Dear Blog readers
Hello from Franz Josef. This is just a quickie to say that there are now some more photo's on flickr, some from the end of our time in Oz and then the rest are of the beginning of our time of NZ.
We have had a good 3 days here, just relaxing a bit and watching the rain!! When it hasn't been raining (which hasn't been too bad really!) we have walked by the 2 glaciers in the area-the other one being Fox Glacier. Walking in the dry river bed below the glacier entails scrabbling over rocks, jumping over gushing streams and gasping at lovely waterfall (which after the rain have been plentiful!). It is a beautiful place, with amazing majestic snow capped mountains and lots of rain forest type scenery-big ferns and loads of trees. Its lovely. Today, Linda is off doing a Heli hike on Franz Josef and will fill you all in soon on her expedition.
That's all for now
Love Penny
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Hi folks,
a quick update from Kiwi land. Sorry it's been a few days but we've been largely out of e.mail/phone contact.....that's our excuse and we're sticking to it!
Whale watching in Kaikoura happened early in the morning (a struggle to get up at 6am!), and we were treated to sightings of two sperm whales and some very acrobatic Hector's dolphins (indigenous to NZ and the smallest of their species). They were like Zebedee, jumping out of the water vertically and then back down the way they came, as if on springs......very cute & entertaining.
We the headed north up to Blenheim, staying two nights at the camping ground that rates high in our new competition for "the land that time forgot" - very kitch, 70s style and somewhat ramshackle...... but hey, at least they had power and shower (even if you did have to trade a new 20cent piece for an ancient one in order to operate the 6 minute shower!!).
Blenheim is a major centre for wineries, but we arrived too late in the day on Saturday to join a tour. Being really conscientious good Christians we did the only possible thing - forwent our trip to church in favour of a winery and wine tasting tour!!! We haven't been struck by lightning yet, so maybe God has a sense of humour. Well, Jesus did turn water into wine, so it's obviously important stuff.
We sniffed, swilled and swallowed (no, we didn't spit!) and now we know all there is to know about wine (NOT!). We had a great guide (all to ourselves as nobody else was mad enough to rock up for a 10am tour) and she helped to increase our knowledge a little bit at least.
From there we headed up to Abel Tasman Nat'l Park, the smallest NP in NZ and at the northern end of south island. It really was the back of beyond, the end of the road (literally), no street lights, only one shop, pub closed for winter etc etc... The next day I (linda) got a water taxi (FAB speed boat ride) and went up into the park for a "tramp" as they call it here. The walk was about 12k of up & down forest tracks, including walks along beaches, watching fur seals playing in shallow turquoise waters :-) , being eaten alive by sandflies :-( and generally having a good old route march past waterfalls, over a big rope bridge etc etc. Pen was feeling icky, so stayed behind and rested :-( but is fine now - hurrah!
After our two nights there we started to head down the West coast where the coastline becomes dramatically different - more rugged and windswept, bigger waves, bit more like the North Sea really, but different!!?!
We picked up our first hitchhiker y'day - how exciting! He was a young German guy, and it was quite funny having an extra person strapped in all the way at the back of the van whilst we were all the way up at the front. We almost felt like tour guides looking after our little passenger, but it was a good experience. Hitchhiking's really common in NZ and very safe, don't worry Linda's Mum & Pen's Dad!!
We stayed last night at another "Land that Time forgot" site right by the sea, with the waves almost lapping at our wheels. Lovely but blumming cold during the night.....Linda's just bought a hot water bottle!
We've had absolutely amazing weather since picking up the van - blue skies, sun, calm conditions etc..... it's been fantastic to see the mountain ranges with little tufty clouds swirling around the peaks, some with snow, all vast and large and majestic. We've seen lots of birds of prey, watched seals sunning themselves on the rocks, enjoyed amazing sunsets, beaches and generally having a wonderful time exploring the south island under our steam.
We're now in Greymouth catching up on chores, spending hours on the internet trying to sort our lives out and restocking the fridge. We love having our van, it was a great move on our part. We'd have gone mad spending another 3 1/2 weeks with "Stray"!
Once we leave here, we're heading down to Franz Josef Glacier region, where we'll probably stay 2 or 3 nights. Watch this space to see what we get up to...... but we do hope it'll include a glass of wine whilst we recline in the heated spa at our campsite with the glacial mountains in the background.........hard life, but someone's got to do it!
Anyway, this was going to be a short entry, but leaving it for several days means there's lots to say.
Till next time, blog dudes,
love from Penny & Linda xx
a quick update from Kiwi land. Sorry it's been a few days but we've been largely out of e.mail/phone contact.....that's our excuse and we're sticking to it!
Whale watching in Kaikoura happened early in the morning (a struggle to get up at 6am!), and we were treated to sightings of two sperm whales and some very acrobatic Hector's dolphins (indigenous to NZ and the smallest of their species). They were like Zebedee, jumping out of the water vertically and then back down the way they came, as if on springs......very cute & entertaining.
We the headed north up to Blenheim, staying two nights at the camping ground that rates high in our new competition for "the land that time forgot" - very kitch, 70s style and somewhat ramshackle...... but hey, at least they had power and shower (even if you did have to trade a new 20cent piece for an ancient one in order to operate the 6 minute shower!!).
Blenheim is a major centre for wineries, but we arrived too late in the day on Saturday to join a tour. Being really conscientious good Christians we did the only possible thing - forwent our trip to church in favour of a winery and wine tasting tour!!! We haven't been struck by lightning yet, so maybe God has a sense of humour. Well, Jesus did turn water into wine, so it's obviously important stuff.
We sniffed, swilled and swallowed (no, we didn't spit!) and now we know all there is to know about wine (NOT!). We had a great guide (all to ourselves as nobody else was mad enough to rock up for a 10am tour) and she helped to increase our knowledge a little bit at least.
From there we headed up to Abel Tasman Nat'l Park, the smallest NP in NZ and at the northern end of south island. It really was the back of beyond, the end of the road (literally), no street lights, only one shop, pub closed for winter etc etc... The next day I (linda) got a water taxi (FAB speed boat ride) and went up into the park for a "tramp" as they call it here. The walk was about 12k of up & down forest tracks, including walks along beaches, watching fur seals playing in shallow turquoise waters :-) , being eaten alive by sandflies :-( and generally having a good old route march past waterfalls, over a big rope bridge etc etc. Pen was feeling icky, so stayed behind and rested :-( but is fine now - hurrah!
After our two nights there we started to head down the West coast where the coastline becomes dramatically different - more rugged and windswept, bigger waves, bit more like the North Sea really, but different!!?!
We picked up our first hitchhiker y'day - how exciting! He was a young German guy, and it was quite funny having an extra person strapped in all the way at the back of the van whilst we were all the way up at the front. We almost felt like tour guides looking after our little passenger, but it was a good experience. Hitchhiking's really common in NZ and very safe, don't worry Linda's Mum & Pen's Dad!!
We stayed last night at another "Land that Time forgot" site right by the sea, with the waves almost lapping at our wheels. Lovely but blumming cold during the night.....Linda's just bought a hot water bottle!
We've had absolutely amazing weather since picking up the van - blue skies, sun, calm conditions etc..... it's been fantastic to see the mountain ranges with little tufty clouds swirling around the peaks, some with snow, all vast and large and majestic. We've seen lots of birds of prey, watched seals sunning themselves on the rocks, enjoyed amazing sunsets, beaches and generally having a wonderful time exploring the south island under our steam.
We're now in Greymouth catching up on chores, spending hours on the internet trying to sort our lives out and restocking the fridge. We love having our van, it was a great move on our part. We'd have gone mad spending another 3 1/2 weeks with "Stray"!
Once we leave here, we're heading down to Franz Josef Glacier region, where we'll probably stay 2 or 3 nights. Watch this space to see what we get up to...... but we do hope it'll include a glass of wine whilst we recline in the heated spa at our campsite with the glacial mountains in the background.........hard life, but someone's got to do it!
Anyway, this was going to be a short entry, but leaving it for several days means there's lots to say.
Till next time, blog dudes,
love from Penny & Linda xx
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Hello one and all
Here are my long over due highs and lows from Australia.....
The great barrier reef was so fascinating. A real highlight was getting to grips with snorkeling. I had only done it a couple of times before and not felt very confident at it then. It was great to have the opportunity and the time to do so much snorkeling in such amazing surroundings with so much to see. Its a very relaxing way to see the marine life. Swimming with turtles was lovely, they have this way of making you feel so laid back and relaxed!! The giant clams were also awesome, I felt that they might swallow me up, they were so big!!! The day trip to Lizard Island and sailing in the Whitsundays were also such a treat and I hope will stay with me for a long, long time. Enough about that, I could go on for ages!!
Another highlight was seeing my family in Melbourne. Spending some time with my Auntie and Uncle was great. Camping with my cousins was such fun (even without showers for 3 days!). Sitting out under the night sky, staring at the stars was stunning, the sky seems so much bigger in Australia! We were so well looked after by my family and it was lovely to spend some time with them.
My only low is sight seeing fatigue!! Travelling is such a privilege but at times it is so tiring and like anything at times I feel I just need a small break! It became more heightened in Australia because we have seen so many amazing places and sights but at times its all a bit much!! However, I wouldn't change what I am doing and am really enjoying this opportunity to see the world. It really is an opportunity of a lifetime. Australia is an amazing country with lovely people and so much to see. We really only saw a fraction of the country and there is so much more to see....next time!!!
