave us both a pin badge and sadly a load of irrelevant drivel, but hey the trip was magnificent. So it was early to bed for pick up in the morning. Cases would go straight onto the Coast hotel in Kamloops by coach and we passengers would be ferried to the train. Nice views of the Bow river outside our window. In the eve we ate at splendid Italian Lupo Restaurant in Wolf Street, and it was good. WEDNESDAY 021024 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER DAY 1 - Banff to Kamloops Up early at the Bow View Lodge hotel. Suitcases packed and downstairs in the lobby with quite a few other folk waiting to be transported to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) line station at Banff. Now we knew the guy at check in last night had lied when we said we had booked that hotel because it was where the coach picked you up from. He promised if we had to walk around the corner their staff would wheel our suitcases , clearly that didn't happen, not great service from Rocky Mountaineer, but in fairness the luxury of being promoted from Silver leaf service to Gold leaf service for no extra cost was brilliant. We were now in an observation car and our luxury food and drinks was served directly at our seat for us #luxury There was even a light dusting of snow in the Rockies getting down to ground level at times, such a romantic journey, the Christmas tree effect with snow was spectacular. We passed over / alongside 5 rivers. Loved every moment of this trip. See the slideshows of images and the movies taken whilst the train was rolling! Due to numerous reasons, mostly the hold ups due to cargo which has priority on the CP lines our train was running very late, so the chef prepared an evening meal for us (normally taken in Kamloops) and very nice it was to. We arrived at the CP station in Kamloops (not the one the train would leave from tomorrow) and were coached to our Coast hotel, which after a fiasco with room keys meant we got to bed about 10pm, a very satisfying day. On the Rocky Mountaineer train journey from Banff to Kamloops, you'll cross several beautiful rivers1. Here are the five main rivers you'll see: Bow River: This iconic river flows through Banff and offers stunning views as you start your journey. Kicking Horse River: Known for its turquoise waters, this river is a highlight as you travel through the Canadian Rockies. Yoho River: As you pass through Yoho National Park, you'll see the Yoho River winding through the stunning mountain scenery. Columbia River: This river marks the border between British Columbia and Alberta, offering breathtaking views. North Thompson River: As you approach Kamloops, you'll cross the North Thompson River, which flows through Kamloops and is a key feature of the landscape. These rivers contribute to the breathtaking scenery and make the journey an unforgettable experience. THURSDAY 031024 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER DAY 2 - Kamloops to Vancouver Kamloops back to Vancouver Canadian National Railway (CN) station. We had been delivered to the Canadian Pacific (CP) station in Kamloops the night before, quite late, and after the key fiasco we were a little jaded in the morning, I had had bad cramp in the leg probably from sitting all day the day before, however we were LOVING the Rocky Mountaineer, one of the world's true great train journeys. Todays, scenery was spectacular but different from Day 1 in mostly in Alberta and the Rockies, more lakes that rivers today. Oh, and the food and drink was pretty premium as well, so glad we did this! See the slideshows and videos to get a true feel of the day. We also got to see the famous "last spike" We chatted a bit to our new Australian friends from Penrith. Once we had arrived in Vancouver, not the greatest views in that last hour, we caught a taxi to the Carey Centre, checked in , resorted the bags for flight home tomorrow and exhausted , early mornings on the train had been a bit boot camp. During the Rocky Mountaineer's voyage from Kamloops to Vancouver, you will encounter several magnificent lakes. The main ones include: Enderby Lake: Situated near the beginning of your trip, it provides scenic vistas as you travel westward. Shuswap Lake: This is one of British Columbia's largest lakes, renowned for its beautiful landscape and variety of recreational activities. Little Shuswap Lake: Adjacent to Shuswap Lake, it offers charming views during your journey. Nicola Lake: Further along, you will come across Nicola Lake, cradled in the Nicola Valley. Coquihalla Lake: Near the conclusion of your trip, this lake presents a stunning setting as you near Vancouver. These lakes enhance the spectacular scenery, rendering the journey truly memorable.

A sun-soaked family adventure through Florida’s best moments — Disney magic, iconic parks, and the full 2022 USA holiday story brought to life. Dive into the photos, the memories, the laughs, and the little details that made this trip unforgettable. If you love travel diaries, theme parks, or a good nostalgia hit, this page is a must‑read. Ready to relive the journey? 2022 Travel Blog For Disney's 50th Celebrations 🗺️ USA 2022 – Travel Route Summary (Florida) 🏡 Base Location Davenport, Florida (Regal Palms Resort, Berry Town Centre area) Bay Lakes area, Florida Travel mainly via US‑27 (Purple Heart Highway) and US‑192 (West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) 🎢 Theme Parks & Attractions Visited Walt Disney World – All Four Parks Magic Kingdom (50th Anniversary fireworks) EPCOT (50th Anniversary fireworks) Animal Kingdom (entry via Sherberth Road) Hollywood Studios Other Major Parks Disney Springs Universal Studios Orlando (Craig & family only) 🛣️ Local Areas & Towns Kissimmee (regular visits for food, access roads, and park routes) Davenport (accommodation, shopping, dining) Berry Town Centre (local amenities) 🍔 Travel Pattern Based on the diary description, your daily route pattern was: Davenport → US‑27 → US‑192 → Disney/Universal parks Return via the same highways Occasional diversions via Sherberth Road for Animal Kingdom access 📍 Full Route List & Summary This is the distilled list of all unique locations mentioned, in clean sequence: Davenport (Regal Palms Resort) Berry Town Centre Kissimmee Magic Kingdom EPCOT Animal Kingdom Hollywood Studios Disney Springs Universal Studios Orlando Bay Lakes area US‑27 (Purple Heart Highway) US‑192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) Sherberth Road (Animal Kingdom access) Read more under Blog 183 if you want to or just read here on this site USA 2022 Florida (FL) USA with the grandchildren for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World resort, Walt had built it from the late 60s when he purchased the land from Irlo Bronson Sr, rancher and Democratic senator for the state of Florida, it opened in 1972 hence the 50th celebrations including fireworks at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot which were spectacular. Family Holiday to Orlando, Florida, USA - Theme Parks for Disney's 50th at Magic Kingdom A wonderful family holiday for 3 weeks staying at Regal Palms Resort in the Davenport and Bay Lakes area of Florida, just off the Purple heart highway (no 27) and mostly using the 192 Highway (West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, both father and son Irlo Bronson (Sr & Jr) were prominent Floridian Democratic Politicians and the father is best known for selling some of his ranch land to Walt Disney to construct Disney World, there you go a bit of relevant history for you). The 192 got us to Disney (& Universal) theme parks and all the obvious American eateries, some of which are to die for (sadly in some folks cases literally) just loved the all American "big and brash" approach to life for 3 weeks. Not sure I could live there, the gun thing and school shooter issue is very prominent every day in their newscasts (dominated by adverts #smile) plus Florida's republican governor Ron DeSantis has views I could never align with , BUT 3 weeks to explore a highly interesting culture that really defines the term "2 nations that speak the same language but are separated by it" was truly a wonderful opportunity spent with my loving and fun, caring extended family, I am a VERY HAPPY MAN #fact Note also entry to Animal Kingdom off the 192 should be via the Sherberth Rd (entry point) Art Work If the Video Includes our Grandchildren you need ask to view else they are private DISNEY SPRINGS We went twice to Disney springs, I guess it is the mega replacement for what Paradise Island was back in the day as the entertainment element of Disney World Resorts offering. Disney springs is huge with many car parks, named after fruits, i.e., Lime, Watermelon, Orange etc. etc. All car parking is free. The first time we went we had a good look around, security is good on entry, all the typical posh shops and of course Disney & Co. which we did spend quite a bit of time in. Keef looked at buying Levi's, traditionally a cheap purchase in the States, but even with the 30% discount they were still way more expensive than the UK, must be the exchange rate or prices in the US have gone ballistic. The Lego shop was fun, Edie played with the available bricks to entertain the kids, Grandpa made a car #teehee We then avoided a mega downpour and eventually legged it over to Planet Hollywood for our pre booked table getting a little wet on route. What a fascinating restaurant. Reminded me of my fave Hard Rock café but with film memorabilia and some fab sing-a-longs. #magic Our second return was to watch Cirque Du Soleil, which was wonderful. You can park in the surface car park for free just in front of the purpose build big top. Disney don't do things by halves #haha UNIVERSAL STUDIOS We had a day off when C&L and family visited Universal, it is located about an hour away from Davenport in what is basically south Orlando. They had a lovely day mostly in the Harry Potter area with Edie using her Hermione wand to make stuff "move", i'll try and find some images, they stopped for donuts on the way back, but as the kids were flagging didn't make it through to 9 pm for the fireworks which was an original intention. It as fun place, much changed I'm sure from our 1997 visit but ET is still there although massively updated. Edie had great fun with her wand , now what exactly does "Expelliarmus" mean, well I'm so glad you asked Harry fans, here you go..... Expelliarmus is a disarming spell, and is used to knock the opponent's wand from their hand. It is commonly used in the dueling club of Hogwarts and in many of the Harry Potter movies. Although called the 'Disarming Charm', it is only used to take wands from your opponent, whereas other spells can be used for summoning or pushing away an object. There is a very brief you tube video of Craig & Leanne's day out FIREWORKS We were lucky enough to be at Disney's world resort to celebrate their 50th anniversary which meant spectacular fireworks every evening at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, on reflection we all agreed it was the Magic Kingdom ones that were the best which is to take nothing way from Epcot who used huge screens to coordinate Disney classic songs and screen time with the fireworks over the world lake. By fireworks down main street in front of the castle at Magic Kingdom just edged it for us it was , sorry to repeat the word, just MAGICAL! Do hope these videos do it justice. It should be noted that each "performance" at both parks lasted about 20 minutes with a crescendo finale, our video has captured about 20 minutes combines across the 2, you will easily see which park is which, over the lake at Epcot and in front of the Castle at Magic Kingdom. EATERIES AND SHOPPING We went to very few shops apart from those inside Disney Parks for various souvenirs and gifts, Keef bought himself a NASA T-shirt inside EPCOT but for those outside we got SIM cards from AT&T, Food shopping from Publix, and we visited the old style US store Cracker Barrel and the Magicians Gift Store on the 192. Restaurants we eat at or got take aways were in no particular order, i-Hop and Applebee's at Berry Town Centre , Ponderosa on the 192, McDonald's on the Disney World Resort Estate, Mexico and China in EPCOT, Planet Hollywood at Disney Springs, take away fish and chips from the English bar in Berry town centre, where I had a draft pint of old speckled hen whilst waiting, a great place run by a nice English guy from London who had been there for 14 years. Plus for breakfasts Rainforest café in Animal Kingdom and the Royal Table in the castle at Magic Kingdom, all very magical. I think thats it... oh C&L ate at a Donut place on the way back from Universal on the last Thursday. We also did up sandwiches etc. which we ate in the parks to save a bit of money but mostly in that heat and humidity it was drinks we needed, lots of iced water and Sprite , which worryingly cost about £4 for a small bottle. Here is a short slideshow to capture those events Chinese lunch at the Nine Dragons, China, Epcot, absolutely scummy Final Applebee's meal. What a nice place and great food all just up the road at Berry Town Centre #ace 2022 24 Days Between July 29th & August 21st For this trip I will mention where we went and what we did which included Davenport, Berry Town Centre, Kissimmee, all 4 parks, i.e. Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, Universal Studios (although that was only Craig and family) as near Septuagenarians by then having walked 37.5 miles around parks in blistering heat and humidity we were to put no finer point on it... knackered #teehee, we returned again in 2018 on our 40th Wedding Anniversary cruise, click HERE to see that Blog. This Family trip is also replicated on the motorhome-travels blog as BLOG 183 . We had been before BLOG165 but if you prefer to stay here on this site there is a almost identical version of that here as USA 1997, thanks as always for looking folks, best KeefH Web Designs . FIREWORK FUN DIARY Fun times with the family, use this to see what we did and where we went on our 24-day holiday with Craig, Leanne, Edie and Tate. It of course included that very special day on the 16th for Edie's 6th birthday, it was also the last of our 14 days continuously at the Disney World Parks, a fabulous time of rides, shows, shops, restaurants and meeting celebrity Disney characters, getting their autographs and having cuddles with them and getting our pictures taken with them a true delight for grandchildren #magical Have I said as yet, we almost Septuagenarians, walked 37.5 miles around the parks, not bad in that heat and humidity #creamcrackered Note on the 17th we returned to Disney Springs in the eve to watch Disney's version of Cirque du soleil, but I sadly left that off the calendar #dumbkopf (see I do know some other languages) #haha WEEK 1 - 29th July to 7th August 2022 Summary: There are 660 images in a slideshow lasting 21 minutes followed by a video with speech lasting for 43 minutes. Since we are in movie land the ones with speech we will call "The Talkies" #haha #hollywood The contents of which cover flying from Manchester Airport on the Saturday having stayed in the Premier Inn, quite a posh modern one, and eating at their attached pub, nothing special but good for the Friday eve before flying and it avoided any unforeseen obstacles to getting on the plane, most relaxing. We took quite a few pictures of the takeoff over England before hitting the cloud and Soarin' through it (this is a reference to the mega ride experience in Epcot which was a 4D hit with one and all in our party, how to fly around the world in less that 80 minutes (well seconds maybe #haha) rather than Mister Verne's days. Our seats were over the right-hand wing and engines so a little noisy, Keef took his headphones which were far superior to the free Virgin Atlantic free ones. Watched 3 movies on the way out. The best of which was The House of Gucci (Lady GaGa is excellent) and Kenneth Branagh's Belfast a close second, it certainly passed the time as well as playing with / chatting to grandchildren over the seat tops, they were all in the row in front of us. Food also not bad and well designed with eco sentiments in mind. I guess if you are burning fuel at a rate of knots as an airline it's good to contribute in some small way #COP26 We landed and the least said about the rest of the night probably for the better, if you really wish to indulge them have a read of the LOWLIGHTs, I've warned you it wasn't a great time and boy were we all tired after 22 hours traveling. The kids had a bit of a melt down at the start of driving the new hire car but who can blame them being 5 and 1 a piece. I think the adults were probably close to it as well, but we are HELLINGERs and soldiered on. So besides doing some shopping in the very convenient and hugely stocked Publix supermarket a stone's throw away up the road in the Berry Town centre area and lots of swimming in the Regal Palms complex with its lazy river, 5ft pool and paddling area Keef, Craig and Leanne tried out the "fast water slide" into the pool. Only Craig was brave enough to lie down whilst descending although I can vouch for it building up speed even if you were sitting on that last bend #fun Loved the Reggae playlist music that adorned the swimming complex, I could almost believe with the sun that I was back in Jamaica. We also went out for breakfast at the i-Hop, a pancake place, and Applebee's, a trad American bar / diner which did fab chicken dishes especially the Lime chicken and meltdown chocoholic puddings with ice cream. Overall, I would rate US ice-cream but not eat it in tub loads as sadly many Americans must appear to do whilst watching TV. Don't get me started on the quality of US TV! Both these establishments were on the Berry town centre site. So, what else did we do in that 1st week. Got AT&T Sim cards, unlimited data, for Craig and my phone, Visited all 4 Disney parks for the first time. Ate a buffet lunch out at Ponderosa, a nostalgic visit inspired by Leanne's extended family visit over 20 years ago. I will always remember those brightly coloured sugary drinks and Edie's dark blue and bright red Jelly (or Jell-O as our Patriots call it) Addendum she didn't eat it after the 1st mouthful #notsurprising Saw and recorded the magnificent 50th anniversary firework shows at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, both late nights for the grandkids but they were great and loved them. I now know a lot more Disney "toons" than just let it go, Annie & I are determined to watch a few of the Disney's we don't know well, sorry we are old skool ...from Snow White probably only as far as Sleeping Beauty, one of my favourites is Dumbo. Bambi was I think the first movie I saw at the cinema as a kid when Mum took us. We did 1 Magic Kingdom visit, 2 Animal Kingdom visits and 2 Epcot visits in that first week. At Animal Kingdom whilst collecting stickers for Edie's conservation book we visited Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Harambe Market, where later in the trip we saw the truly wonderful Lion King show in the theater just behind on the riverbank. Plus, the whole conservation area where animals are housed getting there via the old train. At this centre Granny, Edie & Grandpa joined the artwork class and drew Pula (the pig) from the Lion King, great fun. See our artwork BELOW. We saw various animals and fish which the kids loved. On those 2 Animal Kingdom visits visited mostly Oasis, Africa, Rafiki's Planet watch and bits of Discovery Island. WEEK 2 - 8th to 14th August 2022 There are 738 images in a slideshow lasting 25 minutes followed by a video with speech lasting for 43 minutes. Week 2 kicked off with our first visit to Disney Hollywood Studios, which seems to have been designed on a 1930s film set theme. Very classy, liked it here a lot, the Star Wars theme now they own Lucas has expanded massively from 1997 and their rides are enhanced, Tate was even quizzed by a stormtrooper, he didn't seem interested #haha The Mickey / Minnie / Goofy train ride was very classy and some of the shows were good. Due to thunder and lightning our 1st Indiana Jones show was wiped out, just too dangerous and because of the loud bangs Edie was not interested in a 2nd attempt although Keef & Annie did for old times' sake. Lots of hats were tried on in the various shops and Minnie ears for Leanne and Edie. Street parades (nothing like Magic Kingdom) featured the Incredibles and others. We did a few trips to regal palms pool area this week as well as having a few meals out plus a splendid Planet Hollywood bonanza for our first visit there as well as a late night for the fireworks at Magic Kingdom and breakfast at the Rainforest café in Animal Kingdom, what a surprise that was, just amazing, only at Disney, with thunder and lightning inside the café on the half hour with real rain showers over you. #Amazing The restaurant also had a whole host of animatronic animals as well as giant fish tanks, the grandkids loved these. We did a 2nd visit to Hollywood studios as well, getting to know our way around by now. Sadly the white knuckle ride themed on Aerosmith the band broke down just as Leanne and I were about to get near the front of the queue , Friday this week was a lazy one, but one we all picked up a bit of sun burn despite factor 50 sun tan lotion at waterpark Typhoon lagoon. Just shows how intense the sun is in Florida, 34-39c often and very humid. We also did our final Epcot visit this week and Edie had to say goodbye to her beloved Soarin' ride , she went on 5 times in total, it is a very clever 4D experience. It was also our final visit to Animal Kingdom, mostly spent in Asia area just across from the stage Dino land we had been in earlier in the week. Edie and I did the triceratops rid twice. Want to see more then look its all here on the blog via picture slideshows etc. Note we also visited Typhoon Lagoon, for which we don't have a site guide but it can be found here and Disney Springs which is included in the set of guides. That's it for week 2 EPCOT We visited this park 3 times and saw the spectacular Sonne et Lumiere fireworks show around the Lake, plus travelled on the wonderful rides Soarin' and Galaxy. There are 330 images lasting 9 minutes. The talkies are included elsewhere under weeks 1 thru 3. Thanks for looking, best KeefH Web Designs x DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS We visited this park 3 times and went on the fab Mickey and Minnie train ride in Main Street. We also due to thunderstorms had to have 2 attempts to see the whole of the Indiana Jones re-enactment of stunts. Its wonderful and not much changed from 1997 only that those stunt men and women have now retired #tooold There are 162 images lasting 6 minutes. The talkies are included elsewhere under weeks 1 thru 3. Thanks for looking, best KeefH Web Designs x We missed out on this one (Aerosmith Rock & Roller) having used a Lightening Lane and queued a bit when it broke down (again apparently last time was for 14 days!!!) they refunded our pass, but it didn't restart during the time we were there that day, good job that in the "white knuckle" ride stakes we did eventually get on Guardians of the Galaxy ride at EPCOT july 2022 august 2022 his 1921 business card, obviously worked july 2022 1/3 2022 24 Days Between July 29th & August 21st WEEK 3 - 15th to 21st August 2022 There are 461 images in a slideshow lasting 12 minutes followed by a video with speech lasting for 44 minutes. Week 3 started with the last trio to Disney Hollywood Studios and the kids both dancing and singing along to the Frozen show, the male compare was great at ad lib, and very funny. Tuesday saw us finish our very enjoyable 14 days at the Disney parks with what was probably both our longest and most fulfilling day , it was Edie's 6th birthday, we started with a bit of present opening at 257 Bergamo followed by a very posh breakfast in the Royal Table restaurant within Magic Kingdom's Castle, Grandpa discussed Grits with the the suitably medieval attired waiter, he liked them with sugar, YUK! but why does that not surprise me, the gouda ones I had were superb. We then went to more shows and on more rides than we ever have and the wonderful "It's a small world" was included. Wednesday we did a bit of shopping and all ate out at the Australian themed Outback restaurant, great grub cobber. Edie even went to the Sheila's. We had a family swim in the eve before tea. Thursday C&L & Co went to Universal studios and K & A had a chill day mostly eating, drinking and watching awful movies however the Meg Ryan / Hugh Jackman time travel romance from 2001 called Kate and Leopold wasn't bad. Friday was a relaxed day with an early morning swim, our last, then packing and getting ready for the big trip home, you don't wanna know about the car dying on us as we left for the airport, but if you do read the LOWLIGHTS, Grr. We finally managed the full Indiana Jones show, hooray. Used both ferry and monorail at Magic Kingdom. Edie could have had a go on the cable car at Hollywood studios , there and back but we just didn't find the time, sadly. The pilot of the river boat cruise was a hoot. Belle was so nice and Cirque Du Soleil back at Disney Springs on Thursday eve was possibly , no definitely, the best circus show G&G had ever seen. Giant donuts and weird picture templates spring to mind, that’s it folks, take a look in more detail through the rest of the menu, I hope there is something to delight each and every one of you. Best KeefH Web Designs. x To see more details of both Magic Kingdom (for Edie's spectacular 6th birthday) and Disney Springs for Cirque Du Soleil which we visited in Week 3 , that's it for week 3 REGAL PALMS RESORT We stayed at 257 Bergamo drive for 3 weeks and used most of the available facilities bar the Spa and eating at the Grill bar, towel hire for the pool was $10 deposit returned when you gave them back and for that deposit you could return them as often as you like, soaking wet during a days swimming if you wanted to. Granny & Grandpa got Edie and Tate a lilo and rubber ring which made journeys around the lazy river a little more fun. On the last day I had to walk from Bergamo back to the office to check out because of our broken hire car but in general one drove everywhere, after all this is America #teehee The pool stuff in fairness was a little too far from where we were. There were minor issue with our stay in the Bergamo villa but nothing particularly serious, more niggles. If you want to read about those click HERE Overall we thought the accommodation and location were great. Above are copies of the guides we were given, the housekeeping phone number was very useful, they got to know me after 3 weeks, indeed their manager did see my point of view when suggested they couldn't come until Tuesday in the last week #assertive Here is a slideshow of Regal Palms resort and the wonderfully relaxing pool time we spent, enjoy Tate loved the Regal Palms pool, especially the shallower baby pool bit where he could play, he has no fear of water and loved going around the lazy river on the Lilo but mostly in Mummy or Daddy's arms MAGIC KINGDOM We visited this park 3 times and saw the parade twice, well at least Edie and I did the second time, Tinkerbell and Chip & Dale were her favourites along with all the Princesses. We celebrated her 6th birthday there on our 3rd and final visit, starting with a fab breakfast in the Royal Table restaurant in the castle. Craig & Leanne had steak, I had old Gouda Grits, you gotta taste local food, so much better than the only time I've had Grits before. Edie's birthday cake was a chocolate mickey head and eats, yummy Clearly stuff is included in the weeks 1-3 You Tube videos but I have combined at least the images here. There are 278 images lasting 7 minutes. The talkies are included elsewhere under weeks 1 thru 3. Thanks for looking, best KeefH Web Designs x ANIMAL KINGDOM We visited this park 4 times and saw the Lion King Show in the Theatre in Africa. Here are some official photographer pix of us all There are 307 images lasting 15 minutes. The talkies are included elsewhere under weeks 1 thru 3. Thanks for looking, best KeefH Web Designs x 29th july his 1921 business card, obviously worked 21st august 29th july 1/25

Explore our 3‑month 2014 motorhome adventure across France—campsites, routes, photos and stories from a 4,611‑mile European road trip. 2014 Travel Blog & Guide - France French Holiday 2014 – Clear Route Summary (Motorhome Trip No.17) 14 May – 1 August 2014 Total: 4611 miles Countries: France → Monaco → Italy → Switzerland → France 🧭 FULL ROUTE IN ORDER 1. UK → France Home (Notts) Folkestone Ferry/Eurotunnel to France 2. Central & Southern France (Provence / Côte d’Azur / Rhône‑Alpes) Lempdes‑sur‑Allagnon (Auvergne–Rhône‑Alpes) Lunel (Occitanie) Agay (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) Cannes Nice Grasse Port Grimaud Saint‑Tropez Cavalaire‑sur‑Mer Le Rouet / Salernes Gorges du Verdon Volonne Annecy & St Jorioz (Lake Annecy) 3. Monaco (Day Trip by Train) Biot Gare → Monte Carlo Menton (passed through) 4. Italy (Sanremo) Border at Ponte San Ludovico Sanremo – Villaggio Dei Fiori campsite Local hill walk & Giro d’Italia passing through 5. Switzerland (Lac Léman / Lake Geneva) Saint‑Gingolph (entry) Montreux Lausanne Geneva St Julien‑en‑Genevois (exit back to France) 6. Eastern France → Burgundy & Jura Jura Mountains crossing Mesnois Cote d’Or (Burgundy) Louhans Chalon‑sur‑Saône Meursault Commarin Lac Panthier Lac Marcenay Vincelles Saumur Abbaye de Fontenay (UNESCO) Châteauneuf‑en‑Auxois Canal de Bourgogne 7. Loire & Atlantic Coast Concourson Piriac‑sur‑Mer La Baule St Nazaire → St Brevin bridge Guérande (historic walled town) 8. Brittany (Bretagne) – Finistère & Beyond Clohars‑Carnoët Doëlan Concarneau Bénodet Penmarch / St Guénolé Eckmühl Pointe du Raz Douarnenez Locronan Châteaulin Camaret‑sur‑Mer / Pointe de Penhir Pointe des Espagnols Roscanvel Le Faou Plougastel‑Daoulas Landerneau Brignogan‑Plages Plougasnol Pointe de Primel (Plougasnou) St Quay‑Portrieux Dinan St Malo Domaine de la Ville Huchet campsite 9. Normandy Mont‑Saint‑Michel Granville Les Pieux Anneville Saint‑Vaast‑la‑Hougue Ravenoville Utah Beach Omaha Beach (St‑Laurent‑sur‑Mer) Carhagnolles (Flower Camping) Bayeux Arromanches‑les‑Bains (Gold Beach) Falaise (William the Conqueror’s birthplace) Beuvron‑en‑Auge Deauville Trouville Honfleur Étretat St‑Valery‑sur‑Somme Abbeville Miannay 10. Return to UK Calais Densole (Kent) Home (Notts) 14 Route Visuals Route Summary – France 2014: Folkestone → Calais → Lempdes‑sur‑Allagnon → Lunel → Agay → Cannes → Nice → Port Grimaud → Cavalaire‑sur‑Mer → Verdon Gorge → Volonne → Annecy → Monaco → Sanremo → Montreux → Lausanne → Geneva → Jura → Côte d’Or → Chalon‑sur‑Saône → Meursault → Saumur → Piriac‑sur‑Mer → La Baule → Concarneau → Penmarch → Pointe du Raz → Camaret‑sur‑Mer → St Quay‑Portrieux → St Malo → Mont‑Saint‑Michel → Utah Beach → Omaha Beach → Bayeux → Honfleur → Étretat → Calais → Folkestone. Explore our 3‑month 2014 motorhome adventure across France—campsites, routes, photos and stories from a 4,611‑mile European road trip covering in part Monaco, Switzerland and Italy as well . 🚐 Three unforgettable months on the road, 4,611 miles across France, and a motorhome packed with stories. From coastal drives and hidden villages to favourite campsites, food stops, and the rhythms of long‑term European touring, this 2014 adventure captures the freedom of life on wheels. Dive into the full route, photos, memories and moments that shaped one of our most iconic Motorhome Travels trips. Port Grimaud France The write up is coming......

Relive vivid 2010 travel memories and learn how to track travel trends effectively with KHWD Adventures. Uncover 2010 Adventures and Learn How to Track Travel Trends Discover the vibrant 2010 travel archive, designed to show you how to track travel trends for future adventures. Relive memorable experiences, scenic routes, and insightful tips to inspire your next journey. Explore how to track travel trends effectively and enhance your travel planning today.This page is your gateway to exploring vivid memories and insightful travel tips, helping you understand how to track travel trends for future adventures. Join us in celebrating a great year of exploration and discovery (i.e. 2010). Dive into our archives for tips, routes, and inspiration to make your travels unforgettable. Also see Nova Scotia for examples of Motorhome Driving Routes, Practical Driving Tips & Suggested Campsites 2010 Canada Travel — Full Route (All Provinces Except BC) Alberta Calgary Banff Lake Louise Icefields Parkway Jasper Edmonton Saskatchewan Lloydminster North Battleford Saskatoon Regina Moose Jaw Manitoba Brandon Winnipeg Whiteshell Provincial Park Kenora (border region but Manitoba‑linked stop) Ontario Thunder Bay Wawa Sault Ste. Marie Sudbury Ottawa Kingston Toronto Niagara Falls Quebec Montréal Québec City Tadoussac Saguenay Fjord Rivière‑du‑Loup Gaspé Peninsula Percé Rock New Brunswick Campbellton Bathurst Miramichi Moncton Hopewell Rocks Saint John Prince Edward Island Confederation Bridge Charlottetown Cavendish North Rustico Greenwich Dunes Nova Scotia Pictou Antigonish Cape Breton Island Cabot Trail Baddeck Halifax Lunenburg Peggy’s Cove Newfoundland Port aux Basques Corner Brook Gros Morne National Park Rocky Harbour Deer Lake Gander Twillingate Terra Nova St. John’s Cape Spear Labrador Blanc‑Sablon (entry) L’Anse‑au‑Clair Red Bay Mary’s Harbour Port Hope Simpson Cartwright Happy Valley–Goose Bay USA 2010 Route (to merge with Canada 2010) Upstate New York Buffalo Rochester Syracuse Albany Lake George Adirondack Mountains Plattsburgh (crossing into Quebec) Maine Portland Augusta Bangor Bar Harbor Acadia National Park Calais (border crossing into New Brunswick) 10 Route Visuals Canada & USA 2010 – Route Summary Glacier National Park, Montana Calgary, Alberta Banff, Alberta Jasper, Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan Winnipeg, Manitoba Thunder Bay, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Niagara Falls, Ontario Buffalo, New York Rochester, New York Syracuse, New York Albany, New York Lake George, New York Adirondacks, New York Plattsburgh, New York Portland, Maine Bar Harbor, Maine Acadia National Park, Maine Calais, Maine Moncton, New Brunswick Saint John, New Brunswick Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia Halifax, Nova Scotia Lunenburg, Nova Scotia St. John’s, Newfoundland Happy Valley–Goose Bay, Labrador CANADA & USA 2010 NORTH AMERICA HELLINGER TRAVEL RECORDs for HOLIDAY 2010, Replicated by BLOG 164 As an overall introduction to my Holiday 2010 travel website for North America I would say this is split by both country and time, it covers our family trips in Holiday 2010 to both Canada and America. We have been from one side of Canada to the other mostly in our HOLIDAY 2010 travels, which was from Edmonton in Alberta to Labrador and the start of the Trans Labrador Highway, and back in 1999 from Vancouver as far east as Edmonton where our pals live, so joining up from East coast to West. For America we visited in 1997 for the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World in Florida with our boys when they were 15 and 13, again on this 2010 trip when we crossed over into Upstate New York and Maine briefly, again in 2018 for our 40th wedding anniversary which was a cruise where we visited states Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida , that trip is not featured here on this website but you can read all about it by clicking HERE and finally in 2022 for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney world again back in Florida but this time with Craig, Leanne and our grandchildren Edie & Tate, 3 generations, finally beginning to look old though I will always like Peter Pan feel young. So all in all we have visited 5 States of the United States, quite a few more to go then eh for us Brits. Right on with the rest of the site, lets initially focus on Canada. Get the rest via the dropdown menu, thanks as always for looking, best KeefH Web Designs x We travelled at the time by Air Canada I believe via Iceland to Calgary and then on to Edmonton but I could be wrong, I have some dim and distant memory of an airline called Canada3000. So wish I had taken a picture of the plane. PLAY SUMMARY ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus NY & Maine in the USA in 2010, Alberta is one of the 3 Prairie Provinces HOLIDAY 2010 87 Days travel Canada - 18th May - 24th July 2010, 1769 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, Approximately 4200 miles, Highlights Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Seeing the Harvey's (dear friends), Dauphin, Wrestling with the badly sorted Steering wheel on the very windy Prairies, Maid of the Mist on Niagara Falls, Red Bay Labrador, Canada day in Fredericton, Gaspe peninsular, Mounties museum in Regina, Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, seeing Moose plus potentially more importantly achieving travelling from one side of Canada to the other - all provinces (Canada does provinces, America does states-BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland (Newfie heaven) & Labrador IMAGE HIGHLIGHTS USA A couple.... Prairie Provinces Central Provinces Maritime Provinces MOVIE TIME USA Here is a HIGHLIGHT movie culled from the talkies movies we have made back in 2010. 2010 92 Days Across Canada in a Motorhome Plus 5 Days in the USA, Upstate NY & Maine CANADA In 2010 We were in Canada between 18th May and 25th July 2010. Stayed with our friends David & Cathy in Edmonton for 5 days but visited Lesser Slave Lakes, then picked up our campervan / motorhome (Canadreams) in Calgary and travelled for roughly 9 weeks across to the east seeing all provinces (apart from Yukon, North West Territories & Nunavut) plus dropped across the US border into upstate New York & Maine including the wonderful Bar Harbor, so combined with our 1999 trip when we were essentially in British Columbia and the Rockies region as well as Vancouver Island and a brief sojourn to visit our pals in Edmonton, Alberta we have now crossed from one side of Canada to the other (it is the 2nd largest country on earth) At the end of our 2010 trip we flew back from Halifax Nova Scotia One of the comments from David in 1999 when we camped about 300 miles away from his home was "you were just down the road, you should have come here instead of camping there"... just gives you an illustration of how vast the wonderful Canada is when Canadians mentality suggests 300 miles is a hop, step and a jump away, for us Brits thats almost a 1/3 rd of the country. 😉HOLIDAY 2010 was a fun experience. HOLIDAY 2010: 92 Days travel - 18th May - 24th July 2010, 1769 Photos, Approximately 4200 miles Edmonton to Halifax, west to east, including Newfoundland & Labrador, Prairies, Ontario & Quebec, Maritimes. Step back into 2010, a year packed with colour, character, and unforgettable travel moments. This page brings your holiday memories to life with warmth, humour, and the unmistakable charm of journeys shared with family. From the first snapshots of the year to the final adventures that closed it, every image and story captures the spirit of exploration that defines KHWD Holidays. What makes these 2010 memories special is the blend of everyday joy and once‑in‑a‑lifetime experiences. You’ll find seaside wanderings, scenic stopovers, quirky discoveries, and the kind of spontaneous moments that only happen when you’re on the road. Each section is crafted to feel like opening a well‑loved photo album—personal, nostalgic, and full of character. Whether you’re revisiting your own travels or discovering these stories for the first time, the page invites you to slow down, smile, and enjoy the journey. This collection also forms a key chapter in the wider KHWD Holidays archive, spanning 1995–2024. It’s a chance to see how travel styles evolved, how the family grew, and how each year brought its own flavour of adventure. For long‑time followers, it’s a comforting return to familiar faces and favourite destinations. For new visitors, it’s the perfect entry point into decades of travel storytelling. Explore the photos, follow the routes, and relive the laughter, landscapes, and little surprises that made 2010 a standout year. If you enjoy this chapter, the full archive offers even more road trips, holiday parks, UK escapes, and European adventures waiting to be rediscovered. AND the USA On the same motorhome trip 5 Days travel in the USA - 14th-15th June Plus 4th-5th July 2010, 82 Photos, Approximately 538 miles covering Maine & Upstate New York. By 2024 we have been to the following states - Florida, Maine, New York, California, South Carolina, New Orleans, Montana & Alaska Full Diary We went ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus USA States New York & Maine ,it was such fun and quite an achievement. In summary HOLIDAY 2010 consisted of 87 Days travel Canada - 18th May - 24th July 2010, 1769 Photos, Approximately 4200 miles, the Highlights were Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Seeing the Harvey's (dear friends), Dauphin, Wrestling with the badly sorted Steering wheel on the very windy Prairies, Maid of the Mist on Niagara Falls, Red Bay Labrador, Canada day in Fredericton, Gaspe peninsular, Mounties museum in Regina, Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, seeing Moose plus potentially more importantly achieving travelling from one side of Canada to the other - all provinces (Canada does provinces, America does states-BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland (Newfie heaven) & Labrador. In sequence during our travels in 2010 we visited Alberta is one of the 3 Prairie Provinces. We spent 11 Days in Alberta, Canada - 18th - 29th May 2010, 219 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, we have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, BC to Labrador, loved it, fabulous country Medicine hat, head smashed in buffalo jump world heritage site, snow at high river end of may, the campsite said happy Christmas (smile) when we arrived, 2 caravans were ruined by falling branches weighed down by weight of the snow, plus Cardston, high prairie, staying with dear friends David & Cathy and family, west ed mall, Dawson bridge, perogies, Tyrrell heritage centre, fort ed, Winterton lakes national park, bow river, border with Montana glacial park, red deer, Calgary, having a brand new motorhome (scary), The Hoo Doos at willow creek, Blackfoot tribe and many more gems, we have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, BC to Labrador, loved it, fabulous country. Why not have a look at the Prairies Provinces talkies video whilst you are about it, it shows all our spoken word highlights in those 3 provinces. Worth a listen I promise you. Now to the second prairie province, Saskatchewan during HOLIDAY 2010. We spent 5 Days in Saskatchewan, Canada - 29th May-2nd June 2010, 79 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, amongst others we covered Saskatchewan landing, saskatoon, Regina, visiting the RCMP "Mounties" academy, chapel and museum in Regina , Goodwin house, red river cart, wanuskewin heritage centre, heritage, prairies, railways, swift current, elbow, Davidson, we learnt about the Cree, matis and Lakota tribes, Hudson bay company, meewasin park plus we saw bears and we have now been right across Canada in a motorhome and we loved it #FACT Then we visited the last of the Prairie provinces, Manitoba, we spent 3 Days in Manitoba, Canada - 2nd-4th June 2010, 67 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective covering MacGregor, dauphin, Dryden, Winnipeg , Winnipeg beach, riding mountain national park, clear water (lac) lake, Assiniboine river, shell mouth reservoir, Steinbach, bears, moose , Mennonite heritage village @ Steinbach and all ports in between. In case you missed it haha we have been from one side of Canada to the other #fact We then moved onto the central provinces for HOLIDAY 2010, firstly Ontario, including Canada’s capital Ottawa. We spent 15 Days in Ontario, Canada between 4th-20th June 2010, we took 372 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others nipigon, wawa, elliot lake, new liskeard, musselmans lake, toronto, niagara falls – just fab, 1000 islands boat trip from Gananoque and we did learn how to make that famous dressing on board, percy lake, ignace, sault ste marie, wabigoon lakes, agimak lake& beach, rossport, terrace bay, pays plat, thunder bay, the great lakes-superior, huron, ontario & dipping my toe in them, niagara on the lake, Sinclair cove, mounties on horses and foot, ottawa, aguasarbon falls, lake superior national park, Latchford where annie’s uncle and family once travelled as nearby and indeed their street was named such, spanish, temigami, temiskaming shores, bobbie rosenfeld olympian & park, stouffville, niagara botanical gardens, floral clock, devils hole whirlpool, st Lawrence river, gananoque town and harbor, rideau falls, river and canal, byward market and saw some fascinating street food, haileybury the home of Annie's rellies and found some nice folk who had indeed been taught by him at the Hailbury museum (we joined their mailing list for a bit with respect to genealogy) and all ports in between. It may be worth having a look at the HOLIDAY 2010 Central Provinces spoken word videos at this point which act as a type of audiobook. It was then on to that most 17th French speaking province during HOLIDAY 2010 and the final one in the central region Quebec. This is most distinctively THE French Province, the McGarrigle sister are a huge plus as is Celine Dion but they are in our humble opinion somewhat just too parochial, we noted as we crossed the border how it instantly felt like English was verboten. Our pals find it odd as well since it was the Quebecoise who insisted that all road signs are written in dual language yet Quebec is the only province that doesn’t do that tee hee, David said if geographically they were on either edge of Canada they could easily be awarded independence, still that won’t happen. We spent 11 Days on HOLIDAY 2010 in Quebec, Canada - between 10th June & 13th July 2010, taking 178 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others montreal, quebec city, fort quebec, the queen’s governor’s residence, chateau Frontenac, wow what a grand hotel almost a French chateau , saguenay fjord, tadoussac, trois pistoles, gaspe,saw the city bike race, the citadel,the fab st lawrence river, lac timiscaming, les escoumins, bardville, ferry, grande grave, campsite juneau, cap de rosier, forillon national park, camping baie de gaspe where sadly as I dished out our cooked brekkie on the outside wooden table it collapsed and spread hot food over both of us – not good but on reflection funny, it was caused by me sitting on the same side of the wooden bench as Annie and sad to say it couldn’t cope with my extra weight tee hee, riviere au renard, basilica notre dame du quebec, rocking chairs, kayaks, l’heritage 1, light houses, boardwalks, musicians, rooftops, skyscrapers, robbie burns in montreal, maison maillou, point a la recommee, dolphins, possibly whales, sunsets, provisional and national parcs & all ports in between. All very french "trois service sil vous plais" For HOLIDAY 2010 It was then onto the first of our Maritime Provinces, namely New Brunswick which still had in most parts a French feel. We spent 14 Days in New Brunswick, Canada - between 24th June & 25th July 2010, 78 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others alma, campbellton, lighthouses, miscou island, lamere island, kouchibouguac np, bay of fundy np which is world famous for the tidal change in height, fantastic to see, provincial parcs, butland’s lobster (yummy), beaver tails which was a distinctive fast food chain across Canada as indeed is that dead ice hockey player Tim Hortons which is now in the UK along with that other North American stalwart Taco Bells (we always assumed it wouldn’t be long before each invaded our shores haha), art and art galleries, music, arcadians, micmacs, mcadam station, cape jourmain, confederation bridge, sea dogs ice hockey, covered cedar bridge tunnels, hopewell rocks, grand anse, baseball, bog walks, plant life, harbors, sun and rain in equal measures, magnetic hill, magic village, bathurst, val-comeau, cap egmont, moncton, saint john (as opposed to st johns in newfie) looking for Annie’s rellies, petit codiac river, possum in the road kill cafe, fredericton for canada day 1 July, Japanese tourists asking to see inside our van (they were fascinated bizarrely… I guess like China which we do know about from Phoenix’s parents camping is just not a common occurrence) , and lots of places in between. It may be worth looking at the HOLIDAY 2010 Maritime provinces talkies video which acts as a spoken word audiobook of our time in the Maritimes, such lovely provinces, indeed there isn’t a bad one from one side of Canada to the other. Then it was HOLIDAY 2010 time in Prince Edward Island (PEI) the 2nd of the Maritimes, a holiday island, we went twice, Charlotte town is just lovely, it’s the capital. We went once on our touring journet and then returned when David & Cathy were on holiday there, they flew from Edmonton Alberta across. We spent 7 Days on Prince Edward Island, Canada, between 27th June & 25th July 2010, we took 90 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others PEI a holiday resort or as some people unkindly refer to it "spud" island, summerside, anne of green gables house @ cavendish, charlottetown, many heritage buildings, crossing the fab confederation bridge arriving at borden-carleton, meeting up with friends - the lovely Harveys,we made 2 visits here ,saw live music, the bottle house, tigish, cape egmont and lighthouse, north cape, north point lighthouse, victoria, georgetown, spud radio, lobsters, energy institute, queens wharf, lucy maud Montgomery (yes here of anne of green gables fame , huge with Japanese school kids it seems) , sand sculptures and cedar cladding plus saw a lot of other places on the island. Then it was onto the third of the HOLIDAY 2010 Maritime provinces, Nova Scotia, yes it does sound Scottish, and it definitely has a lot of that character, whiskey and highland games being 2 of the times to that ancient mainland origins . Remember many Scots migrated to Canada to avoid crofting law changes and indeed starvation, through out history folks have moved continents for a chance of a better life, including my rellies who escaped from “beyond the pale” or in escaping greater Germany / Russia from Latvia “pale of Settlement” … a quick definition is “From pale (“jurisdiction of an authority, territory under an authority's jurisdiction”), suggesting that anything outside the authority's jurisdiction was uncivilized. The phrase was in use by the mid-17th century, and is a reference to the general sense of boundary (outside of the palisades), but is sometimes understood to refer specifically to the English Pale in Ireland, as well as the Pale of Settlement in Imperial Russia. In the nominally English territory of Ireland, only the Pale fell genuinely under the authority of English law, hence the terms within the pale and beyond the pale. In Russia, Jews were relegated to living in the Pale, and mostly forbidden to live or work “beyond the pale.” We spent 11 Days on HOLIDAY 2010 in Nova Scotia, Canada, between 8th & 25th July 2010, we took 294 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective visiting amongst others the wonderful bay of fundy, many heritage buildings especially at annapolis royal & lunneburg, highland games at antigonish, watching someones awning bend in high winds at the campsite, wolfville, crossing the fab confederation bridge near mayfield (NB) ,cape breton National Park, the truly magnificent peggys cove at st margarets bay inmour humble opinion a place that could join the elite wonders of the world indeed definitely in our book the 1001 places to see before you die, they are listed on the site with all the ones we have been to and the ones we are yet to visit… note to self-please! , halifax and KEITH’s beer (got the t-shirt) ferry from sydney to newfoundland, far too much fizzy pop in fast food joint (free refill - never again!), cap le moine, cheticamp, cape breton, cabot trail with views to die for, pugwash, bog walk, pictou, glenora distillery the only single malt in canada, ingonish, broad cove campground, joe’s scarecrow visited by billy connolly and us (sadly closed in 2011), the highlands national park, louisbourg and the fortress, wolfe and the french, halifax, murray-mackay bridge, pier 21 a very interesting museum which so much about migration to these new lands, prospect, shelburne, port maitland beach, cresent beach, yarmouth, digby, lockeport and more Timeline by Province Timeline Coming Up provinces & states 1000 Places 2CB4U Die Timeline Coming Up 1/18 280510 hard to believe xmas nearly june, high river campsite Alberta keef with the mountie bear Saskatchewan cape canaveral 97 Florida USA 1997 280510 hard to believe xmas nearly june, high river campsite Alberta 1/14 2010 92 Days Between 18th May & 24th July may holiday 2010 after visit details what we did on each day, the 3 final dairies were constructed slightly before the visit june holiday 2010 after visit July Calendar Note since this calendar was created before we went it may not always tie up with what actually happened, especially July & Quebec. may holiday 2010 after visit details what we did on each day, the 3 final dairies were constructed slightly before the visit 1/6 To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. perfect picture time zones of canada 1/8 Time Zones by Province Weather by Province & Month in degrees C 1/10 120610 camp park resorts niagara falls 070610 camping at elliot lake, ontario 1/28 This slideshow also merges in some shots from our other travels to Canadian Provinces & American States front bar harbor van parked up at red bay united reform church 1/39 Now onto our HOLIDAY 2010 4th Maritme province and maybe one of the oldest with the weirdest accent derived from the fisher folk who came over from the oh-ah counties of England, i.e. Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, after all Newfoundland is “just across the water” maybe haha. We love the Newfies and their scenery and moose. We spent 6 Days in Newfoundland, Canada, between 11th & 16th July 2010, took 158 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others l'anse au claire, st johns (as opposed to st john in NB) fab harbour views here, moose by the roadside,the wonderful gros morne national park, gander, bonavista, conception bay, st mary’s, icebergs floating past, st anthony museum and the size of a polar bear, just see that picture of annie standing next to one standing on its hind legs and you will see how dwarfed she was, , ferry at st barbe to labrador and a very early morning sailing in rain and mist, we parked in the ferry carpark overnight so as not to miss it, port aux basque,deer lake, grand falls windsor, corner brook, fab whale museum and houses at scilly cove (now winterton) home of annie’s rellie john masters, indian harbour, steady brook,3 mile rock, long beach, pynns brook, springdale, grate cove, gambo, the perlican,nymph island, portland creek,little hearts ease (such a lovely name),red rocks, noddy bay, st lunaire-griquet, the arches National Park ,the ship the SS ethie, bonne & shallow bays, gunners cove, cape ray and wreck house brook. Then onto our final HOLIDAY 2010 Province, Labrador which sadly is mostly impassable except in the height of winter when the perma frost TLH or Trans Labrador Highway allows passage between the many remote and sparse towns and settlements. The capital of Labrador is Labrador City which in fairness is not really a city nor a capital. Labrador and Newfoundland often act as one due to the very low population numbers. We were really only able to go along the coast road as far as Red Bay and the start of the TLH. We spent 2 Days in Labrador, Canada - between 12th & 13th July 2010, 51 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others the ferry apollo departing st barbe newfoundland at an ungodly hour and arriving at blanc sablon, l'anse au clair (where we camped overnight), forteau, travelling the jersey trail, l'anse au covert, l'anse amour, red bay including the museum and look out at old whaling station, saddle & capstan islands, start of the trans labrador highway (gravel and permafrost) oh and black fly galore on the pinware river bridge. That’s all folks for HOLIDAY 2010 Canada 2010 at least but now onto the 2 HOLIDAY 2010 American states we popped over into in 2010 and our earlier visit to British Columbia in 1999 with Doug in a hired motorhome, he was 15, and then our family visit to Florida back in 1997, this was car and motel, no motorhome involved. So to HOLIDAY 2010 Upstate New York , the bit basically around the River Niagara but so glad we did it, crossing Lewiston-Wellesley, we spent 2 Days in Upstate New York (NY), USA - between 14th & 15th June 2010, 28 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others a fraught crossing at lewiston into the states because of the hired motorhome, and on return "mam I've told you to remove those sun glasses, I want to see the whites of your eyes" (smile), niagara falls (both canadian and us sides), rochester, banal local tv about geese "sh***ting on boardwalk", oh and trash can episode at the very nice campsite on the lake edge, watertown, apples & cherries,country stores, hummers plus crossing back to canada near wellesley island, youngstown & the boss i.e. mr springsteen, one of my fave he and the east street band tracks, oneida lake. Maybe have a listen to the HOLIDAY 2010 American state talkies videos 2010 which act as a sort of audiobook of our time there. Then when in HOLIDAY 2010 New Brunswick we crossed over into the US state of Maine, we were naughty and tried to find a completely out of the way border crossing as after the fiasco and hassle at the Lewiston border control, officialdom gone nuts, we wanted an easy crossing, sadly even though we were in the middle of the woods which seemed to be nowhere we were heavily checked again, maybe sensible I suppose with some of the border issues the States faces. We spent 3 Days in HOLIDAY 2010 Maine (ME), USA - between 4th (Independance day) & 5th July 2010, 69 HOLIDAY 2010 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others bar harbor, lincoln, bangor, crossing the border at a small centre near mcadams, lubec, west quoddy lighthouse, shopping for milk "near the guns, rifles and bullets, sir!", that was a walmart in Lincoln where we also bought some warmer clothing now sadly all gone (2022), the staff were amazingly polite, 4th july at campsite near bar harbor, flags, burgers and beers, plus crossing back to canada , lobster rolls (yummy) from gas stations, miles not kilometres and cheap gas. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in case you didn’t guess haha and visited quite a few states in America. #tick So now back to HOLIDAY 2010 British Columbia, Vancouver Island and Edmonton, Alberta and visiting friends. In summary our trip to Canada in 1999 was between 11 August to 4th September, 25 days in our hired All Drive Classic 3000 3 berth motorhome, we started in Vancouver, went to see the Rockies, then across on the ferry to Vancouver island where we went to Tofino to do some whale watching, actually saw a pod of Killer Whales better known as Orca's, it was just magical, then back to see more of British Columbia eventually travelling up to Edmonton in Alberta to visit our pals David & Cathy & family, magical times with Doug who was 15 at that stage, fishing and chopping logs for our wild camp fire cooking was a true highlight. We stayed in some very remote campsites and managed to avoid the bears! 😉but not the long drop loos. Then it was HOLIDAY 2010 Florida (FL) USA with the boys, including Kissimee, Tampa, the Keys, Everglades, Cape Kennedy Space Station, we returned again in 2018 on our 40th Wedding Anniversary cruise, you can read our motorhome-travels blog https://www.motorhome-travels.net blog number 125 for further details if you are interested. We spent 15 days holiday between 26 July and 9 August 1997, highlights were Family Time at all these, Clearwater Beach, Tampa and West Palm Beach plus of course Disney & Miss Piggy #sigh, we stayed at apartment 126, The Villas of Somerset, Kissimmee, Florida, USA, 34746, and here's a summary Initially stayed in Kissimmee for 2 weeks and visited ALL the theme parks & water parks. Going back into Universal after 7pm is a good call as it saved the queues. Saw central Orlando. We then travelled across to the west, Tampa, Busch Gardens park, clearwater, sanibel, sarasota, venice , naples, then back to the east via the Everglades and down the Keys: Largo, Marathon, Bahia Honda National Park (NP), Key West then back up via Fort Lauderdale, Miami (although didn't go in here in 97 but did in 2018) to Orlando plus Kennedy Space Station , Cocoa beach, River Country, Cracker Barrel, 25 Disney Anniversary, Typhoon Lagoon, Sports World, River Country, Universal, Water World, MGM Studios, Pleasure Island, Blizzard Beach, Tower of Terror, Backlot , giant heavy video cameras & animation tours. So that really is all folks from HOLIDAY 2010. Feast your eyes on all the wonderful You Tube videos and image slideshows that accompanied that wonderful experience we now call a Big Trip holiday. Note there is more inividual diaries available under each Province or State, maybe have a look there as well. 2010 Slideshows , Summaries then by Province and then by States To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Pre Travel To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Alberta To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Saskatchewan To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Manitoba To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Ontario To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Quebec To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. New Brunswick To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Prince Edward Island To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Nova Scotia To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Newfoundland To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Labrador To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Upstate New York To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Maine To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Relive a sun-soaked 21‑day Florida epic—Disney’s 25th anniversary, Universal after-dark queue hacks, Clearwater’s beaches, the wild Everglades, and the magic of the Keys. Packed with 227 nostalgic photos, family stories, and pure ’90s adventure energy, this page is your ticket back to the golden age of Florida holidays. Step inside and travel like it’s 1997 again. 