Hello one and all! Tonight is our last night of the round the world trip. We had so much fun in LA, mainly shopping...but we also took in the sights of Hollywood and Santa Monica along the way!
NY has also been amazing, again more shopping...parents you should be worrying about now : S We visited all the important places (Saks, Tiffany's, Macy's, Bloomingdales, Abercrombie and Fitch etc.) amd have even done some touristy stuff too! Hehe! We headed up the Empire State Building for a good look around, we also caught the Staton Island Ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty. Lets not forget though the best part of it all...we bought half price Broadway tickets to see...Mary Poppins! AMAZING! Loved it! Only have a small amount of time as I'm headed off to bed now...after I hjave squeezed my posessions into the bags! :S I will see you all soon and you can hear all about the adventures in person!
Thursday 3 April 2008
Saturday 29 March 2008
End of NZ and LA!
The end has finally come for us in NZ. As sad as it is to have to leave we are heading on to the US of A and were also very excited!
So to update you...Tuesday morning we drove to Paihia to catch a boat out for a 3hr cruise of the Bay of Islands. It was really beautiful out there, we saw a pod of dolphins who came right up to the boat, loads of birds and two really cool flying fish, no whales though sadly. We headed out into the Pacific to see the famous Hole in the Rock and managed to cruise right through it, despite our captain telling us that the waves were making it "like a washing machine" needless to say we felt really safe! I did unfortunately get a bit seasick, and was pretty pleased when we made it back from the Pacific and into the shelter of the bay, however, I did manage to refrain from chucking up breakfast! The story of this whole holiday is the people who we keep meeting! There were 2 crewmen on board (Matt and Peter) who were really lovely...and they made friends with us! Matt gave us heaps of information about dolphins, whales, birds and fish and by the end of the trip we were getting free cups of tea! It's not what you know...but who!
After the boat trip (and a walk around Paihia for me to recover) we headed off to Kaihu, which turned out to be in the middle of nowhere! Which in a way was pretty good as that night we were booked in for a Kiwi Night Walk through the forest. However, as soon as we arrived in the forest it started to rain...and then for the next 2 hrs...it didn't stop. We got absolutely soaked and had to use the tumble dryers in the morning to dry our jeans and coats! Needless to say we didn't spot any kiwis that night! We did however see the famous Cave Weta which can jump up to 2 metres! We also saw normal wetas, giant snails, eels, crayfish and lots and lots of kaori trees. The kaori tree is absolutely huuuuuuuuge, and the Waipoa Forest is famous for them. The biggest one in there is called Tane Mahuta, which means Lord of the Forest, and is 1200 years old 13.5m diameter and 51m high. Really really big! We visited him on Wednesday morning before traveling down to Auckland in the afternoon where we spent our final night in the camper! Aaw...or do I mean YAY!?.
Thursday was spent wandering round Auckland and visiting the sights there. We saw Aeota Square and visited Victoria market and walked along the sea front before heading back to our cabin...yes we treated ourselves no more wooden board for us! Although the main reason was so we could unload and repack all our stuff in preparation for leaving on Friday!? Don't be too alarmed, we only have one extra large hold all bag between us...so far! On friday morning we went to the zoo in order to actually see a kiwi as we had missed out on our walk, and we weren't disappointed! They are weird looking things though!? We also saw a Kookaburra, which just about rounded off our Australian wildlife as well. The moment was then upon us to give back the Jucy van. As sad as it was, we just about coped with the loss. I am pleased to inform you that our flight went without a hitch! Hurrah...and due to us crossing the international dateline...we landed at 10:00 Friday morning!
So we relived the 28th March in LA as well as in NZ! Very strange, we spent the day just meandering along Venice beach, where we are staying, and looking in all the tacky shops! We saw muscle beach, and Venice Beach pier so all lots of cool things! Today is Saturday and we have just got back from Hollywood Blvd. We tried to do some star spotting but were not at all successful. We did manage to find the Hollywood sign and the Mann Chinese Theatre...I don't think I've ever taken that many photos of the pavement before?! We have just one more day in LA before flying out Monday morning to NY, not much time here, but it has been lots of fun!
So to update you...Tuesday morning we drove to Paihia to catch a boat out for a 3hr cruise of the Bay of Islands. It was really beautiful out there, we saw a pod of dolphins who came right up to the boat, loads of birds and two really cool flying fish, no whales though sadly. We headed out into the Pacific to see the famous Hole in the Rock and managed to cruise right through it, despite our captain telling us that the waves were making it "like a washing machine" needless to say we felt really safe! I did unfortunately get a bit seasick, and was pretty pleased when we made it back from the Pacific and into the shelter of the bay, however, I did manage to refrain from chucking up breakfast! The story of this whole holiday is the people who we keep meeting! There were 2 crewmen on board (Matt and Peter) who were really lovely...and they made friends with us! Matt gave us heaps of information about dolphins, whales, birds and fish and by the end of the trip we were getting free cups of tea! It's not what you know...but who!
After the boat trip (and a walk around Paihia for me to recover) we headed off to Kaihu, which turned out to be in the middle of nowhere! Which in a way was pretty good as that night we were booked in for a Kiwi Night Walk through the forest. However, as soon as we arrived in the forest it started to rain...and then for the next 2 hrs...it didn't stop. We got absolutely soaked and had to use the tumble dryers in the morning to dry our jeans and coats! Needless to say we didn't spot any kiwis that night! We did however see the famous Cave Weta which can jump up to 2 metres! We also saw normal wetas, giant snails, eels, crayfish and lots and lots of kaori trees. The kaori tree is absolutely huuuuuuuuge, and the Waipoa Forest is famous for them. The biggest one in there is called Tane Mahuta, which means Lord of the Forest, and is 1200 years old 13.5m diameter and 51m high. Really really big! We visited him on Wednesday morning before traveling down to Auckland in the afternoon where we spent our final night in the camper! Aaw...or do I mean YAY!?.
Thursday was spent wandering round Auckland and visiting the sights there. We saw Aeota Square and visited Victoria market and walked along the sea front before heading back to our cabin...yes we treated ourselves no more wooden board for us! Although the main reason was so we could unload and repack all our stuff in preparation for leaving on Friday!? Don't be too alarmed, we only have one extra large hold all bag between us...so far! On friday morning we went to the zoo in order to actually see a kiwi as we had missed out on our walk, and we weren't disappointed! They are weird looking things though!? We also saw a Kookaburra, which just about rounded off our Australian wildlife as well. The moment was then upon us to give back the Jucy van. As sad as it was, we just about coped with the loss. I am pleased to inform you that our flight went without a hitch! Hurrah...and due to us crossing the international dateline...we landed at 10:00 Friday morning!
So we relived the 28th March in LA as well as in NZ! Very strange, we spent the day just meandering along Venice beach, where we are staying, and looking in all the tacky shops! We saw muscle beach, and Venice Beach pier so all lots of cool things! Today is Saturday and we have just got back from Hollywood Blvd. We tried to do some star spotting but were not at all successful. We did manage to find the Hollywood sign and the Mann Chinese Theatre...I don't think I've ever taken that many photos of the pavement before?! We have just one more day in LA before flying out Monday morning to NY, not much time here, but it has been lots of fun!
Sunday 23 March 2008
South Island!
