A partir de ce moment tout va aller très vite avec beaucoup de changements dans nos repères habituels. En plus du jet lag, nous venons de gagner une quinzaine de degrès en passant de la fin de l'hiver à la fin de l'été. Et puis nous devons prendre en main notre voiture de location, une japonaise avec le volant à droite et une boîte automatique. ...

After we left Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, we came through Cyclone Gene. Wow, what a roller coaster of a storm! The cruising speed of our ship is 18 knots but we could only do 6-7. The Captain changed course to avoid the worst of the storm but we still felt the effects-high seas, huge swells & very windy. We were not allowed outside & the elev...

I had a job interview this morning. Which is probably why I didn't drink last night. Which is probably why I am no longer mopey. I feel better. My liver is happy, and my mind is as good as it has ever been (not saying much). My point is... well, I don't have one. Heather and Dave are gone. I occasionally get a random text from Dave. Dave is the ...

Shortly after my last entry, I found myself in an "Irish Pub". There are a lot of Irish Pubs in New Zealand, and all of them identify themselves quite clearly as "Irish Pub"s. It is perhaps because of this that I have seemed to have picked up a "spot on" Irish dialect that seems to come out, often unknown to me, when I enter an "Irish Pub". This...

We just got to Auckland last night, it has taken us since tuesday to get here. That's a lot of flying! We're in a hostel called the Fat Camel on Fort Street. It's pretty nice, they have a lot of stuff to do. Since we're stayingf here for 3 nights we get a free trip to Waitomo and back! Which means we don't have to walk to those glow worm caves.

We spent last night at a hotel come motel near to Auckland Airport, deliberately so that it would make it easier to catch our early morning flight today. However, after arriving, it was clear there was not a lot around in the way of finding an evening meal, etc and as such headed off to a suburb close by for tucker. Google maps made Papatoetoe o...

Arrived in Auckland after a very long and not very pleasant journey. Exhausted, I just about make it to my hotel to crash. Sixteen hour later I woke up slightly dazed and extremely hungry. Dont think I have ever slept that long in my life! Spent a day hanging out in Auckland trying to figure out a plan for the next two weeks. So much to do so li...

Fri 2 March A late start to avoid the traffic in the city. Drove across the city to Mount Eden to establish where the BBH was, then drove up to Mt Eden top - an extinct volcano with superb views over the city over 360 deghrees. The weather was fantastic again and made up for the rotten day yesterday. We could see One Tree Hill, site of sacred Ma...

next day was lovley but still a big swell and i mananaged to snap the boom when coming into port in a big swell... so we had to swap to a 40ft luxury cataraman ! with four double ensuite bedrooms he he he he ooh it was wonderful.... I know when i left Austrailia i said i would miss it and i do but being back in new zealand i can really say it is...

Oh yeah baby! The flight is booked for next Monday, the backpack is dusted, the money is saved and the Lonely Planet is back in business. That's right ladies and gents, in just under one week, I am OUTTA HERE! After an extended bout of limbo - forever seeing the same walls, streets, people, and shops filled with noodles - I am ready to tackle th...