1997 Travel Blog Here is our actual travel route Kissimmee → Orlando (multiple parks) → Tampa → Clearwater → St Pete’s Beach → Sanibel → Sarasota → Venice → Naples → Everglades → Key Largo → Marathon → Bahia Honda → Key West → Fort Lauderdale → Miami (drive‑through) → West Palm Beach → Boca Raton → Melbourne Beach → Cocoa Beach → Kennedy Space Center → Orlando → Manchester → Nottingham USA 1997 – Itemised Travel Route by Location 🏠 Base Location Kissimmee, Florida Villas of Somerset (Apartment 126) Used as the main base for ~15 days All Orlando theme parks & water parks visited from here 🎢 Orlando & Surrounding Area (Day Trips from Kissimmee) Orlando (Central Orlando) Orlando Magic Basketball Stadium International Drive Disney World Parks Magic Kingdom EPCOT MGM Studios Animal Kingdom (not mentioned, so excluded) Typhoon Lagoon Blizzard Beach River Country Pleasure Island Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex Universal Studios Backlot Tours Terminator 2 Back to the Future Kongfrontation Jaws Earthquake ET Honey I Shrunk the Kids SeaWorld Orlando Sports World Cracker Barrel (local restaurant) 🌴 West Coast of Florida Travelled west from Kissimmee across to the Gulf Coast: Tampa Busch Gardens (Montu, Kumba, Edge of Africa, etc.) Clearwater Beach St. Pete’s Beach Sanibel Sarasota Venice Naples Naples Jetty Pier 🐊 Everglades Region Everglades National Park Hovercraft trip to Alligator Island 🏝️ Florida Keys (Southbound) Key Largo Marathon (Island stay) Bahia Honda State Park Key West Hemingway House area Conch Train Sloppy Joe’s 1930s hotel Jetty & boardwalks 🌴 East Coast of Florida (Northbound Return) Fort Lauderdale Miami (passed but not visited in 1997) West Palm Beach Boca Raton Melbourne Beach Cocoa Beach Ron Jon Surf Shop Jetty Kennedy Space Center / Cape Canaveral Saturn V / Apollo Center ✈️ Return Journey Orlando → drop hire car Flight to Manchester Drive home to Nottingham via the Peak District 97 Route Visuals USA 1997 Trip — Route Summary Kissimmee, Florida – Villas of Somerset base for Orlando parks Orlando – Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, SeaWorld Tampa – Busch Gardens Clearwater Beach – Gulf Coast stop St Pete Beach – coastal drive Sanibel Island – shell beaches Sarasota – art and beach town Venice – Gulf shoreline Naples – pier and sunset views Everglades National Park – hovercraft to Alligator Island Key Largo – start of the Keys Marathon – mid‑Keys stay Bahia Honda State Park – scenic bridge and beach Key West – Hemingway House, Conch Train, Sloppy Joe’s Fort Lauderdale – beach and canals West Palm Beach – coastal return north Boca Raton – short stop Melbourne Beach – Atlantic shore Cocoa Beach – Ron Jon Surf Shop Kennedy Space Center – Saturn V and Apollo Center Orlando (return) – drop hire car Manchester Airport → Nottingham – home via Peak District Florida (FL) USA with the boys, then 15 and 13 for the 25th anniversary of Waly Disney World resort, Walt had built it from the late 60s when he purchased the land from Irlo Bronson Sr, rancher and Democratic senator for the state of Florida, it opened in 1972 hence the 25th celebrations including fireworks. For this trip I will mention where we went and what we did which included Kissimmee, Tampa, the Keys, Everglades, Cocoa Beach, Cape Kennedy Space Station, we returned again in 2018 on our 40th Wedding Anniversary cruise . This Family trip is also replicated on the motorhome-travels blog as BLOG 165 . We returned again with our grandchildren in 2022 for the 50th anniversary celebrations of Walt Disney World opening this time with our extended family, a full Blog and comparison between 25 & 50 years showing massive progress can be gleaned by reading the full BLOG183 but if you prefer to stay here on this site there is a condensed version of that here as USA 2022, thanks as always for looking folks, best KeefH Web Designs. PLAY Comparing Disney at the 25th Anniversary to the 50th Anniversary of Magic Kingdom Opening 1997 21 Days Between 26th July & 16th August Family Time, Clearwater Beach, Tampa and West Palm Beach plus of course Disney & Miss Piggy #sigh, we stayed at apartment 126, The Villas of Somerset, Kissimmee, Florida, USA, 34746, and here's a summary Initially stayed in Kissimmee for about 1 week and a half, and visited ALL the theme parks & water parks. Going back into Universal after 7pm is a good call as it saved the queues. Saw central Orlando. We then travelled across to the west, Tampa, Busch Gardens park in Tampa Bay, clearwater, sanibel, sarasota, venice , naples, then back to the east via the Everglades and down the Keys: Largo, Marathon, Bahia Honda NP, Key West then back up via Fort Lauderdale, Miami (although didn't go in here in 97 but did in 2018) to Orlando plus Kennedy Space Station , Cocoa beach, River Country, Cracker Barrel, 25th Disney Anniversary, Typhoon Lagoon, Sports World, River Country, Universal, Water World, MGM Studios, Pleasure Island, Blizzard Beach, Tower of Terror, Backlot , giant heavy video cameras & animation tours Micky & some other 'smucks' Aug97 - 2 Shell collecting Bahai Honda NP Florida Keys Aug97 1/116 If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a perfectly normal British family is dropped into 1997 Florida armed with a hire car the size of a small bungalow, a stack of Kodak film, and an unshakeable belief that queue‑dodging after 7pm is a legitimate life hack—this is the page for you. Your 21‑day odyssey across Kissimmee, Tampa, Clearwater, the Keys, and every theme park known to humankind is preserved here in all its sunburnt, sugar‑fueled glory. This isn’t just a holiday; it’s a full‑scale expedition. Think David Attenborough meets National Lampoon, with occasional appearances from Miss Piggy, Mickey Mouse, and a rollercoaster called “I‑Can’t‑Remember‑Its‑Name‑But-It-Went-Backwards-at-50mph”. You’ll relive the 25th anniversary of Disney World—back when the castle was controversially dressed as a giant pink birthday cake—and witness the boys discovering basketball, Busch Gardens, and the life‑changing realisation that American drinks come in sizes that require planning permission. You’ll also enjoy a whistle‑stop tour of the Everglades (featuring alligators with better dental plans than most of us), Key West (home of Hemingway and Key Lime Pie), and Cocoa Beach (home of Ron Jon’s Surf Shop and your first pair of Levi’s since the 1970s).And because no epic deserves to be under‑documented, you’ll find 227 lovingly scanned photos, a memorabilia in website form, and enough anecdotes to fuel a decade of dinner‑party storytelling. Summary: We spent 21 Days in Florida, USA between 26th July and the 16th August 1997 We took 227 Photos, all of which are included in the summary slideshows, many of which were scanned from old fashioned Kodak prints. So we spent 15 days in Kissimmee, Orlando Florida on holiday between 26 July - 9 August 1997, it was a fun Family Time we stayed at apartment 126, The Villas of Somerset, Kissimmee, Florida, USA, 34746, we also visited for a further 7 days Clearwater Beach, Tampa and West Palm Beach in our hired car which was a huge Chevrolet with not surprisingly 3 seats across the front and multiple coffee and soda cup holders ha-ha, plus of course we visited Disney & Miss Piggy #sigh, the whole logic of this holiday was that the boys were now old enough to appreciate Disney in its entirety so this was a special family break, especially it was Disney World’s 25th celebrations and here's a summary. We initially stayed in Kissimmee for 2 weeks and visited ALL the theme parks & water parks. Going back into Universal after 7pm is a good call as it saved the queues. Saw central Orlando including taking the boys to the Orlando Magic basketball stadium, they were both keen at the time and indeed Doug played for the Ilkeston Outlaws basketball team back at home, we played a bit of tennis at the Villas as well. We then travelled across to the west, Tampa, Busch Gardens park, clearwater, International Drive, Sanibel, Sarasota, Venice , Naples, then back to the east via the Everglades and down the Keys: Largo, Marathon, Bahia Honda NP, Key West then back up via Fort Lauderdale, Miami (although didn't go in here in 97 but did in 2018) to Orlando plus Kennedy Space Station with its NASA centre replication and the newly installed Apollo, Saturn 5 centre, just mesmerising , Cocoa beach its jetty and lovely sandy beach, River Country, Cracker Barrel, Visiting my hero Dali’s exhibition, Naples jetty pier, St Pete’s Beach, West Palm Beach with all its posh locked up homes and posh yacht moored outside, ESPN where maybe Craig & I got our love of Grid Iron or American Football from, come on 49ers & Eagles, Busch Gardens run by Anheuser Busch the beer people, we remember Montu in the Egypt area and the scary Kumba which I must have gone on at least 3 times in a row with the boys until I felt sick, the Edge of Africa area which you went over in a skyride monorail cable car, also standing on the bridge getting soaked by the huge water chute ride, can’t remember what it was called, but as hot and humid we loved it, so cooling, Busch characters to rival Disney , OK maybe not, T J Tiger and the Hippo, 25th Disney World (now Resorts) Anniversary, Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World (and sadly Shamu which we feel very guilty about), Sports World, River Country, EPCOT was sponsored by the then Eastern Kodak Company, sadly no more to my knowledge, digital is here to stay, it included Illuminations 25 accompanied by the Disney-Grammy All American College Orchestra, ta-rah , Universal Studios and the Tower of Terror, The fab Honey I Shrunk the Kids experience with the height of technology at the time, shaking seats sprayed by water, tee-hee, Water World, MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, we had the guide for between 28th July and 3rd August, Discovery & Pleasure Island where we went one evening very strict licensing laws meant I couldn’t even buy a drink for Annie you had to buy your own and proof your age, flattering if the truth be known that they thought we were younger than 21, ha-ha, Blizzard Beach, River Country, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with beach volleyball, Annie wouldn’t let me attend the ladies one, ha-ha, Terminator 2 experience, Ride of the Movies, Back to The Future Ride, Kongfrontation, Jaws ride, Earthquake, ET ride, Our Universal Tickets were from the 5th to 7th august, we saw the Twilight zone featuring the Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones , Toy Story, Backlot tours , Watched Disney animators at work on the new to be Mulan (now ancient history) but fascinating experience, Twister and King Gators Fundango rides were on their way and being constructed, Baywatch at Sea World, giant heavy video cameras & animation tours , Shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral (just missed it by one day), Our Underwater camera, Steaks the size of a large plate, you wuss keef, Having to have your salad separately, Melbourne Beach, Rodeo Drive, Boca Raton, Ron Johns “one of a Kind” Surf shop at Cocoa Beach, we returned to this in 2018 on our US and Caribbean 40th Wedding Anniversary cruise, buying my 1st genuine pair of Levi’s since my 20s, we also remember Mummy Mummification (i.e. Annie in an Egyptian Sarcophagus), Key Wests 30’s Hotel and lots of Fish around the jetty, Board Walks, Hard Rock Café, Key Lime Pie, Hemingway Express and Conch Train trip plus seeing Sloppy Joe’s Earnest hang out local, Everglades and Hover trip out to Alligator Island, Stay on the Island of Marathon, Swimming, Planes, and Bahai Honda National Park, After staying at Cocoa beach on the last night we returned to Orlando, dropped off the fab hire car, flew back to Manchester & home, Our car was in the long stay car park there so we drove back through the Peaks to Home. What a fabulous family time we had, and our multi coffee cupped wagon will live long in the memory july 1997 calendar with info august 1997 calendar with info august 1997 calendar july 1997 calendar with info 1/5 1997 21 Days Between 26th July & 16th August 1997 Pleased to say we did returns in 2022 with Craig’s family as grandparents for his 40th Birthday, will I enjoy the white-knuckle rides quite the same as I did in 1997, who knows but I will certainly give it a go. UPDATE I definitely did, especially the one with Leanne at 50 mph. backwards in the dark, can't remember what it was called though! 1 It is a special year at Disney as it’s the 50th anniversary so we are expecting spectacular fireworks and parades. Its now called collectively Walt Disney World Resorts. I so remember steamboat willie, which I believe was the first animation Walt Disney did. Here's a bit of a write up on the man. Walter Elias Disney December 5, 1901, to December 15, 1966, was an American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor, and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most academy awards earned and nominations by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy, among other honours. As of 2022, Disney became the first, and later one of the three people been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories, a record he shares with Alfonso Cuaron and George Clooney, until was surpassed by Kenneth Branagh with seven. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy. With Ubbe Ert Iwwerks, he developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular success; he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years. As the studio grew, he became more adventurous, introducing synchronized sound, full-colour three-strip Technicolor, feature-length cartoons, and technical developments in cameras. The results, seen in features such as and who doesn’t know these from their childhood and indeed adulthood, all classics, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio & Fantasia (both 1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942), furthered the development of animated film. New animated and live-action films followed World War II, including the critically successful Cinderella (1950) and Mary Poppins (1964), the latter of which received five Academy Awards. In the 1950s, Disney expanded into the amusement park industry, and in July 1955 he opened Disneyland in Anaheim California. To fund the project, he diversified into television programs, such as Walt’s Disneyland and The Mickey Mouse Club. He was also involved in planning the 1959 Moscow Fair, the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the 1964 New York World Fair. In 1965, he began development of another theme park, Disney World, the heart of which was to be a new type of city, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT). Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life and sadly died of lung cancer in December 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project was completed. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

A real 2013 travel diary across Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. Photos, stories and motorhome adventures from a once‑in‑a‑lifetime trip done 3 times. Singapore Travel Blog 2013 – Family Adventures, City Highlights & Photo Diary PLAY Singapore 2013 Including spending time with family , Jurong Bird Park, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by The Bay, Raffles one visit 7th-21st April, 14 days in total Arrived slightly earlier than expected due to a time change in our Quantas flight into Singapore that everyone knew about apart from us. Absolutely lovely to meet up with the newest Mr & Mrs Hellinger again and spend 2 weeks with them. So we have a much better feel for life in Singapore and it makes you feel closer to folk if you have seen where they live, eat and hang out.Singapore is a very modern country / city with fabulous architecture and eateries to die for. Someone coined the phrase that Singaporeans eat 24/7. Whilst staying with Doug & Phoenix in the lovely Geylang East we had the opportunity to see many of the tourist highlights whilst they were at work and see them in the evening for some lovely food. They looked after us so well. In the middle weekend we had a great family trip away across the border back into Malaysia & Melaka. See our diary and pictures both here and under Malaysia. Big love to Doug &Phoenix. We have been through Singapore many times in the past , 1995 & 2008 but never stayed so it was lovely to do so this time. After 2013 we have revisited in 2014 & 2019 HIGHLIGHTS:- Spending time with Doug & Phoenix Geylang swimming pool & library Food, MRT, MBS..... oh and TLAs Gardens by the Bay,Botanic Gardens Clarke Quay & 2 river cruises (day & night) Jurong Bird Park The long bar @ Raffles Hotel & Singapore Slings Durian LOWLIGHTS:- Bad tummy on last night Saying goodbye Singapore with Family, Meeting up with the new Mr & Mrs. Douglas Read the Travel Blog Diaries, Look at the Travel Blog Slideshows, See the You Tube Videos, Use the 2013 CHOICES MENU to Explore, 3 Days at a Time (mostly) Have Fun, This travel blog is referenced as our 3rd Holiday of a Lifetime to cover our trips in 2007/8 (Downunder) & 2010 (Across Canada), we have since had a 4th in 2017 (Downunder) All the usual travel blog information can be found here. and for Singapore it is broken down into Hop On Hop off bus travel, trips to Sentosa Island, Jurong Bird Park and the Little India area of Singapore. SINGAPORE, Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) Bus Day 1, Geylang, 7-9 April 2013 Hop On Hop Off bus booked for 2 days, this was day 1 and covered Suntec City, Bugis, St Andrews, Cathedral, Cricket ground and all major sights since we did a whole trip around, first time around to get our bearings. What else does the bus cover? Here you go. Covered MRT to Suntec City to pick up the bus, then amongst others Geylang, family, eating out, trying durian, Clarke Quay, Singapore River there are 5 waterways in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, The Singapore Flyer, The singaore Formula 1 grand prix track, all the wonderful architecture, rain, covering amongst others 175 selective slideshow images, shop houses, river boat cruises, the Merlion, colonial hotels and much much more, see the images. Plus visiting family in Geylang and being tourists on the Hop On Hop Off bus ,Singapore 7-9 Apr 2013, Geylang area & HOHO bus, family fun, Geylang, arriving 2 hours early from Perth, catching taxi to family, east avenue, foo hai chan monastery, the protector dharma, dharma = truth or reality, MRT = mass rapid transport system, sri shriven temple, MRT stations, aljunied, paya lebar, dhoby ghaut, markets, suntec city, cross street, raffles place, raffles, club street, old hill police station, yachts, merlion, marina bay sands, Clarke quay, fort canning, shop houses, old colonial buildings, F1 grand prix, art and science, Singapore flyer, gardens by the bay (GBTB) Local info, very useful we found #humour #hintsandtips Kopi-C-kosong = Coffee with evaporated milk but no sugar. The “kosong” means “nothing” in Malay. 6) Kopi-O = Coffee with sugar only which is “black coffee” in layman's term. 7) Kopi-O-kosong = Coffee without sugar or milk, note the "C" stands for carnation milk my all time fave restuarant in geylang, lamb bbq who is winning the race 1/88 Sunday April 7th 2013 Summary, fly to Singapore depart Perth 11.55 a.m. Arrive Singapore 17.25 a.m. Note that got changed read on! We rang for a taxi from the Wattle Grove Motel, 6.9 kilometers from Perth airport in Western Australia, at 7.30 a.m. and it arrived quickly. We got to the airport in 20 minutes and found that the flight time had been changed to 9.55 a.m. i.e., 2 hours earlier with no notification that we had received from Quantas nor or tour operator. It turned out later when I contacted our tour operator they had sent an email which we never received as travelling for so long. Not even in our spam folder. We thought we had 3 hours to kill at the airport when in fact we were boarding in less than ½ an hour. Really good job we went to the airport early as we were up already. Not pleased but so happy we did arrive early as we would have missed the flight all together. The flight took 5 ½ hours to Singapore. Rang Doug as clearly, he was not there to meet us as he had our original time of arrival. So, we got a taxi to their flat instead. They were stood outside to meet us when the taxi arrived and guide us to the lift with our luggage. It was so nice to see them again after the Wedding looking so happy and relaxed. They took us out to dinner to a local Geylang seafood restaurant and then gave us a brief guided tour of their area around the apartment block. It was very hot and humid. The dinner was very nice with the local Singaporean delicacy, black pepper crab and lots of other dishes. Quite a feast. Doug pointed out their local swimming pool complex, the local library, shops, hawker food centre and then we all walked back to their flat past a Hindu Mosque, a Buddhist Temple, both of which were very interesting and ornate. The Buddhist temple had a monastery attached. Tired as it had been a long day and even though the time zones are the same we were tired from the travel and Doug & Phoenix had work the next day. They gave us the keys to the flat so we could come and go as we pleased in the day. Monday April 8th 2013 Summary, Geylang, very hot and humid Spent the morning doing washing and communication with everyone on the internet to say we had safely arrived with D&P in Singapore. We were both dripping with sweat the whole time as our bodies not used to the humidity as yet, maybe they never will be. It is tropical heat as Singapore is on the equator. We visited D&P’s local swimming pool at 2.20 p.m. Found out it closes on Monday morning for cleaning but reopened at 2.30 p.m. so not long to wait. Now this is lovely, we got OAP tickets 50 cents each for the whole day or 25 pence English, amazing they kindly treat anyone who is over 55 as a pensioner in Singapore. We had a refreshing swim initially and the pool was empty until a class of school kids arrived for a lesson. Then there were storm clouds and thunder, so everyone had to get out of the pool. No risks are taken in Singapore especially if there is a risk of lightening. We sat undercover and read our books. We chatted to a friendly local lifeguard who gave us free bottles of chilled water which was most refreshing. We then had a late lunch in the Thai restaurant nearby the pool. We chatted to a man from California who was a tourist. We then returned to the flat and waited for D&P to return from work. They took us to Geylang East Central, we walked and to a restaurant that did barbeque food at each table. It was a Chinese restaurant, and we had a whole leg of lamb with a spiced outer crust that had been marinated and mostly cooked out the back, along with other dishes they bought to the table. Once at the table we continued to cook it on the table BBQ / firepit, never seen anything like it as good or since as it was charcoal in a pit on the table. Keef still rates this as the best lamb meal he has ever had, praise indeed. The whole meal was so nice, we both really enjoyed it. Everyone seems to eat out in Singapore at restaurants and cafes, the city that eats 24 by 7 as the locals say. The streets are all very busy and hectic, thronged with people as we walked back to the flat at 10.30 p.m. We walked past lots of interesting fruit stall and saw some strange vegetables we had never encountered before. It’s what I love about going to different places one should always immerse oneself in the cultures and customs, it’s what is just so interesting. Tuesday April 9th 2013 Summary, Geylang and then the Hop on Hop Off (HO-HO) Bus Day 1 from Suntec City. We got into central Singapore by the MRT, Mass Raid Transport system, from Aljunied station which was a short walk from Doug & Phoenix’s flat. The NRT is clean and modern, you are not allowed to eat or drink on the trains or the station platforms and be fined if caught. We booked tickets at 12.05 p.m. for the 48-hour HO-HO tourist bus. The cost was $39 per person and included a river cruise and coach to Sentosa Island. We got on the heritage tour bus which took about an hour around to get our bearings. It went through the older areas of central Singapore and we had ear phones for the commentary, available in a variety of languages, not surprisingly we chose English, tee-hee. Then we got on a different hop on, hop off bus which did the city tour including the Central Business District (CBD to all Kiwi’s and Aussies). It went through the shopping districts, Orchard Road, all designer shops, clothing etc. and around the marina, we saw Marina Bay Sands hotel (MBS) which Singapore is famous for, the infinity pool on the top is quite a landmark and a feat of design and engineering, curved and sleek. There were floating football pitches, Clarke Quay, the Merlion and lots of both colonial and unusual architect designed buildings, all in all a real feast for the eyes and senses. We had lunch at a café on Olive Grove, Suntec City shopping mall, panini with tuna mayo, cake and a drink costing $8 each. We then got soaked on the bus tour after lunch as there was a tropical storm with thunder and lightning, about the same time as yesterdays at the pool, maybe this will become a recurring theme. We were on top of the open topped bus which had a small, covered section at the back, all customers tried to huddle in there to keep dry, but it just wasn’t a large enough covering for all. Still the downpour certainly cooled the humidity levels. We had coffee (kopi-c-kosong) in the café next to the tour start and tried to dry off. We then did the included river cruise at Clarke Quay, quite touristy but interesting for the shop houses along the Singapore Riverbank and the old ferries we were carried on. It took us right up as far as MBD , the Art and Science Museum and the Merlion water fountain. We ate in the food hall in Suntec city mall in the evening and got back on the MRT after all the commuters had returned from work., although it was still busy in the evening. Doug goes to the gym every Tuesday evening. SINGAPORE, Little India, 18-21 April 2013, to the 1* Michelin Street Food, sadly closed but not in 2017 Bugis, Little India, Nightime at Harbourfront and sadly leaving for UK, Singapore 18-21 Apr 2013, Bugis Centre, Little India, Night meal at Harbourfront or side, Keppel Island, Leaving 4 UK ,covering amongst others 57 selective slideshow images, ironman movie plugs, indoor craft markets, sir stamford raffles, governor, history boards, Singapore MRT, Harbourfront, Little India & Farrer Park MRT stations, Mustafa's which we have been to often, maybe not this time though, strange fruits, exotic vegetables, best samosa in the world, lotus flowers, nelumbo nucifera to give Indian Lotus flower it proper name, fascinating back streets, liitle india arcade in serangoon road, Arab Street, love Singapore it is so multi-cultural, traditional shop houses, looking across at Sentosa, Singapore at night time, shabu shabu restaurant, wagyu beef, hot pot, durian, king fruit, jack fruit, late evening volta, chinese bakery in Geylang (yummy), sadly having to leave family to return to UK love this pic coming out from dunlop street 1/29 Thursday April 18th 2013 Summary, Geylang, Bugis Shopping Centre, Little India, Arab Street area, Singapore Visited Bugis shopping mall and bought 2 towels as a gift for D&P, from a large department store. Bugis Centre is one of the biggest shopping malls in Singapore and take our word for it there are a lot of them. It is on so many levels and you could easily get lost. We had lunch at Nando’s in the Bugis Centre which was very nice, and in Keef’s case very spicy. Then we went to Little India on the MRT alighting at the Little India station stop. If we are going to Mustafa’s department store, we would get off at the Farrer Park stop, we would highly recommend it for just about everything at a reasonable price, it’s always busy and Keef buys their Samosa’s. It was very hot and humid again. We saw lots of fruit stalls with exotic fruits and other good and even saw a lot of lotus flowers. Anne bought some fabric and then we walked through the famous Little India Arcade. It was originally a market with stalls but has now been translated into a culturally exquisite arcade with all things Indian. It still retains a few old stalls but is now hugely touristy. We loved it. Keef bought what are probably the best Samosa in the world from here, even better than those at Nadi airport Fiji in 2007 and / or Mustafa’s department store on most of our trips to Singapore to visit family there. By now it was late in the afternoon, so we returned to the MRT station and then back to Aljunied and the flat. Phoenix returned from work, and we got back on the MRT to meet Doug at a restaurant near Arab Street, where there were lots of shop houses and many restaurants. Singapore is amazingly multi-cultural, Singaporeans, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Malay, Arab, Bugis even the odd European, ha-ha. A little history here about Shophouses In Singapore, the shophouse is one of the most popular forms of local Singaporean architecture. It is symbolic of the heritage of Singapore, and as a result they are more commonly found in the more historic cities throughout Southeast Asia, Shophouses have a few features that make them distinctive from other buildings you may find in south-eastern Asia. They have a narrow face to look at, but they have a greater depth. Shophouses are a part of Singapore’s colonial history, stretching all the back to the 18th century. As Singapore started to grow in the 1960s, many Shophouses were flattened for new developments. Understanding the importance of conserving some it’s heritage, the 1970s and the start of the 1980s saw a change in policy. State owned shophouses along Murray Street and Tudor Court were renovated and restored to their original state which brought with it a change in perception as to the value of these pre-war buildings. The 1980s brought with it a renewed interest in preservation and conservation. A good example is the pedestrianisation of Emerald Hill Road in 1981. In 1986 the URA unveiled their Conservation Master Plan to renovate and restore Singapore’s historical areas. Starting with 9 Neil Road in 1987, it was a catalyst for increased restoration of Shophouses throughout the Tanjong Pagar precinct and other areas too. Heading towards the late 1980s, over 3200 building were earmarked for conservation in 10 historical districts across Singapore. Those districts were: Chinatown (Telok Ayer, Kreta Ayer, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Pasoh), Little India, Kampong Glam, Singapore River (Boat Quay and Clarke Quay), Cairn hill and Emerald Hill. To date, conservation status has been given to over 7000 buildings in more than 100 areas. We love them. We had a lovely evening meal with D&P in Arab street and then walked through this splendid heritage area, we saw a beautiful mosque and old colonial buildings. When we returned to the MRT it was packed with people and it was 10.30 p.m. that’s the difference it’s so much cooler in the late evening and people like to relax, eat, chat and volta. Friday April 19th 2013 Summary, Geylang, Singapore Did more laundry, it rained in the morning, so we decided not to go swimming. Instead after visiting the local Chinese bakery to buy something for lunch, they do great breads and cakes, we took our e-books to the local library which was almost next door to the flat. The library is fully air conditioned and has very comfortable leather seats, plants, quiet rooms for private reading plus areas for magazines and newspapers. The Straits Times is a favourite. This is a much nicer library than our one at home, just so much more modern and funded. Lots of elderly Chinese people were asleep in there, bless! We saw a man trying to rob one of the people who was asleep until Keef gave him a long look, he stopped and left promptly. Appalling. Doug & Phoenix were out for the evening so Keef cooked us noodles with black peppered chicken, lovely. Saturday April 20th 2013 Summary, Geylang, Harbourfront, Singapore Phoenix must work on a Saturday morning 9-1 a.m. She works in a Chinese factory as their Finance Director. So we went swimming with Doug to his local Olympic sized pool. Doug did 30 lengths, and we did a few widths in the middle-sized pool, it’s just so refreshing to be in the cool water. Doug then left to meet and go shopping with Phoenix. We stayed at the pool to read our e-books. Then we all met up at 3 p.m. and walked to Geylang East main shopping road to taste some Durian fruit from a local stall. Keef liked it but Anne reserved judgement, thought it smelt like spring onions., looked the colour of mango but was quite custardy in texture. It does have a rather pungent smell and it is banned from the MRT in Singapore because of that smell and I remember back in the De Baron Hotel in Kuah Town on Langkawi in Malaysia there were signs on all the lifts saying it was banned for carrying inside. D&P like the fruit, it is extremely popular in Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand, and most other southeast Asian countries. In all these the smell is so strong it is banned from planes, trains, taxis, and lifts. We then got the MRT to Harbourfront station where D&P had booked a table at a Japanese restaurant. It was a shabu shabu restaurant where there was a hot plate on each table and a container with a meat and veg stock and you cooked your own thinly sliced beef (wagyu), chicken and vegetables. Wagyu beef was thinly cut a bit like Parma ham and is just so tender. It was a very nice meal that D&P treated us to. We then went for a walk along the harbour side and saw the cruise terminal and all the pretty lights across the bay to Sentosa Island. The palm trees were all lit up with fairly lights. We really liked Harbourfront as an area, shopping mall and views of the harbour. We also caught glimpses of Keppel Island. Sunday April 21st 2013 Summary, Geylang, Singapore plus sadly leaving family for UK at the end of an Epic HOLIDAY2013. Doug and Phoenix went to a large supermarket to do some food shopping and we stayed in the flat. Keef was ill with an upset stomach, maybe the Durian, who knows. Not so good as we were flying back to the UK in the evening. They bought back a Subways roll for Anne, but Keef did not eat anything. Phoenix made some crocodile soup. Watched some TV as we had done our packing earlier in the morning. We set off in the taxi to the airport, Changi with D&P. By now it was dark. We all got there about 8.30 p.m. We claimed tax back on some receipts that Phoenix had worth $16. We said our fond but slightly sad farewells with lots of hugs and kisses all round. We sadly won’t be seeing them again except for Skype until next February when they come over for Craig’s wedding. Our flight was at 10.50 p.m. i.e. a night flight with a faint hope of sleep, Not, it never works for both of us. The flight was delayed 20 minutes due to an alleged fault in the air conditioning unit (AC) at the back of the plane where we were sitting. It was not working; it became uncomfortably hot. Our conspiracy theory is they shut off the AC to conserve fuel and therefore save dosh whilst waiting to taxi. In hot climates that is very bad news. This was British Airways, not a nice journey, food, and cabin crew rubbish, we vowed to not fly with them again. It was a 13 ½ hour flight back to Heathrow where we arrived at 4.50 a.m. Tired but glad to be back after a truly memorable holiday, away for 3 months, January 22nd to April 23rd, we went on to see Mum for a couple of days in Ewell before returning the hire car to the East Midlands Airport. Nice to see the spring blossom and lambs again. SINGAPORE, Sentosa Island, 10-12 April 2013, then it was onto Melaka , Across the Border into Malaysia for 2 Days with Family Hop On Hop Off bus booked for 2 days, covered Raffles Hotel, Sentosa Island & the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 10-12 Apr 2013, Hop on Hop Off (HOHO) bus for 2 days, Raffles & Sentosa, plus Mass Rapid Transport System (MRT) to Singapore's wonderful and exotic Botanic Gardens, covering amongst others 172 selective slideshow images, MRT stations Aljunied, Dhoby Ghaut and Botanic gardens, Cluny Park Road with mega posh houses, Raffles hotel long room bar, courtyard, peanuts, tiffin, billiard room, Singapore slings, SunTec City Mall, palm valley, Sentosa island, resort world, hard rock café, Coach to Sentosa, 48 hour travel passes, Singapore port area, mist house, ginger area, shaw foundation symphony stage, lake with turtles swimming in it, water lilies, orchids, hire car JB, Sat Nav, Toll booths on Malaysian motorways, cannon ball tree, ancient clock, silosa beach, cable cars, buses, trams, sun, rain, humidity, bananas, Geylang east and community swimming pool, prep for trip to Malacca raffles hotel siloso beach sentosa 1/85 Wednesday April 10th 2013 Summary, Hop on Hop off bus day 2 including Raffles Hotel & Sentosa Island We used the MRT to go back into the city centre from Aljunied station to Dhoby Ghaut. We were using day 2 of our ticket for the hop on hop off bus. This time rather than going all the way around, as we now know the route, we got off at the famous Raffles Hotel. We wandered around downstairs and in the courtyards but only guests are allowed upstairs. It is a very old colonial hotel and as it is on Beach Road was literally that once before reclaimed land from the coast moved it somewhat inland. We bought some gifts and a tea towel for us in the Raffles Shop. We then went to the famous Long Bar and had a Singapore Sling $26 (£13.50 in 2013 prices, £16 by 2022) and a fruit punch $14. We shared both, that’s what love is. Very expensive for a cocktail but lovely and you just have to do it don’t you. We had fish and chips and lamb satay for lunch there in the Long Bar. Peanuts (monkey nuts in shells) on the tables, traditionally people break them open and nonchalantly drop the discarded shells on the floor. You get that distinctive crunch as you walk around the bar, ha-ha. You also , and this wasn’t hygienic, had birds who flew into the open bar, fans on ceilings and the cool breeze of open windows, to peck at both shells and nut pieces. The service in the bar was poor, speed wise, but the atmosphere was great. There were lots of tourists there and large groups of American businessmen drinking Singapore Slings all afternoon, obviously on company expenses, tee-hee. We then returned to Suntec city Mall on the bus and then got a different coach to Sentosa Island which was all part of our 48-hour voucher. The coach went past the Singapore port area, thousands of containers piled 8 or 9 high. Singapore is a very busy port as witnessed by the number of ships moored of Sentosa / East Coast Park. Sentosa was a themed purpose-built tourist island reclaimed from the sea. Full of mainly Chinese tourists, there are a huge number of casinos on the island which culturally is a huge draw for the Chinese nation. Witness the island of Macau. There were lots of rides and activities all of which cost money. Fountains everywhere, it was extremely hot and sunny today so dipping one’s hands in the colling fountain waters was a true delight. Not surprisingly Keef bought a T-shirt in the islands Hard Rock café shop. We walked around a bit and decided not to go into Universal studios, we are getting on a bit now, tee-hee, white knuckle isn’t what it used to be. We then took the free tram to the man-made beach and paddled in the sea with the background of container ships moored up off the coast. Bit weird. We then returned to the coach and the driver dropped us off in the wrong place on the way back to Suntec city, so we had to walk ½ mile back to the MRT station near Suntec city. We bought a sandwich on the way back to the flat. Yummy as hungry by then. Thursday April 11th 2013 Summary, Geylang and Singapore Botanic Gardens. Did laundry in the morning and then got the MRT and bus combo to the Botanic Gardens. It free to go in, we had lunch there in the café and then wandered around, it is a well-kept and stocked garden, everything is very tropical and very green. The lake in the centre has turtles swimming around. Just lovely. We then visited both the Ginger and Orchids gardens; they were both spectacular with amazingly exotic plants. We saw a turmeric tree, the spice comes from the root of the tree, it looked a bit like a banana palm. It was hot and humid in both these gardens which is what the plants love to thrive. We must have walked about 2 ½ to 3 miles around the Botanic gardens as we were there some 4 ½ hours. We then walked back to the MRT along Cluny Park Road with very posh houses and the French Embassy and ambassadors’ houses for many nations. It is clearly an exclusive area but well worth the stroll along despite our tiredness. We then got the MRT back to Geylang East to avoid the 5 p.m. rush hour but still packed with people and school kids, Singapore seems to always be mega busy. When D&P got home from work, we went swimming at the local pool at 8.30 p.m. It is an Olympic sized pool. Doug did 20 lengths, we pottered around doing widths in the medium sized pool. There was also a kids play pool with water apparatus. We then all ate in the nearby Hawker centre. Then we went to the supermarket to buy chicken and provisions for the trip to Malacca at the weekend, so looking forward to that. The supermarket was busy even at 10.30 p.m. Friday April 12th 2013 Summary, Geylang, Singapore to Melaka, Malaysia Did more laundry including D&Ps in ethe morning. Clothes get very sweaty here in Singapore, but they do dry on those poles hung out of the flat windows very quickly. We went swimming again early in the afternoon at the Geylang East community pool. We love this place and at 50 cents a go how could you not, the best place we know to cool off apart from maybe air-conditioned libraries. The sun was very intense today so lots of waterproof suntan lotion liberally applied. We returned to the flat after lunch at our new favourite Thai restaurant near the pool. Keef cooked black pepper marinated chicken pieces and added to salad for our evening meal this evening before swimming. Then after swimming he cooked a whole chicken and baked yam for D&P in their rotisserie oven. All the cooking made the kitchen unbearably hot; K was cooking in just shorts, no top. Phoenix had management meetings 2-5.30 at work but then rushed home after that. Doug got home before her and then we all sorted out our stuff to the weekend trip away to Melaka in Malaysia. After eating and a swim we caught a taxi to border control to cross over to Malaysia at Woodlands on the Singapore side and Johor Bharu (JB) on the Malaysian side. There was passport control on both sides with a ridge in between where we had to get a packed bus to get across it. It was totally grid locked with people everywhere, workers trying to get home for the weekend to see family, and it was hot and sweaty and just generally very unpleasant but worth it for our weekend away with D&P. Hot, humid, noisy, and packed buses and even though it was crammed with people we all managed somehow to get a seat, luxury. Then we got a taxi to the lady’s house Phoenix had been negotiating with to pick up the hire car. Keef drove the car using our Sat Nav to the guest house in Melaka which we finally reached at 1 a.m. There had been quite a hold up at the car hire stuff. Our Sat Nav helped on the motorway and with which turning to come off at as we headed north out of JB towards Melaka. There were entrance and exit toll booths on the motorway as travel on them we had to pay for, it wasn’t very expensive however and good raid surfaces. Because it took so long at the border crossing and picking up the hire car it was very late at night when we finally arrived but the Tea House owner, the very kind Mr. Li, had stayed up for us. Exhausted we all had showers and flopped into bed. 700‑Word Summary: 2013 Singapore Family Visit & Travel Diary The 2013 Singapore Family Visit & Travel Diary captures a warm, nostalgic return to one of Asia’s most vibrant cities, blending family time, sightseeing, and the unique rhythms of everyday Singapore life. The trip forms part of a wider long‑haul adventure that year, but Singapore stands out as a place of familiarity, comfort, and cultural richness. This diary reflects not just the places visited, but the atmosphere, the people, and the small moments that make travel meaningful. The journey begins with the family arriving in Singapore after time spent travelling through Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia. Singapore immediately feels different — cleaner, more organised, and more structured than many of the destinations visited earlier in the year. There’s a sense of returning to a place that balances modernity with tradition, where the efficiency of the city blends seamlessly with its multicultural character. A major theme of the diary is family connection. Much of the visit centres around spending time with relatives living in Singapore, catching up over meals, exploring neighbourhoods together, and sharing stories. This personal layer gives the trip a deeper emotional resonance. It’s not just about ticking off attractions; it’s about reconnecting with people and places that hold meaning. The family base themselves in Geylang, a district known for its mix of traditional shophouses, food culture, and lively streets. The diary captures the sensory experience of the area — the colours, the heat, the bustle, and the unmistakable aroma of hawker food drifting through the air. Meals become a highlight of the trip, from simple breakfasts to evening feasts featuring local favourites. Singapore’s food culture is woven into the narrative as an essential part of daily life. Sightseeing forms another key thread. The family visit Gardens by the Bay, one of Singapore’s most iconic attractions. The Supertrees, Cloud Forest, and Flower Dome leave a strong impression, offering a futuristic yet serene escape from the city. The diary reflects on the scale and ambition of the gardens, noting how they blend engineering with nature in a way that feels uniquely Singaporean. Another memorable stop is Jurong Bird Park, a long‑standing favourite for families. The diary describes the colourful aviaries, the interactive shows, and the sheer variety of birdlife. It’s a nostalgic visit — the kind of place that evokes childhood memories while still offering something new with each return. The trip also includes time on Sentosa, Singapore’s dedicated island of leisure and entertainment. Whether relaxing on the beach, exploring attractions, or simply enjoying the views back toward the mainland, Sentosa adds a lighter, holiday‑style contrast to the more urban parts of the trip. The diary captures the island’s playful energy and the sense of escape it provides. Throughout the narrative, photography plays a central role. The diary is structured around images — street scenes, family moments, city skylines, nature shots, and snapshots of daily life. These photos help tell the story visually, giving readers a sense of being there. They also reflect the KHWD style: honest, personal, and rooted in real experiences rather than polished tourism. Music also features, with playlists accompanying the diary. These tracks act as a soundtrack to the journey, adding emotional texture and helping to anchor memories to specific moments. It’s a small but distinctive detail that gives the diary personality. The summary of the trip emphasises how Singapore serves as both a destination and a touchstone — a place that feels familiar yet always evolving. The city’s blend of cultures, its food, its architecture, and its people all contribute to a sense of belonging. Even short visits feel rich and meaningful. By the end of the diary, the family prepare to continue their travels, but Singapore leaves a lasting impression. The visit reinforces the importance of family ties, the joy of shared experiences, and the value of returning to places that hold personal significance. The 2013 Singapore diary stands as a warm, detailed snapshot of a city that continues to inspire, comfort, and surprise — a place where memories are made and remade with each visit. 🌴 Dreaming of Singaporean Travel? 2013 Singapore Family Visit & Travel Diary Step into the vibrant heart of Singapore with this warm and nostalgic travel diary from our 2013 family visit. This long‑haul stop became one of the most memorable parts of our year of adventures, blending family time, iconic attractions, and the everyday rhythms that make Singapore such a captivating place to return to again and again. Our journey begins in the lively district of Geylang, where colourful shophouses, bustling streets, and the irresistible pull of hawker food set the tone for our stay. Singapore has a way of wrapping you in its energy from the moment you arrive — the heat, the scents, the mix of cultures, and the sense of order woven into the city’s fast pace. For us, this visit wasn’t just about sightseeing; it was about reconnecting with family, sharing meals, and rediscovering the places that hold personal meaning. Food plays a starring role throughout the diary. From simple breakfasts to late‑night snacks, Singapore’s culinary scene becomes a thread that ties the whole trip together. Whether it’s a steaming bowl of noodles, a plate of satay, or a sweet treat from a local bakery, every meal becomes a moment worth remembering. Pinterest readers who love food, culture, and authentic travel moments will find plenty to enjoy here. Of course, no visit to Singapore is complete without exploring its world‑c lass attractions. One of the highlights of our trip was Gardens by the Bay, a futuristic wonderland where nature and architecture blend seamlessly. The towering Supertrees, the misty Cloud Forest, and the vibrant Flower Dome left us in awe. These spaces feel almost otherworldly, and the diary captures the sense of wonder that comes with wandering through them. We also spent time at Jurong Bird Park, a classic family favourite. With its colourful aviaries, interactive shows, and peaceful walking paths, it’s a place that brings out the childlike joy in everyone. The diary reflects on the nostalgia of returning to a spot visited in earlier years, while still discovering new experiences along the way. Another highlight was Sentosa, Singapore’s island playground. Whether relaxing on the beach, exploring attractions, or simply enjoying the views back toward the mainland, Sentosa added a fun, holiday‑style contrast to the more urban parts of the trip. It’s the kind of place that invites you to slow down, soak up the sun, and enjoy the moment. Throughout the diary, photography plays a central role. The page is filled with snapshots of daily life, city skylines, nature scenes, and family moments — all captured in the honest, personal KHWD style. These images help tell the story visually, making the diary perfect for Pinterest users who love travel inspiration boards, family memories, and real‑life adventures. This 2013 Singapore diary is more than a travel log — it’s a heartfelt look at a city that continues to evolve while still feeling familiar. It’s about family, culture, food, and the joy of returning to a place that always feels welcoming. If you’re dreaming of Singapore, planning a future trip, or simply love exploring the world through stories and photos, this diary offers a rich, colourful journey worth saving to your Pinterest travel boards. SINGAPORE, Jurong Bird Park and Gardens by the Bay,15-17 April 2013, after returning from Melaka Malaysia Post Malacca, Gardens by the Bay, Jurong Bird Park, Geylang Swimming, Singapore 15-17 Apr 2013, Gardens by the Bay, Jurong Bird Park (by 2022 part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve or as we used to call it "Singapore zoo"), covering amongst others 172 selective slideshow images, marina bay & Jurong east MRT stations, South African gardens, baobab & bottle trees, Flowers , trees and perfumes from World climate zones, The Cloud Rainforest, easter eggs, pollen café, marina bay sands hotel, Buddhist monks, Singapore flyer, Art & Science Museum, Geylang swimming pool, supermarket fun, multiple tropical flowers, Jurong, pool amphitheater, hornbills, toucans, Lorikeet loft & walkway, waterfalls, cloud forest with mist and ferns, trams, model railways, sunsets, Singapore at night, funnels at night, boardwalk by 2020 moved to singapore zoo area buddhist monk tourist 1/86 Monday April 15th 2013 Summary, Geylang. Phoenix went to work but Doug was off sick as he also had food poisoning and was ill during the night after our weekend away in Melaka. Annie did more laundry; in this humidity it is endless, indeed eventually (bit like Darwin in Australia) jour clothing just disintegrates. In the morning we stayed with Doug who looked poorly having been sick all night. He rang his work to tell them he was ill and would not be coming in today. Keef caught up with emails and backed up all our holiday photos for safe keeping. Would hate to lose them. Doug had a nap but still felt ill so went to the doctors for a sick note. Annie did laundry / ironing again. 2.30 p.m. we went to the Geylang pool for a swim, becoming regulars these days, know a few of the lifeguards. Doug rang at 4 p.m. to ask us to buy some eggs and bottled water from the supermarket on the way back. We met P at the supermarket as she had left work early to look after Doug. He had been sick again in the afternoon and when we got back to the flat with Phoenix he was stretched out on the sofa in the lounge. We think, like P, the food poisoning was either from the street kebabs and / or the shellfish in Melaka, but honestly who knows. Neither K nor A were ill, and we didn’t eat either of those two options. We had jacket potatoes, grapes and nuts for tea and D&P had steamed fish, rice and greens. He perked up a bit after that and looked much better. He said his body ached from being sick so often, understandably stretching your stomach muscles. We watched telly together, a Korean channel with a game show and then a programme like Dr Who but set in ancient Korea, very different but educational. Then we had showers, a great way to cool at the end of the day and then bed. Tuesday April 16th 2013 Summary, Geylang, Singapore, Gardens by the Bay Laundry and ironing initially for Annie, Keef made cheese cobs and we took apples for lunch. As Doug was recovered and they were both back at work today we took the MRT train from Aljunied station to Gardens by the Bay as Doug had kindly bought us tickets and a river cruise as our Xmas presents. We got a free shuttle car from the MRT station to the Ticket Office, how cool is that? We had our lunch sitting on a lovely long wooden tree bench under fans at the entrance. Most relaxing and enjoyable. We then went into one of the two huge glass domes that are Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. The flower gardens inside were laid out in different climate zones with trees and flowers from the countries in those parts of the world. Lovely flowers, loved the hibiscus trees in large pots , baobab trees, colourful Mediterranean flowers etc. Just so much to look at and admire, puts our limited gardening skills to shame, tee-hee but I guess we have less of a budget. They did not have any frangipani trees surprisingly. We loved the flowers and perfumes coming from every section. We then had coffee in the Pollen café, appropriately named, somewhat expensive in there but very nice and classy. We met a woman from Adelaide who now lives in Singapore and had done for 15 years. Quite interesting, the average salary was $1,500 per month but many people were on less around $800 per month so she said. Then we went into the second glass dome which was plants in rainforests and called the cloud forest. It had a fantastic indoor waterfall and lots of water and mist everywhere, orchids, bromeliads, quinine trees, mosses, ferns, busy lizzies etc. all very exotic. We got the lift to the top of the Cloud Forest and walked along the gantries suspended out of the central garden pillar to the ground floor, the walkways afforded such a close-up view and atmospheric experience. So worth going, will remember the experience forever. The whole thing looked like the Hanging Garden of Babylon. Back on the ground level we then watched on the big screen a video about climate change effecting the world habitat in the future. This was 2013, by 2022 COP 26 was finally doing something about it, do hope we as a world aren’t too late. We then visited the Marina Bay Sands hotel, a definite Singaporean icon. From the foyer of the hotel as it was now dark, we walked through to the Marina Bay mall for dinner in a pizza restaurant, it was very expensive but yummy. There are lots of designer shops in the mall, we watched a laser light show at 9.30 p.m. just outside by the Art & Science Museum on the bay. It lasted about 10 minutes and projected laser light streams onto MBS, very atmospheric. We then got the MRT back to Aljunied station and the flat and chatted to D&P about our day and how much we had enjoyed it. Doug had been to an Amazon works seminar all day. Wednesday April 17th 2013 Summary, Geylang, Singapore, Jurong Bird Park Annie did ironing and laundry 8.40-11.20 a.m. after a huge tropical storm had hit at 6.50 a.m. Thunder, lightning and sheet rain coming in onto the floor even though the flat is on the 10th floor. Doug had to shut all the windows to keep it out which increased the humidity inside 10-fold, however once it stopped and the windows were reopened, we really felt the benefit as it reduced the humidity and temperature dramatically, however as ever in Singapore that benefit didn’t last long, we are on the equator. We then went to Jurong Bird Park using the MRT to Jurong East station. We had to get a bus for a short trip from the train station to the bird park entrance. Arriving at 2.30 p.m. The weather was now full hot and humid again. We saw penguins, flamingoes, parrots, scarlet ibis, and lots of other tropical birds. We used the parks road train to get around the various sectors. We sat and watched one of the shows which featured a giant hornbill called Alfred, he was a massive bird but well trained. The show also featured a talking and singing cockatoo, parrots flying around the auditorium and flamingoes and pelicans, all very entertaining as well as colourful. We really enjoyed the show. The park closed at 6 p.m. so we left then and got a combination of the bus followed by the train back to the city centre. We then took the train to Clarke Quay so we could redo the river boat cruise but this time at night, which was very atmospheric. This was another part of our Christmas present from D&P. After a relaxing cruise and seeing all the lights we returned to the flat late evening, a lovely day. Jurong Bird Park & Singapore Travel Diary This three‑day Singapore travel diary (15–17 April 2013) captures a vivid slice of life in Geylang while exploring two of Singapore’s most iconic attractions: Gardens by the Bay and Jurong Bird Park. Blending family life, daily routines, tropical weather, and immersive sightseeing, the diary offers a rich, authentic look at Singapore beyond the typical tourist itinerary. It’s an ideal resource for travellers researching Singapore family holidays, Jurong Bird Park reviews, or Gardens by the Bay experiences. Life in Geylang: Heat, Humidity & Everyday Singapore The diary begins with a grounded look at daily life in Geylang, a neighbourhood known for its colourful streets, food culture, and lived‑in authenticity. Much of the first day revolves around caring for Doug, who is recovering from food poisoning after a weekend in Melaka. This slice‑of‑life detail adds realism and shows the slower, domestic side of long‑term travel in Singapore. Laundry, ironing, supermarket trips, and cooling off at the Geylang Swimming Pool paint a picture of what it’s like to stay in Singapore rather than simply pass through. The tropical humidity is a recurring theme — clothes take ages to dry, storms roll in dramatically, and the heat returns just as quickly as it disappears. These details help readers understand the climate challenges of travelling in equatorial Southeast Asia. Gardens by the Bay: A Full Day of Iconic Singapore On 16 April, the diary shifts into full sightseeing mode with a complete day at Gardens by the Bay, one of Singapore’s most famous attractions and a major SEO keyword for travel planners. The journey begins with an MRT ride from Aljunied to Marina Bay, followed by a free shuttle to the entrance — a useful detail for visitors researching how to get to Gardens by the Bay. The couple enjoy lunch under cooling fans before entering the two massive conservatories. Flower Dome Inside the Flower Dome, the diary highlights: Mediterranean gardens Baobab and bottle trees Hibiscus and tropical blooms Fragrant climate‑zone displays The narrative emphasises the scale, beauty, and immersive design of the dome — ideal for readers searching for Flower Dome reviews or what to expect at Gardens by the Bay. Cloud Forest The Cloud Forest is described as a standout experience, with: A towering indoor waterfall Mist‑filled walkways Orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and rainforest plants Elevated gantries offering dramatic views The diary compares the structure to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, reinforcing its visual impact. A climate‑change video exhibit adds educational depth, making this section valuable for eco‑travel and sustainability‑focused searches. Marina Bay Sands & Evening Activities After the conservatories, the couple visit Marina Bay Sands, explore the luxury mall, enjoy dinner, and watch the 9:30 p.m. laser show by the ArtScience Museum. These details support SEO queries like Marina Bay Sands evening activities, Singapore light shows, and what to do at Marina Bay at night. Jurong Bird Park: A Classic Singapore Wildlife Experience The diary’s final day (17 April) focuses on Jurong Bird Park, a beloved Singapore attraction that, by 2022, became part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. This section is rich with SEO‑friendly content for travellers researching Jurong Bird Park reviews, Jurong Bird Park shows, or how to get to Jurong Bird Park. After a dramatic early‑morning tropical storm, the couple take the MRT to Jurong East, then a short bus ride to the park entrance. The visit includes: Bird Exhibits Penguins Flamingos Parrots Scarlet ibis Lorikeets Tropical aviaries The diary highlights the park’s lush landscaping, waterfalls, and humid rainforest atmosphere — ideal for readers comparing Singapore’s wildlife attractions. Bird Shows A major highlight is the amphitheatre show featuring: Alfred the giant hornbill A singing cockatoo Free‑flying parrots Flamingos and pelicans These details help the page rank for Jurong Bird Park show times, hornbill show Singapore, and similar queries. Evening River Cruise After the park closes at 6 p.m., the couple head to Clarke Quay for a nighttime river cruise — another Christmas gift from family. The illuminated skyline, bridges, and waterfront architecture create a memorable end to the day and add SEO value for Singapore river cruise reviews and Clarke Quay at night. A Rich, Realistic Singapore Travel Snapshot Across these three days, the diary blends: Family life Local culture Iconic attractions Weather experiences Public transport tips Honest reflections This makes it a strong choice for anyone planning a Singapore itinerary , researching Jurong Bird Park , or exploring Gardens by the Bay . Little India 13 Singapore travel summary

Discover the full story behind the Big Trip 2017. These before‑and‑after travel calendars reveal how plans evolved into unforgettable reality across Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Perfect for travellers who love detail, inspiration and real-world adventure planning. A unique month‑by‑month window into six incredible months. CALENDARS INTRO We show both the before and after plans. Understandable they differ slightly for all manner of reasons, but mostly because the reality is whatever you plan you must ensure that you replan en route, there will always be something. BEFORE THE TRIP Pre trip, calendar of our adventures, i.e anticipation of where we are going and when, it was our combined plan for the travels JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 Flying to Singapore via Dubai leaving January 31st early in the morning. 2 days stay with Doug and family, maybe the 1* michelin street hawker food, then onto Perth, WA to have a good look around. Maybe a Swan river trip. Then its pick up the motorhomes at Great Eastern Highway and go off exploring. So much to see in WA - Wave Rocks, The Pinnacles, Dolphins at Monkey Mia.... can't wait! At the end of Feb we catch the Indian Pacific Railway, Gold Star Service. MARCH 2017 Having got off the train in Adelaide we will stay in acabin on the beach before flying up to Alice Springs and bathe in the famous Todd River. C&A are off to Uluru (Ayres Rock). We fly back after 3 days and pick up the motorhomes to explore amongst others the Great Ocean Road (GOR), koala's at Kennet River, wine in the Barossa Valley, the 12 apostles, whales at Warrnmbool, Sale, Mallacoota, Tathra, Eden and so much more. APRIL 2017 In the first week of April we will still be in Sydney, K&A in their apartment with pool in Beacon Hills and C&A off with Laura and Steve having fun. K&A visit John & Diana in Tasmania. We will then stay at the Kiwi Motel in Mangere, Auckland (did the NZ census here in 2013) overnight before jetting off for a relaxing week in the Raina Beach house on Rarotonga. On return its pick up the motorhomes in mangere and off to explore North island. MAY 2017 Mid may-ish we will leave north island and take the motorhomes across on the interisland ferry from wellington to picton, and see the fab queen charlotte sound. Captain Cook knew it well. Then its off to explore south island. Milford and no doubt(ful) sound plus dunedin and a whole lot more. At the end of the month we fly out of Christchurch together to Sydney where we say our good byes JUNE 2017 After Sydney C&A are flying off to Hong Kong for a few days before making their ways back to the UK. K&A will visit family for a few weeks in Singapore and then jet back home from Changi airport. SUMMARY Jan thru June 2017 There is a complete proposed schedule of our trip included in the slideshow Use the actual schedule and diary to see what the reality was during the journey, what's the line "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" - one Rabbie Burns Jan/Feb 17 before calendar Mar 17 before calendar Summary Jan-June 2017 Jan/Feb 17 before calendar 1/6 BEFORE THE TRIP Post trip, calendar of our adventures, i.e where we went and when #loved every moment of it, such lovely shared memories JAN-JUNE 2017 Note the only difference is that at the end Chris & Allyson flew to Hong Kong for a few days and we went to Singapore for a couple of weeks before returning to the UK. What is shown in this gallery is the complete booked flight schedule. Luckily no dates or times changed during our 6 months away, unlike in 2013 when our flight from Perth to Changi was bought forward by 3 hours meaning we almost missed it, the company alledgedly had no way to contact us to warn us "as if - internet was working!" ACTUAL CALENDAR FOR THE BIG TRIP 2017 Comparing what was planned against what we actually did, surprisingly there wasnt really that much difference in the schedule, maybe a few days here and there as we hadnt gone to that level of detail. It is worth reading Annie's diary in unison with these calendar views, if you would like to please click HERE OLD WEBSITE IMAGES History of what the old site pre 2020 looked like is preserved for prosperity, maybe 😉 We preserved some of the page images before removing old site pages in Aug 2021, they are recaptured here gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/10 Luckily this didn't happen 😉 flight details created and uploaded by KeefH Web Designs for the Travel Photography site flight tickets 1/3 CAMP SITES SLIDESHOW TIME! This is a pictorial history of all the campsites we stayed at our our Big Trip 2017 in both Australia and New Zealand in our hired Britz / Maui camper vans DISTANCES SLIDESHOW TIME! To recap we travelled in our hired motorhomes in both Australia and New Zealand on our 2017 Big Trip 9337 Miles or 15026 Kilometres, WOW! Distances travelled by Keef & Annie. NOTE Here are the distances we drove ourselves whilst on THE BIG TRIP, HOLIDAY 2017 which by implication as Chris & Allyson didn't go to Tasmania and did far more walking than us and drove the west coast of North island, New Zealand whilst we did the east coast means their total distance is likely to be some what less , but in reality probably not by that much. gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/5 WILDLIFE SLIDESHOW TIME! Wildlife spotted in Australia Western Australia Blue tongued skinks, Major Mitchell Cockatiel (white & pink feathers), emus, turtle, pelicans, eagles, goats, galahs, small frog, flock of white & yellow cockatoos, small lizard, green parakeets with yellow ring round neck – could be yellow ring lorikeets, alpacas of a farm, kangaroos, dead snake on road, budgies, quokkas, magpies, small black lizard 6-8” long, stick insects, dolphins, Australian sealions, 4 Ospreys, pelican colony, Little Blue Penguins, New Zealand fur seals. Northern Territory Lots of Aussie mammals, birds & reptiles in Desert Park, a wildlife park outside Alice Springs. Cockroaches in pavement in Alice at night. South Australia Corella parrots (white with lemon feathers under wings), large moorhens, stingray. Victoria Dead snake (brown) in middle of road. Koala crossing road, budgies, black rock wallaby, echidna, 4 koalas, wallaby, baby black snake, bandicoot, red & green parakeets, 2 Sulphur crested cockatoos, seal by a jetty, grey kangaroo at Hanging Rock, thin lizard, large group of grey kangaroos & 1 albino one, black swans, large 3ft stingray with orange spots on top & orange underneath, koalas, bellbirds, small lizard. New South Wales Kangaroos, rainbow lorikeets, stingrays, white cockatoos, small geckos, dead wombats by highway, wattle bird, heron, ibis birds, possum. Tasmania Dead Tasmanian Devils by roadsides, plovers & sandpipers, kookaburra, wallabies. Wildlife in Cook Islands (Rarotonga ) Plovers, sandpipers, small crabs, sea cucumbers, fish, geckos, black/brown birds. Wildlife spotted in New Zealand Green Praying Mantis, weka (bird), 3 kingfishers, eagle, dead possum, bush turkeys, black swans, large black eels, fantail birds, pet emus & small wallaby at campsite in Murchison, whales, rock wren, Kea alpine parrots, 2 dolphins, NZ fur seals, small albatross, white heron, grey herons, Little Blue & Yellow Eyed penguins, seals. gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/43

