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  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    21

    København

    22 augusti 2017, Danmark ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    So across the water we went.. well on a train.. over a bridge and into Denmark!

    To drive the famous Oresund bridge - joining Sweden and Denmark - costs a whopping 35 euros each way. With parking rumoured to cost the same, taking the train was definitely the best option.

    Our primary reason for visiting Denmark was the Carlsberg visitors centre. We are both beer fans but Carlsberg is definitely one of my favourites! There is a free shuttle bus to the visitors centre where your ticket gives entry to the various exhibitions - including a Guinness World Record Breaking collection of unopened beer bottles - and two free beers. We also paid a little extra for a guided tour and our bearded guide was funny and informative. We enjoyed the free beers in beautiful sunshine and spent a good four hours here before heading back to the city.

    Planning to visit Nyhavn - the colourful houses at the port - we were not disappointed. Copenhagen is a really nice city. It feels alive and definitely tops my list of Nordic/Scandinavian cities so far. The spires on the churches are interestingly designed, the body of water running through its centre reminds me of London with ultra modern buildings lined up next to grand old ones, there are canals and waterways everywhere.

    Not to mention the bike traffic - whilst Amsterdam is yet to come - I have never seen so many people using bikes - old and young, in suits, casual wear, dresses and heels and full on lycra kit - I was in heaven. Just a shame that we couldn't join them.

    Thanks to Cormac for the recommendation, we headed to Papireon where we found a super cool street food market. It was packed to the rafters with tourists and locals alike. There were so many amazing foods to choose from but we settled on some falafel pita humus thing. Absolutely delicious and set us up for the stroll back to the train station.

    There are tonnes of things to do in Copenhagen that we lacked both time and money for.

    We'll be back.    Läs mer

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  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Malmo

    23 augusti 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    So the number one thing to do here in Malmo was a bridge.. that takes you out of Malmo..

    Maybe not the best advertisement

    We came to Malmo in between Stockholm and Stockholm as it is Swedens third biggest city and the ability to visit Copenhagen. So I suppose in that respect the bridge was the best thing for us to do here too!

    Apart from the bridge we saw the old town which pales in comparison to Stockholm. But, Malmo does have some beautiful parks, where we had a picnic and a good walk on the first day we arrived. We even stumbled across a windmill.

    Possibly the best find of the day was the English Shop where they stock everything English at a high price.. including an interesting description of marmite :)

    From here back to Stockholm now to pick up Hannah and Luke 😁    Läs mer

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  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Stockholm

    25 augusti 2017, Sverige ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Take two!

    So back to Stockholm airport to pick up Hannah and Luke.

    So not much to say sightseeing wise as the main reason for meeting here was the Stockholm leg of the World Triathlon Series. We headed in on the Saturday to watch the womens and mens tri starting next to the Town Hall.

    Busy day in beautiful sunshine, following the action across the city, we saw Jonny Brownlee win the mens race, which was pretty cool. Jodie Stimpson and the other female brits also made me desperate to get back on my bike! We also ended up watching the mens race with one of the brit athletes, Tom Bishops, mother and got a sneaky snap of him post race chatting to Louise Minchin.    Läs mer

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  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Oslo

    29 augusti 2017, Norge ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Sorry guys, I am very delayed here so will try to catch up!

    We only had one full day in Norways capital. Admittedly I was completely under prepared and hadn’t researched anything to do..

    Sunday we stocked up at the supermarket as were heading West toward Norway.. notorious for being hugely expensive. Our stopover was next to a lake in Varmskog in central Sweden. Staying in little cabins, with tiny doors, we had a relaxed evening playing scattegories.

    On arrival the evening before heading into the city, we were fed by our host a Norwegian dinner. It consisted of cauliflower soup to start and salmon for main and was really delicious.

    Our first destination in Oslo was the Holmenkollen Ski Jump museum. Nestled underneath the Ski Jump, the museum tells of the history of skiing in Norway and in general and has some cool interactive features including a wind machine that you stick your face in and switch from breeze to storm..

    There is a viewing platform from the top of the jump providing a moody view of the city.  There is also a ball pool .. not sure it was intended for adults but we slid in ..Stuart popping a ball on the way in :)

    There was also a zip wire that looked immense, but at £60 a pop, we decided against it! We were definitely beginning to discover how expensive Norway is!

