Travelling Familys Blog on RealTravel

leigh-on-sea journal: Grab a patch of the beach

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:02:14 GMT

Of course I'm totally biased, as I live in leigh-on-sea, but I think its a wonderful escape from London. It takes just 40 minutes on the fast train from Fenchurch Street (c2c line), 5 minutes walk from the station and you enter a time gone by. There are cockle sheds selling all types of seafood from prawns to oysters to jellied eels!! A walk down the cobbled streets and you will find art galleries, coffee shops, ice creams, a top notch restaurant, and of course the old english pubs.

Today I decided to take the kids down to the beach, with an old friend that was visiting. It was the ...

United Kingdom journal: Fun Days Out near London

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 14:46:54 GMT

I thought I'd write about some of the days out I have in and around London. These are pretty much all child friendly days out, and will hopefully provide some inspiration to those of you wanting to do something on a hot sunny Sunday and not quite sure what.

The World journal: Top 10 Tips for Travelling with Young Children

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:44:52 GMT

I thought I'd try to relate my hints and tips for travelling around the world with young children. It's a hard one to do, I can only go on my experiences with a 2 year old and a "under 6 month" old. I put "under 6 month" as when we started our baby Lloyd was 7 weeks old, and when we returned home he was over 5 months!

So here goes:

10) Travel light

When we left the UK we had 3 large bags, 1 medium bag, 2 car seats and a stroller. When we returned we had 4 large bags, 1 medium bag, 2 car seats, a fishing rod, a child's activity centre, a sun tent, and a stroller. The bags ...

The World journal: NZ,AUS, Fiji and US with newborn and toddler in tow

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:10:09 GMT

We are flying out on a 113 day trip round the world on 11th Feb 2007. Before that I just have to give birth to our 2nd child in January, and organise the final leg of the trip!

The trip plan is as follows:

Singapore (1 day)

Australia (1 week)

New Zealand (2 months)

Fiji (10 days)

USA (1 month)

Hopefully this blog will record the experiences of travelling with a young family, and some of the beauty of the countries we are visiting. Looking forwards to the journey!

leigh-on-sea journal: Back home and settling in

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 07:24:20 GMT

Yep, we are back home safe and sound. Its absolutely superb.

The flight was all fairly uneventful, we managed to scrape in on the baggage allowance, and had fun at Gatwick airport getting the bags to the car with 2 tired kids in tow. It was such a relief to walk in the front door of our house and be home.

Matthew is absolutely loving being back, his face slowly lit up as we went indoors, he had definitely forgot about home, but slowly slowly he is beginning to slot back in. The first night back him and Lloyd both cried a heck of a lot, think the jet lag had got to them. But ...

Las Vegas journal: Into the Hotel

Thu, 31 May 2007 22:38:05 GMT

What a day Tuesday was. If things could go wrong they did. It was one of those days where if you dont force yourself to laugh you would break down in tears and collapse in a heap!

The idea was very simple. We had to get the RV back before 11am, and transfer to a hire car, and then goto the hotel. Total distance to travel - around 10 miles. Estimated time to complete - about 3 hours. Actual completion time - around 7 or 8 hours!

To start with Matthew was very ill. He was still as pale as a ghost, and being sick intermittently throughout the day. Then we had the problem with ...

Las Vegas journal: We arrive at our final destination - YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:35:40 GMT

We are booked in at the Koa campsite at Circus Circus, located on "the Strip". The Strip is essentially one long road making up the main tourist area of Vegas. And its a long road, a few miles I would say. Circus Circus is a casino/hotel in the theme of a, yep you guessed it, Circus. Most, if not all hotels have a casino attached and have a them associated with their name.

This campground is round the back of Circus Circus. Its a big place, and it is a car park. It is not what I would call a campground. There is absolutely no grass (unless you count the small patch by the swimming ...

Virgin journal: En-route to Vegas via Virgin

Mon, 28 May 2007 23:17:27 GMT

We leave Zion on Thursday morning with some reluctance. We debate moving just outside the park to a "commercial" RV park, but after looking in the campground directory I spot a better looking park a few miles up the road. So we head about 10 or 20 miles down the road to a place called Virgin.

The campsite is excellent, the best commercial site we have stayed on. There seems to be a difference between National Park owned sites and commercial sites, meaning they cant really be compared. National Park sites are more rugged, tend to be in places of intense beauty, and offer little in the ...

Zion National Park journal: Beautiful beautiful Zion

Fri, 25 May 2007 03:35:56 GMT

23rd May 2007

I'm sitting here watching the sun set over the mountains at Zion National Park. If I could freeze time I would. It's beautiful. I've also been to Zion National Park 4 times, the same as Bryce. But Zion holds a special place in my heart, I just love the peacefulness and tranquility of it here. It is described as an oasis in a desert, and it's very true. The elevation drops down to 3000 feet in the valley, so its a much warmer climate than Bryce. It's also lush with trees and wildlife, yesterday I sat outside the RV watching 2 deer wandering around the campsite, today ...

Bryce Canyon National Park journal: Over the Hogs Back and onto Bryce

Tue, 22 May 2007 01:15:56 GMT

On Sunday we drove the 113 mile trip along Highway 12, and across the "Hogs Back". Now we have a Hogs Back in England, it takes you from the A3 (Guilford) to Farnham as I recall. This Hogs Back is a bit more scenic, though follows the same principal of being able to view on either side of the road. At one point there is a very steep drop on either side of the road, it gets a bit nerve-wracking.

The route we take along Highway 12 in Utah is meant to be one of the most scenic roads in the States. We have done this route before, when I was pregnant with Matthew, but it looks different ...

Capitol Reef National Park journal: Relaxing for the weekend

Sat, 19 May 2007 15:53:08 GMT

Friday 19th May

The weather is cooler!!! Hurrah! It is almost like england, quite breezy, a few spots of rain, and generally overcast. Its great. We are now in a place called Torrey, which is just outside Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. The clock has moved on an hour to mountain time, so only 7 hours difference between here and London.