Discover real motorhome travel across Australia and New Zealand with photos, diaries, routes and highlights from a 4½‑month adventure around the Southern Hemisphere. The Big Long Haul Trip with Friends 2017 Travel Blog 🗺️ HOLIDAY 2017 — FULL ROUTE MAP (JAN → JUN) All locations in strict chronological order. 🇸🇬 SEGMENT 1 — SINGAPORE (31 Jan → 3 Feb) Heathrow → Dubai → Singapore (Marine Terrace) East Coast Park Parkway Parade Science/Arts Museum (Future World) Marina Bay Sands Eurasian Community Restaurant Din Tai Fung Changi Airport → Perth 🇦🇺 SEGMENT 2 — WESTERN AUSTRALIA (4 Feb → 14 Feb) Perth & Swan River Perth CBD Elizabeth Quay Swan River Cruise → Fremantle Kings Park & Botanic Gardens Indian Ocean Drive → Coral Coast Perth → Ledge Point Pinnacles Desert Cervantes (Thirsty Point) Jurien Bay Geraldton Northampton Shark Bay & Monkey Mia Billabong Roadhouse Overlander Roadhouse Denham Monkey Mia (2 nights) Little Lagoon Shell Beach Carnarvon & Gascoyne Region Carnarvon (Space & Technology Museum) One Mile Jetty Gascoyne River Return South Carnarvon → Port Denison Port Denison → Northam Northam → Merredin 🇦🇺 SEGMENT 3 — SOUTH AUSTRALIA, NORTHERN TERRITORY & VICTORIA (1 Mar → 14 Mar) Adelaide → Alice Springs → Adelaide Adelaide → Alice Springs Desert Park Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice → Adelaide (Glenelg) Barossa Valley → Adelaide Hills Glenelg → Tanunda Wolf Blass Winery Angaston Mengler Hill Lookout Jacob’s Creek Bethany Hahndorf Fleurieu Peninsula → Coorong → Limestone Coast McLaren Vale (Hardy Winery) Meadows Strathalbyn Langhorne Creek Milang Wellington Ferry Meningie Kingston SE (Big Lobster) Robe Mount Gambier → Victoria Mount Gambier (Blue Lake, Sinkhole) Northumberland Point Portland Cape Bridgewater Port Fairy Warrnambool Great Ocean Road → Melbourne Bay of Islands Bay of Martyrs The Grotto Loch Ard Gorge Twelve Apostles Princetown Cape Otway Apollo Bay Kennett River (koalas) Lorne Winchelsea Geelong Mount Macedon Hanging Rock Coburg (Melbourne) Melbourne CBD, Yarra River, Cricket Ground 🇦🇺 → 🇳🇿 → 🇨🇰 SEGMENT 4 — NSW, TASMANIA, COOK ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND (Mar → May) New South Wales (Sydney) Beacon Hill Wynyard → Central → Broadmeadow (Newcastle) Merryweather Heights Circular Quay → Manly Tasmania Sydney → Launceston Evandale Campbell Town Bicheno Swansea (base) 9 Mile Beach Spiky Bridge Spiky Beach Rocky Hill Lookout Freycinet National Park Tourville Lighthouse Coles Bay Triabunna Orford Raspins Spit Lake Leake Road Launceston → Sydney Cook Islands — Rarotonga Auckland → Rarotonga Titikaveka (Raina Beach House) Avarua Botanical Gardens Cultural Centre Arena New Zealand — North Island (May) Papamoa Beach Te Puke Whakatane Edgecumbe Lake Aniwhenua Murupara Broadlands Rotokawa Taupo Lake Taupo (free camp) Turangi Rangipo Desert Road Waiouru Ohakune Whakapapa Village Taihape Moawhango Ruahine Range Flaxmere Hastings (base) Te Mata Peak Ocean Beach Waimarama Bare Island Havelock North Kairakau Beach Waipukurau Porangahau Herbertville Wimbledon Ti Tree Point Weber Waione Pongaroa Alfredton Eketahuna Masterton Castlepoint Riversdale Beach Martinborough Lake Ferry Ngawi Featherston Tararua Range Wellington → Christchurch → Sydney → Singapore 🇸🇬 SEGMENT 5 — SINGAPORE & MALAYSIA (30 May → 14 Jun) Singapore (family stay) Desaru, Malaysia (weekend break) Return to Singapore End of trip SUMMARY Singapore Perth Ledge Point Geraldton Shark Bay Carnarvon Alice Springs Coober Pedy Flinders Ranges Adelaide Great Ocean Road Melbourne Sydney Hobart Cook Islands (Rarotonga) Auckland Queenstown Singapore Desaru Kuala Lumpur Singapore PLAY THE BIG TRIP HOLIDAY 2017, A TRAVEL BLOG WITH FRIENDS With our pals Chris & Allyson "If it moves snap it, if it doesn't.. snap it" 😉 OUR "THIRD HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME" HELLINGER TRAVEL RECORDs for 2013, Replicated by TRAVEL BLOG 168 Travel Blog fun. The Big Trip: In 2017 we explored Singapore, Australia , the Cook Isles & New Zealand with our dear friends Chris & Allyson. At the end of the trip Annie & I spent time in Singapore / Malaysia with our family and Chris & Allyson visited Hong Kong. A lot of planning and pre booking went into this adventure to ensure we had a great time. We flew to Singapore for a stop over of 2 days to break the journey down under. We visited East Coast Park and the wonderful Quentin's restuarant. We arrived in Perth a bit jet lagged but excited and cruised the Swan river to Freo and had a fab day in the Botanic gardens in Kings Park. After a few nights we picked up our Britz motorhomes and after a quick swim off the Indian Ocean Drive we initially explored Monkey Mia (sadly no dolphins due to inclement weather) then onto the tropics of Western Australia Geraldton, Northampton (gallahs and Allyson fear of the clientele 😉 and a spin in Apollo 11 at Carnarvon before doing the loop thru the Wheatbelt and Wave Rock back to Perth via Albany. Esperance and Kalgoolie at this time were off limits due to some massive rains which washed out essential roads. We then took the luxurious Indian Pacific Railway to Adelaide across the Nullabor Plain. After that its was a quick flight to Alice Springs where we visited the fab Desert Park , ate Roo (Camel was off 😉 ) at the Red Ochre Cafe , avoided the cockroaches and pondered the insoluble Aboriginal problem. Then it was back to Adelaide to pick up another motorhome to explore some of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) before ending in Sydney for time with families. K&A flew down to Launceston in Tassie to visit rellies before returning to Sydney. From here we touched down in Auckland briefly before spending a fab but somewhat wet and humid week of chillin' in the Cook Isles in the Pacific ocean on the main island of Rarotonga, snorkelling, BBQ-ing or whatever took our fancy, lager at the Rarotonga brewery. Mis planned lugagge allowances to Rarotonga meant a somewhat fraught early morning experience trying to retrieve K&As 3rd bag, but all OK in the end 😉. Then its was back to Auckland to pick up another pair of motorhomes to explore both North & South island of New Zealand, crossing between the two via the Interislander ferry. After much Boysenberry ice cream we returned to the UK via 2 weeks with family in Singapore and C&A 3 days in Hong Kong. Saw so much and had such a fun time shared with our pals. What an amazing journey - travel definately broadens the mind. Those lovely Quokkas NOTE: For the Big Trip All photos, videos and slideshow content on this site were taken by one of the 4 of us! A much more in depth appreciation of what we did and when can be gleaned from the diaries. I encourage you to use the dropdown menus to fully immerse yourselves in the Big Trip, we also have galleries by person as well as headlines by place visited whether country, island or state. HEADLINES < > 1/12 The Big Trip Overall GALLERY This Big Trip gallery covers Singapore, Australia (Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territories,Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania), The Cook Isles (Rarotonga), New Zealand (North & South Islands) & Malaysia (Desaru long weekend break with family) #TICK #TheBIGTRIP gallery of images for the Big Trip downunder 2017 created by KeefH Web Designs gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/41 Are you ready for the ultimate adventure with your friends? Picture this - cruising through the stunning landscapes of Australia and New Zealand, with your best buddies by your side, all packed in a comfortable motorhome. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it doesn't have to stay as a dream - it can become a reality! Gather your pals and get ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime, exploring the incredible wonders of these two beautiful countries. The first step to planning this epic adventure is finding the perfect motorhome to accommodate your group. Thankfully, with the convenience of modern technology, your search has been made remarkably easy. Head over to https://www.holiday2017.co.uk/ and discover the motorhomes we hired, they may suit your needs and preferences. With different sizes and models available, you can select the ideal one that provides both comfort and space for everyone. Try folk like Transport Holdings Ltd, they run Apollo, Britz, Maui etc. Once you have secured your stylish motorhome, it's time to hit the road and enjoy the breathtaking landscapes of Australia. From the iconic Great Barrier Reef to the spectacular Uluru, this vast continent offers countless natural wonders to explore. Imagine waking up in the morning to the sound of waves crashing on the golden beaches of the Sunshine Coast or enjoying a sunset picnic overlooking the scenic Great Ocean Road. With a motorhome, you have the freedom to go wherever your heart desires, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of Australia. After you have thoroughly enjoyed the wonders of Australia, it's time to hop across the Tasman Sea and experience the awe-inspiring landscapes of New Zealand. From stunning mountains and fjords to picturesque lakes and vibrant cities, New Zealand has it all. Start your journey in the charming city of Auckland and make your way down to the adventure capital, Queenstown. Along the way, you'll encounter breathtaking sights such as the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, the majestic Milford Sound, and the stunning Franz Josef Glacier. With a motorhome, you can take your time, soak in the stunning views, and create memories to last a lifetime. One of the greatest joys of travelling with pals in a motorhome is the sense of camaraderie and freedom it offers. You get to bond over long drives, share laughter at roadside picnics, and experience the thrill of discovering hidden gems together. Plus, with the convenience of having your accommodation on wheels, there's no need to worry about booking hotels or constantly unpacking and repacking your belongings. You'll have everything you need right there with you, making every day of your journey stress-free and enjoyable. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your friends, visit our website of 3 decades of travel, and start planning your unforgettable adventure across Australia and New Zealand. Get ready to create memories, witness stunning sights, and experience the joy of travelling with your closest pals. This journey will undoubtedly be the highlight of your friendship, so don't miss out on this incredible opportunity. Start your engines and let the adventure begin! For more information contact us anytime at KeefH Web Designs , you may even want a travel blog like this to record those adventures, you take the picture and videos and we will do the rest for you, how's that? Long Haul Holiday Travel in 2017, 4.5 Months Away, 31st January to 14th June Covers travel guides to Singapore, Australia, Cook Islands, New Zealand & Malaysia. Read the Travel Blog Diaries, Look at the Travel Blog Slideshows, See the You Tube Videos, Use the 2013 CHOICES MENU to Explore, This is our 4th long haul trip taken in 2017 (Downunder) and hopefully not our last! All the usual travel blog information can be found here. The Big Trip GALLERIES by Person - ANNIE more images in a gallery created and uploaded by created by KeefH Web Designs gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/36 The Big Trip GALLERIES by Person - KEEF images featuring Keef uploaded and created by KeefH Web Designs gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/31 The Big Trip GALLERIES by Person - CHRIS images of Chris uploaded and created by KeefH Web Designs gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/21 The Big Trip GALLERIES by Person - ALLYSON images of Allyson uploaded and created by KeefH Web Designs gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/22 Your Choices Calendars Singapore Campsites Australia Distances Cook Isles Wildlife New Zealand Travel Route Malaysia

Explore online holiday diary ideas and immerse yourself in our 2007–8 gap year journey through stunning destinations. Start today! Discover Inspiring Online Holiday Diary Ideas from Our 2007–8 Gap Year Adventure Explore and create your own online holiday diary ideas with inspiration from our 2007–8 gap year journey. Travel through picturesque locations like California, Fiji, and New Zealand, and let our tips and resources guide your storytelling. Begin your adventure today and craft memories to treasure forever! Step into our journey and explore unique online holiday diary ideas. Discover unforgettable experiences, tips, and resources to document your travels. Start your adventure today with our online holiday diary ideas! 🌍 2007 Travel Route Map (Up to 31 Dec 2007) USA → Fiji → Samoa → Tonga → New Zealand (North Island) 1) USA – California (26 Oct – 1 Nov 2007) Route sequence Los Angeles (arrival) San Jose (Delta 7772 to SJC) Morgan Hill (base) Monterey Carmel Big Sur (Highway 1) Santa Monica County Park Henry W. Coe State Park Leroy Anderson Lake Quicksilver Mercury Mine Cannery Row Rocky Creek Bridge San Francisco (Candlestick Park etc.) Return to LAX → onward flight to Fiji 🌴 2) Fiji – Viti Levu & Vanua Levu (2–13 Nov 2007) Route sequence Nadi (arrival on Viti Levu) Flight to Savusavu (Vanua Levu) Sewaka Beach Cottage (base) Savusavu town Hibiscus Highway Labasa (north Vanua Levu) Hot Springs Hotel (Savusavu) Jean‑Michel Cousteau Resort Urata Village Return to Savusavu Airport Flight Savusavu → Labasa → Nadi → Samoa 3) Western Samoa – Upolu & Savai’i (13–28 Nov 2007) Route sequence Upolu Apia (Princess Tui Inn → Insel Fehrman Hotel) Aggie Grey’s Hotel Apia town & harbour Ferry terminal (Mulifanua) Savai’i Ferry Upolu → Savai’i Savai’i Lagoon Resort (base) Alofaaga Blowholes Lava Fields Swimming with turtles Villages along the north & south coasts Return ferry Savai’i → Upolu Back on Upolu Outrigger Hotel Robert Louis Stevenson House Cross‑Island Road Beaches & coastal villages Faleolo Airport → flight to Tonga 4) Tonga – Tongatapu & Atata Island (28 Nov – 10 Dec 2007) Route sequence Nuku’alofa (arrival) International Dateline Hotel Tongatapu Island loop Houma Blowholes Atata Island Local villages, markets, harbours Royal Palace area Return to Nuku’alofa Airport → flight to Auckland 5) New Zealand – North Island (10–31 Dec 2007) (Covers only up to 31/12/2007 as requested) Auckland Region (10–16 Dec) Auckland (Remuera base) Newmarket Parnell Downtown Auckland Harbour Bridge Glenfield Sylvia Park Auckland Botanic Gardens Mission Bay / St Heliers / Kohimarama Devonport (via ferry) Herne Bay Sky Tower Ice Bar (Lenin’s) North of Auckland (16–25 Dec) Orewa Warkworth Snells Beach Sandspit Puhoi Dargaville Baylys Beach Waipoua Forest (giant kauri) Rawene → Kohukohu ferry Mangonui Coopers Beach Doubtless Bay Paihia Haruru Falls Waipu Cove Central North Island (27–31 Dec) Base: Golden Springs (between Rotorua & Taupo) Rotorua Wai‑O‑Tapu Thermal Wonderland Polynesian Spa Huka Falls Jet Prawn Park Lake Taupo Taupo town Turangi Tongariro National Park (volcanoes, Chateau Tongariro) Ends 31/12/2007 Taupo (New Year’s Eve at Finn McCoull’s) Return to Golden Springs 7 Route Visuals SUMMARY Los Angeles San Jose Morgan Hill Fiji (Nadi) Fiji (Robinson Crusoe Island) Fiji (Nadi return) Samoa (Apia) Samoa (Savai’i) Samoa (Apia return) Tonga (Nuku’alofa) Tonga (Fafa Island) Tonga (Nuku’alofa return) New Zealand — Auckland New Zealand — Whangarei New Zealand — Paihia New Zealand — Kerikeri New Zealand — Waipoua Forest New Zealand — Dargaville New Zealand — Hamilton New Zealand — Waitomo New Zealand — Rotorua New Zealand — Taupō New Zealand — Tongariro National Park 🌍 Travel Route for 2008 (Starting 1 January 2008) New Zealand → Australia → Singapore → Hong Kong → UK & Home New Zealand (North & South Islands) 1 Jan 2008 → mid‑Feb 2008 Auckland Coromandel Peninsula Whitianga Hot Water Beach Hahei Rotorua Taupō Napier Wellington Picton Nelson Abel Tasman National Park Greymouth Hokitika Franz Josef Glacier Fox Glacier Haast Wanaka Queenstown Te Anau Milford Sound Dunedin Oamaru Timaru Christchurch Kaikōura Blenheim Picton (return) Wellington (return) Auckland (return for onward flight) Australia mid‑Feb 2008 → March 2008 Sydney Manly Bondi Blue Mountains Katoomba Cairns Great Barrier Reef (cruise/reef trips) Kuranda Brisbane Gold Coast Surfers Paradise Byron Bay Coffs Harbour Port Macquarie Newcastle Sydney (return for onward flight) Singapore March 2008 Note in fairness in 2008 we were just passing thru Changi en route but all the following we have been to on our many trips to Singapore Orchard Road Clarke Quay Boat Quay Singapore River Chinatown Little India Sentosa Island Mount Faber Singapore Zoo / Night Safari Raffles Hotel Marina Bay (early development era) Hong Kong Late March 2008 → trip end Kowloon Tsim Sha Tsui Nathan Road Mong Kok Hong Kong Island Central District Victoria Peak Aberdeen Stanley Repulse Bay Lantau Island Po Lin Monastery Big Buddha Star Ferry Temple Street Night Market 8 Route Visuals SUMMARY Auckland Coromandel Whitianga Hot Water Beach Hahei Rotorua Taupō Napier Wellington Picton Nelson Abel Tasman Greymouth Hokitika Franz Josef Fox Glacier Haast Wanaka Queenstown Te Anau Milford Sound Dunedin Oamaru Timaru Christchurch Kaikōura Blenheim Wellington Auckland Sydney Blue Mountains Cairns Great Barrier Reef Brisbane Gold Coast Byron Bay Coffs Harbour Port Macquarie Newcastle Sydney Singapore Hong Kong Pre Trip Planning 01. 01. 01. 01. INTRO Words from our 2007-8 gap year trip were written before we left home , we constructed the old photo website, which we used on our travels to let people back home know what we were doing or possibly more importantly that we were still alive. A few pictures and details were added pre-travel to show what we expected and had planned to do. The reality as always was probably slightly different but the big picture in the plan we fundamentally achieved and we are very proud of that fact! (Note our original words written on our travels are in ITALICS ;) ) You will see them at the start of each page. They were culled from our old Graphicorps website. NOTES it was Polish railway workers who rented our house not as suggested by Belvoir! Austrians. Whilst we were away on our 2007-8 trip , we paid A$31 each for a 6 month Australian Visa. Post being there, Samoa has since swapped to the other side of the international date line, which makes travelling from Fiji to Samoa to Tonga, which we did a whole lot easier. “where did we lose that day?” Also whilst there our rip-off Samoan taxi driver told us they were looking at changing the side of the road they drive on, which would be a huge expense for a poor Pacific Island country, not sure they ever did! 02. 02. 02. 02. WORDS We leave on the 26/10/2007!!!! for our HOLIDAY 2007-8 trip, yippee! A few things as we prepare for our GREAT ADVENTURE. It has been interesting packing, getting lodgers (we now have a bunch of Austrian engineers) and generally booking the trip. In between we have been visiting / saying our goodbyes to various friends and relatives (you may be in the rogues gallery here!!!) we will miss you all but remember a year isn't that long and technology (one of Keef's favourite words) will keep us in touch. It just ain't like Vasco De Gama's day these days....Bon Voyage, and hopefully enjoy the site All overall feedback on this site should be directed to keefhwebdesigns@outlook.com and should cover only HOLIDAY 2007-8 Note: You can leave ratings against any photo, we would love to see them UPDATE in 2020 Sadly you can no longer do this technically for site HOLIDAY 2007-8, apologies 03. 03. 03. 03. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Our Outdoor Travel Blog for 2007 & 2008 GAP YEAR Travel Blog | HOLIDAY 2007-8 | KeefH Web Designs On the 31st July 2007, I had the opportunity to take early retirement and a redundancy package from my then employer, which afforded us the chance to travel and realize a lifelong dream of returning to Australia, the place of both our youths. We named this experience HOLIDAY 2007-8. While planning that HOLIDAY 2007-8 opportunity and packing up our property (we let it through an agency to Polish railway workers, which helped provide additional funding for our HOLIDAY 2007-8 adventures), I also focused on ensuring our website reflected the best travel website design standards to share our journey effectively. We decided to include stops in California, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and several Pacific islands, drawing inspiration from my love of rugby, especially the Fijian 7s rugby. Annie took early retirement too, and together we embarked on the first big adventure of a lifetime. Created for customer by KeefH Web Designs, a travel blog website that covers the holiday 2007-8. This site covers a gap year long holiday to America, California, the pacific islands, Fiji (both main islands), Western Samoa (both main islands, savaii and upolu), tonga (and 1 island , daydream resort), Australia, New Zealand (all 3 islands, north, south and stewart) and a break touchdown at changi airport, singapore. That is Holiday 2007-8 in a nutshell. Read on, see more of our exploits from our Holiday 2007-8. annie, close up, cable beach reflections of watsons bay 1/66 postcard to mum 180508 from broome postcard to mum 060508 from kalgoolie airmail letter from savusavu fiji page2 091107 postcard to mum 180508 from broome 1/18 near san jose california usa California USA keef at the sewaka platform Venua Levu, Fiji's second island Visit family, east coast australia 1995 Trip to Australia near san jose california usa California USA 1/20 oct 2007 calendar nov 2007 sept 2008 oct 2007 calendar 1/12 2007 and 2008 A Gap Year "Down Under" We visited California, USA, Pacific Islands...Fiji, Western Samoa & Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore & Hong Kong Family-Friendly Activities for Holidaying in 2007 and 2008 Creating Cherished Memories for Everyone When it comes to planning a family holiday, finding activities that cater to everyone's interests and create lasting memories can be a challenge. Thankfully, Holiday2007-8.co.uk offers a wide range of family-friendly activities that are sure to delight both children and adults alike. With a focus on creating cherished memories, this website is a go-to resource for families looking to make the most of their vacation. One of the highlights of Holiday2007-8.co.uk is its extensive selection of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for thrilling adventures or more relaxed outings, there is something for everyone. From hiking and biking trails to water sports and fishing, the website provides a comprehensive list of options to suit every family's preferences. With picturesque locations and breathtaking scenery, these activities offer the perfect backdrop for creating unforgettable memories. For families who prefer indoor entertainment, Holiday2007-8.co.uk has got you covered as well. The website features a wide range of family-friendly attractions, including zoos, museums, and amusement parks. With interactive exhibits and exciting rides, these venues provide endless fun for children while ensuring that parents can also enjoy their time. Whether it's learning about wildlife, exploring historical artifacts, or enjoying thrilling roller coasters, families are guaranteed an unforgettable experience. In addition to activities, Holiday2007-8.co.uk also offers valuable information on family-friendly accommodations and dining options. The website provides an extensive list of hotels, holiday cottages, and resorts that are known for their excellent facilities and services for families. From spacious rooms to on-site recreational activities, these accommodations go the extra mile to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable stay for all. Furthermore, the website also offers recommendations for family-friendly restaurants, ensuring that delicious meals are always within reach. What sets Holiday2007-8.co.uk apart is its emphasis on creating cherished memories. The website goes beyond providing a list of activities and attractions by suggesting ways to make the most of these experiences. It offers tips on capturing special moments through photography, journaling, and even creating personalized keepsakes. By encouraging families to document and reflect on their holiday adventures, the website helps create a treasure trove of memories that can be cherished for a lifetime. In conclusion, if you're seeking a family holiday filled with fun and memorable experiences, look no further than Holiday2007-8.co.uk. With its multitude of family-friendly activities, accommodations, and dining options, this website provides all the necessary resources for a successful vacation. From outdoor adventures to indoor entertainment, there is something for every member of the family to enjoy. So, why wait? Visit https://www.holiday2007-8.co.uk/ and start planning your next vacation, where unforgettable memories are waiting to be made. For more information contact us anytime via the KeefH Web Designs website GAP YEAR TRANSPORTATION : Below is the detailed summary of our round the world travels in 2007-8, where we travelled on trains, boats and planes and a whole lot more for 10½ months through America, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore & Hong Kong - starting and ending at Heathrow interestingly our Round The World (RTW) ticket said we started and arrived at Heathrow Terminal 1,but by the time we returned Heathrow had been reorganised and we came back to the now infamous Terminal 3 (T3 Tears as it is known in our family) PLAY To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. FULL TRIP DIARY The first 160 days Motorhome Travels Blog 162 Part 1 & the next 169 days Motorhome Travels Blog 162 Part 2 PART1 PART 2 2008 Diary

Step inside the 2017 holiday diary — a vivid, day‑by‑day journey packed with family moments, city discoveries, beach escapes and the small joys that make travel unforgettable. This page brings the year to life with honest notes, real experiences and a warm storytelling style that turns memories into inspiration for your next adventure. The Big Trip 2017 Diary 2017 Diary Images gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/14 DIARY OF OUR ADVENTURES Annie's overall Diary was from 31st January - 14 June Allyson also kept a diary of our trip What we did and when Diary Overview Diary Jan/Feb Diary March Diary April Diary May Diary June 17 Diary Choices OVERVIEW The diary entries written here were recorded by Annie each and every day (well almost 😉 ) for the whole of our BIG TRIP in 2017 away with our dear friends Chris & Allyson, covering singapore - family time on both the way out and the way back, australia - all states except queensland and australian capital territory, the wonderful cook islands (rarotonga the main island only), new zealand, both north and south island and desaru malaysia , a weekend trip away with family from singapore involving a ferry trip , coach ride and an exclusive hotel resort, sheer joy. The diary is structured by months over the 6 month period, just use the appropriate button above to go to that section of the diary, at the end of each you can use the return to the top to go to the next you wish to read or of course use the main menu structure, the choice is yours. We also have some diary picture for you to look at, click HERE or use the menu. There are many more slideshow of images and videos "the talkies" under each country. Enjoy, thanks for looking. This was our 4th trip downunder, if you want to peruse any of the others these BUTTONS will help you achieve that 😉 Diary 31st Jan-28th Feb Library Otago Peninsular, New Zealand Tuesday 31 January 2017 Left Keef’s mum at around 5am – still dark. Took hire car (Easi Rent) to Sheraton Skyline Hotel & dumped it off. Caught free hopper bus to Heathrow (one bus drove straight past the hotel without picking us up so had to get the next one). Met Chris & Allyson at Heathrow for our flight with Emirates to Singapore via Dubai. 9.10am departure. Very exciting & looking forward to our great adventure in the southern hemisphere. Had to change planes in Dubai. Wednesday 1 February Singapore We were met at Singapore airport by Doug at 8.30am which we were not expecting, so it was a nice surprise. Chris & Allyson took a hotel hopper bus to their hotel Grand Mercure Roxy, Marine Parade Road. We got a taxi with Doug back to their flat in Marine Terrace. Met up with Phoenix in their lovely spacious flat on the 18th floor which they had moved into last August. We went to collect Charlie from her local playgroup. So nice to see Doug & family again, although it had only been a few weeks since they were with us at Christmas/ New Year. We went out for lunch at Babelicious, East Coast Park & had Singapore chicken & rice. Then we went for a paddle in the sea nearby with Charlie and we all sat on the beach. Joined by Chris & Allyson who walked along East Coast Park from their hotel. They came back with us to the flat for a drink, although Charlie & Phoenix had returned earlier for an afternoon nap. Later in the evening we all met up with C & A at Din Tai Fung, a famous & popular Chinese dumpling/noodle restaurant chain in Parkway Parade shopping mall, opposite C & A’s hotel. Very tired – jet lag kicking in as did not get much sleep on the planes. Thursday 2 February Singapore Took Charlie to playgroup. After lunch in a food court near Marina Bay Sands Hotel that we all went to the Science/Arts Museum. Saw brilliant Future World art/light/techno installations which Charlie loved. Keef went to see the Escher art exhibition and Doug saw the Nasa exhibition. We all thoroughly enjoyed the Future World installations which was very hands-on and magical & we were in there for hours. C & A visited Gardens on the Bay which they really enjoyed. In the evening we all met up at the Eurasian Community restaurant which Doug & Phoenix had recommended. Had various curries which were very good. Charlie had not had her normal afternoon nap so very tired. We got a bus back to the flat & C & A returned to their hotel. Friday 3 February Singapore to Perth Doug had to go back to work today. He & family had just returned from a short trip to Vietnam with P’s parents on Monday 30 Jan. After Charlie’s playgroup (9.45-11.45am) we walked with Phoenix & Charlie to their local library, then had lunch in the indoor food court at Parkway Parade. Keef & I got the bus back to the flat whist Phoenix walked back so Charlie could fall asleep in the pushchair. Had afternoon nap for 1 hour as still jet-lagged. Big rainstorm. Then we took a bus & walked to meet up with C & A & Doug at the outdoor food hawker centre in east Coast Park. Doug had his cycle gear on & his 21 gear bike. Very nice BBQ chicken wings/thighs & duck satay sticks etc. Doug cycled back from the park to the flat 7 the rest of us got taxis. Re-packed bags & Doug ordered taxi for us to Changi airport. D & P looked after us so well & sad to say our goodbyes but at least we will visit them again for 2 weeks at the end of the trip in June. Charlie is so adorable- we love her so much (soppy grandparents!) Met with C & A at airport – our flight to Perth was at 11.40 pm. Saturday 4 February Perth Night flight to Perth, arrived at 4.47am – still dark & quite cool temperature. We got a large taxi to our hotel in central Perth. As it was too early to get into our rooms we changed into shorts & sandals in the staff toilet & left all our bags in the lock-up room behind reception. Walked from our hotel (Pensione Hotel, 70 Pier St) at 5.45am along to the city centre & down to the Swan River. The area by the bell tower had changed beyond recognition since 2008 when K & I had visited. The large grassy area next to the river had now been landscaped with paving, seating, plants, pergolas of bougainvillea, new bridges, Walked across the new footbridge to Elizabeth Quay & saw a replica of an old Dutch sailing ship. Perth looked so different now. City was very quiet apart from a few joggers & cyclists. Fab views of the Swan River across to the residential suburbs on the other side. Got tickets ($40 each/ £23.20) on Captain Cook Explorer cruise to Freemantle along the Swan River. Departed at 9.45am – weather very sunny, breezy & blue sky. Relaxing boat trip with commentary. Architect designed houses along shoreline – one house bought in 2009 for $57.5 million. Lots of sailing clubs & marinas along the river. Apparently there are more pleasure boats registered here than in any other Aussie city. Docked at Freemantle & had 1hr 15 mins to see the town. Walked around the streets – saw Victorian heritage buildings & Aussie pubs with wrought iron long balconies. Had lovely fish, chips & salad lunch in a local pub where we sat outside. We got the boat back at 12.45 to Perth. Allyson took photos of K & A as we cruised past the Freemantle passenger terminal where we emigrated & first landed in Australia in 1961 (Keef) & 1967 (Anne). We were migrant families & £10 Poms back then. Lovely relaxing river cruise back to Perth – lots of yachts, jet skiers – glorious sunshine – arrived 2pm & now very hot. We all returned to our hotel & had a 3 hour power nap as still jet lagged. Apparently for every hour flight time difference it takes a day to recover – i.e 8 hours difference = 8 days to recover! Dark at 7.30 pm. We all walked down to the Swan River again to see the city lights. The buildings had amazing LED coloured lights on each storey. By the quayside we saw a free Chinese new Year area with coloured LED large animal inflatables, LED red Chinese lanterns, lots of food stalls & a small exhibition about Chinese people who had come to Perth during the gold rush era + old photos of them. Had pizza & drinks in a bar near our hotel. We were lucky with the weather as we were told that Perth had the worst rain in 6 years over a couple of days. Allyson’s fitness watch said we had walked 7.4 miles today. Sunday 5 February Perth Sunny & hot day. Had breakfast in croissants & coffee café & sat outside. Went on free red CAT bus & stayed on for the whole loop around Perth, then got off at King’s Park to get high panoramic views of the Swan River & city. Temperature increased around 1.45-3.30 – very hot. We walked around the Botanic gardens – very well laid out in WA regions. Native plants included baob trees, banksias etc. C & A did a circular route which included a glass sided aerial bridge. Lovely views from the park & nice breezes. Saw a sign at entrance to a track down a slope which looked more like rough bush, which said ‘ Beware snakes seen in this area’. Rushed past & headed back to the visitor centre. Then we took the red bus back to the city centre & swapped onto the free blue bus route, which was not to interesting. Aching feet & tired so headed back to the hotel for a shower. Went out in the evening to a pub called The Lucky Shag Bar on the waterfront. Could see lights across the wide Swan River to the other bank (mainly residential area). K & A had chicken parmigiano, chips & salad – very nice. Walked back to the hotel – 10.30pm knackered. Monday 6 February Perth to Ledge Point, WA Had breakfast at the croissant/ coffee shop – lovely sunny day again. Then we checked out of the Pensione Hotel & took a taxi to Britz Motorhomes hire in Redcliffe, near the airport. Took a while to do the run-through of instructions for the motorhomes & admin. Our van is a Maui & C & A’s is a Britz. Both are 7 metres long panel vans with air con, fridge, hob, sink, shower & toilet, 2 person berth & automatic. Then we all set off towards a suburb of Perth which had a Coles supermarket & stocked up for the next few days on food & water supplies. Stopped off the highway to have a chicken sandwich made by Allyson. Headed north & joined the Indian Ocean Drive road towards Ledge Point where we stopped for the night. Ledge Point is a beautiful spot with lovely sandy beach & turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Stayed at a Big4 campsite $34 per site with a swimming pool. As we had joined the Big 4 in England (cost £25) we saved 10% on every campsite stay. All of us went for a swim & then I did a big load of washing for $4/ £2.48 & left it on the washing line overnight. Weather sunny but getting very windy. Keef cooked steak with salad, pasta salad & jacket potatoes. We were all quite tired having unpacked our bags & sorting out things in the motorhomes. Went to bed at 11pm. Tuesday 7 February Ledge Point to Geraldton Weather sunny but still windy. After shower, breakfast we set off from Ledge Point heading north along Highway 60. Keef & I had been on this coastal route as far as Geraldton in 2013. This time we could continue north on the Indian Ocean Drive as it was now a tarmac surface (previously a dirt coastal road) rather than returning to the main highway. We stopped at the Pinnacles, a national park which cost $12 entry for each couple. This was a large desert area inland from the coast with eroded rocks caused by wind erosion. Some of the rocks were 1 – 4 metres high. The wind was blowing the sand into our bare legs. We went in the visitor centre and then as we were walking back to the car park we saw a blue tongued skink (small lizard) crossing the path in front of us. It had 4 little legs and a fat body. We took some photos & video of it walking along very slowly until it went into some bushes. We drove along the coastal road to Cervantes, a small town & went to a car park with fabulous views of a white sandy beach & turquoise sea called Thirsty Point. Further along the road we stopped at Jurien Bay where there were nice houses & holiday homes. Arrived in Geraldton about 5.15 pm. This place is termed a city although it’s not as big as Nottingham. We booked into the Big 4 Sunset Beach campsite $35 a night & the lady who booked us in warned us that there was a Category 1 cyclone due in Shark bay/ Monkey Mia area that night. Also she said that the police had closed the road because of potential heavy rain & flooding. She strongly advised us to turn around & head back south. We were rather worried to hear about this as the road to Monkey Mia is a small road and the only route in. A cyclone is a tropical version of a hurricane with winds of 100kms an hour and heavy deluges of rain. The flat coastal roads can flood & be impassable for vehicles. We bought some tomatoes, red peppers & a rock melon for $5 from the campsite lady – bargain. Chris did a lovely BBQ with prawns on skewers & barramundi fish with salad & rice. We gad mango as well. Chatted to a very suntanned Dutch couple who were retired travellers in a small motorhome & they had returned from Monkey Mia. Noticed that the campsite had a solid fence all the way round it and the staff wore snake protectors up to their knees. The campsite had a pool but we didn’t swim. Went to bed at 11pm – very tired. Extremely windy – the van was being rocked & the sky looked black with clouds but no rain. Wednesday 8 February Geraldton to Northampton We finally got over our jet lag by sleeping 9 hours. Still very windy but sunny & blue skies. No sign of any cyclone yet. After breakfast we went shopping at an IGA supermarket & got some alcoholic beverages from the separate bottle shop next door. Supermarkets in Australia are not allowed to sell alcohol. We had problems with the key to our motorhome not locking the van properly from the begging of the trip & thought it was the battery in the key fob. Also we were supposed to get 2 key fobs for the motorhome but we only got 1 as the Britz staff said that the previous renters had lost it. Got diesel fuel, then headed back into Geraldton down the Great Northern Highway as the campsite was 6 kms north of Geraldton. Visited the old convict hospital & gaol & took photos, then drove through the centre of Geraldton which had a very long high street with shops. Visited tourist info centre to find out about the cyclone & state of the roads but the ladies there were not very helpful. Allyson bought a map of Australia to record the route taken. We walked along the seafront & saw the marina. Keef thought he saw a stingray in the water but it turned out to be a plastic bag – needs to go to Specsavers!. We visited the Western Australia museum (free) which featured local historical events such as the Australian Navy ship Sydney which was torpedoed in 1941 in WW2 by a German mine layer. Also the shocking story of the Batavia, a Dutch east India ship. In 1629 it was bound for Batavia (now called Jakarta, in Indonesia) to pick up spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves. It caught on a reef round an island off Geraldton and the 300 crew & passengers were shipwrecked. The captain and some crew rowed a small boat to Jakarta which took 33 days but the rest of the men & women endured a terrible time on the island with murder, rape & cannibalism- a gruesome story. The museum had the cannon, coins and a skull from the ship. K & I visited the police station to enquire about the cyclone & road closures. A nice lady on reception rang the police in the Shark Bay area and Carnarvon town. There were no signs of any cyclone so we decided to drive to Monkey Mia the next day. We set off up the North Western Highway through wheat farms and hills and stopped the night at a small campsite in Northampton $35. This town had Victorian architecture. The campsite was a private one & not as good as Big 4. There was no pool but the kitchen area & toilets/ showers were clean. Met up with girl backpackers from England in the kitchen. They were travelling around WA in a second hand car & had work permits. Also met a German lad who was a student at Sydney Technology University – all the young ones were very chatty & friendly. The gas camping stove on the kitchen worktop caught fire when the girls were cooking spaghetti Bolognese and we had to evacuate the area incase the gas canister exploded. The site manager said that the rubber tubing had a small hole which he replaced. Luckily no one was injured. Keef & I did chicken wings, breaded escalopes, salad & jacket potatoes + a bottle of white wine from Margaret River. Saw a large flock of pink/grey galahs which roosted on a tree near our vans & were very noisy at dusk. Still windy. Went to bed at 10.45pm. Thursday 9 February Northampton to Monkey Mia in Shark Bay When I was washing up breakfast dishes in the camp kitchen I nearly stepped back onto the resident pet parrot – a Major Mitchell cockatiel that was on the floor. The parrot was pink and white, very friendly & used to humans. Took some photos of heritage buildings in Northampton then we all set off for the World Heritage area of Monkey Mia reserve. Stopped off for a rest & drink at a red dust pull-off area next to the highway. Windy & loads of flies. Drove on to the Billabong Roadhouse for another break. Saw an emu at the side of the road- scrubby desert area with no trees just bushes. Stopped again at the Overlander Roadhouse then turned off the highway towards Denham and Shark Bay area. Started raining & heard on the radio that the road from Carnarvon to Port Headland further up the coast had been closed because of potential flash floods. Luckily the road to Monkey Mia was open & OK & the rain eased off. We stayed at the Monkey Mia Resort $78 for 2 nights per motorhome. On the edge of the beach you can see wild dolphins come right in close where they are fed fish. Apparently there are some baby dolphins around as well. Monkey Mia is world heritage status because of the 14,000 dugongs (aka manatees or sea cows) which frequent the bay to feed on sea grass. Pouring with rain when we checked in to reception which took a long time to get allocated some pitches with electric hook up. Forgot to mention that we all saw a second emu which was right next to the road – took lots of photos. We went to the bar for a drink & had a brief walk through the resort which is very small but has a shop, pool, restaurant & motel type accommodation. C & A cooked lamb steaks, sauté potatoes & salad which was very tasty & I cut up a mango. By 9.30 we were all feeling very tired – we had driven 320Kms approx. Rained most of the night. We decided to set our alarms for 7am to be ready for the dolphin encounter on the beach. Really looking forward to seeing them. Friday 10 February Monkey Mia 7.20 am walked down to the beach where the Park Wardens were & there were about 30 people. The dolphins usually come in around 7.45 for a fish feed but the weather was rainy, with stormy grey skies & still very strong winds. We all waited patiently on the beach until 8.30 am but no dolphins appeared. Very disappointing but that is nature. Saw a turtle near the jetty though. Had showers & then Keef did a bacon & egg roll for breakfast. Took our camp chairs down to the sandy beach with our Kindles to read. Still very windy & twice K & I had to duck into the restaurant/ lounge area because of sudden heavy rain showers. Eventually the grey clouds & rain disappeared & the sun came out, although the winds were still strong. The bad weather must have been due to the cyclone. Chris & Allyson joined us for the afternoon & we read our Kindles & relaxed. There were two emus wandering round the campsite which seemed used to humans. Lots of flies at this resort which were a pain but less so by the windy beach area. Thought the rooms, restaurant & bar were fairly basic & did not feel like a luxury resort. The resort is owned by RAC. Also the wet gritty sandy paths & roads made the motorhomes dirty & the washrooms all gritty on the floors. Afternoon was very pleasant although still very windy but warm. Had tea/ coffee in C & A’s van & then Keef & I did the evening meal. We had sausages, chicken thighs, lamb steaks leftover from yesterday carrots, sweet potatoes, creamed sweetcorn & rock melon. Also had some red wine called Yalumba from South Australia. Sunset was beautiful. Went for a walk on the beach in the dark & Chris pointed out Venus in the sky which was very bright. We returned to our vans & I wrote my diary & read my Kindle. Keef checked mail on our laptop. Tomorrow getting up early again to see dolphins. Saturday 11 February Monkey Mia to Carnarvon. Got up at 7am – went to beach 7.25 to see dolphins – none appeared. Hot & sunny today. Probably because the storm made the sea murky with weed and broken sea grass. The beach had lots of debris & piles of sea grass washed up. The dolphins did not come into the bay probably because with the poor visibility underwater they could not see any sharks. Gave up at 8.15 & went back for a shower & breakfast. Disappointing again. We left the site at 10am but parked in the car park outside & went back to the beach for another look. Other holidaymakers said still no sight of any dolphins. Left Monkey Mia & drove to Denham, the nearest town on the coast, after seeing the Little Lagoon which looked lovely with turquoise water. The lagoon links to Shark Bay with a narrow channel & is very salty seawater. We drove along Shark bay Heritage Drive & stopped at Shell Beach which had a vast area of compacted tiny cockle shells as small as a little finger nail. The white of the shells was so bright to look at in the bright sunshine. Back on the main highway we got diesel fuel & ice-cream at the Overlander Roadhouse and then turned left to head north to Carnarvon. Picked some bush melons up from the side of the road. Saw eagles, wild goats & cattle -including a dead cow. Low scrub vegetation on a sandy flat desert even though we were going near the coast. Stopped briefly at the next roadhouse before arriving in Carnarvon. We booked 2 pitches for 2 nights at the Big 4 Plantation campsite, situated near fruit (mangoes) & banana plantations. Carnarvon is a big fruit & veg growing area + fishing for prawns, crabs & lobsters. Did shopping at Woolworths in town, then drove along seafront & around town – a very sleepy place. We drove to One Mile Jetty which from 1897-1966 used to ship cattle & sheep out to ships. The pier was no longer used & looked dilapidated. Lots of rusty machinery, wooden wagons & a lighthouse keepers cottage. Returned to the campsite & Chris & Allyson did BBQ burgers in buns, salad, leftover sausages & rock melon – very nice. Keef & I looked at the map & saw we only had 13 days left to tour WA & there was still so much to see. Went to bed at 10.15 – really tired – Keef did 355 kms today. Forgot to mention that on our way back to the campsite a policeman stood in the road & asked us to pull over for a random breathalyser test. Chris was asked to pull over as well. We had only drunk water all day so passed the test. Sunday 12 February Carnarvon Didn’t wake up until 8am. Had shower & relaxed breakfast. I did the washing ($5) & hung it out as boiling hot today. I chatted to the campsite manager’s wife in the laundry & she said it was going to be 31-33c today. She told me that Kalgoorlie had been flooded because of the heavy rains – I was surprised as this town in the outback WA was normally very dry and dusty. This was bad news as we were aiming to do a circular route via Kalgoorlie, Norseman, Esperance, Albany, Margaret River & back to Perth. We drove to the Space & Technology Museum ($10 per adult) and C & A wanted to walk there. The volunteer lady at the till in the museum said that Ravensthorpe (between Esperance & Albany) had a collapsed road due to flash flooding. She showed us a photo on her phone – not good news either. There is only one road through Ravensthorpe and as we need to take this route later on in our trip we may have to divert. The Space & Technology Museum was brilliant – it showed the important role that the satellite tracking station had played in assisting NASA in many space voyages including Apollo 11 when the moon landing occurred. 180 people worked at the tracking station from 1964-1975, which was one of many trackers worldwide. Carnarvon helped process data & tracked the speed & position of spacecraft & fed this back to NASA. Now the Australian government are using the tracker at Perth to assist with Wi-Fi through a satellite in space so that outback people get free Wi-Fi. Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11 mission & actually landed on the moon) opened the museum. He is now 85 & is doing a world tour speaking about his time with NASA & the moon landing. I was 15 & living at French's Forest, Sydney when I watched the moon landing live on a TV set up in the school hall. Keef was in Clapham, London , Chris was on holiday with his family at Butlins & Allyson was 10. The museum showed the first ever TV satellite broadcast between Carnarvon & London when families could see & talk to one another for the first time on either side of the world. We went into a replica of the Apollo 11 command module where Michael Collins, Buzz (Edwin) Aldrin & Neil Armstrong all sat in cramped conditions with their spacesuits attached to the rocket below them on the launch pad. The space was very small in the module & we heard the actual recording of the countdown to take-off & communications between the astronauts & Houston control centre. We watched a series of short films in a small theatre about space exploration & missions to the moon & the part that Carnarvon played. Had a free mug of tea at the end of our visit. The two staff were very friendly & chatty. We all thought this was an excellent museum. Outside was saw the huge satellite dish. Keef & I then drove to the IGA supermarket to buy some chicken & a mango. We drove along the fruit plantations seeing, bananas, mango & peach tree. Saw the Gascoigne River with muddy water – it had been dry for 3 years but was full after the recent heavy rains. This river is normally the largest in Western Australia. Luckily the banks hadn’t flooded & we took photos from the concrete road bridge. Returned to the campsite & Chris, Keef & I went for swim in the pool as it was such a hot day. We saved a small frog from the swimming pool by scooping him out. Had another shower. Keef & I did dinner – BBQ chicken, salad, jacket & sweet potatoes & fried onions. We sat outside to eat & got bitten by mosquitoes. Looked at lots of stars in the clear sky. Monday 13 February Carnarvon to Port Denison Got up at 7am as a long road trip today from Carnarvon to Dongara/Port Denison. Keef & I called in at a shop in the town to buy a container of blue liquid for the motorhome toilet $20. Left Carnarvon at 9.30am. 28c & a few clouds in the sky. We stopped at 2 roadhouses on the way down & kept to Highway 1 & the Brand Highway. C & A bought me a Magnum icecream – lovely. Stopped for lunch at the Billabong Roadhouse – now very hot. Stopped again at Northampton for a quick break. Allyson said she drove over a large lizard which ran out in front of their motorhome. We saw a small lizard cross the road in front of us. Quite a lot of cows & goats grazing near the road. We went to the town dump station at Dongara/ Port Denison as the Big 4 booklet did not say there was one at the campsite. We arrived at 4.30pm at the campsite in Port Denison. Keef & I remembered we had been to this town before in our travels in WA & had a picnic lunch by the shore. Had showers, then we all walked along the seafront to a restaurant/ bar called Southerlys. I had a chicken & bacon burger, Keef had King Red Emperor fish & chips with garlic prawns, Chris had calamari & chips & Allyson had a lamb burger & chips. The waitress who served us used to live in Guildford, Surrey as a child, then emigrated with her mother. The sunset was pretty with the boats in the marina in the foreground. Walked back to the campsite. A long day but pleased we had travelled so far south – we did 570kms/ 360 miles. Sent an e-mail to Brian & Gina. Very tired. Tuesday, 14 February Port Denison to Northam After breakfast we chatted to the campsite handyman/ gardener & he advised us that the road on either side of Esperance had closed due to flooding & the road had collapsed. We looked at the map & decided to change our route – i.e to avoid Kalgoorlie, Norseman, Esperance part of the loop & just do Wave Rock & hope to take road south to Albany & then turn west along the coast back to Perth. Two people had drowned in the floods (one man trapped in his car in a raging river). We set our target to camp at Northam & took the Brand Highway south, passing banksias bushes at the roadside, mulga scrub & sand. Saw a large kangaroo dead on the road with eagles on top & also a small wallaby. Travelled through the wheat belt- farms where wheat had already been harvested. Now & again there was uncultivated land – scrub & later on bush with eucalyptus trees. Went through Moora (small town)- the town council office had roses, green lawn & bedding plants – looked strange against the rest of the Aussie terrain. The road out of Moora had been flooded during the recent heavy rain but was now clear. Lots of farms, some with sheep, cows & some Brahma cows & alpacas. Saw men repairing railway line track. We stopped for a late lunch around 3pm at the side of the road. Arrived in Northam at 5pm having seen the flooded Avon River close to the highway. The road at the bottom of the hill in the town was flooded & closed so we took the detour. The Avon River in Northam was very wide with a fast flowing current – very muddy looking water & there was a weir on the river. I called in at the tourist info office to ask about campsites as there was no Big 4 here, but it was closed. Allyson used the internet on her phone to find out the nearest campsite in town - $33 per pitch. At the campsite the river was close to our pitches but down a gradual slope. At the height of the floods it covered the camp kitchen floor, so the kitchen was out of order. Saw some lovely green & yellow parakeets in a tree near our pitches. I tried to lure them to my hand with some pieces of rock melon but they were more interested in the tree seeds. Took some photos of the birds. For dinner we had tuna & salad wraps with corn on the cob. Keef got splashed with some boiling water on his hand but luckily not burnt. Lots of stars out tonight – Chris was very knowledgeable about them & could identify the brightest ones. He pointed out the Milky Way which was clearly visible – had not seen this before. He & Keef saw a shooting star but I missed it as I was swatting a mosquito away. Forgot to mention Allyson did a quick Skype with Alistair this morning & we all said hi. We were having breakfast & it was 1.15 am for him in Brighton where he was at university. Allyson’s mum said it was 44c in Sydney & there were some bushfires in north NSW. Also most of the pilot whales stranded at Farewell Spit at the very top of North Island, NZ had been rescued. They had been rescued & taken out to see by volunteers & local people – over 400 pilot whales had been stranded on the long beach at Farewell Spit. TO BE CONTINUED JAN-FEB DIARY CONTINUED Wednesday 15 February Northam to Karlgarin (wheat belt area) Went to Coles in Northam to do food shopping (we do split bill) then set off on the Great Eastern Highway to Merredin. The road follows the large water pipeline that is above ground and services Kalgoorlie & the Indian Pacific railway track. K & I had been to Merredin before – a small town with 1913-1920 buildings, railway station & theatre. Chris bought some pies from a bakery for lunch which we ate sitting outside the tourist info building. Allyson went inside to get some brochures on Wave Rock. Lots of wheat farms, sheep & cows on huge fields. The wheat was cut just prior to Christmas so only stubble left in the fields. After Merredin saw lots of flooded fields & some mulga scrub areas under water. We took some country roads towards Wave Rock. Not far from Hyden the road was completely awash with water & floodwater on either side. Whilst we paused to consider our options, a road train shot past us sending up spray on either side. We paused wondering what was the best/safest thing to do – we could have turned back (K & I had visited Wave Rock last time we were in WA). Chris decided to proceed across in their van & managed to get to the other side of the flood. Keef & I followed slowly – it was quite scary as if water had got into the engine & exhaust then the van would have stopped. We got across & then took some photos. The small township of Hyden was about ½ mile down the road. We followed the road signs to Wave Rock & arrived just after 5pm. The temperature had cooled (it had been 36c in Merredin at 2.30pm) & it was now quite pleasant with a breeze. We parked in the car park & noticed that additional toilets had now been built + a caravan park. Took the path to Wave Rock – a spectacular granite rock which had weathered & looked like a huge wave with mineral deposits causing ochre, grey & black streaks down the sloped rock face. We followed the path round (I had my snake boots on) & read the interpretive signs – the rock was 2.7 billion years old and was only discovered in Victorian times, although the Aboriginal people would have probably known about it. We went up some steps & walked along the top of the rock – very uneven & craggy surface with a few boulders on top. Difficult to walk on. Time was creeping on & we didn’t want to go down the very steep incline at the other end so decided to walk back to the steps. By now it was 6.45pm & it gets dark at 7.30 so we zoomed off to get to the campsite at Karlgarin 21 kms away. We got there at dusk. The reception, amenities & kitchen all looked 5* & brand new. It was situated on a family wheat farm but the family had decided to sell up because of the adult sons had cancer. The farm had been in the same family for 95 years. The mother & other son were friendly & chatty when we checked in. $30 for 1 night per pitch with electric hook-up. They said they would show us round their museum of old gramophones & Arnotts biscuit tins in the morning. We didn’t take them up on their offer as sounded a bit boring. The son wore a Stetson hat & looked like a cowboy. We had cold roast chicken & salad for dinner. Thursday 16 February Karlgarin - Kojonup The population of Karlgarin was only 50. Whilst we were having breakfast sitting on a picnic bench outside the kitchen we chatted to the cleaning lady. She said that Hyden had been flooded a bit & people had got out their kayaks for a paddle – obviously an unusual occurrence in the outback. Apart from the cleaning job she also was the local postwoman. She told us that the wineries in the Swan valley in Perth were underwater & the vines were ruined. She & her husband had run the village shop & post office in Hyden but a willy willy (Aussie term for small tornado) had destroyed it & put them out of business. She also talked about yabbies (Aussie term for a type of crayfish) which she said were delicious. As we left the campsite we saw some old rusted farm machinery and an old Ford car on the farm. Set off down country roads at 10.30am having liaised with the campsite lady about a route that avoided flooded roads. Along the road we saw many blue tongued skinks at the side of the road. Also saw a dead snake which we photographed (it was a light tan colour). The journey took us a long time & we passed small floods on either side of the road but the road was clear. We were still in the wheat belt – vast fields but saw no kangaroos. Saw a few budgies fly across the road in front of us. We stopped for lunch at Dumbleyung, a small village with an interesting pub with a wrought iron balcony along the front (Victorian). Dumbleyung (sounds like something from Harry Potter books) is famous for Donald Campbell completing the world water speed record on the local lake in 1964 in his speedboat Bluebird. He had also set a land speed world record in Bluebird on Lake Eyre in South Australia. There was a replica of the Bluebird & information boards on the main street. Quite a claim to fame for such a small farming community. We continued our journey through country roads & wheat farming areas to join the Albany Highway at Kojanup. Stayed at a very grotty campsite in town which was mainly permanent people staying in old clapped caravans & buses. The amenities were old fashioned & not very good at all – we were charged $30 for this dump. This was the same price as the lovely 5* site the night before. Chris & Allyson cooked ratatouille with bruschetta & I cut up a mango. We take it in turns to cook & the others wash up. Before it got dark we saw some green parakeets in the nearby trees. Forgot to mention that the road leading to Kulin had tin sculptures of horses placed in the fields by creative farmers & their families. Very quirky. The road was re-named the Tin Horse Highway & is listed as a tourist attraction now. Some of the sculptures were quite humorous & had a sense of fun. Took some photos. Went to bed at 10.30pm (I had woken up at 6am) so very tired. Friday 17 February Kojonup to Albany We drove down the Albany Highway & stopped at Mount barker tourist information centre. This was a fairly large town with views of the Stirling Ranges. The guy in the tourist info was very helpful & suggested a tourist road to Porongurup National park where there was a walk to Castle Rock called the CR Skyway. This rock is a granite cliff with lots of huge boulders. There is a track through the bush up a steep hill & then you have to scramble over small boulders & then climb a metal ladder to get to the top to see the views. C & A did the whole thing but we gave up halfway up the steep path because of a) possible snakes b) K’s was in pain with his knee ( I kept hearing rustling in the bush next to the track which made me nervous). We decided to return to our motorhome for a rest. We got out our chairs & read our Kindles. When C & A returned we had an icecream as it was so hot today. They said that the last bit of the hike involved a difficult clamber over & up the boulders & they showed us their photos of the views. We then continued on the tourist road which joined the main highway to Albany. We re-fueled on the outskirts, then went to Woollies for food supplies including fresh strawberries @ 60p a punnet – very cheap. Carried on driving down York Street (main shops) downhill to a replica sailing ship called the Amity on the grass in front of the bay. We walked the gangplank aboard & took some photos. A British ship with soldiers & convicts landed here in the Amity to start a new colony as it was a safe harbour for ships. Then we drove to Middleton Beach Big 4 campsite