    Heading back into the city, we got stuck in a signal fault and had to leave the subway. We ended up having to walk quite a way before we finally found some lunch at about 3pm.

    Good timing meant that a former colleague was holidaying in Oslo. She, like me, is a lawyer who is looking for a career change. Was great to catch up over beers opposite the Opera House and ended with promises to communicate any lightbulb moments about career choices!

    The day ended with our first escape room. Hannah and Luke had done one of these before and - for any of you who haven’t like us - you get locked in a set of rooms with the aim of solving puzzles/clues to escape. We were in a mafia setting and worked well as a team to get out within the hour.

    We then headed back to the apartment to sleep and prepare for a long drive west the next day.    Läs mer

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    Utne

    30 augusti 2017, Norge ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    And way out west we went.. all the way to the Fjords.

    The drive was MAGNIFICENT. Firstly winding up through the mountains where we first glimpsed actual snow on the mountains. Cue a stop at the side of the road where we jumped out in shorts and bare feet to take photos. Surrounded by geared up hikers in boots and jackets.. the Brits really were on tour!

    Winding down the other side of the mountains the road opened up to our first sight of the Fjords..

    Took. my. Breath. Away. We had to take a car ferry across to the body of land where we were staying. Whilst waiting we did a shop for a couple of days worth of food which bankrupted us all.

    What followed for me was days of the most spectacular scenery of our trip. Our accommodation was an old school house sitting on the shore of the Hangerfjord. The view from one of our windows in photo 1. we had direct access to the Fjord, which was freezing, and only Luke was brave enough to jump in. Although I did crouch down to cover up to my neck..

    Everywhere we drove was beautiful but treacherous as there are steep drops on many sides of the roads winding along the coast of the Fjords, where lorries and buses fly around hairpins at 80kmph….

    We went for a walk up some steep rocks which we decided to descend when the rain came across the Fjord and made our return quite slippery. Worth the short hike for a more expansive view, blocked in the attached photo by me and Hannah!

    None of these drives however compared to my fear the day we decided to visit the ski centre nearby. We had learnt of the ability to ski nearby and whilst I didn’t intend to ski I was keen to see snow in August! So our first hurdle was negotiating passing a herd of cows on a single track road lead by a farmer who had clearly given up. He half heartedly shooed them away to enable us to pass all but about 2 who refused to budge instead continuing to block our path without a care in the world. Ignoring Stuarts insistence that they would move if I drove at them, me arguing how we would explain the car shaped dent in the bonnet to Kev, I stayed behind bricking myself that they would turn and launch themselves at the car. Following this first stressful ordeal, the second hurdle was working the toll barrier - which didn’t want to accept any of our cards - whilst avoiding a herd of deadly (or just nosey) sheep. Heading straight for us and staring intently, my friend was terrified they would attack. Just in the nick of time the barrier rose and safely in the car we drove onward and definitely upward toward the ski centre. Watching the temperature drop and the roads becoming increasingly moist, I started to feel a few nerves. Continuing up into the now snow laced heights, sheer drops accompanying narrow roads meant I had never been more pleased to see a WC when we got to the top. Quick stop for a pic of the Glacier skiers and back down to calm my nerves with a stiff cup of tea!

    We had relaxing days, partly due to the huge cost of many of the activities vs budget. Did enjoy a few exorbitantly expensive beers and an inside BBQ. No real internet meant we managed to play lots of rounds of Mexican train :)    Läs mer

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    Amsterdam

    5 september 2017, Nederländerna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    So.. a bit of a catch up here as I have really been slacking since being back in the UK!

    As some of you will know, though we had the most amazing experiences on our European leg, I have not 100% enjoyed living out of a bag, constantly on the move. We decided therefore to head back to the UK for a while to reevaluate what we are going to do next.

    As our most direct route took us through Amsterdam, it would have been rude not to stop. And I am glad we did. Stuart had visited before but I had not. It was grey and wet but this did not detract from the charm of the canals, bikes and skinny houses.

