Our Big Adventure
In and around Warwick, United Kingdom
We have decided now is a great time to go and explore a bit more world, well at least as much as you can fit into three months, which isn't all that much in reality when you start planning and looking at where you would like to go. After much deliberation we have decided on a round the world route which is the first time either of us have ever been all the way around.
The plan should take us to the following places and we plan to do as much as humanly possible in each place and then come home at the end for a rest (and no doubt a dose of reality):
- Hong Kong (10th December)
- Perth, Australia (17th December)
- Cairns, Australia (27th December)
- Motoring to Sydney (2nd January 2007 - 22nd January)
- Sydney (22nd January)
- Christchurch, New Zealand (26th January)
- Motoring to Auckland (29th January - 21st February)
- Auckland (21st February)
- Honolulu, Hawai'i (24th February)
- San Francisco (2nd March)
- Boston (8th March)
- Home (15th March)
- Back to the real world of work (19th March)
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Tucker Travels
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1
The Departure Zone
What a nightmare....queued for 30 mins outside the terminal just to start the inside check-in queue...then a further hour to reach the front check-... Continue reading »
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2
Our First Stop
Flight to Hong Kong was fine once we actually took off and the transfer to our hotel was easy enough. Our free upgrade to a suite has given us an e... Continue reading »
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3
Christmas in Western Australia
Our flight was pretty good except my plan for a can for Victoria Bitter to enable me to sleep was almost foiled when the plane ran out before they... Continue reading »
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4
Reef and Rainforest
Arrived at 10pm at night to 25 degrees and lots of humidity...much different to the 38 we left in Perth. Transfer to hotel - which is an appartment... Continue reading »
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5
The Tablelands
We start out for the tablelands early and take the winding road up and over the mountains by Kuranda. Our first stop is Mareeba to The Coffee Works... Continue reading »
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6
Sugar Cane Land
Set out early to visit Tully, the place with the most rainfall in Australia. They have 4 metres a year easily and we climb the fibreglass welly... Continue reading » -
7
We are sailing !
Are picked up by our courtesy bus 6:30pm and on the ship - Solway Lass - a tall ship built in 1902 in Holland. We have a safety talk and then are s... Continue reading »
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8
A quick stop
Hit the road early as many km's to over today. Drive for several hours, taking it in turns, stopping for food and drinks and an afternoon ice-cream. S... Continue reading » -
9
Stop for Fraser Island
Drive to Gladstone, more to visit a bank and do grocey shopping but turns out to be a very nice town despite the largest aluminium refinery plan... Continue reading » -
10
Fraser Island - largest sand island in the world
Up early for our pick up and on to the ferry to the island. See a dolphin waggle her dorsal fin at us and once she has the full attention of the whole... Continue reading » -
11
Australia Zoo
Drive via Gympie to Buderim Ginger Factory producers of the best ginger in the world and most of the world's commercial supply for confection... Continue reading »
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12
Home Town Visit !
Leave the campsite early and navigate through the centre of Brisbane ok - why the aussies don't build ring roads is a mystery to me ! Past Ips... Continue reading »
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13
A Rest Stop
Drive the next morning through Stanthorpe - I did my scout food and wine tour around here and we are going to my most favourite winery in the whole... Continue reading »
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14
Byron at Byron !
Up early and away on the road up to Byron - have had to stay at a town below it and so head up the coastal road to it - through rain - not promisin... Continue reading »
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15
Last coastal stop
Emerald Beach was a nice place to stop the night - paddle on the beach in the sunset etc.
Today onto Coff's Harbour for a bank visit and cho... Continue reading »
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16
The Blue Mountains
Late start from Port Macquaire as we do some phone calls home first, this 11 hour time difference is a bit tricky to work out a suitable time to ca... Continue reading »
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17
The Big City
The taxi brings us to the hotel and we check in easily, dump our bags and sit down to the TV and a cup of tea with cheese, tomato, yoghurt and grap... Continue reading »
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18
A New Country
Tipping it down when we got here so took a taxi to our hotel which is really lovely and only a 15 minute walk along the River Avon to the city. Our... Continue reading »
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19
We're Flying !
We drive to Lake Tekapo and set up for the night and early next morning check out and book ourselves on a Mount Cook Scenic Tour. We spend an hour in... Continue reading » -
20
I love this place !