We had a busy few days getting here, arriving Thursday morning. Wednesday was extremely busy, and a long day. We left Monument Valley after taking a few pictures, heading northwards. Monument Valley was pretty much as I expect btw, though ...

Monument Valley journal: Slow drive to Monument Valley

Wed, 16 May 2007 01:52:02 GMT

We had a lazy start to the day, was nice to take out time and relax. Me and Matthew fed a stray dog out of the window for a bit. Was too scared to touch it, what with having Lloyd and stuff. Didnt want to catch anything.

Canyon De Chelley is a lovely National Park, situated on the edge of a town called Chinle. The town seems to be full of indian-origin people, who are living in a separate world from the rest of america. They have horses in their rear yards, dogs running freely, and its all a bit more primitive than you would expect. I suspect there is great poverty here. Its a ...

Chinle journal: Meteors, Logs, Deserts and Indians

Wed, 16 May 2007 01:05:18 GMT

A busy busy day. We head to Meteor Crater first, its only down the road from the RV park. Its basically a big hole in the ground, is smaller than I expected (had read it was a mile wide, it turns out be less). Is still impressive though, but only so many ways you can view a hole. Matthew is well behaved (again), and gets a piggy back upto the view point from me.

28 dollars lighter we set off up the I-40 to the next destination. This is the Petrified Forest. In short petrified trees are trees which have turned to a type of stone (silica) quite a while ago ( a few million years or ...

Flagstaff journal: Medicine and Denny's

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:43:48 GMT

I only get about 3 hours sleep in the night, due partly to me feeling rough, and partly to Lloyd keep stirring and crying as he is still ill.

So we decide in the morning that we will travel down to Flagstaff and get some medicine. We also decide to not go back to the Grand Canyon, as I am still not well enough to do any sightseeing.

In the Pharmacy its all very different to the UK. They dont have paracetomol, so I ask the Pharmacist what I can take whilst breastfeeding. Anything according to him. Not true as I know Aspirin isnt advised, but I dont say anything back, isnt worth ...

Anaheim journal: A long day in Disneyland

Tue, 15 May 2007 23:55:45 GMT

I think I am too satirical (if that is the right word) for Disneyland. I am not able to switch my brain off, turn into a moron and enjoy the delights of queuing for 30 minutes to go round on a 6 foot electric car that has a pre-defined track so you cant crash.

Sorry Disneyland, sorry Americans, I mean no offence. When we enter Disneyland its the strangest place in the world. I think the sight is compounded by the fact that we have been in Fiji and New Zealand, maybe if we were coming straight from the UK it would have been easier to take in.

Everything looks very very weird. ...

Grand Canyon National Park journal: Holed up at the Grand Canyon

Sat, 12 May 2007 22:20:50 GMT

We have ground to a complete halt at the Grand Canyon. Matthew and Lloyd were a bit cranky on Friday, so we put them on Neurofen. We wasnt sure whether it was the travelling, the heat, or Lloyd teething. Lloyd has a white mark in the side of his mouth, has had it for a while, so has a tooth coming through. He is drooling permanently.

When we arrived at the Grand Canyon and walk upto the view I start to feel very dizzy. It seems we all have a virus of some kind. Matthew is now better, though has a rash. Lloyd is better than yesterday, but still ill. I feel terrible, too weak to do ...

Kingman journal: Hot and Troubled

Thu, 10 May 2007 18:17:52 GMT

Today we nearly pack our bags and leave America. As those of you following this blog may have realised we arent at our happiest here in the states. We are still missing the peace and tranquility of Fiji, and we are finding it hard to adjust to being back on the road again. I think me and Steve are pretty drained, this holiday, although has been brilliant, has also been very draining. Its not easy looking after a newborn baby, or a 2 year old. Throw into that 4 months of travelling in a confined space and you begin to see there are problems along the way.

The weather in Kingman, ...

Lake Havasu City journal: Back to London - or is it?

Thu, 10 May 2007 17:11:04 GMT

I am awake at before 5am, and wake Steve at 6am to get an early start. Its 400 miles to the Grand Canyon, no hope of getting there today, but we can bite a big chunk off.

We begin to notice that the RV has a lot of problems. Firstly it is really slow, thats partly our fault as it can go fast, we are just scared of it! But its very depressing knowing that your top speed is 60mph, especially for me as I do like a bit of speed, Im not one to go slow. Secondly, we notice that it is guzzling the fuel. And I mean guzzling. We have spent $270 dollars on fuel so far, done about 600 miles. ...

Mecca journal: On the Road to the Grand Canyon

Wed, 09 May 2007 22:49:44 GMT

Monday 9th May was a funny old day. We couldn't really decide what to do. The weather was scorching in San Diego, which isnt really ideal for us as prevents little Matthew from playing much outside. I put suncream on him every day, more than once, but still dont like him to be outside much if its really hot.

Anyway, we end up heading out of San Diego, allbeit about 1pm by the time we have sorted ourselves out. We have to fill up with petrol, and I had to get a new phone as my New Zealand one broke in Fiji (only 2 months old!).

The guy in RadioShack was superb. Much better than ...

San Diego journal: Zoos and more shopping

Wed, 09 May 2007 22:20:15 GMT

We remain on the campsite in Mission Bay for Sunday and Monday. Sunday is spent out at San Diego Zoo. This Zoo is renowned as one of the best in the world, and I had heard good reports from friends. It certainly lived upto, and exceeded, my expectations.

I'm not really a zoo kind of person, think its all a bit cruel putting these animals in small cages and displaying them to the public. But this zoo is superb, with, generally, large enclosures and plenty for the animals to do. It was nice to see polar bears behaving in a fairly normal way - the ones I had seen previously at London ...

