Penultimate posting!

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Hello again. Final pictures to follow in a few days, then no more travel blog for me - until the next time perhaps?

I'm back in the UK. I'm not in my own home yet, enjoying a few days at Andrew, Nic and Lauren's house peacefully (ish) by the river at Radley just south of Oxford. I feel quite strange at the moment (what's new?!) so just taking it steady and not putting too much pressure on myself to achieve too much too quickly.

Anyway, the last 10 days or so of travelling were full of highs and lows. I spent my last 'proper' days in New Zealand back on the Great Barrier Island with Wayne. I felt very fortunate to be back there. It is a great place and he made me very welcome - particularly as I took posh chocolate and fresh green vegetables with me (that sounds a bit strange doesn't it - perhaps I should explain, as an island of around 650 people, they don't always have the quantity/variety of vegetables that you and I are used to when we pop down to Waitrose). Wayne is a generous soul and I was very glad to have the opportunity to spend some more time with him.
Towards the end of the week we spent a couple of days camped out on the east coast at Harataonga and kayaked out to an island called Rakitu (also know as Arid Island). As Wayne put it, the kayaking I had done before (in the Sounds and at Okarito) was really 'sea kayaking for wusses'. Just getting off and on to the beach was an achievement - he did time the return for maximum wave breaking impact though! Fortunately the shout of 'Paddle or Die' only came once or twice. I thought I was still in the relatively sheltered area of the Hauraki Gulf, but no, we were out in the Southern Ocean - next stop Chile. No wonder the swell was big - although I guess it all seems bigger when you are that low down. Wayne went free diving while we were over at the island - to catch dinner. My first lobster - very nice and very fresh!
I also spent a day as a deckhand on a boat that Wayne skippers - the Mokum. We took two groups of 10 retired people out for a trip up/down the west coast. Fortunately the drugs, pressure bands and ginger tablets worked a treat so I was able to chat to the passengers and make the tea and coffee without throwing up. It's amazing that unless you tell them otherwise, assuming you look reasonably confident, people think you know what you are doing. 'How long have you been doing this?' 'Er, actually, it's my first and last day!'.
It was good to be sharing a home for a few days particularly as I was rather 'hostelled out'. That said, I am not missing being eaten alive by mosquitoes every time I went out to the long drop...

So, I left New Zealand last Sunday for Hong Kong . What a contrast.
How can a place sustain so many shops?! I was lucky to be met on Sunday evening by Ricky and his wife and baby - Ricky was on the Earthwatch expedition back on Kanagaroo Island all those months ago. The pollution was pretty bad - I found myself craving fresh air and blue sky as well as some peace and quiet. From Kowloon you could only just see Hong Kong island because of the low cloud and smog. Anyway, good food - dim sum three days running plus a high tea at the Peninsula Hotel and I did get some trousers made at Sam the Tailors. Now all I need to do is find some other smart clothes and boots from somewhere amongst my numerous boxes of stuff. I am already enjoying wearing my jeans after 6 months without them...I can now dress more like a woman again instead of the unisex traveller / tramper look.

It was lovely to be met by Lisa at the airport, followed by Mum and Dad a few minutes later. And Lauren threw herself at me when I got to Radley so I hadn't been forgotten - hoorah!

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