TravelStream™ news feed for member mandyandnick on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mandyandnick en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 26 Aug 2003 22:35:16 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1061935920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1061935920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1061935920/tpod.html Tue, 26 Aug 2003 22:35:16 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Firstly, check out the pictures we have just posted on the US and Canada updates.

All good things must come to an end: 27 flights down, two to go as we head back to Blighty tomorrow. We hope you have enjoyed reading these updates as much as we have living them. Can't believe its been a year - guess all that's left for us to do is to torture all of you with our holiday snaps when we get home - be scared, be very very scared!

Incredible to think of the things we have done in a year - just to remind y'all, here are a few of the high/low lights:

Being chased by wild elephants in Nepal

Sitting on the Rongbuk glacier watching the sun down on N face of Everest.

Walking east down the valley between Cholatse and Lobuche in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

The toilets in the Snow Leopard Lodge in New Tingri, Tibet

The really cool dive trip to the Similans

Watching dolphins play in the bow wave on the Whale Watching trip in Kaikora, New Zealand.

Climbing the Minarets in the Southern Alps (Nick Only)

Falling in various bits on the Franz Josef Glacier in NZ (Mandy only)

The hangover after the climbing trip

The beaches of Abel Tasman

Swimming with seals in Abel Tasman

Walking the Tongariro Crossing.

Torrential rain in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Playing with the farm animals at Myella (!).

Diving with the giant cod on the Great Barrier Reef

The endless roads of the outback

The ancient sandstone of Ayers Rock, The Olgas and the McDonnell ranges

Camel riding (+ bonding - Mandy only)

The stunning views from Ubirr in Kakadu NP (+the stunning mozzies)

Diving with mantas in Hawaii

Bryce and Zion canyons in Utah

Seeing the Grizzlie in Banff NP

Watching the orcas in Johnstone Strait.


All in all, not a half bad way to spend a year. Now for 2003/4....

Cheers

Mandy and Nick

(PS buying us beer would be a good way to divert attention from the five hour long slide show we are compiling.....)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1061264040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1061264040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1061264040/tpod.html Mon, 25 Aug 2003 19:51:23 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Arriving in Vancouver we checked into a "boutique" hotel - The Metropolitan. Not quite Park Lane standards, but it was lovely to enjoy a bit of luxury for a change. However all too soon the weekend was over and with our bloodstreams now flowing with pure Starbucks, we picked up yet another hire car and headed across the Rockies to Alberta.

As soon as we hit the mountains the weather became very 'Canadian: we arrived in Calgary in the middle of a massive hailstorm - folks were having their windscreens cracked by the hail - welcome to the summer!

The object of the trip was to hit the Calgary Stampede, hooked as we now are on the whole rodeo scene. The first event we attended was the chuck wagon racing. This involves four wagons, each pulled by a team of four, which have to be loaded with kitchen equipment by four 'outriders', manouevered around a set of barrels, then raced around a track. Meanwhile the outriders have to leap on their horses and chase after the wagons - the object being for each wagon and the respective outriders to finish together. The hail storm was only just petering out, resulting in a track that was inches deep in water/mud/slime, so irrespective of the starting colours, finishing colours were uniformally khaki. Despite the conditions, the racing was very close and exciting, although not something we are likely to take up ourselves. After the races we watched the 'Grandstand Show' - not really our thing but very professionally produced and some of the acts from Cirque de Soleil were spectacular.

The following day we sat ourselves down for a day of rodeo. As well as the usual bull and bronc riding they had novelties such as wild cow milking and wild horse races, all of which were even more exiting when taking place in three feet of mud. The highlight had to be 'wild and woolly', described by the announcer as "where we strap our children to farm animals and call it entertainment" - (basically toddlers on sheep) -excellent. After that we checked out the 'Eukanuba Super Dogs' display and then an evening in 'Nashville North' listening to live C&W and chugging beers (hic).

All in all the Stampede is an excellent event and, given all the stuff on offer, excellent VFM. That said, it was almost too professional and in some ways we enjoyed our Aussie Rodeos more.

Being inspired by the professionals, it was time to do some cowboying of our own. We had booked a five day riding/camping trip out of Banff. After the 'molto turistico' trail riding experiences in the US, we were a bit concerned that the trip was going to be a bit naff and that we would be riding with a bunch of people that had never seen horse before. However these worries were quickly laid to rest when we met our fellow punters and realised we were the only folks who didn't have their own (a) ranch (b) spurs and hadn't even brought our own horses and saddles (gulp).

Despite the lead wrangler trying to liven things up by being bucked off on the first afternoon, we had a very pleasant and relaxed five days riding and camping in the backcountry north of Banff. The highlight was coming across a grizzlie just to the side of the trail - we were only about 30 metres away when our horses realised something was up. The horses looked at the bear, the bear looked at the horses. The bear then went back to digging some delicious ants out of a rotting log and ignored us. After a while one of the wranglers slowly walked his horse towards the bear, who then slowly ambled off into the bush. A fantastic encounter - and so much more enjoyable for being on a (fast) horse rather than foot/mountain bikes.

Our wranglers were lovely chaps (geddit?), they worked really hard and clearly enjoyed doing stuff like the cowboy poetry around the campfire as much as the punters (who, apart from us and a Texan family, were working ranchers anyway on a busmans holiday). The boys took everything in their stride, including the theft of Ross's clothes while he was swimming in the lake - we did leave him his hat, which fortunately was big enough for the occasion (the water was very cold!).

Overall the trip (run by the Warner guiding outfit) was very pleasant rather than gripping. We would definitely recommend it as a great way to get out into the backcountry and see some beautiful scenery.

After a couple of days chilling around Banff and Lake Louise (stunning lake, horrific hotel), we drove up the Columbia Icefields Parkway (awesome) to Jasper (yuk - don't bother). Realising our mistake we wandered back down to the Okanagan region in a meandering route up to the Cariboo country for a stay at a guest ranch.

Crystal Waters is in the heart of BC's ranching country, in a stunning location on the edge of a lake. I addition to riding there were kayaks and canoes to play with - not that they received much attention after six hours in the saddle each day. The ranch had a really relaxed atmosphere - there are private cabins, but all meals are taken together with the cowboys and other ranch staff.

It was here, at last, that Nick finally got his near death experience......

Mandy's version:

The wranglers at the Ranch, after hearing the multiple tales of my sufferings on the trip (which are becomming more epic with every re-telling), chose a lovely horse called PHANTOM for Nick to ride on the second day. After being a model of decorum in the morning, something clearly upset Phantom during our lunch break (maybe those thorns I tucked under the saddle) because there was an ongoing battle of wills between Nick and horse all afternoon. Not surprisingly it was hard to tell who was being more stubborn. Any how after an impressive amount of rodeo-esque bucking and rearing which would have landed Nick a prize in the saddle-bronc competition, Phantom finally went ballistic when we were almost back at the ranch. After several leaps and pirouettes, Phantom started spinning, lost his footing and started to go down. Fortunately, Nick was already airborne at this point, and managed to land and scramble out of the way just before Phantom hit the deck. Nick was a bit bruised and bloodied (bad gravel rash) but Florence NightingScott soon had him patched up.

Nicks version:

Horse was trying to play silly buggers. I wasn't gonna let him. I nearly made it to the buzzer, but had to make a tactical dismount. Must remind Mandy to dilute the TCP next time.

Having established that Gary (the owner) wasn't going to charge us for the broken reins and crushed steel strirrups (yes - it was quite a fall), Mandy instantly suggested that we stay on for a few extra days. Our remaining time was calm and unevenful, though as a special treat Nick was allowed to ride the owners best horse on the last day - this gave him quite an advantage in the barrel racing and other riding games that we got to play on the last morning (though there were mutterings from the cowboys about pommies who couldn't cope with a real man's event like impromptu bronc riding so wimped out for girlie barrel racing instead). Another excellent trip, and by BC standards excellent value for money.

