The cricket so far has been good fun, although England managed to drag it painfully out! The Australia vs Ireland match was all over by lunchtime and we didn't manage to use all our drinks tokens - 8 per match each (we tried!!).

The evenings here don't start until 10pm and the music and dancing goes on very loudly until 3am or later!!! Still, with enough rum .....!! Can you see a pattern emerging??

We have one more week in the sun and four more cricket matches to endure - I mean enjoy, that is if England get their act together and the others don't!!

The knee is slowly improving and Jan is managing on one crutch most of the time (although with the rum 2 are necessary!!). Haven't done much sightseeing, just lazing around on the beach or by the pool on the days in between the cricket. We were thinking of doing a tour of the rum factory, but can't find the energy yet!!

It's a hard life!!!!

Barbados - a rum place! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

We then decided to seek a bit more action so moved our base to Downtown Miami and are now staying in the Holiday Inn opposite Bayside. This is a newly redeveloped quayside area, similar to Pier 39 in San Francisco - full of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. We have enjoyed wandering across the road of an evening to view the nightlife - there are free performances of various types of music and a lot of people watching!

We have also ventured further on a couple of trips. We were booked to do an Everglades tour, but when we got on the bus were told this was full and we were booked for the City and Boat tour. We decided to go with the flow and enjoyed a pleasant day seeing the sights of Miami from land and sea. We did eventually get our Everglades trip two days later (Good Friday) which was exellent. Bob even got to wrestle with an alligator (well, sort of!!!).

Its now our last day in Miami so we are doing the domestic bit - washing and ironing clothes ready for Barbados and trying to find an internet cafe which will allow us to download some pictures for you all!

Hopefully we will be able to continue the blog in Barbados, but we are not sure what the internet facilities are like. However, just look at the cricket results and you will know how much we are enjoying ourselves (or not!!). Look out for us on the TV - we are on the grassy area in the Party Stand - Jan is the one with the crutches!!! Bob's sister and brother-in-law are joining us for the cricket and it will be good to have some company!

As you will see we have managed to download some pictures now and have added some more to the previous two blogs. Enjoy!!

Miami moments remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Jan's knee is very slowly improving. It is now all the colours of the rainbow as the bruising is coming out all the way up and down her leg!! Bob is still playing nursemaid, but I think the novelty is beginning to wear off!!

We have so far docked in Costa Maya, Mexico and Grand Cayman, but did not go ashore as it would mean too much hassle with Jan. However, nearly everyone else did which meant the ship was lovely and quiet - no queues for drinks or food and plenty of sunbeds to choose from!

Friday we did venture out as we landed in Jamaica and managed to nab a wheelchair to make life easier. We were greeted by Luciano - a Jamaican taxi driver who had worked in Brixton in the 70's and who wanted to make our visit to Jamaica memorable (at a price!!). He took us to the Coyaba Gardens and then Fern Gully (where Cool Running was filmed and the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team practiced!!). He also took us to Dunns River Falls where you can walk up the falls. Needless to say this was out of the question so we had a look at all the other participants falling and slipping and then headed back to the shopping mall!

Back on board we now have one more day at sea before docking back in Miami on Sunday morning.

We intend to spend the week in Miami before heading off to Barbados and the cricket!!

Cruising the seas remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

However, having travelled for over 4 months without the sniff of a disaster, we were not prepared for what happened next!! Jan managed to throw herself off a kerb and straight onto her left knee. At first we thought it was only a slight graze and bruise and she hobbled back to the hotel to ice it up and rest!! However, as the evening wore on the knee got bigger and bigger until it was the size of a football and excruiciatingly painful!!

At that point Bob decided action was required and called for an ambulance. However, they do it differently in the States and the Fire Rescue Service turned up instead (with three hunky firemen in tow!!) as evidently they deal with the non life-threatening accidents

They were great (says Jan!!) and rushed us off to Doctors Hospital which we later learnt is one of the best orthopaedic hospitals in the US!! They were excellent and x-rays revealed no breaks, but they were worried about the extent of the swelling and internal bleeding and thought that she might have torn a ligament!! Thoughts of the cruise were disappearing rapidly out of the window!!

Jan was admitted overnight and had an MRI the next day which fortunately revealed no problems other than a traumatic haematoma made worse by the fact that we had taken aspirin for the long haul flight!! Everyone at the hospital knew about the cruise and they all worked really hard to make sure we got there!!

Bob had the task of finding somewhere to buy crutches (never knock the NHS!!) on a Saturday afternoon and eventually managed the task and the cruise was back on!!

So, here we now are, two days into the cruise and moored up on the Costa Maya in Mexico. We have decided to stay on board as Jan's knee is still not up to much walking but it has been peaceful as most of the other occupants have disembarked!!