Well that's my highs and lows of Oz. Thanks for reading.
Love Penny xx
Here are my long over due highs and lows from Australia.....
The great barrier reef was so fascinating. A real highlight was getting to grips with snorkeling. I had only done it a couple of times before and not felt very confident at it then. It was great to have the opportunity and the time to do so much snorkeling in such amazing surroundings with so much to see. Its a very relaxing way to see the marine life. Swimming with turtles was lovely, they have this way of making you feel so laid back and relaxed!! The giant clams were also awesome, I felt that they might swallow me up, they were so big!!! The day trip to Lizard Island and sailing in the Whitsundays were also such a treat and I hope will stay with me for a long, long time. Enough about that, I could go on for ages!!
Another highlight was seeing my family in Melbourne. Spending some time with my Auntie and Uncle was great. Camping with my cousins was such fun (even without showers for 3 days!). Sitting out under the night sky, staring at the stars was stunning, the sky seems so much bigger in Australia! We were so well looked after by my family and it was lovely to spend some time with them.
My only low is sight seeing fatigue!! Travelling is such a privilege but at times it is so tiring and like anything at times I feel I just need a small break! It became more heightened in Australia because we have seen so many amazing places and sights but at times its all a bit much!! However, I wouldn't change what I am doing and am really enjoying this opportunity to see the world. It really is an opportunity of a lifetime. Australia is an amazing country with lovely people and so much to see. We really only saw a fraction of the country and there is so much more to see....next time!!!
Well that's my highs and lows of Oz. Thanks for reading.
Love Penny xx
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Hello blog readers
Sorry its been a while since we last put on a post. The last week has been jam packed as usual with lots of stuff!
We had a really nice time at Jeannette's. We were thoroughly spoilt by lovely home cooked meals and a relaxing time. Thank you so much to Jeannette, xx. Taupo was a nice town on lake Taupo (which is bigger than Singapore-wow!). We went out on the lake, it was supposed to be sailing but there was no wind so we just cruised to see some Mauri carvings and... relaxed. We also went for a walk along the river and paddled in a natural hot pool that fed into the river. The water was hot, just like sitting in a bath. There was an amazing water fall called Huka falls, the water is so blue and the rivers are very clean-lovely.
From Taupo we headed to Tonariro National Park, just for one night. Again amazing scenery, big volcanic mountains (Mount Doom & Mordor from LOTR), lovely waterfalls (Smeagals waterfall from LOTR) and big wide open spaces. We entered into the world of adventure sports and went buggy riding through the hills. It was great fun and very bumpy as we drove over big, uneven tracks. Its a hard life!!!
On Saturday we arrived in Windy Wellington. We said goodbye to our Stray bus here. It definitely improved as the days went on, at least the bus could get up the hills and the drivers were more organised!! It was a great way of meeting some lovely people but frustrating being beholden to their schedule. There is an amazing museum in Wellington called Te Papa where you can get lost for days, its huge and all for free! Its getting wetter as we head south and Wellington's weather was just like being back home. I'm glad we have stocked up on fleeces!!!
Yesterday we arrived in Christchurch which is like being back home, its just like a small University town. It has a lovely cathedral and seems quite pretty. We pick up our camper van tomorrow and then begin travelling under our own steam again.
Loving your work bloggers, great comments, keep it up!!
Bye for now, Penny and Linda
Sorry its been a while since we last put on a post. The last week has been jam packed as usual with lots of stuff!
We had a really nice time at Jeannette's. We were thoroughly spoilt by lovely home cooked meals and a relaxing time. Thank you so much to Jeannette, xx. Taupo was a nice town on lake Taupo (which is bigger than Singapore-wow!). We went out on the lake, it was supposed to be sailing but there was no wind so we just cruised to see some Mauri carvings and... relaxed. We also went for a walk along the river and paddled in a natural hot pool that fed into the river. The water was hot, just like sitting in a bath. There was an amazing water fall called Huka falls, the water is so blue and the rivers are very clean-lovely.
From Taupo we headed to Tonariro National Park, just for one night. Again amazing scenery, big volcanic mountains (Mount Doom & Mordor from LOTR), lovely waterfalls (Smeagals waterfall from LOTR) and big wide open spaces. We entered into the world of adventure sports and went buggy riding through the hills. It was great fun and very bumpy as we drove over big, uneven tracks. Its a hard life!!!
On Saturday we arrived in Windy Wellington. We said goodbye to our Stray bus here. It definitely improved as the days went on, at least the bus could get up the hills and the drivers were more organised!! It was a great way of meeting some lovely people but frustrating being beholden to their schedule. There is an amazing museum in Wellington called Te Papa where you can get lost for days, its huge and all for free! Its getting wetter as we head south and Wellington's weather was just like being back home. I'm glad we have stocked up on fleeces!!!
Yesterday we arrived in Christchurch which is like being back home, its just like a small University town. It has a lovely cathedral and seems quite pretty. We pick up our camper van tomorrow and then begin travelling under our own steam again.
Loving your work bloggers, great comments, keep it up!!
Bye for now, Penny and Linda
Hi all,
I realised I'm well overdue for giving a highlights/low lights report on our time in Oz, so here goes:
Probably the lowest point was having a cough/cold yucky thing that started just as we arrived in Oz and then seemed to drag on for weeks and has only just now really gone - so that's about 6 weeks in total! Also, we had a lot of rain whilst we were up in Cairns, which put a dampener on some things, but hey, that's life. The other low was staying at Base Backpackers on Magnetic island, which was absolutely awful and guaranteed no sleep ;-( However, at least the second night there was lovely, but only because we paid a lot more money for a room at the other end of the site which was quiet, had just us in the room and was overlooking the sea.
My highlights were numerous! Snorkeling on the Barrier Reef in several locations was amazing (especially swimming with turtles). Also, our chartered plane ride to, and day at, Lizard Island was breathtaking and will never be forgotten. Sailing around the Whitsunday Islands on a tall ship, the Derwent Hunter was also incredible. Staying in a beautiful apartment in St Kilda, Melbourne was sheer luxury, and it was fun to meet lots of Penny's rellies, and great to spend Easter weekend camping with some of them in the outback, at lake Mungo National Park. THANK YOU ALL!
It was also great to stay with Gus & Jen in Sydney too, and to walk over the Harbour Bridge, see the Opera House, enjoyed a couple of ferry rides etc. The most awesome part for me was watching the giant stingray in the Aquarium, a most majestic and mysterious creature...... so hard to describe, really, in a way that does it justice, but I was totally mesmerised.
There were probably lots of other things that were amazing too, but these are the things that spring immediately to mind - not a bad list considering! I'd definitely recommend OZ to anyone, and we only got to see a tiny part of it - did you know that it's the side of Europe, or N. Am and a bit of Canada thrown in too? 4 1/2 weeks isn't log when you consider such vastness, so there's plenty of scope for going back and seeing more!
Well, I hope that gives a flavour of some highs and lows in Oz. Let me know your own thoughts, especially if you've been there yourself.
That's all for this post, but there may be one to follow from Pen and then probably a joint one on our travels in NZ so far........ watch this space.
bye for now, and love to you all,
Linda xx
I realised I'm well overdue for giving a highlights/low lights report on our time in Oz, so here goes:
Probably the lowest point was having a cough/cold yucky thing that started just as we arrived in Oz and then seemed to drag on for weeks and has only just now really gone - so that's about 6 weeks in total! Also, we had a lot of rain whilst we were up in Cairns, which put a dampener on some things, but hey, that's life. The other low was staying at Base Backpackers on Magnetic island, which was absolutely awful and guaranteed no sleep ;-( However, at least the second night there was lovely, but only because we paid a lot more money for a room at the other end of the site which was quiet, had just us in the room and was overlooking the sea.
My highlights were numerous! Snorkeling on the Barrier Reef in several locations was amazing (especially swimming with turtles). Also, our chartered plane ride to, and day at, Lizard Island was breathtaking and will never be forgotten. Sailing around the Whitsunday Islands on a tall ship, the Derwent Hunter was also incredible. Staying in a beautiful apartment in St Kilda, Melbourne was sheer luxury, and it was fun to meet lots of Penny's rellies, and great to spend Easter weekend camping with some of them in the outback, at lake Mungo National Park. THANK YOU ALL!
It was also great to stay with Gus & Jen in Sydney too, and to walk over the Harbour Bridge, see the Opera House, enjoyed a couple of ferry rides etc. The most awesome part for me was watching the giant stingray in the Aquarium, a most majestic and mysterious creature...... so hard to describe, really, in a way that does it justice, but I was totally mesmerised.
There were probably lots of other things that were amazing too, but these are the things that spring immediately to mind - not a bad list considering! I'd definitely recommend OZ to anyone, and we only got to see a tiny part of it - did you know that it's the side of Europe, or N. Am and a bit of Canada thrown in too? 4 1/2 weeks isn't log when you consider such vastness, so there's plenty of scope for going back and seeing more!
Well, I hope that gives a flavour of some highs and lows in Oz. Let me know your own thoughts, especially if you've been there yourself.
That's all for this post, but there may be one to follow from Pen and then probably a joint one on our travels in NZ so far........ watch this space.
bye for now, and love to you all,
Linda xx
Monday, April 23, 2007
Hi Bloggets,
Here we are in stinky Rotorua (hot springs & sulphur mainly responsible for the stink.....give or take the odd great unwashed backpacker!). So, here's what we've been up to the last few days.....
