NickMar

2nd April - fly from Cairns to Singapore via Darwin. Interesting flight with good views of Queensland, Indonesian islands etc. Shuttle bus to Copthorne Orchid hotel arriving about 8:45 pm just in time for late meal. 3rd April - Hippobus tours River tour Moonlight Adventure on Sentosa Island 4th April - Coffee at the Goodwaood Park hotel, Orchard Road malls, ..... Singapore Slings in the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, evening meal in Thai restaurant overlooking te river at Boat Quay. 5th April - Botanic Gardens - caught in downpour in the Orchid Garden! Eventually had to stop sheltering and got pretty wet! Back to hotel, change, bus to airport (where I am now!) More later!... read more

Great flight up from Hamilton Island to Cairns. Routed over the sea and able to see the Great Barrier Reef areas very clearly. Minibus to take us the c1hr drive up to Port Douglas and to Cayman Villas. Very smart and up-market little town in a great position with a 4-mile beach on one side of the promontory. Appartment is great with pool and spa, barbecue area etc. M sure she saw Rod Stewart sitting outside one of the cafes, didn't go back to check! 30Mar - trip to the tropical rianforest village of Kuranda. Coach to Caravonica Lakes - Skyrail (cablecar) to red Peak (forest walk), Barron Falls (view of dam and waterfalls) and then Kuranda. Used to be full of hippies - not so many around these days, but interesting wander thru the original ... read more

Taken to Brisbane airport by Murray & Angela for our VirginBlue flight to Hamilton Island. Then a 30min ride on FantaSea catamaran to Daydream Island! A self-contained resort with all the facilities you could want. Beautiful setting and layout. Our room looked straight out over water to S.Molle island. 26th Mar - "Ocean Rafting" fast RIB (450HP!) to Hill Inlet (which we climbed for the view) and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday island. Trip itself was really exciting (due to wind and waves) and the beach was amazing - very fine, white, quartz-based sand. Soft as anything. Great lunch provided then off to a quiet bay where we could snorkel on the reef. Lots of fish around! ... read more

18th March - flight from Sydney to Brisbane. Met at airport by Murray Moor (at St John's School with me - contact revived thru Friends Reunited). Unfortunately his wife Angela was suffering from bad cold so he had very kindly booked us into a hotel for two nights. Drove us around the Brisbane area in the afternoon and out to the Mt Cootha viewpoint and then on to the Lonely Pine Koala Santuary. 19th March - explored the city centre and botanical gardens and arranged the next stages of our trip at travel agents. In afternoon took the City Cat fast ferry downriver to Bretts Wharf where we were met by Murray and walked to their apartment on the edge of the river. (Very modern 2-bedroom with great view of river and city in distance). Met ... read more

8th March - Start back N towards Christchurch - first stop Moeraki - coffee at "Fleur's Place" (found to be highly recommended by Rick Stein - we wished we were there for a meal!) Then on to see the famous Moeraki boulders. Amazingly spherical (about 6ft or so diameter) they fall out of the cliff side as it gradually erodes.... read more

The "little Edinburgh" of Otago. Quick tour round - interesting architecture - especially the well known railway station; Cathedral in light Oamuru stone' and yet another Museum (The Otago Settlers museum - good collection of Transport items as well as the settlers info). Campsite shared with car enthusiasts attending a car show next door - mainly american cars Chevvys etc. Otago Peninsular - Went out late evening to remote beach to watch (from hide) yellow-eyed penguins coming ashore - saw one Fiordland crested penguin and one yellowed eyed one + a sea-lion! The beach was amazing - soft blown sand-dunes stretching way inland. (pics to follow) Castle Lanarch gardens - restored from overgrown state by current owner - 40 years work - now superb and in a fantastic setting. At Taiaroa Head at the end of ... read more

Better weather now! Beach walk after breakfast then off up the Haast Pass to Wanaka - stopped to see Roaring Billy waterfall on the way. Explored Wanaka and went for walk to Waterfall Creek in afternnoon sunshine. All looking very beautiful. Round lake to Glendhu Bay where campsite was in super position at edge of lake with views to Mt Aspiring in the distance. Next day drove a little further round lake and had great walk up to Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain where there were great 360deg views. Lovely sunny day. (pics to follow) Evening and dinner in Wanaka. 4th Mar - over Crown Range road to Queenstown - with detour to visit the old gold-mining centre of Arrowtown on the way. Lunch by lake then took 'Heritage Cruise' on TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakitipu ... read more

Overnight at Murchison Follow Buller River thru gorges etc down to Westport. No time for suspension bridge / slide wire trip! Lunch picnic at Carters Beach Down coast to Greymouth, Hokitika and then Lake Kaniere where Jim & Margaret were waiting to meet us. The house is now finished (apart from the odd cupboard door) and a great place to stay. we were lucky that it was fine and next day went with them to see the Hokitika Gorge with fantastic blue water. (pic to follow)... read more