Monday 31st January

Yesterday we travelled up the east coast from Whangarei to Russell and stopped for a while at Oakura  which was a most beautiful bay which we have not seen before.

The sights kept on coming with Whangaruru Harbour, Taupiri Bay and Parekura Bay before we approached Russell and our camp site    3 miles outside the town at Orongo Bay.

Now arrangements for this afternoon are complicated since our good friends, Mike and Caroline Illingworth are staying in Paihia just across the bay and the plan is for them to visit us for a BBQ.

This involves catching a passenger ferry from Paihia to Russell and then returning on the same ferry later in the evening. Mike & Caroline arrived about 17:30 and we sped back to get the BBQ fired up and crack open the excellent NZ bubbly that our guests had supplied. The evening went by in a flash and it was time to head back to Russell for the last ferry back to Paihia. At the end of the jetty was a board which displayed all ferry times and the last ferry had been blanked out! Caroline had spoken with the ferry operator earlier in the day and had been assured that it was running.

We spent 30 minutes at the end of the jetty peering into the distance, in the general direction of Paihia, hoping to see the tell tale red and white lights. Mike eventually spotted them when the ferry was half way across and it had been very late leaving Paihia.   Alls well that ends well and they were soon on their way back to their apartment in Paihia. An excellent evening and we plan to meet up with them again tomorrow, New Year's Eve, this time it is our turn to visit them.

Monday, New Year's Eve, was yet another brilliantly sunny day and the LLW had to spend some time with her men having rediscovered the ability to work off line. More of that later!

Ray went off to tackle the very steep hills into Russell and beyond. The LLW was warned that getting there and back might be too much of an ask, it which case the demon LL camper van driver would be required to come to Ray's rescue. This was not too much of an issue because the end of the cycle ride was at Long Beach which is were we had planned to go for a swim.

The cycle ride was accomplished albeit with a small amount of walking and pushing the bike at the top of the steepest hill. After considerable scientific analysis, Ray has concluded that the answer to cycling up speed hills lies in two negative numbers 20 and 30. Losing 20 lb in weight might just be possible but 30 years in age may be somewhat trickier.

The LLW arrived at the designated beach spot on time to find Ray sitting in the shade, with a flat white in hand. No sooner had the bike been loaded than a car a few feet away from us moved off leaving us with the perfect parking space.

We had a lovely swim in the warm sea, which Ray has decided is the perfect end to a cycle ride.

Back to the camp site for a couple of hours before we headed off for the ferry at Russell. The major concern had been finding a parking space in the town but at that time it was not difficult and we were on the ferry tout suite!

We walked toward their apartment and they walked half way to meet us and guide us in. It was a glorious evening and we spent a lovely evening on their balcony looking out on the Bat of Islands as the sun set. A large cruise ship was moored in the bay and earlier Mike & Caroline had watched the hundreds of orange boats take the passengers to visit the Treaty grounds at Waitangi. We watched as the cruise liner weighed anchor and sailed off into the sunset for goodness knows where. As it turned left ( or to port, to be nautical) we thought it might be on its way to Sydney.

As we enjoyed a wonderful meal of barbecued prawns (and smoked salmon) and steak which was followed by ice cream with mangoes and strawberries. Reasonable quantities of wine were also consumed but Mike doesn't drink alcohol these days and the LLW had offered to drive the camper van back from Russell to the camp site so unfortunately Caroline and I had to bravely ensure that the wine was not left to go off.

Mike kindly drove us back to the ferry jetty and no drama this evening as it was clear that additional ferries were available for all the revellers.

Saturday 29th December

The LLW had decreed that we would stay one more night in Whangarei. I'm not sure whether the reason was fear of poor WiFi or perhaps no WiFi, or a concern about Freedom Camping on the coast towards the Bay of Islands. Whatever the reason we stayed here and that was fine with me. We set off in the morning to test the LLW's new bike properly, but we did have to drive the camper van down the steep slope into Whangarei town as she made it very clear that there was no chance of that hill being climbed on the way back.

We parked outside of the town and off we went. It was a lovely sunny morning but even though it was only 21C, it was clear that we needed to find shade regularly as we could already feel our skins burning in spite of copious quantities of sun cream or slap as there are inclined to call it in these parts.

