Or more specifically the islands of Tahiti and Bora Bora. First thing to note - no stamp in my passport, for those with a European passport immigration is pretty straight forward, waved right through..... Secondly, you know when you've arrived in a country associated with France when you get crossiants for breakfast. First port of call was Tahiti airport (the main international one here in French polynesia) and an overnight stay to catch the short flight (45mi...

Time to retire the activity sandals that have been my constant companion on this adventure and many previously. It felt right to leave them in Bora Bora to enjoy retirement overlooking the bright blue seas. farewell Tevas, you have done me well as we've travelled the world many times over together. Time to say goodbye, they've travelled every continent with me over the years, but are now tatty (and a bit whiffy) and will not be making the final journey home. Ho...

After a week in Sydney and of what feels like normal everyday living, it's off to the Cook Islands where there is basically one road round the island (all 32km of that road). The island is surrounded by a reef creating a lagoon - great for snorkelling! And giving the wonderful shades of blue in the photo. Am staying at a backpackers hostel right on the beach in a little beach hut. The bus (clockwise or anticlockwise once an hour) stops wherever so rigt outside ...

Second half of the week very different to the first. On Thursday I actually had to get the raincoat out my bag for the first time, temperatures dropped from around 35C to around 20C and rain, but hey skin is waterproof. Thursday I made use of the ferries and visited the zoo, Manly and the rocks. At the zoo first thing so it wasn't busy, some animals hiding from the rain, but many had just received their breakfast so we're out and about. There were some souls b...

So this one deserves its own entry. An early start, picked up at 7.30am along with 11 others and we headed north over the bridge out of Sydney. Just over 2 hrs later we're arriving at our first vineyard of the day. In the distance a plume of smoke can be seen from a bush fire, currently being battled (later that day, after we had left, the fire would get close to Cessnock requiring some people to be evacuated, but all was ok the fire services got it under cont...