Back in Blighty via San Francisco.....
We arrived in SF on wednesday just after lunch to a chilly temp of 12C (the coldest day of the hols), the sky was blue but the wind was biting, we ambled around Fishermans Wharf which is the area we were staying, found out about the things to do the next day and after a late lunch, went to bed for an hour to recover from the 12 hour flight. Unfortunately we didn't waken up until 8am Thursday morning.

Thursday dawned, with the forecast of rain later in the day, so we began our tour in haste-we bought a day pass for the cable car and travelled most of the lines available, we had a look at the cable car museum, very fascinating seeing how they worked. I really didn't know they had cables under the streets, like a giant vacuum band (if you're old enough to remember that black band that was always at the front of the hoover!!). So we shopped, the dollar being so feeble it was great, Banana Republic first stop.

More cable car, lunch in a 1950's diner, more shopping, then off to Chinatown for our finale meal. We ate in one of the oldest chinese restaurants in San Francisco-(pity they hadn't improved their cooking in all this time - Wans is much better).

Friday morning soon arrived and we had just enough time to sail the Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz and look at the sea lions who live in the bay on the pontoons just by pier 43, quick lunch and off to the airport for home.
A fantastic trip, like being in a dream some of the time, visiting places that we've seen on the telly and not really believing we were there. We would recommend at least one trip like this in everyones life time... save up... and do it...it really makes you think.

Well here we are in Queenstown, the home of bungy etc etc. Its a strange place, for me , a bit of tack in beautiful countryside and I mean beautiful. Big mountains, huge lakes and back to big blue skies after the snowy day.Saturday we woke to snow capped mountains, but that has all disappeared now. we have even had our shorts on again. We sailed in the ferry, took a ride in the cable car, walked up "Queenstown Hill" not very high at 3000 feet, great views from the top.
We visited Gibstons winery and had a great lunch, spoke to Sue, who is looking forward to her uk visit and threatened us with more boys running about the back lane, when they visit Wordies. A wander around Arrowtown, which is New Zealands version of Grasmere, very touristy, very picturesque we loved it.
We know the Rovers result, which is disappointing, but we are going to watch the game tonight at 5.30pm NZ time, no one showed it live and our accomodation here is a little antiquated, thats the house, the furniture and the owner-we don't have a tv in the room and he definately doesn't have sky tv on his little portable!!
We leave Queenstown on Tue, and head to Lake Tekapo for a night in the Youth Hostel-evidently one of the best views in NZ, so looking forward to taking some more great photos. Then Wed we fly to San Francisco and arrive before we set off (That should bugger up the body clock then)staying there for a couple of days....
more to come then ..........keep reading.

South as far as we can go........................
We left the Chubby Balls on Tuesday, following a day on the beach, temp 25C and everything is really sunny. WE arrive in Christchurch and pick up the hire car and the weather is similar. The drive to Dunedin is good looking at the east coast of south island. Dunedin is the proverbial stern Scottish town, I didn't fall in love with it and neither did Chris. The accomodation was different to say the least. We spent 2 nights at "The Levianthan" across from the famous railway station. The hotel bar was full of Kiwi Truckers and the evening dinning arrangements were extrememly "canteen" like (basic but cheap). We think we had the best room in the house (it had carpet all the way to our door-I'm not joking-the rooms through the door after our room only had a boarded floor!). It was a great room, triangular in shape with windows on 3 sides, and the bathroom had a spa bath-we could have fit the whole of the back lane in-marvellous. We got up early (for us )to be greeted by more sunshine-shorts on then- by lunch time it was persisiting down and a bit cool one might say. We viewed the city by foot, then did 50 miles of the south coast scenic route (all before lunch), then had a trip on the Gorge Rail, which took all afternoon. (it took them over 30 years to build it, and by the time they finished, the motor was king and not long after it was closed down-now just a tourist thing.
Thursday saw us set of for Invercargill on the south coast via more of the scenic route. What a great trip, beautiful isolated beaches, rugged coast, sea-lions, dolphins and yellow eyed penguins as well as jurrassic forests, which had been fossilised. Just wait for the pics!!
By the time we arrived in Invercargill the weather had turned decidedly yuk! Howling gales and torrential rain then snow forcast for the next day-thats the shorts back in the suitcase then-where's that shop for a bob hat and mitts?. The weather was unrelenting for Thur night and really cold Fri, when we set off for Queenstown. We travelled up the valley passing snow storms as we travelled. When the clouds eventually lifted a fab view was worth the wait. Snow capped mountains, rising from the lake side. Queenstown is the place to be (especially if you are under 30 or kids at heart). We're happy then! but they still go to bed early-its 9.30pm and once this blog is posted we'll head off for a nights kip (bizarre!!). Mrs stay up all night in bed before midnight, whats the world coming too?................
Whatch this space for more installments.

Well we arrived at the bottom flat (aka the Chubby Balls) on Friday at about 5pm-its now Monday about 11pm and what a weekend we have had. We had a few beers and a bit of a catch up on friday night after a welcomimg meal, then Saturday we began the tourist thing. So Saturday we went to Rotorua and visited a Maori settlement where
Maoris still live-in the middle of a geothermal area, so unstable that last week a resident moved out because they had a steam gusher suddenly blasting through their kitchen floor.