    After I insisted on finding a canal side breakfast of pancakes, we took a walking tour and explored the past and the present of this interesting, liberal city. We wandered along the waters edge, seeing the lean and leaning buildings. Some leaning sideways from subsidence, some leaning forward to maximise space whilst avoiding taxes based on the width of houses. We were lead through the red light district, where workers in their windows neighbour nurseries. We learnt of the tolerance of the Dutch, which has stood them in good stead through centuries of unrest in Europe and made Amsterdam a hugely successful trading port.

    Following the three hour walk, we treated ourselves to chips! Accompanied by delicious sauces and a pint of beer!

    There is so much we know we didn't see, In particular Anne Franks house, with a queue sneaking around the block, was a shame to miss. But we will have to return to really see the sights.

    Before heading for the boat to Newcastle, we visited a shopping centre and Stuart picked up a poffertges (small round pancakes) maker. Ever since my uncle (Cormac) made us poffertges some years ago with his maker, Stuart has wanted one, so I couldn't really say no! However, having tried it since once in Scotland, it is definitely something we need a bit more practice to perfect :)    Läs mer

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    Kuala Lumpur

    27 november 2017, Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    I am going to have to separate this blog from our time here in Malaysia's capital as there is much to tell and show about the city, the hotel and the food (of course!)

    Firstly we arrived here at 7am Malaysian time still feeling like it was the night before. Apart from a quick nap around lunchtime, we plowed through the day to try to avoid the jet lag. Unfortunately for Stuart this didn't work out too well as he hasn't seemed to be able to shake it!

    The first day we didn't venture out of the hotel .. which really there was no need to as it I such a nice place. But, more about that later..

    The next day was my 35th birthday! Stuart still feeling naff, we decided to stick nearby and went to see the famous Petronas Twin Towers. They feature on the majority of Kuala Lumpur's souvenirs and are well at home in amongst the skyscrapers dotted all around the KL skyline. A few photos taken outside, we then headed into the building which houses a 6 storey shopping mall .. needless to say I was in heaven! There is also a covered walkway - a blessing in the heat and humidity - to an Aquarium where we saw sharks, sea turtles, rays amongst other things!

    The next day Stuarts jet lag continued to defeat him so I made my way into the touristy centre alone. The public transport is easy to use and cheap though everyone seems to take taxis, but I managed the 2 stops on the train just fine. I visited the central market and the Petaling Street market in Chinatown. Then onto see the Merdaka Square, where the Malaysians celebrated the end of British Colonisation on 31st August 1957 and raised the Malaysian flag in place of the Union Jack.

    The next day I managed to drag Stuart out and we had a really interesting guided tour of the Masjid Jamek (Jamek Mosque). Malaysia is a predominantly muslim country and it was good for us to learn about both the mosque itself and the history of KL. More history and a glimpse of what the future holds for the city were then discovered in the City Gallery, a small exhibition with a miniature model of KL and its most important buildings.

    From where I am writing this, I can see the KL Tower, another tall structure, which lights up at night. Adding to the enormous amount of pollution - light and otherwise - that gives the allusion that it never gets truly dark here.    Läs mer

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    Hahei

    30 november 2017, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    So.. for those of you who have been waiting with baited breath and thinking “where are they!?!”.. well we are not in Hahei! But we were.. a couple of weeks ago.

    Briefly I have learnt here in New Zealand that the WiFi and phone signal are naff but otherwise the place is blooming gorgeous!

    I must I’m afraid miss chunks out but I’ll start with Hahei, which is an immaculate sandy beach on the Coromandel Peninsula.

    We drove almost directly here from Auckland, where our overnight stay was fun catching up with and meeting some new Auckland based friends. The drive was windy and incredibly scenic.

    On arrival we kayaked with Brad - our instructor/barista - and some other couples around to Cathedral Cove. It’s a bay where there is a stunning natural arch. Where we stopped for cappuccinos and cookies.

    The sun was shining, the sea was fresh and my arms felt like they were going to fall off. We learnt about the marine reserve and the first discoverers to NZ and revelled in the stunning scenery.

