Day Twenty-Three - Dubai to London

So I spoke too soon.  Not only did I have a four hour overlay at Melbourne, this was increased by another hour as the plane had problems when it was trying to be attached to the walk way. Then we were all loaded, ready to go and the pilot started to reverse back and all the power just cut off! Great.  Another hour later, they assured us that we were safe to go but so many people had then lost their connecting flight in Dubai.  Even my wombat (you know how much I love

wombats) Christmas decoration didn't cheer me up. So in total I had two hours at the airport prior to taking off from Wellington, five hour fight to Melbourne, six hour delay at Melbourne, 14 (yes 14) hour flight to Dubai, they turned the plane round quickly at Dubai, another hour wait, then a 7 hour flight into Heathrow, then my journey home.  In total around 36 hours.  I am tired.

Last night (Monday night) I had Uni until 9.00 then home and never slept all night.  I am exhausted. I actually work as in my day job all through the night and then again this morning until around 11.00. Now I am trying not to fall asleep.  It really is a weird, horrible fleeting.

So it has been an experience.  New Zealand is stunning. It is breathtakingly beautiful. I am so pleased I had the opportunity to travel, literally to the other side of the world.  I hope you have all enjoyed travelling with me.

Now I need to sleep ....... but not until tonight.

As always, with my love x

Day Twenty-Two - Melbourne to Dubai

I got a bit upset leaving Wellington. It is a lovely city and beautiful country but I do not think I will see it again, too many other places to visit. Flight to

Welcome to a soggy Melbourne

Melbourne was non-eventful.  I feel like I'm being fattening up for foie gras pate.  I give Qantas this, the vegetarian food is excellent.  I watched two good documentaries on the way over one was called We Don't Need a Map and it was a documentary by a guy called Warwick Thornton who is Australian and it was all about the Southern Cross and the colonial ownership of it from the indigenous people and how it has shaped the cultural and political landscape of Australia. They called about the Cronulla Riot of 2005 which I know nothing about but probably know an Australian who does!  The other was another little treat called Abortion: Stories Women Tell - it was based in America and in the state of Missouri where surprise surprise women have no rights. Hard hitting and makes me challenge the policies in America even more. OK to have guns and kill people but no choice over your own bodies.  Anyway, all this anger stopped me from being upset.

So arrived at Melbourne, in the rain.  What is this wet stuff falling from the sky?

Student life with an excellent flat white!

I haven't seen it for weeks.  It was grey and cloudy but I do like the Australians. They are gusty (that is what they called me in Hong Kong do you remember - a gusty girl!). So I am sitting here with a lovely flat white (such good coffee in Australia even at the airport, but New Zealand coffee was also good) and will do a couple of hours reading for my degree to while away the four hours ...... sigh!

So not much here to do at all.  I was going to have some new sunglasses -

Santa Wombat

nope, no sunglasses.  However, I did find a right little treat.  Some of you may know that my favourite animal is a wombat and I managed to buy a woman Christmas tree decoration.  Now, I probably won't even have a Christmas tree but at least I an put him on the fireplace.  So just an hour to go before I board, this is four hour of my life I will not get back! The next stop is Dubai and this will be a 14 hour and 5 minute flight. I then have a two hour stopover in Dubai then another 8 hour 10 minute flight to Heathrow.  It really is an endurance and I just know that I am going to be so tired and confused once I get back to the flat.  I don't even know what time it is now in London (Saturday morning I think) it is 21.40 here and I am Wellington time which is 23:40 so getting tired already.  The joys of travelling isn't as always cracked up as you think it is.

See you in Dubai.

As always, with my love x

Day Twenty-Two - Wellington to Melbourne

My temporary 'new' home is lovely and my Air BnB host is great.  She is a single woman (just like me) and it is upsetting/refreshing to know that blokes are the same wherever you go in the world! The more I see and hear of them the less it really makes me want to bother.  Rant over. Lovely blue skies this morning and my host and I shared a coffee and a chat (hence the rant). She has also said

Some lovely Japanese food I had in Wellington - even this is upside down!

that I do not have to leave here now until I go to the airport which is wonderful and so trusting of her. I assured her that I would not abuse this trust (she is going out around lunchtime so leaving me to it) and like I have always said, the majority of people are good and kind, we only get to hear about the bad ones. It is also her birthday on Sunday (hence going away the weekend), so I have a thank you card I should have/was going to use for something else so I will leave her that with a thank you and birthday wishes in it and a few dollars to tell her to get herself a drink!  As girls have to stick together you know.