San Diego journal: Things start to look up

Sat, 05 May 2007 23:52:37 GMT

Friday morning, and we leave Paradise Pier Hotel. Its nice to get out of the hotel, and away from the commercialisation of Disneyland.

We spend a good couple of hours travelling a mere 60 miles. The roads are packed, queues everywhere, we are travelling across from southeast LA to northwest LA, and the motorhome (or RV as they are called here).

The RV we pick up, well its massive. Its perfect. Its massive! Such a big contrast to that in New Zealand. Its like a little house. There is a room at the back, with a king size bed and wardrobes. We have a tv/dvd/mp3 player, large ...

Disneyland journal: More fun at the fair

Sat, 05 May 2007 22:34:46 GMT

I'll keep this blog short - and add some more photos of our time at Disneyland. We returned on Thursday and spent half the day at Disneyland then an hour or so in the California Adventure Park across the road.

It was all much the same as the previous day. I think being english we find it harder to enjoy the corny side of Disneyland, and take it all a bit too seriously. You have to put on your kid hat, throw away any form of sense and join in the fun. Unfortunately I'm far too cynical, and found the various shows all just a bit too much. There was one ride where you go round in a ...

Anaheim journal: Retail Therapy

Thu, 03 May 2007 05:20:07 GMT

Amazing what a bit of retail therapy does for the soul and mind! I know, I am extremely shallow and a bad example to my kids....

The day after we get to America we hit the shops. We are all too tired to go round Disneyland, so shopping is in order. We have to get a car seat for Lloyd to go in the motorhome. Its quite interesting on the car seat front really, if we have had an american car seat in New Zealand we could have kept our original nice 6 berth Apollo motorhome, rather than the dumpy 4 berth Pacific Horizon that we had to take at extra cost. But we didnt, and also US car ...

Vomo Island journal: Leaving Paradise - It's hard

Tue, 01 May 2007 22:05:03 GMT

Monday 30th April

Steve's birthday, and the longest day of our holiday so far beckons - literally. We leave Vomo at 4.30pm, catch a flight at 10.20pm then arrive in LA at 2.20pm the same day! Matthew wakes us all up at 5.50am, so at least we make the most of the day (though a little lie in would have been nice Matthew). I take him down to the beach, as we do most mornings before breakfast. Its easier as he can be noisy and none of the other guests can hear him.

The beach is once again lovely. I enjoy watching the sardines jump out of the water (maybe 200 or more in the early ...

Vomo Island journal: Last days on Vomo beckon

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 19:57:05 GMT

Sunday 29th April

My penultimate day at Vomo Island. Steve is out trolling (fishing moving along or something like that) with the guys from the activity centre. They have been getting excited about it for days now, and have some extra equipment to try to pull in the big fish. Steve would definitely stay on this island forever, he loves the life the guys here leave. It is very idyllic. Yesterday we had rain but it was still beautiful. Today is scorching hot, too hot outside for Lloyd. Matthew is currently playing in the shade with Sue, he prefers her to me I think!!

I have ...

Vomo Island journal: Life on Vomo continues

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:14:57 GMT

Thursday 26 April

As usual with me nothing is ever simple. I have an inquisitive nature when it comes to people, and start to wonder how these people who work here really live. They are such lovely people, and I am sure that is a genuine trait, but its hard to see what they are really like away from this paradise.

I would think most people that visit Fiji, and places like Vomo, have little interest in the real Fiji. It reminds me of when I visited Egypt a bit, you would drive for miles and miles through desert, then find an oasis of trees and grass and secure compounds upon ...

Vomo Island journal: Steve catches a big fish

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:26:50 GMT

Today Steve caught a Wahu. Must have been about 4 or foot long I reckon. I surprised him with a deep sea fishing trip. He and the boys from Vomo seemed to have a great time.

The fish is being cooked up and displayed in the buffet tomorrow night. Apparantly we are also having a bit for dinner tonight as a "special" treat. Not sure I want to eat it, but heh hoh, in for a penny in for a pound. And at least the fish wont be wasted here, the staff will certainly enjoy it - they havent stopped talking about their catches from a couple of days ago!

Life in Vomo continues slowly ...

Vomo Island journal: Welcome to Paradise - No kidding

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:12:29 GMT

Its hard to put into words how truly beautiful this place we have arrived in is. We are on Vomo Island, and it is probably as close to paradise as you will ever find on this planet. There is no tv, no clocks, time seems to stand still. Normally when you take a photo of something you have to move the camera to not take a picture of the eyesore next to it. Or you spend time looking for that perfect shot. Here every shot is a perfect shot, every view is a perfect view. There seems to be no rubbish, no roads, no wires, there is nothing but beach, sea, palms, and peace. And I am not ...

Denarau Island journal: Fiji - Here we come!!!!!

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:06:26 GMT

Friday seems an age away now, let me think to recap our journey to Fiji...

We made our way slowly to the airport, stopping off in the shopping mall to grab a bite to eat and let Matthew run off some energy in the park there. We also do some last minute shopping for nappies, not quite what I had in mind as a memento from New Zealand but never mind.

We say goodbye to the motorhome, cant say any tears were shed on that one, though Matthew did kiss it before we departed. Saying that he had tried to kiss a kid in the park earlier on in the day so it doesnt take him much! Steve ...

New Zealand journal: Hints and Tips - New Zealand

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:05:14 GMT

Here are a few hints and tips regarding NZ

Here is my list of places to visit in New Zealand, obviously biased towards those travelling with young children and in a motorhome:

1) Tauranga (Mount Maunganui) - Has everything, sun, sand, sea, shops, food, nice people

2) Nelson and Abel Tasman Park - You could mistake Abel Tasman for Thailand, it is so exotic. An absolute must to visit - you'd be surprised how many people we met who had bypassed it

3) Milford Sound - Scenery is spectacular. Or Doubtful Sound.