    Tired out we managed the nearest campsite which was beachside and from our camper we could hear the sea as we fell asleep.    Läs mer

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    Hobbiton

    3 december 2017, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Again missing chunks (apologies!) before I run out of data, I move swiftly on to our journey to Middle Earth!

    We met on a bright sunny day with my uncle Peter and his friend Andy. They had been before but we gatecrashed this, their second trip, and what a day to do it. I’ve never seen greener countryside. The place is immaculately kept and the tour was great.

    Finishing off with a feast fit for a hobbit we ate as much as we could before leaving to make our way to Rotorua.

    The only way I can describe it is IT SMELLS.
    So being that I was with three chaps I really thought how rude that one of them was farting away in the company of the nice couple who we were staying with that night. It was only after a while that I connected the smells and remembered that we were in a place famed for its thermal pools..
    Which do stink!

    On advice from the couple we sacked off the suspiciously timed well known geyser (which goes off at 10.15 on the dot each morning ..) and visited the, free,
    park across the road instead. Misty pools and boiling mud, it was quite otherwordly too!

    We then headed to Amaze.me, a circular hedge maze which stuart and Andy quickly beat me to the middle of! Once we had played the supersized games on offer and I had also lost at checkers we went our separate ways.

    Good weather, company and fun!    Läs mer

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  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
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    Kuala Lumpur part 2

    5 december 2017, Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Arriving at the plush lobby of the Shangri-la Hotel in KL, they were happy to check us in even though it could have been no later than 9am. From start to finish it has been a fabulous experience. The hotel is gorgeous, the staff are very accommodating and no-one has made us feel any less than 5* even though we definitely look more 2*!! Hence it was not really an issue to spend the whole first day here. Relaxing, eating and swimming in the pool with the view of the KL tower. Our room had a view over the sky scrapers opposite that is quite impressive at night.

    The breakfast choice was just incredible. I have never seen so many options. The proximity of China and India was clear with extensive Chinese and Indian choices for the breakfast buffet. The Malaysian/Chinese Nyonya curry was a favourite of mine. There were samosas, Chinese tarts, salmon, all types of eggs, pastries, pizza, salads, pasta and even icecream and TWO chocolate fountains. No surprise then that we didn't eat lunch once whilst we were here!

    Twice we visited the nearby Jalan Alor. It is a street filled with food stalls and restaurants for Malay, Chinese and Thai cuisine amongst others. We had some great street food and tried to ensure we tried some Malaysian dishes. A favourite being Mee Goreng - a noodle dish. The place was packed with locals and tourists alike so we were glad to find a seat. The place was packed, noisy and smelly - both good with the variety of food being cooked fresh and bad with the smell of the Durian fruit.. a local fruit that smells so awful in its natural form that it is banned from most places - including our hotel!

    As some of you will be aware, it was my 35th birthday whilst we were staying at the hotel. Admittedly I had read that the hotel may do something similar - good old trip advisor - so I was desperately hoping that I too would be the recipient of a treat. And once again the hotel did not disappoint a chocolate - my favourite! - birthday cake was brought to the room. It was delicious and I was delighted!    Läs mer

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    To the South Island

    6 december 2017, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Hereby missing out most of the week we spent in the North Island.. On to the South!

    You see I figure if I don’t catch up before I leave New Zealand, I may never get round to this at all, never mind actually remember what we did!

    We got the InterIslander ferry to Picton from Wellington. We could have spent much more time in the North Island as it really shouldn’t be underestimated, especially the beaches (Papamoa - had a lovely swim there), the lakes (huge glittering Taupo) and even a waterfall (near Mount Ruapeho).

    When the boat heads to Picton it navigates through the Marlborough Sound “an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand” thanks Wikipedia! It looks amazing, dramatic and not quite entirely unlike Norway.

    In Picton we didn’t do much except for having our first fish and chips.. which were wildly eclipsed by the ones we had the following night at Mapua. We drove past vineyard after vineyard to get to said Mapua but didn’t stop as the argument as to who would be the “designated driver” could have ended our marriage 😆

    Arriving in Mapua we were a little underwhelmed by the campsite. A bit quiet as it’s still just before their peak season. We toyed with a wine and cycling tour but as I’m a bit of a lightweight and stuart can’t read a map it may not have ended well so settled for a mini tasting in a local bar.