Bob has been taking several photos of the knee for posterity and when we can get internet access to allow us to download them you will be able to see the damage in glorious technicolour!!!

The "Carnival Victory" is wonderful - we have a room with a balcony, the food, 24 hours a day, is superb although not for the waistline!! Bob however has been up to the running track and the gym for a workout! He is also having to run around and play nursemaid (no he is not dressing for the part!!) a task he does with good humour and lots of ice!!! We have (so far) managed to leave the rain behind - the weather has been glorious and we are both working on the suntan!!!

Back on the road again! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Why you may well ask! The main reason is that we were getting so tired of travelling!! Living out of a suitcase and travelling on to a new place each day has taken its toll and both of us are exhausted (in need of a holiday!).

We thought if we carried on round the USA we would not do it justice and so we have headed home for a break of 4-5 weeks after which we can return to the States and pick up our round the world ticket again.

We are staying with Jan's Mum and Dad in Marston as our house is still let out! (We can be contacted on Bob's mobile - 07780 682123 or via email at bgreen@broad.ndo.co.uk).

So, this will be our last blog! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us on our travels. We have been getting over 800 hits on each update which is amazing! Thank you too to all those people who have posted comments - we loved receiving these as it kept a link with all our family and friends back home.

We look forward to seeing you all over the next few weeks and will bore you rigid with our thousands of photos!!

The fat lady has sung! Goodbye and thank you from Bob and Jan XX

Day 117 - the end is nigh!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

The following day we had an early start – 5am to be precise - as we had booked a trip to Yosemite Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a 400 mile round trip from San Francisco. It was well worth the early start. The good weather of the previous day continued and we reached the Park in brilliant sunshine. We had plenty of opportunities to take some stunning photographs of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls, before setting off for a walk in the Valley and a visit to the Park Museum.

However, as we set off back to San Francisco we could see the clouds coming into the Valley and as we climbed the mountains (up to 6000 feet) the snow started to fall!! The higher we got the heavier it got until we rounded a corner and were stopped by a Park Ranger. After a brief chat our driver came back to say we had to put snow chains on the minibus – the snow up ahead had settled and the steep, windy roads were dangerous without chains. Our driver duly fitted the chains and we set off very slowly out of the Park – the chains making it sound and feel as if we were in a tank!!

We eventually made it down the mountainside and out of the Park into torrential rain all the way back to San Francisco, arriving after 8pm. A very long day but one full of spectacular views and very much worth the trip.

There was no respite the following morning as we were up for the first ferry over to Alcatraz (this time at the more civilised time of 9.30am!!). The weather had swung again in our favour with bright sunshine and blue skies once again. Alcatraz was an amazing place and the audio tour with background noises and commentaries from ex guards and prisoners made the place come to life.

Once we were back on the mainland we took an open topped bus tour of San Francisco and then the world famous cable car ride. The streets of San Francisco are just how you imagine them from the many films made here – steep up and downs everywhere you look. The cable cars themselves and how they operate is an incredible feat of engineering – clamping onto and off of a continually moving cable.

By this time we were both exhausted so we headed back to the Motel for a well-earned rest. As the sun was still shining Bob then decided to drive to the Golden Gate Bridge to get some close-up shots. We then caught the bus back to Pier 39 for dinner, stopping to listen to the resident seal colony as it settled down for the night!!

The Streets of San Francisco remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

We then made our way down Santa Monica Boulevard to Venice Beach. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t too good so there weren’t many ‘muscles’ to be seen on Muscle Beach. Bob did try the gym equipment – the rings and beam – but only lasted a few seconds on each!!!

We had a wander along the beachfront watching the entertainers who lined the pavements – from a young lad doing stunts on a bike to a man playing classical music on a piano.

We then headed north through Malibu to Santa Barbara where we spent the night. Unfortunately by the time we got there the Information Centre had closed, but we managed to stop two young lads who pointed us in the right direction of the hotels and motels. Santa Barbara has a distinctly Spanish feel about it (in fact all the coastal towns north of LA are similar) with a lovely beach front and busy main street packed with shops and restaurants.

The next morning we were due to head out to the Scenic Coastal Route towards SF but were warned by the Information Centre that the heavy overnight rain and next band of rain due meant the road could be dangerous with the chance of mudslides!! Reluctantly we therefore decided to stay on Route 101 missing what we had been told was a beautiful scenic road – the weather once again getting the better of us! We ended up in Monterey where a big Pro-Am Golf Tournament was just finishing (AT&T). We managed to get the last available room in the Holiday Inn where we were treated to a Wine and Cheese Reception. All the bars and restaurants were full of spectators from the golf enjoying a last evening of chatter about swings, bogeys and eagles!!!