over the steep hill where there were stunning views of the ocean and rocky islands. K & C booked us in at reception but because it was Friday evening the campsite was packed. As we wanted to stay 2 nights we were allowed to share a large pitch with grass, concrete hard-standing plus a private bathroom with loo, shower & sink which we each had keys for. The walkway to the beach was right next to our pitch. There was also a lovely BBQ area for everyone to use with nice wooden table & chairs & stainless steel sink & worktops. C & A cooked barramundi fish on the BBQ with vegetables & white wine. Saturday 18 February Middleton Beach I did some laundry $5. Keef cooked bacon & egg butties on the BBQ for breakfast. Then we all went down to the beach for a couple of hours – very sunny but also windy. Keef & I went in the sea up to our waists but only within the shark netted area. When K & I had last been at Middleton Beach the authorities had closed the beach because of a shark attack on a man swimming early in the morning & they were trying to usher two Great White sharks out of the bay using boats. We never knew the end of the story apart from the fact that a woman surf life saver was kayaking and she saved the man. I found out from the lady on reception that the man who was a teacher had survived thanks to the woman who was very brave. Due to the strong winds there was a lot of sea grass washed up on the beach. We had an icecream & sandwich back at our vans, then later in the afternoon we went for a swim in the campsite pool. Keef cooked pasta bolognese. Played Trivial Pursuit game borrowed from the campsite. Sunday 19 February Albany to Northcliffe Left campsite at 10.20am & took scenic road back to Albany. We stopped at the viewing point at the top of the hill to take photos of Middleton Beach & the bay. We had a quick walk around the old part of Albany near the tourist info centre (late Victorian buildings). Went to the under cover Sunday market (bric-a-brac). Bought a pack of cards. Drove along highway westwards & stopped for a break at Denmark, a small town with houses & a few shops along the road. The tourist info confirmed to me that there was a tarmac road out to Elephant Rocks. Drove to Elephant Rocks (yes the granite rocks did look like elephants) & Green’s Pool nearby where many locals were swimming. Being a hot day and a Sunday there were lots of people there. Turquoise sea & blue sky. At Elephant Rocks some people were climbing onto the boulders from the sea. Someone told Allyson that a man had been washed off a boulder by a freak wave & was never seen again. Drove along to Parry’s Beach where we had lunch on a picnic bench. Saw an old hippie guy in a converted lorry which he had made into a camper van. Some of the locals in 4WD cars drove along the small beach but no surf today. We stopped at the Valley of the Giants, a treetop walkway among the canopy of tingle trees 75m tall. Then we did the ground level boardwalk & were surprised to see a quokka on the path right in front of us. Took lots of photos of the quokka placidly chomping on some grasses – cute. Then we carried on towards Northcliffe. A large grey kangaroo hopped across the road in front of our motorhome – our first sighting of a roo on this trip Then saw about 6 roos in fields at the side of the road as it was nearing dusk when they come out to feed. We stayed the night at the Round-to-it eco campsite $30 which was a couple of kms out of the small township. K & I remembered this campsite from 10 years ago as having wild roos visiting at dusk & early morning for food. The owner guy was quite terse & there were 2 roos in the clearing in front of his house (took photos). He said he fed the roos at 6.30am before he went to work. He was a carpenter working on a local new build home. Keef & I did tuna wraps, salad & corn on the cob. Monday 20 February Northcliffe to Cowaramup Got up at 6am & saw 2 kangaroos, including a joey in the mother’s pouch. The campsite owner came to feed the roos & 2 green parakeets also ate some of the food, which was muesli. The 3 kangaroos had been hand reared by him & had names. After breakfast we set off & stopped at Pemberton to get some bread & pies from a bakery. This small town had a few shops, a working tram track for tourists & some pretty roses & flowers. Then our sat nav system took us the wrong way out of town. Keef realised we were going the wrong way. Found a secondary road back to town – the detour took us past some nice rural scenery & a winery. Drove on to Augustas, a large town where we stopped for fuel. Visited a bottle-shop to look at wine prices prior to visiting the Margaret River wine region. Wine cost $23-24 – not cheap. Went through the town to Cape Leeuwin lighthouse in the national park. K & I had visited the lighthouse before but now you could not access the lighthouse & had to pay $20 to go through the visitors centre. We did not go in. Had pies & tea for lunch. Allyson saw a blue tongued skink in the bushes by the car park. Went to Margaret River – very busy as the schools were out & the tourist info I went in was packed. I picked up a map which had 82 wineries listed. The town was basically one street of shops with some residential streets behind. Decided to visit the cellar door of Cape Mentelle winery as Allyson said a friend of hers knew it. We saw the vines were overloaded with red grapes. When we went in the woman behind the counter was ‘supercilious’ & walked off when I said we wanted to sample some wines. We did not like her attitude. She offered Allyson & I complimentary wines – a white wine, a Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was expensive but OK, I was not keen on the white wine. Allyson decided to buy the Shiraz which was very good. Keef asked about a photo on the wall of a man & the woman serving us said “that’s David of course”. We hadn’t a clue who David was so asked & apparently he was the original vineyard owner but he had sold out to a French wine company. The vineyard was started in 1994 & was one of the oldest wineries in Margaret River. One wine on sale cost $600. I noticed that they had not won any awards in Australia or abroad for their wine. The sales lady said they were closing at 5pm along with the majority of other cellar doors. She told us that Lenton Brae winery closed at 6pm. We drove to Lenton Brae winery which was a few kms north of Margaret River. All of the wineries were situated quite close to the sea, which was surprising with strong salt-laden winds from the Indian Ocean. At this winery we rang the bell on reception desk & eventually an old lady appeared. She told us she had set up the vineyard with her husband, who had been an architect in Perth. He died a couple of years ago but her son operates the wine business now. Keef & I bought a Cabanet Merlot for $22 & the old lady was quite chatty but a little deaf. She then gave us a guided tour of the barrels & fermentation process. She asked us where we came from & when K & I said Nottingham she was amazed as her husband’s family had emigrated from Lenton, Nottingham. Their name was Tomlinson. We said we would photo the house in Nottingham & send it to her when we got back to England. It was now about 6.20pm & dusk was imminent so we drove to the Big 4 campsite at Cowaramup. This small town had a strange fixation with lifesize black & white cows which were everywhere. The campsite was next to a highway on a sheep & cattle farm. Had burgers for dinner. Tuesday 21 February Cowaramup to Bunbury Keef asked the campsite lady to phone & reserve 2 pitches for the Freemantle Big 4 campsite, which she said she would do (but later found out that she hadn’t). We called in at the Cheeky Monkey brewery nearby & bought some beers. Then we drove to Busselton & did the walk to the end of the famous extremely long pier. It was 2.9 miles return in very strong winds, but not cold. Did not see any sharks or dolphins – quite cloudy as well. There is a small train which takes tourists along the pier. We had lunch in the van & cup of tea. Drove on to a shopping mall on the outskirts of Bunbury & went to Coles for food supplies. We arrived at the Big $ campsite at Koombana Bay near Bunbury around 4.30pm. Had a mug of tea & then we all walked down to the beach to see if any dolphins were coming in to the bay. Stayed for 1¼ hours but disappointed as did not see one dolphin. Chris cooked sausages on the campsite BBQ. The camp kitchen looked brand new & was very clean. Quite a cold wind tonight. We received an email from Kacky to say that K’s mum had turned her car over on its side on Hook Road & firemen had to get her out through the boot. Luckily she was OK apart from a few cuts on her hand. Wednesday 22 February Bunbury We moved pitches on the site to get further way from the busy road. I did some laundry $4. We all went for a walk along a boardwalk above some mangrove swamps. It was at the back of the campsite & was part of a sea inlet/lagoon. There were information boards about the mangroves & the part they played in the coastal eco system. Saw a few little fish in the water but no crabs. Saw lovely tropical shrubs at the outer perimeter of the campsite. Walked along the path to get a better view of the lagoon & boats moored across the water. Chris & Allyson continued their walk & we returned to our van for a tea & apple for lunch. I took in the washing which was dry. Weather was warm & it got sunnier in the afternoon. Keef & I went & sat by the pool & read our Kindles. Keef swam 16 lengths in the pool. Chris & Allyson returned & said they had gone up a look-out tower & walked along the harbour front & saw a dolphin in the bay. Chris & Keef went for another swim. For dinner C & A did BBQ barramundi fish fillets with lemon, rice, green beans & carrots. Played cards – Rummy until 10pm. A warm evening compared to last night. Thursday 23 Frebruary Bunbury to Freemantle A hot day with bright blue sky.We set off along Highway 1 towards Freemantle & stopped at Mandurah by the Indian Ocean. It’s classed as a city & has lots of housing estates. Very dry grass along highway so obviously did not have the recent heavy rain that affected Perth. Noticed that there was a lot of urban growth along this coast south of Perth & there was a new railway line to Perth. Headed to the coast to visit Penguin Island which is a short ferry trip across. We paid $39 each for the ferry, a glass bottomed boat cruise & the Penguin Discovery centre on Penguin Island. The boat cruise had an informative commentary about dolphins. We saw seven dolphins by a reef as they were hunting fish. Then the boat took us to see huge Australian sealions basking on a beach of a nearby island. There was also a large pelican nesting site near the sealions. We sailed past 2 ospreys which were nesting on top of an island of craggy rock. The boat returned to the jetty on Penguin Island & we went along the jetty to the Penguin Discovery Centre. Penguins live & breed on this island (about 1200 of them) but during the day they are out at sea catching fish. We saw 10 penguins in a small man-made indoor pool & a park warden fed them small fish & gave a talk about them They were called Little Penguins (or Blue Penguins in New Zealand) & had all been injured at some point so were being cared for by the wardens. The penguins were about 12” tall & were very cute. After the 2.30pm penguin feeding which took 25 minutes we returned to the wooden jetty & caught the ferry back to the mainland. Then we set off for the Big 4 campsite at Munster, about 10kms south of Freemantle. We passed a heavy industrial area & port on route. This campsite we had not been to before. Decided to get up early tomorrow to go to Rottnest Island. Friday 24 February Rottnest Island Drove into Freemantle docks & booked the 10am Rottnest Island boat trip. Keef & I wanted to do the coach trip again (in the past when we visited we had forgotten the memory card for the digital camera so could not take any photos) & C & A hired bikes for the island. Very very hot today. Rottnest Island is 18 kms/ 11 miles from Freemantle & the boat trip took 40 mins. Chris & Allyson got their hire bikes on the jetty + cycle helmets & they were aiming to cycle round the island on the tarmac roads. K & I bought pies from the bakery for lunch. We wandered around the town & looked at the history info boards & the gaol where 300 Aboriginal men were imprisoned in Victorian times. They had not committed any crime – they were rounded up and sent to the island & used for hard labour on the fields & salt pans. The prison housed 4 or 5 men per small cell. In effect this was a shocking & cruel form of ethnic cleansing to reduce the aboriginal population. In 1917 the gaol closed & those men remaining were sent to Freemantle prison. All very sad but the Aussies had now updated the cells & hired them out as tourist accommodation – we thought this was very insensitive & separate accommodation could have been set up for tourists by the WA state government/ Rottnest Island Authority who owned Rottnest. The island has about ½ million tourists a year. Keef & I saw several quokkas, one of which had a baby in its pouch. They are very cute furry animals that look similar to wallabies. Early Dutch mariners sailing up the WA coast thought that these animals looked like giant rats, so called the island Rats Nest, which later became known as Rotts Nest. We had our pies for lunch on a picnic bench by a bay called The Basin. We walked back into the tiny town & went on the guided coach tour round the island for 90 mins. Very informative & we saw lots more quokkas including 2 cute baby ones out of the pouch, 2 ospreys, some dolphins near a reef, NZ fur seals in the distance in a rocky bay. Beautiful sandy bays & coves with azure seas. Really enjoyed the island tour & took loads of photos. We had an iced coffee & icecream back at the shops. Met up with C & A who had no lunch & had run out of water on their cycle tour & there were no drinking water taps. Apart from the small town centre the rest of the island was uninhabited. We got the ferry boat back at 4.55pm which was quite full with people. At the campsite we had chicken salad for dinner. We were all very tired & it had been an extremely hot day. Saturday 25 February Freemantle to Perth Our 39th wedding anniversary Left Freemantle campsite – temperature was 40c today – headed back to Perth along Highway 1. Took both motorhomes back to Britz. Keef complained about the faulty electronic key fob which had never worked all through the van hire period. As we only had one key fob we had to access our motorhome by key through the driver’s door & we had to go round & lock all the doors separately which was a pain. Keef negotiated a day’s hire money (£108) to be returned as compensation which the manager agreed to reimburse. We also claimed back $9 for the battery inserted at the VW garage in Geraldton when we produced the receipt, although it was not the battery that was the problem. We also all got away with not refilling our gas cylinders & Chris & Allyson also got away with with a large dent to the back roof of their motorhome when they reversed into a large tree branch. Luckily the woman checking the condition of their van did not notice as they had parked it right up against a high wall. After Britz we got a taxi into Perth & arrived before 2pm, but luckily were allowed into our rooms at the Royal Perth hotel, a heritage building. Had showers & then at 4pm we walked down to Elizabeth Quay – still very hot. We went to the Lucky Shag Bar for a drink but very noisy & lots of people out for Saturday night drinks so decided not to eat here again. Went to the restaurant upstairs , the Aqua Bar, which was quieter with seating outside on a flat roof. The food was lovely & was like tapas sharing platters. I had a Mai Tai cocktail, Allyson had wine & Chris & Keef had beers. A lovely meal for our 39th wedding anniversary. Walked back to our hotel in the evening. Keef & I packed a small bag to take into the cabin on the Indian Pacific train tomorrow. Sunday 26 February Perth to Kalgoorlie on the Indian Pacific Railway Got up at 6.30am & got a taxi at 7.45am to East Perth station. The train left at 10am, so we had plenty of time to look at the Indian Pacific train memorabilia & have complimentary coffee/tea/orange juice & small cakes whilst a musician played. Allyson & I chatted to the train driver (one of two drivers for the trip) who was up at the front of the train. There was a wagon with a full car transporter which had to be hooked up to the engine so the driver had to stop talking to us & assist with that. Took lots of photos & felt excited to be going from Perth to Adelaide on the Indian Pacific which would take 3 days/ 2 nights and crossing the Nullarbor Plain & deserts. Chris & Allyson & us had adjacent cabins near the front of the massively long train (carriage O, cabins 7 & 8). The cabins were very compact with a pull-out bed & bunk bed above with ladder, plus a small shower room with sink, mirror & toilet. The staff were all very friendly & helpful. We went to the Queen Adelaide dining car for lunch – all food & drinks were included in the ticket. The train went very slowly through the Perth suburbs & past Northam & Merredin which we had visited in the motorhomes. Some time after Merredin and past Southern Cross (an outback town) the train stopped for about an hour. We heard on the internal PA announcement by train staff that a stowaway person had been spotted by a passing freight train & the driver had informed our driver who had then seen the man on the video surveillance cameras. The stowaway was seen moving in one of the cars on the vehicle transporter. The Indian Pacific staff radioed the police at Southern Cross & they took a while to get to the stationary train. The man was arrested and stupidly had no water or food with him in the car for the 3 day trip & with outside temperatures of 36c + he may not have survived. We went to dinner in the dining car – we were travelling gold class. Red class was lower & Platinum was the top class. When we returned to the cabin the staff had made up the bunk beds & left some gifts for us as we had mentioned that it was our 39th wedding anniversary yesterday. I got a blue pashmina scarf & Keef got a cap plus a nice note from the staff. There was a free coach trip at 9pm round Kalgoorlie & to see the gold mine (the Super Pit) which we had all signed up to do that evening. However because the stowaway had caused a delay to our journey we did not get off the train onto the coaches until 10.30pm.The temperature had been 30c at 9.15pm and it was very dark. The coaches went to the Super Pit but did not get any idea of the scale of the gold mine as it was pitch black with lorry headlights moving in the bottom of the giant pit. Luckily Keef & I had seen it before in the daytime on a previous trip to Australia. We drove round the town & there was nobody around. The coaches all dropped everybody off at the gold museum where we saw a short 15 minute play about Paddy Hannan. He was an Irish prospector who first found gold nuggets on the ground in 1893. A woman was also in the play – we did not think it was very good. Back in our coach we did not think the driver’s commentary was very good either – he kept pausing mid-sentence (his day job was prison officer). We were very tired and after the two hour excursion we re-boarded the train and went to bed. Monday 27 February Indian Pacific Railway I was still awake when the train finally left Kalgoorlie station at 1.20am & picked up speed. The delay in leaving was probably due to goods trains having priority on the line. The train lurched violently from side to side so much that I found it difficult to get to sleep on the top bunk. I climbed down the ladder, Keef woke up and kindly offered to swap bunks. Eventually got to sleep. We were woken up at 5.30am by train staff knocking on our door. We had all wanted to do the early breakfast outdoors at 6.15 at Rawlinna station. This was a scheduled stop on the Nullarbor Plain halfway between Perth & Adelaide. Not all the passengers wanted to be woken so early for breakfast. The temperature was 20c at 6.15 bright sunshine with a bright blue sky. This place was a lonely outpost on the railway track, with tiny station, post office plus a sheep station which covered 2.5 million acres with 70,000 sheep. When we climbed down the train steps it was some distance to the station where breakfast was being served. We all sat on benches by lots of long wooden tables & ate sausage, quiche, large mushroom, tomato plus tea & coffee. We saw a local ute & Aussie famers come to the station to pick up their post & parcels. When we re-boarded the train the staff said on the intercom that there was a ‘creature’ on the track at the front of the train – probably a snake. We weren’t allowed to walk anywhere at all apart from the cinder track by the train to the station platform. Today we’re spending the whole day on the train crossing the Nullarbor. We had lunch in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car with pre-dinner drinks & some nice wine with our meal. I had an hours sleep in our cabin as I was knackered. Then we spent the time gazing out the window and listening to music on the cabin radio. Keef thought he saw a snake at the side of the track. At 3pm the train made a scheduled brief stop at Cook on the Nullarbor. It was a god-forsaken place in the middle of nowhere. It was named after an Aussie Prime Minister not Captain Cook. It was 38c and after the air con on the train it was like walking into a hot oven. We had 30 mins stop here as the train had to re-fuel, take on more water (arterial bore) and change drivers. There were lots of flies so had to continually swat them away from our faces or they crawled into our mouth, ears & noses. We were told before disembarking that we were not to walk into the desert but to strictly keep to the paved paths towards a few abandoned buildings. There was once a small community living there but now the population is 4. Their job is to help with re-fueling the train. They live in a typical Aussie house – bungalow with corrugated iron roof & a small garden with picket fence. The soil was very red and dusty with a few trees around. We were told not to enter the abandoned buildings as it was too dangerous as snakes were very active at this time. Luckily saw no snakes or other animals/ reptiles thank goodness. I was very careful to watch where I was walking!! We all took photos & reboarded the train before the 30 mins were up as we felt we did not want to linger in this dangerous & desolate place. Glad to get back to our air con cabin. Crossing the Nullarbor we only saw a few cattle but no kangaroos or camels. A lot of the mammals are asleep during the day and only feed at dawn & dusk. Later in the afternoon the landscape suddenly changed from the flat desert where you could see for miles to rocky & sandy gorges with large bushes & trees and there was a dirt track alongside the railway line. This is probably so that maintenance men could drive along to check the condition of the track. We could see that once heavy rain had scored deep gullies in the red sandy soil but were dry as a bone now. We wondered if the lack of kangaroos was due to the fact that they were being killed for the pet food industry. Had dinner & had a game of cards in the bar area. Very tired. Tuesday 28 February Indian Pacific Railway arrives in Adelaide At 5.30am (pitch black outside) we were woken by a man on the intercom saying we were arriving in Adelaide at 7.25am & a snack breakfast of drinks & Danish pastries was being served in the restaurant. Had showers & then breakfast as dawn broke. After the train arrived in Adelaide we collected our luggage & thanked our train crew who had been excellent – they had been so friendly & had really looked after us. It was quite an experience on this famous rail journey. We waited until 8.30am for a taxi & took all the bags to the Adelaide Shores Big 4 campsite. Chris & Allyson took their rucksacks with them as they wanted to see the city to look around. Keef & I had already spent 4 days in Adelaide on a previous trip so decided to go straight to the campsite. We arrived at 8.50am & luckily our deluxe chalet was ready for us to stay. It had 2 bedrooms, bathroom, open plan kitchen, dining & lounge plus an outside table & benches. The large fridge had milk provided together with tea & coffee. The campsite reception had kindly provided a golf buggy to help transport all the heavy bags to the chalet. K & I went for a paddle in the sea as it was a boiling hot day. Adelaide Shores has a beautiful white sandy beach & large sand dunes. Hardly anyone on the beach. We spent the rest of the time in & around the large camp swimming pool. K & I had lunch in the campsite café, then ice-creams & iced coffees. Felt very tired after getting up at 5.30am so we had our showers & had a nap. Chris & Allyson arrived at the chalet having done a lot of sightseeing in the city and had got a bus to Glenelg. They brought back a bag of fresh figs from a market in Adelaide which we decided to have at breakfast. C & A had showers & later we all went to the campsite café for dinner. Barramundi/ chicken burger/ fish & chips. THE END Diary 1st - 31st March Alice Springs, Northern Territories, Australia Wednesday 1 March Adelaide to Alice Springs Had the fresh figs for breakfast which were delicious. Another hot sunny day. The campsite staff drove the golf buggy with all our bags to reception and from there we got a taxi to Adelaide airport. Keef & I didn’t recognise it (we had flown from Alice to Adelaide 10 years ago) so it had obviously had a bit of an architectural make-over. Our flight to Alice Springs left at 10.40am & we had to change our watches as Northern territory daylight saving time was one hour behind Adelaide time. At Alice airport we got the Alice Wanderer shuttle taxi service to take us to our motel – Elkira Motel. We walked around the town & it was very hot at midday. Saw the Residency house & garden which was open to the public. The Queen & Prince Phillip had stayed there in the 1960’s for 2 days & he had got food poisoning. Charles & Diana had also visited Alice & stayed there on a later date. Next to the Residency there was a new Northern Territory Supreme Court building almost finished. Walked through Todd Mall & went into tourist info. Keef & I enquired about about the shuttle bus taking tourists to all the best sites in & around Alice but unfortunately it had ceased running. Also the man who used to do the free didgeridoo lessons had gone bust & was now a bus driver (we had bought our didgeridoo from him 10 years ago). The tourist info staff recommended us to visit the Desert Park a few kms outside Alice so we decided to do this the next day. We visited an art gallery which exhibited Aboriginal art works – dot paintings. An Aboriginal lady called Margaret was sat on a cushion on the floor concentrating on her dot painting. When we tried to talk to her she was not communicative. The gallery owners probably make a handsome profit from these paintings. We walked on to the Royal Flying Doctor Service museum at 4pm. We had missed the film presentation so instead looked at the museum which was very interesting. Went back to the motel & K & I swam in the pool & then had showers. We all went to the Red Ochre Grill restaurant in Todd Mall for our evening meal. Thursday 2 March Alice Springs Had motel buffet breakfast which was very good. Keef had the full English breakfast which was huge. Then we got a taxi to Desert Park ( a wildlife park in the desert outside Alice). I was not feeling well, weak & occasionally light-headed with a cough & swollen glands in my neck – a virus probably picked up on the plane. Hope none of the others catch the bug. C & A kindly gave me some tablets which I took. When we arrived at the park we had to hurry at top speed to catch the wild birds in flight demonstration in the amphitheater which was just about to start. The ranger gave an excellent talk about desert birds & the setting was spectacular with the MacDonnell Ranges as a backdrop. We saw owls & kites fly low over our heads & wedge tailed eagles flying at speed towards the amphitheater. The temperature was 37c according to one of the park wardens & it got even hotter in the afternoon. We saw animals such as roos & emus & watched an informative presentation about Aboriginal bush tucker by a female Aboriginal park warden who showed us food , wooden tools, weapons & bowls. It was very interesting to hear how the women gathered berries, bush fruits, plus seeds & grasses to make damper (a flat bread) whilst the men’s role was to hunt game. She said that witchety grubs tasted like runny egg yolk & were nutritious. They had to bite the heads off the grubs which were found in dead tree branches or tree trunks. The grubs were about 2½ - 3 inches long & ¾” wide. Luckily she only had a plastic one to show us which did look quite realistic. We walked into two bird aviaries to see more desert birds, including a large black cockatoo. Then we went to the nocturnal house where an Aboriginal guide told us about the exhibits – small mammals such as the bilby, desert rat, numbat, plus snakes & lizards. He said that the small & thin Death Adder snake is so toxic if it bites you that you only have 40 mins before you die. Thinking back to us walking around Cook on the Nullarbor it was no wonder that the train staff did not want any snakebite victims. Most of the roos were asleep & lying down so we couldn’t see them properly. Did not have any lunch but drank a lot of water. At the end of the afternoon at 3pm we watched a 20 min film about the desert in the cinema. We all enjoyed the Desert Park. Got a taxi back to our motel. Had a shower then I went to bed & slept for 3 hours. In the evening we all walked into town to a pizza restaurant. I ate hardly anything as still unwell. I don’t know how I managed to walk around in the desert heat all day. Went to bed & slept for 10 hours!!! Friday 3 March Alice Springs to Adelaide We ate breakfast in the motel again then caught the shuttle transport back to the airport via various hotels & backpacker hostels to pick up other tourists. The Qantas flight went over the desert & some massive salt lakes – no habitation visible at all from the plane apart from dirt road tracks. When we got to Adelaide we collected our large bags from the left luggage lockers & got a taxi to our motel – The Atlantic Towers in Glenelg, a suburb of Adelaide by the coast with very fine white sandy beaches. This motel was a tall round tower & even our rooms had curved walls. The rooms were very modern & spacious with an excellent bathroom. We all went for an evening stroll & had some drinks at an oyster bar. As it was Friday evening the restaurants & bars in Glenelg were packed. Walked past the marina & more restaurants. There were some very large expensive boats in the marina & designer apartments with sea views. Saw the Glenelg pier, tram & clock tower & then walked back. We decided to have dinner at an Aussie Outback bar/restaurant where we managed to get a free table. I could barely manage my meal (chicken salad) and had to rush to the loo with severe diarrhea. Walked back to the motel & I took some tummy tablets which sorted me out. Had no idea what caused the bug as no one else was ill. Saturday 4 March Adelaide to Tanunda, Barossa Valley Got taxi from our motel to Britz Motorhomes in Adelaide to pick up our two vans. We were there 1½ hours waiting for our van to be serviced as the previous hirer had brought the van back a day later than scheduled. Eventually we got it sorted & then we all went to Coles to do some food shopping. We then headed north towards the Barossa Valley (famous wine growing area). We went through some flat uninspiring marshes after the Adelaide suburbs & joined a highway north east of Adelaide. Eventually we came to rolling hills with vineyards, although no grapes were visible. The Aussies call the vineyards “wineries”. After 73kms we reached Tanunda, a town in the heart of the Barossa. We went into the tourist info centre to pick up some wine maps & decided to visit a few tomorrow. At 4pm we went to a campsite on the edge of the town called Discovery Parks Tanunda. It was packed out with families staying for the weekend, but luckily we got two pitches next to each other. Allyson & I did some laundry. Keef was feeling unwell (probably the same virus that I had) & it took a while for the aircon in the van to work properly. It was 36c inside the van & we sweated trying to unpack our bags & get everything sorted. Chris & Allyson walked back into town (K & I had walked round Tanundra 10 yrs ago). Keef felt ill so we made up the bed at 4.30 & he went to sleep. He woke briefly & then he changed into his PJs & went back to bed at 7.45pm & slept through the night. .Keef had no lunch or dinner today. Rather worrying - there were notices on the toilet blocks & laundry that snakes had been spotted in the campsite area – yet there were little children running around & on bikes. I ate with Chris & Allyson who did some salad with the roast chicken we’d bought at Coles. I went to bed at 9.30pm. Quite cold in the early hours, so was glad of the duvet provided with the van. Sunday 5 March Tanunda & Barossa to Hahndorf Sunny warm day. Brought in washing from lines whilst nervously scanning the ground for snakes. Keef is feeling much better today. After breakfast we did part of the Barossa wine trail and then visited the Wolf Blass winery in Stockwell, just north of Tanunda. Mr. W Blass is aged 82 (originally from Germany) & is the most celebrated winemaker in Australia, winning hundreds of awards, both in Australia & internationally. His career started in 1966 when he first set up his own vineyard & prior to that he had assisted other wineries by passing on his wine knowledge. We had several tastings including the gold & platinum labels. I liked the Gold Label wine the best. The lady who served us for the tastings was a Kiwi from Wellington & was very chatty & knowledgeable about wines. She had worked there for a long time & said that Mr. Blass lived in Adelaide but made about 4 trips a year to his winery for promotional purposes. All his awards, glass & silver platters, cups, trophies, medals & certificates were displayed in glass cases – certainly a prestigious career & his wine is superb. We then drove to Angaston, a small town in the Barossa with heritage buildings & lots of roses in bloom. Bought some bread & pies from the local bakery. Had the pies for lunch. We drove along the scenic route to Mengel Hill Lookout which gave a panoramic view of the Barossa Valley below us. There was a sculpture park there as well which Keef & Allyson went to see. I overheard a local man telling some Japanese tourists that a bushfire had raged through some of the wheat/corn fields but luckily the wind had changed & Angaston & the vineyards were saved. Growing vines is a high risk business & decades of work on the vines could wipe them out & bankrupt the owners. Then we headed down Mengel Hill & through Bethany to Rowland Flat where Jacob’s Creek is situated. This is the oldest vineyard in the Barossa – established in 1847 & wine was produced commercially. The visitor centre at Jacob’s Creek told the story of the German family who had emigrated to start a new life & information about the early days of its history. The creek was dried up. Keef & I had visited Wolf Blass & Jacob’s Creek 10 years ago & the creek was dried up then. Chris, Allyson & Keef had small tastings of the wines & Keef was obviously feeling much better after yesterday. I didn’t want to try any – felt too sleepy in the hot afternoon. We drove to Hahndorf through the countryside – very rural farming community. Before we reached the town we were held up by a road accident. A ute had crashed into some trees & was being put on a tow-truck. We arrived in the Big 4 campsite at the edge of town at 5.45pm. This campsite was brand new & was built on the side of a steep hill, with staggered levels & roads. Allyson & Chris used the camp kitchen to cook fish, rice & veggies for dinner. Chatted to some friendly German tourists. A nice campsite. Monday 6 March Hahndorf to Milang (on Fleurieu Peninsula) Very overcast today & some drizzle overnight. The hills look covered in mist. Chilly so I wore a cardigan for the first time on this trip. After breakfast we drove into Hahndorf, a German village established c 1843. Some of the buildings were original & very small. Now all the houses have shops inside selling touristy rubbish. However, you could look beyond this to see what the place looked like in the past with German immigrants trying to make a life for themselves. Some of the buildings had original photos displayed outside including the people who ran businesses such as blacksmith, pub, grocery store etc. People love to flock here at weekends to sample the wineries, shop in the village & eat in the numerous cafes & restaurants down the main street. Leaving Hahndorf, we headed to McLaren Vale to visit Hardy winery. It had a very interesting visitor centre telling the story of Thomad hardy, a grocer aged 20 from Devon, who emigrated & paid his own fare to South Australia. He made his way to the goldfields in Victoria & instead of prospecting he shrewdly decided to make his money by butchering meat & selling it to the miners. With the proceeds, he then bought some land in McLaren Vale & decided to plant grapevines. Now Hardys has a 6th generation running the business. Continued our journey to a place called Meadows where we had lunch (sandwiches). Then on to Strathalbyn, a heritage town with some quaint old buildings. We stopped at Langhorne Creek so the Langthornes could take some photos. A short drive south took us to Milang & a campsite that Keef & I knew. When we arrived there were hundreds of white cockatoos circling above & settling in trees on the campsite making quite a racket. They were Corellas, a small cockatoo with pale lemon feathers under their wings. Keef cooked chicken pieces, onions & peppers on the camp BBQ & I did the jacket spuds in the microwave + broccoli & carrots on the hob in the van. I prepared a big bowl of fresh fruit salad. The grass pitches we were parked on had lovely vies of Lake Alexandrina, a large salty lake where the River Murray flows into it. There is a peninsula which is the Coorong National Park but this does not block out the sea water. I tried to offer the Corellas a piece of apple but they were not used to humans. Had some NZ wine called Clean Skin from Marlborough – a white Savignon Blanc – very light & refreshing. C & A washed up & then we all had a game of cards. Went to bed at 10.30 pm – too tired to read my Kindle. My virus has now turned into a runny nose! Tuesday 7 March Milang to Robe Left campsite & I bought bread & milk in a local store. Milang was the most important inland port in South Australia in the old days & had a railway line – now all gone. Drove along flat salt marshes & salt lakes to Wellington & got the free car ferry across the Murray River. Went down the Princes Highway 1 to Meningie, a non-descript tiny town. Along the shore at Lake Albert there were information boards with photos & info on the town & its past history. Had lunch in a lay-by – chicken pieces & salad leftovers from last night = cup of tea. Further along the road there were kangaroo signs, but they would be resting during the day. We stopped at Kingston SE an area of Rosetown, on the Southern Ocean, the town with a massive lobster made out of plastic or fiberglass. Photo opportunity taken by the lobster. Along the seafront was the old Cape Jaffa lighthouse & a long green space with tall Norfolk pines – lovely views of the ocean & we could see the curvature of the Earth. Drove on to Robe Big 4 campsite. Arrived at 6pm & it shut at 5.30. Managed to contact them by phone & got 2 pitches for a night. Keef & I did tuna mayo wraps for dinner + melon & grapes. Wednesday 8 March Robe to Mount Gambier After breakfast we visited the beach by the campsite. The beach was 9 miles long with beautiful fine sand & blue sea. Temperature today 35c. Chatted to an Aussie lady on the beach. We drove into town & went for a walk (4 miles) in 35c heat. Sun was very intense. I was the only one to take a bottle of water – mad dogs & Englishmen etc.!! Saw a statue of Matthew Flinders who named some small islands off the coast Baudin Rocks. Back in the 1850s lots of Chinese arrived at Robe & then travelled 200 kms by road to the goldfields. We saw a stingray in the marina & Keef took a photo. The marina looked brand new & a lot of the large homes were empty (obviously holiday homes as all the blinds were down at the windows). After Robe we drove through vast wheatfields to Millicent where we had a short break from driving. Keef & I saw a small tornado about 1 foot across churn up some dust & move across the road near us. Moved on to Mount Gambier, a large town (Aussies call it a city) built around an extinct volcano. The crater has several vivid blue lakes which is a major tourist attraction. We shopped at Coles & stayed at the Big 4 campsite. Chris & Allyson did burgers & salad & I cut up some rock melon. We were trying to use up all our fruit & vegetables before we cross the border into Victoria due to the quarantine regulations (mainly to prevent fruit fly & other pests damaging crops). My cough & cold are easing now – had this virus since we were in Alice Springs. Have not been 100% at all since then & my coughing at night kept waking me up. Thursday 9 March Mount Gambier to Portland, Victoria Very hot today again. We drove to the viewpoint over the Blue Lake which is at the bottom of the volcanic crater. The water looked like blue glass with a thin edging of turquoise – very calming & spectacular views. C & A did a walk for an hour along a trail which followed the rim of the Valley Lake. The middle lake called Leg of Mutton Lake does not have any water in it. We stopped at Valley Lake – swimming is forbidden due to bacteria & algae in the water. Lots of moorhen type birds with red heads, blue feathers on chests, black backs & VERY big feet! Chris & Allyson met up with us in the car park & Allyson briefly went into the nature park by the lake whilst the rest of us waited outside the fence. We all drove into Mount Gambier, parked up & walked to a large sink hole & cave just behind the Town Hall, which we’d read about in the tourist info. There were a few shrubs, plants & a red flowering tree along the path & steps down the MASSIVE 50 METRE deep hole in the ground. We could see the dark mouth of a cave further down – took lots of photos. This sink hole was situated right next to a busy street, a bank & the town hall – never seen anything like this before. We went into the tourist info centre & in the small theatre we saw a free one hour film about the volcano erupting thousands of years ago & subsidiary explosions with the force of an atom bomb caused by the build up of water pressure underground. The film was very detailed with excellent photography & it showed the fault line where the two tectonic plates had rubbed together. There had been two earthquakes in Mount Gambier & the last one was in the 1940s. After Mount Gambier we drove to Northumberland Point further along the highway. This was on the coast with a lovely sandy beach & azure sea. Had lunch in the bright sunshine on a picnic bench – egg mayo cobs & mug of tea. However, this was spoilt by the overpowering smell of sewage as we drove further along the road past houses. It must have been discharged down an outlet on the beach – not nice & good job we didn’t go for a paddle after lunch. Most of the houses were shut up – holiday homes- so like a ghost town. After we had crossed the state border into Victoria & on the outskirts of Portland, the next town, we were surprised to see a lone adult koala crossing the road directly in front of us!! We had to brake in order to not run him over. I took a photo of him – gorgeous cuddly!! We stopped for fuel ($1.24 litre for diesel) & drove into the town. It’s a port with container ships but did not look that busy. We spied out a fish & chip shop on the seafront for later & then found a campsite. When we returned later at 8pm the fish shop had closed so instead we went to a restaurant further along the seafront & had barramundi, chips & salad. Back at the campsite we had a game of cards. Friday 10 March Portland- Warrnambool Sunny & hot again. After breakfast we drove to Cape Bridgewater to see the blowhole, petrified forest & seal colony. The blowhole was not very spectacular – more like a wave crashing against the rocks. We had to take a wooden boardwalk down to the viewing area & were attacked by annoying biting flies, especially as we were wearing shorts. The petrified forest was a misnomer – it was limestone rock eroded by sea water & then eroded by wind to form weird vertical tube-like shapes which were several metres tall. We saw no seals or other marine life. On the return journey we found the seal colony car park and found that to walk to it along the headland took 3 hours. We didn’t have time was we had food to buy & we were aiming to get to start the Great Ocean Road scenic route along the coast the next day. We returned to Portland & did a big food shop at Aldi (did not know that Aldi supermarkets were in Australia). When we left Portland, unbeknownst to us all at the time we got speeding fines from a camera which clocked us doing 6mph over the limit & this fine ($197 = £106) was posted to our home address in England as Britz had given the police our address. As our post was being re-directed to Craig & Leanne’s house they got the fine a couple of weeks later & e-mailed us about it. Obviously we had to pay the fine to the Victorian police. Drove to Port Fairy – a lovely little town on a river with a heritage wharf with small yachts & motor launches moored. Some of the old wooden houses looked fab with beautiful cottage gardens, white picket fences & wooden verandas with wrought-iron work. Thought it looked a bit like New England – very pretty. Stopped at a bakery for a late lunch with seating outside & bought pies & cake. The chicken & leek pie was the worst pie I had ever had – it was mainly a glutinous white sauce. The town was busy as a 3 day folk festival was about to start with thousands of people expected. The tickets were more expensive than the Glastonbury festival. There was an afternoon concert for children with musicians singing silly songs. We couldn’t stay in the Big 4 campsite here as it was fully booked, so we decided to drive on to Warrnambool & look for a campsite near there, although we knew there wasn’t a Big 4 there. At Warrnambool we called in at the tourist info & the helpful lady there found us the last 2 available pitches at a Top Tourist campsite in town. We stayed one night & they both had en-suite loos/showers etc on the pitches. We got 10% off & the site was packed. Keef cooked pork & vegetables in a Japanese sauce with rice & I did some papaya & passionfruit for dessert. There were still people arriving with trailer tents in the dark – lots of families with kids as it was a Bank Holiday weekend in Victoria – Labor Day. Saturday 11 March Warrnambool &, Great Ocean Road to Princeton Cool but & sunny today. Set off along the Great Ocean Road, one of the top scenic coastal drives in the world and visited all the places of interest & viewpoints. This was the 3rd time Keef & I have visited. The Bay of Islands & Bay of Martyrs were spectacular rock formations along the coast. At The Grotto further along the route we saw an echidna waddling along a grassy bank next to the steps leading to the grotto. Took lots of photos. Saw a thin (pencil) black snake on the same bank. By midday the weather had warmed up & it became hot & sunny. At one of the viewpoints & spotted a creature in the grass next to the path & took a photo – it looked a bit like a rodent. It got very busy at Loch Ard Gorge as there were lots of coaches. Also very busy at the 12 Apostles – now there are only 6 rock stacks left as the rest have fallen into the sea with erosion. The visitors centre no longer has info on the rock stacks & erosion (2 cms of coast eroded a year) as it’s now a kiosk selling snacks & drinks. There were lots of signs warning about venomous snakes around the car park. It started to drizzle with rain as we left the 12 Apostles. At the end of the day we stopped at a campground in Princeton which was reached down a very short dirt road & a bridge over the Giltbrook River. The campsite was a council owned recreational ground & was only $20 a night but had no electric hook-up. We parked next to some tents. It was raining by now, but overnight it became torrential. Keef & I slept well with the rain drumming on the roof. Sunday 12 March Great Ocean Road to Geelong Awoke to see ponds had formed near our van. Some of the tents had leaked & the occupants had spent the night in their cars. Left Princeton & drove down a secondary road to Cape Otway, through the Great Otway National Park – 11 kms. We looked out for koalas but did not see any. Near the Cape there were a lot of dead trees with no leaves. There was a charge of $19.50 (£11.70) each to visit the lighthouse which was set back from the entrance so you could not even see it from a distance. Being a Bank Holiday weekend the car park was jammed & Keef & I did not think it was worth the money to see the 1856 lighthouse. We’d been inside the similar aged lighthouse on Rottnest Island which was free to visitors. Chris & Allyson decided to do it so we agreed to meet up later in Apollo Bay further along the GOR. Keef & I returned along the road & kept stopping in lay-byes to look for koalas but saw none. Apollo Bay had changed considerably since we were last there in 2008 & not for the better in our opinion. Now so touristy & full of coaches, fast food joints & not attractive. Keef & I went into the tourist info centre & asked the lady if the Kennett River campsite was still operational & she confirmed it was. We then went to a supermarket to buy milk & bread & had lunch in our van. C & A used their walkie –talkie to say they were in Apollo Bay & we met up. They stayed in Apollo Bay to get some lunch & we went on to Kennett River & unfortunately found the campsite was full. While we were waiting for them to arrive by the campsite Keef & I saw some koalas in the gum trees & took some photos. One was asleep & the other was higher up eating leaves. Chris & Allyson arrived & were excited to see some koalas. A man alerted us to some other trees where a koala was eating leaves & moving around lower down the branches. At one point I thought he was going to fall but their claws are very sharp to help them cling on. Took lots of photos & video. Love those koalas – they are so adorable. Lucky to see 3 koalas at Kennett River. We carried on along the Great Ocean Road to look for another campsite & it was so busy everywhere. Gorgeous views of the blue-turquoise Southern Ocean with cliffs & waves crashing on beaches. After the town of Lorne (like Oxford Street at sale time) we decided to turn inland as it was so busy & we knew we’d never get a pitch at any campsite along the rest of the route judging by the packed sites around the Lorne area. We drove over the Otway Ranges & I saw another koala asleep in a tree branch above the road. Eventually the National Park ran out & we came to hills with fields & farms. We tried at Winchelsea to find a campsite but no luck – we were advised to go along the Princes Highway 1 towards Geelong & stay at a service station area for the night. It was free & had some toilets. Keef & I did tuna & salad wraps & papaya for dinner. Tomorrow we head into Melbourne. Monday 13 March (Bank Holiday Monday) Mount Macedon & Hanging Rock to Melbourne Another hot & sunny day. Set off north of Geelong to Mount Macedon on the Great Dividing Range. Lots of open bush as it was a national park & therefore very susceptible to bushfires. Drove through the town & on to Hanging Rock. Now you have to pay for car parking so we had to get a day ticket $10 as there was a barrier across the entrance. Keef & I went to the visitor centre again (we last climbed the Rock in 2008) & read about the book & film ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’. It was the remains of a volcanic caldera that once erupted a long time ago. Chris & Allyson followed the path to the top & they said it was busy as it was the Bank Holiday. We said we would do the picnic when they returned. Keef & I read our Kindles in the field where our vans & other cars were parked. We got quite a surprise when a large grey kangaroo suddenly bounced between the two motorhomes. It saw us sitting in our picnic chairs, skidded on the gravel edge of the car park road right next to us & then did a U-turn & hurriedly jumped back past our van when I exclaimed Oh! The roo had obviously panicked when he saw us. We knew there were kangaroos in the park as there were notices but we certainly didn’t expect to see one so close in a field with lots of vehicles parked round the edge. It’s strange how you come across wildlife when you least expect it, like the koala walking across the road. After Hanging Rock we headed south to the Big 4 campsite at Coburg, North Melbourne. We booked two nights at this campsite so we could visit Melbourne tomorrow. We could not get two pitches next to one another though. I did two loads of washing & hung it between the van & a tree & some of it was dry by the evening. Tuesday 14 March Melbourne Walked through Coburg residential area to get the tram into the city centre. A very hot day 32-33c especially as we were doing a lot of walking. Did not like the graffiti on walls, houses, shops, flats & anything that was stationary – looked tacky & unkempt. We saw Federation Square, then walked along the River Yarra to the 1950s Olympic Park, entertainment stadiums, tennis centre where the Australian Open is held, & the cricket ground. Next week-end is the Oz Grand Prix motor racing round Melbourne. Had a rest & drink to cool off in the café at the cricket ground. Allyson & Keef, who were ardent cricket fans, took lots of photos of statues of famous cricketers including one of Shane Warne complete with mullet hairstyle. A security lady was doing bag searches on everyone who went inside the building. We caught the tram from the cricket ground back to the city centre & then took the old style tram which is free around the central route. We got off at the Greek Quarter expecting to have a late lunch there. Unfortunately it had virtually disappeared as there were only two restaurants left and they were closed. The tram commentary said that Melbourne had the highest concentration of Greeks in the world after Athens. Instead we went into a Greek cake shop & had drinks, savoury filo pastries & baklava, which were tasty. Then we decided that as it was after 4pm it was not worth tramping the streets in the heat until the restaurants opened in the evening, so walked back towards Collins Street & the tram back to Coburg. On route we stopped at a pub for some cold drinks. I had pear cider and the others had beer. The pub was called James Squire who was a convict sent to Sydney with the first fleet for robbery. He set up a brewery with some hops & became a successful brewer in Parramatta. We returned on the tram in rush hour but Keef was offered a seat because he had a walking stick with him. Then a long walk back to the campsite – in all we walked 6½ miles today in the heat !! We were very tired. Did a snack supper of tea & cheese & biscuits & apple in our van as it was too dark to sit outside. Had a lovely cool shower- bliss! Wednesday 15 March Melbourne to Gippsland & Traralgon Left Big 4 campsite & got fuel then the sat nav took us through the outskirts of Melbourne which took about an hour- a big city. Headed down the Mornington Peninsula from St Kilda (lots of tall palm tree, a funfair, beach & beautiful homes) which had a bit of a Miami vibe. We did some food shopping at Woolies in Frankston & Chris bought some more toilet blue liquid stuff at Bunnings $17.50 as our supply had run out. We ate lunch at Mornington on a picnic table & the seagulls were pestering us as we ate our roast chicken rolls. Looked at the map & decided that if we wanted to spend 2 days at Lakes Entrance then we needed to get a move on as it was 3 o’clock & we were still on the Mornington Peninsula. Decided to cut across country inland to a Big 4 campsite just off the Princes Highway at Traralgon. This was a brand new campsite $32.40 with a swim pool & excellent camp kitchen. Had burgers, potato salad, Greek salad & strawberries & nectarines. By now it was dark. I chatted to a woman from Scotland who had lived 37 years in Perth & never been to Rottnest Island or Monkey Mia! Played cards. TO BE CONTINUED MARCH DIARY CONTINUED Thursday 16 March Traralgon to Lakes Entrance Keef did a bacon & egg cob for breakfast in the new camp kitchen. Drove along the Princes Highway to Sale, which used to be a busy Victorian inland port. Cargo & people used to arrive by boat through Lakes Entrance & there was also a railway line which went all the way to Melbourne. My ancestor Edwin Masters was a ship’s captain on the Emeo which carried wood & coal from Lakes Entrance to Sale in Victorian times. He lived at Lakes Entrance & died in1921. I only discovered this in my family tree research after Keef & I had already visited Sale & L/E in 2008. Saw some Sulphur crested cockatoos in a tree at Sale harbour. Drove to Lakes Entrance & went to the lookout to see the sea lakes & isthmus & further down the hill we saw the entrance channel to the three lakes. We were hoping to stay at the 4* Big 4 in Lakes Entrance for two nights. It had 3 swimming pools but unfortunately it was full. We ended up in a Tops Park in the town which was small & cramped but at least they had two pitches next to each other. We decided to stay 1 night rather than 2. We walked along the foreshore & across a pedestrian bridge & saw some black swans. We crossed over the narrow sandy isthmus to the beach which was called 90 Mile Beach. Another ancestor of mine, Capt.. Alfred Masters who was a brother of Edwin, & had been a master mariner in the Merchant Navy in England, drowned off this beach in 1892 when his schooner carrying cargo sprang a leak & he couldn’t swim to shore. Captain Masters was only 33 & engaged to be married. The bush along the coast was not a good place to walk through due to venomous snakes & paralysis ticks. The weather was turning very windy & cool so Keef & I walked back to the motorhome whilst Chris & Allyson walked 6kms along the isthmus track. They said that there were signs warning people about snakes so good job I didn’t go. Keef & I used the camp kitchen (which was very good) & did chicken, jacket potatoes, carrots, beans & onions. Friday 17 March Lakes Entrance to Mallacoota Another day of warm weather but not as hot as previous days. We stopped four times on the journey mainly travelling along the Princes Highway. We stopped briefly in Orbost to see the tiny pioneer wood house which was original. The house once had a family with 10 children. It’s now the tourist info & the lady there recommended we go on a loop road to Marlo and Cape Conran which we decided to do. We followed the road by the bank of the mighty Snowy River (made famous by the Oz poet Banjo Patterson in ‘The Man From Snowy River’ which I read at school in Sydney). The river starts in the Snowy Mountains in NSW & empties into the Bass Strait, Victoria. Marlo was a tiny place with a little pier and we were surprised to hear a huffing noise from under the jetty. It was a large seal who was looking for fish. We saw him at very close range & he was looking at us. Liked his big eyes & long whiskers & we took some photos. The sun came out & the sea looked blue with the breakers crashing on the shore. Right near the mouth of the Snowy River we saw an old man panning for gold by using a suction tube to get the sediment from the river bed and putting it through a sieve. We went to Cape Conran but did not see any koalas. Did a short walk onto a beach which stretched for miles along the coastline. This area of coastline in Victoria is called the Wilderness Coast & mainly national park. Saw a dead seal on the beach. We rejoined the Princes Highway & stopped after Bell Bird Creek to do a rainforest walk. This was in an area called the Benum River Rainforest which was a tiny pocket of temperate rainforest with tree ferns, creepers and trees with a small stream. The walk was about a mile and some of it was boardwalk & the rest was forest track & dirt road. Luckily didn’t see any snakes. We were looking out for a duck billed platypus in the small stream and though we saw some holes in the bank we did not see any. I saw a small lizard on top of a mossy fallen tree trunk and Allyson took a photo of it. We continued along the Princes Highway & drove through virgin bush where the eucalyptus trees stretched for miles. This was called Alfred National Park & Croajingolong National Park. We drove down a side road to Gipsy Point which K & I had visited before – a quiet little sea inlet with a few homes, holiday cottages & boat jetty. The tourist brochure said that lyre birds & sea eagles could be seen here. We did see 3 large kangaroos lazing on a lawn in front of someone’s house. We carried on the route to Mallacoota & on the outskirts of the small town I saw a whole group of kangaroos in a field. We just got booked in at the Foreshore Camping Ground ($32 a night per pitch site) before they closed at 5pm. Nice views across the inlet to virgin bush, some tiny islands and the Howe Range hills in the distance. Had sausages for dinner. We are staying two nights here. Saturday 18 March At Mallacoota, Victoria all day After breakfast Chris & Allyson walked to the shops in Mallacoota and Keef & I went for a long walk (about 2 hours) around the campsite. This was a big site with 769 pitches but the facilities were very old fashioned but adequate. It was popular with fishing people who even brought their boats with their caravans. At one of the many boat jetties we saw a very large stingray come up to the surface looking for fish & crustaceans. It had orange spots/splodges on its brown back, orange under its wings & was about 3 feet across. Unfortunately Keef was not quick enough to get a photo before it swam down from the surface & away. We then walked out of one end of the campsite towards Shady Gully looking for koalas in the trees. We returned to the jetty on the way back but the ray had moved on. Then we called in at the camp reception office to ask about koalas & other wildlife. The man there was very chatty (he was a retired volunteer) but he did not know the type of stingray that we’d seen. Then he said that a koala had been spotted high up in a tree on the other side of the campsite so we walked along looking at the trees in the area specified. We saw it asleep & Keef took some pictures. We could hear the surf loudly crashing on the beach part-way across the inlet. By 1pm it started drizzling so we returned to the motorhome. Chris & Allyson returned and said they had found a good café to have breakfast tomorrow morning & they had seen a nice eco driftwood sculpture that they wanted to buy in a local art gallery. For lunch we had tuna wraps & salad. It was drizzly all afternoon so I did some cross-stitch embroidery (a Christmas sampler). Wi-fi was difficult to get into & was very erratic. We’ve had this problem in nearly all campsites where the free wi-fi is very restricted or it does not work unless you’re seated on the top of the nearest telecoms mast! Just as dusk I went back to look for the koala but he had moved away from the tree. On the way back to the motorhome I saw 11 kangaroos (including a rare albino one) feeding on a grassy plot across the road from the campsite & I took some photos. Chris & Allyson cooked fish on their campervan pull-out BBQ, with veggies & wine. Shame that the weather had turned overcast & showery later in the afternoon. We had some heavy rain during the night. Sunday 19 March Mallacoota to Pambula Beach, NSW Weather brighter & some hot sunshine later in the morning. We drove into the town & went to the café called Lucy’s for cooked breakfast which was tasty & coffee. We then drove through the residential area of Mallacoota where there was a sign by some woods which showed lyre birds were around, but we didn’t see any. Keef thought he saw a snake by someone’s front garden so we turned round the block to have another look but it had gone. Stopped at a car park at Double Creek where there were some very noisy bellbirds but no koalas. At Eden in New South Wales we stopped to visit the Killer Whale museum which Brian & Gina had recommended to us before the trip. It was $10 each & well worth it as we were there for a couple of hours. It showed the history of whaling in the Eden coastal region from the 1840s onwards. A pod of killer whales had helped humans to catch whales by driving the large whales into the bay towards the men in boats. The killer whales were then rewarded by the men allowing them to eat the tongue & lips of the whale (gory). Often the pod of killer whales splashed to alert the men to a nearby whale. It was the only example known in the world where the interaction of man & killer whales was for mutual benefit. The whale blubber was boiled down to create whale oil which had various uses back then, such as lamp oil (before electricity was invented) & the baleen from whales’ mouths was used for whalebone corsets of Victorian women. The locals who had rheumatism used to sit for hours in a large hole cut in the top of a dead whale where the rotting flesh meant that the temperature rose to 40c - yuk. The local people swore that this treatment did them good although a hot steam bath/sauna may have been more environmentally friendly. No doubt the horrible smell from the rotting whale meant they forgot about their rheumatism. In the bay at Eden the whalers caught a massive Blue Whale that was 93 feet long in