We've come 500km north of Adelaide into what many people would probably consider the quintessential Australia - the 'Outback'. Like, I suspect, many people, I imagined the Outback as consisting of endless flat plans devoid of life but for the kangaroos bounding along like demented, overgrown rabbits on pogo sticks. Well it's true that there are long stretches of very flat land but they are covered by, albeit sparse, vegitation. And you're much more likely to see...

Yes we've reached the land of Oz. Random hugs maybe not be what you expect from an Aussie. We've landed up in Adelaide - "city of churches" - although it hasn't struck me as a particularly religious place. Mind you it's a bit of a shock coming to stay in the centre of a large city after six weeks of NZ. Rundle Street on a Saturday night looked, at first glance, a bit like the Bigg Market. Lots of bars. Young women in skimpy clothing (so Kate told me). Even a co...

We've reached Auckland - our last stop in New Zealand - and are staying with Kate's cousin, Judy and her partner Gavin. This is the view from their balcony. Dreadful isn't it? As you can see the sun is shining. That shouldn't be a cause for particular comment in Auckland but it is at the moment. The weather in the North Island has been dreadful with torrential rain and flooding. It particularly affected the far North which, if you've been paying attention, you'l...

Our last photo of the week in New Zealand has to be one of our home for most of the time that we've been here. (Not a particularly good photo but the only one we have. Taken at the motorhome park in Wellington.) A camper van is a great way to travel around these islands and a very popular one too. At times it seemed as if every second vehicle on the road was a camper van - especially on South Island. Camper vans come in three classes. There are the bigger and b...

Well a drive actually. In fact a 64 mile drive on the evocatively, if inaccurately, named '90 Mile Beach'. A beautiful, wide expanse of sand that stretches almost to the top of North Island's west coast, it is officially part of the state highway network. We are visiting the far North of New Zealand, staying at the southern end of the beach in Ahipara and taking a coach trip as we're not allowed to drive our rental van on the beach itself. This area is known as ...