I am soooooo sorry guys! I have been so out of contact with internet for a long time, but I'm here for you now! So last time we spoke I was about to drive the camper van on board the ferry to Wellington (I managed to do that in case you were wondering). A bit of seasickness later we were in the capital city of New Zealand! We stayed in Lower Hutt with a friend of my dad's (Dot), which was so amazing. She was so welcoming, and sleeping in a bed was brilliant too! The Saturday we were there we had a very leisurely morning (thanks to Dot) with a lovely breakfast and relaxing showers! We headed into Wellington to see the sights (and shops), and just really sat around in the evening! On Sunday Dot took us over to Martinborough to visit the famous wine region. 4 wineries later we were (only a little) merry and headed home via Greytown with a visit to a chocolate shop and an ice cream! We had a great dinner (on dad) on Sunday night and had a lovely tour of Lower Hutt up the hills with views of Wellington! Monday was cricket day! So exciting...we only got 2 1/2 hrs of play...but we won and I got so close to Alistair Cook and Kevin Pietersen it's unreal! The rest of St Patrick's Day we whiled away in the botanic gardens and in an Irish pub! Fun! Dot, who has Irish blood cooked us an awesome St Paddy's Day dinner with Kumara potatoes! Yummy! We unfortunately had to leave the loveliness that is Dot's house and head away to Tongariro National Park and the town of Ohakune.
We stopped off at Taihape and the Brown Sugar Cafe (thanks for the tip Dot) and had some fabulous chocolate brownies! The 3 volcanoes in the middle of the North Island (Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro) are a sight to see I can tell you! We climbed/drove up one side of Ruapehu when we arrived and drove up the other side the next day. We also did some beautiful walks around the Whakapapa ski area. On the way out of Ohakune we drove along the desert road with views of all 3 volcanoes. Stunning views! We then stopped briefly at Lake Taupo and after meeting some scary waiters in a coffee shop we headed on to Rotarua.
Roterua was so cool! We went up in the skyline (gondola) and then rode the luge all the way down...5 times and back up in the chair lift! So much fun! The beaches just north of Roterua are gorgeous too so we headed up to Mt Monganui and upon our return we headed over to the Polynesian spa...heated by the earth itself due to a thin crust in the area. We also went to the thermal wonderland at Waiutapu. The thin earth crust in the area forms the warm lakes and geysers which occur there in abundance. We say the Lady Knox Geyser erupt at 10:15...forced by a washing powder type substance! Rotarua is famous for it's Maori culture and we went to a Hangi organised in the Tamaki Maori Village. We first watched a concert and then had a meal which had been cooked in the ground (traditional Maori fashion!) So that was pretty jam packed!
We headed up to the Hot Water Beach where there are hot water pools on the coastline. It was manic! As it was Easter Sunday we didn't dig a hole oursleves but watched all the mental people doing it instead! We had a foot spa! Today we have arrived in Kerikeri which is in the Bay of Islands...a quick itinerary for the coming days:
Tues: Bay of Island cruise and drive to the Kaori coast for the Kaori Tree and kiwi spotting night walk.
Wed: Auckland
Thurs: Auckland
Fri: fly to LA!
Probably will update you again in LA! Sorry it was very rushed! See you all soon to update you properly! Only 10 days to go...yikes!
We stopped off at Taihape and the Brown Sugar Cafe (thanks for the tip Dot) and had some fabulous chocolate brownies! The 3 volcanoes in the middle of the North Island (Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro) are a sight to see I can tell you! We climbed/drove up one side of Ruapehu when we arrived and drove up the other side the next day. We also did some beautiful walks around the Whakapapa ski area. On the way out of Ohakune we drove along the desert road with views of all 3 volcanoes. Stunning views! We then stopped briefly at Lake Taupo and after meeting some scary waiters in a coffee shop we headed on to Rotarua.
Roterua was so cool! We went up in the skyline (gondola) and then rode the luge all the way down...5 times and back up in the chair lift! So much fun! The beaches just north of Roterua are gorgeous too so we headed up to Mt Monganui and upon our return we headed over to the Polynesian spa...heated by the earth itself due to a thin crust in the area. We also went to the thermal wonderland at Waiutapu. The thin earth crust in the area forms the warm lakes and geysers which occur there in abundance. We say the Lady Knox Geyser erupt at 10:15...forced by a washing powder type substance! Rotarua is famous for it's Maori culture and we went to a Hangi organised in the Tamaki Maori Village. We first watched a concert and then had a meal which had been cooked in the ground (traditional Maori fashion!) So that was pretty jam packed!
We headed up to the Hot Water Beach where there are hot water pools on the coastline. It was manic! As it was Easter Sunday we didn't dig a hole oursleves but watched all the mental people doing it instead! We had a foot spa! Today we have arrived in Kerikeri which is in the Bay of Islands...a quick itinerary for the coming days:
Tues: Bay of Island cruise and drive to the Kaori coast for the Kaori Tree and kiwi spotting night walk.
Wed: Auckland
Thurs: Auckland
Fri: fly to LA!
Probably will update you again in LA! Sorry it was very rushed! See you all soon to update you properly! Only 10 days to go...yikes!
Wednesday 12 March 2008
Nearly ending the South Island!
Ok, I was only joking about getting bored of the blog...is there anyone out there?! (Apart from my drunken brother!?)
Queenstown was really good, we had the perfect day for the Shotover Jet boat lovely and sunny and clear blue skies! Just in case you didn't know the Shotover Jet is a speed boat with the engine of a jet plane attached, and the Shotover River runs through a stunning (but narrow) canyon! Somehow we managed to get ourselves to the front of the queue and were in the only 2 seats in the front row! Jammy! Our "pilot" was James, and he was in all honesty...a maniac! It was pretty frightening, what with him driving at rocks etc. but so so good! When we headed in to look at our photos it turns out that there is a camera on the front of the boat pretty much filming only me and Amy because we were in the front row!? Hideous...but it's pretty funny to watch...fortunately for you guys we bought the video so you can all watch it over and over and over again! :D We also went out to bungy bridge, where they throw people off on bungy cords! Needless to say we didn't have a go but opted to head to the winery and cheesery instead! :D Good times! Although I wouldn't rule it out for the future...looked like it might be fun!
After Queenstown we drove up the coast and passed a dodgey 80's style sign informing us it was "Glacier Country". Luckily for us we were looking for some glaciers so it turned out alright! We were staying in Franz Joseph Glacier for 2 nights and went to bed anticipating an exciting day ahead of us! A very early start on Monday saw us headed off (around some very dodgey roads) bound for Fox Glacier. We arrived and checked in for our 9:30 start and met our guide, Anne, form Norway! She was hilarious...very cheery and kept on telling us jokes! So we put on our boots and slapped on the suncream and glasses and headed off on an hours hike...through the temperate rainforests! Hmmm....not what we were expecting! However, after this hike we strapped on our crampons and headed out onto the ice! It was such a fabulous experience....we went into ice caves, saw cravasses with no bottom and sat down for lunch on the top of the glacier! Such a unique experience, which comes highly recommended by me!