    Aware of our limited time we decided to leave the next day and head quite a bit further south.    Läs mer

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    Finally to Milford Sound

    10 december 2017, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We didn’t think we would make it here due to time restrictions. However having hot footed it down the West Coast and a cancelled excursion (more below) we managed to get there.. although it felt at times that someone didn’t want us to!

    I twisted Stuart’s arm to take the scenic (long) route from Westport to Greymouth, and I was so glad that I did! Windy roads snaked around the wild and wonderful coastline. Cloudless sky soon turned to a moody lord of the rings backdrop. We could see the rain sheeting towards us.

    When we arrived at the campsite near Franz Josef, where we intended to do a Heli-hike to see the glacier, we couldn’t see the kitchen let alone the mountains.

    The next morning brought no improvement so heli-hike cancelled we saw a window of opportunity to reach Milford Sound.

    Stopping at Bruce’s Bay for a coffee and photo-opp a man approached and told us of a mudslide down the road. The cheery coffee girl said it was a usual occurrence and should be cleared in no time.

    3 muslides and a 4 hour wait later - spent having lunch at a salmon farm (only cafe en route) with 2 nice ladies from New York (they had no choice as they were the only seats free) - we were on our way.

    Getting late we stopped at a Department of Conservation campsite next to the beautiful Lake Wanaka, despite Stuart’s protests. It had no facilities and no phone signal. “It’s cheap” I said.. “there’s no phone signal” he said.. “it’ll be fun” I said.. “there’s no phone signal” he said.. “it’ll be an adventure” I said.. “there’s no phone signal” he said..
    Roll on the next morning and the van won’t start “there’s no phone signal” he said..

    Cue a 45 minute walk to get phone signal, a ride hitched from a kind Austrian Ski instructor and an hours wait for the AA.

    All pumped up on the ‘adventure’, Stuart said “screw it, We’re going to Milford Sound!” And off we drove as fast - not very - as the van could carry us. The drive was
    Incredible! Valleys filled with wild flowers, lakes, creeks, snow covered mountains and more waterfalls than you could shake a stick at!

    Arriving at Milford Sound into more pouring rain, we camped for the night before going on a boat tour. Best boat tour ever! We saw seals, visited a floating underwater observatory, got soaked under a waterfall and even got a free picnic!

    Then we drove back up not stopping, as we dared not.. just in case!    Läs mer

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    Queenstown

    11 december 2017, Nya Zeeland ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Known as the adventure capital of New Zealand and we tried to made the most of it!

    It is set in a completely stunning location on lake Wakatipu, wow views all round!

    Which I saw.. from above..! I’d booked my skydive for the 13th but as I couldn’t sleep just thinking about it, I called and asked to bring it forward. Luckily they had space so off we trundled on the first morning.

    There was lots of waiting. For the briefing, the bus, the group call, the kitting up. And to my horror - by this point a few hours after checking in - the whole thing goes on hold due to weather. All back on I meet Mike, the guy in charge of throwing me out of a plane and landing me safely on the ground. He is cool as a cucumber and clearly smells my fear trying to put me at ease whilst ensuring i know how to act like a banana.

    “Change of plan” says Mike whilst we fly above the mountains, “looks like we’re going from 12,000 feet”. I had booked 9,000 feet... But with little choice I watch as the others start falling out. It is like they are whisked away from the plane and that is EXACTLY how it feels! Even now I’m finding it hard to recall and explain it.. The wind hits so hard you can’t breathe, you are falling through the air and then you are suspended by the parachute, twisting and turning until you land. It is brief and terrifying and amazing and NUTS!

    Definitely glad I got through the fear to do it but not sure I’ll be rushing to do it again 😳

    As I hadn’t had any lunch we visited the famous “Fergburger” that everyone who had been to Queenstown had recommended and wasn’t it worth the queue, delicious burgers washed down with a couple of - much needed - beers.

    The next day we headed out to Shotover River to ride on the jet boat. It does 360 turns and travels up to 90kmph.. more adrenaline but a lot more manageable for my poor heart!

    After visiting the “Fergbakery” and picking up a pie for lunch, we headed up on the gondola and a further chair lift up to the Luge track. It’s basically a downhill kart track with an incredible view over Queenstown and the Lake.