Luckily some cloud appeared and whilst the temperature rose, it became absolutely perfect cycling weather and the LLW sped along. The LLW declared her bike to be perfect, which was huge relief to Ray who had been responsible for purchasing this particular model, and even starting talking about shipping the bikes back to the UK at the end of our trip!

We stopped for the mandatory flat white and cakes and I made the mistake of allowing the LLW to order. We were served a large ginger slice, an even larger slice of pecan tart, both of which were served with lashings of cream and two enormous flat whites, which apparently had two shots in each. However, Ray felt so hyper afterwards he was convinced they had four shots each. The cafe was clearly the place to be, and be seen,  in Whangarei on a Saturday morning and it was really buzzing.

The LLW was so reinvigorated, and pleased with her bike, that she insisted we cycle the circuit again.

After a bit of a cycling marathon we returned via New World to ensure that plenty of provisions are on board before New Year in Russell and to refuel the camper van (from previous experience we know that petrol stations are few and far between in the Bay of Islands area). Both accomplished without too much drama but the wallet felt noticeably lighter.

There were a few domestic chores to be completed, and in particular the first load of washing but then disaster struck! A cup of tea was on the agenda and at the same time the LLW, needed to charge her MS Surface Pro so that a multitude of documents could be reviewed, edited and sent back from whence they came. However, the power sockets in the camper van refused to work. Connections, trip switches and even isolator switches were all checked and nothing appeared amiss. We were about to call Maui for help when it occurred to us that there may be a problem with the camp power supply since we had moved to a different parking slot today.  The LLW marched across to reception where the very helpful lady asked if we were on one of the slots with the new silver framed power connectors and if so the power was on when the switch said off and off when it said on!! Well, blow me, I wish we had been informed about that before spending 30 mins trying to figure out what was wrong.

At least the exercise mean that we had moved a lot of bedding etc from close to the trip switches and this revealed two USB sockets which will help with charging of the numerous iPads, an iPhone, an Apple watch and a historic Blueberry.

After all was sorted, Ray calmed down and after a brief rain shower, enjoyed a cup of tea in the warm afternoon sunshine.

We both mentioned how well the bikes carried on the back of the van and that the carrier is as good as the very good one we have at home.

Little mention has been made to date of the flora but it is clearly high season for Jacaranda trees which are in full bloom everywhere, including right opposite our camper van

With Surface Pro now suitably recharged, the LLW was able to complete her documents in the shade of the camper van's pull down awning.

Friday 28th December - along the Tutukaka coast

A brilliant sunny day which started cool but soon warmed up considerably although there was always a cooling breeze.  Today we were driving along the Tutukaka coast which is stunning. We started at Whananaki which has a beautiful estuary and apparently the longest footbridge in the Southern Hemisphere ( The LLW suggested I test its length but I was not up for that today.

We then headed south passing numerous wonderful bays including Sandy Bay, Wooley's Bay and Matapouri Bay.  Here the LLW conjured up some lovely tuna fish mayonnaise sandwiches and then properly fortified Ray went swimming, braving the swell of the Pacific Ocean,

It is peak holiday season in NZ and all of the beaches are busy and the car parks even busier. Before I had extracted the Camper Van from our space at Matapouri, two cars had already moved in making my car park three point turn a little tricky.

On we went to the port of Tutukaka where the LLW had her eyes on an ice cream. We walked down to the jetty then along to a small parade of shops and phew amongst these shops was an ice cream parlour.

Next stop was to again meet up with the Price family this time at their beautiful house on the outskirts of Ngunguru. the views from the house were stunning; across the bays and ocean on one side and of the sub tropical forest on the other.

We spent a lovely time with them and as usual Rosie took centre stage, on this occasion discovering one of Rich's Christmas presents, a box of Ferrero Rocher and proceeding to demolish them in double quick time.

On our way back to the camp site we had time to visit the Parahaki lookout with wide ranging views across Whangarei and the estuary.

Back at the camp site, the BBQ was quickly in action and in very quick time we were enjoying really good lamb chops.

Thursday 27th December

Today we had to collect the bikes but had a bit of a panic when we logged into the web site of My Bike, Whangarei only to see the message "web site suspended". We phoned several times but only heard a strange tone which I have never heard before which certainly was not a ringing tone and did not sound like an engaged one.

The only think to do was to drive down to the shop and see what was going on. There appeared to be no problems and Brian Neumann was there busily serving customers and fixing bikes at the same time. He was so laid back that he was horizontal!