In the morning we had a drive around, and spotting a crowd on the seafront assumed it was to do with the golf so made our way over to see if we could spot any celebrities. It actually turned out to be a 10k/5k local road race. Luckily for Bob it had just finished – his eyes lit up at the thought of a bit of exercise, but although the mind was probably willing, the body now needs a bit of work!!

We then drove the last stretch up Highway 101 to San Francisco where we have 3 nights booked in the Redwood Inn Motel.

Los Angeles northwards remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Still, we made the most of it and went on a tour of Hollywood, Beverley Hills, Bel Air and Sunset Boulevard (well, it's got to be done hasn't it!!!). Of course we saw all the big houses of the rich and famous and even Simon Cowell driving out in his Bentley!!! We also were taken to a viewpoint to see the famous "Hollywood" sign but as you would expect with our recent luck - it was partially obscured by the haze - a well known problem in LA.

As the title of this blog suggests, we have gone from the sublime New Zealand where everything is unspoilt and old fashioned, to LA - where everything is all glitz and glamour!! We have seen all sorts here - as you can all imagine!! Within 24 hours we have had the red carpet out - no not for us but just across the way from our hotel, at the Mann's Chinese Theatre for the premiere of Music and Lyrics - a new film starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. We actually stood and saw them arrive - albeit at a great distance - not like in the UK at Leicester Square where you get up close to everyone. It seemed just a media exercise as the likes of us were only allowed across the other side of Hollywood Boulevard and four lanes of traffic!!!! Never mind - didn't want to see them anyway!!!

It's all go at the Kodak Theatre next door as they prepare for the Oscars in a few weeks time and down the road preparations are in full swing for the Grammys. Everywhere we go seems to have something happening. We spent today in Downtown LA where it seemed that around every corner there was a camera crew and we saw various TV series being filmed - none that we had heard of though!!! (Bob insisted in asking each one what they were there for!!!)

We managed to find our way round the Metro system and had a good long walk round Downtown LA (unheard of by some who visit LA!!!), saw the newly built (2003) Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels, the famous County Hall and the shortest railway line in the World (apparently!!) called Angel's Flight. (Not like LA to claim to have the smallest of something!!!).

We also went to the Flower Market, the Toy District and the Jewellry District, all preparing for Valentines Day as only the Americans can, but I didn't manage to get Bob to put his hand in his pocket (nothing changes!!!).

A hashing friend of Bob's (Mighty Atom) has recently returned to her home in LA after doing research in Oxford and she gave us a call and some advice on places to go. Hopefully we will meet up with her before we leave California.

We are picking up a car tomorrow and heading to the coast at Venice Beach where Bob is hoping to flex his muscles along with all the other posers!!!!

Groundhog day - from the sublime ....! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

We then went on up the west coast to Helensville and across to Dairy Flat (we love some of the names of their towns!!!) and Albany before ending up in the north shore suburb of Devenport. We had hoped to meet up with some English friends who now live here, but as it was a bank holiday weekend (Waitangi Day) they had gone away for a few days before the children start back at school today.

The evening threatened heavy downpours, so we stayed close to the Motel and ended up in an Irish Bar (called "The Bog"!!!). To keep us entertained we took part in their weekly quiz - giving ourselves the name "The Not So Barmy Army"!!! This went down particularly well as England vs New Zealand was on the TV at the time!! Unfortunately our knowledge of NZ was not too hot, and although we didn't disgrace ourselves, we ended up last!!! However, we did get a certificate for this achievement and a free drink!!

Our abiding memory of New Zealand will be one of a land of contrasts with many amazing geographical phenomena, wonderful wildlife and sealife (apart from penguins!!) and friendly, cheerful people. Unfortunately the weather did not live up to expectations, but it has still not spoilt many wonderful moments we will store in the memory banks and look back on with pleasure.

We are now waiting for our flight to Los Angeles. Hopefully the States holds more spectacular experiences of one sort or another!!!

Farewell to the Kiwis!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

On the way we managed to contact more friends who were in NZ - Dave and Phil Beasley of B-Line fame!!! They happened to be travelling to Palmerston North and we arranged to meet up for a drink. They couldn't understand our bad luck with the weather - they had had sunshine most of the way during the last few weeks and whilst we were with them the sun did manage to shine once more!!

It was good to meet up with them and to hear from Phil, who had been in Sydney at the same time as us. Phil was, as usual, trying to stop Dave doing any wheeling and dealing (a thankless task!!!).

