NZ4ME - Kevin & Caroline

We live in New Zealand as a retired couple and for our 20th Anniversary we decided to take a trip to Europe. It was originally going to be a two-week trip but, as they do, it grew to 3 1/2 months. The trip, which we have nicknamed "The Big OE", commences on July 16, 2007 from Auckland airport and begins with a week in Los Angeles and a week in the North of England visiting family in both locations. We will then be spending 7 weeks in France and 3 weeks in Italy, doing house-swaps in each country. Our 18 year old son will be joining us in Italy, and numerous friends will be calling in at various locations along the way. After returning our son to Rome Airport, we will be heading back to LHR to pick the continuation of our round-the-world flight to Shanghai and a week there. We will finally return, somewhat reluctantly, at the end of October. We have set up the travel blog as a response to friends who want us to keep a diary and also to make it easier to stay in touch while we are gone.

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Joined on: June 6th 2007
Last Login: November 28th 2009

Blog Entries: 27
Photos: 335

TB Code: [blogger=40163]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by NZ4ME, order by Date newest first.

By NZ4ME
November 26th 2009

The Hidden Paradise Oceania » Fiji » Vanua Levu

Painting the House

Savusavu is known as the "Hidden Paradise". The weather has been dry and sunny, however the trades continue to blow. Week three is shaping up to be similar to the prior two weeks. I feel that I am a total slug and am on Fiji Time. Monday, November 16 - I'm half way through the month and am now 1/2 way into my 5th book, a novel about the early life of Genghis Khan. I've already listened to this book on audio books, but have decided to read it after my recent visit to China... Wendy, thanks for letting me take [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
November 19th 2009

It's kick-back time Oceania » Fiji » Vanua Levu

Hazmat and Mahesh
Two of my Indo Fijian buddies

I'm into my second week at our Vatuseta property in Fiji. The weather has been sunny and dry for the past few days and the trade winds continue to blow. I've just finished left-overs of Chicken stew and my stereo is blasting out Creedence Clearwater's Greatest hits. Does life get much better than this? It's only week two and I am already in the middle of my fourth book, Nelson DeMille's "The Lions Game" and then I will have to start perusing the cottage library. As a note to my good friend Ed, his business partner, Polly, has taken a job [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
November 10th 2009

It's Fiji Time Oceania » Fiji » Vanua Levu

Hindu temple
Really colorful ceiling paintings.

Friends, I always enjoy your comments and read them all; even if I don't reply please keep them coming. Monday, Nov. 4, 2009 - I have been traveling pretty solid since the beginning of August and after 3 1/2 weeks at home in Russell I am off to Fiji for my annual visit. Caroline has just returned from a trip to the US and again we pass like ships in the night. I leave Auckland on Monday evening and arrive three hours later in Nadi (pronounced Nandi). On deplaning, my expectation is to hit a wall of heat and humidity, but [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
September 29th 2009

Yorkshire, The Return Europe » United Kingdom » England » North Yorkshire

The White Horse
I don't know what the stone is in the foreground. And I'm certainly not on that Pacific Island that uses stone money.

Sept 11 - 23, 2010 I had forgotten how close everything is in the UK, unlike the States and even NZ. You don't have to drive too far to get to some point of interest. A couple of trips of note are Kilburn and Whitby. Kilburn is another pretty, stone housed, village. A white horse, etched into the chalk cliffs above, overlooks the village. A school teacher and his class did this as a project in the 1870's. Whitby is a old Yorkshire fishing port and famous for being the place that Captain Cook served his apprenticeship. It is also dominated [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
September 22nd 2009

Rocky Road to Dublin Europe » Ireland » County Cork

Shooting the proverbial
Irish cousins with Marian enjoying the "craic"

Sept. 6 through Sept. 10, 2009 I have booked a round trip flight from Leeds/Bradford to Dublin for 2 pounds and then a flight from Cork to Dublin for six pounds. All by booking months ahead on super cheap airline - Ryan Air. Anyway, on Saturday, 6 Sept, I boarded the flying bus and was met at Dublin Airport by Ann Nolan, one of my Irish cousins. She had arranged a party for me to say "hello" to her dad, and many brothers and sisters. I had met a couple of them over the years, however this was a full clan [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
September 12th 2009

Back in the UK Europe » United Kingdom » England » West Yorkshire

Flamborough Heads
The white chalk cliffs are outstanding.

I'm in a lo-tech house and have very limited access to the internet. My apologies for not blogging on a regular basis and for those of you that have just joined take a look at my China Blogs. Sunday, August 23. The trip from Shanghai to London is approximately twelve hours and it turned into a marathon movie festival. Living in Russell, movie going is a major production, and our movie day of choice is normally " 1/2 price Tuesdays". Being on a Virgin Atlantic flight with a number of relatively new movies is a added extra, therefore I made the [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
August 25th 2009

From Beijing to Xi'an Asia » China

The Summer Palace
Not so summery today!!!

Day 5, Wednesday, August 19 Today it is raining and Lucy and Mr. Ran meet me at the normal time. However, I have to check out of the hotel and we don’t get on the road till around 10.15am. I’m a little put out as I will not be able to shower again before catching the train to Xi'an. Even with the rain, the summer palace is still bustling with tourists and umbrellas are everywhere. Work started on this site in the 1600’s, but the buildings were destroyed by foreign powers twice in the mid 1800’s and again in 1900. Lucy [View Full Entry]

Paintings in Long Corridor at Summer Palace

By NZ4ME
August 21st 2009

Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Other Stuff Asia » China » Beijing » Great Wall of China

Spirit Way
Coincidence!! This is the very same elephant that Chairman Mao was photographed with.

Day 4, August 18, 2009 I am picked up at my hotel at 9.00am and today I am crossing off one of the listings on my personal bucket list. First we go to the Ming Tombs. We are visiting just one tomb; the tomb of Emperor Yongle. There are 13 Chinese Emperors buried in an area just below the foothills outside of Beijing. I suppose, this is the Chinese equivalent of the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. However, I don’t actually see the burial mound or the coffin which is 30 meters below the surface and has not been opened (feng [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
August 18th 2009

The Forbidden City Asia » China » Beijing » Forbidden City

Llama Temple
The largest Buddhist temple outside of Tibet

Day 1, August 15, 2009 It’s Saturday morning and I have just enough time to do final jobs around the property, such as inoculating lambs with my friend Bob Frater (thank-you Bob). Then, I'm off to Pahia to catch the bus to Auckland to start a trip to the UK via Beijing. All on a weekend that Auckland play Northland in Kerikeri. Still, I’m glad I missed the game, because Auckland decimated the Taniwha. I arrive at Auckland International airport at around 6.30pm, queue for my Beijing flight and hope that I am early enough to bag an exit row. The [View Full Entry]

By NZ4ME
December 24th 2007

Merry Xmas From the Pyne's Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Bay of Islands » Russell

Merry Xmas
Please excuse the sunburn.

No, we’re not on another trip, however using the blog seemed to be the best way to communicate with everyone for Christmas and New Year. So, MERRY XMAS and a HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR to all of our family and friends. We couldn’t get the whole family together at once, so we decided to have a "boys vs girls" sing-along and shot the video in two halves, we hope you like it, although we would never have made it on Bing Crosby's Christmas show. The video is at the bottom of the page; let it load before playing it. Since [View Full Entry]

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