Victorian time. The killer whales continued to help three generations of one whaling family at Eden & the whales were all given names based on the characteristics of the dorsal fin. Killer whales live to be about 37 years old on average. A skeleton of a killer whale called ‘Old Tom’ was displayed in the museum. The whole whaling industry & the rheumatism cure was pretty disgusting and repugnant to us all now. We want to preserve whales & love watching them rather than killing them. The museum also covered the local timber & tuna fishing industries. The tuna was caught off the Eden coast and then taken to Narooma further along the coast for canning then exported to the USA. There was a section on local people who had fought in France, Belgium & Gallipoli in WWI & WWII. The museum was fascinating. We drove to the harbour to take some photos & the lookout point on the steep hill but it started to drizzle & the sea mist was coming inland so the views were poor. We finished the afternoon at Pambula Beach where we stopped for one night at the Big 4 campsite $35. The site was flat, grassy and right by the sandy beach. There were several kangaroos who wandered around eating grass & were obviously used to people & vehicles. Took some photos & a video. We saw some rosellas in the tree (red, yellow & green). I nearly got knocked over when a very big grey kangaroo bounded right past me from the corner of a chalet which took me by surprise. The other grey kangaroos were quite little. Allyson saw some black cockatoos in a tree but didn’t manage to get a photo. Keef, Chris & I went swimming in the indoor heated pool – the weather had turned cool & misty/drizzly. Keef even went in the unheated outside pool. This campsite is very good for amenities (camp kitchen, BBQ, showers, pools with changing room/shower, TV room) & the fact that it’s so close to the beach. There were a couple of people surfing on the big waves but hardly anyone on the beach apart from a lone sea fisherman. In fact the campsite was less than half-full – so it felt more spacious with so few vehicles. Keef & I cooked pasta & sausages/ stewed apple & nectarines with yoghurt. There was no wi-fi as a lightning strike on the Bank Holiday Monday had damaged the power lines so Keef & I read our Kindles. Monday 20 March Pambula Beach to Dalmeny We set off along the tourist coastal route from Pambula to Tura Beach. We parked & walked to the long stretch of lovely sandy beach with hardly anyone on it. We continued on the tourist drive to Tathra, NSW and we stopped at the historic wharf/ warehouse where lots of kids & adults were fishing. There were some large rocks next to the wharf called Point Danger. The sea looked very blue & a lovely sunny day. Saw no dolphins. People were catching fish called ‘flatheads’ from the wharf & we could see lots of salmon in the clear water by the jetty. The warehouse was now a restaurant. Steamships used to call in at the wharf to deliver goods, post & passengers. We drove round the hill top down to the beach at Tathra & walked on the beach to admire the view & saw the wharf across the bay. We had our lunch at the car park by the beach & Allyson did some rolls with chicken salad & mayo- yum! Very hot at lunchtime & I could feel the intensity of the high UV rays. Then Chris & Allyson set off to meet Laura & Steve who were driving down from Sydney & the plan was for us all to meet up at a campsite in Dalmeny, which was further along the coast in NSW. Chris & Allyson hadn’t seen Laura & Steve since last summer when they came over to the UK & France. We planned on staying for two nights at Dalmeny. Keef & I did a slight detour before joining them all at the campsite at 4pm. Keef & I drove to Tilba & Central Tilba – two villages about 2km from the Princes Highway. Central Tilba is a National Truct village with Victorian buildings & pretty little front gardens with roses & lovely shrubs. We realised when we got there that we had visited the village 10 years ago! The single storey houses looked like small shops from the pavement but due to the steep hillside they were jutting out on 2 or 3 levels at the rear. We had an icecream from the village Emporium which was for sale – the owner had run the shop for over 30 years & was retiring. We noticed that a lot of the buildings in the village were for sale. We were the only tourists in the village. We continued our journey north along the Princes Highway to Narooma. Very sunny. Like a lot of coastal towns most of the houses were shuttered & closed up as they were holiday homes. Also not much work in these places either & lots of businesses & homes were for sale. Narooma has a sea inlet with a small harbour. There were no fish shops, oyster shops or restaurants. We arrived at Dalmeny Campground about 4pm & saw Laura & Steve who had just arrived & checked in to reception. Nice to see them again after 4 years. We checked in & were given a space next to C & A. Laura & Steve put their tiny tent up & then we all gathered for drinks (Laura opened some champagne), appetisers, cheeses & lots of chatting with a great view of the coast & beach below us. Just before 7pm we decided to go & get some fish & chips across the road from the campsite. We ate them overlooking the coast. They were the most expensive fish & chips takeaway that we had ever had ($21 including chips, which alone were $12 – worked out at £12.60 each). We carried on chatting until it was dark. Laura & Steve had spent 6 hours driving down from Sydney today so we were not surprised that they were tired after this long journey. Later that evening we had some heavy rain. Our pitch was already muddy from previous rainy days but it got worse overnight. Tuesday 21 March Dalmeny, NSW We stayed all morning in the campsite. Steve had organised a boat trip for us all at Wagonga Inlet , Narooma as he knew the owner of the electric boat there who did boat trips. Keef & I went in Steve & Laura’s car & Chris & Allyson drove their van. The boat was built in 1905 & had been diesel/ petrol but had been converted to electric some years ago. Electric boats are very quiet & there is no smell of diesel either. We left the jetty at 12 noon & had a very informative & humorous commentary from the 66 year old captain. He had lived all his life in the area & since a boy had fished & rowed to school in a small boat. He told us lots of yarns including his dad catching a Mako shark & a Great White Shark which had swum into the inlet after fish. There were lots of oyster beds & we found out a lot about the industry. We also saw sea eagles & their nest high up in the tree tops. He pointed out a ‘stinging tree’ which is toxic if the leaves touch your skin. The pain can be very intense & last for weeks or even months. Apparently there are 3 types of stinging tree – all in Queensland & NSW. Keef & I had heard about these trees when we went on a river trip up the Daintree in Queensland. Also Great White Sharks are now protected in Australian waters & you are not allowed to kill them. The captain also told us he had worked in a tuna canning factory in Narooma in his youth. The boat trip cost $30 per adult – well worth it & very enjoyable. As we neared the jetty it started raining & then it stopped briefly. We had tuna mayo wraps for lunch which I had prepared for everyone & sat at a picnic bench with a view of the inlet. It started raining again & got heavier. We did a short walk past the marina & jetties, which looked rather decrepit & unused apart from a couple of boats moored. We drove to an oyster shop on the other side of the bridge across the inlet & some of us bought oysters & ate them. We then parked nearby & did a boardwalk along a bay of the Wagona Inlet. By now it was pouring with rain & only Laura & Steve had sensibly brought rain jackets with them. It had been sunny when we set off from the campsite & we thought we were just going on a boat trip which had undercover seating. From the boardwalk we saw two large stingrays and a small brown one. We were quite soaked so went back to the campsite, got into dry clothes & had a cup of tea & then all chatted in Chris & Allyson’s motorhome as it was still raining. The ground by the door of our van was extremely muddy & boggy & we sunk in by about ½ inch. Gradually the weather improved & we could all sit outside again. Later on Chris & Keef cooked a lovely BBQ of beef burgers, sausages, fish, salad & cobs. Lots of stars out in the sky. Wednesday, 22 March Dalmeny to Mittagong Chris, Allyson, Laura & Steve had planned on staying on at the campsite for a bit & then travel north to Jervis Bay National Park & camp there for two days. Keef & I thought we would head inland as we’d been all along the coast in the past & wanted to take another route to Sydney. We said our farewells after breakfast & left at 9.30 to drive to Bateman’s Bay along the Princes Highway. Then we turned left to take the Kings Highway across the Great Dividing Range. We hadn’t done this route before & we drove through National Parks on both sides with eucalyptus bush stretching for miles. It was sunny, the scenery was great & it was quite a steep climb over the mountain range with steep drops at the side of the road. Some of the eucalyptus trees were very tall & there were deep valleys with a few sharp hairpin bends going up. We met a few road trains going the other way but the highway was not very busy. We reached Braidwood where we stopped for a break. Had a walk around the town looking at the heritage houses. Braidwood is a historical town with extremely wide streets, old shops, a supermarket (IGA) & a pub of course. Bought some pasta sauce from the IGA store & then drove on to Bungendore & on to historic Bywong goldmining town. When we eventually found it we were disappointed as there was not much left of the town – a couple of wooden mine shafts. We joined the Federal Highway to Goulburn. This was the first inland city in NSW & was quite big – 24,000 population. The city streets were built on a grid system and it had a big shopping centre with old Victorian & 1930s buildings & numerous churches (we counted 6 just on one street). Then we took the Hume Highway towards Sydney. We turned off the main road to a small sleepy village called Marulan where we bought some pies & a cake for lunch. A Chinese family ran the bakery & cooked everything on their premises. Another Chinese family ran the new general store (or they were all part of the same family). The buildings were very old & interesting, including the Royal Hotel & general store. It suddenly started raining very heavily with lightning. We rejoined the Hume Highway again & the rain became torrential, so much so that our windscreen wipers could hardly cope. We pulled over onto the hard shoulder as the road was awash with water & visibility was very poor. Despite this we were amazed to see lorries & cars rushing past at high speed. On downhill slopes the rain was collecting in the dips which was worrying if it became too deep to drive through. We got to Mittagong where we decided to stop for the night. The rain had stopped & we found an excellent campsite with no mud & hardstanding for the motorhome @ $35 a night. For dinner we had pasta, sausages & sauce. There were some large noisy cockatoos that made quite a racket at dusk. We saw some more lightning but no more rain & it turned into a nice evening. Thursday 23 March Mittagong to Narrabeen Lakes, Sydney, Plus NSW Railway Museum . Dry weather today. We took the country route through NSW via Balmoral & Thirlmere. We saw some old train engines & carriages behind a fence in a museum in Thirlmere. Keef took some photos. Saw some kangaroos in fields & a flock of white cockatoos. Quite a lot of farms, homesteads & horses in paddocks – very rural. We went to Warragamba Dam which I had last visited as a teenager with my family in the late 60s-70s. I remembered that there used to be a lion safari near the dam which my family had visited but this no longer existed. The dam had an excellent visitors centre & a viewing area overlooking the dam. Warragamba is one of the biggest dams in the world supplying domestic drinking water. In fact it supplies 80% of Sydney’s water. The dam’s volume of water is four times that of Sydney Harbour. It was built between 1948-1960 & 15 men lost their lives during the construction. There was a wall of plaques commemorating them. A lot of young immigrant workers were recruited to work on the dam & a whole town was built to house them. Warragamba Dam was considered to be a major engineering feat in its day. I didn’t know that Sydney also has a desalination plant to convert sea water to drinking water & is powered by the wind. We found the visitors centre was very interesting. We then headed to Narrabeen Lakes, a Big 4 campsite in Sydney which we had pre-booked for 1 night whilst in England. This was the 3rd time we had stayed at this site. We went to the local Woolies supermarket to do some shopping & it started raining. Had cheese & biscuits back at the campsite for our evening meal. Friday 24 March Narrabeen to Britz (to drop off motorhome) & then to Beacon Hill After breakfast we packed our bags & drove to our apartment in Beacon Hill (78a Beacon Hill Road) to drop off our luggage & food supplies. We were met by the owner Katrina Dell as her husband Roy was on their boat. She showed us around & explained how all the equipment worked, such as washing machine, dishwasher, coffee machine etc. She was very chatty and pleasant & said that they also owned the house adjoining the 1 bedroom apartment. They rented out the house to an English family. The landlords owned a boat & they had moved there whilst we were staying in their flat. They had previously lived on their boat for 4 years. The apartment in Beacon Hill had magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean and beach suburbs. It had a swimming pool, sundeck, BBQ & thatched dining area that Katrina called a Bali hut. The fully equipped kitchen was open plan with lounge/dining area, TV, downstairs loo and bedroom with balcony, TV & en suite bathroom. We weren’t used to this luxury after being in the motorhome & on campsites. They left milk, wine, coffee, butter & chocolates for us which was very kind. Keef was pleased we could use the De Longhi coffee machine. After Katrina had gone we put the food away & then drove the motorhome across Sydney to Botany Bay, Meadowbank. We left Beacon Hill at 12.45 & it took us almost 2 hours to get across Sydney because of the heavy traffic – such a busy city. We dropped off the motorhome at Britz reception & then saw Chris & Allyson who arrived there after us. They had travelled up from Jervis Bay which took them 3 hours along the Princes Highway. Keef negotiated a refund of $80 for a half day’s motorhome because we had been kept waiting for hours at the pick-up in Adelaide as the previous hirer had returned the van a day late. Also we said that the toaster had blown a fuse & there was a small fault with the pull-out BBQ on the outside of the van which meant that the knob on one of the gas rings didn’t work. Chris & Allyson had a nice time at Jervis Bay with Laura & Steve & they were waiting for them to come & pick them up from Britz in their car. Keef & I caught a bus outside Britz which took us to Redfern station & from there we got the train to Chatswood on Sydney’s North Shore. At Chatswood bus station there were no timetables for buses but having asked several people & bus drivers we found a bus that would take us to Beacon Hill. However, we were misinformed and when we went past my old house in French's Forest & turned somewhere I didn’t recognise I realised that we were not going the right way. Noticed also that a massive new hospital is being built on the outskirts of French's Forest called the North Shore Hospital. We had to change buses & luckily caught another one that was going the other way. This bus dropped us off at the top of the road where we were staying. It started to rain at 4pm as we walked down the hill to our apartment. Too tired to unpack our bags & Keef said he had found it stressful driving across such a busy city. I did some washing in the machine & hung it indoors on a clothes airer while keef cooked us steak, vegetables & jacket potatoes. We watched a film on TV – The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman which we had seen before. Quite a busy & tiring day. Saturday 25 March Beacon Hill, Sydney We had a relaxing morning- had showers, did some more laundry, Keef cooked us bacon, scrambled egg & baked beans, which we ate outside on the deck. The sun came out for about an hour & I put the clothes airer outside our bedroom on the balcony. Keef was sorting out finances & checking transport routes in Sydney on the laptop. The wi-fi here is quite slow. The family who live in the adjoining house have a boy (junior school age) & a teenage girl aged about 13 & they went in the pool for a bit. We had lunch (egg mayo roll & cheese & biscuits) & then watched a film ‘Eddie the Eagle’ about the ski- jumper from GB who was in the Calgary winter Olympics – a good film & true story. Then we watched an Aussie film called Red Billabong which started OK but then got ridiculously stupid with a monster terrorising people on a country homestead – a dire plot! Saw a cruise ship go along the coast at Dee Why. We did a Skype video call with Doug, Phoenix & Charlie who was bouncing around & happily showing us her new 20 piece jigsaws which she had completed- clever girl. It was so lovely to see them again & chat. Charlie had a virus with a temperature yesterday but she is OK now. She kept waving to us & telling us the animals on the jigsaws. Doug & Phoenix told us that they were going on a cruise with P’s parents at the end of June. It’s for 5 nights from Hong Kong to Japan on an American cruise ship. Charlie is only two & already she’s been to China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bali & England – very well travelled!! P’s parents have organised the cruise for them all – sounds good. Doug said he’d been to an interview with another bank this week with Standard Chartered Bank (English) & may get a second interview. It was 7pm in Singapore & 10pm here in Sydney – they signed off as their dinner was ready. Went to bed at 11.45pm. Sunday 26 March Beacon Hill & Sydney In the afternoon we caught a bus to Manly from the top of Beacon Hill Road as we were meeting Laura, Steve, Chris & Allyson in Sydney for a picnic & the opera (Carmen). The bus went to Dee Why & Warringah Mall & then to Manly Wharf. We asked at the tourist info in Manly about return buses on Sunday evening after the opera but all buses stopped by 6.20pm!!! For a big city this was ridiculously early. We took the very crowded Manly ferry across the harbour to Circular Quay. On Sundays there is a cap of $2.50 per adult to travel anywhere on the NSW transport system (bus, Manly ferry, train) which is very good value. We had bought our Opal travel cards whilst in England & they allow you to put money on the electronic travel card & then use the card to register trips on the transport system (similar to the MRT/bus cards in Singapore). The maximum daily amount you can be charged is $15. We started with $40 on each card. This is such a good idea for Sydney & NSW as you don’t need cash for travelling. From Circular Quay we walked to the Botanical Gardens where we were to meet up with our friends. Very hot today in Sydney & the gardens were tropical. When we found the Victoria Lodge Gate (which wasn’t signposted anywhere) we waited a while before Laura came to collect us. They had trouble parking the car. The venue for the opera was in the gardens opposite the Opera House & Harbour Bridge. Laura & Steve had prepared a picnic for us all & we took along a bottle of wine. The sunset was around 7pm but it was overcast & cloudy – very humid & sticky. After the food & drink we took our seats at the opera (the tickets were a Xmas gift to us from Chris & Allyson) & we were really looking forward to the performance & music. We had a good view of the stage which was like a floating pontoon with 2 access ramps on either side of the stage for the opera cast to use. There were 2 cranes either side of the stage & when the show started they swung round to deliver a tank & truck to the stage. The whole performance was spectacular & the setting of the night- time Sydney skyline, illuminated Opera House & Harbour Bridge enhanced the event. Very enjoyable show by Opera Australia. There was a 25 minute intermission. At 10 pm Keef & I had to leave 15 mins before the end as we had to walk a long way back to Circular Quay to get the last ferry at 11pm. All the gates round the Botanical Gardens were closed at dusk so we had to exit at the Victoria Gate Lodge entrance. We could not walk round the edge of Farm Cove to the Opera House which would have been a much quicker route. Instead we had to walk into the central business area past the Art Gallery & museum & past the Cahill Expressway (underground tunnel across the harbour) to Macquarie Street. On route we saw a large possum on a grassy area & took some photos. He was oblivious to us & was intent on searching for tree seeds. We made it to Circular Quay with about 10 mins to spare! Good job we left when we did. The Manly ferry left at 11pm on time & when we got to Manly we got a taxi back to Beacon Hill ($20.80. Had showers when we got back as such a humid day (80% humidity). Monday 27 March Beacon Hill Had a relaxing day in & around the swimming pool. I did some laundry & ironing. Watched some films on the TV. Keef cooked burgers on the BBQ for lunch by the Bali hut. Winds were strong in the afternoon – palm trees were swaying & weather turned cloudy – storm coming. Tuesday 28 March Beacon Hill Strong winds & heavy rain drumming on the roof woke us up during the night. Cyclone Debbie was hitting the Queensland coast around Townsville, Mackay & Airlie Beach (we had been to these coastal towns in 2008). It was a category 4 cyclone with winds recorded at 270kms/hour which is 167.7 miles per hour. The townspeople had plenty of warning about the cyclone & were told to stay indoors. There was lots of damage to houses, boats in harbours & businesses & schools were closed. The news said that this was the second worse cyclone to ever hit Queensland. We decided to go to Warringah Mall in the morning and then watch a film called ‘Lion’ at the cinema complex there. The film was a true story about an Indian boy aged 5 who was adopted by an Aussie couple in Hobart & he wanted to find his roots & family back in India. A very good film starred Dev Patel & Nicole Kidman. I got a new watch battery at the Mall & we did some food shopping at Coles before getting the bus back to Beacon Hill. Wednesday 29 March Beacon Hill Hannah & Connor came round at 3pm which we had arranged & Connor had a little dip in the pool with his swim nappy on. We had bought him a cardboard book of Australian animals which we bought yesterday at the Mall. He is 20 months old & knew shark, koala & crocodile & the colours apart from orange. We then went in Hannah’s car with them back to their apartment in North Balgowlah as Hannah had a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon. She is expecting a second child in July & knows it will be another boy. We looked after Connor whilst Hannah had her appointment. Hannah & family had just returned from a weeks holiday in Thailand. They were off on Friday for a few days to Orange, NSW for the food & drink festival which they had been to last year & really enjoyed. They’re staying in the same rented accommodation nearby as last year. David came home from work (he cycles into the city centre which takes him 40-50 mins). We hadn’t seen the family for 4 years which was the last time we’d visited them in Sydney when they lived in Vaucluse. Riley, their dog, was still as cute as ever. We took along a bottle of sparkling wine & Hannah cooked us a lovely dinner. Hannah gave us a lift back to Beacon Hill at 10.45. It was lovely seeing Hannah, David, Connor & Riley again & just before dinner we did a Skype with Brian & Gina, as it was Gina’s birthday. B & G were going to some national trust gardens for the day. Thursday 30 March Beacon Hill Rained all day non-stop & it was quite torrential at times so we decided to stay in the apartment all day. Watched some films & read our Kindles. The cleaners came 9am to do the apartment – took them 1½ hours. Friday 31 March Trip into Sydney & Darling Harbour Got bus 169 through Dee Why & past Warringah Mall to Manly Wharf & took the ferry to Circular Quay. We walked round the Quay & saw a huge cruise ship called ‘Emerald Princess’ moored at the overseas passenger terminal. We walked through the business/office district to Darling Harbour. There were lots of restaurants around the harbour & it was 12.30 so lots of business people were having lunch. As we walked along the quayside there were information boards & pictures showing what Darling Harbour used to look like. We walked all the way round to the Hard Rock café where Keef bought yet another T-shirt costing $40 to add to his collection. Then we had lunch there – we shared some chips& chicken goujons. After a rest we walked through the shopping centre called Harbourside which wasn’t very good (a few tourist tat shops etc.). We crossed back to the other side of Darling Harbour on Pyrmont Bridge, built in 1905. We caught the ferry from Darling Harbour wharf back to Circular Quay, then the Manly ferry & bus. We got wet as it was raining when we walked back down Beacon Hill Road. Turned very overcast & then the rain was torrential in the evening. Watched TV & had dinner. THE END Diary 1st - 30th April Annie at Cape Reinga, Northlands, NZ Saturday 1 April Beacon Hill A lovely warm sunny day. I did some washing & we prepared for a BBQ round the pool. Keef & I went swimming in the pool & tried to clean up some leaves from the pool after the previous nights storm. At 2pm Chris, Allyson & Laura arrived for the BBQ – burgers in cobs with cheese & bacon, chicken on skewers, green salad, red & yellow salad. Laura had brought along some homemade lamingtons- yummy- & we also had rock melon. Steve arrived later as he had some customers for his eco boat (self-drive electric powered boats for hire). We’d saved some food for Steve. They all left around 8pm in the car to return to Wollstencraft, on the north shore, where Laura & Steve live. K & I went to bed early as a busy travelling day ahead tomorrow. Sunday 2 April Beacon Hill to Broadmeadow, northern NSW Got up really early today as off to Newcastle, NSW on the train to meet my cousin Susan & husband John (Browne). I’ve not seen Susan for 45 years ( I was 18 & just returned from Australia with family. We walked to the bus stop at the top of Beacon Hill Road at 7.30am for the bus due at 7.50 to take us to Wynyard Station in Sydney CBD. The bus was 20 mins late so we were worried we would miss our train. Once at Wynyard we took a train a couple of stops to Central station & then got on a two tier train all the way to Broadmeadow, just south of Newcastle in northern NSW. The train was packed because on a Sunday you can travel on buses & trains in NSW for $2.50 per person – a bargain. The bus journey into Sydney took an hour & the trains took 2½ hours. At 11.45 we arrived at Broadmeadow station & could not see Susan & John so waited for a few minutes. We realised there was another station exit via the tunnel which gave access to a street on the other side of the railway line. Luckily Susan & John were there with their car & John said “Are you the Hellingers?” We finally met up after all these years & they were very welcoming. John drove us to their triple level duplex apartment a few miles away, just off the main Pacific Highway at Merrywhether Heights where we chatted & then had lunch (chicken thighs, salad, asparagus, giant couscous with peppers & onion & wine. Susan & John were very friendly & both were retired. They had moved to NSW from Perth, WA to be near their daughter Hannah, her husband & children. We took along a box of chocs & some red wine. Unfortunately red wine brings out a rash on their faces & they only drink white wine. The lunch was lovely & we continued catching up the years until 5.20 & then they drove us back to the station. Susan & John had just had my other two cousins Janet & Rob to stay with them for 3 weeks but they left to return to Canada 10 days before we arrived. Unfortunately we just missed the train & had to wait ¾ hr for the next one to Sydney. Another train went past heading for Brisbane which was an overnight train journey of 6 hrs from Sydney. Susan & John joined us on the platform as they realised we’d missed the train. It was lovely to meet up with them & we invited them to stay if they came to the UK. Their daughter Georgia lives in Glasgow & she is a musician (plays the flute). Keef & I read our Kindles on the return journey to Sydney as it was dark. We had seen the country towns, bush & Hawkesbury River on the journey up this morning. After arriving in Sydney we caught another train to Circular Quay & then the Manly ferry to Manly. We stopped off at KFC in Manly for a snack & then got a taxi back to our apartment at 10.10pm. A very long day & a lot of travel but worth it to meet up with my cousin. Monday 3 April Beacon Hill Did washing & ironing. We packed in the afternoon & the weather was not good enough to swim in the pool. Watched TV & read our Kindles. Tuesday 4 April Travel from to Sydney airport to Tasmania to stay with John & Diana Got up at 3.45am, showered & had a quick breakfast. Keef called an Uber taxi at 4.30am to request a pick-up & to take us to Sydney airport. We were annoyed to find a text to us from the Uber taxi driver saying he had cancelled. We had been waiting with our luggage on the pavement in the dark and rain. Keef called Uber again to order another taxi. We were not impressed with Uber – this was the first time we had used them. This time the Uber guy did turn up & was very friendly (he was a Civil Engineering student from Sri Lanka doing his Masters in Sydney & taxi driving between 5am -12 noon to earn some money). He dropped us at Terminal 2 & the Jet Star flight was ½ hour late departing. The pilot apologised for the delay stating that the plane was “messy” after returning from Tasmania & the cleaners were still cleaning. Not an efficient service. All drinks & snacks on this flight were not free. The plane eventually left at 8am. At Launceston we collected our hire car (white Toyota Yashi 4 door hatchback) & set off at 9.45am via Evendale & Campbell Town & then took the scenic route to the east coast (as recommended by Diana). Diana is Keef’s 2nd cousin & we had visited her & John twice before in 2008 & 2013 when they lived in Huonville, Tasmania. This time they had had a house built on some land near Swansea which we had not seen before. We drove to Campbell Town, an old town with a history of convicts & settlers. It had an 1836 red brick bridge built by convicts over the Elizabeth River. We visited the Tourist Info centre & had a pie & coffee in the local bakery as we’d been up for hours. At Evandale a lot of English trees had autumn tints & the air was cooler & fresher than Sydney. It felt a bit like England but the fields were bone dry & the grass was yellow due to drought. Some local Aussies said it was just coming into winter now. We saw a few Tasmanian Devils dead at the side of the road (killed at night by traffic). The roads were empty & scenery was lovely – lots of mountain ridges but few rivers & streams. We stopped at Bicheno on the coast to buy flowers & chocs for John & Diana. They are both 79 & had bought a 5 acre plot of grassland & had a house built from scratch, with the same floor plan as their previous house in the Huon valley except this time the kitchen was open-plan. Their house was very nice with white & pink roses round the verandah. Diana had given us directions to their house which was a few minutes inland from Swansea, their nearest town on the coast. We arrived at John & Diana’s at 4.30pm – a long journey travelling from 4.30am (although we had stopped for about 1+ ¾ hrs for breaks, including breakfast in Campbell Town). It was nice to see them again & we all had some tea, cake & a catch-up (we had last done a Skype with them before we left England. We stored our big bags in their garage which had recently been built. They had been busy planting trees & John had done all the internal & external painting of the house himself. Diana cooked Flathead fish fillets (Aussie fish) in breadcrumbs with salad & homemade plum pie for dessert. We went to bed at 10pm as very tired – been awake for 18¼ hours since early this morning. Wednesday 5 April Tasmania Diana cooked us a full English breakfast. We all went in the hire car to 9 Mile Beach, Spikey Bridge (built by convicts), Spikey Beach & Rocky Hill Lookout over the bay towards Freycinet National Park. Warm weather today 24c with a gentle breeze. The beaches we visited were empty, with pristine sand & no parking fees (unlike Sydney). This eastern coast of Tasmania has so many quiet, sandy beaches & small sleepy settlements with hardly any shops, cafes or restaurants. John told us that there were 8 areas on the island where the water was unsafe to drink so people had to boil water or buy bottled water – not very 21st century. Tasmania does not seem to cater much for tourists compared to mainland Australia & we think it’s behind the times (40 years behind!). I expect a lot of Tasmanians like it this way – sleepy with not much going on. Certainly compared to having just left Sydney where people rushing around the massive city & suburbs must raise stress levels We noticed no wind farms at all on our car journeys & no solar panels on people’s roofs. Even petrol stations are few & far between & public transport was not visible. Wi-fi is not available in some small settlements & our sat-nav kept saying ‘GPS signal lost’ when we were in the country. There is only one road down the east coast by the Tasman Sea– the Tasman Highway- and there’s not much work available with mainly retired people living here. Keef & I like Tassie as it’s so different from the mainland & this is our 3rd visit. Most Aussies we’ve talked to in various States have never been to Tassie. It takes John & Diana 2 hours by car to reach Hobart or Launceston where they do their main shopping. Swansea does have a school, small library, 2 small IGA supermarkets, petrol station, fish & chip shop, a small museum & tourist info in the old schoolhouse, plus a motel & backpackers hostel. The seafood restaurant & hairdressers had closed down. There were a lot of houses & land for sale. John & Diana live about ½ mile from the main coastal road & near them there some new homes being built on large plots of land. Lots of fields nearby with long tinder dry grass & bush further away. Keef & I took lots of photos & we all returned back to John & Diana’s for tea & homemade walnut cake (Mary Berry had better watch out!) For dinner John cooked two delicious curries – chicken korma & beef rojan josh, with lentil dahl, poppadoms & naan bread. Watched TV for the rest of the evening. Thursday 6 April Tasmania Warm weather again. Diana cooked pancakes & maple syrup for breakfast. I seem to have picked up germs from the plane – have a cold, runny nose & stye on my inner eyelid. This is the second cold I’ve had on this big trip. We went out for the day to Freycinet National park, north of Swansea. We parked at the Visitors Centre & as J & D had an annual parks pass, we checked with the park staff that we could use it on the hire car – normal cost would be $24 per vehicle. This was twice the price of a day pass in other National Parks on the mainland. Took a photo of a stuffed wombat in the visitors centre – will email it to Charlie & Edie. We did a walk through the trees down to the bay and beach. Beautiful views – boats moored in crystal clear waters & the very large rocky isthmus called The Hazards. The walk to the famous Wineglass Bay takes 2 hours each way & is very arduous as it cuts across the isthmus, so we decided against this. We drove along a winding mountain road with ravines & bush on one side to Tourville Lighthouse where there was a circular boardwalk from the car park. There were spectacular views of the other side of The Hazards, a bit of Wineglass Bay & looking across the Tasman Sea. Didn’t see any whales or dolphins. We drove to Coles bay, a small settlement with few shops. From Coles Bay it’s 1,000kms to South Island, New Zealand. Had coffee & cake in a café. Lots of wasps around here. There were several holiday homes & a boat launch. Keef drove back to Swansea pier & jetty where we took some photos. John cooked prawn lasse, a Singapore dish, with soup, noodles, beans & prawns which we’d not had before – will have to do this recipe when we get home. Diana produced a homemade apricot pie with icecream. Waistbands were straining – slumped in front of the TV. Friday 7 April Tasmania Drove along the coast in a southerly direction towards Orford. We stopped at Triabunna Marina to look at the boats – fishing & leisure. Crayfish & prawns are fished from here. There’s a ferry to Maria island $50 per person which was a bit expensive. The Parks department are trying to introduce & breed Tasmanian Devils & wombats on the island. There used to be a penal colony there. A 4 hr boat trip with lunch cost $195 per person (or £121 pp)- all far too expensive. Before we left the UK Keef & I had seen a TV series on Australian islands with Martin Clunes as the presenter & Maria Island was one of the episodes. Whilst walking round the marina we noticed the smell of burning in the air & a smoke haze. Apparently the grass in the Hobart area was being burnt off to prevent bushfires but the wind was spreading the smoke halfway up the island. Apparently the fire brigade do the burning off. Unfortunately the smoke haze ruined the views of Freycinet & the inland mountains today. Just as well we saw Freycinet yesterday. We drove to Orford along the Tasman Highway & went into a café for coffee & cake. Apart from the café there’s a restaurant, a bridge over a river, a petrol station & some houses. We returned back along the highway a short distance & parked at Raspins Spit beach. This was named after a settler family called Raspins. We walked along the beautiful beach (hardly anyone around) which was full of shells & empty crab shells. We returned to Swansea & went into the small museum there which was housed in the old school & schoolhouse attached. Interesting history of settlers & convicts in the area. Went back to J & D’s for tea & cake. Diana cooked chicken breasts with mushroom sauce, vegs & potatoes dauphinoise & we ate the last of the apricot pie with homemade vanilla ice-cream. Went to bed at 10pm as getting up early tomorrow. Saturday 8 April Tasmania to Sydney Got up at 4.45am & still dark. Had showers & muesli for breakfast. John & Diana got up too. We said our farewells & thanked them for looking after us so well (the seat belts on the plane might be a little tight going back to Sydney). Yesterday John had kindly given us a painting of Wineglass Bay which he had done & it was carefully wrapped up at the bottom of one of the big bags. It was just beginning to get light outside & a lovely sunrise. We set off through Swansea north & took the Lake Leake road through the countryside which goes through Campbell Town. The direct journey took 2 hours to the airport. Saw lots of grey wallabies eating grass at the side of the road + a few dead ones too. Stopped on route very briefly at Campbell Town bakery again & bought 2 bacon & egg flans to eat at the airport. Once we hit the Midland Highway at Campbell Town the road was easier to drive as it was straighter. Keef got stopped by the Police doing 80kms in a 40kms temporary speed limit area where people were just setting up traffic cones in preparation for the Tasmanian speed car race today at Symonds Flat. Two policemen stopped us & one of them had a radar gun. K gave them his driving license & they saw we were British tourists. Luckily Keef got a warning letter & a telling off (the policeman said he needed a “kick up the bum” & he had “avoided a hefty fine”. They probably let him off because the reduced speed limit signs were not much in evidence apart from one by the main entrance to the racetrack & there was no warning further back the state highway of changed speed restrictions for the day. Relieved we did not get a massive fine. After that bit of excitement we checked in the hire car at Launceston airport (we had driven 680kms total in Tasmania). We ate our bacon & egg flans & got our flight to Sydney at 9.30am which took 1½ hrs. When we arrived in Sydney we had to wait quite a while for our hotel shuttle bus. Eventually we got into our hotel room at 1pm. Checked our e-mails & the BBQ invite for later that day from Chris, Allyson, Laura & Steve was cancelled as Steve was renting out his eco boats again. Just as well, because we were tired having got up before dawn & we would have had to get a taxi back to the airport, a train into Sydney, a ferry to Woolwich on the North Shore which would have been a further 2 hrs+ travelling. Also my cold & stye problem in my left eye over the last 3 days was not so good (Diana had given me a soothing eye lotion to use). Hope no one catches my germs. We booked our hotel in England – Ibis Budget – a compact room with wet room ensuite, TV on wall & kettle for tea etc. We went out for a late lunch to Kentucky Fried Chicken 2 mins walk away. At the hotel reception we booked our hotel shuttle bus for 7.50am the next day to Terminal 1 for the flight to Auckland. Read our Kindles & went down to the lobby seating area to read the newspapers. At 7.45pm we popped out for a coffee & doughnuts at Krispie Kreme Doughnuts (USA company). The coffee was Ok but the doughnuts were dire – sickly- yuk- never eat these again! This was our evening meal too. Things got even worse. When we got back to the hotel one of the two lifts wasn’t working. E-mail from Leanne to tell us that Keef had received a letter in England saying he had to pay a speeding fine from the police in Portland, Victoria!!!! Oh dear. Fine was $194/ £113.15. He had driven the motorhome 6kms per hour over the 60kms speed limit. To compensate for this additional trauma, Leanne sent a nice photo of Craig holding Edie who was wearing his sunglasses. Keef was in the dog house. Watched TV. Things got even worse. At midnight the hotel fire alarms went off. The fire brigade arrived with blue lights flashing – turned out to be a false alarm (probably someone smoking in their room set it off). After all that it took me ages to get to sleep & another early start tomorrow as we’re flying to New Zealand. Sunday 9 April Sydney to Auckland Got up at at 6.35am & had our showers & tea. Trying to take our bags down in the lift took a while because the other lift was still out of order from yesterday. We got the shuttle bus from our hotel to Terminal 1 at Sydney airport. The airport was very busy as people were travelling because of Easter next week. Queued up for ages at the Quantas desk & took even longer to go through passport control & security. Chaos - the flights were all late & the plane going to Bali changed its departure gate twice. Then the planes by the gates had to change areas & the announcement on the public address system said that the planes & late planes had caused overcrowding on the tarmac. All very confusing for passengers. A Japanese elderly couple stupidly lost their carry-on bag & were fretting about it to the airport staff & wandering about looking for it! Because of this they held up their plane to Singapore as all the other passengers had already boarded. They never found the bag as they could not retrace their movements & were frog marched through the departure gate by the airport staff. Goodness knows what became of the ‘unattended baggage’. Our plane was delayed by 45 minutes. Met up with Chris & Allyson who were sad to leave Laura & Steve. Whilst we were in Tasmania they had gone with L & S to Parkes, inland NSW, to see the radio telescope/ museum there & had stayed at a rented homestead. They went on to the Blue Mountains & did some bush walking near the Three Sisters at Katoomba & also near Wentworth Falls. The plane left Sydney at 12 noon & we got a good view of Botany Bay, the harbour & sandy beaches as we headed for Auckland. The flight took 2½ hrs & we had to turn our watches forward 2 hours. Had lunch & an icecream on the Quantas plane. It was quite a small plane with 3 seats on either side of the aisle. Watched some films during the journey. When we arrived at Auckland we queued for over an hour waiting to go through the bio-hazard checks on people’s luggage. There are very strict regulations in NZ about not bringing food, soil, honey, insects, plants etc. As Chris & Allyson had done some bush walking in NSW they had to declare this (or $400 NZ fine) & then they had their shoes checked by the bio-hazard staff for soil & backpack checked for insects/food. We seemed to have spent half the day queuing & hanging around airports. When we were finally waiting for our shuttle bus outside it got dark- it was 6pm by now. We arrived at the Kiwi Motel (shuttle bus cost us $6 each) & checked in which was fairly quick. Keef & I had stayed at this motel on two previous occasions in the past. Our room was spacious with TV & ensuite shower. Had showers & then we all went for dinner at 8pm. I had Italian chicken with mushrooms & cream sauce & the others all had curry & rice. Another guest gave us a bottle of white Auckland wine & a bottle of beer as they were flying out tomorrow & couldn’t take the drinks with them. The staff at reception & the restaurant were friendly & helpful. In fact the receptionist gave us all some free airport shuttle bus tickets for the next day as we were all aged over 50 – result!!!! Very kind of them. We all felt tired so returned to our rooms & shared the wine. I spotted a large green praying mantis on the fabric headboard attached to the bed! Keef took some photos & then I scooped it onto a tissue & put it outside on the window ledge. Tomorrow afternoon we’re flying to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Monday 10 April Auckland to Rarotonga, Cook Islands Our flight to Rarotonga in the South Pacific was not part of our round the world ticket & Keef had to book this separately in England. The plane left Auckland at 4.30pm ( Virgin Australia) & it took 4 hours. We arrived at 10.30pm & apart from turning our watches forward 2 hours we had crossed the international date line. This meant we gained a day but would lose it on our return to Auckland – found it difficult to get my head round this time travel. By the time we cleared customs & bio-hazard questions we collected our hire car which we’d booked in England. We were staying in the Raina Beach House, Titikaveka & it proved tricky to find in the dark as not well signposted. Eventually at midnight we found the right house & had a cup of tea as we were so thirsty (we were not allowed to bring any water into the country). Had a cool shower before turning in. Monday again/ Groundhog Day We all unpacked our bags. I did some laundry & we went for a dip in the lagoon right outside our holiday house. There was a narrow sandy beach at the bottom of some steps from the garden. Beautiful day. Chris got one of the 2 canoes from the garden & went off paddling. I saw lots of sea cucumbers on the sandy sea bed & had to be careful not to tread on them. The water in the lagoon was warm & the coral reef was some distance away but very loud surf. The wall of water breaking over the reef was visible from the shore. Chris, Allyson & Keef saw some brightly coloured fish. After swimming we drove into Avarua, the main town in Rarotonga (also the capital of the Cook Islands). We went past the long white bungalow that was the Cook Islands Parliament. The Queen has a representative here although the Cooks became independent in 1967 (50 years ago). The NZ government helps to ‘administer’ & assist when required to do so. There’s also a NZ High Commission here. We had lunch near the harbour sitting outside a small shack, next to lots of other eateries. The food was excellent – Chris & Allyson had fish of the day with rice & salad, Keef had chicken with peanut butter sauce, salad & rice & I had a toasted cheese & ham sandwich. Keef & I were very thirsty was it was getting very hot so we shared a litre of tropical fruit juice. We walked along to the small harbour with a few small ships moored. One ship was loading cargo to be shipped to one of the other 14 islands in the Cooks. Rarotonga is the main island in the group so has the post office & airport link with New Zealand. There was a cruise ship moored out in the bay. We went to a supermarket for food shopping. Prices were high as most goods were imported apart from local produce. We returned to the beach house & had another swim in the lagoon. Snorkel equipment was provided @ $5NZ a day. The currency is Kiwi dollars apart from a one, two & three dollar coin. The $2 coin was triangular in shape (decided to keep one as a souvenir). We all sat out on the wooden decking – beautiful view of the lagoon & reef. Later on Chris & Keef had a toast sandwich but Allyson & I weren’t hungry. It gets dark about 6pm here but there was no sunset tonight. Apparently the best sunsets are on the east of the island. Lovely & relaxing listening to the waves lapping on the beach & the distant surf pounding on the reef. Chris did some star gazing when the clouds cleared. Tuesday 11 April Rarotonga The big waves crashing on the reef today meant that the sand was churned up in the lagoon. Also the sea came up almost to the top of the narrow beach. Chris, Allyson & Keef went snorkeling whilst I paddled. After breakfast & showers we drove back into Avarua along the west coast. We looked at the shops, including gift & pearl shops & saw the new Court House building. Also walked past Banana Court, which was a hotel built in 1905. In those days there weren’t many shops & houses & a photo board outside the building showed the main street in 1905 with mainly palm trees, vegetation & not much else. The airport was built in the early 1970s which brought in more tourists, especially from New Zealand. Now the main street has one & two storey buildings, apart from the tall Court House. The people were very friendly & helpful. Went into the tourist info & Allyson looked at the pearl shops. The black pearls are cultured pearls farmed on one of the other islands. The locals all greet everyone with Kia Orana (hello) & many local women wear floral garlands on their heads. The language spoken is similar to Maori. Keef & I thought that Rarotonga looked more prosperous than Vanua Levu (Fiji), Western Samoa and Tonga & the homes looked more sturdily built with well-kept gardens. A lot of the locals use mopeds to get around & to go to work. We went to Trader Jacks, a bar by the sea, & had some drinks & then drove back through town to a micro brewery run by a local family. On the walls were framed black & white photos of the town in the early days. There were lots of free range chickens wandering round the streets. Cockerels start crowing before dawn at 5am (I was woken up on our first morning). Not seen any pigs wandering about like they do in other Pacific islands. There is one main road round the island which is 32kms long/20 mls & also an inner road which goes part of the way round. The island was once volcanic & has some tall peaks now covered in rainforest. We saw volcanic black lava remains on our local beach. The island is popular for weddings/ honeymoons & probably a lot of Aussies & Kiwis go there. We drove back to the beach house & at 5pm started cooking the marinated chicken pieces we’d bought in the supermarket. The gas oven ignited but would not stay on so we had to use the electric oven to pre-cook the chicken before putting it on the BBQ. Had salad & some huge rolls from the local bakery with the chicken. Allyson & I wrote our diaries (I had to catch up since we flew from Auckland) & we read our Kindles. Raining outside so we sat indoors. During the night there was a massive rain storm with strong winds. The torrential rain woke us up as well as the doors rattling. Keef got back to sleep. At 4 am I wandered round the house checking that the glass louvres on the windows were not letting the rain in. Still awake at 6.45am when the lightning started & then came the thunder at 7.30. Eventually I dropped off to sleep & slept in until 10.45am!! Before we left Auckland we heard about a tropical cyclone forming in the Vanuatu area expected to be Category 3. It was named Cyclone Cook but as it was much further to the north of the Cooks we were not bothered about it reaching us, although the stormy weather meant that we were getting the peripheral wind & rain. Before we booked the Cook Islands part of the trip I checked when the cyclone season started & ended - November- March. Wednesday 12 April Rarotonga Had a late breakfast. Chris & Keef went snorkeling but saw no fish as the strong winds had stirred up the sand in the lagoon. I read my Kindle on the chaise longue on the decking (Bill Bryson’s ‘One Summer’ about events in the USA in 1927. We all decided to visit the botanical gardens & walked there as it was near the beach house. Very tropical & well-kept even though the ground was a little soggy in places after last night’s storm. Most of the heavy rain had drained away – no wonder there is dense rainforest in the centre of the island. We took lots of photos then went to the café in the gardens to sample their ‘world famous’ lemon meringue cheesecake pie with two scoops of vanilla ice-cream & fresh tropical fruit slices – yummy. We all walked back to the beach house for a cup of tea. At 5pm we set off by car to see a children’s singing & dancing show in Avarua. The lady at the tourist info centre recommended the show to us, as there would be traditional songs & dances by teams of local schoolchildren competing. We went to the second evening of the competition & the event was held in the Cultural Centre arena – a big building with a large stage, & tiered seating around three sides with wooden louvre shutters to let the breeze in & rows of seating in front of the stage. Lots of families were eating snacks from the food stalls outside the arena. The tickets cost $10 per person & although tourist info told us the show started at 6pm it didn’t start until 6.30pm. Chris & Allyson had booked us all in to a local restaurant called Little Polynesian (a small resort as well) at 7.30 so unfortunately we all had to leave after 45 mins during the intermission. The competition was wonderful as the children of varying ages sang traditional Cook Islands songs & danced accompanied by drums & ukuleles. The boys & girls wore traditional Cook Islands grass skirts with the girls having flower garlands in their hair. A lot of women in the audience also wore floral garlands. We saw two school teams perform & they ranged in age from nursery to teens. The little 3 & 4 year olds looked so sweet in their grass skirts & most of them hadn’t a clue about the singing/dancing but stood near the edge of the stage with their teacher. The teachers & some of the teenagers stood at the back & played the music. The audience were told not to take photos or videos because of the young children performing. It was well worth seeing the performances even though it was cut short by our departure. Drove back to the Little Polynesian & had a nice two course meal under an open fale with palm thatched roof on the terrace next to the swimming pool. I had smoked marlin fishcakes with a lime hollandaise sauce & homemade chutney as the starter & then chicken breast stuffed with island spinach served with rice & vegetables. We all enjoyed our mneals & then Keef drove us back along the main road to the beach house. We had a cup of tea & Allyson & I caught up with our diaries. There was wi-fi at the house but there were charges so we didn’t think it was worth doing for 7 days & would probably have been too slow anyway. We could catch up with friends & family when we returned to Auckland. During the night there was more heavy rain drumming on the roof & the wind increased. Don’t think I’ve had a proper nights sleep since I arrived here due to storms, thunder & cockerels. Also I got badly bitten on my arms & legs when we were at the botanical gardens today & they were itchy at night. Keef didn’t sleep that well either. Thursday 13 April Rarotonga I was woken at 8.25am by the cockerel crowing in the garden. The chickens are free range & I’m thinking of guiding them towards the oven, especially that cockerel. Had a shower & sat on the decking & read my Kindle. The others all went snorkeling. Chris showed Keef & I some tropical fish on his underwater videocam. Rain showers. The two guys next door who did the cleaning & changed the towels brought us bananas, coconut & today they brought another coconut & a large chunk of jackfruit. It was overcast & rainy for most of the day with the occasional dry period. Keef & I did some tourist stuff in the car & Chris & Allyson went for a long walk along the coast road & a road up to Wigmore’s Waterfall. It was named after a landowner here. Keef & I drove along the coast road on the east side of the island through Muri, a tourist area with some small resorts, cafes, burger bar, beach bars etc. We stopped at a church in Matavera but it started raining again. We stopped in Avarua again & saw a very old church c 1834 which had walls 3 feet thick to withstand the annual cyclones. The local chief had a gravestone by the main door & his ‘Palace of Makea’ was a large wooden building opposite the church in a grassy field but this was closed. We then went to the Museum of the Cook Islands (+library) in Avarua but this was closed for Easter. In the gardens there was an original outrigger canoe on display under cover. Across the road was the small University of the South Pacific which was also closed for Easter (students have to pay tuition fees there). We walked into the main reception area where there were some replicas of traditional wooden canoes & carved wooden statues, plus a board which listed all the graduates for that year. Obviously a very small uni as there were not that many names listed. We drove to the Takamoa Theological College through impressive large wrought iron gates to a large lawned area by a car park. The white colonial building in the grounds was the original headquarters of the Church Missionary Society in the Cook Islands. On a stone monument at the front of the building was a list of all the missionaries & quite a lot of them were converted local people who were sent out to other islands to preach & convert the people. The monument listed several missionaries who were ‘martyred’ – i.e killed by the locals & eaten. Quite a dangerous career being a missionary in these parts. Sailors used to fear being shipwrecked on these South Pacific islands because they knew they would be killed & eaten – they called the islands the ‘cannibal isles’. We visited the National Museum in another part of the main town and it was open today – hooray! We were hoping to find out about the people & their culture. Some interesting old black & white photos of local chiefs & missionaries – all in Victorian clothes & suits – how they managed wearing long sleeved heavy serge suits & dresses with jackets in the heat & humidity I don’t know. The Victorians loved to put their own cultural values above those of the locals – would the Cook Islanders be considered to be ‘converted to God’ by dressing the same as the British? Why didn’t the Brits relax their dress & wear loose linen clothes in this climate? Mad dogs & Englishmen phrase comes to mind. We also saw some wood artifacts – carved statues, weapons, a stool with serrated shell tied on the front for scraping out coconuts (genius design) & some beautiful woven fine straw hats made by local crafts people. A lot of the museum had an exhibition about Cook Islanders who had served in WWI in France, Gallipoli & North Africa. A lot of them died of malaria & some died in the trenches in France. Some came from Rarotonga & a few were from the outlying islands & each soldier had a photo on the wall. The Islanders were used as navvies to dig the trenches as the British did not want to train them to handle guns & Munitions. These men were very young and had all volunteered to go to war, even though it was on the other side of the world & in the middle of nowhere. Strange that they felt so compelled to enlist in a war that had no immediate effect on them, their families or environment & yet did they feel a sense of duty to the Commonwealth & Britain to do so? Some of the men were buried in war graves in France. Several received bravery awards – the Military Medal & Distinguished Service Cross. ANZAC day is commemorated in this museum in Rarotonga. Keef & I returned to the beach house around dusk & later Chris & Keef drove to get us all some fish & chips which we ate indoors. Friday 14 April Good Friday Rarotonga Weather still overcast & rainy but the sea was clear for snorkeling & kayaking. Chris & Allyson did a walk along the coast road to Muri & K & I drove around the inner road. We visited the same waterfall as C & A & there were people sitting in the pool on a ledge at the bottom of the waterfall, which was not very high. A girl told us that the pool was 8 feet deep & she dived off the ledge as the locals said it was OK to do so. Along the inner ring road were houses, small fields of taro, papaya, cassava & orange trees. We saw a breadfruit tree with large fruit like melons. Also saw small goats, a couple of cows & some pigs tied to a tree with a long leash of rope. We noticed that so many houses had shipping containers in the front gardens. We thought that these were used as emergency quarters during a cyclone but would not be much good for a tsunami. There is a tsunami escape route on the south side of the island which is a road built especially towards higher ground. There are also tsunami sirens that act as a warning to the population. We came out at Avarua along the inner ring road and passed a cinema where families were just leaving & tucking into fast food at stalls located outside. We took some photos of the Cook Islands Parliament building. Drove back along the east coast looking for Chris & Allyson walking back as there were no buses on Good Friday. Didn’t see them, so we returned to the beach house & found they had just got back from their walk. Keef cooked spiced kumara (NZ variety of sweet potato) & omelettes & I made a salad using up the leftovers as we were returning to NZ on Sunday evening. TO BE CONTINUED APRIL DIARY CONTINUED Saturday 15 April Rarotonga Much better weather today (we must have caught the far edge of the Vanuatu cyclone to the NW of us. We had an early breakfast & drove into Avarua for the weekly market. Lots of colourful market stalls selling everything from black pearls/ shell jewelry, handmade ukuleles, straw hats, food, smoothies, beach wraps (pareo), clothing etc. There were performers who did a show on the raised stage – adults & older children who sang, danced & played various styles of drum. The drummers had won lots of annual music awards representing the Cook Is in South Pacific competitions, including every year for the past 5 years. There was a voluntary collection of money from the audience which went towards travel expenses of local children doing a school pupil swap in USA, Oz & NZ so they could see other parts of the world. The entertainment was great, they allowed photos/videos to be taken & in between light drizzle showers the sun came out. Very high U.V & also became extremely humid. Had a lovely fruit smoothie at a market stall. Allyson bought some black pearl gifts for her family & some small artwork prints. We all walked along to the Tourist Info to ask about a music afternoon at the beach from 2.30-9.30 that we’d heard about. She wasn’t clear about it, so sounded a bit hit & miss. Walked on to Trader Jacks bar for a drink but they were closed (why on a Saturday afternoon?) Walked back to Foodland supermarket & bought some cereal & fruit juice, then drove to the lager micro brewery again on the outskirts of town. Humidity today has been excessive & as we have no internet we’ve no idea of temperatures. Thought we’d return to the beach house & a welcome swim in the lagoon to cool off. Very refreshing having dripped sweat all afternoon. Chris & Allyson decided to take the car & drive along the inner ring road which we said was worth an explore & told them about the missionary colonial building in Avarua. On the way back they had spotted a popular burger bar in Muri which would be ideal for the evening meal. We all had cup of tea & showers & went to the burger bar. Decided to bring the food back to the house as the wet weather had increased the mosquito population. Very nice burgers. We all did some packing, had showers again & went to bed. Sunday 16 April Rarotonga to Auckland Got up at 8am & the phone rang at 8.15. When I answered it was Tanya (the beach house owner) contacting us about our departure. Yesterday Keef had negotiated an extension to 11am for us to stay on longer than 10am as Tanya had told him that new visitors were arriving at 2pm today. She rang today to change this, saying for an additional cost we could stay until 7pm tonight. Our flight back to Auckland was at 11.15pm so it would be much better for us to stay here all day than to load up the hire car with all our bags & spend hours in a bar. C & A thought this was a good idea too, so we agreed to extend the rental until 7pm & then the male cleaners could come in then. Keef & I went to put some fuel in the car at the local garage & shop. We bought 2 oranges (they were green on the outside but still looked like oranges inside). We heard singing in the local church which was beautiful, so got our camera & Allyson’s camera to take some photos of the locals in the church, one of the oldest in Rarotonga. We looked through