We then carried on northwards to Wanganui, passing through a town called Bulls. Here they had entered into the spirit of fun by naming most of their public buildings with "bull" associations!! Hence there was a pharmacy called "Cure-a-bull", a library called "read-a-bull" and even the police station had joined in with "Const-a-bull"!!!! Great fun!!

Wanganui was a lovely town on the river where we witnessed a regatta with several local rowing teams participating. We also enjoyed our first "stonegrill" meal where we were given hot stones and raw meat and cooked our own dinner!!!

As we set off from Wanganui towards Hamilton it was all blue sky and we admired the wonderful scenery and rolling hills as we headed towards the National Park and Mount Ruapehu.

Unfortunately, as has happened so many times in the last few weeks, the clouds and mist came down along with the rain and our chances of a sighting of this still active volcano were blown apart!!!

When we reached Hamilton we had hoped to visit their wonderful gardens but unfortunately the heavens once again opened, so we spent a quiet evening in watching the cricket (again!!).

Today we have made our final journey northwards to Auckland where we will hopefully be taking in the sights for the next couple of days before flying out to Los Angeles on Wednesday (7th).

Back to the North Island remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

However, once we were on our way, we discovered the sea was really quite calm and although overcast the visibility was good for whale watching and it wasn't raining!!!

Fortunately the trip was successful as we spotted two giant sperm whales on the surface taking in air, spouting water and then diving gracefully back to the depths, with their customary wave of their tails as they disappeared!!

The whales were named by the local guides as Tiaki and Noodle, two almost permanent residents in the depths off Kaikoura. It was a magnificent sight so close in to the shoreline - made possible because of the massive drop in the ocean bed - from a depth of 200m to 1500m in a very short distance where the whales feed on squid (1000 a day!!!), sharks and anything else in its way!!

With a vast abundance of sealife along the Kaikoura coast with seals, dolphins and all manner of birds (probably including penguins but we didn't see any - again!!!) there were trips for everything, but unfortunately at a cost, so we just drove round to the peninsula and saw most of it for free!!!

Having spent the night in Kaikoura we then took in our final views of the South Island as we headed for Picton and the ferry to Wellington, arriving there to find a huge amount of hussle and bustle as an International Rugby 7's Tournament was taking place, much to the excitement of all Kiwis (they don't seem get out much!!!). The only other entertainment we have seen advertised on our travels has been an Evening with Pam Ayres and a Burt Bacharach Concert!!!

So it was farewell to the South Island with its less than favourable weather but wonderful scenery nonetheless!!

We now head back north from Wellington to Auckland over the next few days.

On to whales!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

The nearer we got to Mount Cook, the more our hearts sank as the clouds came down and any glimpse of the sun was overtaken by the rain starting to fall. Undeterred we made the 50k detour to the Mount Cook Reserve at the end of Lake Pukaki. By the time we got there the mountains were well and truly obscured and the temperature had fallen considerably.

We decided to sit it out for a while and went in to the local cafe (where there was a roaring fire!!!) and tucked into a bowl of hot soup!!! The sun tried its best to break through and we eventually got a partial glimpse of about half of the mountain!!!

At this point, Bob lost the plot!!!! I think all this driving round to see potentially beautiful views (according to Bob and Bonnie's photos we had viewed before leaving home) only to be thwarted by the clouds and rain had got to him at last!!! He was a man possessed with a mission to get to the next stopping point as quickly as possible (and the next and the next .....!!!!) and in that day we actually covered 484km!!!! During this time we flashed past Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo , various other lakes and the townships of Fairlie and Geraldine, before he eventually ran out of steam in Ashburton!!!

Ashburton proved to be a lovely place and the motel we stayed in was great!!! The owners, seeing we arrived in a somewhat fraught and tired state, immediately rushed to the Expresso Machine and made us a welcome cup of coffee!! As this was on the East Coast, the sun was actually shining brightly, which helped calm the nerves!!!

The next day we woke up to a beautiful clear sky and sunshine and had a more leisurely drive to Akaroa and then on to Christchurch, where we checked in for two nights. We even had enough time for a trip down the River Avon on a punt and a tram ride around the city. The lady who punted us down the river was Hayley and the name of the punt was Grace - a coincidence as Bob used to work with Hayley at ALT and her sister is Grace!!!

Continuing with our attempts at relaxation, and given that amazingly we had a second day of sunshine, we decided to have a day by the coast and travelled a short distance to the suburb of Sumner. Here we were amazed to see thousands of mussels growing on the rocks all along the beach.

We then travelled northwards to New Brighton and had a walk along its pier, watching the surfers in action and admiring the sand art.

Bob on a mission!!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Over the last few weeks we have been keeping in contact with Mark and Alison Hirst, friends from Headington Road Runners. They have spent the last 4 weeks cycling round the South Island (must be mad!!!) and unfortunately have got very wet on the way!!

