We've been on this train for ten hours now, only two more to go. Luckily it's comfortable, we're well supplied with books and we've been eating our way through the tough times (breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea (twice) and a tasty dinner is imminent). Oh, and I've taught myself how to crochet. We're on our way from Sydney to Byron Bay and so this seems like a good time to say what we've been up to in Sydney. Sydney is a lively city, laid back but metropolitan. N...

Australia is different to New Zealand. People speak differently, instead of saying "ah yeah bro, ay" they say "g'day", "no worries" and "good on ya". They also have mammals. Really cool ones. In Melbourne we stayed with another old housemate of mine, the brilliant Helen Maynard-Casely and her gent of a husband Andy. They moved out here from Edinburgh last year when Helen got a job working at the Australian synchrotron (bit like CERN, but friendlier). They're fan...

We spent out last, happy days in New Zealand staying with my old university housemate Sarah and her family. Sarah and Nathan moved to New Zealand three years ago with their children James (7) and Niamh (5). While I was very sad to lose her, I have to admit it was a pretty good decision by them because New Zealand is awesome. Nathan is second-in-command chef at a super-posh hotel called the Langham. It means he's on good money for a chefs and brings home some in...

Last Tuesday we drove back down from the Bay of Islands towards Auckland. On the way we saw Kauri trees. The word kauri sounds like the welsh word for giant - "cawr" - and, while I don't think there's much shared heritage between the Welsh and the Polynesians, it is an interesting coincidence... Kauri trees are absolutely enormous. They're awesome, in the original sense of the word. The one in this photo is Tane Mahuta - the tallest known kauri tree in New Zeal...

Simon's despatch: The great trek to Piahia for tall ship sailing in the bay of islands. On the 25th we spent most of the day driving up north from the coromandel all the way to the bay of islands, via Auckland, a community renovated botanical quarry and the most ornate public toilets you'll ever see (they even get their own brown tourist sign on the highway). All this travelling was for one reason - to fulfil a boyhood dream of mine and crew a proper tall shi...