Table Mountain etc

Out of the three things we were meant to do today we managed only one and in the rain.
We saw the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. We had a short walking tour with the local guide. He was very interesting. The cloud is so far down on the Mountain there is no point in going up. However we have our tickets and we will keep an eye on the weather---- forecast not too hopeful.
Robben Island is a no-go because of the wind. No re-bookings available until Wednesday when we will be back in UK.
We had a look at the small exhibition about Robben Island at the terminal. We thought it quite interesting. We also went to the Chavonnes Battery Museum. The Waterfront was not really our cup-of-tea since it was full of shops.
Off to the Cape Point tomorrow.
It is so annoying since we have had really superb sunny weather until now!!!!!
Mum

Wine Tasting

Off early today to the wine farms. We saw the Hugenot monument and the Nelson Mandella "Long Walk to Freedom" prison where he was released. We then had a tasting session and a tour of the red wine cellar.
A bus tour of Stellenbosch followed. I think it was our kind of town. We had lunch at Mojo and got really stuffed full. It was lovely. Another wine tasting followed but no cellar tour. We both preferred the first wine farm's product.
We rushed back to the city to try for Table Mountain but it was completely enshrouded with cloud. Unfortunately, the weather which has so far been marvellous is set to deteriorate and I think the top will be out of the question.
We headed for V&A waterfront for a wander. What a place!!!!!
There is a shuttle bus from the hotel every hour.
Rugby on TV. Super League from Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
Mum and Dad

Train Journey and such

We have safely arrived in CapeTown. No posts because the train was incommunicado!
Pretty full days. Train named Pride of Africa owned by a private company and supposed to be the ultimate in luxury.
The suite was a pullman-- basic one-- but it had ensuite shower etc and a couch which converted to a double bed while we ate dinner. There was a small table and a fridge which was stocked with whatever you ordered and it was all included. The train had two lounges and an observation platform at the back.
We had our first view of the Drakensbergs in the afternoon as we had afternoon tea. The first full day was spent in the Kruger National Park. We saw loads of animals and enjoyed lunch in the park before rejoining the train at Komatipoort.
Next stop was in Zululand and we headed for another nature reserve at Hluhluwe. Again many, many animals and birds. We were able to view the Valley of a Thousand Hills from the train while heading to Durban. We had a short tour there and went to the beach.
We paid a visit to a ceramics studio. Beautiful pottery being made at extortionate prices. The artists were from Zimbabwe. The estate was called Ardmore and had all the autumn colours as you would expect at home.
We had a tour of Bloemfontein and went to the National Women's Memorial. I had never heard of the terrible things women had had to suffer during the Boer War--- concentration camps. It was quite moving. Due to train running late we missed the crossing of the Orange River because it was too dark.
Addo Elephant Park was next--- not just elephants but everything really.
Port Elizabeth was a bit of a disaster because we were supposed to be there for a couple of hours but it was nearer four and again the scenery was missed in the darkness.
 We visited an ostrich farm and Dad had a sit on an ostrich's back! They are suffering from bird flu in South Africa just now and so it was a bit limited. There are six people who are on a golf holiday on the train. Dad was so jealous when they went off to play Leopards Creek! We joined them at Fancourt Golf Estate for dinner one night but the train was a better meal and the service on the train much better.
The train stayed in George while we drove to Knysna where we took a boat trip the the Featherbed Nature Reserve right out on the headlands to the Indian Ocean--- just like the Souters at Cromarty! Lovely walk and my knee was reasonable on the steep walk down.
Great scenery on theGarden Route along Mousel Bay.
This morning we stopped next to a Brandy Distillery (KWV) and got a free sample and tasting session.
Tomorrow off wine taasting and hopefully Table Mountain since weather is supposed to get dodgy after that.
Really had a lovely train journey.Looking forward to seeing this area now.
Mum and Dad