After the had dust settled (literally), it was time to hit Vancouver Island. After a couple of days in Victoria (pleasant enough) we headed across the Island to 'Picturesque Tofino': picturesque (stunning) it certainly was, but also ridiculously busy. Tofino was the only place (in a year!) that we really struggled to find anywhere to stay - and ended up paying $200 for a really average motel room - eeeek!. Needless to stay we didn't stay long but headed back east to Campbell River. This was the starting point for a four day sea kayaking trip in Johnstone Strait - home to about 300 Killer Whales. We were dropped by motor boat right next to the Robson Bight marine reserve - and right on cue about an hour after we arrived a group of Orcas swam past the campsite.

We had four days of great weather (in a part of the world not known for its sunshine) and saw whales every day, including on our trip back to Campbell River. The best encounter was with a mother and calf who came to within about 20 metres of the kayaks - truly awesome.

The weather and whales were great. On the other hand the Strait was chokka with Salmon fishing vessels - so much for the wilderness. Also whilst the guides on the trip were fine, the operator - Coastal Spirits - was clearly trying to extract maximum dollar out for minimum input. We would definitely recomend kayaking in JS - but NOT with Coastal Spirits. This was a bit of a shame as this was the last big event of our year and really only the second 'bad trip' of the whole year. So a big 'Boo Sucks' to Coastal Spirits [OK enough, we get the point - Ed.]

On our way back from Campbell River we stayed the night with Christine and Craig, a lovely couple that we had met at Crystal Waters. Craig spoiled us with his gourmet cooking and Christine was our tour guide, taking us down to the beach at night where a special fireworks display had been laid on by the City of Comox in honour of our visit - or did she say it was for BC Day? A big highlight for Mandy was Andy the cat, who took to hiding in the garage to avoid the excess cuddles. Anyway, a big thanks to C&C for their hospitality - much enjoyed.

That was pretty much it for our time in BC. We have had a couple of weeks hanging out in Whistler, doing a bit of hiking and sorting out admin. for our return to the UK. Just a week or so to go in Vancouver and then it will be back to sweltering Blighty. I guess given our track record our return will bring torrential rain and the end of the extraordinary summer. So best get your wellies out....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1057457520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1057457520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1057457520/tpod.html Thu, 21 Aug 2003 22:02:20 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Dallas, Texas, United States

And so we left the land of Mrs Mac's (meat pies) and headed for the land of Big Macs.

Our first stop was Hawaii. Whilst neither of us had a burning desire to visit Hawaii, it did break a very long and tedious flight and we may never be back that way so we thought it would be worth a look around. We landed at Honolulu and then took our most expesive flight yet (per mile) over to Big Island. The idea being to avoid the high rise developments (scarred as we were by the Gold Coast), see a volcano, get some more diving in and top up the tans before hitting LA.

We stayed in Kona - nice little town, if a bit on the tatty and run down side. The beaches were OK but busy, and the volcano was permanently covered in cloud, so no great views/photos.

A 100 mile drive took us down the coast to the active volcano where we took a stroll down to the spot where the lava was flowing into the sea. This involved walking over solidified flows which had only covered the road six weeks previously. Every now and then there would be a half buried road sign sticking out of the lava. Quite cool (well hot) watching the molten rock ooze down the hillside.

The other Hawaii highlight was a manta ray night dive. Mantas are plankton feeders, and the plankton are attracted to the dive lights so "good sightings" are almost guaranteed. We thought we might just glance a couple of mantas in the gloom - however we had six mantas coming in so close that one guy had his face mask knocked off as they cruised overhead. It was a truely awesome experience having these 3 -4m wide animals which weigh over 500kgs glide just cms from your head, especially as they have their massive mouths wide open as they suck in the plankton laden water. Underwater ballet is the best description of the acrobatic and graceful manoeuvers we were lucky enough to spend 40 minutes watching, we all came up with the biggest grins on our faces.

We also did some pleasant day dives, including one through lava tubes called "suck 'em up" - timing was key to avoid getting an authentic washing machine experience.

After Hawaii we flew into LA and stayed with a friend for a couple of days. Mal is a good looking, smooth, suave, sophisticated Australian (well that's what he told me to write) who works in the entertainment industry. Successful, forty something and STRAIGHT - his lifestyle makes him the Playboy of the Western World. Needless to say Mandy felt right at home in his Beverly Hills apartment being driven around in his Z8 - Nick was nearly as happy in his rented super economy hire car. Best story of the stay - Mal was invited to an Australia Day lunch with Mel Gibson and a select few. When the valets brought the cars round afterwards, Mel looked at Mal's car and said "nice car mate" - guess Mr Gibson has to settle for a station wagon what with all those kids he has. ......Big thanks to Mal for being a great host and entertaining us so lavishly.

It was back to earth with a bump as we waited 45mins to get through security at LAX (and we were in the 'express' first class lane) - and back to sheep and goats class in American Airlines.

The Grand Canyon was big - so big that a half day mule trip (big drops, but otherwise a bit dull and cheesy) took us about a third of the way down into the Canyon. Much more striking was Bryce Canyon a little bit further north in Utah - absolutely beautiful place with stunning sandstome formations (and an excellent trail ride). We then drove on into Zion Canyon - the best of the three. Whilst it was a shame to have such a quick tour of such stunning country, given that the temperatures were in the low 40s it wasn't exactly hiking/climbing weather. Definitely worth revisiting Zion in spring or autumn when the weather is a bit more amenable to doing active stuff.

For Mandy the best part was the drive between The Grand Canyon and Bryce. We stopped at a small town for lunch and noticed in the local paper that the largest "no kill" animal rescue center in the USA was just up the road. Of course we had to drop in for a visit. Well - they sure do things big in America. "Best Friends" has 600 cats in Kittyville, and 600 dogs in a seperate facility at Dogtown, not to mention the rescue horses, donkeys, parrots etc. Mandy was in heaven rolling around on the floor with the special needs cats (those that have medical conditions which would prevent them from being rehomed). We also met The General, a chicken killing cat who had been on death row and was only spared on the condition that he stayed at the center and never ever left. This place was awesome, clean, comfortable, spacious, and the animals looked in great condition. They turn over $15 million a year and clearly spend the money very wisely.

Then Vegas - well we thought Vegas would be so bad it would be good. However it was so bad it was just bad (according to Nick). Mandy had great fun having a couple of poker lessons and managed to keep her shirt at the tables. Nick sat by the pool trying to ignore the various grotesques sunning themselves like beached bleached whales. Probably just as well we left before Mandy got too far into it.

Next a short stopover in Dallas, where we visited the excellent and informative JFK museum. It was hot and sweaty, but we did have an excellent evening listening to a Blues Band outdoors and getting very drunk. July 4th was a bit of a damp squib, and then it was time to move on to Canada. Boy were we glad to be taking our last US domestic flight for some time...........
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1055644260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1055644260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1055644260/tpod.html Sat, 26 Jul 2003 13:52:05 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Darwin, Australia

The Road Trip - Part I

Directions for Queensland coast to Alice: head west out of Townsville for 1500 kms; at the first T junction turn left and continue south for another 500kms. In a van with a top speed of 120kmh and only being able to drive in daylight 'cos of roos, wallabies and cattle on the road 2000kms is a bloody long drive.

Three days across some very flat and boring country, but at least the roads were good two lane bitumen so we didn't have to launch ourselves into a ditch everytime a road train passed - apart from for some inexplicable reason a 100km stretch near the NT border where the road fizzles out to a single lane of crumbling tarmac. And there was the plus of seeing the picturesque town of Mt Isa (Errr? - Ed)

The Tourist Trip (or Trap)

Alice provided a quick wash and brush up (and the town wasn't bad either - hehehe) then we headed another 450kms south west to do: Ayers Rock and the Olgas (busy, busy busy), Kings Canyon (still busy, but much better than AR). Inevitably we also had about 4 hours rain one night - unbelievable!