So suitcase is kind of packed. As I do not have to leave her and hang around in Miramar library (which does look rather lovely I must say), I can sit in the sunshine, writing this in my cropped trousers and t-shirt.  I need to keep out of the sun today as caught it too much yesterday.  So what are my other 

1 December on the beach - has to be done!

observations of New Zealand.  The coffee is really good.  I am not surprised about this as some of the best coffee I ever had was in Australia. They are obsessed with scones, either cheese which I really did not like, or date, which I like too much!  Every time you go for a meal or coffee you get a bottle of tap water provided, you don't ask it is just left on the table None of this fancy bottled water for £5 a go like it is in England.  Christmas is so low key over here. Some of the shops still don't have any acknowledgement to Christmas (how wonderful is that) but their Christmas cards and decorations have snow on them .... I know, I know!

Oh the area that I really liked and would buy a house if I won the lottery (Seatoun and Worser Bay) is very expensive. I am not surprised there as that is so me!  There is now a hosepipe ban in Wellington so it is just like living back in Kent again.  My host was just telling me also that December is a very stressful time for Kiwis as not only is there the stress of Christmas (why oh why do we do it to ourselves), but the school holidays are coming up, October, November and December is University and School exam time.  Also, a lot of people take their annual leave at this time too.  I still find it all so strange to be doing the

On the road to nowhere!

complete opposite to my 'normal'.  Have also noticed that the children wear shorts (boys) up until the age of around 15, very strange to see.  People still say thank you to the bus driver when they got off (this rarely happens in London). The Tui (not the holiday company) is the local bird with a distinctive voice and a white plume under its neck.  I am used to the sound of them now and oh yes, magpies are the other way round, their black is white and their white is black (I told you it is topsy turvy). There is not coin less than 10c so you don't always get the exact change back, but it kind of works. Also, Wellington is very windy and I find that difficult to cope with as my hair just blows all over the place.  I would have to keep it tied up (light today for the flight home) or have it all cut off as I look like a wild woman - well I am but it is not a good look.

So my host has left me now to go out with her friends for lunch and I am sitting here in the house with the sunshine and breeze blowing in the window.  I was

Starfish graveyard

lucky, very lucky to find this host and I will be giving her a glowing report when I get home. In fact, I think we both would have found a friend if we were not the other side of the world from each other.  The walk to the airport is around 20 minutes so I will drag it out to 40 and will be leaving here in around half an hour.

I am not looking forward to the trip home, or the weather but I have missed London.  It is where I consider my home is now. OK it has many faults but it is about being where you feel at 'home' .... so London is home.  I arrive at the airport, which really is so small and at the Qantas desk are a party of 'elderly' Americans on a tour.  I really can see why many Americans do not travel and my heart went out to the Kiwi tour guide.  Checked in.  Window seat from Wellington to Melbourne then aisle set for the rest.  I spend my last few dollars buying a tui bird that when you press it's belly sounds just like the real thing and some chocolate to give to someone back home. Nothing in the duty free shop, but once again it was so small and I was followed around by the sales assistants (I am sure they are paid on commission).  So here I am in the departure lounge looking out over Lyall Bay. I can see the Spruce Goose and The Botanist (the two restaurants I visited) but cannot see Jackie's house.  

So I will close here and say my goodbyes to you and New Zealand and see you all in Australia.

As always, with my love x

DayTwenty-One - Miramar (Wellington)

I told myself last night, before I finally dozed off, that I would make myself a memory day for my last full day in New Zealand.  New Zealand is a beautiful 

country, but I could not live here.  I guess it must be what it was like kind of in the UK in the 1950's (and before any of you start, no I do not remember that!). The first thing that strikes you is that it is very quiet, as in no one around. OK I know I live in Central London and by default that is an overcrowded city.