Zambia visit

with no real problems with the journey to Johannesburg and changing to SAA at the "bus terminal" that's what it looked like to take us out to the plane. We were met in Livingstone and taken to the hotel at the Falls. It is in a compound with guards. But it is lovely and the staff very nice too.
First afternoon we went on the Zambezi and sailed into the sunset on the African Queen. Just missed Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Very sophisticated and relaxing.
Next morning Nawa came and took us on a guided tour to the Falls which are in walking distance from the hotel but we were taken in a car!
In the afternoon we flew over the Falls both on the Zambian side and Zimbabwean side. The pilot was from Oban. He took us into the canyons too which was quite scary and exciting.
Tuesday was a long day. We were off by 7.30 to Botswana. What a crossing!!!! This is a ferry crossing and we were taken by a small speed boat but huge lorries were waiting to get across and the ferry only took 2 at a time. Some must have waited for days I think. It was quite chaotic looking to us but Nawa smoothed things for us.
Once on the other side we were taken to a hotel before going on a bvoat trip on the Chobe River which borders Namibia. You couldn't describe the animals we saw. Hippos practically alongside us, impala on the shore with vervet monkeys, pied kingfishers. The list just goes on. But the highlight was the twenty young bull elephants gathering on the shore to swim to the island to graze. Absolutely amazing. The "Jesus" bird because people think it can walk on water and its clutch of eggs.
Back to the hotel for lunch and then on land safari. Again just amazing--- waterhogs, buffalo, kudu, zebu, giraffes and elephants galore. Lots of little ones.
Just so much to take in.
Journey back into Zambia in reverse and more chaos and money for re-entry. But all connections absolutely spot on.
Now in Pretoria. Again the arrangements are tiptop.
Janette and Hugh

This is something very new for us. We are on an island but it is covered in many hotel complexes. We are in the Radisson which is very nice but it is designed that you never need to leave the complex.
The temperature is 31 degrees and there was a lighning show tonight. We also saw the stars again. The sun goes down at 6.15 pm. and will rise in the morning at 6.15 am. Hope to go in the sea tomorrow. We did the adult only pool today.
I don't think there is any point in going out of the hotel since the surrounding countryside is very third worldy. No tours and suggestion of hiring a car I don't think is a sensible option.
So we are just going to "chill" out until we leave on Tuesday.
There are six of us in the Saga extension but you could be around and not see them.
I can hardly believe the holiday is over after waiting for it for so long.
See you soon.
LOL M&D

Here at the airport in Christchurch. We had a lovely day in Dunedin or our own. We saw an Edwardian home--- the nearest thing they have to history and then went to a newly constructed Chinese Garden. It had been assembled in China first, then dismantled and reconstructed in the city. Lovely and peaceful place. In the afternoon we went to the Botanic Gardens to visit the aviary where the white parrot has a blether with you.
On the move again and we stopped first at Moeraki Boulders. They are crustaceans on the shore. It was a very brief visit since it was driving rain.
We headed to Sir Edmund Hilary's Alpine display where we were meant to see Mount Cook. But before we got there we dropped off six people --- your Dad included-- for the delayed helicopter flight up to the Tasman Glacier. That was as far as they could go due to the cloud. I saw the statue of Hilary and then we returned to pick up the others.
We spent the night last night at Lake Ohau at a family run ski resort. It was just our kind of place and we would love to have spent more time there but it was lovely weather. You just couldn't believe the contrast between the weather going up to see Sir Edmund and the weather on the way back. The sky was blue and the Lake was just so clear and blue! Our bedroom had big glassdoors looking right up the valley to Mount Cook. Unfortunately it kept itself hidden. We saw the southern skies after the sun went down and I think I saw the Southern Cross.
Today we saw the biggest knitted jersey in the world -- Guiness Book of Records -- in a place called Geraldine.
We then had a look around Christchurch for a couple of hours. It is still quite a mess from last year but I think it would have been a place we would have enjoyed. We saw the hotel we should have stayed in and it is in the Red Zone which needs to be demolished.
Now at the airport. We fly to Aukland tonight in an hour and off to Fiji tomorrow morning.
Hope all well.
LOL M&D

We had a quiet run to Dunedin, arriving about 2pm. Although they say it is Edinburgh, I think it is only like Edinburgh in its street names. We walked back from the centre of the town along Princes Street and George Street having seen Robert Burns statue in the middle of the Octagon--- the main "square".
After we arrived we headed immediately on a wild life tour. We drove along the top of the Otago Penninsula to a whaling station to pick up a boat and we went albatross watching. We saw two kinds-- mainly Royal but one Buller. We also saw some seals and loads of shags of several types.
We came back to the city by the boat. After we saw the wildlife they put the sides of the boat down -- plastic screens-- and switched on a heater, served hot drinks and hot pies!
Today we went on a private railway up the Taieri Gorge for 50 km. What scenery over several viaducts and through some tunnels. You could have touched both sides of the tunnel at one point it was so tight!
The railway station is quite something too with majolica tiles made by Royal Doulton. We went to see the Sport Hall of Fame. We saw some memorabelia about Colin Mead-- we saw him getting sent off at Murrayfield in 1967!
Early dinner tonight but we have a last free day here tomorrow.
LOL M&D