We started on Thursday on our "Stray" bus tour of the North Island. Our driver was "Dinnis" (Dennis to you & me), who was very new, rather disorganised, but a nice Mauri guy nonetheless. Our bus could barely get up the hills, and on several occasions we were almost overtaken by middle aged cyclists..... it really was that bad! In fact, on one occasion smoke started coming up through the floor vent at the back of the bus. The diagnosis eventually was that it's OK, the bus isn't on fire....it's probably just exhaust fumes!!!! Oh.....so that's OK then - we won't burn to death, we'll just die of Carbon Monoxide poisoning instead.... "it's all good"! Not quite Moses and the burning bush but more Dennis and the burning bus.....!!
Anyway, our first stop was Hahei Beach - a beautiful beach in the Coromandel Range. We saw lovely stars at night, went for a lovely walk to Cathedral Cove, a very pretty beach with an arch of stone in the middle. The next day was onto Raglan, a surf town on the west coast. It has the best left hand break in the world!! We stayed in a secluded lodge in the hills, very peaceful and laid back. We stayed there two nights so we could change our bus. The buses go most days and so you can choose how long you stay in each stop.
Yesterday we went to Waitomo Caves, a vast area of limestone caves. We went on a sedate cave trip and saw thousands of glow worms as we went through in total darkness on a raft. It looked a lot like the night sky. The guide was really interesting and great at explaining the local scenery and cave system. However, he was a boy racer minibus driver and by the end we both felt the effects of the really winding roads.
Rotorua is interesting, with lots of steaming, bubbling geysers. We went to a traditional Mauri village this morning where there was a Mauri concert complete with a huka. We were given corn on the cob and steamed puddings all cooked in the hot springs.....lovely. This evening we are going to a Polynesian spa to relax and chill out. Tomorrow we head down to Taupo, where we will stay with Jeannette for 3 nights ( a lady that Linda met at church who was visiting Cheltenham).
The scenery is so vast, with rambling hills and mountains. We are told the south island is infinitely more stunning. The north island is so pretty, so I guess we are in for a real treat. There are sheep everywhere, about 40 million in fact (but only 4 million people on these lovely islands).
Thats all for now, 'loving your work, sweet as' (our new expressions from NZ)
love from Penny & Linda
Here we are in stinky Rotorua (hot springs & sulphur mainly responsible for the stink.....give or take the odd great unwashed backpacker!). So, here's what we've been up to the last few days.....
We started on Thursday on our "Stray" bus tour of the North Island. Our driver was "Dinnis" (Dennis to you & me), who was very new, rather disorganised, but a nice Mauri guy nonetheless. Our bus could barely get up the hills, and on several occasions we were almost overtaken by middle aged cyclists..... it really was that bad! In fact, on one occasion smoke started coming up through the floor vent at the back of the bus. The diagnosis eventually was that it's OK, the bus isn't on fire....it's probably just exhaust fumes!!!! Oh.....so that's OK then - we won't burn to death, we'll just die of Carbon Monoxide poisoning instead.... "it's all good"! Not quite Moses and the burning bush but more Dennis and the burning bus.....!!
Anyway, our first stop was Hahei Beach - a beautiful beach in the Coromandel Range. We saw lovely stars at night, went for a lovely walk to Cathedral Cove, a very pretty beach with an arch of stone in the middle. The next day was onto Raglan, a surf town on the west coast. It has the best left hand break in the world!! We stayed in a secluded lodge in the hills, very peaceful and laid back. We stayed there two nights so we could change our bus. The buses go most days and so you can choose how long you stay in each stop.
Yesterday we went to Waitomo Caves, a vast area of limestone caves. We went on a sedate cave trip and saw thousands of glow worms as we went through in total darkness on a raft. It looked a lot like the night sky. The guide was really interesting and great at explaining the local scenery and cave system. However, he was a boy racer minibus driver and by the end we both felt the effects of the really winding roads.
Rotorua is interesting, with lots of steaming, bubbling geysers. We went to a traditional Mauri village this morning where there was a Mauri concert complete with a huka. We were given corn on the cob and steamed puddings all cooked in the hot springs.....lovely. This evening we are going to a Polynesian spa to relax and chill out. Tomorrow we head down to Taupo, where we will stay with Jeannette for 3 nights ( a lady that Linda met at church who was visiting Cheltenham).
The scenery is so vast, with rambling hills and mountains. We are told the south island is infinitely more stunning. The north island is so pretty, so I guess we are in for a real treat. There are sheep everywhere, about 40 million in fact (but only 4 million people on these lovely islands).
Thats all for now, 'loving your work, sweet as' (our new expressions from NZ)
love from Penny & Linda
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Hi all,
sorry it's been a few days since last we blogged - been settling in and sorting out our lives here in Auckland! We're staying with a lovely, lovely friend called Lisa - hubby Ryan away on business at the mo' so we haven't got to see him :-(
So, having virtually bought Auck out of fleeces (and a raincoat each!) we're now ready to depart tomorrow morning on our North Island bus pass with "Stray". We've also booked our campervan for the South Island - a luxury(!) 4 berth so that at least we have our own beds and might then survive 3+ weeks together in a small space!! However, as the weather's definitely getting colder, we probably could have done with the extra body warmth of sharing a bed! Ooh er missus!! ;-) ... praise the Lord for hotwater bottles!
We've just been up the highest sky tower in the southern hemisphere - Kim you'd have loved the glass panels in the floor to look through!! We've been up quite a few of these now, so maybe we'll call it a day on skytowers - although it does help us to orientate ourselves around a city.
The first stop on our Stray pass is "Hot Water Beach", so we're hoping it lives up to its name, given the autumn feel here. Glad to hear you're having an English heatwave - guess we're getting our just desserts having had 10+ weeks of hot weather.
Will keep you posted as/when we next get to a computer - looking forward to discovering NZ at a leisurely pace (with woolly hats, hot water bottles and fleecy PJ's..... the latter of which we've already rushed out & bought....brrrrrrr) ...... it's probably not that cold really, it just feels it to us after all those weeks of sweating & complaining that we're too hot in 35C+...........can't win, eh?
Anyway, time to go book a ferry and a train (it's hard work, this travelling lark).... so til next time, bye for now - can't use G'day cobbers anymore, so need a new catchphrase......answers on a postcard to....................
Byeeeeeeee love from Penny & Linda xx
sorry it's been a few days since last we blogged - been settling in and sorting out our lives here in Auckland! We're staying with a lovely, lovely friend called Lisa - hubby Ryan away on business at the mo' so we haven't got to see him :-(
So, having virtually bought Auck out of fleeces (and a raincoat each!) we're now ready to depart tomorrow morning on our North Island bus pass with "Stray". We've also booked our campervan for the South Island - a luxury(!) 4 berth so that at least we have our own beds and might then survive 3+ weeks together in a small space!! However, as the weather's definitely getting colder, we probably could have done with the extra body warmth of sharing a bed! Ooh er missus!! ;-) ... praise the Lord for hotwater bottles!
We've just been up the highest sky tower in the southern hemisphere - Kim you'd have loved the glass panels in the floor to look through!! We've been up quite a few of these now, so maybe we'll call it a day on skytowers - although it does help us to orientate ourselves around a city.
The first stop on our Stray pass is "Hot Water Beach", so we're hoping it lives up to its name, given the autumn feel here. Glad to hear you're having an English heatwave - guess we're getting our just desserts having had 10+ weeks of hot weather.
Will keep you posted as/when we next get to a computer - looking forward to discovering NZ at a leisurely pace (with woolly hats, hot water bottles and fleecy PJ's..... the latter of which we've already rushed out & bought....brrrrrrr) ...... it's probably not that cold really, it just feels it to us after all those weeks of sweating & complaining that we're too hot in 35C+...........can't win, eh?
Anyway, time to go book a ferry and a train (it's hard work, this travelling lark).... so til next time, bye for now - can't use G'day cobbers anymore, so need a new catchphrase......answers on a postcard to....................
Byeeeeeeee love from Penny & Linda xx
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Hi Bloggers,
well, here we are on our last day in Sydney, and in Oz. We fly out at 7.10am (urgh) arriving in New Zealand at lunch time, ready for our next 6 week leg of the journey.
We've had a great few days in Sydney, and have stayed with a really lovely couple who have made us feel so welcomed and at home - thanks SO MUCH to Gus & Jen. So, what have we done whilst we've been here? We've seen the Opera House, walked over the Harbour Bridge, strolled through the Botanical Gardens, had lunch by the harbour at Circular Quay. One day we headed out to Katoomba to the Blue Mountains, took a trolley trip around the area, walked down to the spectacular Three Sisters rocks, had cups of tea and fancy cakes and almost felt like we were back home for a bit!
We also spent quite a lot of time trying to sort out flights, tours in S America, bus and camper van travel in NZ etc etc etc....we're very thankful for the extensive use of Gus & Jen's broadband... and then went to Manly Beach (where all the locals go to hang out, surf etc...leaving Bondi Beach for the tourists) which was lovely. Today we went over to Darling Harbour and spent an enthralled few hours at the Aquarium.....the largest in the world, and very impressive. Our favourite moments there were watching a giant stingray from a viewing tunnel, which was incredible, and sitting on some steps watching a huge array of fish, including sharks, rays etc swimming around a HUGE tank whilst lovely music played in the background. What a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
So, now we're almost packed and ready to go, so this is just to update you a bit on the last few days. Hopefully we'll both get to post some highlights and low lights of Oz over the next week, but in a nutshell it's been a fantastic, varied and wonderful time.
