Great Review You can write, which is a wonderful thing as so many Bloggers cannot.
Enjoyed your review on Mui Ne. So much so that I and my wife are leaning against stopping there. We're currently in Da Lat. Beautiful town with abysmal restaurants but worth a visit. There's always Pho to be had.
Wow Soph, you really are having the most fantastic time that I am beginning to wonder if you will ever want to come back to the UK, except for Christmas Day of course. Can't wait until we see you at the end of Feb in Kerala, a whole 9months worth of cuddles to catch up on!!!!!
xxx
Happy Christmas. Dear Sophie,
How we are enjoying your wonderful travel blog. You really must write a book about your experiences, you have so much talent and skill. It's impossible to choose a favourite but I have to add a little note to your excellent account of Sydney. It's over 40 years since I was there!!!! The Opera House was still being built but I still have the most delightful memories of the Harbour, the bridge, the Rocks area and especially a day spent crossing back and forth the Harbour by every possible means available.
No doubt you know of the Big Freeze here so enjoy the sunshine and have a fantastic Christmas. Enjoy the rest of your trip and we look forward to reading more about your adventures in 2011.
Lots of love,
Yvonne and Steve. x x
You are so independent........... I really am proud of you coping with all that. I am damn useless when faced without shower etc. It's soooooo nice have your blogs to read and keep in touch with.
Good news, I passed my MRCS the other day. All done and dusted without any exams left to do for 4-5yrs. Am so very happy.
Love you lots and lots
Jess
Great to hear from you. Dear Sophie,
We have just enjoyed reading your wonderful blog.It's good to hear that you are having such a brilliant time. You could write a fantastic travelogue, you have huge talent. We look forward to reading about your exploits in Australia. Wish we could share some of the Aussi sunshine!
Lots of love,
Yvonne and Steve. X X
looks good to me! Unfortunately we don;t have the diary here at the moment, but thoughts are:
Franzjosef - definately the better glacier. the ice trek is amazing!
Wellington - you can go into the beehive and watch some of the politics. worth it if you need some to do for a bit and want to laugh at politicians...
black water rafting - *think* this is what we did - was called something like tub thumping...good fun, if it is the same as we did it is 'gentle' rafting rather than rapids, and black cos it's dark...
Are you going to get the chance to go north of Auckland? as there is some interesting stuff up there. also, are you going to Milford Sounds?
xx
bikedivine
Just seen the web site. The Havelock North tour is to die for. Where do I begin. Well Craggy range is impressive and their Bordeux like reds are great, Te Mata (the hill), great lunch and excellent whites. Black Barn; boutique winery with the most elegant reserve Chardonnay in NZ. We wished we had stayed there, as they don't export any wines to Europe. Clear View is a delight and the only place we brough wines back from. You must try the gewurtztraminer, your mum still goes on about it. Then try the fortified pudding wine (like really good ort and sherry in one). I never visited the elephant but the wines are good.
To impress you fellow cyclists state your need to visit and taste the reds produced in the Gimblet Gravels, as they are regarded as the best in the land,even the shiraz! You should ride through it on the way to Craggy range.
We have picked fruit all week and mummy is makig jams and things, washed down with something someone else bothered to pick for us!
xx
dad
Leaving Hi Sophie
Hope the skin is improving and the snow is falling again. You asked about routes and stop offs on your way to Nelson/Picton.
The drive to Christchurch is a bit boring after Wanaka, but Christchurch itself is a larger and much more dare I say it European (well to be frank English) town. Lots of bars and very pretty (well it was in the summer). The route from Christchurch to Picton along the coast is memorable, great coastline (where the whales are) and then beautiful vineyard country. You end up in Picton at the head of the maginificent Marlborough Sounds, my personal favourite in all of NZ.
The alternative route follows the Hass pass, then the glacier fileds with some of the most stunning scenery in the world along the western highway up to Greymouth (where the Monfieth brewery is). It is a small stopping off place and not memorable other than being at the western edge of the Trans Alpine railway to Christchurch.
The route to Nelson is spectacular through deep gorges and stunning mountains. Nelson leads to the Abel Tamsan area, and if you go west enough the one place I regret missing out on, Golden Bay (though if you go they say it is difficult to leave many have stayed and dropped out!)
A compromise would be to drive to Greymouth then train across to Christchurch, then follow the road to Picton, via Blenheim (where the vineyards are centered in Marlborough). Do try the Green lipped mussels in Picton. It all depends on how much time you have and if you could then fit in a trip to Nelson and the Abel Tamsan way. If not the Queen Charlotte way is better anyway, and you could treat yourself to a night at Ferneigh Lodge (I will treat you if you wish), a gorgeous isolated hotel with an excellent bar.
If that doesn't persuade you the wine will. The wines of Marlborough are much better than those in the Nelson area. Try a Gewurztraminer for a change,or a Pinot Noir, rather than the traditional sav blanc's. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Anyway speak soon and just to cheer you up we have just had one of the wettest July's on record in the North.
xxx
dad
Awesome plan! Hey, this sounds like a really cool plan. what you'll have to do is tell us which bits are really good and which ones aren't worth it and we can steal all the good ones for our trip! :)
xxx
Mike Richards
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Great Review
You can write, which is a wonderful thing as so many Bloggers cannot. Enjoyed your review on Mui Ne. So much so that I and my wife are leaning against stopping there. We're currently in Da Lat. Beautiful town with abysmal restaurants but worth a visit. There's always Pho to be had.