Well we went off very early, in fact before daylight, to Milford Sound. This area gets the highest rainfall in the world and I think a lot of it fell today. We stopped at Mirror Lakes but it was wet. We next stopped at the Chasm which even if it was wet was very spectacular. Just before the Sound you go through an unlined tunnel-- Homer Tunnel. The traffic lights only work during the day. I wouldn't like to meet anything coming the other way especially in a bus!
We had a short wait at the ferry terminal before boarding the Milford Sovereign. We went down one side of the fjord out to the Tasman Sea and turned to come up the other side. We saw bottlenosed dolphins really close, some fur seals and a white heron(egret). The main thing to see are the thousands of waterfalls and I mean thousands. Norway has nothing to compare on this scale.
Off to Dunedin in the morning. Holiday rapidly coming to an end. Just a few more days in NZ and off to Fiji.
LOL M&D

Had a great time in Queenstown. The weather was fantastic. On the way in we visited Mrs Jones' Fruit Orchard and we bought a bag of the most wonderful Victoria plums. Eat your heart out everyone.
Town reminds me of Cairns -- very definitely a young person's hang out.
Some of our group did jet boat in the Shotover River  going through more of a canyon than we had. Two of our group did Hang gliding from Coronet Peak-- a ski area. They loved it.
Eight of us went on a 4WD-- Landrover Discoveries -- up a very steep valley from Arrow Town to Macetown-- a gold rush ghost town. We were looking at Advance Peak all the way and the scenery was just great.
At dinner we went up on the Skyline gondola--- four max at a time-- to the restaurant at the top of Bob's Peak. Magnificent views, panoramas. Great buffet too.
Dad and I had a walk up Queenstown Hill track to 2,500' the next morning. We got up above the treeline and had views all round again. I sat at the "Basket of Dreams" while Dad went all the way to the summit.
PM we went on the old steamer down the Lake. It was cooler on the water but again magnificent scenery.
Dinner at hotel was slow and disappointing especially the main courses.
Today we went back out to the first commercial Bungy Jump platform. We saw three jumps--- a Japanese girl was first. You could see her chest heave she was so nervous. Next was a cool customer woman and finally it was a couple who jumped together.
We spent a couple of hours in Arrow Town where the gold came out of the River Arrow. It was a big day-- a big race day, running and mountain biking. So the town was packed.
We are now at Te Anau. It is nearer from here to Milford Sound where we go tomorrow at 7.20am. A nice relaxing tour this is!
LOL M&D

Had a bit of bother with internet connections as we have been moving down the west coast of South Island.
We had to stay in Wellington a day longer than expected since a huge storm was forecast with heavy rain. Thankfully, it was John Reid (our tour manager) who had the headache of sorting it out. All the Interisland ferries were cancelled. And we were very, very glad.
We had a day in the huge Museum since it was wild outdoors.Many in North Island were without power and were flooded. It was very interesting in the Museum but very noisy since there was a group of Maori people doing exhibitions on weddings and playing very loud music, so loud you couldn't hear the explanations of some of the exhibits.
I had a problem too after the Hangi in that I had a tummy bug of the worst kind! I got over it though.
The crossing on the Sunday was OK but there was still quite a swell. You are not in the open for very long and soon into the Marlborough Sound which is sheltered. We were four and a bit hours instead of three because there was another boat berthed and we had to wait for it to leave.
We landed at Picton-- a lovely little seaside village. It had a pub called the "Flying Haggis". Because of our delay we only had one night here instead of two.
First thing in the morning, we headed for the Winneries where we did some wine tasting. Really good, you would all have enjoyed it. Some thing to cater for every taste. This valley specialises in Sauvignon Blanc. I liked the unoaked one. They had some nice Rieslings and I really loved the dessert wines. We visited Hunters, Drylands and Framinghams. They have a range called the "F" range which Gordon Ramsay uses in some of his restaurants.
We met up with the others from the bus at a place which had a few shops. One was a wool shop but they haven't got the range of yarns we have at the moment. They did have lovely patterns for tiny jumpers.
Since the hotel is a little way out of the town, we had an hour in Nelson first and visited the Cathedral there. It had a magnificent organ on beautiful wooden stilts. It had a Guide/Scout area with a flag from 1934 brought out by Lady Baden Powell and it had standards from the regiments who fought at Gallipoli. It also had a beautiful Rose Window. Pity it looked so ugly from the outside!
The hotel was really strange. It was like the set of Coronation Street and we had a little cottage with the lounge, kitchen etc downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. We shared with a couple from Carnoustie--Ron and Marie. Since we had an early start next day while it was still dark, it was no problem. The dining room was strange two with French court style chairs for which the room was too small.
Next stop was to be Franz Josef Glacier. On the way, we visited the Pancake Rock and Blow Holes at Punakaiki on the west coast. Unfortunately, the tides and swells didn't allow us to see the Blow Holes to advantage but the rocks were very unusual indeed. Getting through the Alps was almost as bad as the Trollstig road in Norway if not worse, can you imagine it! We had a break at the town of Hokitika and saw some jade being worked but we headed to another shop which was a cooperative for all sorts of New Zealand artists.
The cloud limited what we could see of the glaciers today but we did catch glimpses through them. Again roads awinding through the dense woodlands and native vegetation.
Today, we had a jet boat ride on the Haast River. It was great fun especially when the driver did 360 degree turns.
We are now in Queenstown the Adrenaline Capital of the World. We have seen the Bungee Jump bridge on the way into town. You will be glad to know that we are passing on that but not all of our group seem to be!
Hope you are all fine.
LOL M&D

