25th- 30th April - Abu Dhabi

25th
Today we watched films and chatted and just enjoyed the company of the Jeffery's who were at home. Mostly playing with Aila!!

26th
Today we were up bright and early and took the bus from Abu Dhabi into Dubai. It was a good hour and a half on the bus but it went quite quickly- maybe because we were excited :) we had booked to do the Big bus tour in Dubai and when we arrived at the bus station we tried to find our first stop.  We asked around but unfortunately we struggled to get clear instructions. After an hour of wondering around the 37+ degrees and a taxi ride we finally found a stop. 

On the bus we went around the whole of Dubai. A brilliant way to see this huge city. We started off at the creek where we saw the old fashion transportation Dhowl boats and the hundreds of boxes of anything from electronics to mattresses lined along the water edge ready to be exported. It was quite interesting seeing the men work along this edge as it was an interesting sight seeing them throw the boxes to each other but mostly dropping them. If you find you have a broken TV - it probably came from Dubai!! We then made our way around the city along the beach front where we saw the iconic Burj al Arab and visited the Palm and Atlantis! It was another world there. Everything was on a huge scale and everything was pristine and brand new. We pretty much did a loop of the city and as we made our way back round we went into the Dubai mall and went to see the Burj Khalifa which is the tallest building in the world. We were amazed at how big and extravagant the Mall was, which is also one of the biggest in the world! After a while at the mall we made our way back to the bus station to get back to Abu Dhabi.  We had a lovely day in Dubai and saw some amazing places and were in awe of how big and extravagant everything was!!

27th
Today we went to Ferrari World which is on Yas Island not far from where the Jeffery's live.  We arrived in plenty on time and as soon as the gates opened we headed straight to Formula Rossa - the fastest roller coaster in the world.  Katrien was very scared to go on it but before we had much time to think about it we were off.  The ride reaches speeds of around 150miles per hour. The sheer force was incredible. Katrien hated every second of it and screamed the whole way but Rob really enjoyed it, so much so he went on again before we left. Ferarri world was brilliant. The building itself was amazing and inside the huge Ferrari roof was different rides and experieces all linked to Ferrari.  We went on everything that was open, from a 4D adventure through space, a virtual simulator flight over Italy and another smaller roller coaster outside. We enjoyed walking around and looking at all the cars, old and new. 

Luckily it wasn't busy at all so we didn't have to queue for anything for long and thoroughly enjoyed our day there.

28th
Today we went to Yas Waterworld. Also on Yas Island and only across the road from Ferrari world. It was a lovely hot day (not unusual for here) and first went on a few slides with Louise and Julian as well as giving it a good go on the surf wave! It was so much fun. Louise and Julian had told us about the slow mediocre slide we should go on first as most people skip it. It was called the Liwa loop and as we got up many flights of stairs we were asked to stand on a platform and they then enclose the tube!  A little confused but after not much thought Katrien went first and after a countdown the platform under your feel disappear and you fall at a rate of 15 metres per second. It was incredibly fast and Katrien again screamed the whole way down. Later Rob had said that a few people behind us had walked back down due to the screams!! Again Rob being a little more adrenalin fueled went down it a few times while we were there.

We went on all the rides multiple times even the little roller coaster over the park. There were so many different slides, some with mats that you lay on and have a big drop at the end and our favourite which were designed as snakes and you go down with some inflatable rings. On our second round we opted for a joint inflatable and we definitely moved a lot quicker!!

Later in the afternoon we were joined by Euan and Alia and we played on the baby slides with her for a while before getting our last few rounds of the big ones with Euan and heading back home.  We were exhausted by the time we were back but had enjoyed it so much!! We were jealous that there was such a good waterpark so close to their house. We had a fun filled day with one minor head bang and we were definitely ready for bed!

29th
Today was another early start and we headed into the city for a lovely breakfast with Louise before Katrien enjoyed the morning at a salon being pampered from head to toe. Katrien also had a special Moroccan bath which although was a little unusual and a little uncomfortable but you soon forget about it and enjoyed the whole experience. By the end her skin was incredibly soft, they exfoliate all the dead skin from your body!

After a few hours of pampering and Rob exploring of the Corniche, we went to a few malls, one of which is where Rob splashed out and bought an Ipad!! Tonight was our last night with the Jeffery's and we enjoyed a lovely evening listening to Nadia's A level music composition and Euan's Cello playing while chatting, playing with Aila and sipping champagne of course!! We were due to get a flight tonight to Dublin however we wouldn't have been successful so we decided tomorrow would be better :).

30th
Today is the day we fly back... BOO HOO!! We miss you all very much but we wished our amazing trip didn't have to end.  We arrived at the airpot in good time but unfortunately with a very busy flight we didn't make it on to a business flight so we had to fly Economy - how the other half live...

We have had an absolutely amazing time away and we cannot wait to show you all our pictures and tell you all about it!!

Thanks for reading the blog we hope you have enjoyed reading it half as much as we enjoyed our adventures... now we want to plan where we go next we have definitely been bitten by the travel bug!!!

Lots of love Katrien and Rob xxxxxxx

21st-24th April Abu Dhabi

21st
We arrived really early this morning and were picked up by Louise and Julian.  It was nice to see the family again and spent most of the day relaxing as we were very jet lagged. We went on a small shopping trip in the afternoon but I don't think we were very good company as we were asleep by 7:30!

22nd
Today we went on a little sight seeing trip with Julian,  starting at the marina and the fish market. It was an experience to say the least.  It was really good to see the old traditional way of buying fresh fish and having it cleaned and prepared right in front of you. We drove around Yas Island and saw Ferrari World and the water park that we were really looking forward to going to later in our stay.  We went back home and later in the evening we went to the F1 track and walked around the 5km circuit with Nadia and Euan (he was on a bike). It was a really good walk! After the walk we went for a milkshake at a restaurant overlooking the track and it was pretty with all the lights.

23rd
Today we spent the morning playing with Aila and chatting with Julian before we headed off on our desert safari. We got onto a bus and drove for about an hour towards Al Ain and arrived at the camp which was in the middle of the desert.  After a quick briefing we went on our first activity - quad biking. It was lots of fun and Rob enjoyed going quickly up and down the dunes.  We then went on a camel ride which was short but we didn't need much longer as we don't think the camels were very happy to have us on their backs. Katrien then had some henna done in one of the tents and not long after we went on our dune bashing experience! It was lots of fun. A little scary at times when you see a big dune in front of you, you get to the top and there is a huge drop!! Unfortunately it was a little shorter than anticipated as we had a young Indian boy in our car that didn't like it and felt unwell :(. After our dune bashing we relaxed in camp before a lovely bbq dinner. We then watched a video about the United Arab Emirates and headed home again.  It was a really nice afternoon and enjoyed the Arabic cultural experience.

24th
Today we were on babysitting duties and watched numerous films with a poorly Aila. Later in the afternoon we went into the city to meet Nadia for a little city tour and tried to find a Shisha cafe to experience the night life of Abu Dhabi.  Unfortunately her usual place had shut down and after a long tome deciding where to go we opted for home instead.

25th
Today is the start of the weekend here in Abu Dhabi and it is also their day of rest and religious duties so often a lot of places are closed or have limited trading hours. We did plan our trip to Dubai and looked into planning our days at the water park and Ferrari world. We will update on our Dubai trip soon!

Lots of love

Katrien and Rob xxx

19th- 20th Melbourne

We arrived late in Melbourne on the 18th after a cery pleasant flight and we were greeted with habdmade signs and smiling faces by Rob's family, Tammy and Emilie.

19th
Today we woke up at a relaxed pace and enjoyed breakfast with Tammy and Emilie before planning our day. We were dropped off at the train station where Tammy lives in Box Hill south and we ventured ibto the city. Afer gtting some information leaflets we decided to do a 'cosmopolitan city walk' which was a really good route to get our barings. On the way round we stopped of at the cricketers pub for a great lunch next to the oldest (and probably fanciest) Hotel Windsor in Melbourne. We carried on the wall whocj took us everywhere from parliament house to china town and the lanes. We loved the atmosphere in the city and loved walking around seeing the quaint little streets bustling with people. After our round trip we jumped on the city tram which took us to the harbour. Here we walked around the harbour and went to the shopping village and couldn't resist a few purchases. Unfortunately it was getting late so we headed back to the house and Tammy and Emilie took us out to dinner. We enjoyed a lovely evening getting to know them. When we got bavk home we played numerous games of uno which was really fun (not so much when you lose all the time) but we enjoyed the laughter non the less.