We were so so tired the next day though! Amy was finding it hard to walk and I was suffering with sore shoulders...but neither of us were complaining...it was so worth it! Fortunately the drive up the coas to Greymouth was a short one, relatively speaking! It pretty much rained all day and so, after exploring the (small) towns of Hokitika and Greymouth we sat in and did some knitting! This morning...Wednesday 12th...we headed on a long drive further up the coast and inland a bit...technical...to Pohara (in Abel Tasman National Park) Unfortunately to get there you have to go over the historically feared Takaka Hill (according to the Rough Guide to NZ)! I didn't know this until after we did it fortunately! It is a 750m hill which winds all the way up one side and all the way down the other! Hilariously, we have to do it again tomorrow to get out to Nelson!
Typically the day we have to drive for 6 hours is the sunniest, warmest day we've had so far! We got here and sat on the beach for a while until it was too cold and then we had dinner. We catch the ferry to the North Island on Friday, so we only have Nelso tomorrow before we head over to Wellington...all going so fast! I know I keep saying that but it really is! Anyway...hope you're all well...speak soon!
Queenstown was really good, we had the perfect day for the Shotover Jet boat lovely and sunny and clear blue skies! Just in case you didn't know the Shotover Jet is a speed boat with the engine of a jet plane attached, and the Shotover River runs through a stunning (but narrow) canyon! Somehow we managed to get ourselves to the front of the queue and were in the only 2 seats in the front row! Jammy! Our "pilot" was James, and he was in all honesty...a maniac! It was pretty frightening, what with him driving at rocks etc. but so so good! When we headed in to look at our photos it turns out that there is a camera on the front of the boat pretty much filming only me and Amy because we were in the front row!? Hideous...but it's pretty funny to watch...fortunately for you guys we bought the video so you can all watch it over and over and over again! :D We also went out to bungy bridge, where they throw people off on bungy cords! Needless to say we didn't have a go but opted to head to the winery and cheesery instead! :D Good times! Although I wouldn't rule it out for the future...looked like it might be fun!
After Queenstown we drove up the coast and passed a dodgey 80's style sign informing us it was "Glacier Country". Luckily for us we were looking for some glaciers so it turned out alright! We were staying in Franz Joseph Glacier for 2 nights and went to bed anticipating an exciting day ahead of us! A very early start on Monday saw us headed off (around some very dodgey roads) bound for Fox Glacier. We arrived and checked in for our 9:30 start and met our guide, Anne, form Norway! She was hilarious...very cheery and kept on telling us jokes! So we put on our boots and slapped on the suncream and glasses and headed off on an hours hike...through the temperate rainforests! Hmmm....not what we were expecting! However, after this hike we strapped on our crampons and headed out onto the ice! It was such a fabulous experience....we went into ice caves, saw cravasses with no bottom and sat down for lunch on the top of the glacier! Such a unique experience, which comes highly recommended by me!
We were so so tired the next day though! Amy was finding it hard to walk and I was suffering with sore shoulders...but neither of us were complaining...it was so worth it! Fortunately the drive up the coas to Greymouth was a short one, relatively speaking! It pretty much rained all day and so, after exploring the (small) towns of Hokitika and Greymouth we sat in and did some knitting! This morning...Wednesday 12th...we headed on a long drive further up the coast and inland a bit...technical...to Pohara (in Abel Tasman National Park) Unfortunately to get there you have to go over the historically feared Takaka Hill (according to the Rough Guide to NZ)! I didn't know this until after we did it fortunately! It is a 750m hill which winds all the way up one side and all the way down the other! Hilariously, we have to do it again tomorrow to get out to Nelson!
Typically the day we have to drive for 6 hours is the sunniest, warmest day we've had so far! We got here and sat on the beach for a while until it was too cold and then we had dinner. We catch the ferry to the North Island on Friday, so we only have Nelso tomorrow before we head over to Wellington...all going so fast! I know I keep saying that but it really is! Anyway...hope you're all well...speak soon!
Thursday 6 March 2008
Let me fill you in on NZ...
So apart from all the hideousness (see posts below) we are really enjoying NZ! You will all be pleased to hear that I am loving driving around in the Jucy Crib (our campervan) and have already done over 1000km. It's really easy to get around...and although a little cramped the facilities at the sites are so good that we don't really spend too much time there! So I would reccomend doing it to you all! Here is a brief summary of what we have been up to:
Christchurch (just to make things even better) was really rainy! We went up in the famous gondolas to see the city from above...but the hills wer cloudy so all we saw was some white-ness! Well worth the $15! We also bought some Merino wool in the wool centre and some needles in the Family Store (Salvation Army charity shop) and are knitting ourselves some merino wool scarves! So cool! We bought a ticket to the old tram and saw the sights of the city on that...we also visited the Chinese Lantern Festival that was on and visited a really cool art gallery which was free and dry...it was still raining! It finally did stop raining and turned into a beautiful day...so we left Christchurch and headed to Fairlie (nr Lake Tekapo)...
...surprise surprise...it was raining in Fairlie! We headed over to Lake Tekapo to see the beauty of the Southern Alps (and also Mt Cook). It was stunning...the Lake was a beautiful aqumarine colour, like nothing I've ever seen before! However, true to form, it was raining so we only saw the bottom of the mountains! Still very beautiful though, and very hilly! Fairlie was a very small little town and we met lots of lovely travellers all full of hints and tips about where to go in NZ and also Asia! : D Pretty good time, but only a stopover...next stop Dunedin.
A 5hr drive put us in Dunedin (after a brief stop at Omerama). We enjoyed the drive quite alot as the views were superb! Truely awesome! Dunedin is a student town, and is probably the hilliest town I have ever seen! The reason for stoppign there? A chocolate factory and a brewery!We did a tour of both...obviously! The Cabury World was fabulous...the lady was so enthusiastic and naturally with our super brains we managed to get lots of free chocolate by answering the questions right! Lots of fun to be had right there! The brewery tour was also really good (goes without saying). The brewery only brews 4 days a week and is operated by 3 men...all very interesting, but far more interesting was the 1/2 hr beer tasting afterwards! You got to pour your own drinks from the pumps and taste 6 different types of beer! Needless to say much fun was had by all concerned! Also at Dunedin we cooked for the first time...amzing beef patties in tiger bread! Mmmmmmmm!
After some fairly nice weather in Dunedin we left on a nasty rainy Wednesday 5 March to go to Te Anau (pronounced Tay Ah Now). Was a pretty long way there too...also 5 hours...but we were spurred on by the call of the Te Anau Gloworm Caves that evening! Fortunately the weather in Te Anau was better than in Dunedin and we headed over to Lake Manapouri (the gateway to Doubtful Sound) and sat by the calm water for a very relaxing coupel of hours. After heading back into Te Anau we had some yummy dinner (cooked in the brand new facilities, right next to our convieniently placed camper) and changed before heading to the warf to catch the boat to the gloworm caves. The half and hour cruise takes you over to the caves and then you walk through them with a guide (ours was Japanese and was very humerous!) At the end of the tour you go in a boat to see the gloworms...A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Lit up like a night sky in there! Stunning!
Te Anau is also the gateway to Milford Sound and the follwing day we got up early and drove 2 1/2 hours down the only road in and out of Milford. It was easy...until about an hour in when you have to drive up a mountain...down a mountain...around a mountain...even through a mountain! The most beautiful road I have ever driven on...so many photo opportunities (unfortunately I can't upload any atm) and we stopped for them all! Once we got there we had an hour and a half cruise out on the Sound and right next to a waterfall! It was very wet and windy...but gorgeous! We also met an older English couple who were very impressed with my "bravery" of driving the camper! Very amusing!