4) Wanaka/Queenstown - Both are great and offer lots of ...

Denarau Island journal: Paradise, with 2 kids

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:19:33 GMT

Lloyd wakes me up at around 5.30am and thats it I cant sleep. I watch the sunrise, and the excitement of being in Fiji kicks in, so I head to the gym to wear off some energy. 10 minutes of running (well jogging slowly) tires me enough to return back to the hotel room. I wake up Steve, tell him breakfast looks fantastic, and to get up!!! I must be hard to live with sometimes.....

About 2 hours later Steve and the kids are ready for breakfast (well it felt like 2 hours). I think Steve took longer than me getting myself and the other 2 kids ready. Matthew doesnt seem bothered or really ...

Miranda journal: Absolutely the last place

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:01:43 GMT

Sorry, just had to get one last post in, would be a shame not to mention our last couple of days, and so much to tell!! I'm sure this is all really boring stuff, sorry, just switch off now and just smile and pretend to have read it when I return home. I wont be offended if you dont want to read honest!

Anyhow, we are on this campsite Miranda Holiday Park, and well its just great. Hardly any people around, especially where our motorhome is, and has a great hot mineral pool, which is so so lovely. I could stay in it all day, in fact in 20 mins I'm going back over there (at 9pm!!) to ...

Thames journal: Circling Auckland and wrapping up NZ

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:51:58 GMT

The past couple of days have been fairly relaxed, we havent got upto much really. The weather has been intermittently appalling and lovely, but has definitely turned colder - reaching about 19 degrees now. The temperature doesnt really bother us, but the rain is a headache as means Matthew gets muddy and wet!

Sunday we firstly head into Auckland, and the Sylvia Mall Shopping Centre. This is probably the closest they get to a Lakeside type centre in NZ. Its okay, much much smaller, but adequate for our needs. We find Steve a shirt and trousers, though had to trawl up and down the ...

Piha journal: Markets, Goats, Rain and Wind

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:26:11 GMT

Our last Saturday in New Zealand. The weather has certainly turned for the worst. It was intermittent showers all day, and strong winds. Luckily we seemed to be outside in the sunny periods, and escaped the worst of the rain. I dont mind the rain though, clears out the cobwebs! We hear its 26 degrees in the UK - only 19 degrees here. Oh well, such is life!

Today was my choice of activities, as I have been getting a bit fed up of chasing fish, so put my foot down. Steve did go out fishing in the morning though, but no good, too many rocks or something! So firstly we all went for a ...

Warkworth journal: Never ever go back

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:19:56 GMT

Thursday 12th

We head for civilisation, and away from the Northland. Hurrah, I must say Im pleased, couldnt face keep driving back and forth up there, everything was so remote, just getting a paper was a big ordeal. Lloyd has a temperature still, but otherwise seems in good spirits.

We go back to a place called Sandspit, where there is a lovely campsite we visited when we were last in New Zealand. Now we really have fond memories of this campsite for some reason, I think its where we really relaxed and started to enjoy ourselves. As they say never go back in these cases, but ...

Cape Reinga journal: Lots of driving for no good reason

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:12:42 GMT

We have had an interesting, but not so scenic couple of days. On Tuesday we decided to head to Cape Reigna, this is the top of New Zealand, where the Tasman and Pacific Oceans meet. So we hit the main town Kaitaia in the morning for supplies. I have to say Kaitaia is not the prettiest town on the planet, in fact to say it isnt great is a bit of an understatement. There is a general dirtiness about the area, the cars, and even the supermarket and its people. It's hard to explain, just a feeling I had.

We go for breakfast in what I think is the best looking cafe in the town, but I ...

Whatuwhiwhi journal: Easter Fishing

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:06:21 GMT

I will fill this in more when I get a decent connection. Just to say we are now on the top edge of New Zealand, in fishing paradise. The fish are jumping out of the sea there are so many. Yet Steve is still unable to hook his first on the North Island!!

Kids are well, Lloyd is now able to go round in circles, wont be long before he is crawling I think. He is like a different baby, has changed a lot these past couple of weeks. Matthew is great, enjoying paddling in the sea as usual.

We are in an area known as Doubtless Bay, is absolutely lovely. Weather is holding up at ...

Waihi Beach journal: Finally we move

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 01:29:03 GMT

Finally we moved onto Bowentown. The sole reason being that Steve couldnt find anywhere decent to fish, and was slowly driving me mad going on about it. Personally I could have stayed on the Mount for the next 2 weeks, it was idyllic. A stones throw (literally) from the beach, lots of cafes to eat in, good weather, lots of places to walk - what more could a person ask for.

Saying that the showers were rubbish, trying to shower with Matthew this morning was, lets say, interesting!

One of the nice things about being away is just being able to play with the kids whenever. This ...

Mount Maunganui journal: Sunshine returns

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:51:26 GMT

31st March - Saturday

We wake up to sunshine, what a relief! The day is spent lazily, wandering around Tauranga town, and letting Matthew run off some steam at the local park. The routine is working well, and me, Matthew, and Lloyd get a good nap in the afternoon. In the evening we hit the "Speedway", and go watch some stock car racing. It is an excellent night out, finished off with a spectacular fireworks show which puts Southend's fireworks to shame. Lloyd was excellent, fascinated with the cars, and the noise. We covered his ears during the fireworks, and checked to make sure ...

Tauranga journal: Its raining and its raining

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:31:02 GMT

Well the original plan was to head for Ohope Beach as Steve had great visions of fishing in the harbour there. He had had good authority that the fishing was excellent in the harbour and has been going on about Ohope for about 2 weeks now.

But the rain steps in. We see a car in a ditch, hear about a cyclone on the radio, the power is out in Rotorua, and fishing is definitely out of the question. So we decide instead to head upto Tauranga direct, and give Ohope a miss. Steve is visibly disapointed. Ahhh I hear you all say! I'm not so disapointed as the campsite at Ohope wasnt the ...