20th
This morning we were woken up by exciting girls ready for the easter egg hunt. After the eater egg hunt and breakfast. We played pickups ticks with Emilie and her friend.  It was a new game for Rob but we were both hooked on the tension that comes with it haha. Tanmy and Emilie were off to some friends today so they dropped us off at southern cross station where we dropped our bags ofd and headed back into the city. We first headed jumped on the train and went to the Melbourne Cricket ground hoping to vatch the museam open. Unfortunately there was a game on so we didn't get to go inside but we walked around the huge ground and toom a few snaps. We then went back into the city and went to the lanes and walked around the graffiti clad lanes before deciding to go the the famous Queen Victoria markets. We walked round for a while, enjoying the live music and atmosphere but avoided temptation to buy bag fulls of stuff. After the markets we went to federation square where we enjoyed our last drink in Melbourne in the lovely warm setting sun ready to head to the airport to catch the flight to Abu Dhabi. We arrived at the airpot and made a quick change into our smart clothes and were hoping to get on the flight. Luckily we managed it but chatting to others they had stuggled for the last few days so we were lucky! The flight was really full but it was pleasant enough for a 14hour flight. Back in Abu Dhabi ready to explore our last proper destination before home.

12-18th Auckland

For our last week here in New Zealand was true holiday mode and not much 'travelling' mode!  For the next few days we went on our own little day trips to various suburbs of Auckland; Ponsonby, Takapuna, Mairangi Bay and Devonport. We wondered around the little shops and cafes and really just looked around the lovely places.

Unfortunately we have very little to report. We spent nights chatting and laughing with Karel and Erna and went on nice walks along the beaches and cliffs. It was so nice to relax and although worry a little that our time here was getting short, we made the most of it.

We are flying out of New Zealand today (18th) and we are Melbourne bound for a few days, staying with some of Rob's family this time and then heading to Abu Dhabi from there.

We hope you are all missing us as we will be home soon and will bombard you with our 1500 + photos.

Lots of love to you all xxxx

8-11th April - Bay of Islands and back to Auckland

8th
Today we had a boat trip planned in the Bay of Islands! We left really early and we were on the boat all day but the perfect weather for it. The sun was shining and the sea was so calm - a little different to some of our other boat trips we've been on while away. The trip we went on was called the crean trip, a day on the bay. The trip originated many years ago from the original trips held in the bay for transportation of goods to and from the small islands in the bay and surprisingly one of the main shipments were cans of cream!! We went all around lots of the islands and our skipper Tammy and the crew were very much into dolphins and marine life so it was not a surprise that after only a short time they took us to a spot where there was a large pool of dolphins!! It was much more impressive than the two we saw in Kaikora and it was amazing to see them all jump and play around with each other.  We had a dolphin researcher onboard so we got some extensive information about these wild dolphins that was brilliant.

We went around the Islands for a while before the skipper told us that we are going to see if we can spot some whales that are supposedly around and that a call has come in from a research boat that they are around but need help finding them. We headed a little further out of the bay and it wasn't long before Tammy spotted something! As we made our way over the crew suddenly grew more excited and instead of finding the whales we were initially looking for, we came across 2 Blue Whales and a very rare Bryde's Whale (Pronounced Broodus). It was amazing to see these huge mammals gliding through the water!! The blue whales were huge and we couldn't believe that we saw these rare animals! The crew were very excited and we then knew we hadn't just seen anything!! They said this never happens and that some of them had never seen them, so we felt very privalidged!! We watched these enormous creatures for nearly an hour before we had to turn back. We then went to the Hole in the rock. We went through the hole in the boat and although a little nerve wracking we made it through! The water was amazing, so blue and so so clear! We then went along the mainland of the bay and came along another pod of dolphins! It was brilliant again to see so many and having such a good time in the water! Time was going quickly on the water and the excitement of the whales had made the time fly but we did stop off at one of the small islands and we walked up to a nice lookout point over the bay. Soon enough it was time to head back and we were back on dry land after an amazing day on the water!! We learnt a lot about the history of the bay as well as information about the marine life in the bay!!

An incredible few days in the bay of Islands, we could have stayed so much longer!! We headed back to Auckland that evening and sadly have to give our camper back tomorrow :(.

9th,
The sad day came where we had to clean out and return our now much beloved camper :( we have had a brilliant time seeing New Zealand in our Jucy but it time we said goodbye. We gave it back in Auckland city and thought we'd have a walk around the city before heading back to the house. Another lovely day here in New Zealand. We have been very very lucky with the weather here!! The whole day was pretty much taken up by taking the Jucy back so not much else to report!!

10th
Today we went to Karel's renovation project to give him a hand with it. We started off by pulling off wall paper and cleaning the ceilings in what is probably the dirtiest house we have ever seen!! Luckily Karel had a few tricks up his sleeve to get the jobs done quickly.  We were only supposed to stay a couple of hours but it soon turned into a lot more when Karel said we should clean the kitchen lounge area for the painters to start. We started by spraying soap on the ceiling (it was absolutely filthy with tabacco stains) and before we realised the whole place was a mess. Katrien made a comment about using the pressure washer on the ceilings but didn't realise Karel had also had the thought and soon enough we had cleared the inside and Karel used the pressure washer to clean the whole living area. It was carnage however we handled it well. We even managed to get all the wallpaper off quickly and easily but it did look as though there had been a horrendous flood. Luckily with team work and a bit of elbow grease we had the house gleaming in a few hours ready for the next stage of the the renovation!!

By the the end if the day we were knackered but a bit if hard work did us some good.  We actually really enjoyed it!
11th
Today we were woken up early to get ready for a fishing trip!! The sea was calm and although a little cloudy in parts the sun was out!! We went out with Karel in his boat and spent all day on the water. Katrien caught the first two fish (snappers) but we threw them back as they were a little small. Afte a few hours out near where we launched in Takapuna and having now caught 2 Kowai fish (big ones) we headed into Auckland Harbour where the Royals are due to do a bit of sail boat racing. We lingered for a while and as the wind picked up it become very choppy and rainy at times. We braved the conditions and it paid off as we saw the royals! It was brilliant The only problem however was that we were most probably the smallest boat there are you can imagine the amount of boats and yachts all trying to get a glimpse of Kate and Wills, we were a little battered by the end and it was like a washing machine out there! We did get a very good look of the royals and we did get quite close to the boats!! It looked like they had fun too but after a while we'd had enough too and headed home. On the way we had a quick trawl and Katrien caught another Kowai! Those are such strong fish so a little help was needed to get it on board.  Rob did a lot of driving and was our captain for most of the day and a very good one at that! Katrien was lucky to catch 2 Kowai (maybe its a hidden talent) and Rob caught one! We will enjoy eating them in the next few days.

Another great day on the water, another brilliant experience and another great day in NZ but we are thoroughly knackered by the end of today!!

Lots of love Katrien and Rob xxx

4th - 7th April Rotaroua, Auckland and Bay of Islands

4th
Today we headed to some hot springs as planned but much like in Hanmner Springs they are in a spa complex but we thought we'd go for a little dip in the mineral pool. We spent a nice hour there and then headed to the lake to take in the early morning views. After that we drove a good few hours toward hot water beach which is on the coromandle peninsula. We hired a spade there and we got there just at the right time to get digging.  Unfortunately we didn't have much luck because the sea was, even in low tide, very choppy. We assumed it was the knock on effect of the Chilean tsunami and a few people we spoke to also thought as much. Unfortunately we couldn't therefore relax in our hot warer pool, as soon as you struck boiling water, the water along with your new hole were washed away. The water when we did get to it was very very hot and it was fascinating that the water was so hot under the sand.  When we finished on the beach we carried on a few miles up the road to Cathedral Cove. It was a very long walk but it was beautiful when we reached the beach. We spent some time looking at the very impressive cathedral cove which is a huge cliff which is shaped like the inside of a cathedral! There were a few other free standing cliffs that are naturally formed and are very artistic. Tonight we struggled to find somewhere to stay so we decided to drive back to Auckland to sleep there and make plans to go to the bay of Islands. We arrived late but it was nice to spend the night in a nice (big enough) bed for a change.