The Camel Trip

On the way back to Alice we stopped off at the Camel Farm to head out on a three day safari. Having seen lots of posters of very naff looking camel trips (with everyone roped together in a bored looking line), we were most relieved to be presented with our free wheelin' ridin' camels. After loading up the saddle bags we headed out to the neighbouring cattle station which was to be our playground for the next three days.

Our guide for these adventures was the mad-man Luke. Straight out of central casting, a real fair dinkum aussie bush mad nutter - his idea of personal R and R was to take his camels across the Western Desert so he get something like the experiences of the early european explorers - and "Isn't great to start out on a trip not knowing if your going to get to the other end?"

Needless to say Luke had a host of stories - mainly along the theme of "It wasn't my fault, but my mate/camel/pet snake escaped and then....." These tales inevitably grew taller as the trip progressed.

We had a great three days out sleeping in swags, wandering around checking out old aboriginal camps and tool making sites. By the end of the trip we had all really bonded with our camels. Certainly the camels were not the smelly spitting animals we were expecting but really noble obedient animals. And camel riding is a lot more relaxing than horse riding (apart from having to stop the buggers trying to eat continuously). Mandy was gutted to leave her mount Pebbles - lots of sloppy kisses (and maybe tongues) as they said goodbye to each other (though Pebbles was more interested in the oranges in Mandy's saddlebag than a good snog). Nick not so sad to leave his mount Thumper due to some serious blistering (guess where)

A Town Like.....

A couple more days chilling in Alice and exploring the stunning mountains east and west of the town - of particular note was Ormiston Gorge. Contrary to what we had read on various sites, Alice isn't a bad town and didn't feel at all dangerous/uncomfortable - but then again it must have some of the most conspicuous policing in Australia.

The Road Trip - Part II

After dawdling on our way over to Alice, on leaving we decided to put the hammer down and managed 1070 kms in one day. As this is pretty much a straight line due north, that equates to nearly 9 degrees of latitude - not bad for a days work. This took us to Mataranka - some nice thermal springs and very near the locaton of the homestead in the famous book 'We of the never never'

The Tropical trip

Having arrived in the 'top end' we slowly pootled through the local parks (Douglas River, Lichfield, canoeing in Katherine Gorge, etc) - taking gentle strolls to check out some very pretty waterfalls, creeks, etc. Some of these you can swim in as they only have freshwater crocs, who won't do you much harm. We also stopped off on the (very muddy) Adelaide River to check out some jumping saltwater crocs - these are the beasts which will do you a lot of harm. Apparently its quite easy to distinguish between the two types of croc: if its got your leg in its jaws, its a salty!

Farewell to RYI 957

Arriving in Darwin we said a sad farewell to our trusty campervan. After 16,500kms, a lot of $$$$ to messers BP, etc and a lot of van vin, it was a moving moment. As indeed was the moment when we jumped into a spotless shower in a cool hotel room with a bed - and didn't have to fight off 400 bugs!!! This was only improved by going to an excellent Thai restaurant - and not a Mrs Mac's Pie in sight.

The last hurrah

For our final week in Australia we rented a 4WD camper and 'did' Kakadu national park (where they filmed Croc Dundee). Lots of stunning waterfalls, great views and real fun 4WD tracks. Doing the river crossings had the added spice of knowing that if you get stuck you can't get out of the vehicle 'cos all the rivers are chokka with salties. Death adders are also a big feature of the park, however we managed to escape any toothy reptiles. Unfortunately there was no escape from the most prolific and huge mossies we had ever come across - eaten alive doesn't begin to describe the itchty bitchy agony.

Australia - The wrap

Going the distances: 19,700kms driven

Transports of delight: 4WDs, campervans, taxis, buses, horses, camels, motorbikes, big motorised dive boats, (alleged) sailing boat, kayaks, canoes, small planes

The five best things: The Northern Territory; Myella farmstay; The Cod Hole dive site; Flinders Ranges; Tim Adams shiraz

Put Another Dollar In: Advanced, Rescue and First Aid diving qualifications - really impressive achievment for Mandy in particular, who originally only took up the sport 'cos she was terrified of putting her face in water.


Time to hit the beach - Hawaii here we come
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1052618040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1052618040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1052618040/tpod.html Sat, 14 Jun 2003 22:59:45 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Queensland Coast, Australia

My how time flies - time for another quick update I guess.

We continued to head north and stopped off at Eungella NP. Stunning (if basic) campsite at the head of an awesome forested valley. They have a good population of duck billed platypi and we got some really great sights of them feeding - unfortunately as they feed at dusk and dawn in shady, murky water no great photos of these truly weird beasties.

We then dashed on to Airlie Beach, as a base for sailing around the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We also had a days sea kayaking which was very pleasant and enlivened with the guide's tales of kayaking in the whale season. Apparently there is the opportunity for some awsome encounters - just a shame we were there at the wrong time of year.

Next up was our sailing trip: we had booked three days out on the good ship Waltzing Matilda. Unfortunately the first day there was no wind, but at least it was sunny; the second day there was still no wind, but it was raining; on the third day things looked up - still raining but with a 20 knot breeze. Unfortunately after an hour's sailing the forestay broke on the boat and the sail fell down, so we had to motor back. To be honest whilst the boat was OK and the skipper Wayne was a really nice bloke, the whole set-up of all the crewed boats was very backpacker-ish and not great value. Doing a bare boat charter would be a much better idea.

Straight off the sailing trip we had time for a quick curry then onto a dive boat, Oceania, the plan being to motor out to the GBR overnight. After a very bouncy night ('cos of the sea, not Mandy's demands) we awoke to a strange calm. We thought it was odd that the sea was so flat after two days of 25 knot winds. As the boat swung round and the bay in which we were anchored came into view through the cabin window it became apparent that we had not made it out to the Reef and were still moored off Hayman Island. Not to be downhearted we jumped into the water and discovered the visibility was about 1-2m! The diving was about as enjoyable as being at the bottom of a mud filled quarry in England only slightly warmer.

It was at this point that Mandy decided to make up for the recent lack of near death experiences, by making an unscheduled and rapid ascent to the surface from about 10m. Fortunately,as this was the first dive and we had not yet built up the nitrogen levels in our bloodstream) no harm was done (Nick gutted that there were no low level helicopter flights and extended stays in decompression chambers to liven up the reportage). Subsequently we worked out that this ascent was triggered by faulty gear - Mandy was a bit shaken but at least added another item to her "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" list.

That night the Captain tried to get us out to the reef again. After some bouncing and banging we again awoke to calm seas - and a large island out of the window. Apparently having got half way to the GBR we had turned back when one girl had got seriously seasick (found naked in the toilets - not able to stand - completely lost the plot). However, as the winds picked up to 30 knots plus that day and about half the boat was seasick (not us though), we were actually relieved not to be out on the reef.

The day after returning to shore we started our Rescue Diver course. This gives the instructors the opprtunity to have lots of fun acting at being panicked/distressed/stupid and doing their best to drown the candidates - excellent!

We then had another attempt at getting out to the reef on Oceania. High winds the first day meant that we were yet again diving off the Islands. As one of the dives was a 'missing diver' exercise, involving searching for a weight belt, in 1m viz, and silt, the instructors were lucky to get their gear back. Finally on the second day we made it out to the reef and had a couple of days OKish diving.

It was a really good bunch of people on this trip, so the drinks on shore the night we returned got really quite messy. And the best part was that we were back in the classroom at 8am the next day to complete our first aid course. Surprised the resuscitation dummies didn't get up and walk out when we breathed on them.....

