http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/BeckyandBecki/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from BeckyandBecki en-us Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:09:49 +0000 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:09:49 +0000 I know it's about time. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Napier/blog-371144.html We had heard that Queenstown was the 'party capital' of the South Island so we weren't quite sure what to expect but whatever picture I had in my mind I was completely mistaken. The beautiful lake surrounded by towering mountains is a perfect setting for this small little city and on first sighting it is hard to imagine anything other than quiet walks and peaceful boat trips taking place in th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-370498.html New Zealand is amazing definately my favourite country so far and luckily the weather has been perfect a little like England if it is ever hot in Englandbeautfil hot and sunny don't get too jealous English people. We arrived in Christchurch a week agoish and spent the day wondering around the very picturesque Botanical Gardens and browsing the cute little quirky shops there. Next day we set http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-370485.html Getting up at 4am to get a taxi to the airport and then a flight to Brisbane was not the funnest journey in the world and on arrival we had to then get a train check into our hostel and run to the station only to be told a billion times by various members of staff that there was no way of getting to the zoo on a Saturdayyou would think the busiest day of the week until gone 11. A lot of waiti http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Australia-Zoo/blog-366580.html G'day all.We haven't written on here for an indecent amount of time so I thought now that we have been in New Zealand for a while was a perfect time to write about our trip to the Great Barrier Reef. We spent a day on a boat called Passions of Paradise or somehting similar and had a FANTASTIC day. The boat left early in the morning and took us out to Michaelmas Cay a bird sanctuary on the reef http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-368877.html We hear it's the coldest winter in England for quite some time.....don't get too jealous http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Cairns/Cairns-City/blog-365524.html We have just arrived in Cairns after a very long overnight greyhound from Airlie Beach. It feels strange to be in a city again after such a long time campingsailing up the coast. From Airlie we took a 3 day 2 night boat trip on the Habibi sailing boat around the Whitsundays. Even though the trip finished yesterday lunch time everything is still rocking so this is going to be a very brief entry.A http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Whitsundays/blog-365517.html Some photographs at last... http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Airlie-Beach/blog-364179.html A few extra photos now we've finally had time to put them up..... http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Airlie-Beach/blog-364181.html No internet access and no time have meant that we have been unable to post for some time and still we cannot post photos as this stupid computer won't let you put a USB into it so I will briefly write what we have been doing and we will then try and find somewhere we can plug in the camera and show you all the amazing sights we have seen. After Sydney we made a quick stop in surfer's paradise w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Rainbow-Beach/Redcliffe/blog-363539.html It has been pretty nonstop since Becky last wrote after our strange Christmas day on the beach. We spent Boxing Day at Circular Quay taking a look at the Opera House and walking across the Harbour Bridge. Both are just as impressive as they look in pictures and by the end of the day we were suitably tired and our cameras full of snaps which will be added soon.... The following day we did a litt http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Redfern/blog-359016.html Arriving on Christmas eve to Sydney seemed very strange after nearly a month in Asia. Everything seems very Englishy even the weather on the first day and we have been taking full advantage of hot showers and washing that won't turn your clothes orange staying with Rob a friend of Becky's from uni and his lovely house mates for the past few days. On Christmas eve we stayed in with drinks and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Coogee/blog-357192.html Happy Christmas and love to all from Sydney we are off to Bondi Beach with turkey and cranberry sauce baguettes. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Bondi-Beach/blog-356986.html After two days travelling we are back in the cleanest city ever having to be extra vigilent about dropping rubbishjwalking etc....slightly worrying as through customs they asked me to take out our alcohol bottle we had luckily they just wanted to check it was not opened and sent us on our way. It was very hard to tear ourselves away from Koh Lanta but after no sleep we spent pretty much the wh http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/Bugis-Village/blog-356366.html So sad were we to leave Koh Lanta that we have been unable to blog for several days. The week we spent there was our favourite week of the trip so far and I would happily move there tomorrow and live out my days doing Poi on the beach and playing pool with the locals. While in paradise we spent most of our days lying on the beach and practicing Poi and taking a daily walk into town to visit the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/Bugis-Village/blog-356358.html Some photos from our travels that we have finally gotten around to uploading... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Lanta/blog-354962.html Arrived in Ko Lanta yesterday to find another kind of paradise. It is very calm and relaxing here with not many people about and our beach side bungalow one pound a night looks out onto the never ending beach. The town is much smaller but we still managed to find some delicious and cheap street food to eat everywhere we have gone so far the food has been so amazing we really just want to stay http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Lanta/blog-354125.html Our last day in Ko PHI Phi was a very long and busy day as we tried to cram in all the things we had been too lazy to do in the last 3. We rose early for us and booked ourself onto a longtail boat tour of the island and the surrounding islands and set of with a group of about 10 fellow farrangs and 2 guides. Our stops included shark point where we snorkeled for around half an hour but sadly saw http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Lanta/blog-354126.html We haven't added an entry for a while because we have been having too much fun. But fear not we are still alive and kicking. The journey across the border to Thailand was long and eventful with a mini bus driver who though he was Lewis Hamilton and enjoyed overtaking around blind corners into oncoming traffic and sightings of 8yearolds driving motorbikes and mums carrying newborn babies on http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Phi-Phi/blog-353226.html After two days in Penang we are settling in well to the local culture. Everyone we meet is very friendly and helpful and interested in us surprisingly we haven't seen many other backpackers so far. Yesterday we found an idyllic beach to relax on and today we visited the Kek Lok Si Temple which was very colourful and beautifully decorated and home to a very large turtle pond. We are currently de http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-351771.html