Happy Christmas Everybody!

Happy Christmas!

Lots of Love

Connie XXX

We just wanted to wish all our friends and families a very Merry Christmas! As well as showing you the Pohutukawa Tree (otherwise known as the Kiwi Christmas Tree!) So called because it only starts to flower around Christmas Time! There are tons of them everywhere and the deep red flowers are so beautiful and very festive! It's a Christmas Tree that needs no other decorations! The white house with the picket fence is where we are staying for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year (Tiki Road, Coromandel for anyone who is looking us up on Google Earth!) We are renting the part of the house at the back on the right where the little balcony is!

More news on what we are getting up to here will follow very soon but for now we both wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

Lots of Love

Julie XXX

Rangitoto Island - our 3rd Volcano!

Back in Auckland for a few days before heading off to the Coromandel Peninsula for Christmas & New Year. Took a half hour ferry trip over to Rangitoto Island which is a dormant volcano that rose up out of the sea 600 years ago and is the youngest island in the Hauraki Gulf. It also makes it the 3rd volcano we have seen so far on our travels (but there will probably be lots more as New Zealand is full of them and Auckland itself has around 50 of them!) Our first volcano was Mount Etna in Sicily, followed by the Greek island of Santorini which is built on the crater of the volcano itself as you can see on the photo. The actual centre cone of the volcano you can see in the sea behind the super tanned CK! (Her best tan yet, despite my efforts with the talcum powder!) But anyway, getting back to Rangitoto(!) nobody is allowed to live on the island as there aren't any facilities such as mains electricity or water. However there are several little houses, called baches (pronounced 'batches') which have been there for years and the owners are allowed to use them during the daytime but are not supposed to camp there overnight. There used to be over 100 of them at one time but now there are only about 30. We picked out our favourites just in case we missed the return ferry and had to crash there overnight! There are only a few ferries that go to the island each day and it is drummed into you not to lose track of time and miss the return ferry! The last one went at 3.30pm! We took a walk around the west coast of the island which then led up to the summit where we had a fantastic view of Auckland and the surrounding islands. Then yesterday we took the ferry over to Devonport, which is actually on the mainland but quicker to get there by boat as it is only a 10 minute trip! We had a free ticket included when we visited Waiheke Island so thought it would be rude not to use it! Devonport is actually quite a classy suburb (although we still prefer Parnell!) We climbed up Mount Victoria (via Kerr Street!) which is also a volcano albeit an extinct one (taking our volcano count up to 4!) and feasted our eyes on more excellent views of the Hauraki Gulf. Then, all volcanoed out(!) we returned to Parnell and were treated to an excellent music extravaganza by a brilliant Maori Reggae Band. Our toes were certainly a-tapping!!

Paihia - Bay of Islands

We decided to live life "on the edge" this week - well kind of! Went for a sail on the red catamaran that you can see at the jetty. It was a 6 hour trip in total, sailing round some of the islands up here. There was some relaxing to be done (as you can see by CK's photo!) but then it was all hands on deck and we were put to work! This involved lots of rope pulling to haul the sails up and down on several occasions! Lots of fun though and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We stopped for a BBQ lunch at one of the islands and went ashore to explore and admire the fantastic view from up on the hill. Sailing back to Paihia we were lucky enough to spot a pod of dolphins! As we got nearer to them they came right up to the boat & swam alongside us, occasionally arching up out of the water and then diving back in again! It was just the most perfect end to a fabulous trip! That evening we got ourselves a prime spot on the main street to watch the Paihia Christmas parade! It seemed the whole town turned out for the occasion and, to show you what a small place Paihia is, the girl who had been crewing on our boat that day also turned up as Santa's helper in the parade! There were lots of original homemade floats and we particularly liked Rudolph the red nosed tractor (sorry reindeer!) We did some walking this week too and visited Haruru Falls, passing through mangrove swamps on the way! Took a trip across the peninsula to Russell on the little ferry on the photo. Cute little place although very small! Hard to believe, as we found out recently, that it was originally the capital of New Zealand! And should you require a taxi here in Paihia - well you only need to summon the services of Tuk Tuk, the town's shuttle service! Haven't used it yet as our apartment is only a 5 minute walk away from the main street but am tempted to - just for the experience! (Don't forget - click on any of the photos to see them at full size! JK for the K Team)

Us versus the US!

Today we achieved the impossible (well we think we did!) and successfully applied for a 6 months US Visa! Do you think I had enough evidence collected to convince them I have no intention of staying in the US?!!! And that was just MY evidence - Connie had about the same amount for herself! Our actual "interview" at the consulate lasted about 5 mins, which was about a third of the time that it took on the telephone to actually book the interview in the first place! Anyway, we were told that "everything looked in order" so hopefully we will get some good news on that score before Christmas! So thanks again to all those friends and family who contributed to vouching for our intentions! After the trauma of recent events (US Visa wise!) we decided that we deserved a little treat and that a celebration was in order! So we headed off to the chocolate boutique for one of their specialities that I referred to on yesterday's blog - a chocolate fondue! As you may be able to see from the photo (click to enlarge!) we had a big dish of melted chocolate in the middle, surrounded by big pink and white squashy marshmallows, pieces of banana, 2 cherries, trifle sponges, pretzels, dried apricots and chocolate marshmallow fish - all of which could of course be dipped into the chocolate pot!!! Mmmm! It was SO good! We have already decided to have another one next time we are back in Auckland (in just over a week's time!) We are off to Paihia in the Bay of Islands tomorrow for a week and no wi fi access there so not sure when the next blog will be - but watch this space!