Lake Taupo journal: Lake Taupo and Rain

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:03:50 GMT

27th March - Tuesday - Lake Taupo

We are now on the big drive North to the Bay of Plenty. Today the aim is to get to Lake Taupo. We head off about 10am on a 300km drive. Matthew is sufficiently tired from the morning's football excursion to go to sleep and we make good progress for a while. I stop off at a fruit and veg shop on the side of the road and get 2 big bags full of stuff for 6 quid - so much cheaper than the supermarket. As an example I bought a bag of apples which must have at least 10 in there, for 50p. They are practically giving the stuff away.

We stop off in ...

Wellington journal: Back to the North Island

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:53:25 GMT

I think today is Mother's Day. Its just a guess. Doesnt feel much like Mother's Day to me, as has been very hectic. Steve is basically ill with a bad back. So it's have been hard work I'm having to do most things, and Steve is wandering around aimlessly, or rather standing around aimlessly....

We have spent the last couple of days getting back to the North Island, we made the decision to come back over and spend more time up by the Bay of Islands, rather than diverting back to Abel Tasman Park.

The kids have been great as usual. Matthew now ranks playgrounds according to ...

Te Anau journal: Milford Sound here we come

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:43:07 GMT

Well its just before 9pm and I'm pleased to say both kids are fast asleep! A cause for celebration - these moments are rare. Steve has just got us a tea, so I'm going to enjoy it before I continue my blog. Hope you don't mind. :)

Well I'm now writing this blog at 6.25am on the 15th March. Last night we ended up having a big conversation about the future of our business. Was interesting, and have made some decisions... Being away definitely gives me time to reflect and work out the stuff that is important to me, and the stuff that isnt so important.

So anyway...Well Steve didnt ...

Queenstown journal: Matthew hits the luge

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:31:33 GMT

A relaxing day. The weather has turned for the worse, so we wrap up warm, Matthew wearing trousers for the whole day for I believe the first time this holiday! Lloyd is tucked under his dad’s coat in the baby carrier, Matthew in the pram. We then set off in the morning for a day out in drizzly Queenstown.

We hit the gondola up to the skyline viewing area. I’m pleased with myself, as not a great fan of such things, but it isn’t so bad. I then go on the “luge” at the top of the skyline, which is a bit like a go-cart, with views over Queenstown. I decide to take Matthew for the 2nd ...

Kaikoura journal: Whale Watching - well for one of us

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:28:49 GMT

Being in AKaroa is starting to feel like GroundHog Day to me, its time to move on. God knows what being back in Leigh-on-Sea will feel like! Steve wanted to stay (the whole weekend) and catch more fish, but I'm getting bored.

In retrospect we should have stayed as Matthew loved it there, and we had a sure fire way of keeping him occupied at the beach.

I drive, the first time I have driven any great distance. We decide to give Arthur's Pass a miss (an east to west coast scenic drive) as we cant face the distances involved, and head northwards to Kaikoura. The drive takes most of ...

Akaroa journal: Back to tranquility

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:19:48 GMT

We decide that we should really look at Christchurch City Centre, so drive in. It is all very strange, with old beautiful buildings mixed with 70’s concrete messes. The botanical gardens were nice, Matthew enjoyed the park, but being approached by street beggars puts me off a bit more.

We then head to Banks Peninsular. This is 75km from Christchurch, but seems a lot longer, both in character and distance. It is a beautiful place, full of bays, with a lovely road which winds around the bays for miles upon miles. We stop off on the way at a cheese factory, then finally park up ...

Christchurch journal: Christ's Church? Really???

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:10:19 GMT

We hit civilisation. I think most people on the south island must live near Christchurch or Nelson. I haven’t seen hardly any houses anywhere else we have been. Christchurch isn’t a patch on Nelson though, its not really my cup of tea. But I think part of this is I have been spoiled by places such as Wanaka and Te Anau. Its also a big shock returning to a “city” again.

Things I really notice are the graffiti, the unkempt nature of the place, and the way bungalows are practically in the city centre. We visit a couple of shopping malls and come away disappointed with the number/type ...

Kingston journal: Onto the Steam Train and Heading North

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:07:56 GMT

We decide to head back up north, rather than further south to Invercargill and Stewart Island. We also miss out Doubtful Sound, as this involves a boat-coach-boat day out and would be too stressful with the kids. Speaking to other people they had only done Milford or Doubtful, so I don’t think we missed much. I decided that there was no real point heading further south, as it was just a couple of towns, and some wildlife. All very well when you are on your own, but a long way to go with 2 kids for no good reason.

The first day we make it to just passed Queenstown, following the road ...

Milford Sound journal: Te Anau then Milford Sound

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:04:23 GMT

We had an early start today, getting out of the camp before 8am and heading off to Milford Sound. It is a 75 mile trip from Te Anau to get to Milford Sound, accessible only from one road, so 75 miles back again aswell. The only other way in is by boat or plane (or walking if you are a bit crazy).

The drive to Milford Sound was absolutely gobsmackingly beautiful. 75 miles of postcard scenery, and it just got better and better the further we went. It’s a 2.5 hour drive down winding roads, but the time passed in a flash, both there and back.

I would say its one of the most scenic ...

Levin journal: Making for Wellington

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 07:08:56 GMT

We decided to leave Napier today, and head down towards Wellington. We have stopped over in some town called Levin. I cant say that the town's on the way have impressed me too much, it is all very rural and small-town type of feel to the place. Some areas look run-down, which is the first time I have seen this in New Zealand. Despite this the vergeways seem tidy and dont see much grafitti. Just some of the houses look a bit forlorn.

Kids have been great today, though we do seem to be moving from one park to the next to keep Matthew happy. Lloyd seems more settled, and is definitely ...

