http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/the-kemps/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from the kemps en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:30:18 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:30:18 +0000 We left a very sunny Napier and made the drive of a few hours to Taupo stopping off for a peppermint tea and bacon sarnie All made in A Hole of course I love living in a camper at Huka falls which were very beautiful. From here we went to the Craters of the Moon Geothermal park but the rain started lashing it down so having bought a ticket and being allowed to come back the next day we se http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Taupo/blog-450402.html We left Golden Bay and prepared ourselves for the twisty turny two hour drive to get back on the main drag to Nelson I am such a rubbish passenger especially on hairpin bends We stopped off in Nelson for a mooch about nothing that exciting there really so we moved on to Havelock for lunch capital of the Green Lipped mussels and boy were they good From here we went for a bit of a drive th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Marlborough/Blenheim/blog-450395.html We left Murchison quite early and headed to Motueka to stock up on provisions for the next few days making sure we raided a deli of at least five different cheeses before we left We had been told of a really sweet place to stay right on the edge of Abel Tasman NP so after stopping off at a gorgeous bay for some lunch we made our way round the windy roads to the Barn and spent the afternoon getti http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Abel-Tasman-National-Park/Marahau/blog-445634.html We were looking to Shantytown to deliver something pretty great to lift our spirits but on closer inspection discovered it was New Zealandrsquos Black Country Museum so gave it a miss. Morale was pretty low how sad are we but I so wanted to go to Glastonbury again and even the biggest muffin ever couldnrsquot cheer me up especially when I bit into it We saw one of the brown attraction si http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Murchison/blog-445614.html The road to Franz Josef was pretty cool and we arrived just as the mist and the rain set in. The one difference between here and home is they actually know what the weather is doing so we were advised to wait it out for a day until the skies cleared. This basically involved a lot of brandy and backgammon We did manage to nip out in the rain for a hot chocolate and a muffin and then we were very k http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-445610.html We left very early to start the journey to Milford Sound unfortunately in the rush a tragedy occurred Ted the turtle that I bought as a replacement for Barclay must have dropped out of the van and his final resting place was Te Anau bye Ted. Luckily Tel decided to drive and I was very grateful its basically a twisty turny road round hairpin bends and tunnels through the southern Alps amaz http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Wanaka/blog-445602.html So we left a very hot Australia behind and headed even further away from home towards Auckland. We had been wanting to do a flight over the great barrier reef but when we went out to the reef from Airlie the helicopter had crashed joy so it was out of action but as we took off from Cairns we had the most amazing view of the barrier reef and we flew over it for nearly an hour so we managed to http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Dunedin/blog-445598.html Itrsquos quite weird sitting typing this as I have got so behind we are nearly half way through our time in south island Irsquom about a month behind with this as we have been moving around so much and itrsquos too cold to have the window open for the power lead for the computer what a hard life I hear you say Anyway back to Australiahelliphellip..We left Airlie by about 8.30 and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Mission-Beach/blog-443948.html It was a 4 hour drive from cape Hillsborough to Airlie and we had heard some not so great things about the place. When we arrived we found the closest caravan park to the city and secured ourself an overpriced pitch right by the main road joy Of all the parks we have stayed in Airlie was the most expensive and the worst facilities but it has the draw of the Whitsunday so it gets away with it http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Airlie-Beach/blog-440069.html We left Yeppoon and ended up in Emerald by about 2.30. On the page of the map i was looking at it looked as if we were about a quarter of the way across Australia but when looking at the big map we were only about 10 Australia really is a massive country We arrived in Emerald and it was absolutely boiling instead of over heating in Clyde we decided to try go into Sapphire and RubyVale and try http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Emerald/blog-440059.html After a lovely but windy day at Kemp beach we made our way back to our much coveted corner plot and within ten minutes of our chairs being out our new neighbours on both sides were round for chat We were staying in between two sisters and their husbands Graham and Val and Bob and Bev. Not only were they hilarious they were so kind to us lending us kettles putting up a tarpaulin on the fe http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Great-Keppel-Island/blog-440022.html Having seen most of what Hervey Bay Godrsquos waiting room is what the locals call it has to offer we had another dinner of microwave popcorn and set off in search of our next beachfront campsite. After studying the maps and all the information leaflets we made our way a bit further along the Bruce Highway to the town of 1770. Therersquos not really much going on in 1770 itrsquos the si http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Rockhampton/blog-435344.html I have started studying campsite books like I do hotels on the internet so I managed to find a really sweet site right on the beach that luckily had a lovely little spot for us right on the front. We spent the first day walking halfway along the beach itrsquos 17km and doing a bit of sunbathing well itrsquos been a whileOn the second day there I decided that if I didnrsquot do th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Hervey-Bay/blog-435341.html We managed to find our way out of Sydney easily and before we knew it we were heading along the Pacific Highway. As we were cruising along surprisingly quicklyl we decided to bypass Newcastle and spend our first night in Clyde at Port Stephens. We found the site we had been told about pretty easily We need to stay at sites most nights as we have no loo or shower got checked in and started to http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Byron-Bay/blog-435336.html The train journey was pretty funny there were Devonshire cream teas available unfortunately they sold out before our carriage gutted so we had to make do with lots of coffee and biscuits. Considering how long the journey was the train pulled in exactly on time very impressive We got a cab to our plush lsquoserviced apartmentsrsquo we had booked it was meant to be in posh Potts Point but http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Potts-Point/blog-431999.html We flew from Bali Via Singapore and we had 8 hours to kill in between flights and if you ever get stuck in an airport Singapore is the place to be We were entertained by a selection of pre olympic sport type activities which were hilarious Tel managed to pip me to the post on the inflatable horse racing but only because he threw himself on the floor in front of me so i couldn't win we each g http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/St-Kilda/blog-430644.html We spent a few days in Ubud sorting our bags out doing some washing shopping and eating lots of lovely food We then decided it was time to see some of the island as we had only been to the harbour and to Ubud so we set off with Ketut our host on a trip around the island for the day. We visited Goa Gajah the elephant cave followed by Tirta Empul and it's holy springs. From here we went for l http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Gunung-Agung/blog-430634.html So we couldn't get a boat straight to Gili Air we had to go back to Gili T and then over to Gili Air on the afternoon boat so off we went back to Gili T then after a few hours drinking too much coffee we got a very choppy boat over to Gili Air. I know it must sound really strange going back to the Gili's after our initial disappointment but as the boat from Bali had cost so much money and the g http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Lombok/Gili-Air/blog-430626.html So we left Gili T on the local boat over to Lombok. When you arrive on Lombok you have to run the gauntlet at bangsal harbour they drop you off at the harbour and you walk about 10 mins up the road to the bus station. On the way you are harassed and generally annoyed by hundreds of people trying to take your ticket sell you a ticket sell you a sharks tooth necklace and well pretty much just hi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Lombok/Sengigi/blog-430617.html So we set off on foot away from the big resorts and started asking at every place along the way it became clear pretty quickly that because it was high season the prices were ridiculous some places were asking 200 quid a night to stay on the floor It seems lots of westerners have bought land on the island built 'boutique beach chic' huts and are asking sky high prices for them Eventually afte http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Lombok/Gilli-Trawangan/blog-430339.html