the open windows & everyone was in their Sunday best with flower garlands/straw hats worn by the women. Saw some NZ tourists that we’d met on the beach the other day sitting on a pew. Spent the rest of the day relaxing, taking photos, watching kite surfers, a canoeist on an outrigger canoe, beach walking & reading. For lunch we had smoked marlin slices on toast & leftover nibbles & fruit. Keef & I had booked the restaurant at the Little Polynesian resort again for 7.15pm. We had showers, completed our last minute packing, then drove along to the restaurant. Had a nice meal & chatted to our waitress who was from Fiji. I had marlin fishcakes again, chicken salad & vanilla bean brulee with alcohol infused pineapple pieces. We set off to the airport. It was 28c & very humid. We’d had rain showers during the meal & at the airport. The plane was delayed an hour – it had come from Sydney via Auckland – so we didn’t leave Rarotonga until 12.15. The airline was Virgin Australia & not much room in the seats or leg room. I was seated next to the window & as it was dark there was no view at take-off. Tried to sleep after completing the NZ arrival bio-hazard security cards with the long list of what you could not bring into the country. Probably managed about 1½ hrs sleep. International date line Missed Monday 17th The flight took 4 hours to Auckland & as we crossed the international date line again we lost a day – Easter Monday. When we landed it was Tuesday 2.30am. We got through the bio-security check at Auckland airport very quickly this time & then went to collect our 3rd bag which we had left at Left Luggage for that week. Eventually the guy there found our bag & we got a taxi to the Airport Gateway Hotel at 3.45am. Knackered & went to bed. Tuesday 18 April Auckland, North Island Slept well until 9am & so did Chris & Allyson. It was a good idea to stay at the hotel near the airport as it was open 24/7. The receptionist ordered us a taxi into the city centre, to the Ramada Hotel. We went to the café next door for a coffee & snack & were joined by Chris & Allyson. Then we all walked down towards the harbour & went to the transport centre (Brittomart) to find out about buses. We decided it wasn’t worth getting an electronic bus pass for only 3 days in Auckland. Allyson booked tickets on her phone to see a laser light show with Pink Floyd music. It was held at 7.30pm at the Stardome, One Tree Hill Domain near Newmarket, a suburb of Auckland. We planned on getting a bus to see the show that evening. Walked to the ferry terminal & looked at the harbour trips/ferry to Rangitoto Island. Keef & I had been to Auckland twice before so Chris & Allyson did some sightseeing round the harbour & city centre & we did a short walk along the harbour front & then returned to our hotel to catch up on our e-mails & online banking as we had no wi-fi in the Cook Islands. I did some laundry as there was a washing machine & dryer in the ensuite bathroom (I picked the hotel because of this & also it was in the city centre so we didn’t need a bus). At 6pm we all met up in the hotel reception & walked to the bus stop. Caught a bus out to Newmarket, a residential area with a few shops. Had some fast food – I had hoki fish & chips & the others had Turkish kebabs. Walked to the Stardome nearby & had a glass of wine (included in the ticket). The music/laser light show started dead on time at 7.30pm & our seats tilted back so we were gazing at the domed ceiling. It was amazing – music was Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd & the coloured laser lights were brilliant, projecting complicated pattern on the ceiling a bit like a childs kaleidoscope. There was an intermission where we had another glass of wine & some savoury nibbles. Chatted to a bloke who was South African living in Auckland. Part 2 of the show was The Wall with graphics & lasers. We all thoroughly enjoyed the show & then caught a bus back to the city centre at 10.45pm. I have finally got rid of the cold that I caught in Tassie – hooray! Wednesday 19 April Auckland Amazed to read in the tourist/map booklet that one third of New Zealand’s population lives in Auckland – i.e over 4 million. Chris & Allyson were keen to do the coast to coast walk today - 16kms across the city & suburbs (4- 5 hr hike) so Keef & I booked tickets to go to Rangitoto Island on the ferry & do the Volcanic Explorer tour. As we had some time before getting the 12.15am ferry we walked along the harbour towards the marina & fish market. There was a large cruise liner in dock called the Emerald princess which we’d seen in Sydney. Very sunny weather today. Silo Park was the marina area & there was a lift-up vehicle & pedestrian bridge which let large tall yachts through from the harbour to the moorings. Bumped into Sarah, the daughter of Pete & Sue, who had been back-packing around NZ. Chris & Allyson knew that she was in Auckland & were hoping to meet up with her. We invited her to join us all at a Korean BBQ restaurant around 7pm that evening. She said she would contact Allyson to confirm the meal was arranged. Keef & I got the ferry to Rangitoto, an island in the Hauraki Gulf beyond Auckland harbour. The island was an extinct volcano which had erupted from the sea bed 600 years ago (in the 14th c) in two massive explosions 10-15 years apart. It’s the largest volcano in the Auckland area with its cone rising 260m (850 ft) high. Apparently local Maori tribes (ini) were present at the time of the eruptions as human footprints were found between layers of volcanic ash. The island is managed by the Department of Conservation & has a ranger living on it in a small house, although there is no water or electricity available. We got on a tourist road train pulled by a tractor & the ranger took us on a tour around the island & gave an interesting commentary. We saw lava fields – black clinker which was very rocky & would have been extremely difficult to walk across. Prisoners had built the road round the island by flattening the lava rock in the 1920. A lot of the island is forest & shrubs – it was surprising that plants could grow in that environment. The island has NZ’s largest Pohutukawa tree forest (this tree has amazing red flowers at Christmas time). The road train stopped at the base of the volcano summit & we started to climb the 300 wooden steps towards the crater rim. It was hard work climbing & Keef had to give up halfway through because of his bad knees. I took the camera & carried on & it took me another ½ hour of climbing to reach the top. I took photos of the 360 degree panoramic views of Auckland, the Hauraki Gulf & islands & a container ship. After a few minutes of catching my breath, I started the descent as the warden on the tour said we had to be back by 2.30 prompt. It took me another 30 minutes to rush back. The steps were each 9” high – so hard work. The rest of the island tour took us past mangroves & views of Auckland across the sea. The ferry returning to Auckland was very packed & the wind made the sea quite choppy. In the evening we went with C & A to meet Sarah at the Korean BBQ restaurant at 7.10pm. The place was busy & on each table was a wok & gas burner. We selected various meats & vegetables from the buffet to cook in the wok & you could choose various sauces, rice & noodles as well. You could go back to the buffet as much as you liked. Sarah said she liked NZ & had stayed in backpacker hostels. She was flying on to Sydney early the next morning. We had a nice evening & meal. Thursday 20 April Auckland Keef & I had never visited Devonport, a Victorian seaside town across the harbour from the city, so we wanted to see it this trip. Took the ferry across (only 15mins) to the small town & wandered around the shops & bought some gifts for the family. There is an extinct volcano behind the town called Mount Victoria, plus two other smaller ones. Mount Victoria looked like a small grassy hill. There is the NZ naval base near Devonport as well. The town seemed laid-back with a relaxed vibe & it had several small beaches. Its painted wooden Victorian villas only cost $1.5 million- $2.5m in the estate agent window. I had my hair cut in a local hairdressers (only $30 - £15.50). Visited several craft shops & we had lunch in a café (beef lasagna, chips & coffee). We caught the ferry back to the city & got a bus to the National Art Gallery. We spent 1½ hours there. Saw some amazing life-like oil paintings of Māori chiefs & elders, including women. Two people were 102 years old with black facial tattoos. Also the gallery had a Monet & Picasso painting & Barbara Hepworth sculpture. Not impressed with modern NZ art & the video portraits of people. Keef had tummy trouble so we didn’t go out for another meal & just had a sandwich & some salad which we ate back at the hotel. Chris & Allyson had had a good day – they had got the ferry to Rangitoto & walked to the crater (2hrs return). Keef rang his Mum for 25 mins (Skype call). E-mailed the rest of our family & checked our e-mails. Friday 21 April Auckland to Orewa Got up at 7am & had showers & breakfast in our room (no restaurant in this hotel). At 10am we got a taxi to take us to Britz Motorhomes which was near the airport. Having checked that we had all got the right equipment supplied with our two vans, we set off across Auckland to join the A1 motorway to Orewa, north of the city. At 1pm we checked in at the Top 10 campsite first to book our pitches, did the food shopping at Countdown & then returned to the campsite. Had sandwich/crisps for lunch at 3pm. Then we unpacked our bags & sorted ourselves out. Our motorhome is a Britz 2 person, fairly new looking inside with a Mercedes Benz engine. Chris & Allyson did the dinner – ratatouille & baked kumara with wine. We looked at the map for planning our route. Saturday 22 April Orewa to Whangarei We all had a short walk along the beach at Orewa. It brought back happy memories for Keef & I as Craig, Doug & Phoenix started our month’s tour of North Island here in December 2007. Orewa is a lovely coastal town, although there was a notice near the beach stating the safe routes to avoid a tsunami! We drove the Hibiscus Coast Highway from Orewa to Wellsford, stopping for a break at Puhoi historic village. Lovely scenery – rolling hills, tall tree ferns & Pohutukawa trees. We went to Mangawhai Heads for another break from driving. Walked on the sandy beach & watched paragliders jump off a tall hill above the beach. Very warm & sunny, with a sea breeze by the sea. We stopped again further on at Ruakaka Beach & got a view of some islands & coast – again a beautiful white sandy beach. We stopped the night around 5pm in Whangarei Top 10 campsite. Kiwis call Whangerei (pronounced Fangari) a city, but by English standards it was just a large town. Keef still not well – a dicky tummy which he’s had since the Art Gallery visit in Auckland. Sunday 23 April Whangerei to Russell Keef had no dinner last night & no breakfast either as still tummy trouble. Allyson seems to have got over her tummy problems too. We visited the marina (aka town basin by locals) & walked along the boardwalk. We watched a glass blower at work at the back of a craft gallery. He made some lovely coloured vases but they were too heavy to pack & would have got broken. Went into Pac n Save supermarket to get some more milk & bread etc. We drove the coastal road to Tutukaka & Matapouri. The Tutukaka Coast is rated as one of the top coastal destinations on the planet by National Geographic Traveller. The beaches here are pristine with white sand. We stopped at Kawakawa for a break & to see the famous architect designed toilets in the small town. They were covered everywhere in broken tiles mosaics (not the actual loos though!) There were some other quirky mosaic objects in the town such as a mosaic tile sofa, street lamp & flower containers – took photos. Lovely scenery on the route. We took the car ferry across the bay to Russell (cost $12.50 for our van) & arrived at the Russell Top 10 campsite. We got two pitches next to each other on the ‘bay view’ tier. The campsite is on the side of a steep hill (we had camped here 4 years ago). Saw a weka walking around our pitches (was he the same bird as last time?). Had spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, although Keef’s stomach still not good so he had nothing to eat. Monday 24 April Russell We had booked 2 nights at the campsite. Chris & Allyson went for a walk in the town & Keef& I drove to Rawhiti where we saw a beautiful carved wood Marae. The Marae is where Maori people can get together as a community & the building also has spiritual meaning for them. The wood carvings depicted a war canoe, strange looking faces and dolphins. Took some photos & as no one was around we peeped through the windows. We saw some lovely shrubs in people’s gardens such as hibiscus & bottlebrush trees etc. We then returned to Russell, a small & attractive town once dubbed the ‘hellhole of the Pacific’ because of the drunken sailors & whalers & general lawlessness. Nowadays the local policeman lives in a lovely wooden heritage building in front of the jetty, complete with white picket fence. The houses in the town looked like white Cape Cod wooden ones with white picket fences in the front gardens & some had verandahs. Keef was still feeling ill. We met up with Chris & Allyson eating fish & chips by the jetty about 4pm. There was no point in going out to a restaurant in town as we’d planned so instead we had cheese & biscuits back at the motorhomes (but not for K). Later when it was dark Keef & I went looking for kiwi but didn’t see any. We could hear them calling out in the woods. Not many stars out tonight. Tuesday 25 April Russell to near Cape Reinga ANZAC Day Public Holiday in NZ Set off at 10am. C & A did not want to go across the bay on the car ferry again, so wanted to drive the 40kms round instead. Took a shorter route along gravel roads, through a forest up a mountain & zig-zagged down again. Beautiful warm day & we only saw a couple of cars going the other way. We saw a few birds of prey & a kingfisher. The route took us 1hr 20 mins but was scenic, although very bumpy. This area of Northland has a lot of Māori communities, & we drove past a few settlements & the Maraes. We stopped briefly in a car park at Paihia, Bay of Islands, for the loo & Chris bought 3 pies. K & I had been to Paihia in 2007 with Craig & Doug & we had gone on a boat trip to see the dolphins. K still unwell. Stopped again at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds further round the bay & took some photos. In 1840 the British had conned some of the Māori chiefs into signing a treaty which would protect them & assist with ‘governance’. 35 chiefs signed i.e. put their mark on the document. The treaty document had been translated into Māori the previous night by Henry Williams, an English missionary. The English version of the treaty stated that the British under Queen Victoria had ‘sovereignty’ of New Zealand i.e. it became British owned. The British were desperate to acquire NZ before the French did (the French had visited the country & were very interested in it too). In modern times the Māori people have lodged around 2,000 claims to date against the NZ government to get their ancestral lands back. In the 19thc Māori people had no concept of selling land or even another country taking them over. Some of the Māori chiefs never even signed the treaty. Some of the claims have been settled by the Waitangi Tribunal & others are still ongoing. Probably a contentious issue especially if Kiwi farmers have to give up their land & presume they would be given compensation by the government. A bit of a historical mess which has had major repercussions. We continued driving along the scenic Twin Coast Discovery Highway to Whangaroa, the marlin fishing capital of NZ & ate our pies for lunch. No fishermen around but 4 years ago K & I saw two massive marlin being weighed on the jetty & craned onto the fishermen’s ute. Saw Mangonui again (heritage town) & then did a quick detour & stopped to take photos at the iconic Ninety Mile Beach on the shores of the Tasman Sea (west coast of North Island). There were a few cars/utes driving along the beach (officially designated as a road) & only 55 mls long but in the 19thc they didn’t have accurate surveying equipment). Lovely scenery up to the ‘top end’ of North Island – hilly, volcanic, massive sand dunes. We stayed the night at a DoC campsite (Dept of Conservation) 3kms south of Cape Reinga. It was a very steep descent down a thin twisty gravel road to the bay. The campsite was situated very close to the beach but was very basic in amenities. The overnight fees were cheap - we had to put our cash payment in an envelope with the vehicle reggo & our address & post it into a box. There were quite a few people staying – campers/backpackers & other motorhomes. I went for a walk on the sandy beach which had lava rocks at one end. Gets dark at 6.15 now. After dinner we looked at the stars & milky way as it was a clear sky. It’s very warm during the day but noticed that the nights are cooler. We’re in Autumn season at the moment & a Kiwi lady told us that winter starts on 1 June, which is when we leave NZ for Singapore. Keef & I went kiwi spotting with a torch as we were in a wilderness area but Keef got bored after 2 mins. Wednesday 26 April Cape Reinga to Ahipara At 10am we were about to set off to drive to Cape Reinga but Chris discovered there was a front flat tyre by on the drivers side. He tried to fix it but the jack that came with the motorhome was not tall enough as the van was on grass/soil. Also he discovered that the spare wheel underneath the van had no tread left. Not good. We decided that K & I would drive back to the nearest garage to ring Britz & get breakdown help as no mobile phone signal at the campsite, which was in the middle of no where. We drove 20kms to the nearest garage & Keef used their phone to ring Britz. They said they would get a breakdown vehicle to change the tyre & then Chris would need to drive to Kaitaia to a tyre replacement garage by 5pm. We still wanted to carry on to Cape Reinga as we were only 3kms away. We parked in the car park & walked down the path to the lighthouse, seeing spectacular views of the coast all the way. Very sunny. Met a friendly Kiwi family by the lighthouse & they took a group photo of us. The car park & lighthouse were free for tourists unlike lighthouses in Australia which charged fees. Then we went on to Te Paki sand dunes which were MASSIVE. Kids & adults were having a fun time sand surfing down the steep sides & quite entertaining watching them. Took some photos. Left the sand dunes at 3pm & got to the tyre place at 4.30pm. The garage decided to repair the tear in the tyre rather than replace it & charged the cost to Britz. We decided that to drive to the next Top 10 site Kaihu was too far away as it was already 5pm. Instead K & I suggested we go to the Kiwi Family Park at Ahipara, a few kms away, as we’d stayed there 4 years ago. We arrived at the campsite an hour before it got dark. K & I went to get our van’s water tank filled up & had to unblock the waste water tank as there was sediment in the bottom. We put the hosepipe down the kitchen sink plug hole which made the waste water drainage more free flowing. Allyson & Keef had stomach upsets still so only Chris & I had dinner. Then we got out the maps to discuss route plans. We wanted to go back to the east coast, Coromandel & Papamoa Beach as there were areas we hadn’t seen & Chris & Allyson wanted to see Rotorua & the glow-worm caves in the central region of the island, which we had visited 10 years ago. Decided to drive our own routes & meet up in the Top 10 campsite at Wellington on 9 May. We gave Allyson our free booking ticket for the Waitomo glow-worm caves so they had two tickets (part of the Britz hire package included 1 person’s free entry to the caves). Once we’d sorted out our plans we checked our e-mails & read our Kindles. Thursday 27 April Ahipara to Baldrock Farm,betw Brynderwyn & Kaiwaka off Highway 1 Left the Kiwi Park campsite at 9.10am hoping to catch the 10am ferry across Hokianga harbour heading south. We passed the most spectacular scenery from Ahipara to Kohukotu along the Twin Coast Discovery Highway on the west coast. It took us past ancient volcanoes, old Maori Pa (fortifications on top of hills), deep valleys, Kauri forests with giant trees & tree ferns, & evidence of ancient tiered farming by Maoris on the sides of steep hills. At Kohukotu we got the 11am small 24 hr vehicle ferry across to Rawene which took 15 minutes. The road to the ferry from Ahipara was very twisty & parts had cracks in the tarmac from earth tremors. There were very low clouds in the hills that we drove through. Hokianga harbour was where the first Maoris arrived in New Zealand in their large war canoes (waka) from Polynesia, based on their oral traditions. They had crossed the Pacific by using the stars to navigate & came across the massive harbour with its narrow entrance. From Rawene we followed the road to Opononi which was famous for its friendly dolphin in the bay between 1955-56 which interacted with the local people. There was a statue dedicated to the well-loved dolphin called ‘Opo’. Another small village called Omapere edged the harbour with views across to giant sand dunes. We drove to the lookout point near the harbour heads & did a short walk to get the views. As we neared the town of Dargaville the land flattened out for farming kumara (NZ sweet potato. In the town we stopped by the Wairoa River near the boat jetty. The river walk was blocked off so we went food shopping in Countdown to get supplies for the Coromandel as we knew there were not many shops/supermarkets on that peninsular. Saw Chris & Allyson in the car park- they had just been to the local garage to have the brake pads checked on their motorhome as a warning light on the dashboard had been on permanently. The van had to be raised up & all 4 wheels were removed. Apparently everything was OK with the brakes. They thought that they would have to drive back to Britz in Auckland to have the brakes checked, but Britz directed them to a garage in Dargaville instead. C & A were heading towards Rotorua. We set off again to Brynderwyn & down Highway 1 to near Kaiwaka where we decided to stop for the night at 5pm. We turned off to Baldrock Farm, 100 acres with hilly fields & some cows & lots of hens wandering about. Called in at the bungalow & the female owner was very pleasant. Her great grandfather had been Mayor of Nottingham! We paid a small fee & then drove along a track, up a couple of hills, through some trees & parked on top of another hill with lovely views. The outside dunny/toilet was in a tiny hut which looked like a Swedish sauna. We were the only people there, although there were some other campers (Japanese, Austrian & German) near the bungalow. It was very quiet as we were well away from the bungalow & highway. Keef was feeling much better today – he had 3 meals so his stomach is OK now. He’d been ill since the previous Thursday when we were in Auckland (7 days ago). Not sure what caused the stomach bug but I had been OK, so a mystery. Friday 28 April Baldrock Farm to Shelly Beach, Coromandel Got up at 7am – lovely views from the hill top this morning. Had cereal & drove along the track back to the farm car park where there was a hot shower/loo which we used. The hens were pecking round our van. Drove back to the main highway & saw several wild bush turkeys. Took the scenic route again after Wellesford towards Helensville. Saw massive sculptures in a farmer’s fields & we stopped at a high lookout with 180 degree views down the valley towards the sea. Bright & sunny again – we’ve had good weather since arriving in NZ. Noticed a sweet honey scent on the breeze – is this from Manuka trees/shrubs? We stopped for a break at Helensville railway station for coffee – it had a café in the old waiting room & a large verandah outside. After Helensville the countryside flattened out & there were orchards & farms. We skirted round Auckland on Highway 16 so did not need to pass over the harbour bridge. Headed towards Manukau on Highway 1 & then turned off at Pokeno to Thames, on the Coromandel Peninsular. We had done the Coromandel twice before but we love the scenery there & its listed as one of the top areas for New Zealanders to visit. Volcanoes & lava rocks on the beaches on the west side of the Coromandel, with views across the Firth of Thames. We had lunch at Thames, an old gold rush town c 1880. It retains an aura of a wild west cowboy town with the hotels & buildings & also above the main shops. Gold was found nearby which caused a rush by prospectors eager to make their fortune. We parked the motorhome by the Victorian bandstand & ancient Pohutukawa trees. Very sunny so we sat outside on the picnic chairs. After lunch we drove along the narrow twisty road along the coast. The road edge had a 10 foot drop to the rocky lava beach. There had been earth landslides on one part of the road (caused by either rain or earth tremors) which roadwork teams were clearing away. The road then climbed up a steep mountain with fantastic views at various laybys/ lookouts towards the coast & islands in the sea. We saw Coromandel Town & then went to the Top 10 campsite at Shelly Beach where we filled up the van’s water tank, had tea & went for a beach walk – dark sand with lots of white shells. Keef said he had a dicky stomach again. The toilet/shower facilities here were very good & hardly anyone on this campsite. Saturday 29 April Shelly Beach, nr Colville to Waihi Beach Got up at 7am, had showers/ breakfast & left at 9.10 to drive to Port Jackson in Cape Colville, the most northerly point on the Coromandel & off the beaten track. We had not managed to do go further than Colville on our past trips. We had sought advice about whether we could drive to Port Jackson in a motorhome & the lady at the campsite said that although part of the route was gravel it was quite level so not too bumpy for driving. The road was part tarmac/ part gravel but it was rather misty & drizzly so the views were not too good. The route was twisty & passed the Tibetan Buddhist retreat & Colville itself – a few houses, general store & post office. There were a few ‘wash-outs’ & areas where the earth bank at the side of the road had collapsed. There were lots of very old Pohutukawa trees which were so weathered by the sea winds that the trunks had bent & they were growing sideways. Saw some people fishing on rocks at the bottom of a small cliff. Very few cars along the road. At Port Jackson there were just 3 houses & views of a small volcanic island. The trip took us 1½ hours to drive to Port Jackson because of the narrow windy gravel road & at one point we had to cross a ford. On the return journey we were slightly quicker & returned to Coromandel Town, then took the road which climbed over the Coromandel Range. In the past we’d done the route in sunny weather but today it was still rainy & misty. Drove through Whitianga & Mercury Bay along the Pacific Coast Highway (tourist scenic route). Now the rain had stopped – sunshine! Can’t complain – this was the most rain we have had since we arrived in NZ. At Tairua we saw houses built up the sides of an extinct volcano (took photos). We arrived at the Top 10 campsite at Waihi Beach at 5pm. Not impressed with the facilities – we were put near the beach. There was a grubby concrete floor in the unisex toilets & 3 showers. It started raining heavily & got quite windy. We stayed in the motorhome & checked our e-mails etc & looked at the CCTV at the front of our house & saw Dave, our next door neighbour doing some gardening – riveting viewing!!! Craig had sent us a photo of himself, Leanne & Edie sitting in our lounge, so glad the house was OK. Sunday 30 April Waihi Beach to Papamoa Beach Re-filled our van’s water tank & then K & I went into reception to complain about the quality of the facilities. They were not clean & the campsite was one of the most expensive we’d stayed in – supposed to be 5*, had a pool & gym & was virtually on the beach. Keef complained that we were only given 250mb of wi-fi when we should have been given 500mb. Not impressed with the price they charged at this site too. Left Waihi Beach at 10am & drove along the Pacific Coast Highway through Katikati, the mural town. Lots of huge painted murals on the sides of buildings depicting the town’s history. Keef took some photos, although we had been through the town four years ago. We avoided the toll road round Tauranga & saw the marina there & port. Not very scenic – industrial with oil terminals. Further along the coast we came to Mount Manganui on the coast & this was a nice town set at the base of a large extinct volcano. The bay was called Pilot Bay & weather was very sunny but quite breezy. Had a walk & bought some boysenberry ice-creams – very nice – you can’t get this type of ice-cream in England. Crossed to the Pacific beach side of Mt Mangonui & sat on a bench with a great view of the long golden sand beach stretching down the Bay of Plenty to Papamoa Beach & beyond. Some expensive looking homes along this coast. We continued on to Papamoa Beach & did some shopping at Countdown supermarket. Then we checked into the Papamoa Beach Resort, our favourite campsite. It was no longer a Top 10 site which stopped 2 years ago but the resort reception still had our names & address on their computer records from 4 years ago!! We had also stayed there 10 years ago, so this was our 3rd visit as we liked it so much. Arrived at 2.15pm & got a pitch (S5 Beach Road) by the beach with a view of the sea. Keef cooked us a bacon & egg cob for lunch. He chatted to the man in the caravan on the next pitch who was originally from Bucks, UK & had emigrated with his wife & daughter 14 years ago. I did some laundry & hung it on the washing lines as weather was good, then we went for a walk along the beach. Not many people around as Autumn & no school holidays. I cooked prawns& noodles with satay sauce after Keef had downloaded his photos from the camera to the laptop & checked & paid the credit card bill. We had booked 2 nights at this campsite. THE END Diary 1st - 30th May Saying Hi to the Horse at Coalville Monday 1 May Papamoa Beach Had leisurely breakfast & the man in the caravan came for a chat for 2 hours!! He could talk for England & he did!!! He was a painter/decorator & had been living with his wife in the caravan whilst waiting for planning permission for the house they were going to build. His adult daughter had played for NZ in underwater hockey (aka Octo Push) which we had never heard of as a sport. Keef had caught the sun as his face had gone a bit red. We went for a walk round the campsite & to the local shop where we bought icecreams. Keef cooked pasta carbonara with bacon, leftover lamb & spicy sausage. It was extremely cold in the van overnight even though we had a duvet (a thin summer duvet). Tuesday 2 May Papamoa Beach to Lake Taupo We left the campsite at 9.10am after cereal & toast for breakfast. Drove through Te Puke, a town surrounded by kiwi fruit farms. We had visited Kiwi 360 World 10 years ago. Saw some men going to pick the kiwi fruit which is packed & sent all over the world. Along the coast route we saw Whale island & White Island, which is a live volcano in the sea. Took some photos of the volcano belching smoke. Drove through Whakatane, a busy & prosperous town which has a 40% Maori population according to the tourist book. The town boasts a waterfall which is in the main street. Today there was no water running down the rock face. The town was busy with lots of shops, cafes, a cinema & theatre. We turned back to see Edgecumbe, a rather tatty town which had recently been flooded by Cyclone Cook, which we’d seen on the news whilst in Auckland. A bridge had been damaged & lots of homes flooded when the Rangitaiki River burst its banks due to very heavy rain. We left the coast & took a small inland road through forestry land. Men were felling trees with chainsaws & loading up lorries with the logs. Further on there was a sign saying the road was closed but we asked at a garage & it had just re-opened that lunchtime. The river had burst its banks & washed away the road, so the local council had put down tons of gravel to rebuild it. Stopped for lunch by a beautiful picnic spot by Lake Aniwhenua. The trees had autumn colours & we ate lunch on our chairs outside as it was so warm & sunny. There were a few other motorhomes there as well. The lake had a small concrete dam & the water was channelled through a sluice to create hydro-electric power. The power station was accessed across the top of the dam & was cleverly hidden in some trees so not visible. We decided not to walk to the power station but it was a lovely picnic spot in the middle of no where. Went on to Murupara, a small residential village with a secondary school where all the school kids had finished for the day & were walking home. Rather a rundown town we thought & no jobs for people in that vicinity. The road passed through dense forests & then we came to a thermal area where steam was rising from water in a ditch at the side of the road. Other steam vents were also visible in the area. This was because we were south east of Rotorua. We took a side road through Broadlands ( dairy farming area) & Rotokawa. We arrived in Taupo at 4.45pm & parked in the town. Bought some boysenberry icecreams & walked down to Lake Taupo. Saw some long rowing boats & in the distance the massive volcanoes in Tongariro National Park. Some had snow on the summits & low cloud. Taupo had not changed much at all from when we’d visited twice before in the summer but it was quieter today as it’s Autumn, so no crowds. The lake is huge – the biggest in NZ & Australia. The evening was drawing in as we were walking around & it was getting chilly. We left Taupo & drove along the east side of the lake towards Turangi. We spotted a reserve by the side of Lake Taupo where other motorhomes had parked up for the night. It was free to stay & motorhomes that were self-contained were allowed to park there for up to 4 nights. We parked our motorhome right by the lake edge & watched the sun go down beyond the volcanoes. Had soup, cheese & biscuits for dinner. The waves lapping against the shore were quite loud – we were only about 5 feet away from the edge of the lake. Wednesday 3 May Lake Taupo to Whakapapa Left at 10am & drove around the lake towards Turangi. We spotted where we did trout fishing by a bridge & stream 10 years ago with Craig, Phoenix & Doug. Brought back happy memories of our holiday together although we never did catch any trout! Taupo & Turangi are allegedly the best places in the world to do trout fishing. At Turangi we got fuel, shopping at New World supermarket & some lovely steak & cheese pies at the local bakery, which we had for lunch later. After Turangi we took the road to Rangipo & then the Desert Road across bleak moorland. We stopped the van for lunch at a lay-by with a view of Mt Ruapehu (2,797m high) in sunshine. However, the clouds/ drizzle/mist set in & the weather turned nasty. Whilst we were sitting having our lunch in the van there was a cracking noise/ big thud under the van. Must have been an earth tremor as there were no other vehicles around. No cracks under our van. Suddenly the weather improved with blue sky & clouds in the distance so we decided to go to Whakapapa Village & camp there for the night. We drove through Waioru, a NZ army base & army museum in the town & turned off to Ohakune, the carrot capital of NZ with a naff giant plastic carrot plonked in the middle of the town. K took a naff photo. The weather changed again – raining & misty. Could hardly see the volcanoes - Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings) or Mt Ruapehu. Went past the Chateau Tongariro & arrived at 5pm at the campsite in pouring rain. It cost $42 with electric hook-up to stay but good facilities & hot showers. It rained all evening non-stop. We had to switch on the electric blow heater provided by Britz as very cold. Thursday 4 May Whakapapa Village to Hastings on east coast Had hot showers & breakfast. Went to the dump station to get rid of our waste water & fill up with fresh water & saw Chris & Allyson there! We thought they had left Whakapapa heading to Taupo but they were there for 3 nights. They had done the 6½ hr Tama Lakes walk which luckily was in good weather so got good views of the scenery. Craig, Doug & Phoenix had done the same walk 10 years ago which took them 7 hrs return as they went for a swim in one of the lakes before returning. The campsite at Whakapapa had not changed one bit after 10 years. Nice to catch up with C & A over a coffee in the local café after we had all looked at the local visitors centre opposite. K & I bought a poster of Tongariro N.P aerial view of the 3 volcanoes for $22. Chris & Allyson said they had visited Rotorua, then west to Waitomo caves & then SE to Tongariro National Park. They were off to Taupo next & we suggested they drive the road to Mt Ruapehu where there was a ski resort & chair lift to get the view. Also we told them about the free camping by Lake Taupo & suggested they visit Hukka Falls. We had planned our route to head towards the Pacific coast as the weather was better there. We drove back through national Park village, Ohakune & Waiouru again, & then to Taihape where we got fuel. The helpful lady at the garage filled up our gas container (cost $5.78) even though we’d only used up 1/5 of the 5 litres in the container when full. We assume that Britz had filled up the gas cylinder before our trip but had no way of knowing if this was so. Sunny weather & warm. After Taihape we took a route across country towards Hastings on the Pacific coast & Hawke Bay. The road was called ‘Gentle Annie’ & was not marked as a tourist route. This route was fab – it went through spectacular scenery for 161 kms, some of it gentle green hobbit hills & across the Rangitikei River. We stopped for lunch at Moawhango, a small Maori farming community with a Marae. Sheep & cattle in the fields & at one point the road was blocked by a very large flock of sheep being moved to another field by a man on a quad bike & his sheepdogs. A lot of the deciduous trees such as maples & poplars (both not native to NZ) were turning lovely red & yellow autumn colours. Traffic on this road was negligible with a few cars. As we crossed the Ruahine Range the mountains & deep valleys increased & the road was winding & a little bit steep in places. We could see the Ngarurora River hundreds of feet below us in the valley. The mountains were covered in forest & logging was in operation in some places. We thought that apart from Northlands & Tongariro National Park, this road was the most scenic in North Island & well worth the drive. We ended the journey through Flaxmere, a semi industrial town, & then on to the Top 10 campsite in Hastings, a coastal town, where we arrived just after 5pm. The campsite was almost empty so we were told to choose our own pitch. We went to get some fish & chips locally & ate them back at the site – lovely Blue Cod fish with crisp batter & chips. Now it was getting dark before 6pm. Checked our e-mails & I downloaded some magazines on my i-pad. It rained during the night & I was woken up by another earth tremor/ sharp jolt in the early hours. Had another tremor at 6.40am – Keef slept through it all!!! This was the third earthquake I felt in North Island. They don’t call New Zealand the ‘shaky isles’ for nothing! NB Looked up the Hastings earthquake –I felt some aftershocks following a ‘moderate’ quake which took place 17 days earlier on 17 April at 5.32pm. It was 4.6 magnitude & the epicentre was 30kms SE of Hastings & was 26kms deep. This earthquake was felt in Auckland & Christchurch. Friday 5 May Hastings & local area After a leisurely breakfast we headed into Hastings to go to the bank & do some shopping. Hastings is a very green town with lots of shrubs/trees/ hanging baskets & water fountains. The railway line runs through the town square & crosses the main shopping street. We chatted to a lady in the tourist info centre which was situated in part of an old department store. The store had been re-built after the massive earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) which decimated Napier & Hastings on 3 February 1931 at 10.47am. Both towns were levelled & 256 people were killed in Hastings. She said that the ground sank by over a metre. In the town of Napier the quake caused a huge fire which razed it to the ground. Hastings has had other big quakes – 6.9 on 16/9/1932, 6.1 in 1951, 6.1 in 1993. 5.9 in 2008 which caused $5 million in damage as the epicentre was only 10kms south of the town centre. The tourist info lady also told us about another disaster which hit the town in August & September 2016 when 5,200 residents fell ill from a water-borne disease called campylobacteriosis. This was the largest outbreak of this disease to have ever occurred in NZ. She also told us that Hastings was on a high tsunami alert following recent earthquakes in Japan & Indonesia. All along the NZ Pacific coastline there are tsunami signs advising where to go to quickly reach higher ground. The signs also inform people about signs to look out for if there is a quake that lasts longer than 1 minute or if you cannot stand up as this could lead to a tsunami wave hitting the shoreline. There are also tsunami sirens that sound if there is danger of one occurring due to an earthquake. www.geonet.org.nz lists earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides & tsunamis in NZ. Rather a woeful story about this town, but we found the people there very chatty, helpful & friendly. We met a retired man who had emigrated from Southampton with his parents when he was a child & had settled in Hastings. After doing some food shopping at Countdown, we drove to Te Mata, a 399m high peak above Hastings & Havelock North, which we had visited some years ago. We remembered the road to the viewing area car park at the top was very narrow & twisty. The views from the top were spectacular & we ate our lunch up there. It was a bit windy but very sunny & we could see the top of Mt Ruapehu 2,797m high peeping over the Ruahine Range 1733m high & Hawke Bay. Hang gliders jump from the top but no one was doing it today. Well worth a second visit. After Te Mata we visited Ocean Beach & had a walk there – few people around & a lot of empty holiday homes (bachs). Then on to Waimarama & Bare Island with a rocky bay & more holiday homes. A sign by the shore warned of rips, wash backs & large holes in the sea bed by the rocks so dangerous for swimming. We called in at a small private campsite near there to possibly stay there that night but it was more expensive than the Top 10 in Hastings & did not look good. We decided to return to the Top 10 site for another night & arrived at 4.30pm. We had some filter coffee & some tropical fruit cake which we’d bought in the supermarket today. Saturday 6 May Hastings to Waipukurau We re-visited some gardens again at Duart House in Havelock North. The roses were out this time & smelt lovely. Palm trees, orange & lemon trees & the Virginia Creeper on the verandah rails was a glorious red colour (see photos). We last visited the gardens about 10 years ago. The house is owned by the local council & is only used for wedding receptions & bookings for parties, meetings etc but the gardens were free for anyone to look around. A croquet club use the lawn at the side of the house. The house is surrounded by more modern houses but it’s a lovely heritage building, built in c1854 by the McLean family who were sheep farmers. Then we drove to Arataki Honey Centre in Havelock North & watched a film about bees & enjoyed sampling 12 different types of honey on display. We saw bees in an indoor hive & could sample various products made from Manuka honey such as body lotions, hand cream etc. Manuka honey is expensive & prized for its health benefits & its anti-bacterial qualities. The bees collect the nectar from the pink flowers of the Manuka Tree (Tea Tree), native to NZ. A very educational & enjoyable visit. Then we drove to Kairakau Beach through sheep stations, green hills & twisty roads that had earthquake cracks (some were repaired by filling in with tar. This beach was by a river outlet with small cliffs. The Pacific Ocean waves were quite strong & the beach had a lot of driftwood & tree branches thrown up on it by storms. A lot of the houses at Kairakau were holiday bachs & the community was virtually deserted. We walked along the grassy shore & noticed that one of the homes had a sign on the fence which said ‘Here lives a friendly fisherman with his best ever catch’ which we assumed was his wife!! There were various mosaic murals around including a tiled mosaic sofa, a hopscotch squares game for kids & a blue & white mirror in the disabled toilet. We had lunch here & the weather was very sunny with a slight breeze. Some children had made some wigwam huts out of driftwood on the beach. There were some motorhomes parked at one end of the beach but we decided as it was only 4pm not to stay here for the night, even though it was free to camp. The area was level with the sea & ‘designated a high risk tsunami area’ plus the rocky cliffs were behind the motorhomes so a bit dodgy if there was a quake. We drove on to Waipukurau & stopped at a small campsite in town overnight. This town was on Highway 2 & was inland from the ocean. We did a Skype with Doug, Phoenix & Charlie & it was lovely to chat together & catch up on news. Charlie was very chiry & bouncing around in her T-shirt & nappy… what a cutie!! She asked us where New Zealand was & we told her it was in the sea a long way from Singapore & that her Mummy & Daddy had been there a while ago. She wants us to go with her to the big water park with a splash area for children, when we stay with them in June. Sunday 7 May Waipukurau to Eketahuna After breakfast we went into Waipukurau & got a few food items from Countdown & some fuel. We then took a minor road through lovely scenery & sheep stations to Porangahau. There were a few houses, pub, school & a red & white painted church. Took the road out towards Pourere on the coast but the winding tarmac road turned to gravel & we decided to turn around rather than risk a possible puncture. We then took another minor road to Wimbledon, which was a tiny community with a primary school & outdoor swimming pool. A farmer stopped in his 4WD to ask us if we were OK as we were parked up on the grass verge. Nice of him to check if we had broken down & if we required assistance – this wouldn’t happen in England. Visited Herbertville on the coast which we’d not been to before. A very long beach with driftwood logs & tree branches & some tall cliffs named Cape Turnagain by Capt Cook when he changed direction whilst mapping the coast. We had lunch here but couldn’t access the beach because of a stream & the gravel road led to private land. Saw a huge white wooden house set back from the road which was probably built by the first settlers called Herbert in the 1850’s. The place was named Herbertville after this family & there was a stone monument with brass inscription telling the story of these immigrants. We thought it would be good to name a place Hellingerville but it would mean a bigger sign. Might have to move to Alaska to achieve this as plenty of space there. I’ll add this idea to our bucket list Herbertville sees few tourists & felt like the back of beyond. There is a NZ fur seal colony here. We carried on driving along the minor road back to Wimbledon & turned left towards Ti Tree Point, Weber, Waione and Pongaroa. These places were so small – only 1 or 2 houses & mainly sheep stations. Very twisty, hilly roads. By the time we got to Alfredton (only 1 house + shearing shed) it was beginning to get dark & it started to drizzle with rain. We rejoined Highway 2 at Eketahuna & found a campsite near the town. This was one of the most unusual campsites we had stayed in, mainly because of the other campers. There were women dressed in medieval costumes around the camp kitchen & then they all walked off to the woods to start a bonfire & do some drumming & feasting. They invited us to participate but we politely declined. We thought they may have been Pagans & they had been staying at the campsite for the weekend. Luckily the drumming stopped at 9.40pm & the campsite became very quiet thank goodness! Keef did a lovely dinner of salmon fishcakes, spiced kumara & corn on the cob. For dessert we had Tip Top boysenberry icecream & nashi pear. Tip Top have been making icecream in NZ for 80 years & the boysenberry one is the best flavour we think. There was a bit of a mission to getting this icecream into our motorhome ice box. Keef had bought a 2 litre tub of this icecream from the supermarket this morning but was disappointed to find that it didn’t fit into the tiny icebox part of the motorhome fridge. Not to be stumped about this problem he then cut up the icecream into 6 equal portions & using a fish slice put them into 6 plastic food bags. Genius…. they fitted in the icebox.. hooray! We had the sliding door of the motorhome open & a couple walked past the van & were no doubt puzzled why he was shovelling icecream into plastic bags. We just love that boysenberry icecream. 10.20pm – those Pagans are banging their drums again! We should ask for a discount from the camp fee because of the racket. Monday 8 May Eketahuna to Martinborough Without saying a word about the noise in the woods we meekly paid the campsite fee of $16 including electric hook up, although the facilities weren’t anything to write home about. We thought the female campsite owner looked a bit pagan-like too unless she just liked to look scruffy. Keef overheard some of the pagan women asking the owner where they could get wi-fi!! At 9.45am we went back into town in search of a bakery & noticed that there was a big sign which said ‘Real Kiwi Country’ & to prove it there were statues of 2 very large kiwis (the birds) artfully displayed. Reminded us of Aussie town naffness. The town was so small that it took a minute to drive through but perhaps that was a blessing! Most of the shops were closed so Keef got some pies in the Four Square supermarket. Saw a building built by A.F.Herbert & Sons Ltd 1898 – probably the sons of the graziers from Herbertville. We drove from Eketahuna on Highway 2 to Masterton which we’d visited before. Quite a big town with many shops. I had read that a settler called Joseph Masters had been in the area & the town was named after him – all these settlers had ideas above their (sheep) station. I wanted to find out where he came from originally as Masters were my ancestors. So we went to the i-site (tourist info) & the lady there said there was some info online (she googled him) but it didn’t say his origins. She referred us to the Art Gallery & Museum called Aratoi which joined on to the i-site building. This was a brilliant museum which had lots of cultural & historical exhibits about the Ngati Māori people from the Wairarapa region. This geographical region includes Masterton, Carterton, Featherston & Martinborough areas to the Pacific Ocean. There was a room with oil paintings of Māori people painted by a British portrait artist who got them to sit for him. The detail of their clothes, jewellery (greenstone), cloaks & tattoos was amazing. They were painted in the mid- 1850s – 1870s & the Māori's were all from the Wairarapa. There were several women who were senior members & one was a chief of the iwi (tribe). We also saw carved wooden hair combs, a wooden canoe, fish hooks & other day to day objects plus a cloak made from kiwi feathers sewn onto a woven fabric backing. Apparently it was only the chief who wore the kiwi feather cloak. The museum showed historical information about how the English duped the Māori's into selling their lands for 1d (i.e one old English penny) an acre. Millions of acres of land were acquired for this paultry sum. Shocking. The Maori people were told that they would get medical assistance, schools & protection in return, but in fact they got very little. These descendents are now seeking redress through the NZ government. The museum had documents which showed what happened & some of the British settlers crowed about their gains. Quite shameful how the British (mainly English & Scots) basically took all this land from the Māori's on behalf of Queen Victoria. The first Maori Parliament opened in 1897 in Greytown in the Wairarapa region but this was for them to conduct their own governance. After the museum we drove the motorhome to the local park (established in Victorian times) where we were told there was a statue & information board about Joseph Masters (there had been no mention of him in the museum). It turned out he was not from Dorset (as my ancestors were) but from Derby, where he was born. He lived in Rugby, trained as a cooper & emigrated to Tasmania with his wife. After a few years they moved to New Zealand where he set about being a land agent in the Wairarapa area. He set up a school as well. Set off for Castlepoint on the coast. Saw lots of sheep stations, some of which were for sale. At a shearing shed we saw sheep being dipped & sprayed yellow by their tails. Scenic twisty road with lots of filled in cracks from earthquakes & some landslides in a few places. Sometimes the edge of the tarmac road had given way & dropped down the hill so had to be cordoned off. The hills were very green with lots of streams & a main river. The road bridges are single track only so vehicles have to give way & wait for others to cross depending on the road sign. Sunny & warm today & again the autumn colours on the trees were lovely. We stopped at the historical village of Tinui which had a tiny policestation & an old gaol that was no bigger than a shed. It also had a school, post office & telegraph station. There was a pretty white wooden church which had held the first Anzac Day memorial service in NZ for local men who died at Gallipoli in WW1. The village lost 7 men in that battle. Castlepoint was a small town with holiday homes, a lighthouse on the point, campground & fish & chip shop. It was originally named by Captain Cook who saw a massive rock on the shore & thought it reminded him of castle ramparts so he called it Castle Rock. The lighthouse was only accessible at low tide. We had lunch by the main swimming beach & then had a walk. The beach was covered in white cockle shells. The waves were gentle here, unlike Herbertville where they crashed on the beach sending seaspray up into the air. The sand was very fine on the bay near the lighthouse (on the dunes). There was a strange ring of rock which almost blocked this bay. The information board described the story of two missionaries (one was Rev William Williams from Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, who knew my settler ancestor John Edmonds – they both fell out big style) & they were trying to sail across the Cook Strait to South Island. Bad weather caused them to shelter in this bay which they called ‘Deliverance Bay’. Williams had a missionary brother called Henry, who I’ve already mentioned translated the Waitangi Treaty into Maori. Both men had been sent to NZ under the auspices of the London Missionary Society(LMS) to preach Christianity to the Maoris. My ancestor & his family had left Swanage, Dorset to do the same under the LMS but was a stonemason working for the mission in Kerikeri. Both Williams brothers had set up mission stations (such as Kerikeri) & schools & they learnt to speak the Maori language fluently. There had been some resistance from the Maoris in North Island when the earliest settlers arrived & blood was spilt on both sides, but in the Wairarapa there had been no bloodshed. We drove from Castlepoint to Riversdale Beach, another sandy beach with white shells & loads of driftwood. This community was mainly holiday homes but it did have a Surf Lifesaving Club by the beach. We then went on to Martinborough along country roads & arrived in the dark. Found the Top 10 campsite which was brand new but quite compact. The kitchen & facilities were excellent. The dump station for the toilet cassette was outside the site on the roadside. Opposite the campsite was a vineyard & the road turned to gravel just past the Top 10 entrance. The lady in reception told us that the previous night’s temperature was only 2c. The wine growers are currently doing the winter pruning of the vines. Tuesday 9 May Martinborough to Wellington After breakfast we dumped our waste water in the place provided outside the campsite & headed into town. We had a wander round looking at all the up-market shops together with up-market prices. You could tell that they were expensive because they called them selves ‘providore’, ‘boutique’ & ‘gourmet’ plus assorted French sounding names. We saw a gourmet butcher whose signs outside the shop said ‘vionson meatballs’, ‘beff sausages’ & ‘chicken kababs’ – the shop was called Scotties Gourmet Meats. The butcher may have been dyslexic. Outside a bank we saw a pair of wellies parked by the doorway. A bright sunny day & warm. The old general store was damaged in an earthquake in 1942 & it was rebuilt but without the big glass shopfront. Now it’s a Mitre 10 (D.I.Y), a Four Square mini supermarket & a clothing shop. We bought some toilet blue liquid from the Mitre 10, cost $26. We chatted to an Irish employee there who was very friendly – he had met & married a NZ girl in London. The centre square & diagonal roads leading off it were designed to form a Union Jack. A man was just taking down some small white crosses in the grassy centre from Anzac Day – a lot of men from this town died in the wars & every cross had a name on it. We then went on to Lake Ferry, a tiny community of mainly holiday homes plus a café at the edge of an inland lake with a narrow spit of land separating it from the ocean. The bay was very wide (Palliser Bay) & we then took a tarmac road to Ngawi, a Maori community near Cape Palliser. To get to this place we passed sheer rock walls & high pinnacles on one side with the sea on the other. The ocean looked a beautiful blue/turquoise & the beaches were black volcanic sand. The fishermen kept their boats, tractors & earth movers hauled up at the top of the beach next to the road to be safe from storms as there was no harbour. The men were fishing for the beautiful paua shells (abalone) which were sold to the jewellery/ craft industry. We saw lots of broken paua shells on the beach, but although we searched we didn’t find any whole ones. Traditionally Maoris use this irridescent shell as eyes in their wood carvings. We wanted to carry on along the gravel road round Palliser Bay to Cape Palliser itself (which is the furthest point south in North Island) but had to turn back. The ruts in the gravel were so bad (caused by tractors) that the motorhome was shaking violently even though we were crawling along slowly. Even our teeth were rattling. Disappointing as we couldn’t make it to the Cape as I wanted to see the seal colony there. On the way back we took a photo of a small wooden house with a little verandah/ balcony decorated with hanging paua shells strung along the front. Returning to Lake Ferry we took the road to Featherstone, across the Ruamahanga River where there were signs warning of possible river flooding. Luckily it was dry weather, as sometimes they close the road. We then crossed the Tararua Range by climbing up a steep & twisty road with hairpin bends & sheer drops to the forest valley below. We would not want to do this route in heavy rain or at night! Rather a scary drive (which we had done on a previous visit to NZ & I had forgotten about it). We headed towards Wellington & followed the wide Hutt River, arriving at the Top 10 campsite at Lower Hutt at 3.50pm. We were meeting up with Chris & Allyson & the lady on reception said that they had checked in an hour earlier. They had come from a different direction – Highway 1 on the west coast. They sent us a Facebook message to to say they had gone into Wellington on the bus to have a look around. I did some laundry although grey clouds were building up, & I risked hanging it up on the rotary washing line overnight. We sent C & A a message saying we had arrived – we had pitches next to one another. We found that the campsite had totally changed for the better from 10 years ago- the reception included a motel complex & the kitchen, BBQs & shower/toilet blocks had all been completely re-done. This site cost us $45 per night per pitch & we planned on staying 2 nights, ready to catch the Interislander ferry to South Island on Thursday. When Chris & Allyson returned we cooked them spaghetti Bolognese & then had boysenberry icecream. We had lots to share about our respective travels since we’d last seen each other on the 4 May. C & A were tired as they’d done a lot of walking round Wellington. Wednesday 10 May Wellington I collected the washing which was dry, so luckily didn’t rain overnight.Chris & Allyson did a lovely bacon & egg cob on the BBQ for breakfast. They wanted to go back into the city & as K & I had spent a week there 10 years ago we decided to do something else & we agreed we’d all meet up later in the day in town. They got the bus in to the city & we drove along the harbour front to Eastbourne, a residential community with houses literally 6 feet from the waters edge or perched high up the steep wooded hillsides. Not ideal as Wellington has regular earth trenors & was affected by the massive 7.8 quake last November (2016) in Kaikoura. Two car parks were damaged & there were cracks in office buildings & homes. Kaikoura is a lot further south of Wellington (159 mls) & on the east coast so surprising that Wellington felt the earthquake. Keef & I went for a walk along the harbour beach & I picked up some lovely shells. There was a monument to the terrible ferry disaster that occurred on 10/4/1968 during a violent cyclone (Giselle) which hit Wellington. The vehicle ferry, ‘Wahine,’ ran aground on a reef just inside Wellington harbour & 51 passengers & crew drowned when the ferry sank that day. We drove back along the harbour front, past the ferry terminal, to Lyall Bay. This bay & beach was situated next to the Air New Zealand runway at Wellington airport which was built out towards the sea. We watched planes arriving & taking off over the sea – it wasn’t a long runway but the planes did not look that huge. The passenger terminal sign said ‘Welcome to the middle of Middle Earth’. Watched people surfing in the bay & then we went to have a coffee & snack lunch at a modern café called ‘Loose as a Goose’ – strange name. It had plate glass windows to get the best views of the bay, surfers & runway strip. We drove the motorhome back to the campsite, changed into jeans & shoes (only the 2nd time on this holiday that Keef has not worn flip-flops). Caught the 2.50pm bus into the city. It took ages going round Lower Hutt & Petone shopping areas – 50 mins when it was so quick by motorhome. We walked from the middle of the city down to Te Papa museum/art gallery but then we got a phone message from Allyson saying they had left Te Papa 45 minutes ago to walk towards the famous cable tramway up to the scenic lookout over Wellington. We thought that while we were at the entrance to Te Papa we’d have another look at the Maori Marae & exhibits, the stuffed kiwi birds, the earthquake house & volcano footage of eruptions in NZ. Also had a look again at the Waitangi Treaty original documents (translated by Rev Henry Williams (plus there was a photo of him). Keef & I did not spend long in Te Papa as we had visited it before for 2 days as there was so much to see. Unfortunately the oil paintings of Maori people were no longer on public view as the art gallery part of the museum was being refurbished. The staff told us that the paintings were available to view on the Te Papa website. This museum is one of the best ones we’ve ever seen. We walked to Shed 22 Mac’s Brewery on the harbour front. Keef had a beer & I had a lime daiquiri cocktail. Chris & Allyson joined us there for a few drinks before walking to Courtney Place to find an Indian restaurant called ‘Saffron’. Couldn’t find it so instead we went to one across the road called ‘Great India’. We had a great Indian curry meal & all ate too much, although Chris & Allyson had not had any lunch so were very hungry. The original owners of the restaurant had emigrated from Leicester & their two sons now run the business as the parents had retired. As we came from Nottingham we got special service! Good food & then we all staggered across the road to get the 9.30pm bus back to our campsite. A cloudy & mild night but no stars. Aiming to get up early to catch the 9am ferry to South Island tomorrow so set our alarms. Thursday 11 May Wellington via ferry to Nelson, South Island Got up in the dark when our alarm went off at 5.30am. Had showers. Raining. For breakfast had fruit juice & ½ banana each. At 6.45am we all set off for the ferry port as the last boarding time closed at 8am. The traffic along the harbour road was bumper to bumper & Y & I were worried that Chris & Allyson were not following us as we couldn’t see them in the rear view mirror as a lorry was directly behind us. Rush hour traffic into Wellington obviously starts before 6.45am. Good job we set off early for the ferry port. Saw a lorry accident where it had gone into the back of a car. Journey was a bit tense but we actually got to the ferry in plenty of time & sat in the queue waiting to board. We didn’t board until 8.30 (could have spent longer asleep) & the ferry left dead on time at 9am. Noticed several lorries carrying sheep & cows boarding the ferry. At the end of the 3½ hour voyage the car decks smelt awful! Had breakfast on the ferry & as it was still raining & windy outside we stayed in the lounge area. The sea was slightly choppy but not enough to cause people to be seasick. We