However, both ordered bikes were there and within a few minutes we had sorted out payment, the bikes had been checked and we wheeled them outside to load onto the bike rack. Now the bike rack on our van is as new as the van itself and had never been used so quite a lot of adjustment was needed to ensure the bikes were secured to Ray's satisfaction.

Being in NZ for 5 weeks, we had worked out that buying two brand new bikes was significantly cheaper than hiring bikes for that long a period. Last time we did hire and would not want to be without bikes, but they were very expensive and of poor quality

You may have noticed that the LLW has been neglecting her men recently so she decided that today they should get some attention. Ray was sent off to tackle the Hatea loop on his own and to test out the new bike. The Hatea loop involved cycling around the Town Basin, quay and marina, then along the Hatea river past the Cobham Oval (cricket ground) over two bridges and back along the opposite side of the river to Whangarei. The main road bridge is named Te Matau a Pohe, which roughly translated means the fishhook of Pohe who was a local Mauri chief. The bridge is a lifting one and indeed the lifting mechanism is in the shape of a fishhook. Have a look at te matau a pohe

A brave attempt was made to cycle back up the very steep hill heading to the campsite but Ray only made it 3/4 of the way before walking the remainder of the steep section and then remounting and completing the rest.

The bike was pronounced to be very good with lots of gears and very lightweight. After a shower, it was BBQ time with steak and salad plus a very good Kiwi Pinot Noir to enjoy in the beautiful evening sunshine.

Tomorrow we plan to explore the Tutukaka coast and will call in to see the Price family at their home in Ngunguru on our way back.

Wednesday 26th December

On Christmas Day we we picked up bright and early from our central Sydney hotel and as always we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Sydney is a city we could return to quite frequently!

Traffic was light as you might imagine so we arrived at the airport very quickly. However, once we were inside the Terminal building it was heaving! We have traveled a few times on Christmas Day and Gatwick has always been quiet but clearly travellers to and from Sydney have different ideas.

We had a bit of an issue with on line check in. Since all of our flights were booked through Emirates, I tried their web site first only to be informed that since the flight was handled by their partner Quantas ( which I knew) , I had to check in via the Quantas web site.  Dutifully I followed the procedure on the Quantas web site only to be told that since the booking was with Emirates I needed to check in on the Emirates web site.  I went through this loop a couple of times and then threw several objects and gave up!

I knew we had plenty of time at the airport so was not concerned until the Quantas check in lady said she could only find a ticket for me and not for the LLW.  After much discussion we pointed out that the LLW's tickets were on pages 3 and 4 on the e-ticket!

Luckily the Quantas lounge was very good, as opposed to the Virgin Australia lounges and we were soon sitting comfortably with flat whites in hand.

It was an excellent flight with proper long haul seats and very good catering. The obligatory glass of Christmas champagne was accepted and enjoyed.

As our flight approached Auckland it was throwing it down and we rushed into our cab and were soon at our hotel in Ponsonby, which was quirky and quite small but good. We had a walk out to the centre of Ponsonby and there were a few eateries open but we both felt that we had eaten enough on the flight so not were favoured with our patronage. The next morning was brighter and as the day progressed, the sun came out and the temperature rose. A taxi took us to the home of Maui Camper Vans and we had the usual lengthy check in process which would have been worse had we not check in on line. After about an hour we were on our way in a brand new Camper Van with only 45 Km on the clock.

As usual the roads around Auckland were busy but after about 40 mins we were past the remaining suburbs and the road was quiet but two way and much slower. After an hour and a half the LLW decided that a coffee stop was in order. No surprise there then!

We were in good time and arrived in Whangarei about 2pm and headed straight for the supermarket, Countdown on this occasion,  and stocked up on some goodies and lots of basics.

This afternoon we are meeting up with Helen, Rich and Rosie who now live in Ngunguru and Helen had kindly collected the portable gas BBQ which Ray had ordered from the UK. The obvious thing to do was to christen the BBQ at the camp site so the Price family duly arrived with lots of goodies and a very sleepy Rosie. As the evening progressed Rosie woke up and proceed to wreak havoc across the camp site having a whale of a time on swings, slides and trampolines. She is absolute;y lovely!