The 2 1/2 hour journey back down the same road was not so fun! Having done it only 2 hrs earlier it did seem to drag on...however the beauty of the scenery pulled us through! We met a couple in the kitchen that night who have a daughter int he year above us who went to Canterbury Christ Church Uni...she lived just down the road from Neil and Dunstan number 11 if you know her maybe Dunst? Amy I think she was called...let me know! Anyway...they were lovely and had lots of tips for us, he was a vicar on sabattical and very very funny. We however had to tear ourselves away from them to go to the cinema to see a local film called Ata Whenua (pronounced Fen-ooh-a). It was filmed by a guy who does helicoptor tours over the Sounds and was views of Fjiordland set to music...the quickest half an hour of my life! Such an amazing film, and can only be seen in Te Anau...so well worth it! The chairs were massive and comfy...and we had hot chocolate! VIP treatment! FAB!
So now we are in Queenstown! It is Friday 7th March and I can't believe how fast the time is going! We have booked the shotover jet for tomorrow (so you can tell James John I took his advice Dad!) We also booked our glacier hike and our accomodation in Franz Joseph (unfortunately mangaed to book it for next week...not this week...fortunately though we noticed and manged to sort it out, or else it would have been Melbourne all over again! Hehe! Hope you are all well, loving getting your comments/Facebook posts/e-mails/texts...keep me updated! Hope you arn't bored by this now! Hehe! x
Christchurch (just to make things even better) was really rainy! We went up in the famous gondolas to see the city from above...but the hills wer cloudy so all we saw was some white-ness! Well worth the $15! We also bought some Merino wool in the wool centre and some needles in the Family Store (Salvation Army charity shop) and are knitting ourselves some merino wool scarves! So cool! We bought a ticket to the old tram and saw the sights of the city on that...we also visited the Chinese Lantern Festival that was on and visited a really cool art gallery which was free and dry...it was still raining! It finally did stop raining and turned into a beautiful day...so we left Christchurch and headed to Fairlie (nr Lake Tekapo)...
...surprise surprise...it was raining in Fairlie! We headed over to Lake Tekapo to see the beauty of the Southern Alps (and also Mt Cook). It was stunning...the Lake was a beautiful aqumarine colour, like nothing I've ever seen before! However, true to form, it was raining so we only saw the bottom of the mountains! Still very beautiful though, and very hilly! Fairlie was a very small little town and we met lots of lovely travellers all full of hints and tips about where to go in NZ and also Asia! : D Pretty good time, but only a stopover...next stop Dunedin.
A 5hr drive put us in Dunedin (after a brief stop at Omerama). We enjoyed the drive quite alot as the views were superb! Truely awesome! Dunedin is a student town, and is probably the hilliest town I have ever seen! The reason for stoppign there? A chocolate factory and a brewery!We did a tour of both...obviously! The Cabury World was fabulous...the lady was so enthusiastic and naturally with our super brains we managed to get lots of free chocolate by answering the questions right! Lots of fun to be had right there! The brewery tour was also really good (goes without saying). The brewery only brews 4 days a week and is operated by 3 men...all very interesting, but far more interesting was the 1/2 hr beer tasting afterwards! You got to pour your own drinks from the pumps and taste 6 different types of beer! Needless to say much fun was had by all concerned! Also at Dunedin we cooked for the first time...amzing beef patties in tiger bread! Mmmmmmmm!
After some fairly nice weather in Dunedin we left on a nasty rainy Wednesday 5 March to go to Te Anau (pronounced Tay Ah Now). Was a pretty long way there too...also 5 hours...but we were spurred on by the call of the Te Anau Gloworm Caves that evening! Fortunately the weather in Te Anau was better than in Dunedin and we headed over to Lake Manapouri (the gateway to Doubtful Sound) and sat by the calm water for a very relaxing coupel of hours. After heading back into Te Anau we had some yummy dinner (cooked in the brand new facilities, right next to our convieniently placed camper) and changed before heading to the warf to catch the boat to the gloworm caves. The half and hour cruise takes you over to the caves and then you walk through them with a guide (ours was Japanese and was very humerous!) At the end of the tour you go in a boat to see the gloworms...A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Lit up like a night sky in there! Stunning!
Te Anau is also the gateway to Milford Sound and the follwing day we got up early and drove 2 1/2 hours down the only road in and out of Milford. It was easy...until about an hour in when you have to drive up a mountain...down a mountain...around a mountain...even through a mountain! The most beautiful road I have ever driven on...so many photo opportunities (unfortunately I can't upload any atm) and we stopped for them all! Once we got there we had an hour and a half cruise out on the Sound and right next to a waterfall! It was very wet and windy...but gorgeous! We also met an older English couple who were very impressed with my "bravery" of driving the camper! Very amusing!
The 2 1/2 hour journey back down the same road was not so fun! Having done it only 2 hrs earlier it did seem to drag on...however the beauty of the scenery pulled us through! We met a couple in the kitchen that night who have a daughter int he year above us who went to Canterbury Christ Church Uni...she lived just down the road from Neil and Dunstan number 11 if you know her maybe Dunst? Amy I think she was called...let me know! Anyway...they were lovely and had lots of tips for us, he was a vicar on sabattical and very very funny. We however had to tear ourselves away from them to go to the cinema to see a local film called Ata Whenua (pronounced Fen-ooh-a). It was filmed by a guy who does helicoptor tours over the Sounds and was views of Fjiordland set to music...the quickest half an hour of my life! Such an amazing film, and can only be seen in Te Anau...so well worth it! The chairs were massive and comfy...and we had hot chocolate! VIP treatment! FAB!
So now we are in Queenstown! It is Friday 7th March and I can't believe how fast the time is going! We have booked the shotover jet for tomorrow (so you can tell James John I took his advice Dad!) We also booked our glacier hike and our accomodation in Franz Joseph (unfortunately mangaed to book it for next week...not this week...fortunately though we noticed and manged to sort it out, or else it would have been Melbourne all over again! Hehe! Hope you are all well, loving getting your comments/Facebook posts/e-mails/texts...keep me updated! Hope you arn't bored by this now! Hehe! x
Bad bad Jet Star and Jucy
So we woke at 4:00 to get a taxi to the airport...unfortunately when we arrived at the airport our 8:40am flight was showing 11:40am and our check in was late opening. After getting into the airport they gave us $8 each for breakfast and so we sat...and sat...and sat...our flight was actually delayed for 4 and a half hours and took off at 1:00pm. After landing and getting through customs etc. we called to pick up our campervan and were told the Jucy at Christchurch was shut and we wouldn't be able to pick it up until the next day! So after finding emergency accomodation we went and had a curry and a beer and the campsite gave us a free spa...so we were feeling a bit better!
We headed out on 29th to pick up the van...but not until 12:00 because they gave our van away the day before! Upon arrival we were told that our vans tyres were bald and would need changing! So we waited some more...and when we finally did get our van it was mid afternoon...and so 1 1/2 of our 3 days in Christchurch were gone! Bad bad Jet Star and Jucy!
We headed out on 29th to pick up the van...but not until 12:00 because they gave our van away the day before! Upon arrival we were told that our vans tyres were bald and would need changing! So we waited some more...and when we finally did get our van it was mid afternoon...and so 1 1/2 of our 3 days in Christchurch were gone! Bad bad Jet Star and Jucy!