We eventually managed to meet up with them in Oamaru, the night before they were leaving NZ to head back home. They managed to book into the same Motel as us, and we spent a lovely evening with them sharing some pizzas and a few glasses of wine (or was it bottles??!!).

In Oamaru there are two different types of penguins - Yellow Eyed and Blue. We decided to try and see the first of these, as they came ashore to their nests. Unfortunately, you are not allowed down onto the beach after 3pm and have to view them from the cliffs some 200 yards away. To cap it all the heavens decided to open again and gale force winds blew!!! Two penguins graciously deigned to come ashore as we stood in the wind and rain - but they were mere dots in the distant mist!!!

The blue penguins were due in after dusk (around about 9.30pm) and with the rain still coming down and the wine taking effect we thought better of venturing out again so carried on with our sociable evening exchanging adventures of the last 4 weeks!!

We saw Mark and Alison off the next morning as they headed to Christchurch and the plane home. We headed inland towards Mount Cook.

Meeting friends - damn the penguins!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

The journey along the banks of the inlet was somewhat precarious with nothing much between us and the water!!! Jan had her buttocks clenched for the whole 28km out to our first port of call, the Taiaroa Royal Albatross Colony. This is the only mainland colony in the world, so reasonably easy to access. We were able to observe these huge (wingspan of 3 metres!!) birds gliding effortlessly around as well as some nesting on the hillside.

We then went to Lanarch Castle - the only castle in New Zealand!! This was another scary journey for Jan, this time up some steep and narrow mountain roads without a crash barrier in sight!!!

The Castle itself was very interesting, giving a good history of life in the early settlement years of the Lanarch family. We really thought we had arrived in Scotland when we were treated to a Scottish Piper at the entrance to the Castle!!!!

Bob then had the bright idea of trying to get down onto a fairly inaccessible beach to see the Yellow Eyed Penguins coming ashore from the day at sea. Having managed to scramble down some very steep sand dunes onto the beach we were confronted by a rather large sea lion. We had been warned they can be aggressive and can run quite fast on land, so decided that discretion was the better part of valour and we would beat a hasty retreat!!!! So, we never got to see the penguins but did get very sandy!!!

We set off early on Sunday morning to view the Moeraki Boulders. We had been told to get there early in order to avoid the crowds and this was good advice. By the time we left there were several coachloads of Chinese and Japanese tourists (just like Oxford) clambering over the stones. These boulders (about 100+) are unusual, as they occur along only a small stretch of the beach and no-one really understands how they have been formed and why this is the only place in the world such things exist.

We have moved on to Oamaru where we hope to be able to get a sighting of both Yellow Eyed and Blue Penguins coming ashore tonight, without coming across any sea lions or sand dunes!!!

Bob and the big birds!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Bob has once again been lucky (what's new I can hear you all say!!!) with a win on the New Zealand Lottery!!! Unfotunately he only got a $19 return for his $10, but still - it's better than we usually do in the UK and we will keep trying for the big one!!!

Once we had reached Dunedin (very Scottish due to it's first settlers) and settled in to our motel we set out for what we were told was one of the highlights of the city - Baldwin Street. This is recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world - and we can vouch for that!!! Bob bravely took his trainers with a view to run up it, but once he saw it, decided that due to his lack of fitness and increasing girth a gentle stroll was more in keeping!!! He managed to get to the top, whilst Jan managed half way!! (Bob is now the proud holder of a certificate authenticating his achievement, and I am sure you will all see it on our return!!!!).

We then went into the city centre to see the historic buildings for which Dunedin is famous - the Railway Station (apparently the most photgraphed building in NZ), Law Courts, Town Hall and St Paul Church. Surprisingly, we have managed to give Speight's Brewery and Cadbury's World tours a miss, at least for today!!!

Are we in Scotland now?? remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

On the way we managed to see the old steam train "The Kingston Flyer" which was just about to set off on its journey. It was great to get a glimpse of such a shimmering piece of machinery in action.

We arrived in Te Anau in time to book a trip to the Glowworm Caves across the other side of Lake Te Anau (the second biggest lake in NZ). Well, talk about the sun shining out of your bum!!!! It certainly does with these creatures - but unfortunately we were not allowed to take our cameras into the caves, so you'll just have to take our word for it!!! They certainly were an interesting phenomenon, living just 200m into the caves in total darkness. They eat and shine for 9 months, only to live 2 days as flies - not much of an existence!!! The light shines out of their rear if they are hungry - and boy were there some empty stomachs there!!!