5th
Today we spent the day with Karel and Erna again and the first stop was a house new on Karel's renovation list. We helped pull wallpaper off walls and cleared out some wood in the house! We spent most of the day doing that at the house and planning our Bay of Islands trip.  Not much to report!

6th
Today we headed North up the west coast and on the way to the Bay of Islands we stopped at a Kauri forest. There are very little native Kauri trees left in New Zealand and there are strict rules when we walked around the track not to go near the trees and to make sure we clean our shoes to endure we don't spread contamination that could harm them. There was a very big Kauri in the middle of the walk we went on and it was over 1000years old. It was very impressive. We then drove further up and went to a great lookout where you could see the rugged west coast as well as the magnificent sand dunes formed there. Unfortunately we forgot the body board so didn't go over to the dunes in the end.  We then found our campsite and set up camp for the night about 20km north of KeriKeri.

7th
Today we went into KeriKeri and we had talked about the possibility of going Sky Diving so after driving and asking around we headed to the airfield for more information. We arrived with the intention of finding out more information but before we knew it we were strapped in and waiting our turn. We waited a while and the nerves and excitement were building up as we watched other people take the plunge. We saw a grandmother go up and jump down and we thought we can definitely do it too. Soon it was our turn. Fully harnessed we got into the small plane. We were beginning to get a little more nervous now! It took about 10-15 mins to fly to our altitude of 12,000 feet and the views were absolutely breathtaking!! As they stapped us tightly to the instructor it became very real and when they said it was now time to jump our hearts raced a little. Katrien was first to jump and with not much time to think about what was about to happen, Katrien was dangling over the edge looking down at the ground a very long way down. Within seconds we were out and the feeling was incredible.  Rob wasn't far behind and we were free falling for around 40 seconds before the instructors pull the parachute out. The relief when it comes out is so good. While we were gliding down they let you take control for a while and it was an absolutely amazing experience. The scenery was amazing, one that. Words cannot describe!!! You could see both sides of the island as well as the beautiful bay of islands! It took around 5-10 minutes to reach the ground and when we landed it felt as though we hadn't just jumped out of a plane at 12,000 feet but we were so so pleased to have done it! An absolutely incredible experience, one that will stay with us forever!! We opted for a photo package and will definitely show you our 200 odd photos!!!

After the jump it all still felt a bit surreal but treated ourselves to a nice lunch before heading to Paihia. After getting a booking for our camper we went into Paihia town and walked around the beautiful town and beach front.  We are definitely very tired after all the excitement today and we are up early tomorrow for a boat trip around the Islands.

Its safe to say today was pretty amazing day today and looking forward to a nice day tomorrow!

Don't worry we are safely on the ground and will post again soon!!

Lots of love Rob and Katrien xxx

2nd and 3rd April!

2nd
Today we went back into the city to do a bit more site seeing.  We headed up the famous cable car to the botanic gardens of Wellington and enjoyed a nice stroll through the beautiful gardens. We also went into the very small cable car museam but it was nice to see the start of such a traditional part of Wellington.  We then headed out of the city and had a very long drive up to Lake Taupo. Unfortunately we made a very big mistake and didn't look at our map so we completely missed out Nelson which we were kicking ourselves about for hours afterwards!! We reached lake Taupo late in the afternoon and looked over the vast lake before looking for somewhere to stay. After a little discussion with Karel and Erna ( which we were so pleased we did) they advised us to stay in Waiotapu which is between Taupo and Rotaroua. We set up camp and after a long fay driving we looked to plan our next few days!

3rd
Today we woke up early and headed to the Waiotapu thermal wonderland.  Every moring at the Lady Knox geyser they put on a big of a show by artificially making it erupt. It was extremely busy and we are glad we came early but it was amazing to see the geyser erupt to almost 20meters. We then made a swift exit and headed to the main thermal park. Wai-o-tapu is Maori for scared waters and there we had a fantastic walk around all the different thermal pools and sulphurous waters. It was great! We saw amazing coloured waters and bubbling mud. After a long walk around we decided to head into Rotaroua but head straight to the Redwood forest on the outskirts. after lunch we walked a trail in the forest and it was beautiful. The Redwood trees were so so high and it was a lovely relaxing walk.

We then headed to the Skyline on the other side of Rotaroua and went to the top of Mt. Ngongotaha on the gondola and thought we would try out the Luge. It was brilliant fun!! It was a little car you sit in (very low to the ground) and you steer it around a track down to the bottom of thr mountain. We couldn't resist going a few times. After an adrenalin fuled Luge run we went to the Wine Tasting room for a more grown up entertainment. We tried 5 wines from the local winery - Volcanic Hills. It was a great experience and as it was just us we had so much information about the wines and the different grapes used for each wine. Although we couldn't buy any to bring home with us we will just have to try and remember what we have learned for when we are out shopping! We then headed to another campsite just outside Rotaroua and plan to relax in the thermal pools tomorrow (and also grab a shower) before heading towards Hot Water Beach!

Lots of Love
Katrien and Rob xxx

30th March - 1st April

30th
Last night was definitely not the best nights 'Camping' we had... sleeping in a carpark in New Brighton wasn't great but we did enjoy a nice shower at the hostel across the road from us. We then decided  to drive to Hanmer springs. It was a lovely little town with a nice traditional feel. We walked around the parks and the old army hospital and enjoyed some fish and chips in the town. We didn't go to the springs as it has been very commercialised. Unfortunately not what we expected in a leisure spa complex but we had a lovely afternoon never the less. We tried to drive to Kaikora but after we got lost and a half hour detour we were finally on the right road. We arrived late in the afternoon and we looked for a place to sleep. We found a good spot in a carpark (luckily not the same as the night before) in a rural Irish pub/house where the farm animals were roaming around.

31st - Happy Mother's day to our lovely mums and Grandmas!!

We woke up quite early and drove back into Kaikora to explore the nice costal town.  We had a nosey in the shops and could have spent lots but thought better of it so instead strolled on the beach! We then drove to the other end of Kaikora and as we were making our way out of the town... WE SAW DOLPHINS! it was amazing! They were so close to the shore and we tried to follow them down the coast as far as we could, we felt like Steve Irwin but on a dolphin hunt!! We got a couple of pictures but nothing that really does the experience justice! They were calmly swimming along the shoreline bobbing up from time to time! People were running out of their houses to have a look too.

After our encounter we headed further north to Picton, stopping for an Ice cream on the way! We were heading for the ferry which will mark the end of our South Island adventure! Picton is a small town catering mostly for the tourists passing through to catch the ferry.  We went to the Maritime museum, which was very small but had a nice collection of donations from the Pictonians and we learnt a lot about the Whaling industry of this area of New Zealand. After a long day driving we found another good campsite just outside Picton near the Whatamango bay. It was nice and peaceful and quite but an early night for us especially with an early start for our ferry tomorrow!!

1st
We boarded our Blue Bridge ferry at 8am and had a very scenic (and very long) journey to Wellington in the North Island. The crossing was surprisingly calm and arrived at around 12 to Wellington. We organised our accommodation before we set out for the city and decided that because we couldn't fit Wellington into a day that we would stay at a hostel in the centre and use that as our base. It does make a nice change to have an en suite shower and toilet!! We then went to Te Papa the national museum of New Zealand! It was brilliant. It was spread out on 6floors and we enjoyed a few hours looking at everything from a preserved squid to how the Maori's live! After that we walked along the sea front. Enjoying the sunshine and looking at all the sculptures along the harbour. We then tried to find some good food for dinner and came across a great steak and grill place where we ate ourselves full to the brim with great burgers and enjoyed the city atmosphere! Tomorrow we are going to do some more sightseeing and then heading through the middle of the North Island towards Taupo and Rotaroua!