End of Oz
So our last couple of days in Melbourne were pretty chilled out. We headed out to the Casino on Tuesday and spent lots of money! Bad bad Casino! We also visited our local "The Pump House" and met a couple of the locals (not bad looking either) who let us crash their birthday celebrations! They were also advising us on things to do with our last day, not that they were much help...but hey ho!
27th Feb was our last day as we flew early early on the 28th so we headed out to the Melbourne Museum to see the indoor living forest and then caught the FREE tourist shuttle into town. It was pretty good and took 45mins to show us the back bits we hadn't already seen. We did a long walk around the botanical gardens and then headed home to get changed before heading out to the (much talked about) Queen Victoria Night Bazarre. It's held once a week from Nov-Feb so it was the last one of the year and they really go out with a bang! It was amazing...there were foods from all around the world and also shops and live music! Unfortunately we had to leave early because we had to get up at 04:00am! : O
27th Feb was our last day as we flew early early on the 28th so we headed out to the Melbourne Museum to see the indoor living forest and then caught the FREE tourist shuttle into town. It was pretty good and took 45mins to show us the back bits we hadn't already seen. We did a long walk around the botanical gardens and then headed home to get changed before heading out to the (much talked about) Queen Victoria Night Bazarre. It's held once a week from Nov-Feb so it was the last one of the year and they really go out with a bang! It was amazing...there were foods from all around the world and also shops and live music! Unfortunately we had to leave early because we had to get up at 04:00am! : O
Monday 25 February 2008
NEIGHBOURS!
Had so much fun yesterday on our Neighbours tour and Neighbours Night! Where do I begin?!
We had to get up early because the bus picked us up at 8:35am from the centre of town (after getting lost on a tram we only just made it in time!) Our bus had 24 people on it and we headed off on our adventure! Firstly we saw the school Erinsborough High (which is in fact a school for people who come to Oz and speak no English...so they don't even appreciate the importance of their school!) We then headed off to the studios...which we couldn't go into but we saw the budget they film on...really funny to see the bush they use when they go camping etc. is in fact not THE Bush...but A bush...and a tree! : D It's very cleverly filmed! While all of this was going one we were watching a documentary on Neighbours, telling us all about the life and times of the long running characters and detailing deaths and marriages along the way! A great bus journey!
When the moment of truth arrived and we turned into Pin Oak (aka Ramsey Street) we were a little shocked to be honest. There is, again, some very clever camera work to make to
street look like there are 30 houses in it! There are in fact 6 houses and not even enough room to swing a cat...sorry to disillusion you! Can you tell who's house I am standing outside? Prizes for the correct guesses! Amy and I really enjoyed Karl and Susan's house because it is the most recognisable with it's rose archway.
So we headed back to St Kilda where we met one of the stars of the show and had a chat with him and he signed Autographs for us! Can you tell who it is?! Max Hoyland...he was hilarious, really down to earth and a genuinely nice guy, pretty funny too...we hada good chat about trams and the underground! Very surreal, but cool though.
In the evening we were driven into St Kilda to the Elephant and Wheelbarrow pub where the Neighbours Trivia Night is held. You meet some stars and also sit at a triva table and there is a general knowledge quiz, we had some pretty cool people on our table but we didn't manage to rank..we were cool but not too clever! We managed to meet loads of stars! I hope you all still watch it because some of them are pretty new characters: Rebecca (who is dating Paul Robinson), Steve Parker (related to Ned and Stuart), Marco (who is Carmella's new love interest), Max Hoyland, and the famous Karl Kennedy!
All of them were really lovely (particularly Marco! See photo girls! They signed autographs and all that malarkey, and didn't seem bothered at all by our hysteria!
The final excitment cam right at the end of the evening when Dr Karl's band Waiting Room came out and did a gig for us! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! That is all I have to say on the matter! Other than we missed the last tram home and had to walk miles across town! Whoops! Never mind though...a good night was had by all concerned!
We had to get up early because the bus picked us up at 8:35am from the centre of town (after getting lost on a tram we only just made it in time!) Our bus had 24 people on it and we headed off on our adventure! Firstly we saw the school Erinsborough High (which is in fact a school for people who come to Oz and speak no English...so they don't even appreciate the importance of their school!) We then headed off to the studios...which we couldn't go into but we saw the budget they film on...really funny to see the bush they use when they go camping etc. is in fact not THE Bush...but A bush...and a tree! : D It's very cleverly filmed! While all of this was going one we were watching a documentary on Neighbours, telling us all about the life and times of the long running characters and detailing deaths and marriages along the way! A great bus journey!When the moment of truth arrived and we turned into Pin Oak (aka Ramsey Street) we were a little shocked to be honest. There is, again, some very clever camera work to make to
street look like there are 30 houses in it! There are in fact 6 houses and not even enough room to swing a cat...sorry to disillusion you! Can you tell who's house I am standing outside? Prizes for the correct guesses! Amy and I really enjoyed Karl and Susan's house because it is the most recognisable with it's rose archway.So we headed back to St Kilda where we met one of the stars of the show and had a chat with him and he signed Autographs for us! Can you tell who it is?! Max Hoyland...he was hilarious, really down to earth and a genuinely nice guy, pretty funny too...we hada good chat about trams and the underground! Very surreal, but cool though.
In the evening we were driven into St Kilda to the Elephant and Wheelbarrow pub where the Neighbours Trivia Night is held. You meet some stars and also sit at a triva table and there is a general knowledge quiz, we had some pretty cool people on our table but we didn't manage to rank..we were cool but not too clever! We managed to meet loads of stars! I hope you all still watch it because some of them are pretty new characters: Rebecca (who is dating Paul Robinson), Steve Parker (related to Ned and Stuart), Marco (who is Carmella's new love interest), Max Hoyland, and the famous Karl Kennedy!
All of them were really lovely (particularly Marco! See photo girls! They signed autographs and all that malarkey, and didn't seem bothered at all by our hysteria!The final excitment cam right at the end of the evening when Dr Karl's band Waiting Room came out and did a gig for us! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! That is all I have to say on the matter! Other than we missed the last tram home and had to walk miles across town! Whoops! Never mind though...a good night was had by all concerned!
Sunday Shopping...and walking!
So...we officially love The Nunnery! On Sunday we had FREE PANCAKES for breakfast! Awesome...and they were real ones...none of this American rubbish! Very much enjoyed that. So after a very satisfying breakfast we headed off to Camberwell market just outside the city, which to be honest was a bit of a flea market but there were some amazing bargains to be had! Amy picked up 2 dresses for $20 that's 10 pounds to you and me! Pretty bargainous if you ask me!
We headed back into town and grabbed some lunch before heading over to a backpacker expo to listen to a NZ talk, given by a guy from Rotarua. Got loads of ideas for where we want to go and what we want to do, so we're really looking forward to that. Seeing as we leave Oz on Thursday morning it seemed about time to start organising NZ! : D
Not to break the habit of a lifetime we headed down to St Kilda in the afternoon to go to the famous Sunday craft market...and oh my goodness were we glad we did! It was amazing. I was very restrained (you will be pleased to hear dad) and managed to only buy a (gorgeous) bag and a pearl necklace but most of the people we met there had websites...and were more than happy to ship to the UK! Let's hope I have some money left by the end of my trip!