    Then back down to groundlevel and a round of frisbee golf.. which we were pretty bad at but had a laugh anyway. And to finish off our Ferg-feast, we visited “Mrs Ferg” for an icecream, much needed with the sun shining ☀️    Läs mer

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    Melbourne

    15 december 2017, Australien ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    So.. almost 6 months later and I finally get around to trying to finalise my blog!

    Melbourne was the number one reason for heading to the other side of the globe. Christmas with the Greenfields was on the cards.

    We first met with Liz who was also over from Guernsey and together we suffered two super scorching days in the city. Graffiti-ed streets, sweaty trams, cool bars and an even cooler (thank goodness for air con) IMAX!

    After enough of the heat we headed out to the Mornington Peninsula to stay with Nat and Mike and the kids. Another few days overlapping with Liz' stay which included a beer tour, lovely lunches and even KANGAROOS!

    Once we said bye to Liz, Christmas was really on its way.

    Father Christmas turned up in Bunnings (Australian B&Q) on a Segway and outside the house in an SES rescue truck. Presents were wrapped, Carols were sung and the temperature rose. So although the day itself was not too hot, we made it to the beach on Christmas!

    After Christmas we were having such a great time that we extended our stay. But more lunches, many wiggle sing alongs and even a drive-in movie later, we finally left to head up the East coast..    Läs mer

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    Christchurch under construction

    17 december 2017, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Didn’t know much about this city before we arrived, bar the terrible earthquake.

    It is very much a city in the re-making and there are cranes and diggers everywhere.

    Having dropped the campervan off, we arrived too early to check into our hotel. We decided to wander into the city, and passed a sign “electric scooters for hire”.

    I couldn’t deny stuart this pleasure as he’s been wanting to get one for as long as I can remember! Turned out to be a good way to get around and see a good chunk of the city in a few hours.

    We scooted past the cardboard cathedral, which is a temporary cathedral built following the devastating quake in 2011. Its colourful facade and calm interior looked lovely in the shiny sun.

    Then onto the chair memorial where 185 Chairs have been painted white to remember the victims of the quake.

    Scooting further into the city we stopped for a burrito at the Restar Mall, which is a collection of shipping containers housing various shops and even a bank! Scooting on we visited the famous C1 espresso coffee house. It’s home is the former post office and the ceiling is covered by pneumatic tubes which deliver food with a ding of a bell! The toilets are hidden behind a bookcase and instead of background music to accompany you, they were playing the Harry Potter audiobook read by Stephen Fry. Really cool place in an area where there is - like a lot of Christchurch - demolished buildings and colourful street art.

    Before handing back our scooters we circled round Hagley Park where people were playing cricket, croquet and sailing remote controlled boats on the lake.

    We were quite tired after travelling 3,300km around New Zealand - North and South - so a brief visit to a Thai restaurant before turning in.

    Having to check out at 10am (why is it so early everywhere here!?!) we headed to Quake City, the museum dedicated to Christchurch’s history with Earthquakes. In particular it covers the tragedy of 2011 where 185 died, 7,000 were injured and huge amounts of damage was done to buildings and infrastructure. There are video testimonials and images of the post quake destruction. There are also examples of how the city has, and continues to, rebuild itself using new technology, creativity and community spirit.

    On the walk back to the hotel we couldn’t resist a go on the Dance O Mat. $2 buys you 30 minutes of power and lights to plug in your music and dance on the dance floor under the disco ball 🕺🏻💃🏻

    You can really see all around how this city is adapting to the threat of further quakes and regenerating into a vibrant place. All in all quite a cool place but a little quiet people wise compared to others places we’ve been. whether it’s due to emigrating population or the holidays coming up I do not know..    Läs mer

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    Canberra

    31 december 2017, Australien ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Deciding against the throngs in Sydney, we headed to the Australian Capital for our New Year's Eve.

    The drive was by far the dullest of all our trip.. Long straight roads with little to see, we soon found out why there are so many accidents on Australias road's and why people are warned about "micro-sleeps". There are I am sure more scenic routes to get from A to B but being such a huge country we thought we would head from Melbourne to Canberra as directly as possible.