Hope you're all well, and we look forward to the next blog encounters soon.
G'day cobbers, now over to the Kiwis.....
lots of love, Penny & Linda x ;-)
well, here we are on our last day in Sydney, and in Oz. We fly out at 7.10am (urgh) arriving in New Zealand at lunch time, ready for our next 6 week leg of the journey.
We've had a great few days in Sydney, and have stayed with a really lovely couple who have made us feel so welcomed and at home - thanks SO MUCH to Gus & Jen. So, what have we done whilst we've been here? We've seen the Opera House, walked over the Harbour Bridge, strolled through the Botanical Gardens, had lunch by the harbour at Circular Quay. One day we headed out to Katoomba to the Blue Mountains, took a trolley trip around the area, walked down to the spectacular Three Sisters rocks, had cups of tea and fancy cakes and almost felt like we were back home for a bit!
We also spent quite a lot of time trying to sort out flights, tours in S America, bus and camper van travel in NZ etc etc etc....we're very thankful for the extensive use of Gus & Jen's broadband... and then went to Manly Beach (where all the locals go to hang out, surf etc...leaving Bondi Beach for the tourists) which was lovely. Today we went over to Darling Harbour and spent an enthralled few hours at the Aquarium.....the largest in the world, and very impressive. Our favourite moments there were watching a giant stingray from a viewing tunnel, which was incredible, and sitting on some steps watching a huge array of fish, including sharks, rays etc swimming around a HUGE tank whilst lovely music played in the background. What a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
So, now we're almost packed and ready to go, so this is just to update you a bit on the last few days. Hopefully we'll both get to post some highlights and low lights of Oz over the next week, but in a nutshell it's been a fantastic, varied and wonderful time.
Hope you're all well, and we look forward to the next blog encounters soon.
G'day cobbers, now over to the Kiwis.....
lots of love, Penny & Linda x ;-)
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Hi All
Its been a while and so here is an update on what we have been up to the last few days. We had a good few days in Melbourne last week, taking it easy as we both were feeling a little under the weather. On the Monday we went to my Auntie Marjorie and Uncle Arthur for lunch. It was lovely to catch up with them as I have not seen them for a little while. It was also great to have a home cooked meal! The rest of the time in Melbourne consisted of some sight seeing to the Art Gallery, Cathedrals and the Botanical Gardens as well as spending more time with my family. We spent Maundy Thursday evening at a Passover meal and service at my cousins church. It was great to do this especially as we spent Easter in the out back, far away from a church!!
Last Friday we headed off for a weekend camping in the out back with my cousins and families. We travelled 800km in 2 days (didn't cover that much distance on the map as this place is so huge!). We headed for a place just north of Mildura called Lake Mungo. A bit deceptive as it was not a lake at all, it had dried up about 18000 years ago!! This place has a lot of history as there is evidence of man living here some 60000 years ago. It was such a vast place that shows how big this country is with big sand dunes in one bit and a lunar type landscape in another. The landscape is quite barren in places and very interesting. We also did a fair bit of Kangaroo & Emu spotting and it was good to see them just wandering around in the wild. As well as spotting kangaroos we ate some Skippy steaks-they were quite nice! In the evenings it was lovely to look out at the star filled sky and see so many more stars and galaxies than you would see in the city, truly memorable. It has been great to spend time with my Australian family and meet some new members. Thank you to you all for your kindness, a great time camping and for looking after us .
We returned from the out back on Monday and are now in Sydney having a great time seeing the sights. We'll update you soon.
With love from Penny (& Linda too) xx
Its been a while and so here is an update on what we have been up to the last few days. We had a good few days in Melbourne last week, taking it easy as we both were feeling a little under the weather. On the Monday we went to my Auntie Marjorie and Uncle Arthur for lunch. It was lovely to catch up with them as I have not seen them for a little while. It was also great to have a home cooked meal! The rest of the time in Melbourne consisted of some sight seeing to the Art Gallery, Cathedrals and the Botanical Gardens as well as spending more time with my family. We spent Maundy Thursday evening at a Passover meal and service at my cousins church. It was great to do this especially as we spent Easter in the out back, far away from a church!!
Last Friday we headed off for a weekend camping in the out back with my cousins and families. We travelled 800km in 2 days (didn't cover that much distance on the map as this place is so huge!). We headed for a place just north of Mildura called Lake Mungo. A bit deceptive as it was not a lake at all, it had dried up about 18000 years ago!! This place has a lot of history as there is evidence of man living here some 60000 years ago. It was such a vast place that shows how big this country is with big sand dunes in one bit and a lunar type landscape in another. The landscape is quite barren in places and very interesting. We also did a fair bit of Kangaroo & Emu spotting and it was good to see them just wandering around in the wild. As well as spotting kangaroos we ate some Skippy steaks-they were quite nice! In the evenings it was lovely to look out at the star filled sky and see so many more stars and galaxies than you would see in the city, truly memorable. It has been great to spend time with my Australian family and meet some new members. Thank you to you all for your kindness, a great time camping and for looking after us .
We returned from the out back on Monday and are now in Sydney having a great time seeing the sights. We'll update you soon.
With love from Penny (& Linda too) xx
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Hi Folks,
just a quick one to let you know we're in Melbourne, staying at a FANTASTIC two bed appartment (thanks to Pen's Ozzie family) really near central M'ne, with a health suite etc which is just soooo lovely after backpacker land (especially after our nightmare experience on Magnetic Island). We're thinking of claiming squatters rights........!!
Neither Pen or I feel 100% at the moment, but at least we've chosen a really comfy place to feel a bit icky (colds etc). We're off to a Passover meal on Thurs evening at Alison's church (Penny's cousin) and then off camping into the bush over the weekend - looking forward to it).
Anyway, will write more soon, with some photos onto flickr soon.... we promise!
Bye for now. Love from Linda xx (& Pen too, of course)
just a quick one to let you know we're in Melbourne, staying at a FANTASTIC two bed appartment (thanks to Pen's Ozzie family) really near central M'ne, with a health suite etc which is just soooo lovely after backpacker land (especially after our nightmare experience on Magnetic Island). We're thinking of claiming squatters rights........!!
Neither Pen or I feel 100% at the moment, but at least we've chosen a really comfy place to feel a bit icky (colds etc). We're off to a Passover meal on Thurs evening at Alison's church (Penny's cousin) and then off camping into the bush over the weekend - looking forward to it).
Anyway, will write more soon, with some photos onto flickr soon.... we promise!
Bye for now. Love from Linda xx (& Pen too, of course)
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Gudday Everyone,
We are still here and having a great time. Sorry for not blogging for over a week, especially after giving everyone a hard time for not putting on any comments!! This will be a bit of a long blog as there is soooo much to write about, so sit back, get a cuppa and relax!!
Friday 23rd March
We spent the day on the Great Barrier Reef, sailing out on a catamaran that cost 3 million quid- very nice boat. We went to a place a called Michalmus cay (a small sand bar) where we did some snorkeling. It is like another world under the sea. Beautiful colourful coral, loads of fish and giant clams (as big as a dustbin lid). I did a glass bottom boat tour as well and saw turtles and nemos!! It was quite a windy day so the sea was a bit choppy, this made it difficult at times to swim and we also felt a tad sea sick. They put the sails up on the way home and we had a great sail back to shore, a lovely way to sit back and relax.
Sunday 25th March
What a fantastic day. This was one of those 'once in a lifetime' days and was completely amazing. We set off at 7 ish and went to Cairns Airport where we got on a light aircraft that sat about 10 people. There were 6 of us on the flight and the pilot called Greg. We flew north over the land, where we could see the daintree river, rain forest, waterfalls, oxbow rivers and giant sand dunes. We arrived at a small island called Lizard Island and walked to a secluded, beautiful beach, in Watsons bay. On the way we stopped off at various points to look at things, we ate green ants that tasted like lemon and lime, quite nice really! We got straight in the sea and did a guided snorkel with Greg, again saw amazing things, so many different fish, big bright blue starfish, a shark and many more giant clams. The rest of the day consisted of snorkeling, eating yummy food and relaxing. We flew home over the reef. It was so interesting to see it from the air, where you can see the shapes and beautiful colours of the reef. I've never been on a small plane before and it was so exciting, the pilot dipped the wings so that we got good views of the land below. A day to remember and definitely goes in my top 5 days of my life.
Tuesday 27th - Thursday 29th March
We set sail on a 3 day sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands. We went on a Tall ship called Derwent Hunter and she was a beautiful ship, 60 years old and a part of Australian history. We had a great crew; a skipper, a decki and a cook. There were 18 passengers who were a really nice group of people. During the days we did lots of snorkeling and relaxing. We also did some great sailing which was exhilarating and fun. With the snorkeling we saw different things to the previous time. We swam with turtles which was so relaxing, they are so laid back and graceful. We also saw so many fish. At one point the decki threw fish food on our heads and they swarmed around us which at first was a little unnerving but it was also an amazing experience. At the end of a hard day (!!!) we sat about drinking wine and chatting. On the wedsnesday went to Whitehaven beach which had amazing sand, 98% silica (basically very fine sand), the water was so shallow and lovely to paddle in. Linda and I slept in the galley area so had quite a bit of space but it was still compact! It was a great 3 days and I'm so pleased that we did it. Definitely an experience not to be missed. There was great snorkeling, beautiful sunsets, lovely company, loads of food and sooo relaxing.