Parnell is THE place to be in Auckland!

• Just thought we would give you a little look at where we are staying here in Parnell, Auckland. It's a lovely, quaint little suburb and only about 25 minutes walk into Auckland itself, the harbour, tower and other attractions in the city. It has a real 'village' atmosphere and we have been able to find everything we need here - from a box of cornflakes right through to getting our emails printed out for the US consulate! There are lots of the traditional wooden buildings with ornate balconies and verandahs like the ones in the photos! Very picturesque and we love it! And yes, we have found a chocolate shop! They offer a HUGE menu consisting of everything chocolatey under the sun! A chocolate lover's dream shop! Having said all that we have been very restrained so far and only been there once! But after our interviews with the consulate tomorrow I am sure we will feel the need for a little treat! I think Connie has her eye on the chocolate fondue (big enough for 2 to share!) that we saw on the menu so I think that will be featuring heavily on tomorrow's itinerary! Mmmmm! The last photo is something we saw walking back from Auckland harbour the other day! No idea what we were being thanked for but we appreciated the sentiment all the same! The Kiwis are such lovely people - very friendly and helpful and SO polite!!!

The K Team go Kiwi!

Think we have both fallen in love with New Zealand already! And we have only been here a few days! The scenery is just fabulous! Very green and hilly and the landscapes we have seen so far remind us very much of the Mediterranean. We keep having to pinch ourselves to believe that we are really here, not to mention being lucky enough to be able to do this trip! Apparently a certain Mr David Beckham arrived in Auckland the same day as us and is still here, but we haven't bumped into him yet! Took a wander down to Auckland Harbour yesterday and found ourselves booking on a Harbour Cruise (that also included a free trip to Devonport Island at another time of your own choice!) It was a leisurely hour & a half trip around the nearby islands and also included a free cup of tea and a muffin! Not bad at all! Took a trip up to the top of the Sky Tower on Friday evening to see the sights from up there, but decided not to do the (so called) exhilarating skyjump from the top of it!!! Thought the pedestrians below could do without the sight of our backsides plummeting at high speed from up above! Then today, with even Connie able to keep her sea legs on the smooth harbour waters, we took to the sea again to visit Waiheke Island! Am sure my photos don't really show it in all its glory but there were the most beautiful views and bays around every corner! It seems to be a place where the very rich head for now as a lot of the properties were in the millions of dollars! We took a bus tour around the island to see how the other half live(!) and then, after a relaxing lunch, took a short walk back to the wharf to catch the ferry back to Auckland! Not a bad way to spend a Sunday really!

Another day, another country - New Zealand!

Greetings from Auckland! We arrived here yesterday with LAN airlines (Chile) which was a fabulous flight despite our fears (never having flown with a Chilean airline before!) It seemed to be a brand new plane - very clean like it had never been used yet, with an individual widescreen TV with large choice of films at no extra charge, delicious lunch of ham & chicken salad, fresh fruit and yoghurt and even proper wine glasses for our celebratory glass of plonk as we crossed the ocean! Haven't really done much yet as been busy trying to get our US Visa sorted for later next year (or at least get an appointment for the required interview to get the Visa!) You would not believe how hard that has been to do (and we still haven't managed to get through to the relevant department yet!) Anyway when we had had enough of banging our heads against the proverbial brick wall for the day, we stopped for a late lunch at the Harbour and, oh yes, another glass of wine (Hardy's Shiraz - for the wine buffs amongst you!) Anyway, watch this space for more news from NZ ... ! (JK for the K Team)

The K Team Kick Back in Katoomba!

This was a special treat for CK's birthday on Sunday! 3 nights at Melba House B&B in Katoomba, up in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. As you can see we took full advantage of the complimentary bathrobes and decanter of port (which was topped up every day!) The chocolate buttons on my bed were left over from our visit to the Blue Mountains Chocolate Shop where you can make your own mug of REAL hot chocolate! They give you a tall pot with a tealight under it, a jug of hot milk and a big dish of tiny chocolate buttons. You melt the buttons in the pot, add hot milk to taste and drink it through a straw as you go! Delicious! And the left over buttons went down very well with our port later! The weather on Friday was fantastic so we spent the day bushwalking in the Blue Mountains National Park, visiting Leura Cascades and the famous 3 Sisters at Echo Point. (CK has renamed them Maggie, Jackie and Linda after her own 3 sisters!) I only have one so Anne, you can choose which one you want to be! On Saturday the weather completelly changed with the temperature dropping about 10 degrees! We had blustery winds, hail, sleet and snow showers! Yes really! It was probably about as cold as in the UK and yet the previous day I had my shorts on! Weird! On Sunday (CK's birthday!) we had our last scrumptious breakfast (scrambled eggs & bacon for me and CK had pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup - Mmmm!) Then we took the train back to Sydney and wandered around the harbour, checking out the GIGANTIC cruise ship which had appeared over the weekend! There was a lot going on at the Harbour - it was buzzing with activity! Larry & Kylie (Channel 7 breakfast TV hosts! We love Larry!!) were there presenting an event for people to win a trip on the cruise ship and it was also the final of "Australian Idol" which was an outdoor event outside the Opera House. A lovely end to CK's birthday weekend! Then it was back home for a glass of wine and a Thai meal at the restaurant next to our apartment in Surry Hills. So not far to stagger home afterwards!

The K Team Heckle in Parliament!

We thought we better not leave Australia without visiting the capital - Canberra! So took a day trip there on Murrays Coaches - 3 and a half hours each way! Visited Parliament House and being as it was free to go inside we went in to check things out. We were lucky as Parliament was actually in session while we were there and we were allowed to go and sit in the gallery and watch the proceedings (after going through a strict security check of course and having to leave our cameras outside!) It was Question Time so Kevin Rudd the Prime Minister was in the firing line from all angles! It was very exciting to watch, especially when the heckling started and the speaker had to keep shouting out "Order, Order!" After leaving Parliament House we spent an hour or so walking around the lake (Lake Burley Griffin) which is in the middle of the city. You can see us both posing there by the Captain Cook Memorial Jet in the middle of the lake! Accompanied by those beautiful black parliamentary swans who were swimming side by side all afternoon - must be love! (JK for the K Team)

Wacky Wildlife of the Day - the Cassowary!

We loved this one! Had never even heard of the Cassowary before coming to Australia but what a weird and wonderful creature it is! A bit similar to an emu and, like emus, best to keep a safe distance I think! If you want to see them in action click on this youtube video - http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=HO5Z8pnQCNQ&NR=1



It's worth it to see other people's scary encounters with them! Back to the subject of emus though we did see a very unscary and very cute baby one! (JK for the K Team)

Wacky Wildlife of the Day - the Thorny Devil!

Now that we are just chilling out for awhile in Sydney, we thought it would be nice to show you some of the weird and wonderful wildlife we have seen throughout our travels in Australia! Apologies to those of you who may have already seen some of them on photos we have sent out, but to those who haven't - hope you enjoy them! Today's Wacky Wildlife is Connie's favourite - the handsome little "Thorny Devil"! We spent ages looking for one when we crossed into Central Australia, all to no avail at first. We did encouter a "sleeping" one which had been preserved by our host at our B&B in Alice Springs (think Monty Python parrot sketch!!!) but then fortunately saw several live ones at a little Reptile Park there. This one we thought was the cutest! They move around in a weird way, apparently resembling a leaf blowing in the wind to deter predators! Also they also have a false head on the top of their real heads so that if they are attacked they bend their heads down and hopefully their attacker grabs the false 'head' which then grows back again! How cool is that?! (Apologies for the photo being the wrong way round! (Click on it to see it bigger!) I took it at that angle as it was moving around quite quickly and then rotated the photo on my laptop. Unfortunately this blog page doesn't recognise that and doesn't have any rotation facilities. So sorry for you all having to put your head on one side to see it but it's worth the effort as he is so cute! Well, we think so anyway! (JK for the K Team)

The Sisters Hit Sydney!

Well, we're back to being the K team again now as Mary has left us and flown back to the UK! We gave her a whistle stop tour of Sydney and surrounding area in 6 days! We took in the sights of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Mary made friends with an aboriginee at Sydney Harbour & joined him in a little music making! We took the monorail to Darling Harbour and got a good view of Sydney Tower. You can see it in the background of the photo of Mary by the beautiful purple Jacaranda tree (my favourite tree!) and that was where we had a buffet meal in the revolving restaurant on Mary's last night with us. We were staying in Manly (where CK and I had stayed for a month previously in August) so we took Mary on a stroll to our favourite little beach - Shelly Beach and also on a 10km coastal walk around the bay back to Manly Wharf - Phew!!! We also visited the Blue Mountains and Palm Beach (where we are alll posing on the rocks!) We did think we might get parts as extras on "Home & Away" which is filmed there but sadly they weren't shooting that day so our talents were wasted! After Mary's departure CK and I moved across town to Surry Hills, a suburb close to Sydney (where we will be staying for our last month in Australia.) As Mary flew back across the seas (after an impromptu and unplanned 24hr solo trip to Singapore!!) CK and I visited Sydney's Chinese Garden - an oasis of tranquility in the middle of the city! CK is posing by the 'Lake of Brightness' and that's me reading (or pretending to!) in the Reading Pavilion! Hope you enjoyed your stay with us Mary - we certainly enjoyed having you along with us! Watch this space for the further exploits of the K Team in Sydney! And don't forget - click on any of the photos to see them at full size! (JK for the K Team)