New Zealand

N.B Random photos throughout in no particular order... there are thousands I could have chosen from!

Jucy campervan in Paihia, the Bay of Islands - north of the North Island

North Island - Rotorua in the background taken from the luge

With 6 days to go of our 8 weeks travels methinks it is time for a blog. I have no chance of remembering it all (thank goodness for Mike's daily blogs), so I will attempt a flavour without boring you to sleep. We started in the North Island, moved onto the South Island where we are now while I write this blog and we will finish back up in the North to catch our plane.

NZ is of course, goes without saying, beautiful and beyond! Add to that the experience of campervaning for the first time in our lives, a new campsite every night and ooooh I don't know (but Mike will confirm exactly in his final NZ blog) approximately 5 or 6,000 km of driving... Phew!

Pitstop on the road south of the North Island

 Driving was never better - view from the Jucy in the South Island, there were so many to choose from

I would recommend a Jucy Campervan at the drop of a hat if you are ever travelling in Aus, NZ, USA and yes..... The UK! The vans are purple and lime green which draws a flash of lights and a wave every time you drive past a fellow Jucy... Woo hoo. But as Mike often reminds me, we must show the light and shade in our blogs, so folks, I am looking forward to a proper bed again soon. 

Russel Island - North Island... end of a long walk!

Back to the light - you cannot beat the night stars in NZ to fall asleep to.... WOW. Talking of stars, on Friday we are off to Lake Tekapo to Mt John's observatory to see the southern night sky late at night. It is a world heritage site because of the best night skies in the world for viewing the stars and they take light pollution very seriously. We have picked Friday because it is a new moon here which means it won't be out (it's too bright and would ruin the star gazing) and it is due to be a cloud free night... Fingers crossed. I have been reliably informed that the UK will be seeing an eclipse on the same day. We hope to go whale watching in Kaikoura on Sunday which is on the west coast, catch up with 2 of Mike's friends who emigrated out here 4 years ago and we have still to track up Mt Cook, see Christchurch and experience Auckland.

The most northern point we traveled to in the North Island - Doubtless Bay Coopers Beach

Driving has been a dream here in NZ with roads that stretch and twist forever, a serious lack of cars and definitely no traffic. We have seen and walked up mountains, snow covered peaks, tracks around lakes and stunning coastline. We thought we had done beach in Aus but no, it's here in its abundant and natural state and a blaze of beauty. 

View of Manganui Beach after a walk up Mount Manganui - Tauranga North Island

Taken with a now broken selfie stick!

South Island - Southern Alps on a car drive

Talking of Aus, there is no dangerous wildlife here unless you take into account the sandfly, which we definitely take into account. I won't tell you what Mike and I have renamed them (x rated) but only today we found out that only the female of the species bite you because they need our protein for their eggs. I say get rid of protein and make them extinct, I don't care if they have any useful purpose on this earth aaaagggghhhh. Rant over!

View from our spot on the Rotorua Lake campsite in the North Island

 Early morning at Cable Bay campsite South Island

We have stayed in predominantly really good campsites which was down to our trusted Camping NZ app on the iPad, it has served us very well. Yes, a couple of dodgy ones, which is always when you are near a city. The one we are at tonight in a place called Arrow Town, just outside Queenstown, is lovely with very clean hot showers, great kitchen and barby and a beautifully equipped and located site. Not that we are using barbies at the mo, which brings me onto the climate. So 7 weeks in shorts and t-shirts until 2 days ago then the jeans and warm clothing that has been rolled up at the bottom of our case, came out. It went from 22 degrees to below 10.... What is this, the UK???? Yes, yes I know, it's autumn here in NZ now and their climate is very similar to ours which is why (despite the beauty and a population of only 5 million in a country bigger than ours) I would not choose to live here. Sun is the deal breaker for me. Back to the light side again, it's due to go back up to 20 degrees tomorrow but I don't know if that will last until the end of our stay? Then of course there is the Cyclones but they haven't got any where near us.