We are still here and having a great time. Sorry for not blogging for over a week, especially after giving everyone a hard time for not putting on any comments!! This will be a bit of a long blog as there is soooo much to write about, so sit back, get a cuppa and relax!!
Friday 23rd March
We spent the day on the Great Barrier Reef, sailing out on a catamaran that cost 3 million quid- very nice boat. We went to a place a called Michalmus cay (a small sand bar) where we did some snorkeling. It is like another world under the sea. Beautiful colourful coral, loads of fish and giant clams (as big as a dustbin lid). I did a glass bottom boat tour as well and saw turtles and nemos!! It was quite a windy day so the sea was a bit choppy, this made it difficult at times to swim and we also felt a tad sea sick. They put the sails up on the way home and we had a great sail back to shore, a lovely way to sit back and relax.
Sunday 25th March
What a fantastic day. This was one of those 'once in a lifetime' days and was completely amazing. We set off at 7 ish and went to Cairns Airport where we got on a light aircraft that sat about 10 people. There were 6 of us on the flight and the pilot called Greg. We flew north over the land, where we could see the daintree river, rain forest, waterfalls, oxbow rivers and giant sand dunes. We arrived at a small island called Lizard Island and walked to a secluded, beautiful beach, in Watsons bay. On the way we stopped off at various points to look at things, we ate green ants that tasted like lemon and lime, quite nice really! We got straight in the sea and did a guided snorkel with Greg, again saw amazing things, so many different fish, big bright blue starfish, a shark and many more giant clams. The rest of the day consisted of snorkeling, eating yummy food and relaxing. We flew home over the reef. It was so interesting to see it from the air, where you can see the shapes and beautiful colours of the reef. I've never been on a small plane before and it was so exciting, the pilot dipped the wings so that we got good views of the land below. A day to remember and definitely goes in my top 5 days of my life.
Tuesday 27th - Thursday 29th March
We set sail on a 3 day sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands. We went on a Tall ship called Derwent Hunter and she was a beautiful ship, 60 years old and a part of Australian history. We had a great crew; a skipper, a decki and a cook. There were 18 passengers who were a really nice group of people. During the days we did lots of snorkeling and relaxing. We also did some great sailing which was exhilarating and fun. With the snorkeling we saw different things to the previous time. We swam with turtles which was so relaxing, they are so laid back and graceful. We also saw so many fish. At one point the decki threw fish food on our heads and they swarmed around us which at first was a little unnerving but it was also an amazing experience. At the end of a hard day (!!!) we sat about drinking wine and chatting. On the wedsnesday went to Whitehaven beach which had amazing sand, 98% silica (basically very fine sand), the water was so shallow and lovely to paddle in. Linda and I slept in the galley area so had quite a bit of space but it was still compact! It was a great 3 days and I'm so pleased that we did it. Definitely an experience not to be missed. There was great snorkeling, beautiful sunsets, lovely company, loads of food and sooo relaxing.
We have just spent 2 days on Magnetic Island were we stayed at a party hostel (never again!!), chilled out and visited a koala sanctuary but more of that later.
Thats all for now, love Penny
Hi blog followers,
no, we haven't dropped off the edge of the world, we've just been busy and without access to internet for a while.......there's a lot to say, so we're both doing separate entries, and as I only have 28 mins left on my computer time it'll just be the highlights.
We spent the day on a reef trip from Cairns on a catamaran, sorkelling and being looked after by a great crew. There's no need to dive around there as you see so much anyway - ad as I had/have blocked ears and nose I couldn't have dived anyway. It was a great day, but the one two dasys later was off the scale........
We had an incredible day flying up from Cairns to Lizard Island in a chartered plane, that had just 6 of us and the pilot. The journey was awesome, with the best weather we'd seen in over a week. We saw all sorts of rarely seen sights due to being airborne, and the views of the reefs on the way back was breath taking. Towards the top of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) it was a really quiet National Park island with a small airstrip and a few very unspoilt and lovely beaches. We snorkelled around unspoilt reefs, walked along the sand as we squinted against the glare of the sun off the sand, ate a lovely lunch that had lots of fruit in it and the day went so quickly. Ot wasn't cheap but was a once in a life time experience and one that I'll never forget.....photos to follow when I get more time (when we get to Melbourne in a couple of days).
After Cairns we travelled down to Airlie Beach to head off sailing around the Whitsunday Islands on a tall ship called "Derwent Hunter" a 60 year old timber ship. Don't know the technical terms but it had 4 sails, and the weather allowed us to go for some really long hard sails that apparently were the best sails they'd had in a long time. We had a great crew (only 3 of them) and 18 opf us as guests. I am totally, totally amazed that I didn't feel at all sea sick, even when we sailing hard...... after my horrid dive boat experience in Egypt I was quite worried about it, but all was well - even the second day when most people apparnetly felt ill in the afternoon I was totally well - how amazing - praise God!
We did lots of snorkelling, swam with turtles, saw incredible amounts of fish, superb reefs with amazing drop offs into the abyss. On the first day I snorkell-dived down and picked up a plastic container that was littering the bottom and was given a free glass of wine as a "well-done"..... thanks to my National Geographic dive training - couldn't just leave it there!!
I'm running out of time, but I must tell you about the sand on Tongue Beach, which is on Whitsunday Island, and is the opposite bay to Whitehaven..... these beaches are made up of 98% silica, the purest sand found on a beach anywhere. It was like walking on icing sugar, and the sand never gets hot, even in the midday sun high...it really was paradise island. Penny and I were soooooo pleased that we did it, it was an incredible experience with a great group of people, and I'd recomend it to anyone - again, photos to follow.
Well, we're now at Magnetic Island, just off Townsville. We fly out tomorrow and didn't want to stay in T'ville itself. A girl on our sailing trip recommended XBase as a place to stay, and here we are. The last time I ever take accom'n advice from a 21year old! It's awful. It feel a bit like Butlins, constant pumping music, and whilst at breakfast this morning I reflected that it feels like we're at a giant youth camp, but for the first time have no authority! I so wanted to be on the other side of our 8 bed dorm, telling them to be quiet and go to sleep! The music only ended at 1.30 am and people were drifiting in and out up until 4am, rustling bags, putting the light on and off etc. We both feel like grandmas and are going to try to get moved for tomight to somewhere a bit further away from the bar/disco...... the joys of dorm life.
Anyway, better go before this times out and I lose the entry - if I get time in Melbourne I'll write a bit more about the last few days, but we'll definitely get some photos on Flickr in the next few days....watch this space.
Well cobbers (Kris - it's an Ozzie expression, meaning people, I guess), time to go & try to change our room for tonight - hurrah! Has been an amzing week, and there's more to come with Melbourne, then Sydney, then New Z'd. Bring it on.....
Till next time, and thanks to all of you who let us know you're following us, we really appreciate it.
Lots of love, Linda xxx :-)
no, we haven't dropped off the edge of the world, we've just been busy and without access to internet for a while.......there's a lot to say, so we're both doing separate entries, and as I only have 28 mins left on my computer time it'll just be the highlights.
We spent the day on a reef trip from Cairns on a catamaran, sorkelling and being looked after by a great crew. There's no need to dive around there as you see so much anyway - ad as I had/have blocked ears and nose I couldn't have dived anyway. It was a great day, but the one two dasys later was off the scale........
We had an incredible day flying up from Cairns to Lizard Island in a chartered plane, that had just 6 of us and the pilot. The journey was awesome, with the best weather we'd seen in over a week. We saw all sorts of rarely seen sights due to being airborne, and the views of the reefs on the way back was breath taking. Towards the top of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) it was a really quiet National Park island with a small airstrip and a few very unspoilt and lovely beaches. We snorkelled around unspoilt reefs, walked along the sand as we squinted against the glare of the sun off the sand, ate a lovely lunch that had lots of fruit in it and the day went so quickly. Ot wasn't cheap but was a once in a life time experience and one that I'll never forget.....photos to follow when I get more time (when we get to Melbourne in a couple of days).
After Cairns we travelled down to Airlie Beach to head off sailing around the Whitsunday Islands on a tall ship called "Derwent Hunter" a 60 year old timber ship. Don't know the technical terms but it had 4 sails, and the weather allowed us to go for some really long hard sails that apparently were the best sails they'd had in a long time. We had a great crew (only 3 of them) and 18 opf us as guests. I am totally, totally amazed that I didn't feel at all sea sick, even when we sailing hard...... after my horrid dive boat experience in Egypt I was quite worried about it, but all was well - even the second day when most people apparnetly felt ill in the afternoon I was totally well - how amazing - praise God!
We did lots of snorkelling, swam with turtles, saw incredible amounts of fish, superb reefs with amazing drop offs into the abyss. On the first day I snorkell-dived down and picked up a plastic container that was littering the bottom and was given a free glass of wine as a "well-done"..... thanks to my National Geographic dive training - couldn't just leave it there!!
I'm running out of time, but I must tell you about the sand on Tongue Beach, which is on Whitsunday Island, and is the opposite bay to Whitehaven..... these beaches are made up of 98% silica, the purest sand found on a beach anywhere. It was like walking on icing sugar, and the sand never gets hot, even in the midday sun high...it really was paradise island. Penny and I were soooooo pleased that we did it, it was an incredible experience with a great group of people, and I'd recomend it to anyone - again, photos to follow.
