New Zealand

Time for catch up no.2 the third leg of our journey over to New Zealand, landing in Auckland 2 weeks before Christmas we picked up another camper van and headed off around North Island first the obligatory head shot looking out over the edge of some land in this case Cape Ringa

 

 We then headed down to the Corramandel and on to Rotorua and Lake Taupo, the photo below shows the boiling spring header that fed the thermal spa we stayed in for a night

 We dropped the van off in Auckland and spent the Christmas period with Karl and Sharon old friends of ours, we also managed to squeeze in a trip to see my dads oldest friend Ray and his wife Kay who live just North near Warkworth

 Watching the fireworks from Devonport quay over to Auckland city at midnight on New Years eve

 In the New Year we picked up another van and headed down to the South island this is Lou jumping into possibly the coldest expanse of water that either of us has ever swam in, Dorothy Falls, west coast of south island

 We booked a trip to walk on Fox glacier which spelled the start of the bad weather, the trip was cancelled due to 200metre section of the path washing away so in the torrential rain we carried on down the island, this is the view from the bridge at Haast pass

 Just to show you how wild it was this is me at the same place two days later stood in a spot which would have seen me swept away two days previously

 The effects of the flood were felt all the way down as this pic from Te anua shows

 Finally we had some good weather and after a spectacular look at Milford Sound we were able to climb Key Summit in Fiordland for some amazing views and Lou's first mountain climbed

 As the weather settled down we were finally able to get up on to Fox glacier for the day, a truly amazing experience that i think will stay with us both for a long time

 Lou getting caught when she didn't think the camera was still on her

 That was a slightly concise look through the NZ leg but don't worry there are lots of more photos that we can bore you with when we get back.

Next stop Asia!
 

Catch up

As promised wi-fi in Asia is plentiful and free so these next couple of posts are just going to be a catch up from the end of Australia and our time in New Zealand over Christmas. So first off our last week in Aus which we spent in Cairns with Cheryl and Mark the host and hostess with mostess, we were spoilt rotten and managed to squeeze in an overnight stay on the outer reef which was spectacular

This first photo is the view from their balcony looking out passed there pool to the cane fields and mountains beyond, it was a lovely spot and many happy hours were wiled away supping xxxx gold and chatting with them and there family and friends

 

They had plenty of wildlife nearby including some rather noisy fruit bats who came to steal the mangoes that grew in abundance in their garden

 

Finally our view on the morning we stayed out on the reef like i said a truly beautiful place

 

So that was that after 5 weeks Australia done and dusted now onto NZ