South Island You will love the South Island, it is stunning. I hope the weather holds for you, NZ weather is a bit too wet and British for my liking.
Tom get that hair cut!
Only 3 weeks left for me and then back to blighty to find a job :-(
Enjoy yourselves
Cheers Joe
How amazing I just love your blog and writing style. I love the detail and info. I have all the time to really enjoy reading about your travels.
keep having fun
Love Liz and Chris(he hasn't been reading the blog!)
Gandalf country Sounds and looks fantastic. You must be travelling through Tolkien's Middle Earth - supposedly where a lot of the filming for Lord of the Rings took place. The volcano experience sounds and smells awesome! Full of old geysers too by the sound of it! Keep 'em coming. Stay bright! Stay safe! Love from all on the Costa xx
Everything sounds so amazing. I didn't realise NZ was such a hive of volcanic activity! Glad you've got used to the tent - you learn to love it, although i remember the early morning wake ups as soon as the sun came out and feeling like you were in a sweat box - at least neither of you have a BO issue! Can't believe your driving for miles aroun d in that car - do you actually manage to fit in comfortably Tom?! Glad to see those 6 weeks at Uni have gone to good use - although i'm sure you've learnt more in 3 weeks there! Just read your last 3 blogs in a row - needed to catch up, i'm rubbish at logging on! Hong Kong looked amazing - we are thinking of trying to stop off there on our honeymoon cos we've changed our mind about Langkawi, definitely persuaded us now! So pleased to hear that Zo is feeling better - it sounded awful poor thing, glad to hear you cleaned up the left overs though Tom! Anyway love to you both and we'll try Skype again soon - although think it might be better from Mum and Dads. Take care and keep enjoying it. Love to read the blogs - its like a lesson and comedy script it one - keep them coming! xxLove Cath and Al xxx
Enough of this Saga Lout business! As a budding geologist Tom you must have really been in your element in Rotorua and on White Island. Know exactly how you felt about the Hukka Jet (even though an old Saga Lout) - so exciting. You know we are really going to expect you to pronounce the longest place-name when you get back, so you'd better start practising. Glad Zo's OK now - keep the blogs coming - so entertaining (Bill Bryson eat your heart out!)Lots of love Aunty Kathy and Uncle Lenniexxxx
Kia ora to you too! Now you're in familiar territory (to us), and I can just see the places in my mind's eye that you're describing. Poor Zo - can't imagine how she's been feeling, but glad she's on the mend. You've covered a lot of ground so quickly. and I really take my hat off to you both for living in the tent - it's so small! Well, what the hell - you're young! Glad you're still having a ball. Lots of love Aunty Kathy and Uncle Lennie xxxx
And you thought you'd left all the old geysers at home!! Rogers Roses? Sounds like a new tin of chocolates!
Good to see that you're keeping in touch with some old geysers. I knew you'd miss having me around?
If all this travelling doesn't improve your Geography Zo, nothing will. It's brill seeing and hearing about these amazing places.
Very impressed with the spelling of the place names. I'm thinking that some of my Welsh ancestors may have been in New Zealand at some time with some of those names?
It seems like everyday there are new adventures for you guys and you're really enjoying it.
Wine country should certainly be smelling sweeter.
Take it easy in the "bullet".
xxxxxxxxxxxxxDaddy Russ
NZ Can't believe you went back to sulphur thermal hell hole!!!! I remember walking round there with a stinking hangover and feeling very close to death. Was it better without the hangover? Very smelly!!!
Quiet, but oh so pretty. NZ looks stunning. Glad that the oesophogitis is getting better. Bound to have some ups and downs on such a long trip. I'm sure that there will be lots of brilliant places along the way in NZ. The car looks very twee. Oh for some gears and a bit of power. Luv these blogs. They really fill in the gaps on what you guys are doing and give a flavour of what he places are like.
Keep well. Keep happy. Keep enjoying yourselves. xxxxxxxDad
wow sounds soooooo good!!!!! i'm really sorry to hear about Zo falling ill, hope you're alright now, or getting better! from the pictures it looks like such a beautifull city, all the neons and skylines and everything! you've really inspired me to go travelling now! sounds like you both are having the time of your lives! have a great christmas with baz! looking foward to the next blog! ;-) from Ben xxxxxxxxxxx
Brilliant Really loved reading about your travels so far and looking at the photos. I asked Nigel how your travels were going and he told me to read your blog. Brilliant. I hope everything continues to be so wonderful and such fun.
