Lost down under

Hello folks,

I'm back online. To be honest, we've been living the dream rather than writing about it!

So... before we set off for Eagle Bay down south in Western Australia, I thought I'd let you know what we've been up to for the last couple of weeks.

A bit of a list coming up...

After Welly Wood (no celebrities i'm afraid), we hotfooted it to Tongariro - the volcano area - to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This is a 19.5km trek through the pass of 2 volcanoes over volcanic terrain with a punishing 800m ascent all in one go (think ridge, very slippery scramble, big drops on either side). But we did it!! And in 7 hours - the recommended time in Lonely Planet. Of course I was walking like John Wayne and it took me 4 days to recover, but I am very pleased with myself. Pix to follow.

It also didn't stop us moving on the next day to do another 8Km walk to some waterfalls and swim in a (I tell no lie) boiling hot stream made bearable by the beautiful Waikato river into which it flowed. So lots of swimming there and chatting to boys on the Kiwi experience (an 18-25 bus). Checked out more thermal places, geysers etc then had to stay in Cosy Corner - the most dreadful holiday park we've been to - it's got an apt name!

Then up to stay in Coromandel - beautiful park area peninsula with fab beaches for boogie boards and snorkelling. Met up with our friends Shirley and Mark and their two great kids - Maya and Isaac. And his pets... well Melody, the praying mantis which was just chewing on a cricket when we were introduced. 'Bug boy' as Tony called him is BIG into bugs and he has given us a healthy regard for scary, ugly, monstor like bugs of ALL sizes. Never again will I scream a huge dragonfly settles on my head. His favourites are Wetas (read back over the blog for how horrible they are) and I'll post a pic of one he played with while on a walk.

Great fun catching up with them all - haven't seen Shirley and Mark for about 8 years but it was like it was yesterday. Took us snorkelling - snapper, blue cod, spotties. Then we went back with them to check out their fab house in West Auckland. We were supposed to leave on the Monday but by 1pm we still hadn't gone anywhere so decided to just check out a few nearby beaches then come back for a big bed, great shower, hugs from the kids and another late night drinking session (ouch my head).

They finally chucked us out on Tues morning with an itinerary for the week until we met up with them again on the Friday.

Mark Micklefield's North Island in 3 days

Goat Island Marine reserve - snorkelled there and saw 2 eagle rays (awesome with a capital 'O')

Pikiri beach - white sands that stretch for miles with big rollers

Uketiti (or something like that) campsite on beach - apparently it's a naturist site, just as well as Tony went for a naked dip one night - I took pictures of a perfect arched rainbow that emerged and descended back in the ocean.

Bay of Islands - Russell. Kooky place, great boogie boarding (I am thinking of entering the Olympics 2012 as a competitor I'm so good - can you see me on the Thames?)

Bay of Islands - a day on a catamaran to watch dolphins: the bay of islands is beautiful, the sky is always blue, the water clear and the sun hot. The day we go out on the boat, you can't see your hand in front of you, the swell is so big in the harbour a little dinghy has to pick us up as the boat cannot come in (a first for them) and it's raining. So much for seeing the islands. But it did clear a little window to see the spectacular bottlenose dolphins totally clearing the water and leaping together in the air - magical. And for Tony to go swimming with them - i didn't go in as I wanted to watch them, but then regretted it when they played with him (he always was a little plaything).

Kauri forest: fantastic trees that were chopped down by the settlers so only a few remain - up to 2000 years old. And they are BIG.

Puketi forest - last night in our fab campervan - we're gonna miss it...

but not that much as we spent a weekend at a great house in Wenderholme and went to Tarawhenui regional park with Shirley and the gang and went snorkelling, and more boogie boarding - Isaac: 'Look Fidelma's on our boogie board AGAIN!'

It was great to catch up with Shirley and Mark and if they are reading this - thanks so much for having us and putting up with us - we had a great time, but Tony is still repeating: Oh Daddy, I don't want my cicada to die, I wanna it to fly.' (cue south american accent). You had to be there I guess.