Wellington was good. It is built on hills and would not be a good place to retire!
We went to Mount Victoria and saw a 360 degree panorama. The airport is water at the start of the runway and water at the end. Accurate landings required.
Went around and saw where we wanted to return to and left the bus at the Botanic Gardens. After we had a cuppa we went around the gardens and down by the cable car. Pay at the bottom. Saw an old Scout Hut in the gardens still in use since 1909.
Walked along the sea front to the very elaborate Railway Station-- almost as good as some of the Russian ones-to St Paul's Cathedral--the old one. This had the most beautiful stained glass windows with quite unusual subjects. The altar cloths were in the drawers. They are changed for each season and the one for Christmas and Easter was embroidered by Emily Steele in 1934 before the visit of one of the lesser royalty. I don't think she'd be our caln!
The congregation were all moved to a brand new  Cathedral also called St Paul's in the seventies and some, of course, were not too happy about it. We visited it too and it was nice in its own way. There was a stone built into the wall from Gallipoli from Chanuk Bair where we were.There are also nails from Coventry Cathedral which had been silvered and made into a cross. It was quite different from the old one but nice.
We saw the circular Parliament building. Again Sir Basil Spence had designed it for shape but not for the people who work there. Sounds familiar!

Well! we have returned from the Maori Hangi Dinner. Dad was wearing his kilt so he was chosen to be the chief of our group, naturally. He had to face the Haka-- no smiling or it would be an insult. He then had to pick up a branch and signify he came in peace. Then he had to do the rub noses bit with the women! I managed to take a couple of videos with my wee camera!
I went up to do the ladies dance with the kind of pom-pom things. More difficult than you think.
Dad also went back to do the war dance thing. It was all good fun.
Need to get to bed now. We are off to Wellington in the morning and we leave at 8.30 am.
LOL M&D

We are now in Hamilton and the main street is called Victoria Street.
While at Paihia we had a whole day trip round the Bay of Islands. Great scenery and weather!. We reached Cape Brett where there is a giant hole in the island rock. The boat takes you into a big cave next to it telling you this will be the next hole and then we came out and actually went through the existing hole, really amazing!.

29th February
Did blog from Hamilton but ran out of time since we got 20minutes free and it was all over before I knew it.
Hamilton is quite a pretty place compared to the one at home. Not connected at all.
Main street is called Victoria Street and we went to look at 29 but it was a car park.
The Bay of Islands was fantastic. We were on board a jet boat all day and we sailed among the Islands with all their history. The final thing we did was head right out to Cape Brett and the skipper went into a cave which he said was going to be a hole right through sometime and then to our surprise we went straight through the Hole in the Rock. Quite awesome!
Next day we took the trip to Cape Reinga which is the northernmost tip of North Island. Wendy would like it because it has a lighthouse.
From there we went to some huge sand dunes. They are at least fifty feet high. We got out and the driver produced boogy boards for those who wanted to sand board down. Your Dad went down twice. I think I have a video on my wee camera!
Through the dunes we went to Ninety Mile Beach (actually 64 miles long) and we drove south in the special coach all the way. This was after we had to get out and wait while the coach was towed out of the wet sand and our coach then towed another coach out when they got stuck. Just like Northern Ireland.
We are now in the sulphur area at Rotorua. Your Dad can't smell a thing so you know how much sense of smell he has!
On our way here yesterday, we went to the Waitomo Caves. We went underground and saw stalacmites and stalactites but the most spectacular were the glow worms. We sailed on a boat in the river in the cave and had to be so quiet otherwise the lights would go off. It was just like a very starry night. Beautiful. We then went to Agrodome where we saw the sheep, shearing, dogs and cow milking. As it says in the guide book--- a bit corny but very entertaining. When we came out it was very wet which spoiled our visit to the Wildlife Park. We did see the very shy, rare kiwis in their nocturnal home but it was not very nice walking around. Could have spent more time on a good day.
Today we went to the Te Puia Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and Thermal reserve. We saw the geysers(pronounced guisers)and the hot mud. Sat on a stone to rest and it was lovely for a wee while but was quite hot. Even the paths were hot to walk on. This afternoon we went on a "Duck" tour --- an amphibious land/sea craft built at the end of WW2 for the beach landings. We went into the Blue Lake and another one (forgotten the name for now) and a wee tour round the around the area on land.
Getting ready for our Maori Hangi Dinner and Concert now.
Will let you know how that goes later.
Glad to hear the sale went through OK. Emmotional but one less thing to worry about for MO.
Hope all well and Abi enjoyed her camp.
LOL M&D