Lots of love Rob and Katrien xxx

25th - 29th March Auckland to the South Island

25th
Today we packed and made sure everything was sorted for our trip down south! Nothing to report... Rob is feeling better, Katrien's knee is much better but not 100%.

26th - Anne it's time to get your atlas out and see where we are :)

Today we had a very early, 4:30am, start for our flight down to Queenstown. We had a nice short 1hr 45 flight to Queenstown and it was actually very smooth surprising due to the mountains.  We had a beautiful view coming into the city through the mountains. We picked up our lovely green Jucy camper and headed to the town centre. We stocked up on some food for our trip. Queenstown is absolutely beautiful. A small town nestled in between the mountains with the huge lake Wakatipu in the centre! It seemed like a little oldie worldie town yet quite modern. We walked around for a few hours and did a nice lake walk around the park. We also headed up the cable cars which was around 800m up. As you can imagine there were some spectacular views. As we headed back down we thought we can't come to Queenstown and not eat a Fergburger that everyone had told us about. We weren't overly hungry so decided to share one, it was definitely a wise choice as the burgers were huge. We arrived late in the afternoon but the queues were still out the door to order!! It was a very very good burger!! After the town we went on a hubt for our first camping spot. We found a 'carpark' just outside Queenstown on the riverbank. It was just what we needed. We were joined by some other campervans and it made us feel at ease - especially for our first night. The night went surprisingly well and we watched a few episodes of friends before getting our heads down.

27th
Today we started the day by heading to the local leisure centre for a swim and a shower. It was a good plan as we weren't sure how our showering arrangements will go. We then headed north of Queenstown to a small quaint little place called Arrowtown. Arrowtown was a previous Chinese settlement where many Chinese came for a better life and the prospect of finding gold. We visited the settlement and they still had some tiny houses built into the cliffs! We wondered around the town for a while and went into the museum to look at the brilliant pieces if art on display. We then jumped into the car and headed further north towards Wanaka. Here we stopped for a little lunch and looked out onto lake Wanaka. Another small town but it had a lovely quiet atmosphere like most of the towns in the south island. We then carried on up heading towards the west coast. The roads were really windey but the scenery was absolutely stunning!! We can't actually describe what its like and the pictures don't do it justice!! There are rolling mountains as high as you can see with lakes at the bottom of them. The scenery is never ending and like nowhere we have seen before! We found a good little campsite just south of a place cslled Haast that was cheap and had toilets. We set up camp and cooked our first meal on our little stove.

28th
We headed up through Haast (a very small place) and headed towards the Glaciers. We drove all along the west coast and arrived at Fox Glacier just after lunch and it was definitely colder than what it was furher down.  We went to the entrance to fox glacier but we unfortunately weren't equipped for the walks. We then drove a little further to Franz Josef glacier where we could go on a smaller walk with what we had. We saw the snow covered mountains and the hills which not that long ago were all covered in ice. The water running there is so blue it doeant look real! It was amazing and we felt so privileged to be able to see these wonderful places. As we carried on through Glacier country and we stopped off at a walk to some blue pools. Blue pools was putting it mildly! After a nice walk through the forests we arrived at the pools. They were like crystal and you could feel how cold the water was by standing on the bridge. The water was so clear and not like any water we had seem before. We carried on our drive towards Hokitika and again we had some lovely views. We saw some fantastic views of the ocean and again the dark sand which is common here on the west coast. We drove through Hokitika to another lovely campsite where we called home for tge night. At this site there was also a great little walk we decided to do after dinner before heading to sleep. We are starting to get used to camper lifestyle now thank goodness.

29th
Today we did a long stint from Hokitika to Christchurch. This was a particular windey road with some very steep climbs too. It was also very very beautiful. It was a little miserable when we woke up and a little rainy and very misty. When we were at the top if Arthur's pass it was still very misty but it added to the awe of the whole journey. It took us a good 4 hours of driving but that included multiple stops at lookout points and picture opportunities! We arrived into Christchurch late this afternoon and we stopped in the city centre for a look around. Although Karel and Erna warned us that most of the city was rubble we weren't quite expecting the lack of a city. The earthquake 2 years ago has crippled this city and it was a real shame to see everything derelict and destroyed, especially the Cathedral. There us a big Re:start operation going on to rebuilt the city and the city centre is now made us of quirky shipping containers made into shops. It was however strangely quiet for a major city. We then headed out more of the city to New Brighton beach where we have set up camp in a carpark and enjoyed a tasty curry that Rob made for dinner. Tomorrow we are heading further north and will keep you updated as we continue.

Lota of love

Katrien and Rob xxx

20th- 24th March Auckland

20th
Today was our main route planning day. We highlighted our camper van routes and we were really excited about the plans. We also had a walk into Browns Bay again and enjoyed a nice afternoon walking around some shops. Again we took it easy - we sound so lazy by now but it's been so nice to take it easy here and we have been spoilt here with lovely homely food and good company especially lots of laughs!!

21st
We were really lucky that today Karel and Erna didn't have to go to work so we decided to go on a little trip. We drove to the west coast and stopped at a few lovely shops on the way.  We went to a such a picturesque beach on the west coast. The sand was as black as coal and we walked up the cliffs to a ganet colony. Even though it was not breeding season there were so many and the smell was over powering. It was lovely and was a great day with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky.

We slowly meandered home and stopped at a winery on the way back. Although we weren't greated by a very energetic wine taster we tried a few nice wines. A lovely day enjoying the west coast of north west New Zealand!

22nd
Today we started the weekend with a nice lay in and Karel had planned a pizza evening in their pizza oven with some friends. Karel spent the morning prepping the oven because it takes so long to reach it's temperature. We went shopping and took Karel's 1937 Damiler. It was fantastic and we did a few laps of the town to show off the car!!

The guests came around 5 and we enjoyed a lovely evening filled with Muscles, pizza and wine. It was great! The pizza oven was a little hot but we each made our own pizza and felt like real Italians with all the gear!! It was a late evening but it was good. Rob struggled a little with all the afrikaans but soon caught the gist of it all.

23rd
Today we had a lazy day, especially after the late evening and in the afternoon we went on another outing.  We drove to mount Eden which is just outside Auckland city and saw some great views of the whole city. Almost as good as our Sky Tower view. We then drove back through the city stopping at the harbour.  We walked along the water front and looked at all the lovely boats - some very fancy and expensive boats!! We also had a look at some markets there and just had a leisurely stroll along the water front and got involved with the energetic environment and the hustle and bustle of a Sunday afternoon by the harbour. We had a great afternoon seeing more of Auckland city (this time a little less walking). Rob started feeling poorly this weekend and although we had some plans for a possible boat trip this weekend we thought it better to give it a miss.

24th
Rob is still not feeling well today and after a very bad nights sleep from both of us we tried to have a lay in.  Karel came home early from work and so we ventured out on another trip with him. We drove around the suburbs where they live and went to pick Erna up from work. Another relaxed day and after being very well fed we are going to wind down and get an early night hoping Rob feels better before our flight on Wednesday morning.

Lots of love Rob and Katrien xxx

15th - 19th March Auckland!!

15th
We had a well needed sleep in our lovely comfortable bed this morning and had a nice relaxing day with Karel and Erna (Katrien's Uncle and Aunt) driving to show us some lovely areas of where they live just outside Auckland. The Cyclone was here at the time but we went to the beach and watched some Kite surfers enjoying the very windy conditions. We took it nice and easy today especially with the weather being a little unpredictable we just chilled out.

16th
Today the sun was shining as though nothing had happened and after a few hours mooching around, Karel took us out in his 1930s Ford where we sat in the dickie seat at the back and went for a ride around the town. It was fantastic and it made us feel like we were famous! Everyone was looking and smiling at the car!! It was a beautiful day and later on we drove to Devonport where we had a lovely car picnic (it was a little windy at the lookout point). We ate a mountain of fish and chips but enjoyed the amazing view and perfect company!! We could see all the way across the harbour and we could see the Auckland city clearly!!

