Back in the U-S of A and we finished our trip in New York.... and what a great time of year it was to be in the city with all the Christmas songs, decorations and upbeat mood of the people. Running a very close second to the Belizeans were the New Yorkers for great friendly attitude and general happy moods while we were there - well where else would you get "Free Hugs"! After managing our way round the subway to our hotel in Midtown, we came across, by pure chance, what was voted the best pizza place on the upper [View Full Entry]

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So we took a quick side-trip to Guatemala to visit Tikal, the Maya ruins in the jungle. After handing over our (ripoff) US$18 just to leave the lovely country of Belize, and avoiding the hassles of the locals trying to charge us US$50 for a bus journey, we got on the local Collectivo bus for $4 and bumped our way to Flores. After being so long in Australia and NZ, I had forgotten the trials and tribulations of a bargaining culture (for bargaining read: ripping off the tourists) and at this stage of the trip, I was just too jaded to [View Full Entry]

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Just a quick (out of sync) entry on the Canyoning from Auckland, New Zealand with the photographs. [View Full Entry]

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A short flight from Dallas and we arrived in Belize City. American Airlines not quite as comfortable, nor as generous with food as Qantas, but it did provide us with entertainment in the form of an inflight shopping magazine where you could purchase, and no joke, a 2-story home for your cat, including an upstairs patio to enjoy the view, or a slide for your dog, so that he can slide into your backyard swimming pool with fun....brilliant stuff! Staying long enough in the city just to get our anti-malaria pills (at 20% of the price at home), we hit Caye [View Full Entry]

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Going over the International Date Line meant we arrived in Los Angeles..before we technically left Auckland, which gave us a great "Back to the Future" moment. The hostel in LA was luckily just between Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, so we just wandered around the walk of fame, Manns Chinese Theatre (where we went to see Borat the movie) and up to the Hollywood sign before spending a day in Universal Studios. There was a funny moment one morning when Thomas told me he had woken in the middle of the night to hear 2 people talking about hiding a gun....until we [View Full Entry]

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Before leaving Rotorua, we decided to stop at one of the many natural geothermal parks that give Rotorua it's distinctive aroma. Wai-O-Tapu thermal area is covered with collapsed craters, boiling pools of mud and springs, which makes the whole surrounds look more like a film set for a moon landing than someplace on Earth. One of the highlights was watching the eruption of the Lady Knox geyser...which is encouraged by the manual insertion of soap-flakes into the mouth of the geyser! A little farcical,but fun all the same. After Rotorua, we hit for Waitomo on the west coast of NZ, where [View Full Entry]

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And so to Rotorua....yikes....what a smell....of bad eggs crossed with rotting dogfood, indescribable. And the worst thing is, it's not constant...it comes in waves and wafts so that just when you think you can breathe through your nose BAM it knocks you out again! However, with all the activities here, you just get on with it. So of course, as soon as our hostel is arranged, out we go to OffRoad NZ, where we were strapped into sprint cars fitted with roll cages and racing belt harnesses, and Thomas drove us everywhere but on the track as we slipped, and slid [View Full Entry]

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Everyone had warned us that the North Island would never live up to the South Island, and certainly, scenery-wise it's more like driving through Longford and Roscommon than the Alps, but they didn't factor in all the activities that are available, and at much cheaper prices than the South Island. After wet and windy weather-struck Wellington, we had another washout at Tongariro where we (well, I) was hoping to do the 1-day Tongariro Crossing, a walk in the national park with 3 active volcanoes, lava flows, volcanic lakes... and more importantly, the setting for Mordor and Mount Doom in Lord [View Full Entry]

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Leaving the misery of Mount Cook, I took a deserved break in the natural mineral waters of Hamner Springs. Surrounded by forests and mountains, with the rain pouring down on us from upon high, sitting in the sulphur and mineral pools we felt refreshed and rejuvinated....although I'm not sure exactly what the healing properties were, as the only customers bar ourselves seemed to be at least 100 years old with the wrinkles to prove it. Moving on, there was a quick stop in Kaikoura, for a spot of whale watching..but wouldn't you know, they don't warn you about the lack of [View Full Entry]

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Driving in NZ is such a pleasure - gently rolling hills dotted with lego-style trees, snow-capped mountains and ice-blue rivers enhance the whole experience....however the only catch is that you have to have a clear day to enjoy it, and when you are driving in a country where the cars only have two speeds on the wipers - fast, and very fast - you know those days are going to be few and far between! And what is the fascination that Kiwis have with the song "Forever Young" by Alphaville Lyrics? If you don't hear the song at least 3 times [View Full Entry]

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