On the way back from St Kilda we stopped off at Albert Park, for those of you in the know that is the location of the Melbourne Grand Prix on the 13-16 March 2008. Amy's family are pretty Grand Prix mad so we thought we'd go have a look at it and take a few photos...somehow we managed to get onto the track because on a Sunday they have a day off from setting it all up, so we had a wander to get some good photos. 3.2 miles later, having walked the entire length on the track we had some amazing photos and some very tired little leggies! Although now, if you watch the Grand Prix you will know someone who has been on it first! We were very tired after this experience and headed off to bed with a glimmer of excitement...for Monday was Neighbours Day!!!!!
We headed back into town and grabbed some lunch before heading over to a backpacker expo to listen to a NZ talk, given by a guy from Rotarua. Got loads of ideas for where we want to go and what we want to do, so we're really looking forward to that. Seeing as we leave Oz on Thursday morning it seemed about time to start organising NZ! : D
Not to break the habit of a lifetime we headed down to St Kilda in the afternoon to go to the famous Sunday craft market...and oh my goodness were we glad we did! It was amazing. I was very restrained (you will be pleased to hear dad) and managed to only buy a (gorgeous) bag and a pearl necklace but most of the people we met there had websites...and were more than happy to ship to the UK! Let's hope I have some money left by the end of my trip!
On the way back from St Kilda we stopped off at Albert Park, for those of you in the know that is the location of the Melbourne Grand Prix on the 13-16 March 2008. Amy's family are pretty Grand Prix mad so we thought we'd go have a look at it and take a few photos...somehow we managed to get onto the track because on a Sunday they have a day off from setting it all up, so we had a wander to get some good photos. 3.2 miles later, having walked the entire length on the track we had some amazing photos and some very tired little leggies! Although now, if you watch the Grand Prix you will know someone who has been on it first! We were very tired after this experience and headed off to bed with a glimmer of excitement...for Monday was Neighbours Day!!!!!
Friday 22 February 2008
Melbourne (finally)
Our journey from Phillip Island to Melbourne was a little bizarre! Should have only taken 3 hrs but we had to change at Lang Lang and then after leaving there the bus broke down...so we had to go back to Lang Lang to get another bus! It ended up taken just over 4hrs to get into the city, and then we finally managed to work out the tram system here and arrived at the Nunnery, only to find out there had been a mistake with our booking and we were booked from the 21st March not 21st Feb and they were fully booked! Whoops!
The man was very apologetic and helped us find another hostel for the 1st two nights we were here and we managed to get a cancellation for tonight and are back at the Nunnery now for the next 5 nights! Only after he had apologised profusely and been overly helpful did we discover it was in fact our fault and we booked it wrong and didn't notice!! Oh well, they don't need to know! : D
So after dragging our stuff across town we found some lodgings at Victoria Hall (funny if you know Chris Hunter and his girlfriend). They were undergoing renovation work so the showers were on the roof! A lovely view from up there! Our first day in Melbourne was really Friday after all the catastrophes of Thursday and we decided to just explore the area around Victoria Hall. On the other side of the road there was the old Gaol. Used to house and execute the infamous Ned Kelly! It's pretty spooky, but really interesting, we also had a tour where we got arrested...I had set up a bomb scare and Amy stole her mums car and drove it without a license! Whoops! She locked us up and everything and we even had mug shots!
After our terrifying adventure there, we visited the Queen Victoria Market, it's pretty much like the other market we went to in Sydney, but a bit more organised, really pretty. On the way back we visited the old library which houses the 4000 year old Mesopotamian tablet, didn't actually see it...but it was there I'm sure! We stopped of to buy some food from Woolworths (don't laugh it really happened) and sat for a while watching some live music in the QV square. All very civilised.
Today we went over to Federation Square and booked our Neighbours Tour for Monday! : D Don't get too jealous mum! We also went for a tour around the...wait for it...Melbourne Cricket Ground! Yes the famous MCG has now been visited by a very excited me...and a not so excited Amy! She loved it though, I could tell, I can sense a conversion to the beautiful game coming on! Australia played Sri Lanka yesterday in a 1 day there so we saw all the notes in the player locker rooms about who needed which ice bath and for how long! I also sat in the players boxes! Eeeeeek! So tonight we are officially in the Nunnery and we are here until Thursday morning when we fly to NZ...can't believe it's gone so fast! Hope you're all well and not too bored by my chatter!
The man was very apologetic and helped us find another hostel for the 1st two nights we were here and we managed to get a cancellation for tonight and are back at the Nunnery now for the next 5 nights! Only after he had apologised profusely and been overly helpful did we discover it was in fact our fault and we booked it wrong and didn't notice!! Oh well, they don't need to know! : D
So after dragging our stuff across town we found some lodgings at Victoria Hall (funny if you know Chris Hunter and his girlfriend). They were undergoing renovation work so the showers were on the roof! A lovely view from up there! Our first day in Melbourne was really Friday after all the catastrophes of Thursday and we decided to just explore the area around Victoria Hall. On the other side of the road there was the old Gaol. Used to house and execute the infamous Ned Kelly! It's pretty spooky, but really interesting, we also had a tour where we got arrested...I had set up a bomb scare and Amy stole her mums car and drove it without a license! Whoops! She locked us up and everything and we even had mug shots!After our terrifying adventure there, we visited the Queen Victoria Market, it's pretty much like the other market we went to in Sydney, but a bit more organised, really pretty. On the way back we visited the old library which houses the 4000 year old Mesopotamian tablet, didn't actually see it...but it was there I'm sure! We stopped of to buy some food from Woolworths (don't laugh it really happened) and sat for a while watching some live music in the QV square. All very civilised.
Today we went over to Federation Square and booked our Neighbours Tour for Monday! : D Don't get too jealous mum! We also went for a tour around the...wait for it...Melbourne Cricket Ground! Yes the famous MCG has now been visited by a very excited me...and a not so excited Amy! She loved it though, I could tell, I can sense a conversion to the beautiful game coming on! Australia played Sri Lanka yesterday in a 1 day there so we saw all the notes in the player locker rooms about who needed which ice bath and for how long! I also sat in the players boxes! Eeeeeek! So tonight we are officially in the Nunnery and we are here until Thursday morning when we fly to NZ...can't believe it's gone so fast! Hope you're all well and not too bored by my chatter!
Update on Phillip Island!
Hi again! I have a bit more time today and am able to fill you in on a few details that got missed out in my previous blog! : D
I kind of feel that I made it out to be really dull and boring...sorry about that, in actual fact it was beautiful, and really chilled out, we sat on beaches and just chilled, which was perfect after our mad dash around Sydney! In Merimbula it is important to note that the kangaroos use their tail as a 5th leg! It's so cool to watch! We took a video so we can bore you with the details of it upon our return!
In Phillip Island we arrived in the pouring rain, and the lady at the front desk upgraded our twin room to a cabin, and we had our own private shower and kitchen! : D I even had a double bed! Amy however, slept on a shelf! Most amusing! I also mentioned we were going to see the penguin parade int eh evening, well we went...and the bus that was supposed to pick us up turned out to be a car, which was the only taxi running on the island that night! we arrived and sat for an hour in the freezing cold while the sun went down, and then around 9:00 little groups of penguins kept on coming out of the water! : D They were so full of fish that they waddled around and fell all about the place! So cute though! Phillip Island is just liek the Isle of White, we even stayed in the town of Cowes!