17th and 18th
Today we walked to Browns bay on Monday which is close to the house and enjoyed the views of the calm sea and enjoyed the sunshine. We didn't get up to much else over the next few days and took it easy hoping for Katrien's knee to recover before a lot of driving soon!! It is nice to have some time to relax after a stressful few months of living out of our rucksacks and bed hopping.

19th
Today we caught the bus and went to Auckland city. It was a lovely day and the bus trip was long but it was nice to see where we were staying. When we got to the city we tried to find somewhere nice for lunch but we were stuggling for somewhere that wasn't Asian. Don't get us wrong we like Asian food but after a month enjoying the cuisine in South East Asia we fancied a change but it was hard to find. We then walked around the city and went to the Museum which was a little further than anticipated and by the time we got to the top of a big hill and lingered into some shops in a lovely place called Parnell we decided it was too late to make it to the museum so opted to go back into the city and we went to the Sky tower.

The Sky tower is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere and after playing the 'we are poor backpackers' card we got a discounted rate and got to the top, 220m up, in around 40 seconds in a glass platform lift (a little unnerving). It was a beautiful day and we could see for miles and miles!! It was the best view we could have had over Auckland and we were glad we went! After a tiring day walking we headed back to Rothesay Bay and enjoyed a relaxed evening and tasted some of the fresh fish that Karel caught today while out on his boat!

Love from Katrien and Rob
xxx

11th - 14th March Cairns

Again sorry for the delay in posting we have been a little busy!

11th
Today we didn't have anything planned but we walked around Cairns and did a spot of shoppin as well as booking a camper van for 2 weeks in New Zealand! We can't wait to get there now!!

12th
Today was the big day to THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!! The weather was awful but that wasn't going to dampen our spirits only our hair! We arrived early and set off around 8. The boat we were on was huge and had around 110 other people on board. They warned us it would be quite choppy and they certainly didn't lie. The majority of people were very sea sick and the Asians on board just slept the whole time. It took a couple of hours to get there and then the first location was very over cast but mainly for the scuba divers. We were given flippers to help with the swimming but at times felt like we weren't moving because the current was so strong.  After 2 hours there we went to another location that was absolutely beautiful. Although still over cast the coral was high and we could see so much. We were surprised by the lack of fish around but that could be down to the weather but we were much more interested and impressed by the Coral! We hired an underwater camera and took lots of photos so we will have to show everyone when we are back. Unfortunately we also saw a lot of dead coral which is a shame because it is such a beautiful sight and experience! Unfortunately we didn't see Nemo here but we saw him in our previous sailing trip so we didn't miss out. We did see some large clams that closed when you touched them!

After a few hours here we headed back to land and on the way back the chef Elvis offered some brilliant entertainment.  He had a guitar and sang some great songs (including Elvis songs) but also did a good job of making fun of people on board (mainly the Asians!!). It was nice that took the attention off the choppy sea and we surprisingly felt okay, not sure if it was the 6 sickness tablets or the distraction of entertainment!! Tonight we met up with Gini and Natasha that we met along the way for a catch up which was lovely.

13th
Today - typically - the sun was shining and it was a very hot day in Cairns.  They have built an extensive Lagoon (swimming pool) on the water front which was lovely. We layed and relaxed in the sunshine most of the day reading our New Zealand lonley planet guide and a nice book. We walked around and ate ice cream before packing and getting and early ish night ready for our 3rd Adevtntue to New Zealand!!

14th
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROB'S GRANNY!! We hope you had a lovely day!!

Today there isn't much to report.  We spent all day travelling. We were a little apprehensive due to the Cyclone heading to New Zealand but luckily we missed it and got to Auckland around 12:20am but we were ao happy to not sit on a bus for a change and see some familiar faces! It was so nice. For Katrien to see her family again and we were spoilt with a beautifully made up room and some chocolate bunnies for company. We had an amazing time in Australia but we are also excited about our next destination!!

Lotd of love to all at home!!

Katrien and Rob xxx

9th and 10th Cairns

9th March
Today we decided to explore Cairns city. We walked around all day doing some shopping and walked around the pier. We decided to look into our options for New Zealand but after we weighed up the cost we booked a camper van for two weeks while we are there! We paid almost half of what we would have done if we did another hop on hop off bus and we have the freedom to go where we want and when we want and it includes a little camp stove!! We are really excited about our experience!! We also went into an Aboriginal artifacts and fine arts exibhibt which was interesting. The aboriginals made some fantastic art works!! That evening we went for dinner and went to the cinema to watch the Wolf of Wall Street!

10th March
Today was our Atherton Tablelands tour.  It was absolutely brilliant. We got onto a minibus with 20 others and a crazy bus driver and drove upto the mountains. We first visited a beautiful waterfall that had a natural rock slide that we went down a few times.  Unfortunately with the rocks being so slippery Katrien had a bit of a fall and injured her knee but was determined not to let it ruin the day. During the day we went to a few more waterfalls including the one where they film the Herbal Essences advert. That was the best waterfall and it was a brilliant experience sitting under the waterfall between the rocks and the water, looking up at the flowing water!! It was a long day and although it was really good we were definitely ready for bed when we got back.

Tomorrow is another day where we don't have much planned but will see how Katrien's knee is as we are due to do the Great Barrier reef tour on the 12th and possibly fly to New Zealand on the 15th at the latest.

Lots of love
Rob and Katrien xxxxx

7th and 8th of March - Magnetic Island

We haven't got much to report about our magnetic island trip as we didn't have much time there unfortunately. We were a little unsure whether we would make it over to the island as there is a Cyclone heading down from Cairns but luckily we have just missed it for our boat and Island trips. We arrived by ferry to the island and it was no surprise that it was another beautiful place. We stayed in a really nice hostel with almost cabin like dorns but no ensuit bathrooms or showers so with a little walk to the amenities it did remind us a bit like a school trip.

We arrived quite late in the afternoon but thought we would go for another walk to a lookout point. We treked up a really nice 'path' but again our fitness was tested again when we realised how high this cliff top lookout was. It was through trees and up rocks and boulders but it was definitely worth it when we arrived at one of the highest lookout points on the island. We then went back for some dinner and ended up meeting some really nice people who we played some games with and got involved with the bar games.

8th March
We made our way across again with the ferry to catch our bus to Cairns. We can't believe how quickly the time had gone but also how far we have travelled! We don't want it to end but really looking forward to our tours left in Cairns - Mostly the great barrier reef tour and heading to New Zealand :)

We hope all is well in England and you've managed to dry out a little by now!!

Lots of love

Xxx

4th-6th March- Airlie Beach and Whitsunday Sailing trip

4th March
We had a few chill out days here in Airlie Beach after the bus journey and feeling like we haven't stopped (which we haven't really). We did however go for an early birthday meal for Rob. We looked in Lonely Planet and opted for a more expensive option than our usual $15 meal deal! We saw a lovely option at the Sailing club and headed over expecting a nice, more fancy restaurant! Although there was fantastic views of the Harbour, but it was more of a  café style restaurant with too much plastic for a birthday meal so after our drink we headed to some other restaurants and found a lovely laid back restaurant where we enjoyed some good food (see pictures) and headed back for an early night before our sea voyage!!

5th March
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB!!!
Today was sailing day, we got outselves ready had our yoghurt and oats ready for a busy couple of days. We boarded our boat Siska (which has competed in and won some round the world races!) early and after some safety checks and ins and outs about how everything worked we headed to the deck to enjoy the ocean.  Although a little nerves on Katrien's part it kicked off to be an exciting day where the Skipper, Micky, told us how we timed our journey just right due to a cyclone heading our way in a few days but we should get some good sailing done. After a few hours out at sea Micky warned us it might be a little choppy as we were on the outside of the islands and that we were exposed to the winds. Choppy... well it was so choppy however exciting.  We then arrived at the main Island within Whitsundays which was the Whitsundays Island with the absolutely stunning Whitehaven beach. We went on a little walk to a lookout point where we saw absolutely beautiful white sand and different coloured blue water!! We then went to the beach we had just been in awe of and spent a few hours on the beach, but opted for the shade as we were worried about getting burnt.  After a few hours we hopped back on board and sailed to a quiet bay where we were going to spend the night. The journey back definitely made us doubt the trip. It was miserable and we were miserable with it. It was raining a lot and in very choppy water we quickly decided that we don't have any sea legs!! It was safe to say we just wanted to get back on dry land!! We sailed for a good few hours and Micky told us that we were doing a bigger loop to avoid a huge swell. Rob and I were given a 'double bed' right at the tip of the cabins and it was as though we were in a small sauna. As you can imagine the nights sleep wasn't the highlight.