    I understand that Canberra is the capital of Australia because a choice couldn't be made as to whether Sydney or Melbourne would be Australia's capital…

    and ta-dah!! Canberra was "created" to settle the score.

    We rented an Aparthotel with an amazing view over our surroundings. Right next to the main road into the city we opted for the bus to get in for the celebrations. Waiting at the bus stop we got chatting to a couple whose daughter was living and working in the Channel Islands... small world..

    Two sets of fireworks, a burger dinner and a LOT of beard compliments (for Stuart..) later it was time to head back to the balcony and a bottle of fizz. And that was it for NYE 2017… not the most exciting of times to be honest but with an offer for a job in New Zealand for Stuart for 2018 we couldn’t have been happier :)

    New Year's Day we drove the deserted streets of Canberra to do some sightseeing. Even on such a day it was surprising to be able to drive through a capital city with ease. There was literally no-one around. The sun was super hot so we headed to the National Museum of Australia. It is a fab museum in a great setting. Next to a huge lake and set in a very modern colour blocked building, there is a huge dinosaur skeleton in the expansive foyer. The part that sticks in my memory is learning of the "Stolen Generations". This was the removal of aboriginal children from their families by the Government from 1910 all the way through to the 1970’s. I found it quite upsetting, a shocking part of Australia's history I knew little about.

    Sitting down for some delicious cake at the museum cafe we found ourselves next to our bus stop friends from the night before! Unwittingly sharing my cake with a noisy myna bird, we watched the police jet-ski patrolling the lake and enjoyed the sunshine.

    Taking on Big Kev's suggestions (thanks Kev) we then drove the (still deserted) streets around the embassy buildings. Different countries buildings showing their personalities with the American embassy having approximately triple the security of any other…

    Finishing off the day with a brief trip to Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial, I would summarise that, whilst we did have an enjoyable time, two days were enough to spend in Canberra..    Läs mer

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  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Sydney

    6 januari 2018, Australien ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    The end of the big trip couldn’t have been in a better place.

    Heading up from the capital to our penultimate stop, we were superbly hosted by Uncle Jack and Cecilia in Gosford. From sightseeing to sailing the Brisbane Waters, puzzles to pelicans, we had such a wonderful time with our extended Oz family!

    And then, the final WOW experience of our trip, Sydney. When the ferry from Mosman Bay rounded the headland and we saw the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in the distance without a cloud in the sky it was a breathtaking sight.

    Getting off the ferry at Circular Quay, we located the Tourist Information and the very friendly chap at the desk basically planned our day for us. Knowing the temperature - although already baking for us - was due to go through the roof the next day, we packed all of our city sight-seeing into that day. We first walked around the Royal Botanic Gardens from the Opera House to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and continuing on to have lunch at one of the outdoor pools on the harbours edge.

    Getting far too hot we headed inside. First the Art Gallery of New South Wales, then to St Mary’s Cathedral where we saw a wedding ceremony taking place and finally onto Westfield Sydney for a little jaunt around the shops.. well it would have been rude not to!

    With the temperature cooling, we took a ferry across the harbour to Luna Park. Timed to perfection we were sat on the big wheel as the sun set over the Harbour behind us.

    The next day the temperature hit a massive 47 degrees. Arriving at our final accommodation, a five star hotel on the wharf, we made the most of the pool and the free happy hour, venturing out of the hotel only to sample the famous “Harry’s” pie van which has served the likes of Elton John, Pamela Anderson and countless other celebs.
    
Before we left Sydney we couldn’t avoid a trip to Bondi Beach. An incredibly hot and sweaty walk/bus ride later, we arrived at the world famous beach and dipped our toes in. Having seen the reports that a Great White Shark had been sighted there the day before, we had decided to leave our swimmers at the hotel.

    Our last evening we spent walking back to Mrs Macquaries chair to drink in that amazing view one last time….

    Would definitely like to see more of Sydney, though maybe next time it’ll be in winter!

    And that as they say is all folks. Thanks for reading, following and commenting, it has been a pleasure to share the journey with you all.    Läs mer

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    Resans slut
    17 december 2017
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