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Goodbye NSW, Hello Victoria!
Hi there! It's been a while! There was very limited access to the net as we travelled from Sydney down the coast to Melbourne so we have lots to catch up on!
After that last action packed day in Sydney we spent a really chilled day on...wait for it...Bondi Beach!! Awesome! That was very fun, and we met up with a girl called Mel who Amy knew. She had been to Melbourne already so had some good tips for us! Bondi is also now infamous because it is the spot where Amy was pooped on by a bird! Much hilarity for me...she wasn't impressed though! We also booked our bus from Sydney down the coast...which seems ages ago now!! The route we planned to take was Sydney - Wollongong - Kiama - Batemans Bay - Melbourne - Phillip Island - Melbourne (for the week). As you will see, the itinerary changed a little bit (sorry to those who are following my progress on a map!) Our last couple of days in Sydney were spent taking a cruise to Toronga Zoo which was a very nice day out (until it hammered with rain!) We also visited the Chinese Garden of Friendship and the Art Gallery of NSW. So pretty much did everything there is to do in Sydney in a week! I'm just about ready for a break!
A chilled out break is exactly what we got...Wollongong was our first stop, about 2 hrs south of Sydney, we spent 2 nights there but the YHA hostel could only accomodate us for the first night so we spent the second in a horrible horrible hostel recommended by the Lonely Planet...will be having words with them! We arrived on Valentines Day so we went out for a nice curry to celebrate!! Hurrah! Wollongong has some lovely views (if you dont look south to the steel works) but it was so windy and other than the views...there is nothing to do. So 2 days there with not much sunshine was pretty dull.
Our next stop was Batemans Bay, we decided not to go to Kiama, as we couldn't get a hostel room and the bus drops you off faaaaaar from the town centre! Batemans is another lovely little place along the coast...spent two nights here in a lovely little hostel, but again as the sun din't shine and it was a Sunday (nothing was open) so there wasn't really anthing to do...although we did cook our first "proper" dinner...so it's all good! Watched Neighbours here too...felt that we should keep up to date with it all, especially if we are going to be seeing the cast in Melbourne! :)
Our next stop was Merimbula...booked at the suggested of the booking lady. We were so glad we did! Arrived fairly late in Merimbula but the bus didn't leave yesterday until 11:45pm so we had all day yesterday to explore. Not a huge amount to do but the lady suggested that we walked a little way down the beach to a caravan park where wild kangaroos live...and we did...walk 1hr 1/2 and back again...a 3hr walk...on the sand! Boy are we glad we did though!!! Real live Kangaroos!!! Amazing! Photo above!
So after 8hrs on the bus (and no coach sickness) we arrived in Melbourne and hopped straight on a bus again to Phillip Island (4hrs) where we are spending tonight watching the famous Penguin parade! Other than that it is another little coastal place with not much to do! Hehe! Very beautiful though! Will be adding more pics as I go along...so that's you all up to date!!
What I neglected to mention at all of these little places...as there wasn't much to do we just went shopping...bad bad...although I was very restrained...most of the time...and I did need another pair of shorts! :)
Sorry it's all a bit of a gabble but as I say there was very limited access...I hope you didn't get bored reading about it all! :) Missing you all lots...but not the cold English weather!
Sunday 10 February 2008
It's been a busy few days here in Sydney! We have had a lot of rain, but there has been plenty of sun too...well enough to get some much needed tan time anyway!
Friday was a pretty jam packed day, we pretty much did all there was to do in and around Darling Harbour. We visited the Wildlife Park, which exhibits hundreds of the creatures which live in Australia. We saw koalas, wallabies, funnel web spiders and the worlds deadliest bird, the casowray, we even touched a snake! The animals were so cute! We also visited the next door Aquarium where we got to touch sea urchins and star fish, and see sharks and manta rays, and even a Nemo exhibit! We didn't get to see a duckbill platypus because he was hiding from us, but we saw a photo...so I guess that counts!?
Just outside the harbour is the Powerhouse Museum, it is an old building which used to be a power station and now houses a large number of different exhibits including: Art, Design, Technology, Transport and many more. It was really interesting, but after all our wandering round all I wanted was a nice cup of tea...but they had shut the cafe and I was deprived!!!!!!
So we had yet another restless night...I don't think our neighbours get the idea that talking loudly on the phone in the corridor at 3:30am is rubbish! Saturday was pretty restful, it poured with rain so we went to the local market which was a roaring success, we spent loads of money! Only kidding dad! I obviously put ti all on the Amex! : D
We went on a hunt for some walking sandals, yes mum, laugh if you want, I have finally succumbed! The shops all started to shut though so we had to give up...I did however purchase a pair today! I wore them all day looking great! : D We did washing yesterday too! yay for clean clothes! In the evening we went to the local Imax and saw Sea Monsters...that was fun, but Amy nearly fell down the stairs on the way out...fortunately I was there to save her life! Go me!
So finally we come to today...it started off a bit cloudy but then the sun came out and it turned into a beautifully hot day! We got a better night sleep too because our neighbours checked out, and some new people checked in, so we'll see how that goes. We began our adventure today by heading down to the Rocks, which is the site of the first European settlement in Oz. It has some stunning architecture and a market at weekends which is really crafty...Amy bought an AMAZING ring! We then (after a minor detour) found THE bridge! It was pretty spectacular and we took hundreds of photos! We walked across it a bit and then got hungry and decided to go for lunch!
Then, after lunch on a rooftop pub (with fab views of the harbour and good Aussie beer) we wander around the Circular Quay and posed for yet more photos by the Opera House, also pretty stunning! Opposite the Opera House are the Royal Botanical Gardens which we wandered through on our way back to the hostel and did some much needed sunbathing! Finally we went to the Sydney Tower and looked at the stunning views of the city and taking in a Vitual Simulation ride around Oz! Who needs to see Uluru...we practically went there! Lol!
So the past few days have been pretty busy, trying to cram in things when the sun shines, but it's been good too...tomorrow is Monday and our last full day here is Wednesday, when we leave the relative comfort of our hostel for a trip down the coast on our way to Melbourne! I suspect though that there will be an update before then though! Catch ya later! x
Friday was a pretty jam packed day, we pretty much did all there was to do in and around Darling Harbour. We visited the Wildlife Park, which exhibits hundreds of the creatures which live in Australia. We saw koalas, wallabies, funnel web spiders and the worlds deadliest bird, the casowray, we even touched a snake! The animals were so cute! We also visited the next door Aquarium where we got to touch sea urchins and star fish, and see sharks and manta rays, and even a Nemo exhibit! We didn't get to see a duckbill platypus because he was hiding from us, but we saw a photo...so I guess that counts!?
Just outside the harbour is the Powerhouse Museum, it is an old building which used to be a power station and now houses a large number of different exhibits including: Art, Design, Technology, Transport and many more. It was really interesting, but after all our wandering round all I wanted was a nice cup of tea...but they had shut the cafe and I was deprived!!!!!!