Well, we're now at Magnetic Island, just off Townsville. We fly out tomorrow and didn't want to stay in T'ville itself. A girl on our sailing trip recommended XBase as a place to stay, and here we are. The last time I ever take accom'n advice from a 21year old! It's awful. It feel a bit like Butlins, constant pumping music, and whilst at breakfast this morning I reflected that it feels like we're at a giant youth camp, but for the first time have no authority! I so wanted to be on the other side of our 8 bed dorm, telling them to be quiet and go to sleep! The music only ended at 1.30 am and people were drifiting in and out up until 4am, rustling bags, putting the light on and off etc. We both feel like grandmas and are going to try to get moved for tomight to somewhere a bit further away from the bar/disco...... the joys of dorm life.
Anyway, better go before this times out and I lose the entry - if I get time in Melbourne I'll write a bit more about the last few days, but we'll definitely get some photos on Flickr in the next few days....watch this space.
Well cobbers (Kris - it's an Ozzie expression, meaning people, I guess), time to go & try to change our room for tonight - hurrah! Has been an amzing week, and there's more to come with Melbourne, then Sydney, then New Z'd. Bring it on.....
Till next time, and thanks to all of you who let us know you're following us, we really appreciate it.
Lots of love, Linda xxx :-)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Hi Everyone
Thanks so much for all your comments, they made me chuckle!! We know that you are out there and reading this and its lovely to here from people, sorry if people are having trouble leaving comments. Kim has suggested previewing your comment before posting it, so maybe try that. Thanks Angela for the offer of reserving a bunny for me for Easter, can you post it out to me!!?? Sorry Helen that Malone is no longer, he was a lovely bunny.
I shall go and report to Linda about the comments, she is suffering a bit with a cold and cough, poor thing. Guess what?....its raining again, I know we'll get no sympathy from anyone in Britain!! We have booked a trip out to the Great Barrier reef tomorrow, they assure us it will be better weather out there, so looking forward to that. Went swimming yesterday in the lovely man made outdoor lagoon, very nice.
That's all, we'll keep you posted and THANKS AGAIN for the comments.
Love Penny and Linda too.
Thanks so much for all your comments, they made me chuckle!! We know that you are out there and reading this and its lovely to here from people, sorry if people are having trouble leaving comments. Kim has suggested previewing your comment before posting it, so maybe try that. Thanks Angela for the offer of reserving a bunny for me for Easter, can you post it out to me!!?? Sorry Helen that Malone is no longer, he was a lovely bunny.
I shall go and report to Linda about the comments, she is suffering a bit with a cold and cough, poor thing. Guess what?....its raining again, I know we'll get no sympathy from anyone in Britain!! We have booked a trip out to the Great Barrier reef tomorrow, they assure us it will be better weather out there, so looking forward to that. Went swimming yesterday in the lovely man made outdoor lagoon, very nice.
That's all, we'll keep you posted and THANKS AGAIN for the comments.
Love Penny and Linda too.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Dear Blog followers,
who are you and where are you? Other than a few people we are not getting many comments at the moment. We have no idea who is acually reading our blogs so thought it would be a good idea to ask for your help. When you read this please, please, please leave us comment even if it only says hi or something similar! That way the blog police (a.k.a US!!) will get to know who is reading our blog. We are spending hours in internet cafes writing great literary works on the blogs and we'd love to know you are reading this!! Thank you guys.
So what have we been upto since we last blogged? We have just come back from a couple of days in the rainy rainforest, where it.......rained! But we are British so we cope with the rain very well! And at least it was lovely and warm. We went to the Daintree National Park which is one of the only places where the rainforest meets the beach. We couldn't swim in the sea because of the box jelly fish but instead God provides us with swimming holes. These are fresh water pools along creeks (rivers) and as long as you are enough upstream you are not in danger of being eaten by a croc!
Speaking of those lovely friendly creatures we saw some on a river cruise. Thankfully we were in a boat and they weren't. They were quite hard to find, tending to stay under water or on the banks a little hidden away. But we saw a couple of them thanks to the eagle eyes of our boat guide.
We stayed in a lovely hostel in the rainforest. We were dropped off there along with a guy who was on our bus. As we all lined up at reception the owner produced a key for room 42 for Penny, the same for Linda who then joked "of course he'll not have number 42 will he". But he did much to our surprise and probably his too. It turns out they do mixed dorms over here. Another girl came along later so we had a cosy room for 4. It worked well especially as Olaf (a Norwegian guy) bought a bottle of red wine and shared it with us. We all went out for grub later and had the most amazing Baramundi fish dish.
We did a bit more walking today whilst trying to avoid the HEAVY rain. Thankfully we were not in this area this time last year when a cyclone ripped through and destroyed a lot of stuff.
We will be around Cairns for the next few days and we'll let you know our plans when we do! Don't forget, please leave us a comment.
Have a nice day cobbers, Linda and Penny xxx
who are you and where are you? Other than a few people we are not getting many comments at the moment. We have no idea who is acually reading our blogs so thought it would be a good idea to ask for your help. When you read this please, please, please leave us comment even if it only says hi or something similar! That way the blog police (a.k.a US!!) will get to know who is reading our blog. We are spending hours in internet cafes writing great literary works on the blogs and we'd love to know you are reading this!! Thank you guys.
So what have we been upto since we last blogged? We have just come back from a couple of days in the rainy rainforest, where it.......rained! But we are British so we cope with the rain very well! And at least it was lovely and warm. We went to the Daintree National Park which is one of the only places where the rainforest meets the beach. We couldn't swim in the sea because of the box jelly fish but instead God provides us with swimming holes. These are fresh water pools along creeks (rivers) and as long as you are enough upstream you are not in danger of being eaten by a croc!
Speaking of those lovely friendly creatures we saw some on a river cruise. Thankfully we were in a boat and they weren't. They were quite hard to find, tending to stay under water or on the banks a little hidden away. But we saw a couple of them thanks to the eagle eyes of our boat guide.
We stayed in a lovely hostel in the rainforest. We were dropped off there along with a guy who was on our bus. As we all lined up at reception the owner produced a key for room 42 for Penny, the same for Linda who then joked "of course he'll not have number 42 will he". But he did much to our surprise and probably his too. It turns out they do mixed dorms over here. Another girl came along later so we had a cosy room for 4. It worked well especially as Olaf (a Norwegian guy) bought a bottle of red wine and shared it with us. We all went out for grub later and had the most amazing Baramundi fish dish.
We did a bit more walking today whilst trying to avoid the HEAVY rain. Thankfully we were not in this area this time last year when a cyclone ripped through and destroyed a lot of stuff.
We will be around Cairns for the next few days and we'll let you know our plans when we do! Don't forget, please leave us a comment.
Have a nice day cobbers, Linda and Penny xxx
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Australia so far.....
We arrived here in Cairns on Friday morning and booked into our backpackers hostel. The hostel is great, being well set up for backpackers and with a good atmosphere. It has communal kitchens and living areas, as well a tour operator there that can organise trips etc. They give us a daily meal ticket so we can go to a pub and get a free dinner-great idea! We have a nice room, without an en suite bathroom! Being in Australia we can't afford our own bathroom anymore, but the communal areas are clean and absolutely fine! We seem to be the oldest people there, although we have not done full survey of ages!! We guess most of the people staying there are on their 1st gap year and not a career break like us oldies!!! Mind you we both look in our twenties, we're told!!
A great thing about the hostel is that we can self cater. One of the first things we did was go to Woolworths (which does food here) and buy some grub. We had cheese, ham and tomato sarnies (bliss!) and have also had cereal for brekkie and endless cups of tea!! It is so much easier (and cheaper) self catering and at least this way we won't forget how to cook (or more like make sarnies and pour cereal into a bowl!!).
We haven't got up to much as yet. We've mainly pottered around Cairns and rested. There is no beach in this bit of Cairns-its a bit further out of the city but it has a lovely sea front where people seem to jog, stroll along or just sit and chill out. Linda is really pleased as it is a perfect place for her to go and jog. They also have a lovely lagoon type swimming pool that is free to use and places were people can have barbecues. It definitely encourages the outdoor lifestyle and relaxed living.
We can not swim in the see around here due to the box jelly fish that are rife at this time of year. They do have 'stinger nets' but we are advised not to swim even in those as these cunning jelly fish can get in them!! It has rained quite a bit since we got here, but its not like rain in England. Its so warm here and the rain is usually short lived, so its not a problem!!
We hope to go to church this evening and then tomorrow we go up to Cape Tribulation over night and take in the sights further north.
Well that all for now folks.
Love Linda and Penny xxx
We arrived here in Cairns on Friday morning and booked into our backpackers hostel. The hostel is great, being well set up for backpackers and with a good atmosphere. It has communal kitchens and living areas, as well a tour operator there that can organise trips etc. They give us a daily meal ticket so we can go to a pub and get a free dinner-great idea! We have a nice room, without an en suite bathroom! Being in Australia we can't afford our own bathroom anymore, but the communal areas are clean and absolutely fine! We seem to be the oldest people there, although we have not done full survey of ages!! We guess most of the people staying there are on their 1st gap year and not a career break like us oldies!!! Mind you we both look in our twenties, we're told!!
A great thing about the hostel is that we can self cater. One of the first things we did was go to Woolworths (which does food here) and buy some grub. We had cheese, ham and tomato sarnies (bliss!) and have also had cereal for brekkie and endless cups of tea!! It is so much easier (and cheaper) self catering and at least this way we won't forget how to cook (or more like make sarnies and pour cereal into a bowl!!).