And so we shot on up the coast via Townsville (good fish and chips, otherwise a bit of a dump) and Cairns (Mandy thought unrecognisable from when she was there 12 years ago) to Port Douglas. PD is mor upmarket than Cairns and whilst its not as cool as Byron Bay still has a bit of character. We did some beach and drove up to the rainforrest at Cape Tribulation - as far as you can go up the east coast without a serious 4WD. The best part was getting to play with Nellie the fruit bat in the Bathouse - although Mandy was not pleased to find Nick trying to book her in for a week.

Then it was time to head back to Cairns to give the GBR one last go. Having been quite disappointed in the diving from Airlie Beach we decided to go all out on this trip and booked on a Mike Ball Expedition to the 'world famous' Cod Hole. Although twice as expensive, the money was well spent as this trip was in a different league. Nice boat, great food, loads of polite and helpful staff who all knew what they were supposed to be doing, etc etc.

We took a low level flight up to Lizard Island (north of Cooktown), then met the boat and headed straight out to the Cod Hole - to dive and watch huge (1-2m) cod swim around whilst being fed by the dive coordinator. To be honest neither of us were ecstatic about the fish feeding - it is a beautiful dive site in its own right and we could do without the 'manipulation' of the fishes behaviour. But we now definitely both believe in (big) cod. The fish at this place are very used to divers which does have the advantage that we were able to get the closest we have ever been to some Reef Sharks, which are usually quite shy creatures.

We then went on to dive some more stunning sites over the next three days, including Steve's Bommie and Pixie's Pinnacle. Loads of fish, a few sharks and lots of interesting other stuff, all carefully highlighted by the staff. At the end of the trip they showed a promotional DVD for the trips they run into PNG - Nick was gutted that our Australian visas are only single entry (though the other kind of Visa was much relieved!)

All in all a stunning (though pricey) trip - you get what you pay for I guess. The only downer was the weather - winds up to 40 knots and 2-2.5m seas inside the reef. Not too bad when we were moored just behind the reef for diving, but some real rock and roll whenever the boat was moved, particularly the 12 hour run back to Cairns through some open water.

Well thats just about it from Far North Queensland. With the weather very mixed (and the bank balances hammered) don't think we will do any more diving but start to head inland - time for some serious kms, serious dust and extremely serious flies.

We haven't developed all our pictures yet but hope to do so when we get to Darwin in a couple of weeks time - watch this space.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1050315780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1050315780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1050315780/tpod.html Mon, 14 Apr 2003 21:31:23 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland Coast, Australia

And onwards, ever onwards to Victoria. To be honest the next few weeks were very pleasant but still sadly lacking in near death experiences (and as for cultural interaction, remember this is Australia......). So enjoy the edited highlights.

Great Ocean Road: whilst the coast is stunning (though inevitably not living up to the ridiculous hype) the little towns along the way all pretty drab - even though some of these are the latest 'hot' property spots for Melbournians!

Melbourne: errr - well it's better looking than Sydney. Here we really started to notice the great Australian work ethic (GAWE) in play - city centre stores closing at midday on Saturday, and as for Sunday opening.......

GP: Mandy most happy (huge understatement) to pick up the Grand Prix tickets at Poste Restante. We duly attanded pre-qualifying, qualifying and the race. However our weather karma was still operating - torrential rain before the race was the first time it had rained at the Melbourne GP. Also the last time Nick went to a GP, Schuey crashed and broke his leg. This time despite starting on pole he had a mare - is there a connection? Seriously a great day out - huge thanks to DT for sorting out the tickets and Mandy is really sorry for not displaying more team loyalty, but covering herself in Ferrari merchandising (and what a bargain all that stuff was....not!). Despite her hero not winning, Mandy moved faster than Nick thought possible after the race to get onto the track and to get up close to the pits with all the great unwashed.

Grampians (mountains NW of Melbourne): fab scenery at Halls Gap. Nice campsite with lots of roos and wallabies hopping around. Great bush walks, particularly up to Mt Rosea where we hardly saw another soul all day.

Goldfields wineries: worth a mention as a contrast to Barossa. Lots of 'boutique' or hobby vineyards, with prices to match (AUD45 a bottle at the cellar door - the wine was good, but not that good)

Echuca: charming little town on the Murray river with loads of restaurants - most of which seem permanently booked out for their one sitting of an evening (see GAWE above)

Mansfield: went to go horse trekking in the Victorian high country, however a lot of the operators seem to have closed down due to problems getting liability cover. Watsons Trail Rides gave a very pleasant (if not gripping) ride around their property. Highlight was seeing the hill where they filmed the famous downhill gallop for the 'Man from Snowy River' movie. Mandy was most distressed when she wasn't allowed to repeat the exercise.

Bright: More Victorian high country - stunning views but due to all the bush fire damage the hiking trails up to Mt Kosciusko, Feathertop, etc all closed.

Blue Mountains: after a month in the van we had a couple of days luxury at Echoes boutique hotel in Katoomba in NSW (owned by a bloke from Watford). More great veiws and amazing to think its only an hours train ride from Sydney.

Cessnock Annual Rodeo (where????): pulling up at a campsite near the Hunter Valley, we saw there was a rodeo on at the adjoining showground. Mandy had her Akubra and RM Williams gear on in a flash and was straight down to the rails, tinny in hand. Excellent entertainment with lots of Bronc and Bull riding and barrel racing. Something we haven't seen before was 'junior' bull riding: U13s boys (and girls) riding calves, U16s riding steers. You can just imagine how this would go down in the UK.....

- What did you do in games today Johnny?
- Well they got a baby bull, put some rope against its bllx, then let me ride him until he sent me flying.

Highlight of the show was the bull they called the 'Flying Doctor' - he spins you so fast 'he nearly puts the cowboy in China'. He was one bad assed bull and that cowboy never had a chance of making it to the buzzer....Mandy was in ecstacy for the whole show and has now perfected her rodeo show patter (guess that might come in handy if we run out of money in Canada).

Hunter Valley: lots of nice wines and much more commercialised cellar doors than Barossa. As well as the big producers quite a few boutique operations, but with prices to match (see above).


And so to the Beach

Places:

We hit the coast near Newcastle and headed north into Queensland. A lot of the development we saw along the coast was unpleasant to hideous, generally getting worse as we got closer to the Gold Coast. It's made worse by the fact its all squeezed along the main highway - its hard to be attractive when there is a motorway running through the centre of town. However go a few kms inland and everything improves dramatically. Despite the developments, the beaches themselves were fantatstic - clean sand and lovely blue water. Most of the places we stayed on the way up were fairly unremarkable, however the following are worth a mention.

Emerald Beach (NSW): great little surf beach and campsite north of Coffs Harbour.

Byron Bay (NSW): lovely little town, great bars, restaurants, beach, etc etc. Really nice vibe. This is probably THE BEST PLACE WE HAVE STAYED IN AUSTRALIA. We spent three days just chillin - excellent.

Brisbane: we had to spend a day whilst a problem with the camper was getting fixed. Very pleasant small city - not a bad lifestyle destination.

Noosa: Great restaurants, nice beach but v v v expensive (if you are a poor Noosa surf bum you drive a Boxter rather than a 911).

Hervey Bay: jumping off point for Fraser Island. Despite getting dissed by LP, not a bad place. And great colonies of bats mustering at sunset.....

Tin Can Bay: crumby campsite but you do get to feed a wild dolphin if you get up early enough - needless to say with Mandy's enthusiasm for anything cute and cuddly (apart from her husband) a lie-in was not an option that day.

Fraser Island: cheesy, but it had to be done. This is a huge sand island, formed from the eroded sandstone mountains of the Great Dividing Range. We had the option of self drive - but as this would involve sharing a Land Cruiser with four others of totally untested driving abilities, we decided to take the Guided Tour (www.kingfisherbay.com). We had a couple of days in the company of Ranger Mark and a couple of dozen other folks. Definitely a trip where a guide was an advantage - if you didn't know what you were looking at there wasn't really much point in being on the Island. Mark's commentary was excellent, though his taste in music (Cat Stevens, etc) caused howls of protest from some of the children on the bus. Highlight was seeing a lot of pure bred dingos in the wild - isolation has prevented domestic dogs corrupting the bloodlines.

