Hello there everyone...

Our apologies for the delay in updating our site. I can assure everyone we're both alive and very well. We've that had the greatest access to t'internet recently, that is our excuse. That and we've been having a fantastic time!!!!

When we updated you last we had just got to LA. That's a great place and part of it almost seems like a fantasy land. I suppose Hollywood is in a way!!!

We were joined in LA by Julie's Dad and his wife Denise. They flew over for the weekend to see us one last time before we left the US. It was great to see a friendly face in a Foreign land, and I'm sure Jules was pleased to talk to someone else other than me!

In our first full day in LA we did the typical tourist bits. We took a tour of the stars home which was really great. Jules was excited as we visited lots of places from the Pretty Woman film. Unfortunately I recognised lots of them having been forced to watch that film many times when Jules and I hadn't been together long....(I was after the brownie points!)

We saw the sites of many a celebrity misdemeanour. There seem to be a theme around drink driving and we even saw where George Michael was careless with his whisper!!!!

The people's houses we saw included Paris Hilton, Matt Perry, Lindsay Lohan, Doctor Phil, Crocodile Dundee, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Courtney Cox, the Beckhams and Julia Roberts etc etc. I even laid my eyes on the playboy mansion. It wasn't the greatest of views but it counts!

We even saw the house that was used for 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' which was really good to see.

We went through Rodeo drive too which is only two blocks longs and all through Beverly Hills. Some serious money around that place with Super cars everywhere.

After the tour of the homes it was time to head up to the Hollywood sign. That too was fun to do and it will probably be remembered more for our tour guide who literally repeated himself by saying what he had just said in a different order. It was hard not to smile in the end or should I say in the end it was hard not to smile....!!!! We got some great views of the sign and some fantastic pictures too.

That evening we all went to Santa Monica to watch the sunset over the sea. I will remember the night for the fact we found the only restaurant in the US that didn't serve chips!!!!

The next day it was time to say good bye to our friendly faces and get ready for our last few days in the US before heading off. We certainly made the most of the hotels facilities. We were lucky enough to be staying at the Hilton in LAX and it was very swanky indeed. 4 Jacuzzis were right outside our room so we made sure we were in them every night. We met some interesting folks doing the same. A nice American guys who had some interesting views and a crazy Aussie family who were travelling over the States in 8 weeks.

In our last few days we visited the beach a couple of times to watch the sunset which was fantastic and I would be sitting on some serious brownie points but it was a little too cold for Jules' liking so my balance doesn't show as much as I was expecting. We both thought could it be more O.C (for those who love the show) there was eventhe life guarding hut where Marissa did all her moaning, you can see from the pics.

Not long after that it was time to leave the US. It was our home for around 7 weeks and we enjoyed quickly looking back at what we had done there in that short time. We'd seen LOADS and loved every minute of it...(Jules just said not true....that morning in Chicago was TOOOOO cold!).

We were talking about whether we knew anyone else who had been lucky enough to go from east to west across the USA to which Jules said she knew someone. That someone she was referring to just happened to be Willie Fog from the kids cartoon, around the world in 80 days......He doesn't count!

That was all she wrote for the US and it was time for a 9 hour flight to the Cook Islands.

We arrived in the Cooks Islands about 6 am in the morning and it was 24 degrees then. We knew we were going to have a good time here!!!!

It is truly an amazing Island and the people are so friendly. A guy at the airport gave us a lift with all our stuff because he was going that way.

We had a nice walk around the beaches that morning and it was Paradise. Just like you see on the postcards only 100 times better in real life. Flipping hot too! It was a Monday when we arrived and it certainly wasn't the Monday blues feeling!!!!

That afternoon we decided renting a scooter for a few days was the best way to get around the Island. I ended up having to take an official Cook Islands motorbike test and now have my own license. The tests are taken at the police station too.

We got our scooter out and began whizzing around the island. It is only 15 miles all the way around at I think we ended up going around it twice that day stopping at various beaches we liked the look of.

The highlight of the next day was finding a bar to watch Chelsea in. It was recorded which meant I didn't need to get up crazy time to watch it. The flaw in my plan occurred when the bar man didn't have sufficient space on his hard drive and the game cut out right at the start of extra time. OH NO!!!! Luckily there was a guy in the bar who knew the score. Get in. Still gutting about not seeing it but more important things in the world...right??

Straight after it was celebration time and we sat on the beach drinking until it was pitch black!!!! I think Jules was happier than I was, due to the amount of alcohol she consumed.

The next nights entertainment involved the Island dancing competition final. This was a really serious event with all the island/tribal dancing stuff. It was really good to be part of and take in a bit of Island life. Jules reckoned I should have entered but most have you would have seen how my dad dances so it was best I didn't. Besides...those 'lucky' enough to witness my phases at Uni will understand that the Cook Islands wouldn't have been ready for them just yet!

The Friday night involved a proper night out in the town with some lovely people we met in our guesthouse. We met loads more travellers and spoke to lots of locals too. We even met the winner of the dancing competition!! That made for a late night and a later than normal start to the next day!

A day which included watching local rugby league. The standard wasn't bad but I was amazed how tough the players' skin must have been as the ground must have been rock solid. All good fun though and it was again good to take in some more local life.

The next day was our last day and we rented a kayak out to get further out and look around some of the little islands off the beach. One thing is for certain......Jules and I will not be bringing home and Team Kayaking awards. We were awful. Kept catching each other's ores all the time!!! Good fun though but I think I will opt for the power boat option next time, right Jules?

We did snorkelling straight after this and all was well until I laid eyes on a sea snake which scared the living p*** out of me so we headed in after that. Still great to see the fishes though and the hundreds of see slugs which look like hugs turds laying on the sea bed!

Then too soon it was time for us to leave the Island and head to Auckland, New Zealand, where we have just got to today. First Impression is good so look out for our blog for here. Next on our list is to find some work.

We hope everyone back home is well and behaving themselves? If there is any news we'd love to know it.

Please take the time to look at our pics and let us know what you think.

The hugs and manly handshakes are back!!!!!

Lots of love,

Alan and Jules

xxXXxx

P.S While we are sat here writing this blog in our hostel in Auckland there are a few people talking about going to staffs, go on staffs uni!!!!!!