A great evening was had by all

Christmas Eve in Sydney

Another clear sunny and hot day in Sydney and whilst 26C is a comfortable temperature, the sun is very fierce and everyone is frequently warned about the risk of sunburn.

This morning we went cycling in Centennial Park and did remember the suncream. The bus from Circular Key was very efficient and we got off just after the Sydney Cricket Ground and walked a few hundred yards to the park. Pathways inside the park were basic to start with but eventually we found the road where the bike hire shop is located. Centennial Park would appear to be the Richmond Park of Sydney and very popular with cyclists, young and old. Apparently, if you know the right route, its only a 20 minute cycle ride from the centre and many enthusiasts cycle right here. However, parking is very easy and free so many also arrive by car carrying their bikes or renting as we did.

Off we went and it was relatively easy cycling with not too many hills to annoy the LLW. It's a lovely park and a great asset for residents and visitors alike.

Ray would have loved to cycle some more in the park but ultimately the sun decided otherwise and we retreated to a shady coffee shop for the now regular flat whites and the LLW decided that a carrot cake was a necessity. The flat whites were so good that we had an encore!

The next part of todays expedition is to locate Coogee beach by bus. After a walk of about 1/2 mile we found the correct bus stop and within 5 minutes the bus to Coogee arrived. Our driver was of the kamikaze variety and insisted on trying to outdo Louis Hamilton with his cornering ability and straight-line speed. However, he did manage to deposit us safely, and very quickly, at Coogee beach which was heaving with people, as I guess we should have expected on Christmas Eve.

Ray decided that he really must have a swim here and braved the strong surf and even stronger undertow. To be absolutely honest, there was very little swimming involved, just a battle with each wave that crashed against the beach. After the first few yards the surf had subsided and it was just a question of riding each wave, being 20 ft in the air one moment and then feet on the ground in the trough of the wave  was quite a sensation. It was exhilarating, the water was warm and very clear - lovely.

There was no shade anywhere around the beach so we did not stay too long before we headed back to central Sydney. This time we had a sensible driver and when he finished his shift about half way back he very cheerily wished all of the passengers a Merry Christmas. His replacement was equally sensible!

Back to the hotel to escape the sun for a while.

Sunday 23rd December on the boat to Manly

After a heated debate over an excellent breakfast it was decided, by a very narrow margin, that we should proceed to Manly by ferry and cycle along the esplanade. It was a a beautiful day and we were soon on the ferry which most people seemed to think was too early for a Sunday and the ferry was probably only 1/3 full

Sir Arthur Philips apparently name Manly Cove as he observed that the indigenous people exhibited "confidence and manly behaviour". I think that political correctness would not allow him to use such language today

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It was perfect weather for a ride and when we first started the beaches were relatively quiet but, being a Sunday, they filled up quickly and by late morning were crowded. Sadly the LLW had left her surfboard at the hotel so was not able to join the myriad surfers in the bay

We probably encountered more kamikaze pedestrians since Tenerife, made worse by individuals insisting upon constantly checking Facebook, whilst randomly crossing the cycle way, head down and at infinitely variable angles. We survived, but the stress required the LLW to sit down immediately after returning the bikes with a calming muffin and cappuccino.

Back on the ferry and by now the ferries were busy both ways and arriving at Circular Quay we had to fight our way through the crowds.

After  a rest at the hotel, we went out for dinner and Ray had spotted a highly recommended Indian restaurant called The Spice Room, right on the Quay and only 5 minutes walk away. We found the restaurant fairly easily and were lucky to get a table as some were turned away. A table for two was available and we were soon enjoying a very good meal.

Afterwards we walked along by the Opera House and enjoyed the beautiful evening along with several thousand others from every part of the Globe.

We don't usually do selfies but could not resist one this evening and we certainly weren't alone.

Saturday 22nd December

We were picked up from our hotel at 09:00 for our flight to Sydney and were very quickly at the airport which is only 7km from central Adelaide. A slightly delay to the plane arriving meant that we were around 40 minutes late in taking off.  We spend the time in the VA Australia business class lounge which was the scruffiest I have encountered.

The flight was uneventful; we landed in Sydney only about 30 mins late and quickly located our driver who was taking us to the Sir Stamford Hotel which is very close to Circular Quay the centre of Sydney life. The hotel is slightly old fashioned but really very nice and our room is great and absolutely huge with a Juliette balcony overlooking the Botanic Gardens.