We haven't got up to much as yet. We've mainly pottered around Cairns and rested. There is no beach in this bit of Cairns-its a bit further out of the city but it has a lovely sea front where people seem to jog, stroll along or just sit and chill out. Linda is really pleased as it is a perfect place for her to go and jog. They also have a lovely lagoon type swimming pool that is free to use and places were people can have barbecues. It definitely encourages the outdoor lifestyle and relaxed living.
We can not swim in the see around here due to the box jelly fish that are rife at this time of year. They do have 'stinger nets' but we are advised not to swim even in those as these cunning jelly fish can get in them!! It has rained quite a bit since we got here, but its not like rain in England. Its so warm here and the rain is usually short lived, so its not a problem!!
We hope to go to church this evening and then tomorrow we go up to Cape Tribulation over night and take in the sights further north.
Well that all for now folks.
Love Linda and Penny xxx
Penny's highlights from Malaysia and Singapore
I was surprised how different Malaysia was to Thailand, which is not that surprising as it is another country!! It was certainly more organised and tidy. One of my highlights was the Chinese New Year celebrations which seemed to go on for much of the time we were there. Starting in Penang and finishing in Kuala Lumpur. Spending time in Penang wandering around the celebrations there is something I won't forget and then spending time with Connie and family in Kuala Lumpur and experiencing the new year with a Chinese family was also so memorable. Kuala Lumpur is a great city and (along with Singapore) one that I would happily live in (but I have no plans to do this!!!!) .
Singapore was an interesting city and I felt it would have been good to have explored it more had we had more time there. It was a bit of a shock the difference in money there, with everything being alot more expensive. The Zoo & Night Safari was definitely a highlight for me, a very nice zoo that seemed to really care for their animals in an interesting and fun environment. The elephant show was fab, they were so clever and had a great rapport with their Mahots (trainers).
Probably the low light was the food, with the food being so lovely in Thailand it was a hard act to follow in Malaysia!! I feel I am now relaxing into the backpacker lifestyle although I am missing my luxuries!!
So there are my highs and lows of the last leg of our SE Asia trip.
Pen x
I was surprised how different Malaysia was to Thailand, which is not that surprising as it is another country!! It was certainly more organised and tidy. One of my highlights was the Chinese New Year celebrations which seemed to go on for much of the time we were there. Starting in Penang and finishing in Kuala Lumpur. Spending time in Penang wandering around the celebrations there is something I won't forget and then spending time with Connie and family in Kuala Lumpur and experiencing the new year with a Chinese family was also so memorable. Kuala Lumpur is a great city and (along with Singapore) one that I would happily live in (but I have no plans to do this!!!!) .
Singapore was an interesting city and I felt it would have been good to have explored it more had we had more time there. It was a bit of a shock the difference in money there, with everything being alot more expensive. The Zoo & Night Safari was definitely a highlight for me, a very nice zoo that seemed to really care for their animals in an interesting and fun environment. The elephant show was fab, they were so clever and had a great rapport with their Mahots (trainers).
Probably the low light was the food, with the food being so lovely in Thailand it was a hard act to follow in Malaysia!! I feel I am now relaxing into the backpacker lifestyle although I am missing my luxuries!!
So there are my highs and lows of the last leg of our SE Asia trip.
Pen x
G'day Cobbers,
here we are "down under" and are currently trying to get back into a decent sleep pattern after our travels. Pen's going to post a comment about OZ so far, a nd I thought I'd do a reflction on Malaysia and Singapore.....so here goes...
Many aspects of M felt very similar to Thailand, although more people speak English well in S, being a former colony. This made things less tiring/frustrating/confusing as you can imagine! We also noticed that whilst people in T were very friendly there was often a hidden agenda such as wanting us to buy somthing/go somewhere. In M people were incredibly friendly and helpful and almost always it was simply because they wanted to help rather than gain anything. How lovely!
We were told several times that tourism is generally a lot slower at the moment in M, which is sad for them but good for us, given that we had more choice/cheaper prices etc. We also noticed a change in the weather - M & Singapore were both far more prone to torrential rain and thunderstorms, happening almost daily - usually late afteroon to early evening and lasting up to 4 hours! M is much more organised and orderly than T (those we spoke to attribute it to colonialisation) which made travel etc much more pleasant.
My highlights would have to be Chinese New Year (the celebrations in Penang, in KL with Connie and family), spending time with Penny's lovely Uncle Peter and Aunty Susan, and my two foot massages in a really lovely massage salon. My low light would have to be the lack of exercise! We did no swimming as we weren't near beaches or pools, and I only had one chance to run, whilst in the cooler Cameron Highlands so it was lovely to get to Oz and have a straight, flat boardwalk and esplanade right oiutside our hostel that stretches for at least 2 miles each way - hurrah!
Although we didn't really get to see many islands or beaches in M, I would probably head back to T first given the choice, as there was so much more we wanted to see, the islands were stunning and T is a really good place to move onto into Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar etc. It also seemed easier to eat more healthily in T than M, although it wasn't particularly easy in either country.
So, what of Singapore? There was plenty to see there, but as Penny wasn't well when we arrived (it was just the one day, she's fine now!) and our first night at the hotel was pretty awful, it wasn't the best start to our time there. As in T & M we were never far from Chinese food, as large swathes of each population are of Chinese descent, but there was also so much western choice, but it was often quite disappointing and greasy! It was a wake-up call to the cost of living that we can expect in OZ, as the S prices were a lot higher than in T & M and our budget certainly didn't go as far (although it helped having cheap dinners sometimesn at the Chinese market - equivalent of about a quid each rather than 6 - 10 in a restaurant!)
S is lovely place, very clean, orderly, diverse and I can see why lots of expats would live there. If I had to choose somewhere from our SE Asia travels to work, it would be in S, because it's more like home from home but w th enought diversity and easy transport to allow for other cultural experiences....as long as you were on an expat wage to be able to enjoy it!
My highlights would be our Singapore sling in Raffles (despite the cost), the Asian Civilsations Museum, and also the Battle"Box which was a moving re-enactment experience of the last few days in the underground miltary command bunker during WW2 against the Japanes before having to surrender.
My mixed feeling highlight was S'pore zoo and night safari. The experiences were wonderful - especially the elephant show which had several elephants and handlers having fun and entertaining the masses for an hour or so and it was really lovely to see them at work and play, relating so well to their keepers and vice versa. The night safari was an excellent way to see nocturnal animals which we did partly by tram and partly on foot. The night sounds were also amazing - like being back in the jungle in Thailand......such fond memories.
I've been to very few zoos in my life and don't remember going to any as a child, but I'm sure my Mum could say otherwise(!?). I can only remember ever going to Dudley Zoo once as an adult as I have very mixed feelings about the whole thing. On the one side I know that species are becoming scarce and even extinct due to human and environmental factors, and that zoos can provide means for preservation, propogation, research, education etc and that if they're well planned etc (as S'pore seems to to my untrained eye) then there are many benefits.
However, on the other hand I can't help but wonder about the effects on the animals, particularly not having the freedom to roam/migrate/mate and especially I wonder at the effects of being fed by hand rather than hunting - bigger creatures that are not plant/grub/insect eaters etc, such as lions, tigers and bears (oh my!)........ Of course, in an ideal world there would be no need for zoos, but it makes me sad that often the only way to preserve species is to protect them from humans by putting them in cages in unusual and confined surroundings; cages that ironically also protect the humans from the animals!
OK, that was a bit heavy, but at least I've used my brain for once on these travels - 6 weeks in, and it's in danger of becoming total mush! I've even resumed some Sudoku puzzles because I'm turning into a slob with no independent thought or exercise (OK, slight exaggeration, but travelling is like nothing I've ever done before and it's very easy to lose all sense of routine, healthy lifestyle etc!).
Anyway, I'll attempt to go and put some MORE PHOTOS on Flickr now, so do go and have a look. We're away overnight to Cape Tribulation Tue/Wed and then need to decide how much we can afford to spend on a boat trip with snorkelling/possibly diving on the Great Barrier Reef.....oh, the difficult decisions we have to make!!!
To those of you who've commented or e.mailed and haven't had a reply, please don't think I'm ignoring you, it's just that it actually takes a long time to put these blogs on and keep up with things (not to mention the cost!) so do keep commenting / e.mailing. However, if you ask specific questions I'll do my best to answer, bhonest!
Til next time, g'day from down under - I'll talk about Oz next time. See Penny's post for current details.
lotsa love, Linda x
here we are "down under" and are currently trying to get back into a decent sleep pattern after our travels. Pen's going to post a comment about OZ so far, a nd I thought I'd do a reflction on Malaysia and Singapore.....so here goes...
Many aspects of M felt very similar to Thailand, although more people speak English well in S, being a former colony. This made things less tiring/frustrating/confusing as you can imagine! We also noticed that whilst people in T were very friendly there was often a hidden agenda such as wanting us to buy somthing/go somewhere. In M people were incredibly friendly and helpful and almost always it was simply because they wanted to help rather than gain anything. How lovely!
We were told several times that tourism is generally a lot slower at the moment in M, which is sad for them but good for us, given that we had more choice/cheaper prices etc. We also noticed a change in the weather - M & Singapore were both far more prone to torrential rain and thunderstorms, happening almost daily - usually late afteroon to early evening and lasting up to 4 hours! M is much more organised and orderly than T (those we spoke to attribute it to colonialisation) which made travel etc much more pleasant.