Finally seeing some of the driving from the hire 4WDs made us really happy to have chosen the guided option. Fraser Island was OK (ish) - but definitely a once only experience - unless of course you have a serious sand fetish.


Activities:

As you can tell, apart from a bit of beach, not a huge amount on the activity stakes.

We did rouse ourselves to spend a day on a sea kayaking course run by Splash Safaris (www.seakayakingtours.com). An excellent day where we learnt how to do rescues, different paddling strokes, how to enter/exit surf, wave broaching, etc. Only disappointment was that despite a couple of hours practising (and a load of bruises) we didn't quite get the eskimo rolls perfected. Great fun and brilliant value at AUD125 each.

Steve Irwins Zoo (the croc wrestling nut). Nick HATES zoos, but this place was OK - very clean and beautifully laid out. As well as the crocs, there were alligators, otters, lots of really dangerous snakes, some really big pythons (nothing Mandy's not used to then), dingos, etc. Unlike most zoos the animals were all in beautiful condition - even the camels. Still not sure about the whole zoo concept, but following the "conservation and education" argument, this place is definitely several leagues ahead of somewhere like London Zoo in providing an acceptable environment. And at the end of the day, I only ever want to be that close to a 5m croc if there are a couple of rows of steel railings between us!

We also stayed at Myella Farm (www.users.bigpond.com/myella/) - a very well organised Farmstay where you get the chance to get really involved with the animals (Nick is still distressed that none of them ever write back.....). Whilst the farm isn't large by local standards (only 2500 acres) its really set up for full punter participation. First activity was learning how to ride the trail bikes. Despite many attempts to slope off back to the kitchen, Mandy was first out onto the test track and the first to collect her 'Myella licence' - and soon racing off into the sunset in a cloud of dust. Well chuffed!!.

Each day started with mustering the horses on trail bikes, feeding and tacking up the horses then going out on a three to four hour ride over the property. During the rides, as well as a bit of jumping and cantering, we had to muster and count cattle and collect in steers which had strayed into different paddocks. It was great to be able to go cantering across fields and not have to stick to trails or to the horse in front. Mandy was a natural at cattle control - she attributed this to her years at CBHP.

In the afternoons we had lessons in lasooing and how to crack a stock whip - yet more items for the bedroom shopping list. It wasn't all fun - there was also work to be done feeding the calves, collecting eggs, milking cows, etc. However Mandy focussed on feeding the orphaned baby roos and wallabies that the farm takes in (usually 'cos the mother has been hit by a car or truck). I'm not saying she was smitten but she was thoroughly searched when she left to make sure she wasn't trying to take any of the babies with her.

All in all an excellent place to stay - and considering that after the first day it was only AUD70 each per day for three meals, accommodation and half a days great riding, plus motorbikes, etc to play on, astoundingly good value.


Phew..well that's it for now. Sorry for the abscence of near death events, but hopefully now we are up in the land of the really nasty snakes and diving with salties, sharks and stingers things will be a bit more exciting in the next update.....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1048814220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1048814220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1048814220/tpod.html Mon, 14 Apr 2003 20:58:42 -0400 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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South Australia, Australia

After 5 weeks in Oz it's probably time for another update !

It has to be said that Nick was approaching our visit here with some trepidation. A country where "gourmet diner" means "we sell meat pies", where the temperatures had been in the 40's for weeks on end, the landscape ravaged by the worst bushfires in living memory and the beer is weaker than the proverbial was not exactly high on his list of dream destinations. I was somewhat keener but, given my track record, obviously concerned that anything that moves here seems to be intent on killing you (not just the meat pie cooks). My concerns were not helped when I overheard Nick on the phone enquiring about a big increase in my life assurance.

Thus far we have survived without major incident - which I'm afraid doesn't make for the most interesting reading. Nick is always much happier when we have some near death experiences to report, but I personally am happy not to be relating any disasters for a change.

THE WEATHER

Well we didn't need to worry about the heatwave, or the drought that has lasted 18 months ! Within 2 days of our arrival the heavens had opened. In South Australia the average rainfall is 250mm a year, we had 35mm each day for 4 straight days. We are thinking of new careers as "drought busters" as rain seems to be what we do best. Despite the image that most people have of Oz being a land of scorching sun, our lovely tans have faded horribly and we definitely need to score some rays soon to top them back up. Still we can't complain, it sounds like we have missed a truly horrible winter in London.

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT

Bored with cheap motels, we finally opted to rent a campervan for the 4 months we are here. Nick had been agitating strongly for the purchase of a tent - but I think I have made it clear enough that I will NOT be sleeping on the ground with all these deadly creepy crawlies about.

For the first week we had a 4WD truck, and now we are in our trusty "Hitop Van". So far it has worked well - the vehicles have been pretty well brand new and no problems to date (fingers crossed) other than a few leaks during torrential downpours. I had thought that the limited space would be an issue - but actually it's fine which begs the question as to why exactly we needed a 4 bedroom house in London........

We have now done 6,500 kilometers, and we estimate we will probably cover a total 15,000.

SYDNEY

We did the usual tourist scene - Opera house, Bridge, Harbour Tour, Botanic Gardens, Museum of Modern Art, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, and of course some retail therapy.

After 6 months on the road I treated myself to some new underwear (JC you were right - the whites are all grey now). Nick got incredibly excited when he saw the Elle McPherson label and was muttering constantly about "returning them to their rightful owner" until a thick ear returned him back to the real world.

Overall a pleasant stay, but not exceptional. Sydney did not seem to have moved on a lot in the 10 years since I was last here, depsite a booming property market and lots of new developments.

ADELAIDE

A very pleasant city, but not overburdened with attractions. We did find a very good Indian restaurant which cheered Nick up no end.

FLINDERS RANGES

This is the area of South Australia that we had hired the 4WD for, as much of the prettiest scenery can only be seen from dirt roads or tracks that are only driveable wih 4WD. Unfortunately these roads quickly become impassable in the rain even with 4WD..........

After kicking our heels in Wilpena for a couple of days, and observing some of the most damp, bedraggled and miserable roos imaginable, we were starting to question the point of the whole year out thing. However, the sun eventually came out and the roads dried up - things were looking up again.

The Flinders Ranges area is stunning, and we did finally manage to see some exceptionally beautiful countryside - steep sided red stone gorges, amazing rock formations, and virtually no-one else. We also did the "sky trek" a 4WD track across private land that the enterprising station owner will let you drive for AUD 40 - Excellent.

We did one long walk up to St Mary's Peak and back through Wilpena Pound. Unfortunately I managed to lead us off the track on the way back - which could have had quite nasty consequences as we were miles from anywhere, no obvious navigation points, and more than half way through our water. After a panicky 20 minutes or so scouting around we fortunately found the track again and Nick has hardly mentioned it since.

KANGEROO ISLAND

Greatly hyped as one of THE tourist attractions of South Australia - we frankly found KI quite disappointing. To be fair the weather was dreadful, which did not help.

To reach KI it's a 45 minute ferry rise across the amusingly named "Backstairs Passage". This managed to keep Nick sniggering for most of the journey.

On the plus side - the Flinders Chase National Park was delightful, with some striking scenery and lots of roos, wallabies and (my first) koalas. We also saw a platypus and were able to get up close and personal with an echidna (spiny anteater and the only other egg laying mammal (montreme) - one for your next pub quiz Val).

WINE

We had a lovely time in the Barossa Valley, staying at Tanunda (laid back and mellow) and touring the various wineries. Clare Valley was also on our route and had to be done.

Especially notable was the Penfolds winery, where they had made a big effort to be informative, and had some great wines out for tasting. Unfortunately the '98 Grange is not released until 1 April - it's too far to go back now. Wolf Blass was also on the list, as well as many others (but NOT Jacobs Creek).