Today we have been to Milford Sound for the day - with an early start to miss the crowds on the coach tours. Unfortunately the day dawned overcast and drizzling but we had been warned that it rains every other day in Milford Sound - apparently it is one of the wettest places on earth!!!! Undeterred we made the 120km drive, booked the next boat out and off we went. Despite the weather the scenery was magnificent and the waterfalls were in full flow (one of the benefits of the rain!!).

We also went to the Underwater Observatory - a facility that allows you to go underwater and see all the sea creatures in their natural habitat!!! It seemed like we were the captors and they were observing us, rather than the other way round!!!

By the time we did the return journey the sun had come out so the views were great and the whole thing another amazing trip for our memory log!!!

On the journey back we stopped off at the Mirror Lakes where - yes you guessed it - they mirror the surrounding countryside!!! The sun was still shining so again we got some stunning pictures!!!

We will now move across the South Island to the East Coast city of Dunedin for a couple of days and then begin the journey back north.

Lake Te Anau and Milford Sound remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Haast is rather a one horse town, but gave Bob a welcome break from the driving in driving rain!!! We did manage a walk on the beach between showers and then relaxed and did some reading and watched a video.

We were then up early the next day for our journey on to Wanaka. A beautiful town at the southern end of Lake Wanaka. The journey down started in the wet and fog, but thankfully we arrived to find sunshine. We wandered round the town and a small craft market before a visit to Puzzling World where there were several interesting puzzles and optical illusions, as well as a maze. We drove out to a few lookouts around the Lake to at last get a few pictures of the mountain tops!!!

We have now travelled on to Queenstown, an area renowned for the extreme sports and adventures that New Zealand is famous for. I got Bob to pull in as we passed the Kawarau River Bridge to watch the bungy jumping!!! Bob was actually tempted to have a go, but in the end decided the rope may not be up to the job!!!

Queenstown itself is very picturesque with two rivers, the Shotover and Kawarau meandering into Lake Wakatipu on which it is situated. It is surrounded by mountains, in particular "The Remarkables" which are what they say!! The sun has been shining for most of our time here, which has enabled us to get out and about a bit more.

We firstly went up to the top of Deer Park Heights to get some magnificent 360 degree views around Queenstown, and also to enjoy the delights of a whole host of animals roaming wild in the area. These included Highland Cattle, Bison, Llamas, Goats, Deer and Sheep, some of which we (or rather Bob) were able to hand feed. This was also the location for the filming of parts of Lord of the Rings and other films.

Today it has been wall to wall blue sky so we have taken time out to walk around the Queenstown Gardens along the lake side and sat and sunbathed near the marina, with Bob itching to have a go on the NZL14 a yacht which took part in the Americas Cup and which now offers trips around the lake for those with sea legs! Unfortunately this was not possible due to lack of numbers and he didn't fancy a solo trip, even across a smooth lake!!!

We then headed to the hills for a trip skywards on the Queenstown Gondola which again offered some amazing views of the surrounding countryside and for a bit of excitement had a go on the luge track which runs around the top edge of the mountain!!!

Less Haast, more speed!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

To our amazement the guy said "you are on in 5 minutes - the weather above the clouds is wonderful and sunny". So that was it, we grabbed a jacket and we were off with another couple from Holland.

To say it was amazing was yet another understatement. Neither of us had been in a helicopter before so we were not sure what to expect and it was with some trepidation that we leapt on board. The ride itself was really smooth, although the pilot did treat us to a couple of dive bombs just to churn our stomachs a bit. We managed to thread our way up the valley through gaps in the cloud and once we were above this we swooped up and over to the top of the Franz Josef glacier, with our stomachs left somewhere below!!!

Having flown round and given us an explanation of the glacier, we then flew up over several other peaks and down onto Fox glacier where we landed. We were able to get out and play in the snow - being careful not to fall down any large crevasses!!!

We then flew back down along the route of the glacier, banking backwards and forwards along the hillside where there was a small window in the cloud - another amazing experience!!

We were so lucky to be able to do this (surprise surprise I can hear you say) as the next day the clouds had thickened up so much and the torrential rain meant there were no flights.

With no views of the glaciers the next morning and persistent rain we headed off to our next destination of Haast, a journey of 145km. The end of this day signals our half way point on our journey - it's all downhill from here!!!

We have been struggling to decide which of our many photos to put on our blog as we were originally only allocated 25mb of space each month. However, because of the interest of all of you we have now been upgraded to 100mb per month, which means we should be able to post more photos for you to enjoy. (Less for you to have to sit through when we get home!!!!). So thank you all for your continued interest. Please keep the comments coming as we look forward to logging on to see what you are all saying!!!