Have left Aukland today and driven up north to a place called Paihai which is very historical since that is where the Treaty of Independence was signed by the Bristish and Maori Chiefs. We had a really good guide at the Treaty Grounds. We saw the Treaty House of the British Resident and the Te Whare Runanga (The Meeting house, Maori Waka ( the thirty five metre long war canoe).
We were the only two from our group who went on the Bush&Beach tour from our hotel in Aukland. So we shared a guide with a young Canadian girl from Alberta. We went into the tropical forest, saw a lovely waterfall and ended up on a beach on the West Coast very close to where the film "The Piano" was filmed. We really enjoyed getting out into the countryside.
 On our city tour in the morning we visited the Aukland Museum which was built originally as a WW1 war memorial but it had been refurbished a few times since then. We went to see the Gallipoli bit and got emotional all over again. The museum is best really for its Natural History section.
Getting to know the folk on the group but there is a tendency for those on the Hong Kong extension to stick together.
Good to know the messages ae getting through.
Hope dogs and everyone are fine.
LOL M&D

Wil try to send a photo next time.
LOL M&D

Well, guess where we are?
We arrived in Aukland at 11.30am local time and it is now 1.30pm
Flights are long and not too comfortable but at least they were both overnight so to speak. No more flights for three and a half weeks!
Hong Kong was amazing and we packed such a lot into our two and a half days. We did a city tour which took us up to the Peak to view all round but nowadays there seems to be a haze most days. We had a really lovely guide called Tak. He was so informative and amusing. We went up in the funicular rail and you could feel the g-force it was that steep. We went to Stanley Market where the expats live and relax while working for the big companies in the city. We had a ride in a sampan in Aberdeen harbour where there used to be 50,000 people living as the boat people. They have mostly all been tranferred to skyscrapers and have given up fishing.
Another couple and us shared a taxi next morning and went to see Chin Li Nunnery and the Kowloon Walled City both very interesting in different ways. In the Afternoon your Dad and I went on the Star Ferry back onto Hong Kong Island--- seniors free! We then caught the Ding Ding tram which runs from East to West of the island. No matter where you go you pay getting off and seniors were $1 (10p). We ended up at the terminus with the tram and in order to go back the way it came it went left up the middle of a busy street market. The stalls were varied but the one I loved to see from the top of this tall narrow double decker tram was the one with the live fish tanks!
Next morning we went on a tour to the New Territories right to the border with China! Quite amazing to see the city of 11 million just on the other side Shenzen. Industrial factories and high rises by the hundred.
We saw a taoist Temple right in the middle of another market and a walled village belonging to the indigenous folk of Hong Kong. One man died in 2005 and he was from this family and was an MBE.
On the way back we went to the original border called Boundary Road now and went into a bird market . This is what elderly men in HK do to pass the time. But it was so sad to see these beautiful birds in tiny cages.
As you may have gathered we did enjoy our time there. We ate Thai and Chinese (real local one but they were lovely to us) .
Both fine looking forward to meeting the rest of the group (27) . We were 11  before. One couple from Carnoustie.
Love M&D

Trying out again

Beginning to get excited again. Dad got currency and I have downloaded several books to the kindle and so all set.
love M&D

Final lap

Since so many people were getting off at Trondheim, we had our farewell dinner last night. It was fine with a lot of palaver but OK. Woke up in Trondheim very early. Had our breakfast and up to the Centrum at eight am. We got as far as the Cathedral and back to Husflidden but that has gone quite upmarket now and there was nothing we fancied. Nearly got lost on way back to Nordnorge but made it with five minutes to spare.No further long stops until we disembark in Bergen tomorrow at 2.30 pm local time. Saw your photos. You both look quite pleased with yourselves!Lol M&D