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