Queenstown journal: Lazing, then Canyon Swinging

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 04:47:02 GMT

Queenstown is a bit of a shock after where we have been staying recently. Is much bigger than I expected, lots of apartments, and just looks busy. We cant get in the motor park we wanted in the town centre, as full up. Is a very popular tourist place, which you've probably realised Im not a great fan of. So first impressions arent great.

On Sunday we do absolutely nothing!! We are in this exciting town with all this adrenalin around us and we choose this day to laze about. Well I say laze about, we did the washing, went to the shops, then walked round Queenstown that evening, so ...

Wanaka journal: Cows, Art, Puzzles, Peace and Playgrounds

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:48:12 GMT

The title sums up what we did today. It was a very nice day, relaxing. We hit Wanaka, and the kids playground. Matthew must have gone up this dinosaur slide they had (which was about 30 foot in length so a lot of running around) about 30-40 times, and no exaggeration. He was shattered by the end of it (yippee!!!!!!!).

We then head for this show, not really sure what it was about but looked like fun. On entering we inspected some cows, well looked at them and said "moo" to Matthew! It was primarily a farm show and reminded me of the film Babe a bit (especially when people were ...

Takaka journal: Pohara and Golden Bay

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:51:11 GMT

We moved on today, further north upto Golden Bay and Pohara. The highlight of the day was probably going up Takaka Hill, which was more of a mountain than a hillside. The views were spectacular, even if the going was a little tough on the roads. The beaches when we arrive in Pahahora were nowhere near as good as Kaiteriteri and we are slightly disappointed. Nonetheless Matthew enjoys himself, we strip him naked and he plays in a pool of water on the beach for about 20 minutes, just marching up and down splashing himself. He is absolutely filthy by the end of it!

Wanaka journal: Wanaka, a rest and a plane journey

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:24:28 GMT

Steve likes his fry-ups, so we head to the restaurant for a buffet breakfast. We then decide to book a flight to see the glaciers and Mount Cook. It seems the Lloyd will be alright travelling in a plane, so we book it up for 6pm that evening from Wanaka. Worryingly the plane that leaves from Makarora broke down that morning! Doesnt leave me with greatest confidence, but best not to think about it.

We make for Wanaka, again the views are brilliant within the Park. We follow 2 lakes most of the way, with very little traffic around. We dont stop as much as we would have if we didnt ...

Makarora journal: Driving - again

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:12:32 GMT

This started off as a dismal day, carrying on the gloom of the previous day. We awoke to pouring rain, and thick cloud. I had a bad night with Lloyd also, he was awake a lot of the night, and I run out of clothes for him in the night so he ended up and a t-shirt and long shorts, with a blanket to keep the cold off. Luckily I had some older clothes packed away, which seem to fit okay, so put these on him in the morning.

We decide to move on - the prospect of being in the motorhome all day in the rain was non-appetising, at least on the move the kids would sleep. We head for Fox Glacier ...

Franz Josef Glacier journal: Glacier or no glacier

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:09:40 GMT

You know I have no idea what day of the week it is when I write this blog. I write offline, so look up the date and put it at the top of the file. Its only then I can see the day. So today is Wednesday, god doesnt time fly by.

This afternoon has been a hard time. Actually things started off badly today, as put the phone on charge last night, only to wake up this morning to find it no longer worked! Not sure what problem is but looks fairly dead. Slightly disappointing (there are other ways I could put it...) as last week bought a New Zealand sim card which made it cheap for ...

Punakaiki journal: Pancake Rocks

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:02:10 GMT

The campsite in Panakiki is lovely, and next door to a pub/restaurant that does great food and even takeaways, so we are very happy! Steve is pleased to be back next to some decent sea, and dreams of his first fish. We decide to stay a couple of days and relax. On Monday we take a trip into Greymouth, mainly to pick up insect repellent as I have been eaten alive by sandflies. We spot our first kiwi on the camspite, and Matthew attempts to fly his kite on the beach. Its a fairly relaxing time, well as relaxing as it gets with 2 kids in tow.

We are now 3 weeks into our holiday, and ...

Nelson journal: The big drive west

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:59:38 GMT

A big driving day. We get up early and head for the Waikoropupa Springs. It was nice to get out and do some walking, even if only for a few minutes. I decided not to head up to Farewell Spit, as this can only be seen via a guided tour, and I dont fancy the idea of taking LLoyd on a 4x4 jeep. So we head south, and back to Nelson. We shop for food for the next 3 days, then head to Tahunnia Beach where there is a childrens playground. The playground is massive, see the attached photos for two thirds of it (there is an older section aswell). Matthew again had a great time, playing in the park ...

Kaiteriteri journal: Abel Tasman National Park

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:51:07 GMT

Our first real chance to look at our surroundings, and it seems like we have arrived in Paradise. The beach is golden sand, not too busy and a clear water's edge. There are only 2 restaurants in the whole place, and only 1 road. But it seems busy in comparison to other places we have visited in New Zealand, so must be a popular destination.

We talk to people next to us and find out the waters are too shallow for fishing, so the plan for the day changes. We head into Abel Tasman Park via a "water taxi". This in reality was a large boat on the way into Abel Tasman, and a much smaller ...

Nelson journal: Nelson and Malborough

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:47:51 GMT

We awake to find a lovely stream behind us. I study the guide books and formulate a plan for the next few days. Its hard to work out a route round the south island as there is so much here to see and do. I make a decision for us to travel the west coast first, then switch to the east. We set off for Nelson and the Abel Tasman Park.

The drive is lovely, I am already seeing a difference to the North Island in scenery. There are lots of places to stop and go walking, but with the kids this is hard for us to do. I make a resolution to return here without the kids one day and do some of ...

