Well we had mixed emotions leaving Malaysia as this was the last time we would see South East Asia. It had treated us so well over the last 3 months including a tremendous time at our wedding. However, the humidity was becoming stifling and we felt ready to move onto pastures new, especially as it was just me n Stace again.

So first up it was a couple of nights at Stacey's favourite place in Australia - Sydney. Once again we would be reunited with the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the brilliant botanical gardens and of course Darling Harbour. The trip also meant yet another reunion with fellow travellers Callam and Bobby. This time it was all four of us ready to take the Star casino for all it's worth....this time it was all four of us that would be sleeping in our own beds rather than the penthouse suites.

Next on the menu was New Zealand. I'd previously toured the South Island and gawped at its incredible beauty; this time with us flying into Christchurch and out of Auckland 2 weeks later, it was mainly the North Island that we would be seeing. Having picked up our Austin Martin DB9 or Nissan Sunny as it was disguised as, we were well on our way. After our 1 night in Christchurch where we turned up very late and stayed in the 'love shack' room in the hostel (well outside the hostel in the back yard) our first stop, which turned out to be the overall highlight of this amazing country was Kaikoura. I'd been before and even after a second visit, I'd definitely go again. The surrounds of snow capped mountains are stunning and overlook you whilst you sit and have lunch watching wild seals frolicking on the rocks and baby seals playing in the rock pools and it's here that it hits you that you're not paying an entrance fee into Seaworld!

If this wasn't enough, the next morning brought another ultimate highlight of the whole trip...swimming with wild dolphins. Again I'd done this previously but last time we got half the money back as the dolphins didn't want to know us each time we jumped into the sea from the boat. Being wild dolphins you simply can't predict what behaviour they will show but this time it was 2nd time lucky as the pod of well over 100 dolphins frolicked all around you. I can't put into words the feeling of having a wild dolphin circling you as you get his attention by making lots of funny noises into the water (something they instruct you to do to get their attention and it worked, it worked wonders!!). As for Stace, she preferred the view from the boat to see all the dolphins rather than get in for the fear of anything else other than the dolphins being there. As it was on the way back we then saw a lone blue shark and a very rare sight of a huge blue whale; luck really was on our side! As we left Kaikoura, Stace did feel a tinge of sadness that she hadn't gotten in with the dolphins, "nevermind" I said, "I'm happy to come for my 3rd visit sometime in the future!"

And so onto the North island it was by way of a 3 hour ferry. The next 11 days brought joys of such places as Wai-o-tapu which includes the thermal mystery of natural hot water geysers and volcanic undergrounds; lake Taupo and it's brilliant natural hot springs (check the vid for my Peter Andre style six pack rub, ok beer gut rub); hot water beach where you dig your own hot spring spa; getting to the very tip of the north island at Cape Reigna to see the Pacific Ocean collide with the Tasman Sea and then sand boarding down the much steeper than it looks slope of the Te Paki sand dunes. However in the middle of all this, the memory that will no doubt last me and Stace a lifetime came at the place called Rotorua. After checking into our motel and locking the DB err Sunny, Stace went to retrieve something from the boot, probably a hair clip or summot. After the room door opened with Stacey looking very sheepish, the next words came - "I think I've done something stupid" she said, I already knew the answer but replied "you've not locked the keys in the boot have you?", "I think so". This did my tree slightly, 'I think so', surely you either have or you haven't, there's no 'I think', turns out she bloody had!!!

I had previously been taught how to break into cars by 'surprisingly' none other than the Ebbies, but with no tools at our disposal it was a call to the AA and a bill of $165 later that the keys were retrieved. We had even paid the extra for fully comp insurance but believe it or not this didn't cover 'driver error', less of the 'driver' I thought, it was the bloody 'chauffeured flipping princess error'!

Anyhow, the 2 weeks were gone in a flash but not without staying at my mum n dad's best mates Kay and Simon and then a further stay at Stacey's mates Natalie and Jay. A very big thank you to them for feeding and fuelling us and for our extremely comfy beds!

And as the title says God truly was showing off when he gave us the wondrous New Zealand but it's onto pastures new again of a continent we've never visited before of South America, let's see what you have to offer!