We purchased quite a lot of "Van Vin" which we have been steadily drinking our way through. First to go was the Tim Adams Shiraz - very spicy and a real bargain at AUD 17 per bottle. Wish we'd bought more.

MAD OZZIES

We have met some great people while we have been here - but probably the ones that made us laugh the most were Stuey, Rodney and Craig. Their status as the drunkest and most incompetent fisherman on the planet was confirmed the evening we found them fishing on a pier. Stuey's line was wrapped round a metal pole, while Rodney had not noticed that his hook was embedded in the back of Craig's head. Craig, who was on his hands and knees trying to pick up the bait he had dropped, had not noticed either.

I initially assumed that Stuey and Rodney were care workers looking after Craig, who appeared incapable of coherent speech, whilst carrying out some eco-crusade to collect all the discarded beer cans on the beach. We soon realised they were all equally incapacitated - and wholly responsible for the small mountain of emty cans (sorry - tinnies). We were incredibly impressed to meet them some 5 hours later in the pub - still standing (just) and drinking for Australia. Needless to say we felt obliged to enter into the spirit, which did not help us to enjoy the ferry crossing to KI the next day.

NEXT - on to Victoria and the big question - would our tickets for the Grand Prix be waiting for us at Poste Restante in Melbourne ??

We will try and do another update soon, and get some photos developed. Nick is quite keen to have something "more interesting" to tell - which doesn't bode well for my peace of mind.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1038990480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1038990480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1038990480/tpod.html Wed, 19 Feb 2003 06:05:44 -0500 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Wanchai, Hong Kong

From Bangkok we flew down to Phuket on the basis that

a) It's the closest resort to the Similan Islands, one of the world's top ten dive spots
b) Flights were cheap so Nick wouldn't end up murdering any Thai bus operators
c) The weather looked good
d) It couldn't be any worse than Koh Samui

Despite low expectations, Phuket was actually fine. It's no desert island paradise but it is not as tatty as Samui, which is in the middle of a painful transition between a backpacker destination and a resort island.

We arrived on the Island for the Loy Kratong festival, where offerings are made to the sea goddess to celebrate the end of the rainy season and apologise for all the crap dumped in the sea throughout the year. So at night the sea is full of candles floating on oversized table decorations and the next day the beaches are covered in half drowned kratongs. How putting more (albeit biodegradable) junk in the sea makes up for all the previous junk wasn't really explained. Also, but predictably given our past luck with the weather in Thailand, the end of the rains was celebrated in the most torrential downpour.

We spent a couple of days on Patong beach (think Ibiza), blissing out on Starbucks and Hagen Daaz. There was one nasty moment when Nick wandered by the Patong Holiday Inn swimming pool, he had NEVER seen so many seriously fat people in one place. I had to physically restrain him from running to a dive shop to buy a spear gun whilst crying "Ishmael, Ishmael, bring me the number six harpoon.". After a few days we moved down the road to the quieter and prettier village of Kata where we secured a lovely bungalow for 500 Baht per day. Kata was hardly touristy at all, apart from the Dinopark where you could play minigolf through plastic dinosaurs and volcanoes and then finish off with a Dinoburger served by a girl in a crimplene leopard print dress.

We did a couple of days diving from Patong just to get back into the swing of it. The water was beautifully warm and the diving generally easy, though our first (ever) wreck dive was a bit interesting as visibility went down to about 5m and swimming in and out of the decks on the sunken car ferry was a bit creepy. However the real reason to come diving in Phuket is the Similan islands, which lie about 100km NW of Phuket. You can dive them as a day trip, but as it is about a six hour round trip we decided to do a three day liveaboard package. Amazingly the weather improved just as we set off.

The diving was excellent, if a little challenging at times. The Similan Islands are covered in huge boulders, much as I imagine Easter Island must look. Underwater this jumble of rocks results in some really quite interesting currents. On one early morning dive we were taken down from 25 meters to 40 meters by the current almost without noticing - rock and roll!(for non-divers - that 15m is a BIG difference)

We had read that in Thailand there are many of the very aggressive Titan Trigger fish. Although not a large fish, with a bite strong enough to allow them to chomp on coral these babies have the potential to really do some damage. I was quite calm about it all, believing that I had never seen one of them, until someone kindly identified one for me and I realised they were in fact everywhere. This, combined with the presence of highly venomous (dead in about five seconds) three metre long sea snakes, meant that I spent the next two days looking over my shoulder and trying hard not to do anything that would require another Loy Kratong candle.

As always we had an interesting cast of characters. Most of the entertainment was provided by the three "Lads" on board - two Danes, Bo and Torben, and an American called Mike. Their divemaster was a very attractive Japanese girl called Yoko. The boys were as mesmerised as I was by the fact that she was wearing an obviously padded bikini top that gave her a really quite startling figure. Nick of course claimed not to notice. Torben soon emerged as the main suitor and thought he was doing really well until he discovered that the phone number that she had given him was for her home in Tokyo.

Apart from eavesdropping on Torben's super smooth chat up lines, entertainment also came from watching the lads filming themselves jumping from the highest point on the boat (really quite high) and listening to their plans for "project castaway". Having watched one too many episodes of "Survivor" the lads had hatched a plan to be left alone on a desert island for three days, paying the boat captain with half of a 500 baht note, the other half to be paid when they were picked up. There were varying schools of thought on the rules of engagement. Mike wanted to be thrown off the boat half a mile from shore, buck naked and with no supplies. Torben wanted to take emergency supplies of food and water. He also wanted to take Yoko - possibly so that they could make an escape raft from her bikini top if the boat didn't come back. Bo wanted to take his laptop, MP3 player and several other luxuries including a bottle of bleach in case his roots needed touching up. I personally advocated an exercise dedicated to Tom Hanks in the film Castaway in which they could only have or do things that were in the film, they would take a "Wilson", a pair of ice skates, assorted UPS brown parcels, and there would be at least one dental extraction. When we last saw the boys on dry land they were heading off to the supermarket to buy some cans of tuna, with a boat pick-up time of 8.00 am the next day. Mike - if you are reading this then you obviously survived!

After a great three days on the boat, and a couple more days on the beach, we headed back to Bangkok, then off to Hong Kong. Those nice people at Cathay Pacific obviously recognise quality when they see it and immediately offered me an upgrade to Business Class. Nick, travelling on an airmiles ticket, was clearly a second class citizen and I had to beg before they would upgrade him too. Even then, he was pointedly ignored on the plane, whereas I was the pleased recipient of much major sucking up - so thanks CSFB for the privileges associated with my former status.

As we have now come to expect wherever we go, it was grey and rainy when we arrived in Hong Kong. We therefore devoted some serious Internet time to getting our pictures on the web - hope you all enjoyed them. When the sun finally came out we did the usual tourist stuff ; tram up Victoria Peak, Star Ferry to Kowloon, trip to the outlying islands etc.

Although not somewhere that either we or our wallets will feel the need to go back to in a hurry, Hong Kong certainly makes an impression. There is more serious, high end retail per square meter than any place I have ever been to and the highlight was definitely sipping cocktails in the Peninsula (could be what broke the bank) whilst looking over the water to the best Christmas light show ever.

Four days was over all too soon and so we packed our bags again for the flight to New Zealand. Nick spent some time pressing his best pair of shorts before we left, desperately hoping that if he looked smart enough he might get upgraded again.....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1032259440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1032259440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1032259440/tpod.html Wed, 19 Feb 2003 06:00:50 -0500 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Koh Samui, Thailand

The trip to Bangkok was long but uneventful. We had to travel out on different planes due to the restrictions on the airmiles ticket but, contrary to expectations, both planes were on time and we met up exactly as planned. After stopping to leave a ton of stuff at left luggage (Nick had to leave 7 of his larger LV bags) we headed into town. After several days in Bangkok we were still struggling to come to terms with the filth, degradation and squalor but I guess we will eventually get used to flying economy class.