We wanted the sun and we got snow!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Having picked up our new rental car we took the Queen Charlotte costal route to Nelson. Again, the journey was in sunshine and we were able to stop at various lookouts on the way for more fabulous views!!!

Having travelled through Havelock, the green lipped mussel capital of the world Bob could not resist ordering these for his dinner that evening in Nelson and he wasn't disappointed - they were delicious!!! (Sorry Idris!!!).

Unfortunately, we woke the next day to the same old story - overcast skies and the threat of rain!! Not to be deterred we headed on our planned day to the Abel Tasman Nature Reserve. There we "enjoyed" a white knuckle water taxi ride up the coastline (well Jan had white knuckles and a few bruises - to say it was bumpy was an understatement!!!). The view of the coves, beaches and reserve were not at their best in the overcast skies, but enjoyable nonetheless. We disembarked at Tonga Bay for a 6km walk back along the coastline to Bark Bay for the water taxi return journey. (Had it not been more than 3 hours walk back, Jan would have walked all the way!!!!). Bob was up for a bit of sea kayaking, but unfortunately time ran out (well that's his excuse anyway!!!).

The next day dawned cloudy and dull again as we set off south via Westport, visiting a seal colony at Tarangua Bay on the way and also stopping at Punakaiki to view the "pancake rocks" and blowholes - a magnificent and most unusual sight!

The weather had cheered up by then, so we were able to enjoy a few glimpses of the sun before heading on to our next overnight stop in Greymouth. It lived up to it's name, raining during the night and once again being dull and overcast in the morning.

The next morning a short journey down the road took us to Shantytown which is a restored gold mining town and this proved very interesting, with lots of old relics (no, not Bob!!!), panning for gold and a steam train journey up the valley.

On southwards we hit Hokitika, a beautiful "arty" town with lots of jade and jewellery shops, galleries and the like. We enjoyed a walk along the beach as the sun came out, stopping to admire the driftwood of all shapes and sizes.

Our overnight stop will be Franz Josef where we hope the weather will clear enough for us to enjoy the famous glacier.

South Island Sun - but how long will it last?? remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

The A1 Grand Prix will be here shortly, so preparations were in full swing with chequered flags everywhere. A shame we were moving on and will miss it.

Because of the rain we swiftly moved on to Napier and were fortunate in some ways to get there!!! Bob generally leaves it to the last minute to fill up with petrol (in fact until we are travelling on fresh air usually!!!), but for some reason he decided to turn back to a petrol station we had just passed, even though there was still a quarter of a tank of petrol. Well, it was a good job he did. We travelled on to Napier (some 140km) and did not see another petrol station. As we travelled on we kept saying how lucky we were (no surprise there for those of you who know Bob!!!) as we would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains, pine forests and not a lot else!!!

Napier was lovely, probably partly due to the fact that it didn't rain and we had some patchy sunshine for a while. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in the art deco style during the 1930's and was considered to be one of the most modern cities in the world at that time. It has definitely kept its charm and has not been overdeveloped for the tourist industry.

We spent a lovely evening round on the harbourside where old warehouses have been converted to bars and restaurants.

After Napier we moved further south to Palmerston North (200km), and spent a pleasant afternoon firstly at the Rugby Museum which covered world rugby history with lots of interesting memorabilia and then on to the Victoria Esplanade. This is a lovely area along the banks of the Manamatu River which housed a wonderful rose garden, bird sanctuary, beautiful formal gardens and a steam train. It was a very restful afternoon for us having travelled so far in quite a short space of time and again the weather was kind to us.

We have now completed our travels south down the North Island and have arrived in Wellington. We had a quick tour round to get our bearings as we will be returning to Wellington for a longer stay on our way back north. So tomorrow morning we will be on the ferry for the 3.5 hour trip to the South Island (Picton) and then on for a few days in Nelson.

Escaping the rain southwards!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Onwards to Te Puke for an interesting tour of a Kiwi fruit farm and a sample of the goods!!!

We then decided to carry on down to Rotorua as the rain drew in. Infamous for it's sulphurous smell, it hasn't disappointed, which has been a particular problem for Bob, with his equipment!!!!

The evening was not without incident as close by there was an armed police stand-off, with police cars racing all over the place!!!

Today it has been raining torrentially and continually!!! Visibility has been very poor and our planned day had to be amended. However, we have visited the Buried Village of Te Wairoa which was overcome by a volcano (Mount Tarawera) in June 1886. It was fascinating to walk round and to hear from one of the survivors great grandchildren.

We then went on to Te Puia where there are hot thermal mud springs and active geysers provided a spectacular display, only beaten by Bob who was called up to perform the Haka during a Maori display. (He doesn't change does he!!!) Unfortunately he didn't get a gold medal for his participation, Laurie!!!