These natural pools in Nghawa were amazing but smelly mud (really good for the skin) - North Island

We had the big moment today, the jewel in the crown, the much anticipated Milford Sound, which is not actually a Sound but a Fiord. They spell it with an 'I' here. Don't ask me the difference between a Sound and a Fiord I do not know, but I do know that it was spectacular. The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound was impressive enough but then we boarded the Jucy Cruze (yes the same company attracting discounts for Jucy campervan users) and went to another level of stunning. Mountains 2,000 metres high that have risen directly out of the ocean that accompany you on either side of you on your cruze. Waterfalls, glaciers and jade green clear waters which the top 3 metres are fresh because of the rainfall and glacier melt and then ocean below. The ocean is the Tasman Sea named after Abel Tasman (Dutch) who founded the area. For once it was not our very own Captain Cook! 2 hours of bliss sitting in the sun on the top deck letting it all wash over me while David Bailey (AKA Mick Dundee Devitt) took enough photos to sink the bloody boat. It was windy at times but the perfect weather to see it. We have decided we are no longer the Griswalds on our tours, we are the lucky Devitts. Nothing has been ruined by weather or cancelled or changed out of our control. We keep shaking our heads at out luck, smiling from ear to ear and moving onto the next adventure.

Just like in Aus, we have met bundles of lovely people. Just tonight we got chatting to Alice, a young lady who owns her own wood fired pizza joint, extensively travelled and has vinyl albums playing in the cafe. She got us to choose an album (all the oldies on offer) and we chose Dark Side of the Moon while we consumed our very large pizza. She was an inspiring young lady, it was our pleasure to meet her and we hope we have perhaps inspired (or if that is too grand) at least given food for thought to some of the people we have met.

Abel Tasman national Park- a walk around the coastline

2 pictures above are Abel Tasman National Park - North of the North Island

I have had a cold the last three days but being the YES people that we are now ( well we try hard) I have kept going. Our plan has always been to keep moving forward, say yes when it would be so easy to say no and squeeze every last drop out of this experience. Talking of drops, we had fun in a place called The Winery 2 days ago in Queenstown. You get a card which slowly totals up what you are spending as you mooch around trying all of the lovely NZ wines. Sample size, half glass and full glass are on offer as well as cheese boards, comfy armchairs with rugs and a great ambiance. It was great and an absolute bargain at 60 dollars (£30) for the 2 of us and we tried loads and had a super cheese board. We thought of our lovely lady Vicky as we circled around, she would have loved it! 

 Mike at The Winery :)

Queenstown and the park - cloudy day but still so beautiful

We have been on luges in Rotorua, in natural hot thermal springs, boats to islands, national parks and walks round gardens. 

About to luge down the mountain in Rotorua - North Island... of course I was faster than Mike!!

More Manganui Beach - North Island

We have promised ourselves that in 10 years time we will not be naming all of the foliage and fauna on display even though we read every plaque, board and information leaflet going. Mike is the map king (he loves an old fashioned paper map) and I leave that to him, Geography never was my strong point even though I somehow managed an A level in the subject... How did that happen? We have shared the driving in NZ much more (I did most of it in Aus) and as a consequence, when I am the co-pilot, I fail miserably because I fall asleep....useless I know.

Communicating with family and friends has been much harder in NZ with the 13 hour difference and variable access to good wifi. Much of the time there is no signal when you are on the road in the middle of sheep, farmland, mountains and trees. However, we did manage to Facetime Mike's Mum and Dad on his Dad's birthday which was lovely and also had a quick chat with number one son who seriously needs a shave... Love you really xxxx only 19 days until we see him... Big smile right now. My Mum and John are of course just across the Tasman sea in Cairns right now and I have just read an email from my Mum to say that they are being moved on because of Cyclone Nathan so they are not going to see the Great Barrier Reef, we are absolutely gutted for them. They are having the time of their lives and we hope their flight to Melbourne on Friday goes ahead as scheduled. My Dad is holding the fort in Cyprus and coming to the end of his eight week stint of Tazzie Boy sitting, we will be forever grateful Dad and thoughts are with you in the UK Dee x hi sisters, hoping you are all well xx

I feel educated having been on these travels and I truly believe there is no substitute for learning as seeing and experiencing our world in all of its glory. We have seen but a tiny part and just want to see more. Having seen an active volcano, craters, geysers and mud pools reaching 80 degrees and upwards, I feel privileged. 

Into the crater! How the world began at Waimangu North Island. Water temperature 70 degrees and smoking! High acidic ph value

Waimangu - yes it was really that beautiful sky blue

I must also make a nod to the cruise over the Cook straight from the North to South Island travelling through Marlborough Sound, acknowledged as the most beautiful ferry ride in the world. 

Leaving Wellington (capital city) in the North Island on the Interislander Cruiser

Entering the South Island on the Interislander Cruiser via Marlborough Sound

More of the Cook Straight and Marlborough Sound, the photos do not do it justice as it was so serene and pretty awesome

The Pancake rock formations and blow hole - Punakaiki South Island

Franz Josef Glacier - South Island

So when the debts are paid back in the UK and we have done some honest work for a while, I will be onto my next travel project. I know we still have until September in Cyprus, which is immense, but South East Asia is very high on the list and I won't rest until we have it planned.... Don't worry Mum, it could take a long while!! Promise we are not emigrating. 

