Good decision making today. Caught the early (10am) ferry from Craignure to Oban. This gave us time to stop for a leisurely lunch in Luss, beside Loch Lomond, before heading onto Glasgow, arriving mid-afternoon, hence missing the heavy peak hour traffic. Time to relax and unwind.... read more

We had no trouble setting off from Gourock at 6.50am for our destination, Oban, and the ferry to the Isle of Mull, as we wished to miss the heavy workday traffic as it headed into Glasgow. Once we had crossed the Erskine Bridge it was full steam ahead … well, slow steam ahead for us, as every vehicle on the road continually roared past us. Following the shore of Loch Lomond, we continually pulled in to either walk its shore, visit the very small villages such as the beautiful Luss or small track walks into the forest to view places of interest such as waterfalls, gravesites, and remnants of a bygone era. The road was windy with no shoulders, so care was continually taken … certainly by us as the car was generously loaned to us ... read more

A tiring flight ended at Manchester Airport with the welcoming and smiling faces of Rob and Mary. A quick dash down the M56 to Caldy on the Wirral overlooking the River Dee with North Wales off in the distance. We spent the days of comfort in conversation, short walks and just plain old fashion well needed relaxation in a very welcoming home.... read more

We took the bus into Wellington Central early, watching Wellingtonians ‘go to work’. As it was well before opening time for the Te Papa Museum, we scurried about visiting areas we had not seen before. The wind was picking up! Even though we tried to do the museum justice by spending 3 hours learning, thoroughly enjoying and being ‘moved’ by the fascinating displays and information we knew we still had only scratched the surface. Te Papa is full of the treasures and unique stories of Aotearoa New Zealand from Maori and Pacific culture, to art and the natural environment. Level 3, Blood Earth Fire, was my favourite. We began at level 6 and worked our way to level 3, with 2 and 1 still to go, however, we were out-on-our-feet. When Jane said she was tired, ... read more

An absolutely beautiful, pleasant, discovering day. The weather was terrific. We began by wandering the Waikanae Beach, making comments that the driftwood, shells and volcanic stones would be an artisans mecca. The weathering by sea and sand of the pieces of driftwood and stones into all sorts of shapes and smoothness had us wanting to take many pieces home but knew that was not possible. We were present when the local ferry ‘berthed’ (see photos). Birdlife was prolific. Kapiti Island is 5km across the Rauoterangi Channel and is a popular destination for many. Waikanae, meaning ‘waters of the grey mullet’ is also home to numerous walking, running, cycling and horse trails. The Tararua Ranges which we white knuckled experienced yesterday look over Waikanae and the Kapiti Coast. Tripping further south we came across, Paraparaumu. Its beach, ... read more