Blogs from North Shore, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

Me voilà à Helensville chez Judi et Paul depuis maintenant 4j. Ils habitent une maison au milieu des champs, avec une chienne Izzie (qui bave bcp quand il y a des orages et qu'elle a peur) une vache Lucie, 4 poules et un coq. C'est un couple fantastique de bonté et de générosité ! Des parents de substitution! Pendant deux jours j'ai fait du bois avec Paul et nous avons monté une nouvelle gouttière sur son hangar. Entre temps je suis monté à Whangarei (2h de bus) pour essayer une voiture : vaste arnaque et grosse perte de temps et d'argent. Je suis donc tjs à la recherche d'une auto, elle tarde à montrer le bout de son capot mais je ne désespère pas. Ici il pleut toujours depuis mon arrivée, mon lombaires vont mieux ;) ... read more

The trek to Bangkok by Mike We departed the ship early morning and got an excursion which for us was as much about getting our luggage to the airport as anything else. We went to a couple of places we had already seen like Hagia Sophia although we went to a different area which was nice. It was still a buzz seeing it again too. We went to the Hippodrome – the venue of sporting contests in ancient times. Chariots would ride in and race here. There was also a pillar brought from Egypt to Constantinople which was cool as didn’t get there. We took tons of photos for you Carl! We then went to the Chora Museum which was a church and it contains some of the most beautiful mosaic. Then there was the trek ... read more

Rhodes by Michelle I woke up in the port of Rhodes and looked out the porthole to get my bearings. WOW – there’s a castle outside the window! After breakfast we walked into the old fortified town of Rhodes and had an explore. Our first observation of the shopkeepers is whilst (like the Turkish one) they still say “yes please, yes please, come on in please”, they aren’t as pushy. A simple no thankyou or just browsing is acceptable which meant we were actually able to browse. Mike and Jacob had been dying to get a new chess set and the lure of a Greek mythology set made out of alabasta was too hard to pass up (despite the continuing issues we have with increasing luggage weight). Wanting a cold drink and a snack we made ... read more

Istanbul by Michelle Feel a bit queasy this morning. Perhaps all the travel and excitement catching up with me? Perhaps the 4:30am wake up then unable to go back to sleep in case we miss the alarm for the flight to Istanbul? Most likely the mental taxi driver to the airport! Lovely man and all and only to too willing to chat about sights on the way and point them out. No I mean really! He’s driving us down the motorway looking out the window and pointing to something to show Mike whilst madly gesticulating with the other hand and I look at the speedo and it reads 155km/hour. Feck - my blood pressure can’t take this!!! By the time you account for airports, transfers flights and time differences it’s around 4:30pm when we arrive at ... read more

Saturday night is Barca night by Mike OK so I have been totally indulged here. Michelle lets me buy three tickets at €90 each (a bargain I say)…we make Sat Oct 5 a drop dead day to get to Barcelona and sacrifice all things to get here on time. I booked the tickets last night and all things seem in hand. We did have to get the tickets physically because I couldn’t print the e tickets but that’s OK… We arrive at camp site and book in – I look at the timetables and last train leaves at midnight…no way we will make it. “What ways to get into and out of Barcelona?” I ask. Taxi out – apparently horrendous cost and they aren’t allowed to go in farther than the airport already?! We tentatively decide ... read more