Janine Sikkens

I love adventure, outdoors, exercise, travelling and making friends with my family all over the globe! 💛🏃‍♀️🏄‍♀️🐬🌴🌏 Read more Sydney, Australia

Traveler Oceania roadtrip
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- Jul 8, 2022, 12:11pm
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
- Netherlands North Holland Gemeente Haarlemmermeer Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 52.309091, 4.76141952°18’33” N 4°45’41” E
Day 91
Dutch soil..reunited in Amsterdam!
July 8, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
We see the typical Dutch landschape coming closer; all shades of green square grasslands, flat and perfectly shaped. The coastline and highways. Finally the plane touches Dutch soil! It's been 3 years!

It takes 1,5hr waiting at the passport control (but it feels like a day 😂) but with 4 trolly's and luggage in our hand and a little help of the borderforce (!) we pass the arrivals door and there they are! Grandpa's and ma's, Guido's sister and cousin are waiting for us. What a joy to be reunited!! We all can't stop smiling and hugging 😍🤩. It is the first time they meet Lucia, a special moment. She smiles, and is pretty exited about her family 'in real life' like Quinten says 😆.

The Dutch cookies (stroopwafels 😋) and coffee taste great, especially now we share it with our family!

This is end of our unique Australia (& surroundings) adventure with our family of 5 🌏. And, the beginning of a new exiting adventure at the other side of the world in The Netherlands 🌍.

A new chapter. Our old, but new, home sweet home. We'll be back with new stories to share about our adventures! Thanks for travelling with us 🙏

xoxo Guido, Janine, Julius, Quinten and LuciaRead more
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- Jul 7, 2022, 11:00am
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 10 m
- United States California San Mateo County Millbrae San Francisco International Airport 37.622463, -122.38407437°37’21” N 122°23’3” W
Day 90
Flying overseas via San Francisco
July 7, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
The taxi, with a trailer drops us off at the airport and a very very helpfull ground attendant checks in all our say 16 bags and kiteboards and babygear!

The businessclass seats are a bit big for our boys, but they (and we) are over exited about all the features, gadgets and luxery. We're very happy with Guido's employer, it makes the 30+hr trip with a baby much more comfortable!

Julius loves the minion movies so much, he watches almost non stop movies until we arrive San Fransisco. He even watches some 2 times 🤣 (I think he saw like 8 movies in total). In San Fransisco he was so tired, he fell asleep in the line on the ground. Fortunately, the airport had great sleep pods for him.

The airport louge provides a good resting point in the journey, and since we fly the other way around the world, we totally have lost track of time. Lucia is doing great, and loves it all, especially all the people she 'meets'. Quinten loves it that he finally gets a chance to drink a coke 🤭🤫.

We're ready for the final stretch of our journey, San Fransisco-Amsterdam...and can't wait to land in Amsterdam to see our family again!Read more
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Traveler Oceania roadtrip
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- Jul 6, 2022, 3:00pm
- 🌧 16 °C
- Altitude: 21 m
- Australia New South Wales Randwick Malabar South Maroubra Village Green -33.951391, 151.25027133°57’5” S 151°15’1” E
Day 89
Best Friends goodbye
July 6, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
We said farewell to our former neighbours in the morning. In the afternoon Julius and Siena and Quinten were hanging out together, and as it was pouring we went to the movies at the Hoyts in Westfield Eastgardens. The relaxing chairs, popcorn and good company made it good fun. And it was complete with chatting, laughing and of course a short minecraft session with MacDonalds dinner and a little shopping for an extra goodbye gift.To see Julius and Siena together and be withness of their closeness and friendship made me so proude of them, trusting and taking care of each other. It was not an easy goodbye for them, and they can't wait to see each other again.

At the Southend hotel and pub we had a farewell drink with Nicole, and our last dinner in Maroubra with Lyz, Simon and Leon, bringing back memories of our farewell party and other good times we shared!

The last thing of today is getting all our suitcases (and we're not talking about a few..) lined up for the taxi tomorrow morning. I'm glad we already packed all the suitcases.. what a work it was, packing and getting rid of all the stuff we couldn't take with us! The hotel had quite a few stairs, so it was serious training for Guido to move everything up and then downstairs again. But, it is done! Sleep well Sydney!Read more
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- Jul 5, 2022, 3:00pm
- 🌧 16 °C
- Altitude: 21 m
- Australia New South Wales Botany Bay Matraville Barwon Park -33.9631, 151.23840533°57’47” S 151°14’18” E
Day 88
Last catch up in Sydney 😥
July 5, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
After a lot of delays and waiting at Brisbane Airport, we finally arrive in Sydney.
We meet with Isaac, Annabelle, Amber and Felix for a playdate and final dinner for now together! We all have the best time at their place. They are the most amazing neighbours and we will miss them a lot!
Amber's food is delicious as always and before we know it's time to make a group photo and go back to the Southend hotel in Maroubra where we stay. It still feels unreal that we are leaving Australia in 2 days!Read more
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- Jul 3, 2022, 6:38pm
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 17 m
- Australia Queensland Brisbane Brisbane Airport -27.402839, 153.10981927°24’10” S 153°6’35” E
Day 86
Queenstown-Brisbane 😅
July 3, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Getting up early to catch the plane back to Sydney..at least, that was the plan!

Our holiday home cat was ready to say goodbye to us! (Or a other piece of self caught salmon 😅, however, she was very cuts and wanted to be in our little holidsy home all the time 🤣.