We stayed at the Royal Hotel, just round the corner from the Khoa San Rd (backpacker central) and very conveniently located for the Royal Palace etc. At USD 24 per night we certainly got what we paid for. It has not improved much in the 10 years since I last stayed there. Nick maintained a dignified silence but was clearly in deep shock.

The first night we had dinner and drinks in a variety of cheap establishments (there is no other kind) in the Khoa San Road. I went to the loo in one bar only to return to my seat and find Nick puffed up with pride that he managed to 'ppull a pretty young Thai thing in the 2 minutes that I had been away. Only after I had pointed out to him that he had not yet ascertained either the gender or the price did it dawn on him how perilously close he had to come to entering into a commercial transaction with a 'LladyBoy. This seemed to curb his amorous inclinations somewhat and we headed back to the hotel for an early night.

The next couple of days were filled with seeing the main attractions - the Royal Palace (Emerald Bhudda)and several of the bigger temples. Wat Pho (Reclining Bhudda) is famous for it's's Thai massage school and so we both indulged in a massage session (all very kosher and no extras available JC - unfortunately the special JJ Indian Garden(er)massage was not on offer either). We also did a boat tour of the canals which ended at the Royal Barge museum - however we spent too long there and got caught on the open river in a tropical rain storm. That has to be the wettest I have ever been in my life without actually being in the water . This was however to become something of a theme for the next few days.

The Thais appear to be a nation of constant snackers. Everywhere you look there is food being cooked and consumed and little food vendors wandering round with their buckets of hot coals. The food is all delicious and not that much different from what we eat at home all the time. Nick's notorious guts have held out so far but only because his stomach hasn't't noticed that we are not at home any more (this may all change in Kathmandu).

For our last night in Bangkok we were of course obliged to visit PatPong Road. After much brave talk about the clubs we planned to visit we finally settled for a very tame bar - no girlies or LadyBoys - and were entertained by the Thai version of Frank Sinatra (Move over Chinese Elvis you've got BIG competition - CSD finance team please let me know if you want to book him for your Xmas party). As soon as we were safely in our Tuk Tuk back to the hotel Nick of course started giving it large about the pingpong shows he had wanted to see - typical male all talk and hot air.

From Bangkok we traveled overnight by train to the town of Krabi and then on to Ao Nang, a little beach resort on the Andaman (West) Coast. We knew this was the rainy season, and also that Ao Nang was in the process of moving up market but nothing had prepared us for a building site with rivers of mud pouring down the so say High St when we arrived in the middle of yet another tropical storm. There was a stunned silence in the minibus as 6 poor westerners sat peering through the rain and wondering what the hell they were doing here. At least we had booked somewhere reasonably nice (clean and dry inside !).

The next morning we were up and out at 8 to go rock climbing at nearby Railay beach. It only rained once during the boat trip there so we were quite encouraged. Although Nick climbed quite a bit in his youth this was a first experience for me (possibly a last one as well since I did not exactly resemble a mountain goat !) We spent the morning climbing different routes all of which I am assured were really quite steep for a beginner. Nick wanted to take some photos of me but kept muttering about the fact that he did not have a flash and some unexpected total eclipse of the sun (this may have been a comment on the view from below as my poor instructor struggled to drag me up the cliff).

We also went elephant trekking. When I have done this in the past it has been a pretty tame experience - however trekking in the wet season up and down a path that has been chewed up by elephants feet is somewhat different. The elephants were sliding all over the place and all I could hope was that Nick's beast would go down first and give me a decent excuse for getting off. Nick had the camera and was enjoying my discomfort hugely, altho hopefully I managed to grin like an idiot every time he had me in the lens. The tropical storm that broke just after we dismounted was enough to finally convince us that the weather was not actually going to improve and so we went back to Ao Nang and bought tickets to take us to Koh Samui (an island on the East coast). The perceived widom being that if it is wet on the East coast it will be dry on the West and vice versa.

The tickets cost GBP 5 each and boy did we get what we paid for. What should have been a 4 hour journey took 10 hours and we came off the ferry in guess what - another tropical rainstorm. The next day however the sun was shining and it was clear that we had made the right move - though Nick gets a slight maniacal gint in his eye any time that I mention ticket agents now and has decided that we will travel back to Bangkok without their assitance. (I will report later on the sucess or otherwise of this).

After a morning on the beach and a day checking out all the hotels we finally find our ideal place to stay and moved the next day - we are now staying at the absolutely delightful Coral Bay Resort In North Chaweng - GBP 60 a day and utterly lovely and luxurious - I even have a hair dryer.

Saturday night we went to the big Thai Kick boxing show - 8 matches. the lightest category was 68 pounds - the boys were apparently 14 but looked about 8 by western standards. The heavyweights weighed in at 154 pounds and included 2 westerners - an israeli who got soundly beat and an aussie who won on a KO. If funds run short Nick may have to go in training (he would have to drop a few pounds tho) - although I think I might get more for him on PatPong Road.

We hired a car and did a complete tour of the island - including Big Bhudda beach of course. This confirmed that we are staying in the nicest hotel on the best beach on the island. Excellent. As a fitting end to the day we went to the shooting range. I was firing a .22 semi-automatic pistol and managed to score 86/100 - not bad for a first go. Nick had a .44 and didn't actually get into the scoring zone (girls win again). I have a cunning plan to improve his performance though and will be taping pictures of Thai travel agents to the next set of targets.

After a lazy day on the beach today we strolled into town for STARBUCKS - yes after Latte cold turkey for 14 days I have found Starbucks in Thailand and am all latted and muffined out.

Only one more day on the beach (we really are quite brown now) and then we head back to Bangkok for the flight to Kathmandu. Hope the journey North is a bit better than the one getting here.

Lots of love etc. to everyone. We will try and get some pictures scanned in for the next update. Please email us from time to time and let us have some news of civilisation etc.

Cheers

Mandy and Nick
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1045207740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1045207740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mandyandnick/burnt_bridges/1045207740/tpod.html Wed, 19 Feb 2003 05:40:11 -0500 Nick and Mandy chuck in their (allegedly !) secure well paid jobs and go travelling round the world

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Auckland, New Zealand

And then it was time for North Island.....

Fortunately the ferry crossing was a bit smoother this time - or was it just that we were not hung over? After a quick stop in Wellington to say hello to Bex and Si again and grab a curry, we drove up to New Plymouth with a view to climbing Mt Taranaki.....After a couple of days no-go because of cloud we drove over to Taupo to do the Tongariro Crossing.......after cancellation because of high winds we packed up our hiking boots and moved on (Well we were bored with walking anyway...).

We could not pass Rotarua without visiting the geysers, mud pools, and various other examples of thermal activity. Billed as the "Queenstown of the North" there is plenty to do here - but we didn't feel inclined to stick around because:

1. We had done all the activities in Queenstown

2. There is a permanent stench of eggy farts throughout the town (Sharpie - if you ever decide to move here you could stop blaming the dog !)

Up to Auckland for a quick visit to apply for our Oz visas and a couple of days chilling and letching at the multi-million dollar yachts in the harbour for the Americas Cup. Neither of us is particularly into sailing, but some of these boats were GORGEOUS. All absolutely immaculate, and not a gin palace in sight. Also it was cool to check out the sheds for the racing yachts - very similar to the pits at a F1 meet. The GB challenge seemed to be housed in a portacabin (think Minardi), whilst the Oracle team have their own waterfront resaurant complex in addition to their boatsheds (think McLaren on a spending binge).

Flying proud on many of the larger boats was the Swiss flag - I guess UBS senior management think being part of the $100 million investment in Ahlingi is a pretty good deal! Certainly the Americas Cup, and the 'defection' of Russell Coutts to the 'Swiss' team, is the major (only?) news story down here. I guess the longevity of Coutts' infamy will depend on the result. We will not get to see it because the competition starts the day after we leave.