Drive to Oamaru this morning and after leaving a cold, windy, wet Lake Tekapo, it is bright sunshine here. We stop on the way at Timaru and enjoy a gr... Continue reading » -
21
Penguins & Albatrosses
Drive this morning to the Moeraki Boulders, random pefectly spherical rocks on the beach at Moeraki.....something to do with hot mud and rocks mill... Continue reading »
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22
Exploring the Catlins in the rain
After the mundane shopping for food and diesel we set off on the pictoresque road to Invercargill via the Catlins, unfortunately the weather is lou... Continue reading »
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23
A base for exploring
We have a bad start to the day - am not awake first thing and are 'debating' breakfast so strop off to the toilet. Come back to a cold cup of tea (... Continue reading »
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24
The Most Beautiful Road in the World
Up early and treat ourselves to bacon and mushrooms in the van this morning which is a lovely morning with the sun peeping out.
Drive to Milf... Continue reading »
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25
Resting by the water
UP early and off we head to Queenstown. Stop half way to change drivers at Five Rivers, which has a lovely cafe, bar, art gallery place....all look... Continue reading »
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26
Sunshine and Glaciers
The sun is shining as we leave Lake Wanaka and drive the road and mountain pass to Haast on the West Coast of South Island. We stop on the way at B... Continue reading »
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27
Ice, Beach, Hokitika and Greymouth
Up this morning early to drive to the glacier for a walk only to find that it is shut due to a changing river course - pity but the bonus is that a... Continue reading »
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28
Thermal Pools
Leave a cloudy Greymouth and drive up over the mountains and the Lewis Pass via Reefton, site fo the largest cattle farm in NZ - 10,000 cows - there a... Continue reading » -
29
Whales (Yippee)
Wake up to a beautifully sunny morning. Have some time to kill so potter into town for tea and cake (lovely rhubarb and apple slice) and then sit a... Continue reading »
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30
Abel Tasman N.P.
Awake to a very wet morning and leave early, heading up the coast. Stop briefly to see a NZ fur seal colony, By almost walks into 2 seals lying asleep... Continue reading » -
31
Last night on South Island
After an early morning and the usual practicalities of preparing the van, we set off for the Sunday market in Moteuka. There is masses of fruit on... Continue reading »
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32
North Island at last
Why is nothing simple ? up early as there is nothing else to do head to the ferry terminal early. At checkin the lady takes forever to issue us a b... Continue reading »
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33
Stratford without the Avon
Spent the day driving up the Surf Highway which predicatably is next to the beach for much of the way, very scenic and found a great little beach f... Continue reading »
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34
A banding stop
After a quick Valentine overnight in Ohakune, we drove to Levin to visit a brass band. Arrived early in the day and checked out the location of the... Continue reading »
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35
Volcanoes and steam
Early morning start for the 3 hour drive to Lake Taupo. Stopped by the lake on the way for lunch and then drove to Craters of the Moon. Did the hou... Continue reading »
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36
Geysers & Sand
Drive to Rotorua this morning and stop at Whaka' (long name so only using the short version as can't spell the rest)...it's a Maori village with Th... Continue reading »
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37
Lazy day at the beach (again)
Drive to Whangamata today (on the Coromandel Peninsula). Have a nice fish and chips lunch, in fact the best fish and chips I think I've ever had - cam... Continue reading » -
38
Digging for water, hiking to coves
An early start and drive up the coast to Whitianga, then realise we have passed the road we wanted 30km back - I did ask By but he is grumpy this m... Continue reading »
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39
Technically part of Greater Auckland
A steady drive along the twisty, mountainous west coast of the Coromandel peninsula, with a few stops for photos. The van is still thinking it has... Continue reading »
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40
Auckland - Our final New Zealand stop
First day in the big city after dropping the van off, feel totally lost without her. Check in at our hotel which is very central (opposite the Sky... Continue reading »
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41
Beach sand and sunshine
A bizarre day, we had a full day in Auckland and then flew via Fiji to Hawaii, crossing the International Dateline along the way and so we arrived... Continue reading »
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42
The Steep Hilled City
A long and tedious flight from Hawaii - mainly due to a badly behaved child and 2 parents who did nothing but shout at each other in some foreign l... Continue reading »
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43
The End is Near...
Arrived here in Boston, around 10pm at night. The flight was about 5 hours but we lost 3 hours timewise along the way....getting more and more conf... Continue reading »
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44
Full Circle
A pleasant flight home to Heathrow, the winds were with us and so we crossed the Atlantic in record time, just under 6 hours. Had to wait an age for o... Continue reading »
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