So we had yet another restless night...I don't think our neighbours get the idea that talking loudly on the phone in the corridor at 3:30am is rubbish! Saturday was pretty restful, it poured with rain so we went to the local market which was a roaring success, we spent loads of money! Only kidding dad! I obviously put ti all on the Amex! : D
We went on a hunt for some walking sandals, yes mum, laugh if you want, I have finally succumbed! The shops all started to shut though so we had to give up...I did however purchase a pair today! I wore them all day looking great! : D We did washing yesterday too! yay for clean clothes! In the evening we went to the local Imax and saw Sea Monsters...that was fun, but Amy nearly fell down the stairs on the way out...fortunately I was there to save her life! Go me!
So finally we come to today...it started off a bit cloudy but then the sun came out and it turned into a beautifully hot day! We got a better night sleep too because our neighbours checked out, and some new people checked in, so we'll see how that goes. We began our adventure today by heading down to the Rocks, which is the site of the first European settlement in Oz. It has some stunning architecture and a market at weekends which is really crafty...Amy bought an AMAZING ring! We then (after a minor detour) found THE bridge! It was pretty spectacular and we took hundreds of photos! We walked across it a bit and then got hungry and decided to go for lunch!
Then, after lunch on a rooftop pub (with fab views of the harbour and good Aussie beer) we wander around the Circular Quay and posed for yet more photos by the Opera House, also pretty stunning! Opposite the Opera House are the Royal Botanical Gardens which we wandered through on our way back to the hostel and did some much needed sunbathing! Finally we went to the Sydney Tower and looked at the stunning views of the city and taking in a Vitual Simulation ride around Oz! Who needs to see Uluru...we practically went there! Lol!
So the past few days have been pretty busy, trying to cram in things when the sun shines, but it's been good too...tomorrow is Monday and our last full day here is Wednesday, when we leave the relative comfort of our hostel for a trip down the coast on our way to Melbourne! I suspect though that there will be an update before then though! Catch ya later! x
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Arriving in Sydney
G'day! Well our last day in Tokyo was pretty interesting...mainly in that it snowed...all day! We had to check out of our hostel at 11am but our flight wasn't until 9:15pm so we did our last minute wandering and shopping (and got frostbite) before walking to the station to catch a train to the airport.
Last night's sleepless flight makes it 4 nights I've been away and 4 nights I've had little or no sleep! Hopefully tonight will be a large improvement on that! We found out last night that Qantas international flights are not eligible for online check in, and after discovering we had to make a stopover at Cairns we decided to go to Narita airport super early to get good seats...4 1/2 hrs before the flight I think should do it! : )
We were able to check in for our flight but when we got to the check in desk the lady picked up the phone and was chatting in Japanese while me and Amy stood there in a blind panic! Fortunately she was a very nice lady and arranged for us to get on a flight which left an hour earlier and didn't have a stopover! Bonus! So we ended up on a jam packed Qantas flight and arrived 2 hrs before our original arrival time.
The funniest moment of the trip so far was Amy and I worrying about the customs checks at Sydney airport...they were opening and removing the entire contents of peoples suitcases! We were both very worried but when he saw we had said "nothing to declare" he just waved us on through!
Base hostel is pretty central and our room is nice (although it hasn't been cleaned because we were early checking in). So we spent some time looking around Darling Harbor and the surrounding area. It was really hot and sunny...so a nice change from the snow in Tokyo! Although I have been reliably informed that the rain is imminent so no jealousy at home guys!
Hope you are all well at home, keep me posted on current activity! x
Last night's sleepless flight makes it 4 nights I've been away and 4 nights I've had little or no sleep! Hopefully tonight will be a large improvement on that! We found out last night that Qantas international flights are not eligible for online check in, and after discovering we had to make a stopover at Cairns we decided to go to Narita airport super early to get good seats...4 1/2 hrs before the flight I think should do it! : )
We were able to check in for our flight but when we got to the check in desk the lady picked up the phone and was chatting in Japanese while me and Amy stood there in a blind panic! Fortunately she was a very nice lady and arranged for us to get on a flight which left an hour earlier and didn't have a stopover! Bonus! So we ended up on a jam packed Qantas flight and arrived 2 hrs before our original arrival time.
The funniest moment of the trip so far was Amy and I worrying about the customs checks at Sydney airport...they were opening and removing the entire contents of peoples suitcases! We were both very worried but when he saw we had said "nothing to declare" he just waved us on through!
Base hostel is pretty central and our room is nice (although it hasn't been cleaned because we were early checking in). So we spent some time looking around Darling Harbor and the surrounding area. It was really hot and sunny...so a nice change from the snow in Tokyo! Although I have been reliably informed that the rain is imminent so no jealousy at home guys!
Hope you are all well at home, keep me posted on current activity! x
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Sightseeing in Tokyo
Stupid jetlag! After only a few hours sleep we managed to navigate our way from Asukusa - Ginza - Imperial Palace - Shinjuku - Asukusa and only got lost once! Even that was when we arrived at Asukusa again and came out of the wrong exit! Every station has about 10 exits and a host of underground tunnels which are easier to navigate and better signposted than the streets!
The Imperial Palace was pretty cool, although you can only see the gardens and we asked a random helpful man where the palace was and he pointed to some trees and said the Emperor was a "very special man" and the Palace is hidden from view. The other places we visited, Ginza (the shopping district) and Shinjuku (the business district) were not as peacful as the Imperial Palace but were your typical Tokyo scene of expensive clothes and flashing neon lights! We have settled for purchases from the Asukusa district where it is a bit old town and cheaper!
We had some traditional raw minced tuna for dinner, which Amy described as "interesting"! Apart from being a bit odd, I think it was a success!
So tomorrow we depart from here and head to Sydney...if we can ever master the online check in! Oh well, we shall see!
The Imperial Palace was pretty cool, although you can only see the gardens and we asked a random helpful man where the palace was and he pointed to some trees and said the Emperor was a "very special man" and the Palace is hidden from view. The other places we visited, Ginza (the shopping district) and Shinjuku (the business district) were not as peacful as the Imperial Palace but were your typical Tokyo scene of expensive clothes and flashing neon lights! We have settled for purchases from the Asukusa district where it is a bit old town and cheaper!
We had some traditional raw minced tuna for dinner, which Amy described as "interesting"! Apart from being a bit odd, I think it was a success!
So tomorrow we depart from here and head to Sydney...if we can ever master the online check in! Oh well, we shall see!
Monday 4 February 2008
Tokyo - Japan
Konichiwa! Arrival in Tokyo was much nicer than expected (even though it was delayed by an hour and a half) as we managed to get an upgrade to club! It was a very nice flight, and (thanks to some masterful navigation skills on Amy's part) we managed to get the connecting trains to the hostel. Been exploring the area and the shops. All fun and games, and even braved a traditional Japanese restaurant and bought some "interesting" sweets...oh yes I fogot to mention the bottle of Sweat Amy bought!
All in all it is very nice here, currently 7:30 in the evening and it's strange thinking you guys are only starting your day! Hope it's a good one...speak soon.
All in all it is very nice here, currently 7:30 in the evening and it's strange thinking you guys are only starting your day! Hope it's a good one...speak soon.
Saturday 26 January 2008
I'm off again!
Hello, and welcome again to the blog of the year! Nice to have you back with me on my travels and hopefully you will be as enthralled by the things going on here as you were last time! I have exactly a week to go now before I set off with Amy on our round the world ticket. Our very basic itinerary is to the right hand side here just so you will know where we are for on at least 9 days of the trip and I will endeavor to keep you updated as things go along! See you when I'm out there!
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