Travel diary 6..... 24th Februry 2005

Beach at little gold town of Thames

Note, once you enter the departure lounge, Sydney International Airport is the only one so far where you can access Internet service free of charge. Useful information to know if you are on the move most of the time and have tons of time on your hand hanging around at the airports for the next flight and thinking about how best to save your $$$$ for the next meal!

 Since leaving Sydney I have travelled to:

South and North Islands of New Zealand :
South Is...Christchurch:      very English, scones, cream teas and green green grass of home.
Akaroa:                                  very French , La Cafe and La every other street and homes too!
Brighton:                        beach nothing like the one at home, here more beautiful but less interesting?
Hanmer's Thermal Springs: only visit when it is cold, miserable  and raining like it is in England now I hope?
North Is.... Auckland :  cosmopolitan, the Asian rule the high streets! Watch out for 4 ways and diagonal crossing of two major roads in the city, unique?
Waitomo Caves : look out for 1000's of glow worms to keep you company in the caves.
Waiheke Island : famous for NZ expensive wine, olives and those super rich Kiwis who can afford a holiday home and two boats and of course two cars, they are so so very cheap here!( I mean the cars).
Coromandel Region and little gold town of Thames: miles and miles of sandy beaches and lush green and grand hills, which certainly reminded me of the film " Gorilla in the Mist" however there was no monkey business of course!!
Rotorua: be prepared for the smell of sulphuric acid as you enter the city, which is surrounded, by hot springs, thermal lakes, geysers, mud pools and cold spring water for your thirst??? If you are into Maori culture there is always an evening entertainment available designed just for you after perhaps your day in Polynesian Spa centre for hot mineral bathing and spa therapies? The experts say that spa therapies help aches and pains of the old age.

Not only you Mr Jones or Peter bhai, but I WISH YOU WERE ALL HERE WITH ME TO ENJOY THE KIWI EXPERIENCE.

The population of NZ is only 4 million which means that the roads are not so crowded and beaches are almost deserted. NZ is one grand beautiful volcanic landmass for people who love out door life. The over friendly Tourist Industry, the largest in the land caters for your every need, from Hilton on the blue water front to Backpackers quarters ( that’s for me!) in the back streets of every town and city. If you happen to end up in the Backpackers' resident, don't be surprised if you have to share the bathroom and bedroom facilities with the opposite sex! There might be some bed bugs to keep you company too!!

If heavy duty sports like BUNGY jumping is not what you are made of, you can always be entertained by others who are brave enough to take the plunge and then dangle in the air like a puppet so that you can take a photo snap to take home!!

 I leave NZ on  25th Feb for my next port of call, the MIGHTY U.S.A. It will be interesting journey for me as I will be crossing the INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE to get to Portland ( Oregon). No doubt you will all join me to see if I am still in the land of the living?

Love from lovely but today raining and miserable NZ ( yes it does rain here too, very miserably!!)

Davinder x