Feel sad, that we don't know when we will be seeing Isaac and Maya again - they are great kids, let's hope it's not too long into the future.

So.... that was it, NZ. We had an absolutely fantastic time there. Will definitely go back if funds allow to explore more. Miss it already.

We're now in Australia with Lin and Sharks, Roisin and Lucy - having a ball but that will have to wait for another day.

Fidelma xxx

Wellington

Just spent 2 great days in Wellington where we were looked after by Mark and Louise - who made us feel really welcome. Arrived for the World Rugby 7s (no, I'd never heard of it either) where everyone is in fancy dress, so we felt at home. Also it was Waitangi day - the signing of the treaty between Maori and Settlers - so a big party in the park. Welly Wood (as it's known - big film place apparently) is full of public art, big on Maori history, got fantastic areas to live (great clapboard houses with porches overlooking the harbour on the hills), kooky art house cinemas, great cafes and crazy people diving off the public art (which is prolific) into the harbour. It's here we learned that the Maori are not indigineous (can't spell that) to NZ, they came from the Pacific Islands about 700-800 yrs ago, were made up of tribes and decided to make a deal with Cook and his Brit mates about land - not to say that they weren't stitched up by the Brits, cos they were (yes, we'll have mount cook for a couple of blankets) as well as slaughtered and there are still land claims going on today. The treaty also has poetic licence (says different things in each language). But there is a strong and achieving desire to enhance, celebrate and maintain this dual culture and also celebrate the diversity of the cultures from all the Pacific islands. By the way, we can thank Louise (primary school teacher - helped to simplify it for us two thickies) and the amazing Te Papa museum where we spent a good few hours on Sunday. Off to traverse a dangerous volcano now....

Hard man Tony hits the glacier and more kayaking on the beautiful Milford Sound x

Getting to know our camper!

Team BRAD

Who suggested a kayak trip on Abel Tasman? We love that person. We have just spent 3 amazing days in kayaks (known as divorce boats due to the fights between couples, happy to say we are still together), canoeing around the abel tasman national park coastline and camping under the stars with 6 other people and our wonderful guide - Brad, who was a great guide. So... we set out every morning to canoe around the coastline seeing amazing coves, aquamarine seas and golden beachers as well as seals, seal pups and birds. It was a bit choppy but I did OK and prayed that I wouldn't capsize. It was only on the night of Day 2 that Brad told us that he was attempting a kayak trip with us to get us around the whole coastline in 3 days as they were no longer allowed to do it in 5 days. He'd tried it before but it ended in capsizes and unhappy people. But we were to try again against the high seas and currents and wind. That was after a day where miraculously we 'rafted' together and put up a sail and sailed into our camp - fantastic and I had never been trusted with anything sporty before, but was given one end of the sail to hold - 2012 Sailing category for me in the Olympics now. Anyway, Team Brad achieved his objective and we made history - oooh I felt like one of the migrants discovering aerotoera (NZ to you). The other people on the trip were great too - especially the two retired Bostonians who were bungey jumping their way round NZ in between representing two prisoners in guantanemo and running a charity for Rwandan orphans - amazing people.

After going 'bush' for 3 days we went back to our van and got ready to leave the South Island - we are SO sad to leave this place - it has been an amazing experience and we have loved every minute of this place. We are coming back and I am also planning to do more kayaking in the UK (yes, you heard it here first!).

By the way, Tony sustained injuries during our 3 day trip - nothing to do with the kayaking it was more to do with throwing himself at Brad during a game of ultimate frisbee (broken toe), diving off a rock (leg grazing), cramp (paddling), chafings (generally walking about in wet shorts). By the way, we also go to go to see a gloworm cave *think Xmas) , check out nasty Wetas (cross between spider, cockroach, wasp - honest!) and have a wonderful walk on a beach at night looking up at the stars. 

Still trying to sort pix but guess I don't want to make you more jealous.

Marina - totally delighted that you have booked your Barbados trip - when are you going?

Sean- thanks for the pix of Joey - gorgeous

We're in Welly Wood (Wellington to you) at the moment, but will send another posting on this place.

Fidelma xxx