Off we went for a walk along Circular Quay, round by the Opera House and then through the Botanic Gardens. As you can see there was monstrous cruise ship berthed at Circular Quay dwarfing all of Sydney's famous sites.

The Botanic Gardens are not in the LLW's good books as they are redoing her favourite Lotus Flower garden and currently it is a shadow of its former self. We exited the gardens at Woolloomooloo Gate and descended to the jetty where there are numerous restaurants, all of which were buzzing with Christmas party goers. Legs were becoming tired now and we decided to catch a bus to Elizabeth Bay where we remember there being a very nice cafe on the jetty. At the bus stop to we talked to a very pleasant  lady, probably of aboriginal heritage, who clearly loved living in Sydney and was happy to share her thoughts about the city and her family that live there.

Sadly the eagerly anticipated cafe no longer seemed to exist at Elizabeth Bay so we decided to catch the bus back to Circular Quay. Firstly we needed to buy an Opal card which is used by all the transport systems in Sydney and using Mr Google, Ray quickly located a Deli which sold these cards.

Soon we were back in Circular Quay and located a nice restaurant to have dinner.

Friday 21st December - our last day in Adelaide

This morning first stop was the Adelaide Central Market which was terrific and a match for any of the top markets in France. The focus was on top quality produce and this was clear on each and every stall.

Nest port of call was the South Australian Gallery of Art and we walked from the market via Victoria Square and the main shopping area of Rundle Mall

The art gallery was very good and in particular the Aboriginal art was terrific and we particularly liked the tree trunks which had been decorated with various motifs and patterns. Very effective

The paintings were also stunning and as you can see very colourful. No visit to an art gallery is complete without the LLW visiting the coffee shop for a flat white and a cake and this was no exception.

In the part of Adelaide there are lots of attractive older buildings including the State Library featured below which we passed on our way back to the hotel. Today is a little cooler peaking at 21C and we planned a visit to the beach at Glenelg so we decided to change into slightly warmer clothes.

In no time at all we were on the tram which goes all of the way to Glenelg, about a 40 minute ride through the city suburbs which appeared to be bungalow heaven. Changing clothes was a good idea as the light breeze in Adelaide grew to a gale in Glenelg. We had a lovely walk along the beach and around the marina which was surrounded by restaurants and bars which were heaving with office Christmas parties.

We settled for a glass of wine and sharing a plate of fish and chips which was very good.

Back on the tram and we went straight back to the hotel where we set about packing for our flight tomorrow to Sydney. We had a bit of an issue on the way to Adelaide where they thought our hand baggage was too heavy and one had to go in the hold. We will pack to VA Australia's limits this time as we have lots of leeway with the weight of our big cases.

Adelaide has been great. We had been told that it was very laid back, quiet and fairly small. However, we found it to be quite buzzy, full of excellent value restaurants and generally busy. All good.

Thursday 20th December - in Adelaide

We awake to a beautiful day in Adelaide but a few degrees cooler than Perth. Our hotel, the Playford is Art Deco in style and is apparently regarded as the best hotel in Adelaide. Our bedroom is very nice but could do with quite a lot more storage space, even for travellers such as we who make a point of travelling light.

A good breakfast was enjoyed as we had a leisurely start to the day before taking the tram to the botanic gardens.

The gardens are lovely with Rosemary's favourite Lotus flowers being the stars of the show.

We stopped for some cold drinks one of the cafes in the  gardens where a local admired Ray's Belgian Beer T Shirt.  No not the one with the logo - I prefer Belgian Blonds - I suspect the LLW has retired that one some time ago!

Later it was time for a cycle ride along the Torrens River taking in the Adelaide Oval and great views across to the city centre.

At the end of the ride there was a degree ceremony at the University of South Australia and it was clear that the vast majority of those been awarded a degree were of asian origins. A sign of the times particularly in Australia.

Time for dinner and Ray again discovered that most of the recommended restaurants were asian. Our first choice a Korean restaurant was thwarted since they have already closed for the festive period. However, just a few doors away was a Vietnamese restaurant which turned out to be terrific. Noodle bowls with crispy pork belly, and mini spring rolls of crab and chicken both with lots of chilli source were supplemented by chicken skewers and vegetarian spring rolls. Absolutely excellent and all for the princely sum of $Aus 50 or about £35.