Finally whilst we know nothing about sailing, Mandy did pronounce Alhingi the clear winner in terms of its merchandise - much classier than the TNZ goodies. Also Alhingi had a really fun interactive centre with lots of computer games and hydraulic rigs which simulated things like being a bowman or a grinder on the boat whilst it's racing.

There is a company that runs trips out on a couple of 'old' competition boats and we couldn't resist - so we went sailing on an Americas Cup racing yacht NZL41 - cool eh? Unfortunately it was a bit windy so we couldn't race the two boats (and had to sail with a reefed mainsail), but it was still a brilliant experience. Everyone on the boat got a chance to helm and 'grind' i.e. work the winches on the boat. Mandy keeps threatening to use the commands 'GRIND' and 'HOLD' in the bedroom - she should be so lucky......

After Auckland we wandered up north, going up the spit of land along Ninety Mile Beach until we ran out of land at Cape Reinga. After a couple of days mooching around Doubtless Bay we drifted back to the Bay of Islands and stayed in the small town of Russell for a few days. This is just across the water from Waitangi - where the much discussed treaty with the Moari tribes was signed, an event considered to the the founding of modern New Zealand. We hired a couple of sea kayaks for a morning - these were single seaters and a lot less stable than the boats we had in Abel Tasman. Paddling out of the harbour was fine as there was no wind and the sea was like a mill pond. However on our return three hours later a 30-40kmh wind had got up and things were a lot more interesting. We both made it back without capsizing but each had a few 'magic moments'. The guys renting the kayaks packed up for the day as soon as we were back.

From Russell we travelled back via Auckland - picking up our Aussie visas on the way. The Visa Office is not what you would describe as "welcoming" perhaps due to the combined impact of Bali and a major refugee crisis (The papers hare are full of stories about all the refugees which the Aussies seem to be offloading onto NZ). We had clearly aroused deep suspicions by applying for our visa in NZ rather than in the UK, and the 3 applications in front of ours were refused, so it was with some relief that we finally got our visas.

On to Whakatane (the WH is pronounced F here - work it out). This is the base for trips out to White island "New Zealand's only active marine volcano". The trip was excellent - and well hyped up as we were issued were hard hats and gas masks before setting foot on the island (apparently this is normal and not just cos Nick was on the tour). The volcano was pretty impressive and definitely more interesting than Rotarua... To cap it all the sun was shining and we had huge pods of dolphins swimming alongside the boat both on the way out and on the way back.

That night we went to see the NZ film "Whale Rider" - excellent if a bit of a chick flick - and definitely enhanced by watching as part of a predominantly Maori audience - there are clearly a lot of 'in' jokes and observations in the film. We spent our 1st wedding anniversary on nearby Ohope Beach watching a surfing competition - chilled and blissy. Thanks to all those who sent us good wishes for the day.

Next stop was Hawkes Bay - some of the best weather in New Zealand and not bad wine either. However whilst Napier with its Art Deco architecture was more interesting than many places (Westport for one), its not exactly the most fascinating part of NZ. Having carefully checked the weather forecast we decided it was worth a gamble and trying for the Tongariro crossing once more. So we scooted back to Taupo and booked our bus for 5.40am the following day.

The Crossing is a long but fairly easy days walk over some stunning volcanic scenery - and is often described as the best one day walk in NZ. The early start is designed to avoid the masses which flock to do the walk, particularly at weekends. We had a great day with hardly any cloud in the sky, however our plans to climb Mt Ngauruhoe as a side trip were reconsidered as its basically a big pile of scree, so we climbed the less impressive (but still very nice) Mt Tongariro. The views are absolutely spectacular. We could see across to the snow covered volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki on the East Coast, Mount Edgcumbe on the West Coast, all with the huge volcanic cones of Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu (again snow covered) towering in the foreground. The minerals in the ground produce incredible colours in the Red Crater, The Emerald lakes and the Blue lakes - hopefully some of this will come across in the pictures. Unfortuantely after a great climb up, the descent takes forever, finishing with a particularly tedious slog through a forest. The bus back was filled with the sound of snoring punters.

Apart from the Crossing, Tongariro's other claim to fame is its trout river. Fired with enthusiasm from our fishing trip in Queenstown, Mandy was keen to go fishing again and catch some supper. Nick was not so keen - until he realised that he would get to dress up in rubber again, at which point we hired a guide for a mornings fishing. The Tongariro is a very fast flowing and challenging river, and at this time of year our guide suggested any catch would be as much a matter as luck as skill (who mentioned anything about skill.....).

Anyway after trying a couple of pools Mandy landed a decent sized trout - only to be gutted to be told it was too small and had to be returned. Just when she was reconciled to steak for supper she hooked a 2.5kg brown trout. Bringing the fish in to shore was quite an experience as, unlike the tiddlers we had caught before, this one was strong enough to break the line if given a chance. Suffice it to say that Mandy did an excellent job, and was given a round of applause by the many (obviously very experienced) other anglers - none of whom had caught a thing all morning.

Mandy was ecstatic and couldn't stop grinning. Nick was equally happy, despite not catching anything, as he now has a treasured photo of his beloved (no not himself) in rubber waders. That evening we had the surreal experience of going into a restaurant which cooks BYO trout. For NZD15 your fish is taken away and then presented to you filleted, grilled, with chips, salad and tartare sauce. (Best not to think about the total cost after paying for guiding, licences, etc).

After Taupo we wandered up to the Coromandel Peninsula. Similar to the Bay of Islands only probably a more dramatic scenery. Property (and coffee) prices reflect this area's weekend retreat status for well heeled Aucklanders. After a final couple of days on the lovely beach at Hahei, we drove up to Auckland, ready for our final Dolphin encounter and the flight to Oz.

On arrival in Auckland we were advised that our dolphin trip the next day was cancelled, so we hastily rescheduled it for the following day, our last afternoon in New Zealand. The next day we left the harbour at 1.30 on a boat which is clearly earning its keep since it also doubles as the Louis Vuitton Media Boat, so comfort was not an issue. As we motored into the Hauraki Gulf we were lucky enough to see the tail end of the Millenium Regatta and so were treated to the sight of multiple "Super Yachts" ocean racing - an awesome sight. Sadly the dolphins were not about - but on the plus side we have tickets for another trip next time we are in Auckland. We did however have a lovely afternoon cruise and it certainly felt right to spend our last afternoon here out on the water. Thanks to everyone at CSFB for the lovely gift.

And so it's time to move on to Australia. The two and a half months that we have spent in NZ feels like just the right amount of time. We have had a fabulous trip, seen some amazing things and will certainly treasure our memories of this beautiful country. Memories that we may not yet have shared with you include:

Road Kill - the possum is NZ's biggest pest which is hard to understand when you see how bad they are at crossing the road. There has to be more roadkill per square inch here than anywhere in the world.

Southern Man - there is a distinct NZ male form for the over 50's. Apparently normal from behind, the typical SM has a huge round pot belly hanging over a pair of shorts that are WAY too short for his age.

Blenheim Motors - the town mechanic in Blenheim clearly detests exhaust pipes judging from the load roars emitting from 90% of the cars we saw and heard.

Sammies - NOT Sarnies (that's sandwiches for the non-Brits).

Blunt as a blunt thing TV Advertising - Sun Glass Hut's latest "they don't look like real sunglasses - let's kill him"

And a final word for those not in the know. You may have seen the picture in our "Seedy Dives" update which is apparently of Nick playing tennis sans kit. This picture was actually taken from an article about a male nudist camp that appeared in "Mens Health" magazine. Cox has vehemently denied that he was that man - but I can now reveal that even his own mother thought it was him (and she should know.........)

Haere Ra New Zealand (goodbye in Maori) and

G'Day Bruce...
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