Love Liz and Chris
Love from Nan I'm sitting here in your Mum and Dad's house, eating them out of house and home, and have just read your last blog of Vietnam and Hong Kong. It must have been quite sad for you to leave Vietnam after such an exciting time there. Your travels sound so fantastic and you have such a great way of telling it. Looking forward to reading more. Take care. Lots of Love Nan (Mil) xxxx
What a skyline! You're right.The HK skyline is magnificent. Think I'll write to Croydon Council suggesting we have a Symphony of Lights here too! Well, Vietnam must seem like a wonderful dream by now. What an amazing country. The whole trip sounds out of this world (and you're only 5 weeks into it). Sorry to hear about Zo's problem. Hope it's all OK now. What a trooper she is!
Looking forward to the next installment. Have fun and take care. Lots of Love Aunty Kathy and Uncle Lennie xxxx
HK looks brill Love the photos in the wax works. The night time sky line is also stunning. Shame about the problem with the malaria tablets. Hope that the oespohogitis is getting better. You thought HK was cold. Wait until you get to the mountains in New Zealand!
It's really good to see all these great places that you're going to. Really looking forward to seeing the NZ photos. Keep safe, keep having fun. xxxxxxDad.
What a month!! What a lot you guys have done in the past month. Vietnam looks brill. I bet New Zealand will be VERY different. Colder, certainly. Enjoy HK. xxxDad
hello! Saigon sounds awesome, really interesting. Its good to see the conflicts through the locals eyes and their museums rather than the americans. And hey if I ever see Tribal Idol on ITV in the future I'll know where it came from!
Thanks for the b day card too guys, when I saw envelope I thought my pHD had finally come through.
Have a great time in Hong Kong (got to take some city skyline photos!) Sam x
What a fantastic country, I really would love to go myself one day. You must spend ages on your travelblog, but well worth it as it is both funny and educational! Enjoy the next stage of your journey. Love Auntie Sally x
Tough Time Hi Tom and Zo. Not only is this the first time I have ever replied to a blog but it is the first time I have ever read one! Sounds as though you're having a fantastic time without any risk of dehydration! I appreciate that you mentioned brekkie but it wasn't clear whether the thought had gone thru your mind or that you had actually gone to eat some! I wondered too about the shorts that you said you have purchased. I preume and hope they were to replace those which appear in some of the photos - that of you posing on the escalator for example. That said dear Zo doesn't ppear to have got any the less attractive with all your wearisome gadding about. Give her my love. Glad she enjoyed the parascending. I thought I was going to slip out of the harness when I did it so hang on maniacally. Brilliant. Heath and I hope the enjoyment continues. And now that we've got your blog address will continue to monitor. As they say on 'Strictly...' "Keep Dancing!"
Love Chocolate Man and Heather.
A few words from Wales !! Hello Tom and Zoe, I have looked at your wonderful collection of pictures, read your interesting stories and the comments from your family and friends. I see you have another eight months of exploring and I am already wondering if you will fall in love with NZ, we shall see. Your Grandpa had some good times there Tom, and believe it or not, he invited me to join him on one of his trips!! He will be watching over you both I am sure. Take great care of eachother, enjoy your days of adventure. We are off to Peter's place in Florida for Christmas. Just had a long talk with Pauline and Jimmy is recovering from his operation, so all good news from this end. love to you both, Pat and her Bill XX
Looks wicked Hi Guys
All looks wicked. A real eye opener as to how good a place Vietnam is. Great to see you having lots of adventures. Bound to be some not so good bits(sleeper buses!), but those not so good bits are often the ones that you'll look back on and laugh about.
Hope the rest of your time in Vietnam goes well. Hong Kong and beyond beckons!! Yipe a month gone, but wow what a lot you've done so far. xxxxxxxxxxxxDad
What a time! Hi guys - I'm sitting in the office with 'f' all to do - again and I thought I'd comment on your blog. Absolutely brilliant, so interesting and amusing and I compliment you both on disciplining yourselves to write in such detail. Everything looks so much fun and your camera skills are something to behold. The picture of Miss Russ in mid air is pretty clever. Keep having a wonderful time and keep the blogs coming - they're great. NZ soon - different culture, different cost and maybe they have drinkable vodka! Lots of love, Dad xx
Joe
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South Island
You will love the South Island, it is stunning. I hope the weather holds for you, NZ weather is a bit too wet and British for my liking. Tom get that hair cut! Only 3 weeks left for me and then back to blighty to find a job :-( Enjoy yourselves Cheers Joe