Hong Kong Phooey

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It's 1 o'clock in the morning but, no, it's 10 in the evening, 'cause I've crossed time zones and this computer comes courtesy of a fried rice at Hong Kong airport.
I've just 'done' Australia in 10 days, most of which was in a retirement village with top rellies and I'm now in transit, waiting for the next flight outta here to Rome.
I am a headless chicken.
Mediterranean Europe in the Spring and edging north in the Summer seems to be what's about to be occurring. No actual plan, except camp outside Rome (with my barbarian hordes), until it surrenders, then go south.
I've got a phrase book. That's a start.
So, I finished off New Zealand, cycling all of the South Island (except for 1 tiny lift in a van for a boring bit) and pushing the tractor/horse/bike up big dirt tracks on the Queen Charlotte track in Marlborough Sounds for hours. One step. Rest. Another step. Another little rest. For HOURS. Fun though, somehow.
The Overland Encounter train back through North Island was exactly that, then back into the Gerald/Tresna/Timothy/Lucy horde in Auckland (ta folks) and 2 lightning-fast 10 km fun run times by G and me on a Sunday, followed (inevitably) by (a) getting lost at the end and (b) not being able to walk sensibly for days.
I got the whole whinging bald-headed bastard pom treatment only once in Australia, which either means they've gone soft or that I hung around with well brought up EX poms most of the time, save for a foray to a bike shop, where I got what I deserved.
So anyway Europe it is. 6,400 kms already covered and new rubber for a new continent. I've finally swapped the tractor tyres for something rather sleeker and am expecting great things.
Ttfn.

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