Nothing can really prepare you for the mamouth task you'll be faced with just getting to you're destination. From the months spent planning your trip to ensuring that you say goodbye to all your family and then closing up your home.
In our case this was no mean feet as we had between us; two houses, five children, three grandchildren, not to mention the pets; one cat, two snakes and three spiders, yes spiders!

Having gone through the chore of renting one house and moving in together, which was not as blissful as it perhaps should be, squeezing two houses into one was enough to try the patience of anyone. After ensuring our cherished pets were temporarily rehomed, we then set about planning two pre Christmas gatherings for both our families so by the time we set off, we shattered and looking forward to a well earned break!

The journey from Heathrow to Auckland, New Zealand was what can only be described as a chore. The first leg of the journey, London to Dubai felt very long so the two hour break was a welcome one. However, the next leg, Dubai to Sydney, was never ending; 16 long hours tightly packed in an over large tin can was so tedious. Thankfully, the last leg of the journey, Sydney to Auckland, took just under three hours.
We arrived at our destination, exhausted and jaded, but we were eager to get started - we had made it. Now all we had to do was turn around and find our way back home and all in 3 months!!