6th March
Today however was a different story... we were welcomed by beautiful blue sky and lovely sunshine!! We went to a beautiful snorkeling spot where we saw some amazing fish. We even saw a Nemo!! After a few hours floating on the coral we went to another snorkeling spot which had poor visibility but we did swim with Turtles!!! It was fantastic!!!! So elegant through the water. After the snorkeling we headed back to the Marina and Airlie Beach. By the time we had to get off we were loving it! In Airlie we met up with Gini who we met on Fraser Island and  spent the evening eating steak and chatting. We are off to Magnetic Island tomorrow will post again after that!!

Love Rob and Katrien xxxxx

Fraser Island 28th until the 3rd of March 2014

Sorry for the long delay in blog posts.. we have had little internet and had a mishap when the entry deleted itself!!

Firstly we hope Pappa Putter had a lovely birthday between the 28th and the 1st!!

28th February!
We started our Fraser Island trip early this morning and we were picked up in what seemed like a very over exaggerated bus/truck for an island trip but it wasn't until we arrived onto the island we realised actually how appropriate the monstrosity was. Fraser Island is made up of an impress 98% sand and only 2% Rock. As you can imagine it took a long time to get anywhere on the island as no roads have been re built it is all just original sand tracks that the 4 wheel drive trucks and busses had to use. To say we had a bumpy few days is an understatement!!! We firstly drove to a lovely lake called Lake McKenzie where we basked in the sun and swam in a feshwater lake which was produced purely by rainwater! The sand also has a high concentration of silica making it extremely fine and perfect for a nice exfoliation! We met a lovely girl from England and an English couple who we ended up spending most of our time with on the Island.

After the first lake we went for a nice yet unexpected walk in the rainforest. As we drove from the coast to the middle of the island we saw 7 different types of rainforest and they are all so different and absolutely beautiful. All the trees and plants you see grow in the sand which makes it all the more impressive.  During our walk we saw some beautiful trees and our guide told us interesting facts about them. Some of these trees and how they survive in what can become a very hot and dry eco system. We walked to, what used to be back in the 1800s the Central station of a huge timber and logging industry on the island run by the local people and some Australian traders. Here we drank water from the fresh streams that form when water is soaked up into the island through rain but eventually filters out into purified water. They estimate that the water running down the streams is water that fell over 150 years ago. Not only has it been completed purified by the sand but it also fell before the industrial revolution and before damage caused by pollution.

We visited a few other lakes and walks on our way to where we stayed the night.  There are a couple of resorts on the island and we stayed in some lodges with the English couple and a few other rooms. Fraser Island is a huge conservation and world heritage site so there is a lot of effort to preserve the island.

1st March
Today we had another early start and we drove along the 50km beach highway to a fantastic look out point of a cliff called Indian Head. Our tour guide explained that the beach highway on Fraser Island is one of the longest in the world and its called a highway because you have to abide by normal road rules including speed limits. If not the police will fine and or prosecute you! On the way we saw an old shipwreck which washed up after the transporters accidentally let go off the moorings and failed to retrieve it. We clambered to the top of indian Head where we saw some spectacular views!! While we were up there we tried to spot some sharks or dolphins but had no luck however we did see a turtle swimming along the waves! We then headed along the beach to a lovely natural fresh water creek where we swam in the cold but refreshing water! As we travelled along we saw an unfortunate 4x4 that misjudged the depth of the water and ended up submerged in the sand near the waters edge. Our tour guide found it hilarious and while we all piled out to have a look he got his own camera out for a few snaps. Luckily we felt much safer in out big bus! We then headed to the Champagne pools. This was by far our favourite stop on the trip. We relaxed in some beautiful sea pools formed by the rocks which gethered at the foot of the island. It was a beautiful day and the water was nice and warm and as we soaked up the atmosphere waves would crash over the rocks and bubbles would flow over the top into the pools which looked like champagne bubbles. The only thing missing was some drinkable bubbles!! After the pools we headed for lunch on the beach but as we tried to leave our bus wouldn't start! Although we were broken down it was definitely the best spot for a 2hour wait for recovery. We layed in the  sea and on the beach chatting to put new friends and enjoying where we were. After not much time left of the day we headed back to the lodges and had a good night sleep - much needed after the sun filled day.

2nd March
Today was the last day on the Island (Booo!) We headed to a magnificent lookout point where we saw the amazing creations of the sand dunes and the way the wind blows the sand across the the island. We then went to a few more beautiful lakes before a very difficult trek up and across the sand to a lake called Barage lake which was formed by the wind blowing the sand to create a lake. This was another fresh water lake which had some fish in that ate your dead skin. The same fish used for those pedicures!! The walk to the lake was so difficult especially when there is only sand to walk through... it was a workout and a half but the views made it worth while.  It was as though we walked through some dense rainforest and then we were hit by a vast open space of sand.  It was as though we were in a dessert! After a trek back it was time to head of the Island and after a short ferry trip we headed to catch our 12 hour bus from Hervey Bay to Airlie beach!

It was possibly the worst bus journey we have had where there was very little sleep and a driver who insisted we stretched our legs every few hours at ridiculous times in the night. Not a pleasant journey at all. We arrived in Airlie Beach on the 3rd and had some planning to do before our sailing trip on the 5th which we are really looking forward to!!

Lots of love

Rob and Katrien xxx

27th February 2014 Rainbow Beach

Happy Birthday Sarah!! We hope you had a lovel day!!

Today we just had a relaxing day on the beach after getting to Rainbow beach around 12:30. We had a free upgrade to a private room which was nice! With the wind blowing and the sea a lovely temperature it wasn't until later we realised how red Rob and I were. Rob was definitely really burnt but hopeing it will be okay in a few days!!!
We are off on our 2 night 3day Fraser Island trip tomorrow which we are really looking forward to and will give you an update when we are back!!

Lots of Love

Katrien and Rob xxx

23rd - 26th February 2014, Byron Bay and Brisbane

23rd February,
Today is our second day in Byron Bay and as it rained a lot yesterday we decided to make the most of it by getting up early and headed to the lighthouse which is about a 3km walk to the top (most of it was little forest steps which was a challenge! ) but the views were amazing! We ate ice cream at the top for breakfast.. just because we can!! We also went into the little lighthouse museum which was really interesting.

After soaking up the views and sunshine, we headed back down to get ready for our Surf lesson. We drove about half hour out of Byron to a beach called Flat Rock which was reasonably shallow but on a lovely beach with nice warm water. During our lesson we learnt how to get up onto the board on the shore first before heading into the water to give it go. It was probably the most tiring and frustrating thing we've done! The current was strong and with a lot of wind it was a struggle getting over the waves out far enough to 'catch some waves' (thats the technical term used by the instructor). When you are out far enough and seen the wave you want to try you then have to get on your board and get ready to do your steps of paddling and getting to your feet on the board. We both managed to stand up - albeit for a few seconds, but we mostly fell off and had salt and sand every where. We were out in the water for a good few hours and we kept trying we knew we would ache the next day after our trek to the Lighthouse and now surfing. It was brilliant on the surf boards but we were definitely in for a good nights sleep and some after sun for our red faces!!

