Back in the ol' UK!

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Finally home after a wonderful three-and-a-half sunny months abroad. Strangely enough, I'm actually enjoying the freezing weather back over here but I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon! Funny to think that on Monday I was boiling on Bondi beach and on Wednesday morning I was back in England wrapped in as many layers as I could find!
After leaving New Zealand, I spent four and a half days in Sydney - a very brief visit to Australia but at least it was a taster of the country. I arrived on Australia Day, so I had the chance to watch the fireworks at Darling Harbour with my cousin Vanessa (who I was travelling with for three weeks in Argentina and who lives in Sydney). I also met up with Jade and Danin, the two Australian brothers who I'd got to know in Mendoza in Argentina. Jade lives in Bondi, so staying with him was a great introduction to the Australian beach/surf lifestyle!
I had one day in Singapore as a final stopover on the way home. The city was shockingly centred around retail, consisting of one souless shopping mall after another. I can see why they create indoor air-conditioned malls because the climate is so hot and humid outdoors but it was worrying to see how the whole place seemed to have been swallowed up by commercialism. Of course, one day is not enough to get to know a city properly and I may well have an unbalanced impression of the place.
As a final word, I'd say that if I were to choose my favourite parts of the whole trip, the four day trek in Torres del Paine National Park in the South of Chile and the visit to the red rock valleys in North-Western Argentina would probably be the highlights. If any of you are planning to visit Uruguay, Argentina, Chile or New Zealand, I'd of course be more than happy to give some more detailed advice but I suppose I've wittered on enough for the time being!
Thank you all for sharing in my trip and looking forward to catching up with you in person very soon now I'm back at home.

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Photos

Gardens of the Presidential Palace, Singapore
A welcome escape from the shopping malls! Chinese New Year celebrations meant that the Singaporean Presidential Palace and Gardens were open to the public.

Arrival at Heathrow...
on a very cold Winter morning!