I know that there is much that I have left out but the oh so comfy campervan bed is calling. See mikedevitt.blogspot.co.uk for daily, funny, informative and darn right brilliant blogs... He is a writer don't you know xxxx

We will be departing Auckland on Wednesday 25th March early evening and will be back in Cyprus at 10:30 am on Thursday 26th March having stopped all but briefly in Brisbane for re-fuel and Dubai to change planes. That doesn't sound too long does it but with all of the time zones it's one long old flight. I don't know if I will blog again about these travels unless I cannot sleep on the planes and decide to do one last short blog. I may blog when I am back in Cyprus, then again I may be too busy teaching English to Russian children.

Milford Sound

2 photos above of Milford Sound - windswept and not interesting! Not photo shopped I promise.

Love to you all and here's to a mega summer in the UK xxxxxxxxx

Sent from my iPad

Melbourne, Sydney and now flying to New Zealand

I should start by apologising for the lack of photographs accompanying this blog, time and access to wi-fi has beaten me. Take a look at Mike's blogs at mikedevitt.blogspot.com for daily, humorous accounts with photos. 

Well that was a relaxed car drop off, check in at Sydney airport and take off to NZ... phew. This flight from Sydney to Auckland is supposed to be 3 hours 15 minutes and the pilot has just told us that because of strong winds it will only be 2 hours 20 minutes - yippee. So I intend to make the most of this time and attempt to remember all that we have seen and done over the last 10 ish days before we land in a new country. I am sad to leave Australia, it seemed to have everything including the best climate, which is always high up on my list. Yes, yes I am sure going through the seasons in the UK has its merit (so people like to remind me), but there is no getting away from it, I love the sun, blue sky and oceans every day of the year. We have been so lucky to have had this opportunity and it's what Mike and I now call our silver lining.

We stayed in a place called St Kilda just a few miles south of the city of Melbourne for our first night on the south coast after our afternoon 3 hour flight from Cairns. It was a chilly evening and we took a night time stroll along the esplanade with a view of the lit up city across the water. We finished the evening with a jug of beer in a local bar and then slept the night in a fairly shabby motel. I am now pleased to say that having moved from hotel to lodge to motel every night for the following six nights on route to Sydney, they were all far superior. The next day we did the 'hop on hop off' bus tour around Melbourne city. At first I was not sure that Melbourne was all I thought it would be but I was very wrong. It doesn't have the wow factor of Sydney, New York, Rome and of course our lovely London, but it is a city of art and sport and absolutely worth the visit. We had the best smoothies ever in the afternoon and got a great look round the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with the World Cup in progress and the home of the Australian Tennis Open. I thought of Sam as we walked around the tennis courts and Mum as we saw one of the international cricket teams practicing, they would both love it. My mum is now in Dubai, soon to move onto Perth and pretty much following in our tracks around Australia with the addition of Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. I am really excited for her and John. I read a post from my sister on Facebook recently commenting that our Mum is now in Dubai, our Dad in Cyprus and her sister in Aus not to forget her nephew in Nottingham. It made me smile and I am glad to say that she will join us in Cyprus in April for my birthday.

So, back to the travels. We departed St Kilda the next morning embarking on a six day road trip along the Great Ocean Drive to Sydney. This (not surprisingly) hugged the coastline along the way as well as many miles along tree lined roads. We stayed overnight at Phillip Island, Wilsons Promontory, Mallacoota, Lakes Entrance, Narooma and Jervis Bay. Each stop took our breath away with its beauty and what it had to offer. We saw kangaroos, wallabies, penguins and sea lions up close in the wild, walked many beautiful (and sometimes challenging) tracks and boardwalks, walked, sat, baked and bathed on paradise beaches and even took in a boat cruise of the lakes. We have watched surfers out on the waves and been almost tempted to join in, shopped for our dinner in the local Woolworths and covered almost 2,000 kilometres in the car. We generally drove for about 2 to 3 hours each day, which always left us plenty of time to enjoy each stop and partake in ice creams, coffees and teas. Just wanted to add that petrol averages 55p a litre here!!! We have met many lovely Australian locals in every location, which has always enhanced our experience. The photo album is bulging with scenery, views and stupid selfies of Mike and I but coupled with our blogs we already have the best catalogue of memories we could ever dream of.