were told that the winds were northerly today so it would be a good crossing across the Cook Strait. However, if the wind had been southerly then this would be a bad crossing. We relaxed & chatted for most of the journey & then chatted with a Kiwi couple from Wellington who were going to South Island for a long weekend. The 3½ hours went very quickly & the scenery coming into Queen Charlotte Sound was great. The captain had to reverse into the dock at Picton. Not a big town & the high hills were covered in dense rainforest as it was still sub-tropical vegetation – tree ferns, palm trees & creepers. We drove along the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive along all the inlets towards Havelock but it was a shame that the rain & low clouds spoilt the magnificent views along the winding road. We stopped in Havelock to have lunch at ‘The Mussel Pot’ restaurant in the main street. Apart from being the world capital of green lipped mussel farming in the bays, the town was very small. The restaurant also did other items on the menu apart from mussels. Keef & Chris both had a giant saucepan of mussels cooked in wine, garlic & herbs with chips which they really enjoyed. I had a toasted chicken, salad & mango salsa sandwich & Allyson had fish, chips & side salad. Lunch was very enjoyable & the lady serving us was very friendly & knew all about mussels & farming them. We carried on our journey through hilly forests, autumn coloured trees & pouring rain. The road was rather scary as we climbed up a mountain range with a sheer drop of hundreds of feet on the side of the road. Finally got to Nelson & the Top 10 campsite. Felt it had been quite a drive & the rain had been so heavy in places that the windscreen wipers could hardly cope. Had a well-earned cup of tea & rest. I caught up with writing this diary as I was 3 days behind & Keef saved his photos from the camera memory stick on to his laptop. Friday 12 May Nelson to Kaiteriteri We visited the WOW museum in Nelson (World of Wearable Art, classic cars & a few motorbikes). K & I had been before but it was so good that we were looking forward to going again with Chris & Allyson. It was even better this time with the displays of imaginative clothing/ costumes/hats/headgear & shoes – thought it was simply stunning. Impressed with the creativity & effort put into the costumes which were entered into various categories of a competition open to anyone across the world. The WOW idea had originated in Nelson with a woman starting a competition of ‘wearable art’ in 1987 & the museum opened in 2001. We saw the entries for 2016 –winners & runners-up in each category plus a few other entries. A guy from Derbyshire won 2nd place under the Film & Costume section with an amazing outfit for both a man & woman. Some of the selected entries & winners were really unusual – e.g a costume featuring paint brush bristles dipped in many paint colours & another had black plastic cable ties secured on black plastic tubing to create a 3D dress. All the exhibits were brilliant & there was also a film showing in a mini theatre of the 2016 awards show held in Wellington. It wasn’t just a fashion parade but had dancers, music & an animatronic tiger which sang Major Tom by David Bowie & a Frank Sinatra song. We then walked through to a large exhibition area which displayed vintage & classic cars from around the world. The cars were fab, especially the 1950s USA ones & the lovely vintage cars – all in immaculate condition. There was an additional large exhibition area which had more modern 20thc cars which the museum had acquired. Some were purchased in good condition & others needed renovation. We watched some people renovating an old Mini & another car. We were in the museum well over 2 hours & all of us enjoyed it as it was so different from the usual museum The NZ people certainly like quirky, humorous & imaginative things. Even their letter boxes & homes are quirky i.e the house by Wellington harbour which looked like two brown glass beer bottles. After the museum we drove to Countdown to do some food shopping. Had lunch in the motorhome next to Nelson’s local beach & then went for a short walk on the beach which was a long sandy crescent overlooking Tasman Bay. Nelson has a small airport & the planes were taking off & flying over the beach & out to sea. We all drove to Kaiteriteri which is at the south end of the Abel Tasman National Park. The area has a lot of apple & other fruit orchards. We booked in for 2 nights at the campsite right next by the sandy beach & it had changed a lot since we were last there (we camped in our tent). Keef & I had a stroll along the beach & read the information boards about the New Zealand Company wanting to set up a colony in Kaiteriteri after Wellington & Nelson. It also described the first meeting between the Maoris & English settlers. Again land was bought from the Maoris for next to nothing - token goods such as 1 gun, 1 axe, tobacco & a pipe were given as gifts to the local chief. After dinner Keef tried to book a boat excursion to the Abel Tasman National Park on the laptop but the wi-fi cut out twice so we decided to buy our tickets the next morning as soon as the kiosk opened. Quite a cold night – we all went off to the bar next to the campsite. They had a log burning stove which was cosy. Had some drinks but the bar closed at 10pm. Saturday 13 May Kaiteriteri & Abel Tasman National Park Got up at 7am. After breakfast Keef went & got our boat trip tickets from the operators Wilsons, who do a day trip along the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park. K & I had done the same trip before but thought it well worth seeing again. The Wilson family have been running this trip since 1841 & our trip cost $72 or £36 each for the whole day. Chris & Allyson wanted to do a boat trip + hike so they wanted to get their tickets separately when they could find out the options available that day – this was because some of the coastal walks were not passable due to tidal timetables. Allyson took ages getting their tickets & they were last on the boat- luckily the captain delayed 10 minutes. The trip was sunny but windy up on the top deck of the cruiser & the sea was calm. Because of the speed of the boat it felt cold – good job we wore our waterproof jackets. Lovely scenery along the coast & the boat crew let people off on some stops on route so they could do walking or kayaking. Saw Split Apple Rock in a small bay – a large granite boulder, 135 million years old, which had split in half down a natural fault line. The coastline had lots of islands, coves & sandy beaches. We saw some NZ fur seals on some rocks on an island. At Totaranui the boat turned round & headed back. All the coastline was granite rock with trees & hills in the distance. Chris & Allyson, plus some other people, were dropped off at a halfway point called Tonga Quarry & they walked 4.1 kms towards the boat pick up point at Medlands Beach. We saw a small cave by the shore & then Keef & I landed at Medlands Beach. Took lots of photos & then we walked 1.2 kms to Bark Bay, the next beach. The path above the rocky shore had partly collapsed at one point so we edged carefully close to the steep wooded bank. There was a Department of Conservation campsite with camp kitchen, a picnic area & flushing toilets at Bark Bay, which had a lovely sandy beach. Keef & I had lunch here on a picnic bench with a view of the bay & noticed that the tide was rapidly going out. This coastline has one of the highest tidal fluctuations in the world (according to the Wilson’s tourist leaflet). At high tide some of the beaches cannot be crossed. Some walkers who had tents & rucsacs passed us heading north & they were obviously doing the 4-6 day Abel Tasman trek. One girl with a rucsac was walking on her own. We walked along the sea inlet & saw a kingfisher catch a small fish. It was very peaceful & relaxing here & the air was so pure that mosses hung from the trees. Three hours after the boat dropped us off we re-boarded it back at Medlands Beach. Chris & Allyson had enjoyed their walk & we returned to Kaiteriteri. The whole trip lasted 6½ hours including the lunch break. On the return journey Keef & I sat downstairs under cover to keep out of the chilly wind. We noticed that most people sitting downstairs were engrossed with their phones rather than looking at the scenery & even when the boat went close up to the seals basking on the rocks. Saw a pale pink sunset over the bay from the campsite. After dinner we all thought we would return to the bar for a drink but there was a wedding reception & the outside area had a TV with rugby on & a packed out audience. We walked to another bar next door which was part of a nice looking restaurant. Unfortunately the lady behind the bar told us that they couldn’t serve alcohol without food due to their licence & the kitchen had just closed. So we went back to our motorhomes & had an early night as we were going to drive to Murchison the next day via St Arnaud (a ski resort). A cold night again but we kept the electric fan heater on low all night. Sunday 14 May Kaiteriteri to Murchison A sunny day today. We left at 9.30 after doing water refilling, & dumping waste. We drove along minor roads heading south through Woodstock (had one farm only), apple orchards & hop growing areas. Beautiful autumn colours on the trees & very low cloud in the valley – took some photos. I thought that it seemed that the clouds had fallen out of the blue sky! We drove parallel to the Arthur Range mountains & stopped to take photos. We took the small road through Golden Downs to St Arnaud. Lots of alpine houses & motels in this village. Keef & I remembered we stayed in a log cabin here when we were travelling around South Island with our tent. We stopped for a lunch break at Lake Rotoiti just outside the village & saw a mass of very large black eels from the jetty. People were feeding them bread. Also saw two swans & lots of ducks. The lake was very clear so you could see the bottom & the mountains surrounding it reminded me of a lake in Canada. Last time we were troubled by sandflies biting our legs but the local council had covered up the sandy shoreline with large gravel so much better now. We had a sandwich & cup of tea in the motorhome. Went to Lake Rotoroa & we all did a nature walk & had to cross two streams. The tree trunks had black moss & one had tiny white mushrooms (took photos) & the branches were dripping with green moss hanging down. After that we drove along the mighty Buller River to Murchison, where we stayed at the Kiwi Park campsite on the edge of town. Saw a helicopter landing & taking off nearby – probably doing scenic tours of the river gorge. Very cold at night. We played cards after dinner. TO BE CONTINUED MAY DIARY CONTINUED Monday 15 May Murchison to Kaikoura After breakfast I fed the small rock wallaby through the paddock fence. Very cute wallaby – gave it some lettuce & cabbage. Keef took a photo. We picked up more fuel in Murchison & then followed the Buller River along to a swing bridge which crossed the deep river gorge. Cost $10 each & once we had crossed the bridge we did a circular walk through trees & shrubs. There was a waterfall & we went past old gold mining machinery. Saw a marker high on a tree which showed the level where the floodwaters rose to above the rocky sides of the gorge. Also saw a marker where the earth had been pushed up 15 ft by the earthquake in Murchison in 1929. The quake was 7.4 on the Richter scale & 17 people died. We took the road past the Victoria Range on the right to Springs Junction. We stopped at a petrol station & bought some steak & cheese pies before continuing our journey to Waiau & then on towards Kaikoura on the scenic Alpine Pacific Highway. The road still had a lot of damage from the Kaikoura earthquake last year but the damage but was slowly being repaired. A lot of bridges had been affected too & we saw landslides & even hillsides had completely collapsed. We booked into the Top 10 campsite which looked brand new – probably refurbished as the buildings were all wooden. We all walked into town to get some fish & chips. Found out that our plan to travel south from Kaikoura on Highway 1 was thwarted as this road was closed for 12 days. Unfortunately this meant that we had to return on the same road the next day. We had picked up a notification leaflet on the Interislander ferry which said that Highway 1 was now open, so contradictory advice for travellers. Walking through town we noticed some earthquake damage to some shops, some of which were propped up with scaffolding & the old hotel was roped off. The night was quite cold & I was glad of my gloves that I’d bought on North Island. Tuesday 16 May Kaikoura to Christchurch Went along the beach road out to the seal colony. There were lots of big waves pounding the rocks & we noticed the smell of sewage which was coming from rock pools near the car park. The sewage pipes from the nearby public toilets must have been cracked from the earthquake. Because of the sewage leakage from the sea the Council had imposed a total ban on any fishing from the date of the earthquake until further notice. The fish (with chips) we ate last night must have been transported to the town from elsewhere. It showed how a major earthquake not only affects buildings above ground but gas, water & sewage pipes under ground too. The views of the bay were lovely as it was sunny & we saw some seals on the rocks & a few basking in the sun on the boardwalk next to the other end of the car park. We left Kaikoura on the same road we arrived on (it was 88kms long) but were held up by a very large herd of Friesian cows which were being moved alongside the road on the grass verge for several miles to another field. The cows sometimes crossed the road in front of us & some even stood in the middle of the road! Eventually we got to Wairu & turned towards Parnassus. Highway 1 from this point southwards was practically deserted. We were on a temporary bridge & next to it was the original bridge which was very badly damaged by the quake. It had a huge crack, the side had fallen away & the crash barrier was broken & buckled. We soon came to a wine growing area. The traffic increased as we reached the outer regions of Christchurch. We were trying to hurry to get to the Britz office to get some repairs done on our motorhomes & exchange our bedlinen & towels. Chris & Allyson’s van needed a new headlight bulb & brake shoe plus a tyre jack as the other one had broken. Our van needed the sat nav replacing as the one screw remaining meant it kept wobbling around on its bracket & twisting upside down. Also we asked for a replacement light bulb for inside our van plus a manual for the Mercedes Sprinter. Britz staff took both our motorhomes away into their workshop for the repairs whilst we sat & had coffee & hot chocolate (free). We were told we couldn’t have the instruction manual as there wasn’t one (for previous hires with Britz we always had a manual in the glove box). Keef & I also decided to ditch our two folding chairs & outside table & pedal bin as we found they took up too much space & we weren’t eating & sitting around outside anymore. Once we had sorted out our vans we drove to the Top 10 campsite in Papanui, Christchurch. It was quite a busy site & had an indoor swimming pool (which we didn’t use). A coach load of noisy school kids arrived the same time as us to check in at reception. They were screaming & shouting until it suddenly went quiet – someone must have told them to shut up. Wednesday 17 May Christchurch Keef did a full English cooked breakfast in our van & then we all got the bus near the campsite into Christchurch. The bus station looked brand new & very modern. I asked a man for directions to Cathedral Square & when we got there Keef & I were shocked at how the 2011 earthquake had changed the city compared to our visit nearly 10 years ago. The cathedral was a ruin & fenced off as unsafe to walk near. Tall weeds were growing in the paving & all the lovely bedding plants & flowers were no more – looked very sad. Lots of buildings were still being knocked down as they were beyond repair after the 6.9 quake. There had been a previous quake in 2010 in the area which was 7.8 but it was the 2011 that had caused so much devastation to the city & suburbs & 185 people died. The large loss of life occurred because the quake hit at lunchtime on a weekday. One building collapsed to dust & two buses were completely crushed by falling masonry. The epicenter was in Lyttelton harbour near the SE suburbs & there were thousands of aftershocks up to a year later. This was the port for Christchurch & after 2011 no more cruise ships visited. There was another minor quake in 2016. We remember the road to the harbour being very steep downhill & a lot of homes were severely damaged there & had to be demolished. There were a lot of vacant spaces in the city centre where buildings had collapsed. However, there was a lot of re-building going on with a new library, bank & conference centre started & work ongoing. There were signs of Christchurch’s re-emergence from the disaster but after 6 years things seemed very slow. We walked to see the Avon River where before the quakes tourists could get a punt ride but now this area looked so neglected – the grassy banks used to have manicured lawns with flower beds but not any more. Christchurch was proud of its floral displays in the past but other things are more important now. We all took a vintage tram ride round the city & the commentary from the tram driver was very good. The trams only started running again a couple of years ago. The city centre by the cathedral looked deserted apart from a couple of other tourists, when K & I saw it before the quake it was so vibrant & bustling. We went round the whole tram route once (it took about 40 minutes because it was going slow) & then we got off at the shopping area where shipping containers had been pressed into service as temporary shops. After the 2011 quake the council brought in the containers to act as temporary shops & cafes. They were painted bright colours & had glass sides & looked very good. There was lots of art work painted on city walls & sculptures too. The most evocative ‘sculpture’ was ‘185 white chairs’ to represent every adult & child who had died – awful to see a white baby car seat, a toddler’s high chair plus old style white wingback armchairs for elderly people. Some tourists from around the world had died too – the cathedral partly collapsing probably caused a lot of deaths & injuries. Chris & Allyson went off round the shops & we arranged to meet them later in the Quake City museum which covered the 2011 earthquake. Keef & I found that apart from the factual details about the event & its aftermath, the most poignant part was the section on people’s first hand accounts & of the search & rescue afterwards. The specialist rescue teams came from Australia, the UK, Japan & Singapore. Although New Zealanders were used to tremors & quakes they were shocked at the devastation caused & loss of life. Chris & Allyson arrived at the museum some time after us & they had to hurry through as the museum was about to close. We all walked to the new church built entirely out of cardboard & then went for a meal at a Mexican restaurant. Apart from the rain the previous evening & this morning it was dry all day in Christchurch although it was overcast. We had some light rain from 5pm . We got the bus from the bus station back to the campsite. We did a lovely Skype with Craig & family (it was Bill’s 70th birthday today) & Phoenix & Charlie joined in too. Thursday 18 May Christchurch, via Arthur’s Pass to Hokitika We departed Christchurch & got more fuel. Headed west towards Arthur’s Pass but at the airport roundabout Chris & Allyson who were following us missed us turning off. We thought they must have seen where we turned & we carried on but further round the airfield we realised they weren’t behind us. There was no response from them when we called them on the walkie talkie. Got worried after waiting a few minutes, then we turned back & returned to the roundabout but couldn’t see them anywhere. Eventually managed to contact them & they had got lost but were OK. We met up with them again when they turned up at a bakery a few kms further along the road which was famous for pies! We drove from the east side of NZ to the west coast across Arthur’s Pass, the highest pass over the Southern Alps. In the past Keef & I had done the road journey before in rain & mist & had also taken the return train trip from Christchurch to Greymouth as well. Arthur Dobson had surveyed the Pass in 1864 & the road was built the following year which was quite a feat. The road linked Christchurch with the goldfields on the west coast & it took 1,000 men to build it. As we drove through the National Park we stopped & took lots of photos as the scenery was spectacular & the weather was sunny with blue sky. The mountains were about 2,000 m high & some had snow on the top. At Arthur’s pass village/railway station we met up with Chris & Allyson again & did a short walk to a waterfall just outside the village called Devil’s punchbowl. Prior to that Keef & I had gone into the tourist info centre & saw a display about the Cobb & Co stagecoaches that did the same journey from coast to coast in 3 days. The coach with 5 horses held 9 people inside & 8 rode up top. In the old days the journey on rough stone tracks must have been arduous & hair-raising, especially going through gorges & steep inclines. Nowadays the road trip takes 3hours 50 mins from Christchurch to Hokitika, although it took Keef & I longer because we kept stopping to admire the scenery & take lots of photos. After Arthur’s Pass (2,275m above sea level) we went through Otira Gorge where a modern bridge/ viaduct snaked through on huge concrete support legs. We were lucky that the journey on this occasion was such good weather. At the end of the highway we turned left to Hokitika & Chris & Allyson had decided when we were at Otira Gorge to visit Greymouth. We arranged to meet up with them at the campsite. Hokitika was a small town with lots of crafts people doing glass blowing, art & carving greenstone. K & I drove to the beach as the wind was extremely strong & we watched the waves of the Tasman Sea crash onto the shore. We drove to the campsite just out of town called Hokitika Holiday Park & met up with C & A at the check-in desk. After a cup of tea, Allyson, Keef & I went off to see the glow worm dell when it got dark. It was outside the town & we parked & walked up the path & saw lots of glowing tiny white lights in the darkness amongst the vegetation. The glow worms are the larvae of the gnat fly & produce a tiny white pinprick of light. Massed together it looked magical. I nearly bumped into 2 other people who were watching them by the fence as it was pitch black. Luckily we took a torch & Allyson had the flashlight on her phone to find our way. The campsite had a well-equipped kitchen & lounge area with sofas & a gas fire. As it was very windy & rainy we cooked & ate our dinner there as it was so cosy. After dinner we discussed the route for the remainder of our holiday. Very windy night & heavy rain. Friday 19 May Hokitika to Franz Josef Glacier After breakfast we went back to see the town again & the rough seas & gales had died down. Drove along the highway to Ross, a heritage gold mining town which had some old wooden Victorian buildings. We wanted to go into the museum & look around & Chris & Allyson decided to go straight to the glacier to do a long walk. Keef & I saw a replica of a huge gold nugget that had been found in the hillside by the town – it weighed over 2 kg. The museum was small but interesting & there were lots of old photographs of the miners & information about the goldrush which brought prospectors from all over the world, including Australia, UK & China. We watched a video about the town & gold mining. A coach load of tourists from China came through the museum to have a try at gold panning in the sluice at the back. The museum lady told us that as gold retrieval techniques improved & better & more mechanised equipment was used, open cast mining methods were used. There was a massive hole in the ground (it looked like a quarry) behind the museum & a residential street where gold was extracted. Keef & I walked along the heritage trail & saw the open cast mine had been filled in with water. There was still gold mining going on outside the town (another huge hole being slowly excavated). The local newspaper article in the museum stated that the mining experts estimated that Ross was sitting on $700 million worth of gold!!! It could end up like Kalgoorlie in W Australia with a huge super pit next to the little town. We stopped again on the highway at Harihari to read some history boards about a 21 year old Aussie called Guy Menzies who decided to fly solo across the Tasman Sea from Sydney to New Zealand without telling anyone, not even his parents. He had told everyone he was going from Sydney to Perth! He wanted to be the first person to attempt the flight in 1931 & nearly had a disaster with storms, running out of fuel & poor visibility. He was aiming for Blenheim on the east coast of South Island but instead survived a crash into a swamp at Harihari on the west coast. The plane was recovered & was displayed under cover in a small building – it looked not much bigger than our motorhome! He joined the NZ airforce & his plane was shot down in Sicily during WWII. We stopped to have lunch by a river where the glacial water was an unbelievable turquoise colour! It was raining but occasionally the sun came out. Saw three separate rainbows today. Caught a brief glimpse of Mt Cook’s peak, covered in snow, but then it was covered by cloud. Drove on to the Franz Josef Glacier which was not far from the coast. Nice route through ferns, tree ferns & some palm trees. We parked our van & followed the path to the lookout but we were astounded to see that after 10 years the glacier had retreated so far back up the valley that it was small & high up on a cliff. Big disappointment. When we had last seen it there was a huge mass of ice that covered both sides of the valley floor & there was a wooden viewing platform at the base. Now the path had extended to along the valley floor so it took 1½ hours to get to the base of the cliff & return. Good job we saw it when we did years ago because global warming has obviously had a big effect on the glacier melt & retreat, with less snow to keep the glacier moving forward. We decided to look at our own old photos of the glacier when we got to the next campsite. The rain was constant & we decided to go to the Top 10 campsite just outside the village. Chris & Allyson arrived at the site reception the same time as us. Still raining, although not that cold. Still autumn colour on the trees. Winter doesn’t officially start until 1 June! Saturday 20 May Franz Josef Glacier to Haast Quite cold during the night – weather forecast said it was 0c in the village overnight. After breakfast we went into the village to buy a few supplies such as milk & cereal whilst C & A went off to the Fox Glacier for a walk. We also picked up more diesel. Very sunny this morning with blue sky. We drove to Fox Glacier & saw several waterfalls down a sheer rock face by the river. There was a small lake by the car park which was an azure blue & so clear you could see stones on the bottom. We saw from the photo on the information board that the Fox Glacier had receded enormously from 2008 to 2014.We visited it in 2008 & the glacier reached down to the valley floor but now it was high up & miles away. Keef’s knees were very painful yesterday on the downhill bit of the path to Franz Josef Glacier, so the steep path down from the car park area to the valley floor he couldn’t manage. They should install a zip wire for pensioners. As we had seen it before (when it actually looked like a glacier flowing into the valley) we decided to move on to Lake Matheson. Did the same walk as last time round the lake which was beautiful with the dripping mosses & ferns on the trees. A young couple from Melbourne took our photo with Mt Cook & other mountains in the background which had snow on the peaks. We took their photo too. Had coffee in the café/restaurant by the lake. We continued our journey with temperate rainforest on either side of the road – green ferns, tree ferns & the odd small palm tree. Strange to see such lush vegetation & tropical palms with huge mountains over 2,000 m high with snow. We stopped at Bruce bay for lunch in the motorhome & watched the waves. Lots of driftwood washed up on the beach with Rimu trees behind. This beach was voted one of the top 10 beaches in New Zealand. The road went through the valley with huge mountains on our left & the sea on our right. We paused at a viewpoint called Knights Point & saw a whale & calf out to sea. First we thought it was waves crashing over rocks but realised that the object was moving. The whales were moving near the surface & I saw them through our binoculars when they came up to breathe. The smaller of the two whales kept very close to the other one. We later learned that they were humpback whales. Stopped at 4.45pm at the Top 10 campsite at Haast, which was a new site added to an existing motel in 2011. Tried to do some laundry but both washing machines were being used. C & A had arrived as we were off to the laundry so that was good timing. They had enjoyed their day walking to the glacier & the Lake Matheson walk. The sunshine has been lovely today & only a light breeze. The electric hook-up for our van did not work so we had to move pitches as the staff on reception couldn’t fix the problem. After a cup of tea & chat about our respective day, Keef cooked the dinner tonight. Laura & Ben’s wedding was in Brighton Pavilion today. We sent them an e-card with love & best wishes. Sunday 21 May Haast to Wanaka When I went to have my shower I had to switch the heating on in the Ladies as it was very cold overnight. The facilities at the Top 10, incl kitchen & lounge area, were all within a metal aircraft hangar with very high ceilings. The resident cat (which was so huge it looked like a dog) was purring & rubbing against our legs obviously looking to hitch a ride in our van. Chris & Allyson said they were going along the highway to Wanaka & we agreed we would meet up at Wanaka Top 10 campsite. K & I decided to drive along the coast to Jackson Bay which we’d not been to before. The small road took us over bridges where there were metal gantries suspended over the rivers. The fishermen suspended fine nets into the river to catch whitebait. There was a house selling whitebait along the route. The road was virtually deserted & we went through a few very small communities with one school, a few holiday homes & a farm. Very sunny weather today & glorious views of some snow capped mountains. The sea was calm & Haast beach had an estuary too big to cross. Lots of driftwood cast up on other bays. Just before we reached Jackson Bay at the end of the road I looked out to sea with our binoculars & saw a whale. It was splashing on the surface & I saw its fluke. Keef saw it as well. We drove the last few kms into Jackson Bay township where there was a café, a few houses, public toilet & lots of lobster pots & sheds. The place was deserted & peaceful with lovely views of the bay & mountains. We walked to the end of the long jetty to see if we could get a better view of the whale but we were at the wrong angle. Jackson Bay had a Māori settlement there for 700 years & the people caught seals for meat & used the bones for fishing hooks. Then the whalers arrived & also killed seals for their skins. The seals had disappeared but we were pleased to see the humpback whale at least. A fantail bird landed on Keef’s arm & then kept flying around & over us – they are such friendly little birds with no fear of humans. I read somewhere that they are drawn to humans walking because insects are disturbed which they can eat. We left Jackson Bay & drove through Haast Pass which had amazing scenery & majestic mountains. We had our lunch in a picnic rest spot & then carried on to Lake Wanaka, which we’d visited before. This massive lake is the biggest on South Island & had a twisting road along one side. Some of the rock face had been blasted out in order to build the road, which was finished in 1995 to Wanaka town. Picture postcard stuff & the mountains on either side of the lake made a perfect backdrop. Then the road skirted along one side of Lake Hawea towards Wanaka. We stopped several times to take photos as it was so sunny. In the shade of the mountains the temperature dropped & it felt chilly. We went into Lake Hawea township & I remembered we had called in at the general store/ café for an ice-cream about 10 years ago. We carried on to the Top 10 campsite on the outskirts of Wanaka & arrived at 4.45pm. It turned very cold & it was going to be -2c overnight according to the lady in reception. We were now in the mountains & about an hour from Queenstown & The Remarkables (ski area). The ski season does not start until June & there are still some lovely autumn tints on the trees. Yet at Jackson Bay on the west coast we saw hydrangea shrubs in full bloom & huge tree ferns, but now the vegetation has turned to alpine within 194 kms. Monday 22 May Wanaka to Queenstown When I got up this morning there was a thin layer of frost on the picnic tables but not on the grass. Very sunny though. After breakfast we all drove into Wanaka & did some food shopping in New World supermarket for the next few days. Chris & Allyson then went off to Queenstown while we had a quick look around Wanaka which had expanded since we were last there. We agreed to meet up with C & A at Queenstown Top 10. K & I then took the scenic route on Highway 6 towards Cromwell & then Queenstown as we had spent 3 days camping in Queenstown Top 10 & had a good look round the town & did the Lord of the Rings tour round the whole area including Arrowtown. We passed vineyards, cherry, apple & pear trees in the valley with huge mountain ranges either side of us (some of them had snow on top). We crossed the 45th Parallel which is the half-way latitude meridian between the Equator & the South Pole. Took some photos of the sign at the side of the road. In Cromwell, a former gold mining town, we stopped at a bakery & then had lunch. We drove to the historic part of Cromwell which was established around 1860 as a Cobb & Co stagecoach stopover from Dunedin to Queenstown, a journey of 2 days. There were many stone walled houses with tin roofs & chimneys & were open to the public (free). There was a general store, livery stable, a newspaper office & printing press, plus some small shops & cottages. Also we saw some old wagons, bicycles & an original Cobb & Co stagecoach. Cromwell is situated on Lake Dunstan & is very scenic with the mountain backdrop & autumn colours on the trees. Blue sky, fluffy white clouds & warm in the sunshine. We drove on towards Queenstown along Highway 6 & followed the Kawarau Gorge & river. We could see some of the old gold workings along the upper regions of the gorge (called the Otago gold rush in the old days) & then stopped at Roaring Meg rapids. Further up the river a hydro-electric plant had been built but wasn’t visible from the viewpoint at Roaring Meg. The gorge got steeper & the road snaked along the edge – good job Keef couldn’t look down as he was concentrating on driving. We stopped at AJ Hackett’s original bungy jumping bridge by the same gorge. We watched from a viewing balcony at AJ Hackett’s a young couple doing a tandem bungy & then another man bungy jumped & actually dipped in the river 43 metres below. The jumpers were then lowered into a rubber dinghy & taken to the steps at the bottom of the gorge. A new zip wire experience had been introduced in 2010 which went across the canyon quite a long way. We chatted to a female employee on the viewing deck & she offered to take our photo. From the gorge the road went past more wineries & cheese factories & we went straight to the Top 10 campsite near the Shot over River. We noticed that after 10 years the whole region had expanded with housing estates & vineyards (there were none in 2008). Also the campsite had become much smaller because the land had been sold off for housing. The wonderful camp kitchen/lounge was still the same though. Also there were new shower areas. I did some laundry but there was no wind & the sun had disappeared so I took it off the line later & left most of it in a bag in the motorhome & pinned some up inside the van. Chris & Allyson arrived after dark & Keef cooked butter chicken & rice in the camp kitchen. Then we all sat round the cosy wood burner fire on the sofas. As we were planning to leave early the next day we went to bed early. Tuesday 23 May Queenstown to Milford Sound It’s Craig’s 35th birthday today (we sent him an e-card & a money transfer towards a new bike). Overcast skies. I woke up at 6.15am so decided to get up anyway. We arranged to meet up at the campsite at Milford Sound in the evening. Keef & I left the campsite at 8.15am heading to Milford Sound which was 291 kms away. We knew this would be a 5 hour journey at least & more with rest stops & lunch break. We found that rush hour work traffic was coming into Queenstown at that time but luckily we were going in the opposite direction. Queenstown counts as a city now with its own domestic airport & sprawling residential areas. Once we had passed through Queenstown, the views of The Remarkables & Lake Wakatipu were amazing. Queenstown itself, though not attractive, is surrounded by spectacular scenery. Adrenalin sports lure mainly young people to this area & there are lots of ski areas. The lake is massive – narrow but very long with a dog-leg halfway along. The road hugged the lake all the way to Kingston & then we went through a valley with small townships & sheep farms. We saw the remains of snowfall near an old railway bridge which now forms part of a cycle route. Highway 6 ended when we turned off towards Mossburn. We had a delay with cows on the road being moved to a new field (they were beef cattle) & the people moving them had a job to keep them together. At Mossburn we took Highway 94 to Te Anau, which was still the same as we remembered it – we had camped 2 nights there before. We had a coffee & then walked past the shops to the huge lake called Lake Te Anau. There was a jetty with a tourist boat which did excursions & a float plane. Te Anau town is at the southern end of the lake & water taxis ferry hikers to the Kepler Track & at the northern end the Milford Track ended by the lake. We spent about an hour in Te Anau which broke the journey up. The road followed the massive lake for miles & then headed through grasslands with high mountain ranges all around. The route map showed the distance between Te Anau & Milford Sound was 121 kms, but the travelling time was 2 hours. We entered the Fiordland National Park & there was no habitation anywhere. A true wilderness region & still unspoilt, apart from the road to Milford Sound which half a million tourists travel to view the Sound which ends in the Tasman Sea. The valley floor where the road went had yellow grasses & red tullock grasses & small lakes. The mountains were covered in a light dusting of snow almost like someone had sprinkled icing sugar on them. There were rest areas & short walks to small lakes & waterfalls. At one rest area there were some Keas, small alpine parrots, who were entertaining the tourists with their antics. They were hopping around & occasionally flew on top of a car. Their wings are red underneath & their backs have green/brown feathers. They have very sharp beaks & eat plants & nectar. They have become used to humans & vehicles & cheekily perch on mirrors looking inside. They are looking for humans to feed them & it’s unfortunate that they hang around tourist rest stops. The Dept of Conservation notices advise tourists not to feed the parrots & today we saw no one feeding them which was good. Food such as bread is very bad for their digestive system. The Keas are rather cheeky birds & can be quite destructive by ripping rubber trim from car roofs. Luckily our hired motorhome does not have rubber trim on the roof! We decided to do some of the short walks on our return journey to Te Anau the next day after seeing Milford Sound. Keef & I had lunch organised in the van in a rest area when the Keas became so pesty that we had to put the stuff in the sink & quickly drink our squash in order to drive away to escape them. We stopped just before the Homer Tunnel (dug out of the mountain by pickaxe from 1936 to 1954). We watched the Keas again & then on the other side of the tunnel the road zig-zagged down the steep mountain to the valley below. The waterfalls cascading down the sheer granite rock were impressive & bridges crossed gushing streams strewn with huge boulders. When we arrived at Milford Sound we decided to check out the cruise terminal before we went to our campsite for the night. Apart from a member of staff in the booking hall there was no one there at all. We took a look at the cruisers moored at the dock & as Keef had already booked & paid for our tickets (+ C & A’s as well) online in Wanaka we wanted to find out what the boarding time was for the next morning. The tickets cost $142.20 for each couple (£71.10). We were told to arrive by 10.10am for the 10.30 trip. We had booked a nature cruise with Real Journeys, a local family run company who had been operating the cruises since 1954. We were told to collect our tickets at the desk the next morning. When Keef & I were researching cruise companies & costs we found that another company did the same cruise for $208 per couple. We had gone with Real Journeys last time so knew they were good. Keef & I walked along the wooden boardwalk which had wonderful views of the Sound & Mitre Peak, which is one mile high. The tide was out & there were no other tourists around. However, seeing 27 coach bays at the cruise terminal led us to think that the 10.30am trip was going to be packed, although we were out of the main tourist season. We drove back along the road & saw where the staff that work at Milford Sound lived. They lived in little houses right next to the airport strip. We went to the campsite to check in. Keef had already booked & paid for both van pitches in Wanaka in case it was busy. It was called Milford Sound Lodge – a motel in the trees with a restaurant & bar & also pitches set amongst the trees with electric hook-up for motorhomes. There were unisex toilets cubicles & showers, with a good kitchen & dining/lounge area for campers. There was nowhere for tents to be pitched. The cost of each pitch was $54 for 2 people+ motorhome. We arrived about 5.20pm & made a cup of tea. C & A arrived when it was dark. They had done two of the very short walks on the Milford Road – Mirror lakes & The Chasm. We all had a good day driving to Milford. As the camp kitchen was busy with other people cooking their meals we ate in Chris & Allyson’s van & then we had a game of cards. The campsite was full up so good job we had booked ahead & this was the only campsite there as well. We had some light rain overnight but it wasn’t cold. Wednesday 24 May Milford Sound to Te Anau Drove down to the car park near the cruise boat jetty & then walked along the boardwalk. Keef collected our tickets from the cruise desk in the terminal. Our cruise boat was called ‘Milford mariner’ & it had masts but the sails were tightly furled. The boat was quite large & had several decks with an indoor lounge area & some bench seating on the upper deck. The boat left at 10.30am & the trip lasted 2 hours. It was a nature cruise & there was an excellent commentary by a guy who knew about the sea life, geology, plants etc. The day was sunny with not much wind, but as there had not been much rain there weren’t so many waterfalls. When Keef & I did the same trip previously the waterfalls were amazing because of the torrential rain on the journey from Te Anau but we were lucky as the cruise then was in bright sunshine. One of the waterfalls called Sterling Falls, was as tall as a 50 storey building but it was dwarfed by the huge sheer rock walls of the fiord. The magnificent scenery was awe inspiring & jaw dropping – no wonder it’s considered to be one of the natural wonders of the world. We spotted a dolphin jumping in front of the boat’s prow. The boat steered us very close to one of the tall thin waterfalls. We were told that the fiord was 16kms long & Milford Sound received 9.2 metres of rain last year. The average rainfall was 7 metres per annum & it rains 200 days of the year on average. So it’s one of the wettest places on earth & we were lucky to visit today in the sunshine. The Aussie guy doing the commentary told me that humpback whales go past the fiord as part of their migration route but on one occasion one whale got lost & ended up close to the boat jetty. Luckily it managed to steer back out to sea. He said that on another occasion a pod of killer whales came into the fiord. The boat headed out to the head of the fiord & we saw another dolphin (although it may have been the same one we saw before) & two albatross (a smaller variety). We did not see any seals on the journey out to sea because of the sheer rock face but on our return we did see four NZ fur seals close-up which were basking on a flat rock. Despite the fact that the sides of the fiord were solid granite rock it was surprising that there was a lot of greenery with mosses & plants clinging on. On the return journey back to the cruise terminal, Keef & I had a coffee in the saloon lounge & then went back on deck to see the Bowen Falls. The guy doing the commentary told us that a woman had para-glided off the rock cliff into the water & survived. He didn’t explain hoe she got to the top of the sheer cliff!! We all thoroughly enjoyed the cruise & scenery & were pleased we went with Real Journeys which was well worth the price – we felt so small compared to the towering cliffs of the fiord. When we were walking back to our vans we saw a white heron in the water at the edge of the fiord. Keef & I wanted to do some of the short walks on the way back to Te Anau & Chris & Allyson had already done these yesterday so we agreed to meet up at the campsite at Te Anau. Keef & I stopped at The Chasm & did the 20minute circular walk to a narrow channel between rock walls and boulders where water was gushing through. A small bridge went over the stream & it was so wet that the trees had moss growing on the trunks & dangling from the branches. We returned to our motorhome for lunch & a Kea hopped over to see us. Luckily this parrot wasn’t quite so pesty & we watched him whilst eating our sandwiches. We stopped again on the other side of the Homer Tunnel to watch the Keas. Two of the parrots were attacking a plastic sack on a workman’s truck which they were oblivious to & then the birds flew to our mirrors & were looking in & trying to peck at the rubber trim (I checked later & there was no damage). Then they flew to the roof of our motorhome & we could hear them scampering along. Some other people in a car next to us had their rubber trim on their roof peeled halfway off by one naughty parrot. We stopped to take photos on route & then did the 5 minute Mirror Lakes walk further on. This boardwalk was next to some small ponds which had fallen logs & leaf debris in the bottom. This created a dark background for the mirrored image of the snow capped mountains. We arrived at Te Anau Top 10 campsite at 4.45pm having stopped at the local supermarket to buy some provisions. We had camped there in the past & some of the roses on the trellis dividing some of the pitches were still in flower. The main kitchen, TV room & shower block were still the same but a small two shower/ two toilet block & kitchen had been added near to our pitch. We all had our meal in the kitchen & then had a cup of tea & played cards. Quite a busy day & very enjoyable. Thursday 25 May Te Anau to Dunedin (Portobello) Chris & Allyson decided to backtrack & head north to Queenstown as they had not seen everything the other day. This was a 168km journey & they were planning to spend the night at Queenstown again. They were going to meet up with us again at the Portobello campsite on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin on Friday evening. Keef & I went from Te Anau to Gore through farmland, with mountains in the distance. We stopped briefly at Gore. Then we stopped for lunch at Balclutha & had fish & chips. The fish was Blue Cod which was delicious & the batter was nice & crispy. We then headed north through Milton to Dunedin. We went to the Kiwi Parks campsite at Portobello on the winding road round the famous Otago Peninsula which created a massive harbour & port. The port was called Port Chalmers which was on the other side of the peninsula & halfway along from the city. We checked into the campsite at 4.20pm & then drove on to the furthest part of the peninsula called Taiaroa. We wanted to book tickets to see the Little Blue Penguins, which are the world’s smallest penguin. We had seen them here on our previous holiday in South Island but wanted to visit again. Penguin viewing took place at 5.30pm (dusk) at Pilots Beach. We parked & bought our tickets from the Royal Albatross Colony shop. It cost $30 (£15) each to see the penguins & we had to wait for about 25 minutes before the guides/ wardens took us down lots of wooden steps & gravel paths to the wooden viewing platform. There were three female guides who gave us lots of information about the penguins. These little penguins can travel up to 25 kms out to sea to feed all day & then return to their burrows once it got dark. There were only about six people with us so we all got a good viewpoint. Saw a large seal on the rocks by the little beach (Pilots Beach) but he slid into the sea before the penguins arrived. The main threat to the little penguins is sealions which eat them. About 5.45pm the first penguin appeared followed by several others. They waddled right past us from the sand & rocks on the beach & then jumped up a shelf on the sand. Then they disappeared into the grassy sand dunes to the safety of their burrows for the night. They were so adorable & cute as they were very small & they squeaked & shrilled to one another. Eventually more penguins arrived – altogether we saw 24 Little Blue penguins come out of the waves & come up the beach past us to their burrows. We could see them very clearly as there was soft lighting under the wooden platform where we stood, which the wardens said was the equivalent to moonlight so did not worry the penguins. Each penguin knew where it was going for the night. They rest in the sand dunes & then go out again from 2am onwards to fish but sometimes they stay in their burrows. We drove back to the campsite & felt happy that we’d seen the penguins in their natural habitat – a lovely experience. Friday 26 May Portobello, Otago Peninsula Weather sunny today with blue sky. After breakfast Keef & I drove along the peninsula road & we stopped at Taiaroa head again but this time walked down to the viewing platform on the ocean side. Couldn’t see any whales or seals but saw a Royal Albatross wheeling high in the sky. We returned to Harwood (residential area) by the sea & looked around. Saw a small glass fronted cupboard on a pole printed in tiger stripes – very intriguing & quirky - inside were books for people to exchange. We drove along Weir Road, a gravel road, to Papanui Inlet where there were herons in the shallow water as the tide was out. We then headed around the inlet on the narrow gravel road & took another road to Hoopers Inlet, another tidal area & parked at Allan's Beach. Some farmers were doing sheep shearing & their sheep dogs were very well trained. Signs on the beach warned of sealions being dangerous if you got too near as they could charge & bite you. Unfortunately there weren’t any sealions but the beach was lovely with fine sand. Spoke to another tourist who said that a tourist information lady had advised him that there were sealions in Sandfly Bay. We drove up Highcliff Road which we had remembered was very twisty, narrow, with sheer drops to fields below. There had been some ‘wash-outs’ where rain had washed the edge of the road away. We parked at the end of Seal point Road & looked out from the cliffs to the sea. The beach was a very long way down & the path was too steep for Keef’s bad knees to cope with. Also there was a shallow river to wade across in order to get to the beach. It was too far away to even see properly through the binoculars. We decided to go into Dunedin at 4.20pm & saw Chris & Allyson driving towards us but they didn’t notice us waving. They had driven from Queenstown today, a distance of 237kms. We drove around the city centre & then through the Botanical Gardens & up to Signal Hill to get superb views of Dunedin & the whole peninsula. We had forgotten how steep the road was up Signal Hill (last time we were in a car). Dunedin is surrounded by steep hills & some houses were perched rather dangerously on the edge of the roadside with a sheer drop down to the bottom of the valley. Dunedin is in an earthquake zone being on the Pacific Rim. The streetlights were just beginning to come on & Dunedin looked very pretty by the harbour. We drove down Blacks Road in the city suburbs which was very steep but the steepest street in the world officially is Baldwin Street which was two streets away. We sensibly parked at the bottom of Baldwin Street which is 1:2 gradient (or 1:2.86 to be precise) according to the city council & Guinness Book of Records. This certainly was a steep residential street!! We saw the famous Dunedin railway station again from the outside. Apparently this Victorian building is the most photographed in all of New Zealand according to the city tourist brochure. We returned along the Otago Peninsula road to the campsite & were surprised to see that C & A were in the campsite as we thought they were going to see the Little Blue penguins at 5.30pm as Allyson had asked us about it. Chris cooked Thai chicken curry with rice. A cold night. Saturday 27 May Portobello to Oamaru Bright & sunny today. After breakfast we headed back into Dunedin & looked at some of the art work painted on the sides of city buildings. C & A had only arrived at 4.30pm so they had not had a chance to see the peninsula. They wanted to do a walk & we told them the beaches to visit where sealions could be found. We warned them about the scary Highcliff Road, which was unsuitable for large vehicles like lorries. Dunedin has had some earthquakes – in April 1974 they had a quake that was 5.0 & in June 2015 a moderate quake of 4.7 did some minor structural damage. The epicenter was 30 kms west of the city. Local people get used to these occurrences & are blasé. Keef & I drove along the other side of the Otago Peninsula looking back at Portobello & then we veered left on route 88 (missing Port Chalmers, a container ship terminal), climbing to get a fantastic view of the massive Otago Harbour. At a viewpoint at the top there was a stone column monument commemorating Robert Scott of the famous Antarctic expedition who died on the return from the South Pole but was beaten in the race by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen who famously got to the pole first. Scott & his crew left Dunedin harbour in 1910 headed for the South Pole. A statue of Scott was in Christchurch but it fell in the recent big earthquake & was taken away to be repaired. Strangely, lots of hens & cockerels were wandering around the lookout car park area. We took a narrow road to Long beach, which we walked along. No sealions there but still a beautiful bay. Didn’t see any whales today – apparently humpbacks head north from Dunedin having travelled down the west coasts of North & South Island. Also Southern Right Whales & Sperm Whales can be found off the Dunedin coast. Drove on to Oamaru via a scenic loop road by the sea. We decided to go out to the coast at Oamaru to see the Yellow Eyed penguins at 4.30pm. They can come ashore to their burrows in the steep shrubby cliffs any time after 3pm. We parked our van & walked along the cliff path to the hide where we waited patiently until we saw one just at dusk around 5.15pm. There was a cold wind coming off the sea & we were glad of our coats & warm clothing. There were several people viewing the penguins from the hide. There were five breeding pairs plus two other penguins, when years ago there had been 400. The Yellow Eyed penguins are becoming rarer. The penguin we saw came ashore on the sandy beach, then paused before turning & returning to the water. The penguin did this twice so obviously felt nervous about leaving the ocean. There were some seals asleep on the beach which may have made it cautious. The beach is closed to the public between 9am & 3pm so as not to disturb the penguins. The hide we were in was made of wood with little wind protection but it did have a roof & it had great views of the beach. As we walked back along the cliff path I saw another penguin waddling ashore (although it could have been the same penguin again!) My feet were getting cold & I was glad I had my gloves on. We went to Oamaru Top 10 campsite to check in. Allyson joined us in reception as we had just arrived together at the site. They said they had done a long walk on the Otago peninsula. We knew that the road journey tomorrow was going to be about 4½ hours to Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula, southeast of Christchurch, so we turned in early. Sunday 28 May Oamaru to Akaroa Another bright sunny autumn day & it wasn’t that cold overnight. We looked around the town which had some heritage Victorian limestone grand buildings with very detailed stone carvings. Nowadays no one can afford to have this sort of craftsmanship done on a building. Saw the vintage train running through the town from the harbour depot. It only operates on a Sunday & lots of families with kids were riding on the two carriages. Keef saw a man dressed as the fat Controller on the station platform. There were a lot of steampunk sculptures around the harbour area & in the children’s playground. Oamaru was once a thriving town with its harbour, grain stores, customs house, opera house & banks all in very grand stone buildings. We left Oamaru & took Highway 1 through Timaru & stopped for a sandwich at the salmon fishing town of Raikaia. Then we drove on to Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula, which was a small township with French street names & a French influence. We walked around the town & on the jetty – it seemed very quiet as the shops were closing. In fact several shops had been shut up for the winter. Some of the cottages were very pretty with roses around porches & white picket fences. We went to the campsite & Chris & Allyson arrived later. The pitch was sloped with muddy grass & the kitchen & shower block were exactly the same as when we camped there in our tent years ago. The campsite needed refurbishing. We ate dinner in the kitchen to use up the remaining food but it was cold in there. The ladies showers/toilets were cold as someone had left the window open. After dinner we played cards in C & A’s van. Monday 29 May Akaroa to Christchurch Chris & Allyson had not had a chance to look at the Banks Peninsula as it was getting dark when they arrived in Akaroa so they wanted to see it in the morning. We all had to hand back our motorhomes to Britz in the afternoon. Keef & I drove towards Lyttleton, but went over the hills rather than to the harbour, and then on to Christchurch. The sea mist & low cloud meant that visibility was poor. Some of the passes over the hills, such as Dyers pass, were very high with winding roads & steep drops at the side. The summit was called the Sugarloaf, which was 496 m high. We went to Pak n save supermarket in Riccarton to get some croissants for breakfast in the motel. We had booked the Apollo Motel, 288 Riccarton Road, Christchurch. We had a quick sandwich lunch & then did our packing in the van by the motel. Chris & Allyson did their packing at the campsite but we decided to wait until Christchurch because our large heavy bags would have fallen off the motorhome seats. We dropped our bags off at the motel & then delivered the motorhome to the Britz depot/office near the airport at 3pm. The staff there gave us $38 back as we had complained in the Auckland office that the gas cylinder was too small (compared with what we had in the Aussie Britz motorhomes). We had filled it up in North Island even though it wasn’t empty. Keef & I got a shuttle bus back to the motel from Britz. The driver told us that after the damaging quake in Christchurch there had been a year of small aftershocks continuously every 20 minutes. They could have another big earthquake again at any time. Had tea & a chocolate muffin when we returned to our room in the motel & put the heating on. Met up with C & A & had a nice meal at the Lone Star restaurant. Went to bed at 9.30pm as the next day we were getting up very early to go to the airport. We saw on the TV that an amazing display of the Australis Borealis was seen all over NZ south of Christchurch last night with the most beautiful colour waves. Apparently Dunedin & Signal Hill was one of the best places to see it. Went to bed at 9.30pm as the next day we were getting up very early to go to the airport. Tuesday 30 May Christchurch to Sydney & on to Singapore Got up early, had our showers & all crammed in the taxi with all our luggage at 3.45am to go to the airport. It was still dark outside & chilly. The family who ran the motel provided the car which was driven by their son. Our Qantas QF138 plane was supposed to depart for Sydney at 6.05am but was late leaving. At Sydney airport we all had a coffee & said our sad farewells to Chris & Allyson after an amazing four month trip. They were catching a plane to Hong Kong to spend a few days there before returning home. We were flying to Singapore to spend two weeks with Doug, Phoenix & our lovely 2 year old granddaughter Charlie, before we too headed for home. Really looking forward to seeing our family again. THE END Diary 1st - 14th June Annie on Desaru Beach Malaysia 1st to 14th June Left Christchurch , South Island, New Zealand via plane to Sydney Airport... where after a coffee we said a tearful goodbye to our dear friends who went onto Hong Kong for 3 days, whilst we travelled onto Changi where we spent a lovely 2 weeks with family in Singapore with a long weekend break in Desaru, Malaysia. You can see details of both of those from the respective drop downs in the index above. Thanks for looking 30th May- 14th June, no time to write a diary too busy having family fun! 😉 but you can look at the slideshows and photos to get an idea of what we did, including our posh weekend away in Malaysia at Desaru. The appropriate Singapore and Malaysia pages on this website will help with that. More Singapore More Malaysia Previous Day (Recap) Tuesday 30 May Christchurch to Sydney & on to Singapore Got up early, had our showers & all crammed in the taxi with all our luggage at 3.45am to go to the airport. It was still dark outside & chilly. The family who ran the motel provided the car which was driven by their son. Our Qantas QF138 plane was supposed to depart for Sydney at 6.05am but was late leaving. At Sydney airport we all had a coffee & said our sad farewells to Chris & Allyson after an amazing four month trip. They were catching a plane to Hong Kong to spend a few days there before returning home. We were flying to Singapore to spend two weeks with Doug, Phoenix & our lovely 2 year old granddaughter Charlie, before we too headed for home. Really looking forward to seeing our family again. SINGAPORE INTRODUCTION - 2 visits at start and end of the holiday Stay 1 - Sadly just 3 days on route to the southern hemisphere to break the journey but it was a chance to catch up with family and see our lovely grand daughter again. Plus some good eats esp. Quentin's Eurasian with family and C&A. The Escher exhibition at Art/ Science was a particular favourite of mine. MRT coming 2023 to a station near you at Marine Parade. Love East Coast Park, helped somewhat in the jet lag stakes. Stay2 - A much longer stay this time around. 2 glorious weeks with family. National Gallery Biennale kids exhibition, Liao Fan Michelin Hawker centre, Singapore Zoo, Wet Wet Wet (Wild) park, Mustafa's, Chinatown, East Coast Park BBQ and walks, Parkway Parade, The supercool Library and a fab long weekend in Malaysia at Lotus Desaru Beach Hotel Stay 2 30th May- 14th June No time to write a diary too busy having family fun! 😉 but you can look at the slideshows and photos to get an idea of what we did, including our posh weekend away in Malaysia. Our Singapore stay from 1–14 June 2017 was all about family time after months on the road. We flew in from Sydney, tired but excited to see Doug, Phoenix and little Charlie again. Most days were spent enjoying simple routines together—walks, playtime, meals, and catching up on everything we’d missed. We explored local spots, revisited favourite areas, and soaked up the warmth and humidity we’d almost forgotten. The highlight was our luxurious long‑weekend escape to Desaru in Malaysia, a relaxing break filled with sunshine and pampering. It was a joyful, restorative two weeks before the journey home. TO BE CONTINUED JUNE DIARY CONTINUED MALAYSIA - Desaru Resort , Bandar Panewar, Johor Coastline 3 Day Weekend Break - 9-11 June 2017 It was a long weekend break away with family to MALAYSIA at the Desaru Resort in Bandar Panewar on the Johor Coastline. The 3 day weekend break lasted from 9th to the 11th of June. It was wonderful to spend quality time with Doug, Phoenix, and Charlie, as it was the weekend Doug didn’t have to work. We loved the big pool, there were quite a few of them with water amusements and wave machines but the Olympic size pool was my fave, as during most of the day until the cooler evening it was empty. It had good changing room facilities as well. By way of an introduction, no full Diary was written for both Singapore nor Malaysia as we were just too busy doing stuff, anyhow here are some words KeefH Web Designs put together retrospectively in 2022. It was a long weekend away in Desaru, Johor travelling by ferry from Changi ferry port by the MV Falcon 3 to Tanjung Belungkor ferry terminal in Malaysia and then transported by people mover provided by our hotel some 35km from the ferry terminal to the beach resort. It certainly had very nice facilities, 2 pools and a waterpark plus really good food provided by a variety of restaurants and a colonial feel to the lawn and buildings plus charlie loved the old fire engine and bird house. All in all a fab family weekend away. At Lotus Desaru we took some 113 images covering amongst others tangjung belangkor, ferry from changi, the reach, buffet restaurants, paw patrol, early swimming to keep cool, amusements, tigers, block e, last rivers, meals, seafood, mexican, boats, rickshaws, fire engines, parascending, seabass, seaside fun, holiday in the sun, 3 day long weekend, mv falcon 3, fireworks, waterfall, relaxation, palm trees, taxi rides, seaview restaurant, steep down to beach, teratai coffee house, hibiscus, limbongan maju, marina island, love prata, block e room 407, I’m sure there was a whole lot more but you can see those via both the slideshows and the image galleries, enjoy and thanks for looking. THE END