Wellington journal: Dropping in on Wellington briefly

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:40:12 GMT

Today we drove down to Wellington. The drive was fine, passed some nice looking towns on the way, and the road became a dual-carriageway, the first we have been on since leaving Auckland.

Wellington seems a lovely place, though we only really had a glance at it. We will look more closely when we return from the south island. The city was larger than I expected, with an impressive tower skyline. As with the rest of New Zealand it seemed very clean and tidy, not at all like London. It also seems to have a certain quaintness with the old houses dotted on the hillside and the street ...

Napier journal: Superb sea view

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:49:09 GMT

Napier journal: Resting in Napier

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:49:08 GMT

Well for the first time in a couple of days I get some peace and quiet. Matthew is fast asleep in the pram in the motorhome!!! And Lloyd is sleeping face down in his cot! All bad I know, but it works. It is 7.30pm btw, and I cant believe that Matthew is finally asleep. Yesterday we got him to sleep early too, but he was outside in the pram, and when we bought him in he woke up and kept us awake until 11pm. Then he was up at before 7am, so it wasnt funny!

We have found a lovely campsite and have the best pitch on the site. I can seeing Steve fishing on the beach as I speak, and hear ...

Gisborne journal: A long drive to Gisbourne

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:24:58 GMT

Well we didnt stay in Ohiwa, decided to head south again on Saturday. Not sure why as Ohiwa was lovely, and the campsite was lovely.

Had a treachorous drive through the countryside, not much fun in a motorhome. The roads in this part of New Zealand I would equate to driving through the hills of Wales. Its all very windy and very up/down.

Can't say I think much of Gisbourne, it seems a bit like Great Yarmouth, old and tired. But in fairness we arrived on Saturday afternoon and all the shops have shut up for the weekend so is like a ghost town. Cant quite understand why the ...

Ohiwa journal: Fishing in Ohiwa

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:01:54 GMT

Today has been a taxing day. Lloyd has been pretty miserable most of the day, Im now convinced he suffers quite badly with wind. I also think he is getting fed up with not having a proper sleeping place, so tomorrow will definitely be getting out his pop-up cot for him to use.

Matthew has also been hard work, he is awake as I speak, and it is 22.07. We need to get the kids into a routine somehow, but that is hard to do in such an enclosed space. We started dinner at 7.30, but never ate until gone 9pm, it just seems to take ages to do anything. And whilst eating dinner I was having ...

Ohiwa journal: Excellent facilities, great site

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:58:27 GMT

Ohope Beach journal: Okay for a quick visit

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:49:25 GMT

Ohope Beach journal: Ohope for a quick stopover

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:49:25 GMT

Its 21.50 and everyone apart from LLoyd is still awake. Matthew is playing with his new torch, and seems in no rush to go to sleep. Steve is talking about fishing all the time, today he purchased a fishing rod and equipment, so I expect I wont be seeing much more of him this holiday! I'll just have to ensure the route goes inland now and again so I get some help with the kids!!!

We spent most of the day either on the road or feeding kids today. We are now at Ohope Beach, in the Bay of Plenty. We are parked up overlooking the beach, and can hear the waves crashing as I speak. Its ...

Waihi Beach journal: Good facilities, sites a little close together

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:57:14 GMT

Waihi Beach journal: Waihi Beach

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:57:14 GMT

Our first full day in New Zealand. Had a good nights sleep, so feeling refreshed. Matthew also seems calmer still, so hopefully is recovering. He still has a rash, but Im wondering if that is to do with heat. Not sure, so will keep an eye on him.

It takes us ages to do anything, even brushing our teeth seems a massive expedition. Breakfast consists of cheerios, shared of course with Matthew. We are having a washing day today, so plan to spend the day on site.

We go into Waihi for some supplies. The motorhome lacks some basics like tea-towels and pegs, so have to get these. ...

Auckland journal: Settling in NZ

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:41:25 GMT

We arrive about 5.30am local time. I am knackered. I can barely keep my eyes open. It takes us ages to clear customs, mainly due to us rather than them. We then find out that the motorhome hire place doesnt open until 8am, so have 90 mins to kill in the airport. Such fun! A Macdonalds breakfast takes up some time (and tastes nicer than expected), but still have an hour to kill. Matthew enjoys running round the airport, he is becoming a little explorer, and finding pleasure in the make-up of the building. We spend much of our time chasing him!

We finally get picked up about 8.45am. ...

Perth journal: Albany to Perth to New Zealand

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:35:16 GMT

This is an extremely busy day, and one which tests my mental and physical strength. We head off at 5am to Albany in the car, then catch the flight to Perth. Its a long 1 hour flight as Matthew is quite demanding. At Perth we are met by my friend, who kindly agrees we can go back to her place for the day. By this point I can hardly walk btw, as the sunburn has kicked in and swollen up my legs and feet. I am in agony.

My friends are so kind, as staying at the airport for the day wouldnt have been much fun with 2 kids. It is their day off, which makes their kindness much greater. I ...

Denmark journal: Elephant Rocks for a picnic

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:37:20 GMT

My cousin turns up announcing we are going on a picnic. Its so nice to have someone else organise my life, and a rare occasion. We go to Elephant Rocks, a local cove with a sandy beach. The views on the way to the cove are truly out of this world, I have never seen such surf, and the colours of the sea are breathtaking. It is the size of the ocean aswell, absolutely amazing. They are lucky people to live near all of this, with the country close by, but also the sea. I remain envious!!

Matthew has a great time at the beach. He ends up naked as he gets drenched by the waves. But he ...

Denmark journal: In Denmark with the family

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:32:19 GMT

Today was a great day. I went round my cousin's place, which was a truly wonderful home. I was extremely envious of the peace she has got there, it was my idea of paradise. No neighbours overlooking, loads of trees around, and a driveway to beat all driveways. It seemed to me my cousin and her husband had found their sanctuary, and were both very happy.

