Australia and New Zealand

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I started the New Zealand and Australia part of my trip in Auckland, which was cold and grey, bit of a shock after Hawaii. I decided to head north to where it was slightly warmer, and went to the Bay of Islands area for a few days, where I went to the beach in Russell for a couple of days and went on a day trip to Cape Reinga, the most northerly part of New Zealand. After that it was to Wellington to stay with cousin Tracey for a few days of drinking related activity, including a ceilidh in a wee draughty hall, complete with very cheap alcohol and halloween celebrations a couple of weeks early. After Wellington we went to the north of the south island by ferry and spent a couple of days around Pickton and a twisty road to remote Punga cove, my first experience of car sickness in about 30 years. I had planned to stay longer in New Zealand, but Tracey already had a weekend in Sydney planned, so it was only right that I anoyed her by going with her and her friends. We had a day out in Sydney then headed for a night in Pittwater where a wallaby was bounding around the grounds of the hostel. After Sydney, I headed for the Outback, not so easy due to it being very far away. A 16 hour bus and train journey from Sydney took me to Broken Hill, still in New South Wales but almost on the border with South Australia. I spent a few days there doing a couple of day trips to different areas, but it worked out pretty expensive to do much more. Still, I got to see red earth, kangaroos and emus which was what I'd gone for.

After the journey back (leaving at a convenient 3.30am) I spent a couple of days in the Blue Mountains and then headed back for Sydney where I met up with a couple of people I'd met in South America (hi Belinda and Kirsten!). A very big thank you to Amanda and Danny who let me stay with them in Sydney. And then I flew to Tokyo.

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Photos

Ninety mile beach
Drove along this beach towards Cape Reinga

Latest New Zealand adventure sport
Extreme ceilidh

Family dental problems
It's a cousin thing

Tracey
Modelling her new teeth on the ferry to the South Island. Unfortunately she can't compete with the knitting pattern model members of the family, but it was a good attempt.

Marlborough vineyard
Forgot to mention in the text that we had a day's winetasting in the Marlborough region

Still standing
Towards the end of the wine tasting, Tracey has to plant her feet wide to avoid capsizing.

Punga Cove
A wee walk above the bay we were staying at

Me and Tracey
On the beach at Watson's Bay, Sydney

Pittwater
Staying at Pittwater hostel for the night, from left: Nicole from Sydney, a friend of English Tracey whos name I can't rmemeber and who wasn't there very long, English Tracey from Wellington, Amanda from Sydney, Tracey, Lisa from Brisbane and another friend of English Tracey

Hotel from Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Which was of course closed

Kangaroos
Near Broken Hill

Comments

[Chi]

wow, I like the "red earth, outback" pic! Have a nice trip! :)