Episode 1 August 7, 2013 Ola, Cidade Maravilhosa. Greetings from Brazil, the land of sun, sand, samba (and soccer). After a long and arduous journey that involved flights delays, missed connections, lost luggage and an unexpected overnight stay in Sao Paulo, we finally arrived - with our luggage - in Rio de Janeiro (River of January in Portuguese, because the the European settlers thought that bay was the mouth of a large river). The title above means "Hello, Marvelllous City", as the cariocas (Residents of Rio) call this place. Indeed it is the most physically beautiful city I have ever seen, sprawling between huge rocky outcrops, golden sand beaches and with lush rainforest trees permeating all the streets. The people have been nice and friendly, although most do not speak English. Portuguese is the language here, ... read more

USA trip- postscript 27.9.12 Dear all, Below is a selection of photos from our trip (these are the same pics as those posted on Facebook last week). Click on one for a larger view, then scroll through. Craig and Ross.... read more

Episode 4: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. (10.9.12) America has, in the words of Bill Bryson, a giddying abundance of absolutely everything. We found their Safeway Supermarkets to be great one-stop shops, selling everything, from all manner of food (including “spray-on” cheese in a can), fishin’ and huntin’ needs, a pharmacy for all your drugs, always a toilet, and an extensive alcohol selection (beer and spirits regularly at half the price that we pay in Australia). However, overall we both agreed that much of the food here varies from unremarkable to downright ghastly (and often in huge helpings of ghastliness). I was well aware of this, but it was something of a shock to Ross. On a couple of occasions we were caught out and had no choice but to assault our throats with tasteless ... read more

Craig and Ross USA 2012 Episode 2 : Disneyland and Las Vegas 28/ 8/12) Hello to all. After Los Angeles, we picked up a hire car and successfully navigated the spaghetti plate of freeways South East to Anaheim, the location of the mother of all theme parks. I had been to Disneyland some 24 years ago and enjoyed it, but now, on the verge of 50, I wondered what I would think. Ross had never been previously, but it was a childhood dream of his. We both had a great time. Ross had smiles and laughter on his face the whole time. DL is more than just getting your picture taken with Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. We especially loved the 3D virtual roller coaster type rides, such as the Star Tours (Star Wars) ride, which ... read more

Hi folks, Below are pictures from our recent NZ trip (click on individual image to enlarge) Craig... read more