24th February ,
Today we travelled a few hours to Surfers Paradise. We had a nice small Hostel and decided that we haven't got long here so we walked to the main Surfers Paradise beach. Our hostel was a little out of the way but it was a nice walk along the beach. After a long walk (after we assumed we were closer than we were) we thought we'll have nice cold drink. Rob offered to treat Katrien to a pint of Magners in an Irish pub but he soon wished he hadn't when the barmaid asked for $20 for the two drinks! It was definitely the most expensive drink we have had!! We returned to our hostel and joined some people from the hostel for $2 steaks which was surprisingly good considering!! We did feel like the odd ones out because as a couple everyone avoided us like the plague and after realising we all had different goals for the night we went to meet the couple we met in Byron for a few drinks but didnt leave too late. We had very courteous room mates who only turned the lights on twice while we were asleep... Unfortunately the agonies of hostel living!!

25th February
Today we headed back on the bus for a short journey to Brisbane.  We arrived but with a lot of waiting around and lost reservations we had to find somewhere to stay but in the end turned out much better and we opted to pay a little extra for a private room. It came as a very welcomed change and although it was still a little noisy because its an old building we could go to sleep at a reasonable time and not have the danger of being woken up by party goers in the early hours. Due to the big mix up of hostels we didn't have much time to explore Brisbane but we tried to walk but ended up getting a bus to the Brisbane Cricket Ground.. after getting lost for an hour trying to get there we were unimpressed when we got there and after walking all the way around we hopped back onto the bus and went to get some food before enjoying our early night ready for an early start tomorrow.

26th February
Today we went about an hour and a half out of Brisbane to the Australia Zoo. It is Australia's biggest zoo and was taken over by the famous Steve Irwin from his parents.  The zoo has now become a memorial to Steve and his dedication to the animals, especially the crocodiles.  It was a brilliant day and we saw a crocodile, snake and bird show which was really good. They fed the crocodiles and the birds flew around over our heads! We saw lots of cool animals, and we stroked Kangaroos and Koalas! We were also entertained by the Tazamanian Devil who just ran around in circles in and around his enclosure! All in all a great day at the zoo :) Our favour animals were the Koalas and the crocodiles.

19th -22nd February Sydney and Byron Bay!!

19th,
We finally arrived in a very wet Sydney after a tiring 24hours door to door trip. We checked into our 'spacious and clean' hostel hoping maybe for a little snooze but after we entered a very small dark room with just the light of a girls laptop, ipad and phone... we opted to have a shower and make a swift exit. Our fellow room mate wasn't the most inviting and talkative. Although it was raining it was surprisingly warm and we walked to the Central Quay where the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are. We took some wet pictures incase the weather the next say wasnt any better and decided to relax in a nice Irish bar and watch the people of Sydney go by. It was surprisingly quite on the streets but it was a nice stroll back to our hostel in the warm rain. We prayed for sunshine for tomorrow. Although we were initially apprehensive about our nights sleep it was surprisingly comfortable and the only disturbance was the Taiwanese man (on the bottom of Katrien's bunk) cleaning him phlegm from his throat into the toilet...

20th,
Today we made plans to see our new friend Stan for lunch and it was an absolutely beautiful day, 28° and not a cloud in sight!! We walked to Circular Quay to meet him and after a little confusion about a meeting place and an hours walk trying to find him we went to a lovely rooftop bar with him for some lunch and a drink. It was a spectacular view and you could see accross the harbour with the boats coming and going with the Opera house in the background.  We then caught a bus to Stan's university to look around and went to the museum of human diseases on his campus! It was very interesting. We then caught another bus to Bondi beach and did the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee beach. It was a 5km walk around the coastline along the clifs! Although it was a long walk it was beautiful and completely worth it! By the time we got to Coogee it was getting late so we jumped on the bus back to te city and headed for dinner and bed as we had another early start to our next destination- Byron Bay!!

21st
Not much to report today we sat on a bus for over 12 hours snoozed and watched breaking bad. We had a lot of problems trying to sort out accommodation in Byron as the hostels we have passes for were fully booked and so were some others we tried. Luckily we had booked a guest house beforehand and and managed to find another hostel for a good price!! We arrived at Byron Bay in the evening and headed to our guesthouse which although was an unexpected cost it was lovely and we met a really nice couple. Meeting them just showed how small the world is... The boy lives just outside Sudbury and went to the same school as Katrien!! Its also nice to hear good things about Mulberry court in Australia, well done Gerhard you saved his dog too!!

22nd
Today Byron bay was over cast and rained all day! we went to the beach and sat on the Rocks before the rain got too heavy and we looked around this lovely costal town. It has some nice boutique shops and lots of cafes and restaurants. We sorted a lot of travel arrangements out today which was good. The hostel at the moment is really cool, we are sitting enjoying the warm afternoon (although with on and off rain) with a nice cold drink! We have our Surf lesson tomorrow so will update you all on those antics soon!

We are absolutely loving our time away but hoping all is well at home!!

Love to all!

14th-18th February, Halong Bay and Hanoi!

13th-14th
We endured our 3rd and final overnight train this evening and it was by far the worst one. When we got onto the train there we're people just leaving but also leaving behind their mess. After swift moves from our tour leader we were given clean sheets and pillowcases and luckily Katrien had some antibacterial wipes to give our table a clean!! A few hours into the journey we had a group of locals trying to find a bed and proceeded to open our cabin door a few times. Not long after that distubance, two Vietnamese men were arguing for a good hour... So as you can imagine it wasn't our best nights sleep. We were glad when we got off the train in Hanoi and onto the bus Halong Bay bound.

We arrived in Halong Bay early in the morning and after a much needed nap we headed to the Pier to board our private boat. When we got onto the boat we were presented with a huge lunch consisting of seafood, noodles, Rice and good old French fries. After lunch we have arrived into the main area of some of the mountains. Halong Bay translates onto the descending Dragon Bay. It comes from a legend that said a Dragon descended down into the water and the mountains ascended from the sea. There are over 1969 limestone mountains in Halong Bay and although we only saw a handful it was one of the best excursions we have had. It was absolutely beautiful. Although the weather was a little cold and misty when we were in between the mountain the view was spectacular!! We were taken to some poignant rock faces; the fighting chickens (however our guide changed the name to kissing chickens, quite fitting with Valentines day) and the insense mountain which is featured on the 200,000 Dong note. We also went to a cave which was discovered by a local fisherman and what a magnificent site!! The limestone caves had been formed by water erroding the limetone by waves and rain water. The shapes were amazing and it was nice to see the different forms and shapes some of which are striking resemblances of animals and people. After the cave we went to a floating village. The villages are incredible, they started then fishermen came into the bay to catch fish but then they realised that if they stay here they can harvest as well as farm the fish they catch. There are whole villages located in the bay consisting of floating houses and house boats complete with a primary school in most of the bigger villages.

After a good few hours on the boat we made our way back to shore and returned to our hotel. Apart from the Bay there isn't much else to do or see in Halong so after a good nights sleep we were back on the bus off to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

We arrived on the 15th and after getting a better understanding of our surroundings we headed for a nice dinner for one of our group members, Nic's Birthday. We started the evening going to one of the many street vendors' little cafe's. There we had local beer costing a mere 14p per glass! We also tried some local nibbles before heading to a lovely restaurant looking over the lake, which at night is lit up all around with pretty lights! After lots of laughs at dinner we headed out to a Hanoian nightclub. It was possibly the worst nightclub we had been to! There was two little 'hip' Vietnamese in charge of the music one of which proceeded to sing over some songs! Luckily most places are required to close at 12 so we could make good excuses to leave.

16th February,
Today we did a lot of walking again. We went first to the Ho Chi Minh Museum- well actually by mistake as we were dropped off in the wrong place by the taxi driver, we actually wanted to go to the Mouselleum! The museum wasn't really catered too well for anyone other than the Vietnamese people, but it was very arty and well structured. After the museum we walked to the Mouselleum and saw a guards procession outside however we were too late to see Ho Chi Minh himself. We then walked back towards the old quarter where our hotel was located but did so walking around the small streets on the city. We then walked to the prison museum which was a struggleto find but after a while of wondering around and attempting to communicate with a local we finally found it. It was a very interesting museum which was mainly about Vietnamese political prisoners but there was also a section about the American pilots who were kept there during the war. The period where the Americans were there the prison gained a nickname the Hanoi Hilton because the prisoners had a good time in prison and were given much better treatment than the locals. An interesting insight to some Hanoi history. By the time we got back it was time to get ready for dinner again. Tonight was our final night together as a group. It was nice to reminisce on our time together and it was sad saying goodbye to some new friends that we had spent a lot of time together over the last 3weeks!!

