Sunday: I'm sat in a hip bar called Snapdragon at Viaduct Harbour drinking a glass of crisp Riesling- not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Tina has just left, so what did we get up to? I arrived from Fiji Friday afternoon after my 3.30am (2.30 NZ time) start. The roads to the airport were clear so it was an easy journey and I arrived at the airport really early but lots of queues so time went quickly and I was soon touching down back into Auckland. When I...

Ok so it kept raining which meant the roads all flooded so no one could get to or from the airport - started off at 1.5 m of water and then 3m, I think I was the last one through on Monday and there have been no new guests. I really didn't think I would be able to get to the airport tomorrow but apparently this afternoon the roads opened so I should be able to make it through - although it will mean leaving here at 4am. I've really enjoyed it here, incredibly c...

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 ...