City Shanghai/ Hong Kong/ Seoul/ Daegu Language Bit of Everything Currency Korean Won 850W = NZ$1.00 Climate 35’C. Fine and sunny We awoke to a sunny day with only a few clouds, a great day for travelling. It was definitely worth staying at the airport hotel (Airport Motel 168) as it saved us a very early start from the city. We were actually able to have quite a relaxed start to the day, only having to check in 40 minutes before our flight. Luggage weight was good with Shaun on 24.5kgs and Jennie on 23.5kgs. On board our Cathy Pacific 777 300 series and Shaun swore he recognised the first officers voice on the PA system. He asked if Paul was on the flight deck and the cabin crew said “Yes, but he is too busy ... read more

City Shanghai, China Language Mandarin Currency Chinese Yuan Climate high 34c - low 25c - sunny, thunderstorm then fine This morning our plan was to venture out to the “Cybercity” store to buy some cheap computer peripherals on our way to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel to the other side of the river. On our shopping list in particular was to purchase a new memory stick - as all our life is stored on about half a dozen USB memory sticks that clutter up the bag and take up precious space. We also thought a small travel mouse could be useful and a nice sleeve to keep the netbook protected (it lives in its original packaging at present). So off we went in the direction we thought we had been given but we soon realised that we ... read more

City Shanghai, China Language Mandarin Currency Chinese Yuan - 5Y = NZ$1 Climate high 35c - low 27c -hot and very sunny Awake early (around 6am) we thought it would be a good idea to venture out along the Bund and witness the early morning Tai Chi and other morning exercises that the Bund is renowned for. On the way we passed a lovely bakery that sold wonderful pastries and great coffee. We bought three varieties of goodies and 2 coffees for our breakfast. All up a total of about 42Y or approx NZ$8. Jennie’s typical excellent navigational skills were sadly lacking after such a yummy breakfast and so after an unscheduled 1-2 kilometre scenic detour - it was too late to witness the early morning Bund activities. Instead we decided to carry on walking towards ... read more

City Sydney Language English Currency Australian dollar Climate high 19c - low 9c - sunny Saturday dawned bright, early and noisy as one would come to expect from Australia. In fact it started about 5.00am with the orchestral symphony of bird squawks, squeaks and screeches, ensuring we didn’t sleep in and miss our first full day of holidays. Apparently they were on their best behaviour. But it was not enough to deter us falling asleep again! In fact it was a very relaxing day, with a walk along the San Souci coast enjoyed by all (including Wally the dog) in the morning and a good ol’ gourmet Ozzie burger for lunch. This was all in preparation for a very special occasion in the evening. We were to experience a dining delight at Sepia with David and ... read more