Sorry for the delay but it is now time we wrote our final blog and complete what has been a magical circle. To those of you who are reading this, thanks for keeping tuned and waiting. We did arrive home on 31 July as planned but 2 hours late and miraculously we only had two delayed flights in all of the 19 we took - we also have to add 2 scenic flights to that. It has taken a few days to acclimatize and our sleeping pattern certainly was not on Greenwich Meantim...

New York, New York - well here we are at our last destination before home. Another bizarre time change, after leaving Auckland at 9.30pm on 25 July and travelling for 27 hours, we arrived in New York at 8.00 am on 26 July. Not good for the system but at least we were on time with baggage and ready to meet Kay at midday. There were a few tears on my part but Ray and Kay just had big grins and pleased that at least 3 of us were together again. Probably not the bes...

A 4-hour stopover in Raratonga was not the 'business class' travel we have come to expect! Leaving NZ at 9.45 pm on 19 July and arriving in Raratonga at 3.45am the same day left us feeling a bit strange. We did not think it would be a major airport but the international section only opens for a few hours for the 1-a-day Air NZ arrival and departure. They do have domestic flights but only staff these during daylight hours. About 30 minutes after we arrived, ou...

Well that's about it from NZ - has been good but perhaps not the best time of year to visit. There again we did enjoy the snow and it certainly made for spectacular scenery with the snow-capped mountains (certainly made a change from green). Tomorrow the Cook Islands and not sure how 'surfing the web' will be out there but you never know we might try 'surfing' for real - now that would be a sight!! Back to Auckland on 24 July for our flight out to New York on ...

After an overnight stop in Orewa (just north of Auckland) we arrived in Paihia early Tuesday afternoon. Sunny and warm we secured a studio apartment with complete glass frontage and balcony overlooking the Bay of Islands which contains about 150 - not all within our sight though! Alas, only able to enjoy 1 night on the balcony, wine in hand, admiring the view and then came the rain. Fortunately, there were a few spells where 'rain didn't stop play' and we manage...