I've never been to Fiji before so exciting even if it's just a quick 4 nights and 4 day stop. Just a short 3 hours flight from Auckland which got me to Nadi airport before 9am so a pretty early start -getting 4 hours sleep would be generous. It was pouring with rain as predicted as we flew in, but with that hot tropical humid heat as well - probably mid 20s. Luggage took an age to get off the plane but eventually it arrived and after a glimpse inside the case by ...

Mum flies home this evening and I'm staying at a hotel at Auckland airport as I have a really early flight to Fiji tomorrow. The last couple of days were good fun with some good walks. The first walk was up Ben Lomond. This was after we'd finally had breakfast at Les Alpes. We were a little late as there had been road blocks set up by the police to search all vehicles including our bus - assuming for someone or something. So our bus was a little late after be...

We've just had three great days, the best so far in New Zealand experiencing the Hollyford Track. A great group of people who we started to get to know (and a bit of a reminder of what it might have been if we had had a bigger group on the rest of the trip). Two amazing guides, especially Mike whose knowledge and story telling skills, dry humour and passion for the forest botany, geology of how the fjords were created and the people - both the early pioneers and ...

Another very wet birthday (my 40th in Melbourne was also very very wet), but had some lovely pressies from mum, my sis and Kath that made it all the way out here as well as bubbles from the guides and a card from the other two guests. So very lovely and a nice meal out in the evening to a fish restaurant, Fishbone - where dessert came with a birthday candle! So mum and I are on our own in Queenstown staying in one place for three nights - time for washing! The ...

Already written this entry but it got deleted into the iPhone ether - so here I go again...(I only swore once honest). So we didn't make the heli hike option this morning - when we checked in it was brightening up but very quickly the weather closed in - so no thermals, crampons, hats and gloves or ice axes required - a real shame as it would have been the first time for mum in a helicopter - however we did walk to the face of two glaciers ; the Frans Josef and ...