When we arrived at the airport, we learned that our flight was cancelled. After waiting in a queue for 4 hrs we can fly to Brisbane, and from there back to Sydney. Travelling by plane is still disruped because of COVID, and it turn out to be a very very long day of waiting, more flight cancellations and stranding at Brisbane airport at 10:30 pm. So we go for a hotel and fly back tomorrow morning to Sydney!Read more
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- Jul 3, 2022, 4:18pm
- ⛅ 8 °C
- Altitude: 383 m
- New Zealand Swift Burn -45.011529, 168.88088645°0’42” S 168°52’51” E
Day 86
Pinot Noir tasting
July 3, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
Sight seeing by car today! Bur first we have a relaxed morning in Arrowtown, which mean that the boys chill at home and I try to increse the family capital by walking along the river anx panning for some more gold 😅. Next, we hit the road for a little trip to explore a local winery around Queenstown.

Via a very narrow road with a steep cliff alongside it, we enter a beautiful winery with an amazing view and tastfull wine. The lady has some dutch heritage, so it's a fun tasting with some Dutch words in the mix.

We go see an old bridge, the Kawarau suspension brigde that used to connect Queenstown to Wanaka, and now it's used for bungee jumping with intersing warnings for parents regarding their kids 🤔. It's cold so we quickly go back in the car and enjoy the sunset - end of day light of lake .... (I forgot the name) and I try to capture as much as I can of all this beautiful New Zealand landscapein my mind, as it's almost over!

PS...Isn't our little Lucia growing quickly! She's already 8 months, this little world explorer, and we can't imagine life without her 😍!Read more
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- Jul 2, 2022, 10:00pm
- 🌧 8 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- New Zealand Southland Southland District Milford Sound -44.653765, 167.89891444°39’14” S 167°53’56” E
Day 85
Milford Sound
July 2, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
We're almost at the end of our travels, and we're going to finish it with a bang!

After getting up early we drive to the airport to fly with a very little plane over the mountains to Milford Sound, a fjord. It is breath taking to see the white mountain tops, rivers and lakes underneath us. With a sharp turn we fly from the Tasman sea into the fjord and it is just stunning.

We explore the fjord with a boat. The water falls are hugh. The sealions are relaxing on the rocks although it is very cold, we think at least! Just before the bad weather kicks in (it rains over 200 days annualy here) we fly back..... what an experience!Read more
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- Jul 1, 2022, 11:00am
- ⛅ 3 °C
- Altitude: 404 m
- New Zealand Otago Queenstown-Lakes District Arrowtown Bush Creek -44.936881, 168.83187844°56’13” S 168°49’55” E
1 1
Day 84
Arrowtown Goldrush
July 1, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C
Arrowtown. Our next destination. It's just a 30 min. drive, and it bring us close to Queenstown. It is an old town back from the goldrush days. Today, there's still gold to be found in the arrow river. We rent a goldpan and shovel and try our luck. The water was freezing cold, and the boys were more interested in the ice on the puddles, but we're out in nature in a beautiful place. Whilst I'm goldpanning the kids building a dam in the river and Guido carries Lucia around. Maybe we found a very very tiny chip of gold, maybe its just rock 🤷‍♀️. However, it was fun!Read more
Traveler Jullie hebben wel heel veel goud!
7/5/22Reply
Traveler Grappig wijntje!
7/16/22Reply
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Traveler Oceania roadtrip
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- Jun 30, 2022, 3:00pm
- ⛅ 10 °C
- Altitude: 286 m
- New Zealand Otago Queenstown-Lakes District Wanaka -44.697078, 169.13589544°41’49” S 169°8’9” E
Day 83
The BRA Fence 👙🤷‍♀️ and Cinema time
June 30, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
We relax in the morning, playing games at home by the fire. In the afternoon we have a surprise for the kids. As it's poring, and Julius can't walk well yet, we are going to take them the movies. They've never been to a real cimena yet, so the exitement is big!

On the way I'd like to make a stop at tHe Bra Fence. In the middle of no where there's a fence full of bra's! How weird! Apparently it started in 1998 by accident and it just got a thing. Now you can hang your bra or donate in solidatiry for breastcancer 🎗

.. So we're going to a Minion movie in an authentic cinema in Wanaka. When picking up the tickets, we can order cookies that are backed freshly for you and they're served at the break 😋🍪! We don't say no to that! We sit on a couch and even Lucia love it sitting with us. What an afternoon! We finish the day with some VR augmented reality state of the art games for dad, and a game of pool before bedtime!Read more
Traveler Bijzonder dat hek met de bras in grote en kleine maatjes. Hopelijk is Julius zijn been weer gauw beter!
7/4/22Reply
Traveler Een echte kunst foto .
7/4/22Reply
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- Jun 29, 2022, 6:00pm
- ⛅ 2 °C
- Altitude: 553 m
- New Zealand Otago Queenstown-Lakes District Cardrona The Meg Creek -44.881587, 169.0034844°52’54” S 169°0’13” E
Day 82
Mulled wine & local food by the fire
June 29, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C
Our last day of skiing / snowboarding today! Time is flying! With excellent slope quality Guido and me got quite a lot of runs in at our topspeed 😉😜. In the afternoon we had fun with Speedy Gonzales (Quinten). Julius has hurt his knee yesterday, and he was more then happy to play minecraft in the restaurant, and made a friend with same interests.

At night, we went for dinner at a historic place, the Cardrona hotel. It's a hotel built in the goldrush days in the past. The local food, beef Wellington in our case, and wine (pinot noir) tasted well. In New Zealand they know what good food and cozyness is! The dessert, mashmellows roasted in the fire outside in the cold made the experience complete 😁.Read more
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