Can you believe that we have only cooked one barbie while in Aus which was while we were in Wilsons Promontory and there is no excuse for this because there are gas barbies everywhere free to use. We have made sure that we have dipped our toes or swam in every ocean and water we have encountered: the Southern Ocean, the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Coral Sea and the Persian Gulf, I think my favourite is the Indian Ocean. Australia is an amazing place to visit, have we really done so much? I have lived in my bikinis under shorts and t shirts for the last four and half weeks and loved it. Suntan lotion and sandfly repellent spray is a pain but I am happy to pay the price tee hee. At our last destination before we drove into Sydney, called Jervis Bay, we spent the morning having a leisurely breakfast overlooking Hyam Beach and then relaxed on this very same beach for the morning. It is in the Guiness Book of Records for being the whitest sand in the world. It was stunning and we did not want to leave, but the bright lights of the city were calling again so we completed our road trip on a final 3 hour drive into Sydney. 

Our accommodation was in a place called Manly just north of the Sydney harbour, a harbour town itself with its own surfing beach and a little cove called Shelly Beach. We stayed in our third AirBnB house with a young couple called Tom and Celine. We stayed with them for 3 nights and it was really cool and relaxing despite our 13 mile walk around Sydney City on our first day, more of that in a moment. So on our first morning with them I got up early in order to FaceTime mum and found Celine in full yoga pose followed by blending up her own juice and then heading off to work for an animation company who create for NBC, BBC and Foxtel. I duly made my cup of tea and headed out to the back yard which backed onto a park featuring an open air gym and more joggers, dog walkers and speed walkers than I could count. Feeling mega unfit and not worthy I greeted our host Tom good morning who was on his way to surf some waves before work. Kitted out in his wetsuit and thongs (flip flops) he grabbed his board from the kitchen, jumped on his bike and off he went. Mike dragged himself from the bed, grunted morning, grabbed a coffee and went back to his I phone. Mike and I have since chatted about this lifestyle many times, theorised about it, deliberated and agreed we would be well suited to it but the other side of the world is probably just one step too far.

As we sailed around the corner of the Sydney harbour that very morning (apparently the most beautiful natural harbour in the world), we had our first view of the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the city skyline under a clear blue sky, perfect sunshine and crystal waters... Am I allowed to say wow anymore? Stupendous!!!! We took far too many photos and couldn't stop smiling as we repeatedly viewed these iconic sights. We walked around the city, through the beautiful botanic gardens and ventured out to Darling Harbour, all were magnificent. We know that Canberra is the capital of Australia and although we haven't visited Canberra, Sydney would have my vote if it were up for grabs. We may not have the healthy lifestyle of our lovely Celine and Tom, but as mentioned, we did walk 13 miles this day, that has got to count for something right? The good news, if you are worried that Mike is doing too much, is that we tempered this walking with much sitting and taking in of views including a 2 hour leisurely drink in the open air Opera Bar below Sydney Opera House, watching day turn to night and Sydney come alive with lights. Add to this the bonus of the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner (beyond huge) moored opposite the Opera House half way through her around the world luxury trip... Magnificent. A long but truly unforgettable day.

Like the 2 sensible Brits that we are, we spent the next day at Shelly Beach sunbathing, snorkelling with gear supplied by our fitness gurus Celine and Tom and relaxing in the shade with a Pepsi Max. We finished our time in Sydney with a meal in Manly at a cafe recommend by our hosts with a 2 for 1 on the main course (woohoo, local knowledge is great) and an evening stroll along the beach with frozen yogurt and toppings in hand accompanied by floodlit beach volleyball. These Sydney dwellers are fitness crazy....

We have left the blue skies of Australia now (we did have some grey as well), and as I look out of the plane window at the clouds below and brief glimpses of the Pacific Ocean and the Tazman Sea, I am truly unsure of how this next stage in NZ will roll. Temperatures may reach mid twenties in the North Island but it is autumn in NZ now and we will see temperatures drop to about 18 degrees in the South Island and rain is very possible. On top of this we will be in a camper van for the whole 3 weeks that we tour the 2 islands... Yikes. Never been much of a camper but Mike and I will continue with our "YES" approach to this adventure and hopefully the night stars, mountains and vast freshwater lakes will be more than good enough company to withstand the horrors of camping. Please don't feel too sorry for me, I think we will be alright, although there may be some navigation arguments and "clear up your mess" fights to accompany our roaming.

Excited.... Absolutely!!!!!