We went to Denmark for fish and chips. Matthew had a great time in the park, mostly throwing sand around. He definitely is a much better climber now, and navigated the slide well. It was worrying at times watching him, as he ...

Albany journal: Off to Denmark for the weekend

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:19:40 GMT

We land literally in the middle of nowhere. Never seen anything like it. Reminded me of a scene from The Bodyguard! We amble up to the arrivals area, last ones off the plane as usual. As we enter arrivals my aunt, uncle, cousin and her husband are there to greet us. And what a greeting it was! You could tell immediately they were pleased to see us, and not only that seemed like really nice genuine people. I've only meet this side of my family a few times, but they never fail to impress me. I think we have a similiar mindset, strange as we are on different sides of the world.

We ...

Perth journal: Kings Park then off to Albany

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:39:41 GMT

Much of the morning was spent packing the bags up. I wanted to ensure I didnt have to re-pack on Monday when we returned to Perth, so spent a bit of time organising things. This is hard to do with 2 kids, one screaming for milk and the other just screaming. But we managed it eventually.

Then we headed out to Kings Park. Again the GPS Sat Nav system came into it's own, taking us directly to the Park with no hassle. Definitely recommend this if you are travelling by car. King's Park was wonderful, massive place with great views of Perth city. Could have stayed a lot longer but had ...

Perth journal: Excellent Atmosphere

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:20:03 GMT

Perth journal: Freemantle

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:20:03 GMT

Today was a fairly quiet day, we decided to hit the shops again, and trundled off to Gsrden City shopping mall. It was nice just to wander around at leisure. The food court was better in my opinion than those at home. The food seemed very fresh, and there were lots of healthy choices. People seem to have a wide choice of food in Australia, and healthier options.

Matthew still wasnt eating properly, we struggled to get him to eat anything. He seemed to enjoy his Apple and Pear Smoothie though!

Suprisingly when returned to car found out it had been raining! Was nice though, Perth ...

Perth journal: Arriving in Sunny Perth

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:41:30 GMT

Perth certainly was sunny. The heat in Perth is pretty strong, I was worried about the time the boys were in the car whilst we were packing the bags, even with the engine running and the air con on. Its a big shock after being in england, and felt hotter than Singapore had the day before.

The gps system on the car comes into its own, all the stress of finding anywhere is taken away. We head towards our friends house, where we are spending the next 3 days. It's a good job they have a child, we bring absolute chaos to their lives with our arrival. Matthew is wide awake, and doesnt go ...

Perth journal: The simple things

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:40:21 GMT

I did wonder sometimes why I would want to go on holiday for so long and do the "normal" things on the other side of the world. I mean I could just have travelled 200 miles in england couldnt I, if I had wanted the break from home. After all kids dont really care where they are.

But I can see already that this is a much different, and also an exciting experience for both us adults and the kids. We did the normal stuff yesterday, like visited a park, and went to the shops. But it was great as the weather was hot, unlike miserable england, and we all saw new stuff and did new things.

Singapore City journal: Singapore for a Day

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:55:44 GMT

Wished we had stayed here longer than a day, as Singapore is such a lovely place. The people were so friendly, from the taxi driver to the shop assistant. And the hotel was absolutely spot on. It had a massive internal space, you could see up to the roof at about 37 floors high. Matthew was very impressed with the glass lifts that were covered in lights. We took an external lift to our floor, so had great views of the city as we went up.

We went to sleep as soon as we arrived, luckily Matthew slept too. This was definitely needed, as I didnt get much sleep on the plane, maybe and ...

Singapore journal: On the plane to Singapore

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:48:42 GMT

So far this has been busy and frantic at times, with brief periods of calm whilst the children sleep. Matthew is still ill, and although he was not sick all day he decides take-off is the time to restart the sickness! Marvellous, and very embarrassing. Luckily Lloyd is behaving much better, he seems to quite like the motion of the plane, and apart from the occasional murmur when he wants a feed he is fine. The bassinet on Singapore Airlines is superb, we can even eat whilst it is up, which is one up on other airlines. They eventually supply me with a bottle of water once they realise how much ...

Heathrow Airport journal: We are off

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:42:06 GMT

How much luggage!! We fill up the people carrier, and need 3 trollies to move our luggage. It is hard work. Im standing in the queue trying to push a trolley, with bags on my back, and Lloyd attempting to breastfeed a moving target! Eventually some nice person from Singapore Airlines spots our predicament and moves us onto another desk. We spend a long time waiting whilst they attempt to check some of our luggage through to Perth, but allow other luggage out at Singapore. Time is running out.

I head for the currency desk to pick up our money. He could have given me monopoly money for all ...

Southend-on-Sea journal: The final preparations - or not!

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:39:21 GMT

What a week it’s been here in Leigh-on-Sea. Just as everything was beginning to fall in place with the holiday disaster strikes twice, and the family is thrown into turmoil. On Saturday (3rd) night little Lloyd stops feeding at 4 am and starts crying as though he is in pain. By the Sunday afternoon we are in hospital, with Lloyd being admitted! I couldn’t believe it, suddenly the holiday was off the cards and the priority became ensuring Lloyd would recover. His temperature hit 39.5 degrees and we had a hard couple of nights, but he is a strong lad even at this tender age of 6 weeks. With the ...

Southend-on-Sea journal: Getting Ready for Hols

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:08:49 GMT

Today is Friday 2nd Feb, and we are busy getting ready for our 4 month trip. Part of me is really excited, and part is quite scared, it seems daunting to be anticipating 4 months away from the comforts of home, especially with 2 young children in tow.

The general opinion is that I'm either very "brave" or completely "mad". I'm not sure I'm brave, so must be mad in my opinion. Well, you only live once, have to make the most of it.

So how are the preparations going? Well, everything is practically booked, just have disneyland in california to sort out, and the hotel in Las Vegas. ...