17th,
Final goodbyes were said to the group carrying on to Loas and our lovely tour leader and the group parralell to us before we headed back out to the famous water puppet show exclusive to Hanoi. In the show there were different little stories of traditional Vietnamese lives and a few legends. It was a very interesting show and they used traditional puppets but controlled them underwater which was something we hadn't seen before. After the show we chilled out with the two Canadian brothers before a last few cheap beers to send them on their way to Sapa. We were officially the last two in Hanoi! We went for our last traditional meal in a lovely restaurant over looking the lake but we decided not to stay too long as we couldn't hear ourselves think due to a very loud lady who filled the empty restaurant with her non stop talking!!

18th
Today is our last morning in Vietnam!! We will have breakfast and a last walk around the city before getting a taxi to the Airport. We have a long fligh via Saigon to Melbourne and then to Sydney but I'm sure we will find something to occupy our time. We should be in Sydney at around 2pm local time which is 11hours ahead of English time. We have heard that WiFi isn't that reliable as here in Asia (hard to believe) but we Will try and keep up to date as much as we can!!

One part of our adventure has finished now but we are onto the next one! We have had an amazing time here in South East Asia and met some lovely people on the way too, friends we will definitely keep in touch with.

Goodbye Asia, until next time... Australia here we come!!!

Katrien and Rob 

xxx

12th and 13th February 2014 - Hue Vietnam

We traveled from Hoi An to Hue yesterday going over the Hai Van pass which connects Danang and Hue. The journey was a bit difficult for Rob as he was feeling really unwell!! We passed over the mountains which had beautiful views on the way up but when we reached the top it was very misty and we couldn't see much. After a few hours we arrived in Hue. 

Hue used to be the capital of Vietnam for over 100 years up until the mid 1940s and is situated in the centre of Vietnam in the narrow part of the country. It is a city which is relatively small but there have been attempts to modernise it. The city is quite run down with a lot of unfinished buildings and empty streets. in the afternoon when we arrived Rob went straight to bed ( a wise move after a sleepless night for the both of us) but Katrien went on a motorcycle tour of the city and some sites. Don't worry mothers, I was wearing a helmet and had a designated local driver. We saw the city in the local scooter style. It was good fun and saw how they make rice at a very small 'factory' and went to a tomb of a former king who ruled in the 1800s.The tour lasted about 3 hours and by the end I felt like an ice cube!! It has been quite cold here in Hue and today it has been raining all day.

Today we have to be up and out of the hotel in good time as we are catching our last and longest overnight train journey of the trip. The reality that we only have 4 days left on the tour make us a little sad but looking forward to our next destination. We leave this afternoon for Halong Bay and Hanoi which we have heard is spectacular. We will of course keep posting and hopefully get some pictures up too! 

Rob is feeling a little better today and managed to get out of bed but still a little fragile so lots of fluids and TLC will soon have him back to normal!

Missing you all,

Rob and Katrien xxx

10th and 11th February 2014 - Hoi An, Vietnam

After a long and delayed overnight train, we arrived in Da Nang where we got a bus transfer to Hoi An.  Hoi An is one of the oldest original towns still left in Vietnam and has been acknowledged as a world heritage site. In the old town, most of it has been cordoned off for walking and cycling which is nice as it means there isn't much traffic and no motorbikes which makes a welcome change. 

We arrived here early on Sunday and had a nice stroll to the riverside where we had breakfast and wondered around the old town. Here in Hoi An it has been the first place that hasn't been sweltering hot, but is actually a little overcast but we are embracing the milder weather. In the afternoon we went on a bicycle tour of the town and the surroundings which took us into the countryside where we saw a lot of farm workers in their rice paddies and in their vegetable patches. Our guide took us to a farmer who has water buffaloes and Katrien had a little trip on one - although a little scared and pinching the farmer - it was a lot of fun! Rob and Katrien did sit on the Buffalo for a nice picture! After our very long bike ride we got on a boat and returned to the docks near the old town. By this time our bums were well and truly sore! That evening we rode back into the town for dinner at a very local street food restaurant where we had some typical Hoi An wontons, BBQ beef and a noodle soup, it was a little unusual sitting on stools the size of a child's seat!

11th,
We woke up nice and early to get the day started and our first stop was in one of the many tailors to get Rob's shorts fixed. The tailors here are amazing! Big shops where you can choose material, design and even stitching options to make your garment and it will be ready the following day! It was fascinating to see all the tailors! After that we went on a tourist trip to different areas of the old town, old traditional houses, Arts and Crafts 'workshops', assembly halls and museums! It was nice to see the traditions of this part of Vietnam and it has been the prettiest town we've been to, all the streets are decorated with lanterns and at night it is spectacular. Tonight we are going to cross over to the lantern markets opposite the old town river!! Rob is going to go and enjoy some local bonding time playing football with the boys in the group and some locals while Katrien makes use of the cheap beauty spa in the hotel for a nice manicure and pedicure... BLISS!

We are off early tomorrow morning to Hue, a 4 hour bus journey, where we will post again what we are up to! 

Love to all


Katrien and Rob xxx

7th, 8th and 9th February 2014- Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang and the Over night trains

Today we went to visit the Cu Chi tunnels. What an interesting place. Here we had a brilliant and passionate guide who told us in depth about the tunnels and the Vientnamese people who lived there. Cu Chi is a small village located about 80km out of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) close to the jungle areas of Vietnam. This was a key area of the vietnam war as there was a very large Americanbase located close there during the War. The tunnels were made by the Vienamese Communists who were fighting against the Americans. The built around 250km of tunnels under ground where people lived and fought the Americans. They were very intelligent fighters and used clever ideas to attack America. They made hidden traps in the jungle and use clever ideas to deter the Americans finding them. The tunnels were very very narow in order to prevent Americans getting in. It was a complex system that had 3 different levels. People lived in there tunnels for years but often died of diseases or malnutrition. We had the chance to go into the tunnels and although they had widened the tunnels for tourists we still struggled to walk around them. Rob managed the 100m passage but it was clear he wouldn't have survived under there if he was in the war. We have taken a ot of pictures on our camera so will have to put them up another time.

After the tunnels we didn't have long until we had to catch our first overnight train to Nha Trang. We had a final drink with our fellow Englishman Stan and said goodbye to 6 of our group. We got on the over train and we shared with the Austrailian couple as the cabins had 4 bunks. Rob was out like a light and although a little small - and the occasional arm or leg hanging over the edge on the top - he slept trhough the night. It is with no surprise that Katrien however slept very little. but it was indeed an experience.

We arrived in Nha Trang on the 8th early morning at around 5am and came to our hotel. We had some orientation in the beach town and saw the early risers of Vietnam. Most of the people go to the beach early in the morning to do some exercising and grabbing a traditional coffee before they start their day (before the sun came out). One thing we still can't grasp is the fact that the Vietnamese people do everything in their power to shade themselves from the sun. Although we are embracing the sun and heat - they are all wrapped up, head to toe to prevent any sunlight getting to their skin.

Later on we went to have a mud bath here in Nha Trang. It was so unusual. We were bathing in a runny mud (the consistency of chocolate milk) which had natural minerals in which are meant to be very good for your skin. It was actually extremely relaxing but after a few hours - the hot water and sun was too much so we went back.

After dinner we went to watch some football with the group at a nice bar (our leader is obsessed with the English football league) then went home for a good night sleep.

9th
Today we havent done much but have had a nice relaxing time lounging on the beach. Not much to report today as we have taken it easy ( a nice chage after being so busy and on the go most of the time) although we have another overnight train to catch tonight heading to Hoi An. We will keep you updated about the next part of our Adventures!!

Love from Katrien and Rob xx