Saturday evening turned into a bit of a Sunday Club, Bev & Jane stayed up and put the world to rights, with the help of wine & vodka. (Nothing new there then).


Easter Sunday saw the Chubby Balls go "Egg Hunting" at Barbara & Bala's, whilst we zipped over to Bridal Falls (hey Wordie-it was free)then we all met up on the East Coast,a surfers paradise. Not one of New Zealands better tourist attractions-but its good to get a whole round view of a country. The hire car did us proud, and fit in with the ambience of the place!!


A quick beer in the local hostelry, (by the way is the Railway on track yet?)before more Ball hospitality and a typical New Zealand in bed before midnight .
Monday saw a trip to the East Coast and wow what a great place to visit, golden sands-the weather happened to be just right (not bad for October!). The Bank Holiday traffic was well-not really happening, we didn't get held up once!



Georgia went off for a sleep over and the adults took the chance to see the hi lights of Cambridge (cough cough). The GPO was a great place to eat beats the Postal Order in Blackburn tho its the same idea. We are off to South Island tommorrow for a different view of the Kiwi culture.

These will probably be the last pics we post until we return, the comments should still appear, please keep looking at our blog and don't forget to add your comments.

Hello there, you may have noticed that the most recent blogs have been rather short and lacking pictures, that's because they have been done on the move (Singapore) or in the hotel in Sydney (15min or pay $5). Now we have reached the Chubby Balls and a fellow blogger, so am able to post in more detail.
Singapore was great, a shoppers paradise and the people are so polite. The hotel was superb, 5* luxury,the room had the usual bed and bathroom and a dressing room and balcony. It was in the Marina area and very handy for the city, yet quiet. We did the bus tour, which cost the princely sum of $6 for the 2 of us (if you fly in with Singarpore airlines the hop on hop off bus is really cheap and takes you all over the city. We saw the Botanic Gardens, walked down Orchard Street and of course visited the inevitable Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling.

The Hotel pool was great for cooling down and tho Chris looks a bit worried, it was the dark cloud that worried him.



Sydney was buzzing, you have already heard about the shoe thing, so I'll move on to the night life. We stayed on George St., in the Rocks area, which is the oldest part of Sydney, in a hotel which has been there from early days. The Russell hotel is quaint and handy for the Bridge, Opera House and Circular Quay and the night life is well..... rockin (thats their word not mine). We spent Sunday night listening to the sounds of "Sweet Caroline" "Dirty old Town" "Delilah" etc....mmmm very Rockin?!
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We toured the harbour on the day of the Tsunami and thought we would wait for the high tide, by the sea of course, many ferries had been cancelled, just in case, but as our trip catered mostly for the "Poms" they weren't worried if they lost a few!! So this is me waiting for the Tsunami (No Bev not the Toon Army). The harbour is beautiful.



The following day we did the bus tour and visited some beaches, Bondi among them-fab beach, not too sure about the town. We had a great meal at a bbq restaurant-choose your slab of meat and cook it yourself on the giant bbq-great meal.
Then off to NZ, first stop Kawa Kawa to see Mike and Pauline, of the "top flat" fame, they live in a beautiful area-Northland-the Lakes by the sea, we didn't need the hop on hop off bus this time, we went off in Mikes 4 wheel drive to see the sights-peaceful land and sea. They live in a Colonial house with a fabulous garden, think Chris was tempted to stay!.



Less than 48 hours later we arrive at the "bottom flat" as was, (well it seemed like we just walked up the back lane to visit both of them)the Chubby Balls home in Cambridge, yet another fine spot in this awesome land. Yes we had some wine and beer and you will just have to wait for the rest of the story.........In the meantime, have a very "Happy Easter"

Well it seems such a long time since I last blogged, we have arrived in Sydney on April 1st, and without wanting to upset the Aussies, wondered if they wre playing an April fool when they asked if our shoes were clean. Unfortunately Chris's golf shoes (which we forgot all about as he wasn't going to wear them again this trip)had Dubai dirt on them-now he is on record as having dirty shoes (the customs lady kindly cleaned them for him) and if he comes to Aus again will have his shoes checked!! so watch out you travellers-clean your shoes before you get here.
Sydney is great, we went to Watsons Bay on a ferry and had fish & chips at Doyles, then saw Syd from the water. Today we saw Syd from the bus and went to Bondi beach. Great beach shame about the place, reminded me of Blackpool. We also saw Edward another of the Turner clan, who had been in hospital for 8 weeks-he is going back home on friday, which he is glad about. We went over the Syd harbour bridge on the bus, we have eaten some good food and are just about to go out for our final evening here before heading of to NZ tomorrow.
Weather has been great, very sunny hope it stays this way in NZ. Bev all is forgiven re weather.
Wil add some piccies at a later date.
Hope the wordies enjoy their trip and everyone else is good. Ben did Pleasy win shame about the Rovers.