We have managed to keep ourselves entertained during a terrible day weatherwise, but have missed out on the gondola ride and luge and various other scenic attractions. With visibility so poor it has also been impossible to get any good pictures, but we live in hope for a better day tomorrow as we head down to Lake Taupo and on to Napier.

On to Rotorua, but it's still raining!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

We have now spent 24 hours in Auckland and it has rained continuously with visibility very poor, so a trip up the Sky Tower was a non-starter! The museum was the only place to go where we wouldn't get wet, so we headed off there, only to find that everyone else had come to the same conclusion!!! Did we say we wouldn't get wet?? The bus driver missed the stop and we got soaked walking across the park to the museum!!!

At least the history of the Maori people made it a worthwhile trip, but unfortunately after working at the OU Museum of Natural History, their displays were no match to those in Oxford.

This is the first time of our 80 days travelling so far that we have had to get the waterproofs out, so I suppose we shouldn't really complain - should we!!!

We have now hired a car and left the city, with the weather clearing slightly as we headed south and round to the Coramandel Peninsula. By the time we had completed the 200km journey the sun was shining brightly and we were able to visit the Hot Water Beach, an interesting volcanic phenomenon where you can dig a hole in the sand and find hot water springs to sit in!!!

We then continued on to our overnight stop of Whitianga where we found a lovely harbour and a large bay with several places for swimming, fishing and boating.

In this short time we have already seen mangnificent views of forests, mountains and coastal regions, which augurs well for the next 4 weeks. We only hope that the predicted rain holds off, or as we move south we keep ahead of it's advance!!!!

New Zealand - or is it England???? remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Yes, we went to days 3 and 4 at the SCG to see the coup de grace applied by the "old men" - the only saving grace was the enthusiasm and noise of the Barmy Army!!!!

In between we have had a good time - going back to Manly for some sunbaking and a trip to the Sydney Showground for some Aussie speedway. A bit different from England but entertaining none the less. Besides the speedway there was a display of vintage racing cars, some amazing motorcycle stunts and monster trucks, together with a fireworks display to rival New Year's Eve!!!!

We have also met up with Peter and Declan (Ardmore House) who looked after us on our first few days in Australia (when we were both somewhat under the weather!!!) and had a lovely meal at a local Italian restaurant called Alfredo's. Peter's stories of his time as an opera singer kept us entertained and they are both very knowledgeable about Australia.

Whitewash!!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

We were really lucky with the weather - it was fine, warm and not too windy when we set off, although the wind and rain did come in as we reached the final descent.

It has left us feeling on top of the world as we now head back to the hotel to pack ready for our trip onwards to New Zealand tomorrow (Monday) morning.

Footnote:

Some things we have found interesting in our time in Australia but have not mentioned before:

Vegemite is definitely no substitute for Marmite!
A lot of brand names taste different here to the UK.
There is no alcohol for sale in supermarkets - you have to go to a "Bottle shop" to buy your beers and wine etc!
Thongs are flip flops (Bob was very disappointed!!!)
The Aussies shorten any word they can.
Customer service is much better than in the UK!
IT DOES RAIN IN AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!!!

On top of the World - Down Under remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Things kicked off the night before, with lots of people camping out on the seafront to get the best position!!!

We had a leisurly start with a trip to the local shops to get provisions for the day (and the champagne of course!!!). We then decided to have a wander down the Cremorne seafront to see how things were going and found several more people had set up camp ready for the evening. As we were wandering along we came across a bench at the top of the wharf which had an excellent view of the Bridge and the Opera House and after sitting there for a while to people watch we decided that this was a good spot for our camp!!! So Bob went back to the hotel to pick up a few bits and pieces and we settled back to enjoy the event. By this time it was midday - so there was still a 12 hour stretch before us!!! Bob went walkabout (well he went on the ferry across to Circular Quay to see what was going on over there) and I sat with a book in the sunshine and enjoyed watching the masses of people and boats jockeying for the best position!!! Apparently Richard Branson was in town with his liner, but he obviously didn't know we were there as we did not get the call!!! Paris Hilton has been in Sydney creating a storm, and Nicole Kidman too, so we have managed to keep out of the limelight!!!

The first real event was at 9pm with the family fireworks from the Botanical Gardens and these were spectacular enough, although surpassed by those at midnight.

There were firework barges positioned all along the river, and when they started we could see five lots of the same fireworks all syncronised, along with the fireworks on the Bridge itself and on skyscrapers in the city.

All in all it was a breathtaking experience. We drank a toast to all our friends and relatives around the World as we saw in the New Year and hope you all have a great 2007!

A New Year's Eve to remember!!! remains copyright of the author bobjanrtw, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs