Photos!

A few from Singapore and Sydney first:Me and my Singapore Sling!The Harley!Pulled again! Taronga Zoo.The Stadium where we won the World Cup! And yes, that's the end that Jonny scored!And that's the cubicle he used!I will upload the rest when i get home probably, unless I get time to do it in LA.And here's a few from NZ. Yes, we're being orcs there on Pelennor Fields!Ready to Luge!Aragorn's cliff - namby pamby only fell about 3 inches!This is Pippin - our Motorhome!Our trip to the South Pole.That's Edoras in the background!A wander in the Gardens of Isen.Us in the hobbit's hiding place.Get off the Road!Rivendell!And that's all for now folks!

Another quick update

Thursday 2nd December continued:Well, we got to Rotorua safe and sound and checked into our hotel. It was lovely! We found out that there was a Maori concert every night by the pool so we decided to book for that. We had a couple of hours to kill so we wandered into town for dinner and then went back to get changed. The concert was fab! Especially the haka! After the concert we went back to the room for a bit to write postcards and stuff before heading back down to the pool for a late night swim and spa before bedtime.Friday 3rd December:Got up about 8am and checked out of the hotel. We went to McDonalds for breakfast, wandered the town for a bit then headed out to the gondola. Once we were up there we found the luge! This one is longer than the one in Queenstown and we had to have a go...or five! We love luging! After we were luged out, we went back down the gondola and drove to the Polynesian Spa, we booked a vitalising back therapy for 4.30pm today and then drove to the park to hae a look (and smell) of the hot springs. Mmmmmmmm. :-) Then we drove to the government gardens, found a little cafe and had lunch. Now we're just killing a bit of time while waiting for our spa date! Finally found a pc with a CD drive and I have my CDs, so there will follow some photos! They're a bit big though!

Hello from Hobbiton!

Well, on Tuesday night we headed out to the Hobbit for dinner but it was closed! Pah! So we went back to the hotel and had dinner at the Powderkeg again. Halfway through eating our lovely chicken, we spotted it wasn't cooked properly! Eeeeek! We informed the waitress who told us our dinner would be free, so we ordered cheesecake too. Well, if we were going to be sick may as well go the whole hog! Then it was back to the room to pack and worry about getting food poisoning.Wednesday 1st December:The alarm went off at 8am and breakfast was delivered soon after. Neither of us had been sick during the night, but I think the worry was making us a little queasy. We were determined not to let it ruin our holiday, so we hit the road. (Edit here!) We drove to the Waitomo Caves. The tour started with a little wander through the limestone caves, quite stunning really. Then we hopped into a little boat and floated through the pitch black into the Glow Worm Grotto. That was amazing! All the lights of the glow worms looked like stars in the night sky. After that we headed north to Hamilton. Lovely little town. We had lunch at Subway before hitting the shops! Honest mum, I'm not spending that much! But I did have to buy my Harry Potter DVD! Then we decided to go back to the hotel for a rest. The plan had been to spend the evening writing postcards, having a swim and possibly trying out the steam room and having dinner close by. But about 7.30pm I wasn't feeling 100% so the only place I was headed was bed. Val had to amuse herself for the evening as I was asleep in no time!Thursday 2nd December:Got up about 9am, feeling much better! Think I was just tired. Went into the bathroom to find a little orc Frodo sitting by the sink. One of the things Val had done to amuse herself last night was to buy me him! He's fab! Then we checked out of the hotel and headed for Matamata - home of Hobbiton. We had lunch at Ronnie's Cafe before booking onto the tour. We were taken right into the set where about half of the hobbit holes remain. We saw the party tree and the party field. Our guide, Eric, showed us where Gandalf and Frodo had ridden in on Gandalf's cart, where he let the fireworks off and where the kids had run after them. We wandered around to the lake and saw where the bridge and the mill had been. Then it was up the hill to Bag End. This is the hobbit hole you can actually walk inside. Looking out from Bag End is fantastic! You see Bilbo's view just as it was in the film. Sam's home in FOTR is still there, but unfortunately his home in ROTK, the final shot, is now just a mound of dirt. Apparently they are awaiting permission from Newline to rebuild it. The reason half of the set remains is because they had begun to tear it all down, but then the rain came in and they had to stop for six months. In that time, the owners of the farm asked Newline if they could keep the rest of the holes and set up the tours. Newline agreed. Once the tour was over we came back to the town and went back to Ronnie's for tea. And another cake - they have great cakes! Now we're sitting in the Hobbit Hole Internet Cafe. We'll be off to have a wander round the town now and then we are heading to Rotorua.

Not sure if anyone is still reading but...

Saturday 27th November cont:We went to the Te Papa museum - very interesting. Also somehow found ourselves on a ride we think we were supposed to pay for, but the guy just ushered us through when I asked what it entailed! After the museum we went back to the hotel to change. Then it was out for dinner at The Green Parrot - great food! Sunday 28th November: Got up at the crack of dawn as we were off on a trip today. Colin, our tour guide picked us up at 9am. Our first stop was the Westpac Stadium where they recorded a lot of the orc crowd stuff when they had big sporting events on there. Then we went down to park of the River Anduin, where the boats first set off on their journey. Then it was on to Harcourt Park - the location for the gardens of Isen, the felling of the orc trees and frisbee golf! Yes, really! Then it was off to Rivendell, this location is beautiful. We had photos taken by the tree where Orlando Bloom had his promo photos done. After morning tea, we had a wander over the swingbridge and through the bush. Colin got us to run back over the bridge to make it swing a bit more! Great fun. Then it was off to Mout Victoria, stopping enroute to pop into Old St Paul's Cathedral - a beautiful old wooden church. We drove up Mt. Victoria for some stunning views on the city. Then it was a short drive and a little walk through the locations on the Rohirrim encampment, the run to the ferry, the "get off the road" scene and a photo or two in the hobbits hiding place. Then it was back to the hotel with a quick stop at the dairy for a hokey pokey ice cream - mmmmmmmmmmm! Then we picked up the coolest car on the roads of NZ and drove to Seatoun and had lunch Chocolate Fish Cafe. lovely food again! Sat by the sea and ate. Lovely. When we got back to the hotel we went for a swim. The indoor "heated" pool was bloody cold! But we had a bit of a swim anyway.That night we had dinner at Casa Pasta as recommended by Colin - more great food! Then it was pack to the hotel to pack.Monday 29th November:Got up early and checked out of the hotel. I had had a bit of a money scare the night before when the cash machine wouldn't give me money, so I had to get that sorted before we left. Once that was done, we headed to Lambton Quay for some shopping! Spent lots of money, then had a ride on the cable car to see more great views of the city. Then it was back down, quick walk along Cuba Street, then back in the car and back to the Chocolate Fish Cafe for lunch. Another great milkshake! Then it was time to leave Wellington. Was very sad to leave, I love Wellington! Really want to come back soon. Then we drove up to Ohakune and checked into the Powderhorn Chateau. The hotel is fab! Our room is great! We decided to go for a swim before dinner. The pool was so warm it was like a bath! Bit different to the one in Welly! We messed around in there for a while, found ourselves a great slide! Then it was into the Powderkeg for dinner, then to bed.Tuesday 30th November:The alarm went off about 9am this morning, we thought we'd have a bit of a lie in. Had breakfast - lovely iggs! Then we popped to the shops before driving up the mountain road to find the location where Gollum chased the fish down the river. Wandered around for a bit, got wet. Then we drove to Whakapapa Ski field to visit mordor. It was very misty! Very Mordor-ish. We stopped at the Grand Chateau for lunch then we headed back to our Chateau. Did some washing, then headed back up the mountain road to find the real location for Gollum chasing the fish. Jumped over the stream for a bit, took photos and then got back in the car and headed down here to the internet cafe. We had tried the internet at the hotel but hadn't had any joy. Pah! Now we are heading back for another swim before having dinner at The Hobbit later.

The sun shines in the north!

Just a quick update - I've edited the last entry as we remembered what we did on Tuesday! We got a reasonably early night last night after packing.Saturday 27th November:The alarm went off at 8.30am and we got up and did the usual morning ritual. It had been nice sleeping in a proper bed for the first time in a week! We got the free shuttle to the airport, checked in and went for a bit of breakfast. Finally boarded about 11.30 and we were soon on our way. The flight only felt like it lasted about 20 minutes - why can't they all be like that?! Once in Wellington (hurrah!) wse picked up our hire car - a very cool red Rav 4! Gorgeous to drive - I was born to drive a car like that! Then it was off to the hotel. We've decided we are staying here for two nights and luckily the hotel has room for us for tomorrow night. Once we had ditched the suitcases and changed we drove into the town. Parked up and walked down Cuba Street to Fidel's for a bit of lunch. Very cool place - lovely food! And now we are off to the Te Papa museum. Bye for now!

2 weeks in...

Okay, found another spare few minutes to pop in and update.Monday 22nd November continued:After the internet cafe, we hit the shops. Yes mum, I have spent far too much and bought far too many things! Then we decided to head for the gondola. Some fat old man got in our car which didn't impress us as he blocked the view! Once up the top we had a look round and took photos then it was onto the chair lift up to the luge! That was fantastic! Absolutely hilarious! We had to have three goes as it was so much fun. The third time I went reeeeeally fast! Then it was back down the gondola - an old couple tried to get in with us, but we blocked their way! Ha! Then it was back to the van and off to Deer Park Heights. They filmed quite a bit of LOTR round there - got to see the locations where Aragorn gets dragged over the cliff (stood on the bit of rock!), the area the Rohan people walk on their way to Helms Deep, where the wargs attacked, the hill where Legolas stood and shot at them - cue silly Legolas poses all round! For the non-LOTR fans, Deer Park Heights is also a great place to see a fantastic view of Queenstown. After Arrowtown we drove and drove and drove. And so too did the rain. We decided to go to Milford Sound. To get there, the road is long. And winding. And you have to drive through a mountain. Freaky! (Edit here!) We didn't go to Arrowtown! D'oh! We drove to Te Anau, were going to stay but then we decided to head on down to Milford Sound. We got there late, parked up and slept. It rained all night.Tuesday 23rd November:Still raining. Experienced my first earthquake! The van was shaking like mad! Don't think we saw Milford Sound in it's best light. Back on the road. Had to wait at the mountain tunnel for a while, sat by the lights, still raining. Finally went through the mountain and came out on the other side to heavy snow! It was really weird! (Another edit!) We actually went to Arrowtown on Tuesday! That was when we jumped across the river to find the Nazgul spot and wandered around to find the place where Isildur met his end! Then we headed for Haast. Wednesday 24th November:Drove to the Fox Glacier first. Got out, walked down to the face and had a gander. Very impressive. Big ice block. Then we went into the township for shopping before heading on to the Franz Josef Glacier. We did the little woodland walk up to a great viewing point. All round here was where they filmed the lighting of the beacons. Wow! Very cool. Then it was into that township for more shopping. Then it was back in the car and we headed for somewhere I can't remember the name of! Had lunch there then drove further up to the place that Sandro recommended - sorry, very tired, brain mush, can't remember names at the moment. It's the place that has the blowholes and pancake rocks. It's really lovely round there and apparently very impressive in a storm. Forgot to mention, it did stop raining by the time we got to the Fox Glacier and was beautiful by the time we got to the pancake rocks. Then we drove along to Arthur's Pass and beyond and stopped in Springfield for the night - no sign of the Simpsons. Thursday 25th November:Had a bit of a lie in this morning, got up at 9.30am. Sorted the van out and headed back to Christchurch. We decided to pop into the Antartica Centre - that is fab! Went on the Haaglund ride - fantastic! Then had a wander round the centre. There is a room that has real snow, that they keep at -5 and they generate storm conditions in there. They give you a jacket as it's sooooooooooo cold! Played around in there for a bit, having a go on the ice slide and such. We spent a couple of hours there and then headed back to the van depot as we were going to return the van that night as we had an early pick up the next day, but instead the very nice man sorted out the paperwork and we packed and he told us to drop it back at 8am the next day. So, we parked up in a nearby holiday park. The weather was looking a bit grey, so we had dinner, shopped and then went to the cinema to see National Treasure - which was great! When we left the cinema it was pouring, so we asked a security guard if he knew a taxi number. He found one and then tried to call them on his mobile for us. But he overheard the guy next to him ordering a taxi so he got him to order two. We stood outside in the cold for 10 minutes waiting for the taxi, no sign. The rain stopped so we walked back. Not liking Christchurch a whole lot!Friday 26th November:Up at 7am this morning. Took the van back and headed over to the Russely Hotel to wait for our tour guide to pick us up. The van turned up at about 9.30am. Our guide for the day was the very lovely Mark. There were four other people on the tour, a german couple and a Japanese couple. We drove across the plains, up to Mt. Somers. Stopped a couple of times for photos. Finally got to Mt.Potts about lunch time. Got out of the van for our first look at Edoras. Wow! So very very impressive! Then it was a bit of 4 wheeling over the land (and water) and up Mt. Sunday. We climbed the last bit and stood right where the Golden Hall had been. Mark pointed out where all the different buildings had been, and where Aragorn had sat on his horse when he was looking at Helms Deep and where Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had ridden up and where Gandalf had ridden off with Pippin. Lots of photos were taken. Then it was back to the lodge for a champagne lunch - Yum! Then we drove back to Christchurch. Finally got back about 5pm. Then it was a quick rest in the hotel before heading here - the city centre. Going to have a wander round before heading back for an earlyish night. Off to Wellington in the morning! Hurrah!

We're in Queenstown!

So, where did I get to the other day? I was in the visitor's centre wasn't I? Okay...Saturday 20th November continued:We left Twizel after updating this and headed up towards Mount Cook. The weather up there wasn't the best, so we decided not to go on one of the walks! Instead, we headed back down to the Holiday Park about 20 minutes away. The weather here was lovely! So we went for a stroll down to the lake and took some photos, then went to do some laundry - we know how to party! It was a nice relaxing evening though, taking it easy, late dinner, then bed.Sunday 21st November:Got up early, it was a beautiful morning. We drove back up to Mount Cook and this time we got out and did one of the walks up towards the mountain. It was beautiful up there. Took plenty of photos. Then we got back in the van and headed further south. We had planned to stop in Tarras, but it consisted of 1 shop and a cafe, so we continued onto Wanaka. Loved this place! Really stunning. We stopped down by the waterfront and took pictures - this was the backdrop used for Gandalf's flight on the eagle from Isengard. Then we had some lunch before driving to Glendhu Bay - another stunning location. Then it was back into Wanaka to stop by Puzzling World. We spent about 45 minutes in the maze - it was hilarious! The idea was to find each of the four corners and then find your way out - we did succeed! We kept seeing the same couple over and over again - and the four of us just kept laughing at each other. Then we went into the optical illusions room. That was hilarious too! One room was on a slope and it made you feel like the room was moving. There were a couple of great photo opportunities - so I'll show them when I can. Then it was back in the van. We drove to Queenstown. On the way I thought we were going to run out of diesel - there were no service stations anywhere! Not even a house! Eventually I saw a sign for Arrowtown and headed in there. We found the service station and pulled in. A guy came out and told us they had closed 20 minutes before, I think he saw the look of utter despair and desperation on my face as he told us he would switch the pumps back on! Now, can you imagine that happening in England?! Once we were filled up, we continued on into Queenstown. The first Motor Park we tried was full, but the second one was better. We parked up, had a quick freshen up and headed into town for dinner. We wandered around a couple of the shops then decided to look for a restaurant - but they were all closing! It seems Queenstown shuts at 10pm on a Sunday! We had to settle for a KFC before heading back to the van for bed.Monday 22nd November:First of all, Happy Birthday Fifs! Hope you have a fab day! Okay - so when I did this the other day I thought it was the 21st when it was actually the 22nd - still would have been the 21st for Fifs though!Got up early this morning, showered and dressed and drove into town. First stop was here - the internet depot. Now we're going shopping, then up the gondola. After that - well, there is so much to do in Queenstown we don't know what we are going to do next!So, the sun is out, need to get outside! Will be back again in a few days. Until then - bye!

Twizel Calling!

Well, I've finally managed to find a spare moment to update this! We are having a fab time, don't want to spend too long in here so please forgive the vague entries! Plus I want to tell everyone all about it when I get home!Friday 12th November:We got to the airport about 6.30pm and checked in. We ate, wandered a bit and finally bordered about 11pm - the flight was slightly delayed. The flight wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be - I slept most of the way! Saturday 13th November:We landed at 6.50pm local time in Singapore. We got a cab to the Swissotel. Our room was lovely! After a little rest and a quick shower and change, we went to the Night Safari. There was a tram ride through there which was great. Very peaceful. We walked the leopard trail, which included a stroll through the bat enclosure! Just after midnight we headed back to the hotel for bed.Sunday 14th November:We got up about 10am and had breakfast before heading out. We had a quick look at The Raffles Hotel then hit the shopping mall. We were going to have a wander outside, but a torrential rainstorm changed our minds for a while. Once the rain had stopped we popped over to the Chijmes and browsed the shops. Then it was off to the Long Bar for a Singapore Sling! Mmmmmm - I like those! Then it was off to another mall and a little rest along by the river. We had a few hours to kill before the flight and we were knackered so we went to the cinema to see Cellular - very good! Then it was back to the hotel to pick up our bags before catching a cab to the airport. Monday 15th November:We landed in Sydney at 11am and cabbed it to the hotel in Bondi. Our suite was fab! Huge! After a shower and change we wandered along the beach before getting a cab into the city. Seeing the Opera House and the bridge for the first time - it finally sunk in...we were in Australia!!! We walked along the bridge, went up the sky tower and did the skyride before heading back to the hotel.Tuesday 16th November:Got up at 7.30am, had breakfast and then we were picked up by Bruce and Barry on the Harleys! We had a 90 minute tour of Sydney, which was incredible! I was with Bruce who was very chatty and told me loads about the city aswell as pointing out Nicole Kidman's and Russell Crowe's homes! They dropped us off at the Opera House and we caught the ferry to Taronga Zoo. That was great fun - had photos with koalas. Awwwww. They have some very weird animals over here! Then it was back on the ferry and off for a tour of the Opera House. Our guide Adam was great. The Opera House is amazing! Learned all about the history pf the place - very interesting! After that it was pretty much time to go to the Bridge Climb HQ. Once we were checked in we had a safety briefing, we had to sign consent forms and be breathalised! Then we were given our jumpsuits - mmmm very sexy! Then it was off for the harness fitting and the radio and lamp fittings. We had a practice run over a little bridge, then it was off to the real thing. It was quite scary at first, everyone was clinging on for dear life! The views were amazing! We had photos throughout the climb including one at the very top. It's quite an amazing feeling - being at the very top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Then we had the climb back down. We saw the sunset, then stolled down in the dark. It was great to see the views of the city both in the light and the dark. We were given certificates and photos once we got back to HQ. Then it was time to get a taxi back to the hotel.Wednesday 17th November:Up at 7.30am again. Today we headed off to the Olympic Park. The stadium in amazing1 We took the tour - got to see the view of the pitch from the highest level, the media boxes, the commentator box, the member's lounge, the changing rooms (yep, had a photo in the cubicle Jonny used!) and then wandered down to the sidelines for a closer look at the pitch before having photos on the Olympic medal podium. Then we had a quick look at the pool before going up to the 17th floor of the Novotel Hotel for a great view of the whole park. Then it was back on the train and back to the city for a walk up the bridge pylon to take some photos. Sydney has far too many steps! Then it was back to Bondi for a massage. Oh my God! It was amazing! Then we had dinner before heading off to the cinema to see Bridget Jones - not as good as I thought it would be,Thursday 18th November:Up at 6.15am to get to the airport. When we got there Val realised she had left her purse at the hotel, so she phoned them and they got it sent over in a cab. Once that drama was over, we wandered the shops before boarding our flight to Christchurch. Slept most of teh way again! Got a taxi to the hotel, very basic after the last two, but we had a room each in our little apartment. We had a rest, then showered and changed and headed into the town centre. Okay, can see why Jorn recommended not to come here - it's a bit dull! We had dinner then Val went to her concert and I went to the cinema. Saw The Polar Express - it was fab! When I left the cinema the Cathedral was all lit up and there was Christmas music coming from it, it was such a lovely moment! I guess you had to be there! Then I got a taxi back to the hotel and waited for Val to return.Friday 19th November:Up at 8am, picked up by the Kea man at 9am and taken to the depot to pick up our motorhome. The nice man took us round the van and showed us how everything worked, By 11.30am we were on the road. We decided to head fro Twizel. We stopped a couple of times along the way for photos of the amazing landscapes! This place is beautiful! We parked up at a Motor Park in Twizel, had a wander into the town, which is consists of about 7 shops and a couple of cafes and tea rooms, then went back to the van for dinner and bed.Saturday 20th November:We did set the alarm for 7am, but when it went off we heard rain so we went back to sleep. Eventually got up about 9am, showered and dressed then drove into town. Got our photos put onto CDs in the shop that LOTR used! Then booked our tour to Pelennor Fields. We were picked up at 1pm by Tony who drove us up there. It is amazing! We stood right where Theoden did his speech before they charged and we saw the fields where the battle took place. We had silly Rohan and orc photos taken - it had to be done! Tony played an orc in the battle. Then it was back to town for fish and chips. Right now I am sitting in the Visitor Information Centre. Right, had best be off. Places to go and all that. I'll be back in a few days hopefully!

I'm going on holiday today! Yippeeeeee!

So, the day has finally come. I can't believe it all starts tonight! I had a request from the old folks last night to post my itinerary here, so here goes!
Friday 12th November:
Leave London Heathrow Terminal 3 at 22:15. Singapore Airlines Flight No: SQ 0321 Mileage: 6748 Flight Time: 12 hours and 40 minutes.
Saturday 13th November:
Arrive Singapore at 18:55. The plan tonight is to go to the Night Safari! http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/We're staying at the Radisson Swiss Hotel. I'm sure we'll squeeze in a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel!
Sunday 14th November:
Spending the day exploring Singapore. Thanks to Mr Garland for all the recommendations!
Monday 15th November:
Depart Singapore at 01:05 Singapore Airlines Flight No: SQ 0231 Mileage: 3900 Flight Time: 7 hours and 35 minutes.
Arrive Sydney at 11:40. For the next three nights we make the Swiss Grand Hotel on Bondi Beach our home. http://www.swissgrand.com.au/Check out the Samsara Day Spa - we intend to visit there!
Tuesday 16th - Wednesday 17th November:
Our days in Sydney will be filled with tours on backs of Harleys http://www.flex.com.au/~eastcoast/, surfing http://www.letsgosurfing.com.au/, Harbour Bridge climbs at sunset http://www.bridgeclimb.com/, trips to the zoo for photos with koalas http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/ to name but a few activities!
Thursday 18th Novmeber:
Depart Sydney at 09:50 Air New Zealand Flight No: NZ 0182 Mileage: 1334 Flight Time: 3 hours.
Arrive Christchurch at 14:50. Not the nicest place in NZ, according to Jorn! Staying at the Russell Hotel. Val is off to see the Finn Brothers and I'll be hitting the bars!
Friday 19th November:
Pick up the motorhome and head off to explore the South Island. And check out some of the bars that Craig recommended!
Saturday 20th - Thursday 25th November:
No definite plans, just see where the road takes us. Will do our very best to get to the places Sandro recommended! And we have a day trip to Mount Sunday (that will be Edoras to us Ringers) booked that includes a champagne picnic lunch!
Friday 26th November:
Then it's back to the place Jorn told us not to visit at all! Drop off the motorhome and spend another night at the Russell Hotel.
Saturday 27th November:
Depart Christchurch at 11:50 Air New Zealand Flight No: NZ 0430 Mileage: 190 Flight Time: 45 minutes - now that's more like it!
Arrive Wellington at 13:25. Pick up our 4x4 - very excited about driving that! Staying at the Kingsgate Hotel. Will do a bit of exploring and test Jorn's theory that this place is better than London! A visit to Fidel's is in order too.
Sunday 28th November:
No real plans for today, will try to talk Val into an extra day in Wellington. And there are more bar recommendations from Craigy for Wellington!
Monday 29th November:
Drive up to the middle of the North Island. Staying at the Powderhorn Chateau. http://www.powderhorn.co.nz/
Tuesday 30th November:
Still exploring the middle section. Another night at the Powderhorn.
Wednesday 1st December:
It's off to Hamilton, home of Matamata - Hobbiton! Hurrah! Staying at the Kingsgate Hotel.
Thursday 2nd - Friday 3rdDecember:
Off to the very north today - Paihia. Staying at the Casa Bella Hotel. We have a day trip booked - 4x4 drive along the 90 mile beach where we shall be partaking in a spot of boogie boarding down the sand dunes! http://www.dunerider.co.nz/capetour.htm
Saturday 4th December:
We head back down to Auckland - another place Jorn recommended we didn't go! But tonight we're going to see Bruce and Cameron in A Christmas Carol. Drop the car off. Staying at the Sky City Hotel.
Sunday 5th December:
Have a day in Auckland. There is the possibility of us throwing ourselves out of tall buildings here. http://www.skyjump.co.nz/Come on! It's New Zealand - adventure capital of the world! I have to do something crazy! Before hitting more bars recommended by Parker! Funny how the only places he recommended we visit were just places for alcohol!
Depart Auckland at 22:30 Air New Zealand Flight No: NZ 0002 Mileage: 6522 Flight Time: 11 hours and 55 minutes.
Arrive Los Angeles at 13:25. Hurrah! We land before we take off! The afternoon will no doubt be spent reaquainting ourselves with Hollywood! Staying at the Days Inn Hotel on Sunset Boulevard.
Monday 6th - Wednesday 8th December:
We have a few things planned for LA. Star Homes tour, Universal Studios, shopping, sightseeing, that kind of thing! And we pick up our car at some point. Still at the Days Inn.
Thursday 9th December:
It's Disneyland today! Hurrah! Staying at the Disneyland Hotel.
Friday 10th December:
California Park! And then heading off towards Vegas. Stopping somewhere along the way in a motel.
Saturday 11th December:
Las Vegas baby! Staying at the luxor. http://www.luxor.com/index-flash.php3Check out the spa! we plan on having a much needed massage!
Sunday 12th December:
Spend the day in Vegas - might give that gambling malarky a go!
Depart Las Vegas at 16:05 Virgin Atlantic Flight No: VS 0044 Mileage: 5224 Flight Time: 9 hours and 50 minutes.
Monday 13th December:
Arrive London Gatwick South Terminal at 09:55 where Mummy and Daddy will be waiting to collect me!
So, there we have it - the general plan!