My highlights would have to be Chinese New Year (the celebrations in Penang, in KL with Connie and family), spending time with Penny's lovely Uncle Peter and Aunty Susan, and my two foot massages in a really lovely massage salon. My low light would have to be the lack of exercise! We did no swimming as we weren't near beaches or pools, and I only had one chance to run, whilst in the cooler Cameron Highlands so it was lovely to get to Oz and have a straight, flat boardwalk and esplanade right oiutside our hostel that stretches for at least 2 miles each way - hurrah!
Although we didn't really get to see many islands or beaches in M, I would probably head back to T first given the choice, as there was so much more we wanted to see, the islands were stunning and T is a really good place to move onto into Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar etc. It also seemed easier to eat more healthily in T than M, although it wasn't particularly easy in either country.
So, what of Singapore? There was plenty to see there, but as Penny wasn't well when we arrived (it was just the one day, she's fine now!) and our first night at the hotel was pretty awful, it wasn't the best start to our time there. As in T & M we were never far from Chinese food, as large swathes of each population are of Chinese descent, but there was also so much western choice, but it was often quite disappointing and greasy! It was a wake-up call to the cost of living that we can expect in OZ, as the S prices were a lot higher than in T & M and our budget certainly didn't go as far (although it helped having cheap dinners sometimesn at the Chinese market - equivalent of about a quid each rather than 6 - 10 in a restaurant!)
S is lovely place, very clean, orderly, diverse and I can see why lots of expats would live there. If I had to choose somewhere from our SE Asia travels to work, it would be in S, because it's more like home from home but w th enought diversity and easy transport to allow for other cultural experiences....as long as you were on an expat wage to be able to enjoy it!
My highlights would be our Singapore sling in Raffles (despite the cost), the Asian Civilsations Museum, and also the Battle"Box which was a moving re-enactment experience of the last few days in the underground miltary command bunker during WW2 against the Japanes before having to surrender.
My mixed feeling highlight was S'pore zoo and night safari. The experiences were wonderful - especially the elephant show which had several elephants and handlers having fun and entertaining the masses for an hour or so and it was really lovely to see them at work and play, relating so well to their keepers and vice versa. The night safari was an excellent way to see nocturnal animals which we did partly by tram and partly on foot. The night sounds were also amazing - like being back in the jungle in Thailand......such fond memories.
I've been to very few zoos in my life and don't remember going to any as a child, but I'm sure my Mum could say otherwise(!?). I can only remember ever going to Dudley Zoo once as an adult as I have very mixed feelings about the whole thing. On the one side I know that species are becoming scarce and even extinct due to human and environmental factors, and that zoos can provide means for preservation, propogation, research, education etc and that if they're well planned etc (as S'pore seems to to my untrained eye) then there are many benefits.
However, on the other hand I can't help but wonder about the effects on the animals, particularly not having the freedom to roam/migrate/mate and especially I wonder at the effects of being fed by hand rather than hunting - bigger creatures that are not plant/grub/insect eaters etc, such as lions, tigers and bears (oh my!)........ Of course, in an ideal world there would be no need for zoos, but it makes me sad that often the only way to preserve species is to protect them from humans by putting them in cages in unusual and confined surroundings; cages that ironically also protect the humans from the animals!
OK, that was a bit heavy, but at least I've used my brain for once on these travels - 6 weeks in, and it's in danger of becoming total mush! I've even resumed some Sudoku puzzles because I'm turning into a slob with no independent thought or exercise (OK, slight exaggeration, but travelling is like nothing I've ever done before and it's very easy to lose all sense of routine, healthy lifestyle etc!).
Anyway, I'll attempt to go and put some MORE PHOTOS on Flickr now, so do go and have a look. We're away overnight to Cape Tribulation Tue/Wed and then need to decide how much we can afford to spend on a boat trip with snorkelling/possibly diving on the Great Barrier Reef.....oh, the difficult decisions we have to make!!!
To those of you who've commented or e.mailed and haven't had a reply, please don't think I'm ignoring you, it's just that it actually takes a long time to put these blogs on and keep up with things (not to mention the cost!) so do keep commenting / e.mailing. However, if you ask specific questions I'll do my best to answer, bhonest!
Til next time, g'day from down under - I'll talk about Oz next time. See Penny's post for current details.
lotsa love, Linda x
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Hi everyone,
well, here we are in very rainy Singapore!
We go the train down from Tampin yesterday, entering our third contry of travel. Poor Pen wasn't very well yesterday and spent the rest of the day in bed, so it wasn't the best welcome to Singapore.
Our hotel is OK, but there's a large family in several rooms around us with kids running and screaming late at night, and our aircon kept sounding like it was about to explode all through the night, so sleep was rather disturbed..... but at least the beds are comfy!
Today we went to the Asian Civilizations museum, which was really interesting (but what could ever top the museum in Melaka that had a pair of Mohamed Ali's boxing gloves!), and had our lunch by the river. Well, darlings, then we trotted off to Raffles, to have our customary Singapore Sling in the Long Bar. Just as well it had a few shots of alcohol in it, which slightly took the sting out of the numbers on the bill.....but it was worth it (we think, but once the alcohol wears off we might think differently!). Raffles was lovely, the Long Bar had a great atmoshphere and we enjoyed chucking our peanut shells on the floor. We would have stayed for another, but that would've involved re-remortgaging our houses! Ah well, such once in a lifetime experiences are price-less (but not as far as the bank's concerned....)
Hope to go to the zoo tomorrow (and night safari) and if this rain continues we might end up having to wear our ridiculously large , sweaty & gorgeous ponchos!! Mmmm, what a beautiful sight...... We leave the day after for Cairns, and hopefully some better weather (although we can't really complain, given that most of our 6 weeks have been brilliant sunshine).
Hopefully we'll get some more photos on Flickr in a few days, so watch this space.
That's all for now folks, from a very nice but rather pricey Singapore (we really are hardened backpackers now, moaning about the costs that are still less than at home - except for Raffles....)
Toodlepip ol' beans, jolly hockey sticks, what, till next we "connect"....... about as posh as we can muster given our Raffles experience........
with grandest felicitations, (or rather, see ya soon)
Penny & Linda xx
well, here we are in very rainy Singapore!
We go the train down from Tampin yesterday, entering our third contry of travel. Poor Pen wasn't very well yesterday and spent the rest of the day in bed, so it wasn't the best welcome to Singapore.
Our hotel is OK, but there's a large family in several rooms around us with kids running and screaming late at night, and our aircon kept sounding like it was about to explode all through the night, so sleep was rather disturbed..... but at least the beds are comfy!
Today we went to the Asian Civilizations museum, which was really interesting (but what could ever top the museum in Melaka that had a pair of Mohamed Ali's boxing gloves!), and had our lunch by the river. Well, darlings, then we trotted off to Raffles, to have our customary Singapore Sling in the Long Bar. Just as well it had a few shots of alcohol in it, which slightly took the sting out of the numbers on the bill.....but it was worth it (we think, but once the alcohol wears off we might think differently!). Raffles was lovely, the Long Bar had a great atmoshphere and we enjoyed chucking our peanut shells on the floor. We would have stayed for another, but that would've involved re-remortgaging our houses! Ah well, such once in a lifetime experiences are price-less (but not as far as the bank's concerned....)
Hope to go to the zoo tomorrow (and night safari) and if this rain continues we might end up having to wear our ridiculously large , sweaty & gorgeous ponchos!! Mmmm, what a beautiful sight...... We leave the day after for Cairns, and hopefully some better weather (although we can't really complain, given that most of our 6 weeks have been brilliant sunshine).
Hopefully we'll get some more photos on Flickr in a few days, so watch this space.
That's all for now folks, from a very nice but rather pricey Singapore (we really are hardened backpackers now, moaning about the costs that are still less than at home - except for Raffles....)
Toodlepip ol' beans, jolly hockey sticks, what, till next we "connect"....... about as posh as we can muster given our Raffles experience........
with grandest felicitations, (or rather, see ya soon)
Penny & Linda xx
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Hi All
Thought I'd put on quick post as I am at the computer. We are still in Melaka and still haven't done much. We are going to go Chinatown later today for a wander around and to soak up some of the atmosphere here in Melaka! We wonder if Melaka is not as bustling as it used to be, what with even the sound and light show no longer on!! It certainly seems like the kind of place people use as a stop off on route to somewhere else. But it has been good to relax and take it easy.
The backpacker place is great and we've met some really nice people there. A couple of Scottish girls called Lucy and Sharon have been very adventurous and did the trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to Beijing, then overland through Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and now Malaysia. I'd now love to do the Moscow to Beijing route, have to save it for a couple of years time!!! Hello to Lucy and Sharon!!! Its been good to chat with other back packers and swap stories!!
That's all the news for now, Love Penny x
Thought I'd put on quick post as I am at the computer. We are still in Melaka and still haven't done much. We are going to go Chinatown later today for a wander around and to soak up some of the atmosphere here in Melaka! We wonder if Melaka is not as bustling as it used to be, what with even the sound and light show no longer on!! It certainly seems like the kind of place people use as a stop off on route to somewhere else. But it has been good to relax and take it easy.
The backpacker place is great and we've met some really nice people there. A couple of Scottish girls called Lucy and Sharon have been very adventurous and did the trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to Beijing, then overland through Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and now Malaysia. I'd now love to do the Moscow to Beijing route, have to save it for a couple of years time!!! Hello to Lucy and Sharon!!! Its been good to chat with other back packers and swap stories!!
That's all the news for now, Love Penny x
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