“Discover the Cook Islands through decades of travel memories — turquoise lagoons, island life, and unforgettable adventures from our long‑running travel archive.” COOK ISLANDS - We stayed on RAROTONGA Raina Beach House, 10-17 April 2017 INTRODUCTION & DIARY We stayed at the Raina Beach house in Titikaveka, right on the beach front and close to the fruits of the sea lagoon, the best places for snorkeling in the Cook Isles. It wasn't so easy to find in the dark. We had a hire car so explored as well as chilled. Loved the lush interior on the inner road, Wigmore's waterfall, the botanic gardens and lemon cheesecake, Muri burgers, Rarotonga brewery lager and the capital Avarua on the outer road. Nice chill time here on the island at our Raina beach house close to the waters edge. Loved snorkeling, sun bathing, reading , kayaking (well some of us), exploring the island both inner and outer roads, Rarotonga brewery, Little Polynesian restaurant, Botanic gardens, Lemon cheesecake, Muri burgers, University, Museum, Outriggers, Church services, Tropical flowers and customs. April 17 Diary Cook Island's Brewery, guess who visited? "Paradise Home by the Sea" Little Polynesian Restaurant, Titikaveka Jack fruit from the wonderful cafe in the Botanic gardens, which was not far from our cottage Avarua market, great smoothies here 2017 Cook Islands with Pals Click to enlarge and scroll thru slideshows gallery images created by KeefH Web Designs for this Travel Photography site with care and love 1/20 Cottage views of our personal reef

A real 2013 travel diary across Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. Photos, stories and motorhome adventures from a once‑in‑a‑lifetime trip done 3 times. Long Haul and World Wide Travel Blog 2013 2013 Travel Long Haul Route Full travel route (chronological) Leg 0 – Departure from UK Home to Asia: Route: East Midlands/UK → Kuala Lumpur (via long‑haul flight, likely with a hub such as Dubai/Singapore). Trip start: 22 January (what would have been Dad’s 86th). Leg 1 – Malaysia (first visit, 23 Jan–5 Feb) Kuala Lumpur (KL): Base: Central KL hotel (near HOHO bus route). Key spots: HOHO city tour, Chinatown, Little India, Batu Caves, Concorde Inn, Hard Rock Café T‑shirt. Langkawi (wedding): Route: KL → Langkawi (domestic flight). Key spots: Kuah Town, island‑hopping (Bunting Island, Beras Basah, Pregnant Maiden Lake), wedding venue on Langkawi. Penang – Georgetown: Route: Langkawi → Penang (ferry/flight). Base: Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion, UNESCO area. Key spots: Georgetown heritage streets, Chinatown, Little India, exotic fruits, Nasi Goreng, Batu Ferringhi. Exit Malaysia (1st time): Route: Penang/ KL → Auckland (via Asian hub). Leg 2 – New Zealand, North Island loop (6 Feb–5 Mar) Auckland pickup: Route: Arrive Auckland → collect Mercedes Sprinter 313 motorhome. Direction: Anti‑clockwise loop of upper North Island plus central regions. North of Auckland / Northlands: Orewa: First coastal stop, beach walks. Tutukaka / Whangārei area: Coast and Haruru Falls region. Bay of Islands: Russell, Keri Keri, Whatuwhiwhi. Far North: Ahipara/Apihara area, 90 Mile Beach, Cape Reinga (traffic fine picked up near here). East coast & Coromandel / Bay of Plenty: Coromandel Peninsula: Coromandel town, coastal drives. Hot Water Beach: Digging pools at low tide. Papamoa Beach (Bay of Plenty): Ocean Drive, long beach days. Hawke’s Bay & central plateau: Napier (Hawke’s Bay): Art Deco town. Lake Taupo & Kinloch: Lakeside camping, volcanic scenery. Tongariro area: National park landscapes and walks. Forgotten World & Taranaki: Whangamomona: “Republic” capital, remote roads. Taranaki region: Around Mt Taranaki and rural routes. Return to Auckland: Orewa revisit & Waves Motel: Final nights. Route end: Return motorhome in Auckland, 2,559 miles driven. Exit NZ: Route: Auckland → Sydney (flight). Leg 3 – Australia (6 Mar–6 Apr) Sydney & New South Wales: Base: Vaucluse / Eastern Suburbs. Key spots: Coastal walk Vaucluse → Watson’s Bay, Bondi and North Shore beaches, ocean pools, family & friends. Tasmania: Route: Sydney → Hobart (flight). Key spots: Time with family, Bruny Island, coastal scenery. Adelaide & South Australia: Route: Tasmania → Adelaide (flight). Pickup: Britz motorhome. Base: Adelaide Shores and surrounds. Eyre Peninsula & outback: Port Lincoln & Coffin Bay National Park: Coastal drives, seafood, national park. Coober Pedy & outback: Opal town, desert landscapes. Nullarbor crossing (3‑day epic): Route: Ceduna → Nullarbor Plain → Norseman. Distance: About 1,194 km / 742 miles. Notes: Slow puncture from cracked wheel rim en route. Western Australia coast: Esperance: Great Ocean Drive, beaches. Indian Ocean Drive: Coastal run north. Geraldton & Port Denison: Picnic on the shore, Indian Ocean views. Perth area & finish: Base: Perth region. Route end: Return Britz motorhome, total 3,810 miles driven in Australia. Exit Australia: Route: Perth → Singapore (flight). Leg 4 – Singapore & Malaysia side‑trip (7–21 Apr) Singapore base: Base: Geylang East, staying with Doug & Phoenix. City highlights: Gardens by the Bay & Marina Bay Sands (MBS). Botanic Gardens. Clarke Quay: Day and night river cruises. Jurong Bird Park. Little India & hawker centres. Raffles Hotel Long Bar: Singapore Slings. Local life: Geylang swimming pool, library, MRT everywhere, durian tasting. Malaysia side‑trip from Singapore: Route: Singapore (Woodlands crossing) → Johor Bahru → Melaka (Malacca). Melaka: UNESCO old town, Mr Li’s tea house, riverside walks, Hard Rock Café T‑shirt, some “rats & smells” along the river. Return: Melaka → Johor Bahru → Singapore. End of trip: Last night: Bad tummy, emotional goodbyes. Route: Singapore → UK (long‑haul flight back to East Midlands/Derbyshire). 13 Route Visuals 🌏 2013 Long Haul Trip — Summary Each item follows the structure: Stop | Country | Location | Date(s) | Notes Malaysia (Leg 1) Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur City | 23 Jan–26 Jan | HOHO bus, Chinatown, Little India, Batu Caves Malaysia | Langkawi | Kuah / Island Hopping | 26 Jan–31 Jan | Wedding, Pregnant Maiden Lake, Beras Basah Malaysia | Penang | Georgetown | 31 Jan–5 Feb | Blue Mansion, UNESCO old town, Batu Ferringhi New Zealand (Leg 2) New Zealand | Auckland | Auckland Arrival | 6 Feb | Collect motorhome New Zealand | Orewa | Orewa Beach | 7 Feb | First coastal stop New Zealand | Tutukaka / Whangārei | Tutukaka Coast | 8–9 Feb | Haruru Falls region New Zealand | Bay of Islands | Russell / Kerikeri | 10–12 Feb | Far North touring New Zealand | Ahipara | 90 Mile Beach | 13–14 Feb | Cape Reinga area New Zealand | Coromandel | Coromandel Town | 16–17 Feb | Coastal drives New Zealand | Hot Water Beach | Coromandel Peninsula | 18 Feb | Hot pools at low tide New Zealand | Papamoa | Bay of Plenty | 19–21 Feb | Long beach days New Zealand | Napier | Hawke’s Bay | 22–23 Feb | Art Deco town New Zealand | Taupo | Lake Taupo / Kinloch | 24–25 Feb | Lakeside camping New Zealand | Tongariro | National Park | 26 Feb | Volcanic landscapes New Zealand | Whangamomona | Forgotten World Hwy | 27 Feb | Remote republic town New Zealand | Taranaki | Mt Taranaki Region | 28 Feb | Rural touring New Zealand | Auckland | Orewa / Waves Motel | 1–4 Mar | End of loop, return motorhome Australia (Leg 3) Australia | Sydney | Vaucluse / Eastern Suburbs | 6–10 Mar | Coastal walks, Bondi, Watson’s Bay Australia | Tasmania | Hobart | 11–15 Mar | Family time, Bruny Island Australia | Adelaide | Adelaide Shores | 16–17 Mar | Collect Britz motorhome Australia | Port Lincoln | Eyre Peninsula | 18–20 Mar | Seafood, national park Australia | Coffin Bay | Coffin Bay NP | 21 Mar | Coastal scenery Australia | Coober Pedy | Outback | 22–23 Mar | Opal town Australia | Nullarbor | Nullarbor Plain | 24–26 Mar | 3‑day crossing, cracked wheel rim Australia | Esperance | Great Ocean Drive | 27–28 Mar | Beaches Australia | Geraldton | Port Denison | 29–30 Mar | Indian Ocean coast Australia | Perth | Perth Region | 31 Mar–6 Apr | End of Australian leg Singapore & Malaysia (Leg 4) Singapore | Singapore | Geylang East | 7–12 Apr | Staying with Doug & Phoenix Singapore | Singapore | Marina Bay / Gardens by the Bay | 13 Apr | MBS, Supertrees Singapore | Singapore | Clarke Quay | 14 Apr | River cruise Singapore | Singapore | Jurong Bird Park | 15 Apr | Wildlife Singapore | Singapore | Little India | 16 Apr | Hawker centres Malaysia | Johor Bahru | JB City | 17 Apr | Cross-border trip Malaysia | Melaka | Melaka Old Town | 18–19 Apr | UNESCO area, Mr Li’s tea house Singapore | Singapore | Geylang / City | 20–21 Apr | Final days, return prep Return Home United Kingdom | UK | Arrival | 21 Apr | Singapore → UK flight DIARY PLAY Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia & Singapore 2013 OUR "THIRD HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME" HELLINGER TRAVEL RECORDs for 2013, Replicated by TRAVEL BLOG 167 Travel Blog fun. We have been lucky enough to spend 3 months away again recently, firstly in Malaysia where our youngest son "Mr. Douglas" got married on the lovely island of Langkawi. Our time in Malaysia included Kuala Lumpur (KL to its friends), Langkawi , Georgetown (Penang) and latterly Melaka (Malacca - the UNESCO World Heritage site) via Johor Bahru (JB to its friends). We then hired a Motorhome for a month to travel around the top half of North Island New Zealand (NZ). We had already spent 4 months seeing North & South island of this lovely country back in 2007/8 and wanted to see the places we missed out on last time, namely Cape Reinga, 90 mile beach, Hot water beach and the forgotten world highway. After NZ we returned to Australia both of us for the 4th time. Starting in Sydney with family & friends we had a great time. Then Tasmania again with family we flew into Adelaide to pick up our motorhome to travel the Nullabor plain from east to west but this time with a built in external gas BBQ, bliss! Including our previous trips to OZ we have now travelled around the outside from Cooktown (QLD) to Geraldton (WA) plus Broome, Kunannarra, Darwin (NT) and thru the middle on the Ghan including Alice & Uluru. We have been to all States and can thoroughly recommend Oz to anyone wanting an adventure. We HEART Oz & Nz big style. We finished our trip with 2 weeks in lovely Singapore with Doug and his new wife "Mrs. Phoenix". If we tot up the miles / kilometers we drove on this trip we can say we drove the equivalent of the distance from London to Tashkent (Uzbekistan).It is nice being back in the UK now to our own little Motorhome with a whole host of new & exciting trips to look forward to which you can see on our website motorhome-travels. This website shows some of our best pictures and Anne's diary as a memory of a truly wonderful time. Love K&A . We drove 7253 miles in total whilst away in both hire cars and motorhomes. Summary of those travel blog total miles driven is as follows:- In Motorhomes described via this travel blog 6369 (2559 in NZ, 3810 in Australia of which 742 were crossing the Nullarbor Plain), In Cars 884 (Sydney 187, Langkawi 342, Johor 2 Melaka 355) I suggest you read each travel blog section visited in conjunction with the appropriate travel blog days dairy, thanks for looking Hints and Tips - Weddings on Langkawi Island Weddings on Langkawi Island, Malaysia, what you need to know! Langkawi Island, located in Malaysia, is a serene and breathtaking destination that attracts visitors from all around the world. Nestled amidst the Andaman Sea, this tropical paradise is not only known for its stunning beaches and lush greenery but also for its enchanting wedding venues. If you are planning to tie the knot and are looking for a destination that offers unrivaled beauty and a touch of exoticism, then Langkawi Island may be the perfect choice for your dream wedding. Let's delve into what you need to know about weddings on Langkawi Island. First and foremost, when it comes to planning your wedding on Langkawi Island, it's important to find a reliable and professional wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings. These experts are well-versed in the local customs, laws, and procedures, ensuring a hassle-free and smooth planning process. They will assist you in securing the necessary permits, arranging transportation and accommodation for your guests, and curating the perfect wedding experience. Langkawi Island offers a plethora of stunning wedding venues, ranging from luxurious beach resorts to private villas and even traditional Malay kampong-style settings. One popular venue is the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, boasting elegant spaces with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea. This secluded resort provides an idyllic backdrop for exchanging vows and celebrating with your loved ones. Another distinctive option is The Datai Langkawi, an exquisite rainforest resort that seamlessly blends nature with luxury. Its pristine beaches and lush surroundings create an ethereal atmosphere for a romantic and unforgettable wedding ceremony. For couples seeking a more intimate and private affair, Langkawi also offers secluded beachfront villas that can be exclusively reserved for your special day. These secluded havens provide an intimate setting with personalized touches, allowing you to create memories that will last a lifetime. This is the full travel blog diary of our trip, stop the travel blog slideshow where you wish to read, however it is worth noticing that each individual travel blog page on the site has the travel blog diaries specific to that particular visit, mostly 3 days at a time. OUR ROUND THE WORLD FLIGHT TICKET ROUTE Pre Planning Makes perfect, I even enjoy the mental exercise, but it always pays off, the first Gallery shows Flags (with start and finish dates for each place visited) , Currency converter cheat sheets and finally the coins and notes of each nation, clearly the rates are somewhat different today (2022) 😉 ✅ Malaysia Footer kiwi flag hdr and footer start to end 1/10 2013 Slideshows Now follows a Summary slideshow of some of the memories from that lovely third trip of a lifetime, they are organised sequentially, clearly the complete set of images and slideshows is available under each 3 day diary write up , thanks for looking. The slideshow / gallery will run at 2 slides per 4 secs viewing , if you hover over and then click you will see full screen pop up and be able to scroll through at your own speed, the controls at the bottom of each gallery allow for forward or halt. NOTE this applies to all galleries throughout the site, enjoy and happy viewing Weddings on Langkawi Island Continued . One of the advantages of having a wedding on Langkawi Island is the abundance of natural beauty that surrounds you. From the azure blue waters to the stunning sunsets and lush rainforests, Langkawi Island offers unparalleled opportunities for breathtaking wedding photographs. Capture the magic of the island as you embark on your journey as a married couple. Aside from its natural wonders, Langkawi Island is renowned for its warm hospitality and delectable cuisine. Traditional Malay dishes intermingled with flavors from various cuisines are readily available to tantalize your taste buds. Plan a customized menu with your wedding planner and savor a gastronomic experience that will leave your guests craving for more. To make your wedding on Langkawi Island a truly memorable experience, take advantage of the nearby attractions and activities the island has to offer. From island hopping, thrilling water sports, to exploring the UNESCO World Geopark, Langkawi Island has something for everyone. Create unforgettable memories with your loved ones as you embark on new adventures together. In conclusion, if you envision a wedding in a breathtaking tropical paradise, Langkawi Island in Malaysia is an ideal choice. With its stunning venues, warm hospitality, and natural beauty, this island offers the perfect setting for your dream wedding. Enlist the assistance of a professional wedding planner who can guide you through the entire process, ensuring a seamless and enchanting experience. Celebrate your love in a destination that will leave you and your guests in awe. Long Haul Holiday Travel in 2013, 3 Months Away, 22nd January (what would have been Dad's 86th) and Snow to 21st April and Spring Bulbs Read the Travel Blog Diaries, Look at the Travel Blog Slideshows, See the You Tube Videos, Use the 2013 CHOICES MENU to Explore, 3 Days at a Time (mostly) Have Fun, This travel blog is referenced as our 3rd Holiday of a Lifetime to cover our trips in 2007/8 (Downunder) & 2010 (Across Canada), we have since had a 4th in 2017 (Downunder) Here is a schematic of the trip with the round the world (RTW) route mapped out including length of flights and number of days spent in each location. All the usual travel blog information can be found here. trad wedding photo, langkawi island, malaysia so happy for them 35th wedding anniversary, new zealand another wedding celebration, went to this lovely restaurant back in 2007-8 taken by nice japanese lady easter time, gardens by the bay, singapore trad wedding photo, langkawi island, malaysia so happy for them 1/13 Jan13 Final Feb13 Final Apr13 Original Jan13 Final 1/8 keef by the blue mansion door georgetown in very old age 1/78 Your Choices for 2013 Travel Guides Malaysia Travel Summary Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Kuah Town Islands Plus Wedding Penang Georgetown Malacca Travel Summary New Zealand Orewa Tutakaka Keri Keri Coromandel Bay of Plenty Hawkes Bay Tongariro Taranaki Back to Auckland Travel Summary Australia Vaucluse Sydney North Shores Tasmania Bruny Coober Coffin Bay Nullarbor Esperance Geraldton Perth New Zealand Australia Travel Summary Singapore Hop on Hop off Bus Sentosa Island Jurong Bird Park Little India Singapore Malaysian Long Haul Travel Guide 2013 Including amongst others Langkawi,Penang, Malacca, Georgetown , 1st visit 23rd January to 5th February , then the second visit 12th April to 14 April, 17 days in total MALAYSIA 2013 OUR "THIRD HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME" HELLINGER TRAVEL RECORDs for 2013, Replicated by TRAVEL BLOG 167 We were in Malaysia twice during our 3 months away. Initially for Doug & Phoenix's wedding on the lovely island of Langkawi and then again when we visited them at their home in Singapore where we slipped back over the border via Woodlands crossing into Johor (JB) before driving up to the Unesco World Heritage site @ Malacca (Melaka in Malay). Our 1st stay in Malaysia was initially centred around Kuala Lumpar (KL) using the Hop On Hop Off bus (HOHO) to look at various things then onto Langkawi then for 3 days at the end in Georgetown Penang another Unesco World Heritage site at Cheong Fatt Tze's Blue Mansion. Annie kept a diary and you can read that here on the website day by day as well as see the pictures we took as memories on each day. If you prefer to speed that viewing up you can view the slideshows for this country on each of those days. HIGHLIGHTS:- Doug & Phoenix's wedding Unesco Blue Mansion Georgetown Exotic Fruits Chinatown & Little India, Georgetown Evening tour of Malacca Food @ Concorde Inn KL Mr Li's tea house Melaka Monkeys on Bunting Island & Basah Bahai Pregnant Maiden Lake Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt from Malacca & Batu Ferrighe Penang Nasi Goreng LOWLIGHTS:- Bumps on island boat hop Langkawi Rats in roads & smells on Melaka River MALAYSIA, Kuah Town, Langkawi Island, 25-27 January 2013 Arriving from KL and meeting up with family at the De Baron Hotel, Malaysia 25-27 Jan 2013, Kuah Town, Capital of Langkawi Island, plus a verbal reading of the diary covering amongst others leaving the Concorde inn KL and flying to Langkawi island, De Baron Hotel, hire car, lovely swimming pools, sunset views and strolls, no durian in lifts, Taylor Swift's red, straits of Malacca, jacaranda trees and pods, family arriving for wedding, 1st meal of tricky curried prawns at sunset, air con, such fun! The number of images in the selective slideshow is 51. Feel free to look at what Langkawi has to offer, click HERE Friday January 25th 2013 Still at Concorde Inn Hotel near KL airport. Woke up early again at 5.45 a.m., must still be jet lag, heavy rain. Yesterday we found all Malaysians friendly and very helpful and all spoke very good English, we tried out our pigeon Malay whenever we could to try and be good but in general their English was way better than our Malay. Annie did Indonesian at school in Australia and said many of the words were similar. We had an excellent breakfast at the hotel, Keef did some online banking and emails, we then when swimming / sunbathing at the hotel pool. It was very hot and then like clockwork the rain clouds gathered and around 6 p.m. there was another terrific rainstorm with thunder and lightening. The rain was tremendous, and we mean TORRENTIAL! Anne had a little siesta as was suffering from jet lag and tired. We then had a lovely evening meal in the hotel restaurant, Annie had chicken satay with rice, curd cake and carrot cake for pudding, Keef had nasi lemak , chicken, rendang sauce, coconut rice, with an anchovy and nut garnish followed by cheesecake for pudding, all very yummy and hugely well prepared, thanks Concorde Inn Hotel staff, much appreciated. We then organised the taxi pickup for the next morning to take us to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Kuala Lumpur for our Malaysian internal flights at 10 a.m. (arriving at the terminal 2 hours earlier as directed) Never know what that is all about, mostly to get you to spend money at the terminal. Night night we will be up early tomorrow. Saturday January 26th 2013 Today we travel onward to Langkawi Island, Malaysia, a chocolate (tax free) holiday paradise island for all Malaysians and the place where our youngest son is due to get married. Tick! Got up at 6 a.m. and had breakfast at 7.15 a.m. we then got the taxi to Kuala Lumpur’s LCCT terminal to catch our 10 a.m. flight on Air Asia to Langkawi. We had to be at the terminal 2 hours in advance. In the end the plane left at 10.15 a.m. and took about 1 hour to get to the island. It was very hot in Langkawi, about 30 degrees C, we checked in at the De Baron Hotel , a 2 star hotel, having picked up our hire car from the airport for 1 week. It cost about £230. The hire car had air con, 4 doors and seemed very good. Apparently, there are monkeys and buffalo on the roads away from the main Kuah Town although on our journey to the hotel we didn’t see any. Cars drive on the left in Malaysia. We unpacked our bags in the hotel room, which was not as good as the one at the Concorde Inn in KL. We then went for a stroll around the hotel and grounds to familiarise ourselves with where we were. We then walked to the nearest shops to find a restaurant for some food. This is hilarious, we ordered fish and chips, but the waiter only bought one plate. He naively assumed it was only the man eating, wow now that is a cultural difference. 😉 We asked for the 2nd meal which duly arrived, but the fish was not cooked properly. We left in disgust and found another restaurant. Anne had lemon chicken (not very good) and pineapple rice which was wonderful. We then found a wine shop and bought both red and white for D&P’s wedding. Both of us has a siesta as knocked out by the massive heat or more succinctly humidity. Keef took sunset pictures from the hotel grounds. Brian and Gina arrived at De Baron Hotel, Kuah Town, Langkawi Island at 10.15 p.m. Sunday January 27th 2013 Went for a swim and met up with Brian and Gin who had got up early and had breakfast and walked along the bay to the Eagle Square statue (famed on Langkawi and visible in all the tourist brochures). It was again very hot today. We all got sunbeds around the pool which had 2 lovely slides. K&A went off to collect Craig and Leanne from the airport at 12.15 p.m. and then once they had both checked into their room they joined us on the sunbeds which we had rotated to be in the shade, a very good move for us pasty skinned Brits abroad, ha ha. 😉The only 2 awake around the pool were Annie & I as we had now arrived in the right time zone body wise. In the evening we had dinner at our hotel outside in the gardens overlooking the bay a bit cooler and a lovely romantic setting and great company, what more could you ask for. We took some sunset photos over the bay. Hotel had wonderful and beautiful views of the bay which is part of the straits of Malacca. Being a Muslim country, they did not serve alcohol, but we took along some beers etc. and sat along the bay frontage and watched the sun set, just magical. That afternoon Keef & Brian had walked 10 minutes to the quay to book an island-hopping boat tour trip for 9 a.m. the next day, so looking forward to that. This is an extract from a tourist brochure from Langkawi. “Kuah, the main town of Langkawi, is a good starting point for visitors who travel via ferry. While clear white stretches of beaches are non-existent here, ships are ever-present in the distance and the looming mountains on the nearby islets are visible during the day. The town is well-regarded as a shopper’s haven, housing many excellent duty-free stores selling everything but the kitchen sink. Due to its relatively large population and the number of hotels in the area, visitors can also find a good range of dining venues to choose from while places of interests that are great for picture moments can be found in Kuah. Kuah, Kuah Town or Bandar Kuah is a town, mukim and district capital of Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. It is the entry point for those coming by ferry from either the mainland or Penang Island. The town is centred on its jetty, which is a point of arrival for tourists from the mainland. Kuah has become a major town due to the growth of visitors after Langkawi developed into a tourist centre since 1986. Kuah is the most important town on Langkawi Island. Though it is not an actual city, local people from Langkawi refer to it as a city. Kuah is a nice and small town with a relaxed atmosphere. There are no big malls, no heavy traffic and no places to eat on every corner but more than enough to satisfy your appetite. Langkawi Island has a duty-free status. You can buy cheap liquor, cigarettes, fragrances, and other souvenirs in Kuah. Kuah has a couple of hotels, but you will find better accommodation outside of the city. “ The hotel address was de BARON resort, Bandar Baru BARON,07000, Kuah Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman. 27 jan 2013 first full evening get together in kuah town poolside dolphins 1/26 MALAYSIA, Berjaya to Penang 31 Jan-2 Feb 2013 Leaving family after the Wedding, Oriental Village, Elephant rides & Lebanese meals then goodbyes and onto Penang, Malaysia 31 Jan-2 Feb 2013, Skycab, Oriental Village, Berjaya hotel resort Brian & Gina's hotel in the south west of Langkawi Island, Plus Reading Annie's Diary, covering amongst others airport, berjaya hotel resort, eagle quay, shops, pantai chenang, pantai kok, seaweed crisps, batik fabric prints, penang, bayview hotel, Georgetown, drove 225 miles on langkawi, hire car, taxi, permata kedah, langkawi jewel of kedah, skycab, cable cars, oriental village, mount machinchang, family, parascending, parasailing, Lebanese meal in Pantai Kok, yacht harbour, farewell to Brian & Gina, Craig & Leanne, Doug & Phoenix, Air Asia flight to Penang , only 18 mins our shortest flight ever, 51 images in the selective slideshow Thursday January 31st 2013 Brian and Gina transferred to their new hotel, Berjeya Hotel Resort on the southwest of the island at 4 p.m. Got up late and had breakfast in the Sands restaurant in the Tanjung Rhu hotel. We chatted to John & his partner Tammy. We had to check out of our room at 12 noon, but Doug and Phoenix were staying on until Friday. We put our baggage in the hire car and then spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool as did the whole of Phoenix’s family. Brian and Gina then left at 4 p.m. for their next hotel. We got showered to leave at 6.30 p.m. Unfortunately only B&G caught Phoenix’s Mum to say goodbye, we didn’t manage any of P’s party, the whole of her entourage were not around, B&G did say farewell to Doug & Phoenix however who were off for a spa treatment, luxury eh but true honeymoon stuff for Mr. & Mrs. Douglas (as they became known by the hotel staff tee hee). They were also doing snorkeling on Friday morning before flying to Penang to briefly stay with their friends Kim & Jayne, who were also wedding guests. Kim volunteered to show us around Georgetown his home when we got to Penang in a few days’ time but we decided against it as in fairness didn’t know him that well and wanted to look around at our own pace. We will stay with Doug & Phoenix at the end of our trip for two weeks in April so its as they say not goodbye but more au revoir ha-ha With Craig and Leanne we then drove to the tourist resort of Pantai Chenang again and had a lovely Thai meal, this was the scene of C&L’s parascending experience tomorrow having worked up the courage watching other on our previous visits here , something we are not sure Leanne would do again. Very tired as late night previously so we all went to bed when we returned to the hotel De Baron in Kuah Town. One thing we remember from around the pool at Tanjung Rhu resort was the pompous Brits who told as they always holidayed here every year and were complaining about the riffraff lowering the tone for the plebs wedding, little did they know that was us, awful snobs and people for that matter, happy never to see folk like that again, thank you very much Friday February 1st 2013 Had breakfast at 8.30 a.m. with Craig & Leanne and then returned to Pantai Chenang for them to do parasailing, which cost them £12 for 10 minutes in the air. The speedboat took them out for a very small island offshore where they took off from its beach. Then we drove to the southwest side of the island and visited the Oriental Village with shops, a lake with koi carps, fish, monkeys etc. maybe click on the link on the website page for the oriental village Langkawi Island to see so much more. We saw the cable car but the queue to get on was so long we just didn’t have time to do it so Craig & Leanne did an elephant ride instead. Their elephant was called Lasah, we took lots of photos of them then K & A fed him afterwards with bread slices and bananas provided. We saw a small boy with a python wrapped around his neck. We then went into the spa shop where Craig & Leanne put their feet into a pool where small fish nibbled the hard skin on their feet, it made Craig giggle. We had already done this with Linda & Ian in Cornwall before we came so gave it a miss this time around. We then drove to Brian & Gina’s new resort hotel which was quite close to the Oriental Village and spent the afternoon on the beach and in their pool which had a waterfall. Their hotel grounds were nicely landscaped with tropical palms etc. Maybe click on the link for the Berjaya hotel resort to see more. We took the little bus up the hillside to their chalet amongst the trees, it was an extremely steep road, so transport was most welcome. We all had a shower there and got changed ready for the evening. There were monkeys in the trees. We went to dinner in a fab Lebanese restaurant along the coast in Pantai Kok, which is a lovely fishing and yacht harbour. The food was very tasty and we had to do the usual walk to the far corner of the restaurant to wash our hands under running water as we mostly used our ands to eat, a cultural and maybe religion practice within Muslim countries, who knows! Brian and Gina returned to their resort by taxi. We all said our goodbyes and C, L,K&A returned to the De Baron hotel in Kuah town. We went to bed at 10.30 p.m. as an early start tomorrow. Brian and Gina were spending a further 7 days at the Berjaya resort before flying onto Borneo for the rest of their holiday. We had spent a lovely time together, such wonderful memories especially the Wedding at Tanjung Rhu, will remember it forever, very special. Saturday February 2nd 2013 Langkawi Island to Penang for Keef & Annie and the next leg of our Holiday 2013. Got up at 5 a.m. and took Craig and Leanne to Langkawi airport for 6 a.m. for their return flight to the UK. It was very dark outside but with the sound of prayer call in the air from the many mosques en-route. Keef sent emails and photos of the Wedding to family and friends in England an Tasmania. The photos came out very well and are a fab reminder of such wonderful times. We then had breakfast at De Baron and drove to Eagle Quay one last time, but it was very busy with tax free shoppers so decided to give shopping there a miss. Went back into Kuah town and Anne bought 2 lots of batik and Keef bought some seaweed pringles as we so liked Craig’s. We had previously checked out of the hotel but returned to get changed. We then returned the hire car to the airport at 3 p.m., we loved its air con ha-ha. And then had to wait until 5.30 p.m. for our Air Asia flight to Penang. The plane left early and took only 18 minutes, possibly one of our shortest flights ever. Got taxi coupon, 44 ringgits, approximately £5.50 in British pounds and then the taxi to our Georgetown hotel called the Bayview on the northeast of the island of Penang. Georgetown is its capital and highly colonial from its past. We stayed on the 15th floor with lovely views of the bay which is in the Melaka Sea and of colourful buildings and the red roofs of Chinatown from our own room. We had showers and unpacked. The air con was not working, and the room was hot so we called the man to fix it which made it a little bit cooler but not perfect by any means. We went to dinner at the hotel at 9 p.m. Annie had a prawn salad and Keef the chicken curry and we both shared some strawberry ice cream for pudding. As it was a long day we were very tired and collapsed exhausted but happy into bed soon after dinner. We had driven 225 miles on Langkawi Island. in brian and ginas room elephant ride return 1/26 ✨ 300‑Word Malaysia Travel Summary Malaysia in 2013 delivered the perfect blend of tropical adventure, vibrant culture and unforgettable travel moments — and this detailed travel diary is designed to help fellow travellers plan their own Malaysian journey with confidence. From the moment you land in Kuala Lumpur, the heat, colour and energy of the city hits you. Iconic landmarks such as the Petronas Twin Towers, Menara Tower, Istana Negara, Chinatown, and Dataran Merdeka offer a rich mix of history, architecture and local life, all easily explored using the city’s excellent Hop‑On Hop‑Off bus. From KL, the trip moves to the island paradise of Langkawi, where travellers can enjoy island‑hopping boat trips, quiet beaches, wildlife encounters and the laid‑back charm that makes Langkawi a favourite for couples, families and backpackers alike. Highlights include Kuah Town, Tanjung Rhu, and the famous Langkawi island‑hopping tour, perfect for photography lovers and nature enthusiasts. The journey continues to Penang, known for its colonial architecture, street food, and the cultural melting pot of Georgetown. With its blend of Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, Penang is a must‑visit for travellers seeking authentic Malaysian cuisine, heritage streets and vibrant markets. This diary doesn’t just document a trip — it provides practical insights for planning your own Malaysia holiday. Travelers will find tips on navigating Kuala Lumpur, choosing the best island excursions, understanding local customs, and making the most of Malaysia’s diverse landscapes. Whether you're researching a Malaysia itinerary, planning a Langkawi beach holiday, or looking for Kuala Lumpur travel inspiration, this guide offers real‑world experience, honest reflections and hundreds of photos to help shape your perfect adventure. 🌴 Dreaming of Malaysian Travel? Dreaming of a Malaysia adventure? This inspiring 2013 Malaysia travel diary is packed with real experiences, stunning photography and practical tips to help you plan your own unforgettable trip. Explore the buzzing streets of Kuala Lumpur, wander through colourful markets, visit the iconic Petronas Towers, and discover the city’s hidden cultural gems. Then slow the pace on the tropical island of Langkawi, with crystal‑clear waters, island‑hopping tours, wildlife encounters and peaceful beaches perfect for relaxing or exploring. Continue the journey to Penang, home of world‑famous street food, heritage architecture and the vibrant charm of Georgetown. Whether you’re planning a first‑time Malaysia itinerary or looking for insider tips on KL, Langkawi or Penang, this diary offers honest insights, real‑world advice and plenty of inspiration for crafting your own Southeast Asia adventure. Perfect for travellers researching Malaysia holidays, island escapes, KL city breaks, or Southeast Asia backpacking routes. Click through to explore the full travel diary and start planning your Malaysia dream trip today. MALAYSIA, Islands Boat Trip Plus Pantai Chenang, Langkawi Island, 28-29 Jan 2013 Beras Besah & Dayang Bunting Islands, Parascending and Water world, Malaysia 28-29 Jan 2013, Islands & Pantai Chenang, plus a verbal reading of the diary covering amongst others palau (or islands), salat began nyior, dayang bunting, beras basah island, palau tuba, kentut basah island, underwater world, pantai chenang, family fun, lunch at yellow beach café, smelly drains, taxi, hire car, sunsets, parascending, birds, fishes, reptiles, rain forest gardens, sun burn, ice creams, fresh water lake named the lake of the pregnant lady on dayang bunting island, just so cooling for feet dangling and swimming. The number of photos we took was 126 and they are all in the selective slideshow, maybe view in conjunction with the diary , either written or audiobook. Monday January 28th 2013 Early breakfast for us all and then got boat trip at 9 a.m. from Eagle Statue quay side. It was a longish boat with sun shades over seats and we rightly had to wear life jackets. There was bright sunshine, but it was breezy. The guy who drove the boat drove it very fast and it was incredibly bouncy. It bounced on some large waves which made us bounce on our metal seat structures quite hard so much so that Craig got a huge bruise on his lower back and Annie one on her arm. If I was being unkind I would say the pilot was doing it on purpose, i.e. an inert dislike of tourists, however I would say most strongly “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” PLEASE!!! We arrived at a small island with palm trees and a lovely beach. This was on reflection the island of beras basah. We had a short walk to the main jetty where there were other tourist boats, he had landed up on the sand as otherwise it was too crowded. The other boats were mainly full of Malaysian tourists. We all went for a cooling swim and then came onto the beach and saw a monkey steal someone’s plastic carrier bag and grab a slice of toast from within. He sat there proudly eating it and we all took lots of photos. We spent ¾ (three quarters) of an hour on that island , Craig having a go in the provided hammock, and then got back on the boat and went to another island where we saw eagles swooping to catch fish and the while island surrounded by mangroves. The last island we visited, dayang bunting, had lots of cheeky monkeys and we walked through the trees on a path with lots of steps to the island’s major lake with a floating pontoon. Craig swam and the rest of us sat on the decking and soaked our feet in the cool waters, this freshwater lake was called the lake of the pregnant maiden. We got on the boat from the dayang bunting jetty after a leisurely stroll back from the lake and lots more monkey pictures and returned to the quay at 12.30 noon. We swam in the De Baron hotel pool and got water, wine, and beer from the town locally in the hire car. After some hassle with the car not starting and having to call out the hire company to fix it (damn it looked like a new vehicle, not good) Keef , Brian & Gina finally arrived at the “passage to India” restaurant where we all had our evening meal after what had been a fun but slightly tiring day out. Its worth noting that the locals only came out to swim in the evening to avoid the heat of the day, oh well mad dogs and Englishmen as they say tee hee. 😉 Tuesday January 29th 2013 We all spent time around the pool relaxing in the morning after our usual friendly and substantial breakfast. Late afternoon we took Craig & Leanne in the hire car to Pantai Chenang and met Brian and Gina there, they had got a taxi outside to Underwater world which we all loved but lost Gina in tee hee. It was a very hot and humid day again, we saw the aquarium and the rain forest area with animals and birds and surprisingly penguins who were in what seemed to be a fridge area, we tried to stowaway (not really ha-ha). It was all very good. Brian had to do a search party for Gina who was reported lost as taking so many photos she strayed away from the rest of us. After this we all walked along the main road in the Pantai Chenang resort where we found a small sandy beach where there were jellyfish at the edge of the sea, after it had disappeared we went for a dip to cool off. We had lunch and drinks at the lovely beach bar, with great views of the Anderman sea and main beach where there were jet skis, banana boats and parascending / parasailing activities. We went for a swim in the sea and watched the lovely sunset at 7.30 p.m. We then collectively set off to look for a restaurant for dinner and found a nice fusion one serving southeast Asian cuisine. It was lovely food. We all got changed out of our wet swim wear in the loos after our swim. Brian and Gina got a taxi back to the hotel and us 4 returned in the hire car, all in all a great day out. yellow beach cafe lunchtime views yet another cheeky monkey island 1/63 MALAYSIA, Georgetown Penang 3-5 Feb 2013 Stayed Bay View Hotel, Saw UNESCO World Heritage Mansion, plus a lot of this historic Town, Malaysia 3-5 Feb 2013, Georgetown Penang , 2 selective slideshows includes reading diary, covering amongst other the blue mansion, UNESCO world heritage, lonely planets top 10 visits, cheong fatt tze’s mansion, Penang bridge, Georgetown, bay view hotel, Fort Cornwallis, batu ferringhe, town hall, wedding poses, china town, little India, temples, incense, the esplanade, industry, shop houses, hard rock café, hard rock hotel, lazy river, the Beatles memorabilia, Penang, airports, air asia, Komtar Centre & Tower, Chinese New Year was the year of the snake. There were 133 images of our wonderful cultural experience in Georgetown. Sunday February 3rd 2013 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, 97 degrees Fahrenheit, wow! Georgetown is a busy city with lots of high-rise buildings, but the historical area is preserved and has world heritage status i.e., UNESCO especially for Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion. It is a very busy city as over 200 years old and got UNESCO status in 2008. We had a substantial breakfast at the Bay View hotel and then did some sightseeing and visited the Chinese Blue Mansion which cost 12 ringgits each, £2.40 pence in English which on reflection for such a world wonder was incredibly cheap. It was extremely interesting; the house was preserved but all the furnishings were new. Cheong Fatt Tze’s house had 38 rooms, 7 staircases, 5 courtyards, he was a millionaire who left China to make his fortune at 16 and went to Indonesia and then Penang in Malaysia. He had 8 wives and died in 1916, he was a trader and a banker. The house had gone to rack and ruin but was restored between 1990 and 1997. It has lovely wood carved panels and courtyards. By 2022 it was also used as a hotel and restaurant (sadly). After leaving the Blue Mansion we walked around the British colonial area to see the white buildings, City Hall, the museums, and cathedral. By this time, it was 12.30 p.m. and extremely hot and sunny and humid. We tried to walk in the shade wherever possible but it was exhausting. We Brits will get used to it eventually honest. We saw the esplanade and the bay near Fort Cornwallis. Then decided the heat was so intense that we walked (hard going) back to the hotel for a cold drink in the bar, shower than a cooling swim in the hotel pool. Luckily the pool was very cold, yippee! We had booked the buffet dinner in the revolving restaurant on the 16th floor of the hotel for 7.30 p.m. It was lovely Thai food with singing from a live professional act on karaoke who also dis requests from the diners. Keef requested some Adele songs. We also saw Georgetown lit up at night with illuminated fire flies hitting the restaurant windows, quite spectacular form of lighting and / or fireworks, tee hee. Some words about it are “Town heritage, traverse into the eclectic charm of George Town Penang’s illustrious history as you step into the world of Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion. Conceived and constructed before the end of the 19th century, The Blue Mansion sets the standard for Penang’s boutique heritage hotel landscape and stands today as one of the most iconic boutique hotels in Malaysia. It is the only one to have won the prestigious UNESCO Conservation & Heritage award. The transcendental quality and timelessness of the mansion has been perfectly poised for over a century on firm foundations of architectural, cultural and historical superlatives. Here, time comes to a halt as you meander along the mansion and revel in the harmonious medley of history and culture. The Blue Mansion seamlessly blends old world charm with modern comforts. A wide array of amenities includes an exquisite dining experience at Indigo restaurant, a courtyard dining room and an idyllic terrace. There are guided mansion tours daily which give you further insight into the story behind the architecture and history of George Town’s first heritage hotel. The Blue Mansion is centrally located at 4km from the Gurney Drive seafront promenade, 9km from Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple, and just a 5-minute walk to China Town and other significant heritage spots in Penang.” In our humble opinion it is just a truly spectacular building. And here is some UNESCO words for Malaysia, we have been to both. “Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.” Monday February 4rd 2013 Georgetown 91 degrees Fahrenheit We set the alarm for 6.30 a.m. to start sightseeing early to avoid some of the heat of the day. At 7.45 a.m. we set off for the free hop on hop off shuttle bus around the old part of the city. We used that bus to alight in the Chinese area which is very old and saw interesting herbal medicine shops. We walked through a market and saw some strange fruits (well they were strange to us at the time, having been in Asia quite a bit since that novelty has worn off). We visited a Chinese temple yard where people lit incense for good luck. Chinese New Year, the year of the Snake was on the 10th of February that year. Red paper lanterns were up everywhere. We got off the bus at the National Museum which cost 1 ringgit each entry fee, 20 pence in English money. It was an excellent museum all about Penang and Georgetown in particular. It has been UNESCO world heritage since 2008. We then returned to the hotel for a swim, jacuzzi and shower. Annie found the cleaner had taken her flannel from the room, it was white like the hotel towels, and they had mistaken it as theirs for washing. The staff searched all the laundry but could not find it, so they gave her a hotel flannel. We were just about to go out at 5.20 p.m. when a torrential downpour and gusting winds started and the resultant lightening made us turn around from the lobby and return to our room. We were going to get a bus to Batu Ferringhe along the north coast of Penang and have dinner at the Hard Rock Café hotel there but rightly changed our minds. Instead, we watched TV and then had dinner at 8 p.m. in the hotel restaurant, we had nasi goreng, yummy. We then did our packing as travelling tomorrow however the hotel manager said we could check out at 1 p.m. Tuesday February 5th 2013 Today we left Georgetown for Auckland New Zealand via Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Got up at 7 a.m. had a quick breakfast and got free hop on hop off shuttle bus to the KOMTAR CENTRE then bus 101 to Batu Ferrighe along the north coast of Penang Island. All buses are air conditioned which was wonderful as again it was very hot and sunny. The bus took a while to get out of Georgetown as it’s a very busy and congested city. Initially all urban sprawl then the coastal road with views of the sea and large rocks. We got off the bus at the Hard Rock hotel past a lot of tourist hotels and restaurants. Keef bought his obligatory T-shirt from the HRC shop proudly displaying “Penang”. We looked around the hotel, it had a nice beach nearby plus pool and lazy river with rubber rings which cost £2 a day to hire. There was lots of rock and pop memorabilia. Got there at 11 a.m. and then took the same bus back to the hotel which took ages as Georgetown was very hectic. We got to the hotel at 12.55 p.m. luckily, they gave us an extra ½ hour to check out, we had showers and took our bags down to the foyer. We got the taxi to the airport at 2.15 p.m. The flight to Singapore on Jet Star Asia was 1 hour in duration and we then had to kill time in Changi Airport, Singapore until our flight to Brisbane at 9.30 p.m. that evening, we couldn’t meet up with D&P because they were elsewhere and in reality, would not have had enough time to check out and back into the airport. Keef watched Lincoln on the plane, Annie watched bits of films but could not concentrate as so tired. Both of us only got about 2 hours sleep that night in transit. our plane for penang from langkawi nice starter 1/67 Our Days in Malaysia MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur 22-24 January 2013 Tuesday January 22nd 2013 After collecting the hire car from the East Midlands airport and dropping keys etc around Craig’s house, we set off for Heathrow. Heavy snow in fields in countryside but Heathrow was clear. We flew British airways 8.30pm to Singapore, although the plane was waiting to taxi down the runway for 45 minutes. We had a few hours snatched sleep on the plane and arrived at Singapore at 5.40pm on the Tuesday. The flight was 12 hours 35 minute long. British Airways food was Ok but not enough seat space / leg space , cramped conditions, definitely what we call “cattle class” . We were cheeky and asked for an upgrade but were told there were no first-class seats available. Wednesday January 23rd 2013 Arrival Kuala Lumpur via Singapore Arrived Singapore (in transit) for Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, sent text message to Doug. Phoenix’s parents staying with them currently in Singapore, where they were officially married at a civil ceremony on the 24th. We only had 1 hour 30 minutes to sort out our transit arrangements which was stressful since baggage had to be checked out and checked back in at the Changi counter, time flew by. Singapore lovely airport (Changi surprisingly was once a prison used by the Japanese to hound Singaporeans, bad news) and modern , tube used to take passengers to baggage hall / passport check etc. Flew Jet Star (operated by Quantas) 7.40pm to KL. Liked the airport in KL , clean modern etc. Flight was about 50 minutes. Found free shuttle bus at KL airport to take us to the Concorde Inn Hotel very near to the airport. Nice spacious deluxe room and wet room shower. Arrived at the hotel at 10.10 pm very tired and hot. After snow and freezing temperatures in England, arrived in jungle heat and then a ‘terrific tropical storm’ directly overhead with thunder and lightening. The thunder was os loud it was like an explosion. Spent 24 hours travelling fron the time we left home to arriving at the hotel in KL. Thursday January 24th 2013 Kuala Lumpur Woke at 6.20am. Bit jet lagged. Went into Kuala Lumpur city today having had a lovely hotel breakfast. The coffee machine inspired my 60th birthday present. Bought a batik fabric from the hotel foyer gift shop and practiced our Malay language skills. Got free shuttle bus from hotel to main airport and then took rapid train into the city (took 28 minutes) passing many palm tree plantations. Train cost 70 ringgits each return (about £14 at the time) and was like a very modern tube train. Got hop on hop off (HOHO) coach tickets from outside the station, cost 35 ringgits each or £7 which was very good value. The bus tour took in all the city sights / sites (😉 ) , old colonial buildings and those that were ultra-modern, including the world famous Petronus Twin Towers, 3 green belts in the city with flowering shrubs and trees. We saw monkeys outside the national palace fence. The whole bus tour took about 2-2 ¼ hours as they stopped for photo opportunities on several occasions. KL was not very crowded surprisingly. The Chinese shops were very interesting and lots of market and food stalls were available. We visited the national museum of Malaysia and saw traditional long houses and the Sultan’s throne and a man with a yellow python. Also on the 2nd tour around the city we stopped at a traditional crft centre and chatted to a batik designer / artist from Borneo. Terrific tropical storms again at 5.50 pm, we got back on the bus tour but interestingly the bus well and truly leaked 😉 We had a chicken meal at the main station got back to the Concorde In hotel at about 9.20pm tired, happy and educated (travel definitely broadens the mind) and very ready for bed. Arriving from the UK with snow into Malaysia at KL (Kuala Lumpur) to 30c & Jet Lag & Discovery, Malaysia 22-24 Jan 2013, Kuala Lumpur , plus a verbal reading of the diary covering amongst others concorde inn , leaving uk in snow, istana negara / national palace, menara tower, st marys cathedral, petronus twin towers, batu auch, batu linting, year of the snake, china town, burial poles, malay traditional housing, national museum, dataran merdeka square, cricket, colonialism, poverty, endless motorcycles , lovely hibiscus flowers, hop on hop off bus tour , total number of images with text is 121 in selective slideshows flamingoes _ the birdpark ahhh as a gardener i loved gardens by the bay 1/1 uni towards the palace panorama 1/61 MALAYSIA, Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi Island,30 Jan 2013 "5🌠" Wedding Doug & Phoenix's Wedding, Tanjung Rhu Resort with family and friends, karaoke, food, ceremony on the beach, wedding breakfast and Chinese tea ceremony , beach skittles and the band, a lovely day ,the number of images in the selective slideshows is 93, so so happy for them both the wedding itinerary happy to nina simone 1/46 Wednesday January 30th 2013 Doug and Phoenix’s Wedding Day, Langkawi Island, Tanjung Rhu Resort definitely 5 star Set off from the De Baron hotel in Kuah Town with Craig & Leanne in the hire car. Brian and Gina took a taxi across the island and surprise, surprise got lost, you would thing the taxi drivers would know their way around. Anyhow we all arrived at the Tanjung Rhu hotel resort where the wedding was to be held late afternoon. We spent some time around the pool before the wedding and met up with D&P and Phoenix’s parents, her 2 cousins (including Shren whom we have got to know much better over the years as like P she went to university in the UK for about a year, since married in China). Again, a very very hot day. Lovely beach views and loved the hotel rooms and gardens, dead posh. The wedding was lovely and very romantic and held on the beach at 6.30 p.m. to take some of the days heat away. Phoenix looked lovely in her bridal dress escorted across the sand by her dad and 3 bridesmaids all in yellow dresses whilst hers was pure white. Doug looked very smart in grey trousers, waistcoat, white shirt and gold bow tie and cummerbund. The ceremony was very emotional and beautiful at the same time. They then went off for formal photos and then we went into the hotel for the traditional Chinese tea ceremony with her parents and the bride & groom. Then followed a beach barbeque and feast as by now dark skies, with a really good live band. The speeches were all excellent, Ps Dad, John the best man (one of Doug’s university pals) and Doug who did a long speech in both Mandarin and English. We are very proud of him, and the Chinese contingent laughed in quite a few places so it must have been good. He also recited a poem he had written to Phoenix which was very romantic. We then had dancing on the sand with Phoenix even doing lead vocals with the band at one point, she has such a lovely voice. Then wedding cake and did some beach games… China versus England, ha-ha. Skittles and throwing coconuts as the ball. Then more music and dancing and then we moved inside the hotel for some karaoke which finished at 2.30 am. The Chinese were great at Karaoke, we however tanked up on booze to give us the confidence to finish with Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi numbers, The summer of 69 and Living on a prayer respectively. All very tired but happy we retired to bed. Doug & Phoenix both seemed very happy with how it had all gone, what a wonderful wedding day! MALAYSIA, Malacca "The Historic State" 13-14 Apr 2013, also spelt Melaka Stayed at Mr & Mrs Li Wee's traditional Tea House with Doug & Phoenix, Malaysia 13-14 April 2013, Malacca “The Historic State” plus reading diary, Melaka or Malacca, city of bridges, mr and mrs li wee, tea house stay, UNESCO world heritage site, Melaka river, "Venice of the East" cruises, jambalan tan bin seng, chan koon cheng, old bus station bridge, kompung morten, waterside edge walks, shop houses, bastion Victoria, jonkers walk, night market, mr li’s taxi trip, famous chicken and rice, St John's Fort, chetti village, museums, Maritime museum, jonkers gallery, many churches, early Christianity, mosque by coast, sila tanggalhan, street kebabs and portugese shell fish restaurant by the harbour, orang utan shop, great to spend so much time with doug & phoenix, west ham drinks glasses, 112 images in the selective slideshows but poor doug and phoenix getting ill through eating some suspect street food, maybe the kebabs were not fully cooked who knows. Saturday April 13th 2013 Malacca or Melaka, Malaysia Guest house owners Mr. and Mrs. Li were very friendly and polite. Phoenix had booked this accommodation from Singapore. We had arrived in the hire car we picked up just across the border into Malaysia at Johor Bahru or JB in everyday parlance tee hee. We did the awful crowded lengthy Woodlands crossing by shuttle bus (cattle class tee hee) over the Johor Causeway bridge from Singapore to Malaysia. Not fun as the weekend when many of the Malaysian workers return to JB to their families after a week away working in the better paid country of Singapore, remember before independence on the 9th of August 1965 Singapore was a state of Malaysia. Mr. Li offered to give us a guided tour of Melaka at 6.45 p.m. We went to a local Chinese cafe for breakfast, our guest house is in the old part of town so very traditional. Melaka is now a UNESCO world heritage site along with Georgetown Penang which we went to early on this trip. After breakfast we walked around the old town down by the river, which was very smelly and sadly polluted. It was a dirty green sludge colour. We saw lots of old churches, one was built in 1756, which was when Malacca was on the spice route and had both Dutch and Portuguese colonies. There were lots of men on rickshaws covered in fake flowers driving tourists around the old town. Plus, lots of Chinese tourists on coach tours. Culturally the Chinese do like to travel in convoy which makes sense when language is an issue, potentially less so here in Melaka which is very multi-cultural as indeed Singapore is. It is worth noting we were some of the only westerners we saw. We saw monitor lizards in the river, they lived in holes in the walls at the rivers edge and came out to swim in the sunshine. After lunch of some Chinese food in a riverside café we went on a boat cruise for a few kilometers up the river and then back again affording a view of some of the surrounds. There was a fake sailing ship, a Dutch East Indies ship that had originally been shipwrecked off Melaka in a storm circa 1650. We then returned to the guest house which as it doubled as a Chinese tea house was a real treat and experience. We had fermented China teas, the ginger one was the best. We sat and rested there and chatted to Mr. Li. Then we had showers and at 6.45 p.m. he drove us in his battered car around the city and showed us the sights which was lovely. We visited a Muslim Mosque on the coast with views of the Malacca Straits, old Malay Chetti Village houses down by the river, and the old St. Johns fort where we saw monkeys and then went on for a Portuguese meal in the open air by the sea. We also saw people launching Chinese lanterns into the sky, all quite atmospheric. Mr. Li carried on our tour until about 10.30 p.m. when he dropped us all off at Jonker’s Walk to see the night market. It was busy and bustling and we remember the humourous advert for Mr. Potato Head crisps the ad poster being Wayne Rooney ha-ha. We then returned to the guest house which was close by, tired , had a shower and went to bed at 12 midnight. A very interesting day all in all. And here are some UNESCO words for Malaysia, we have been to both Melaka & Georgetown, Penang. “Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.” Sunday April 14th 2013 Malacca back to Singapore Had breakfast at 10.30 a.m. in a Chinese café was dim sum. Then we walked around the old town a different area from yesterday, seeing old Chinese temples, Chinese theaters, and a lot of little shops, busy with Chinese tourists. Keef bought some new flip flips (or thongs as our aussie friends would call them). Phoenix was not well and frequently sick, not sure if it was the street food kebabs in the morning or the sea food at the Portuguese restaurant the previous evening, who knows but poor Phoenix. K & A headed back to the guest house for a rest, the humidity was getting to us. D&P arrived back a little later and she went to lie down to try and recover. Mr. Li made us a lovely local coffee and then his wife kindly made us and Doug some winter melon tea, a vegetable we now know extremely well but didn’t at the time. We all chatted and rested up a bit. Phoenix recovered after her little nap and rejoined us. We all went off to a Chinese restaurant for lunch, we had already loaded all our bags into the hire car boot at this point anyhow. After lunch we set off at 3.15 p.m. for the long drive back to the city of Johor Bahru which is the Malaysian city on the border. We stopped at a service station for a comfort break. We played hunt the western loo ha-ha. It was mainly palm trees lining the motorway on the way back stretching for miles on either side. Not many signs of towns or villages. Palm tree oil (not great in COP26 times) and rubber are the main Malaysian exports. We used the sat nav to try and get back to the lady’s house whom we had got the hire car from but it took us to the wrong area, many are named the same in JB. By 7 p.m. we had already spent an hour circling around JB in a vain attempt to find the right address. Despite many phone calls to the lady to ask for directions she and her husband were not very helpful and did not know any of the local road names to the point where they could only tell us the name of the shipping mall that was nearby them. Very frustrating. Jalan Balau which was the road we wanted came up 14 different areas on the sat nav, so we methodically tried them all, grr! We needed Jalan Balau 1 to be precise. A nightmare to find but we eventually got there. Not a trip any of us would want to do again but as years pass, we would always remember it. We then took a taxi back to the border crossing; it was not so busy on a Sunday evening so getting into Woodlands crossing was a breeze. We all got back to Geylang flat at 10 p.m. Went out for a Chinese meal locally and then had showers and flopped into bed very tired, but happy to have spent such a lovely adventurous weekend away with Mr. & Mrs. Douglas, fun times. us HRC malacca brothers in arms or alms geddit ;) 1/56 2013 KL 2013 Kuah Town 2013 Islands plus 2013 Wedding 2013 Penang 2013 Georgetown 2013 Malacca Melaka 2013 Summary Malaysia Travel