Ah, one other thing! I've been given a holiday challenge by Jo! Her challenge is:

"You have to take a piccy of Dude at all these places
Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Opera House
Queenstown cable car (whatever it's called!)
Embassy Theatre, Wellington
Te Papa, Wellington
Auckland Harbor
Graumann's Chinese Theatre, LA
With Mickey Mouse, Disneyland
The Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas"

So, look out for those! For those of you not in the know, Dude is a brown no-eyed bear that will be travelling with me!

How to Speak New Zealandish

Something to help Val and I next week...FOR BIST EFICT, RID THESE OUT ALOUD!!!Milburn - capital of VictoriaPeck - to fill a suitcasePissed aside - chemical which kills insectsPigs - for hanging out washing withPump - to act as agent for prostitutePug - large animal with a curly tailNun tin dough - computer gameMunner stroney - soupMin - male of the speciesMess Kara - eye makeupMcKennock - person who fixes carsMere - MayorLeather - foam produced from soapLift - departedKiri Pecker - famous Australian businessmanKittle crusps - potato chipsKen's - CairnsJumbo - pet name for someone called JimJungle Bills - Christmas carolInner me - enemyGuess - vapourFush - marine creaturesFitter cheney - type of pastaEver cardeau - avocadoFear hear - blondeEar - mix of nitrogen and oxygenEar roebucks - exercise at the gymDuffy cult - not easyAmejen - visualiseBun button - been bitten by insectBeard - a place to sleepChully Bun - EskySucks Peck - Half a dozen beersEar New Zulland - an extinct airlineBeers - large savage animals found in U.S. forestsVeerjun - mythical New Zealand maidenOne Doze - well known computer programBrudge - structure spanning a streamSex - one less than sivvenTin - one more than nineIggs Ecktly - PreciselyEarplane - large flying machineBeggage Chucken - place to leave your suitcase at the earportSivven Four Sivven - larger Boeing aircraftCuds - childrenPits - domestic animalsCuttin - baby cat

How to Speak New Zealandish

Something to help Val and I next week...FOR BIST EFICT, RID THESE OUT ALOUD!!!Milburn - capital of VictoriaPeck - to fill a suitcasePissed aside - chemical which kills insectsPigs - for hanging out washing withPump - to act as agent for prostitutePug - large animal with a curly tailNun tin dough - computer gameMunner stroney - soupMin - male of the speciesMess Kara - eye makeupMcKennock - person who fixes carsMere - MayorLeather - foam produced from soapLift - departedKiri Pecker - famous Australian businessmanKittle crusps - potato chipsKen's - CairnsJumbo - pet name for someone called JimJungle Bills - Christmas carolInner me - enemyGuess - vapourFush - marine creaturesFitter cheney - type of pastaEver cardeau - avocadoFear hear - blondeEar - mix of nitrogen and oxygenEar roebucks - exercise at the gymDuffy cult - not easyAmejen - visualiseBun button - been bitten by insectBeard - a place to sleepChully Bun - EskySucks Peck - Half a dozen beersEar New Zulland - an extinct airlineBeers - large savage animals found in U.S. forestsVeerjun - mythical New Zealand maidenOne Doze - well known computer programBrudge - structure spanning a streamSex - one less than sivvenTin - one more than nineIggs Ecktly - PreciselyEarplane - large flying machineBeggage Chucken - place to leave your suitcase at the earportSivven Four Sivven - larger Boeing aircraftCuds - childrenPits - domestic animalsCuttin - baby cat