Seatoun Beach

However, even the rush hour is a dozen cars at a red light. Other observations are (and in no particular order) it is very white, there are some Pacific islanders who wear the most amazing flowers in their hair.  The dairy or corner shop to you and I, are mainly owned by Indian/Pakistani people. The chip shops are also Chinese take aways and are run by Chinese people (are you keeping up?), the houses are mainly one level, made of wood and behind them, up the driveway to the side is normally at least one other house (with garden), food is very expensive.  I will leave it there as I really do not want to be negative of such a beautiful country and it sounds as if I am pulling it apart, I am not as these are just my observations.  I have had some wonderful opportunities and have some great memories; I just could not live here. Oh and there are not many men around either and the ones that are, if old, still have hair.  In fact, the Kiwi I dated a couple of times had a mop of hair. I have no idea how this happens as mine is falling out all over the place.

Anyway, back Friday 1 December.  Today is World AIDS Day something that I like each year to remember.  Unfortunately, I sent two emails to the local HIV charity asking what, if anything, was going on and did not receive a reply.  I

Seatoun - can you see anyone?

know they were doing a collection on Thursday in Wellington but I was travelling from Christchurch.  So I will have to remember it in my own little way. Sat in the host's beautiful garden eating my breakfast and listening to the birds. She really does have a lovely garden and so many different flowers.  I am literally staying the other side of the Airport from Lyall Bay; just a few km away. It really is a beautiful morning (unlike London which is showing 4 degrees) and I have checked the weather forecast and today is going to be my hottest day since arriving - 24 degrees.

So I was off out. I walked to the nearest 'town' (and I use those words very loosely and went to the deli that my host had recommended and had a coffee. They were very chatty behind the counter and we past the time of day.  I then

Maori School

walked into the next 'town' which was called Seatoun.  Blink and you would miss it.  I walked past the handful of shops and past a Maori school. It did look a bit bleak and I hope this segregation is through choice and not compulsory. Then I saw the sea. Wow. It was beautiful.  I walked along the beach, 1 December and I am walking along the beach in the waves.  I did have to pinch myself. The views were utterly stunning.  I continued to walk along the beach and then come to the next 'town' called Worser Bay.  I fell totally in love with it. So small, beautiful sandy beach and dunes, totally stunning. No shops, cafes just so beautiful.  I walked around and found a seat and sat in the sunshine, looking out to sea.  New Zealand really is so beautiful.  If I won the

Worser Bay

lottery I would buy a little beach hut in Worser Bay and go there for the winter months and just read, write, walk and take photos. Totally stunning.

I walked back into Seatoun and decided to catch the bus into the city. It was really warm by now. I did a lot of travel with Jackie on the bus and even if I say so myself, I have a good sense of direction. So it really was not a problem. On the bus and I got off at Cuba Street and had a walk around. Went to the lovely cafe Jackie took me into Midnight Espresso (I really like this place) then decided to have a walk along the seafront.  Even though I had Factor 50 cream I have still managed to have arms that now resemble a lobster!

I sat by the waterfront watching the boats come and go and just generally watched the world go by. It was so peaceful and relaxing.  I then walked back in the shopping are and back up Cuba Street and had a gin and tonic - I know,

Worser Bay

anyone would think I was on holiday. It was so lovely soaking up the last rays of sunshine.  I hear that London is really, really cold at the moment.  I am going to be so miserable when I get home.  I then decided to catch the bus back into Miramar. There was something going on at The Roxy (the cinema remember?) tonight as the red carpet was out and people were all dressed up. I decided to have dinner at the little restaurant opposite and was I in for a treat.  I had a delicious bowl of prawns, clams and mussels, followed by my feijoa sorbet and a flat white.  It was my last dinner in New Zealand and I wanted to have all the lovely food I have enjoyed the past three weeks.  There was a lovely French woman who was waiting on and she was so helpful.   It was a great meal and if you are ever passing through give it a go!

I walked back to my digs and had a shower and then checked my Fitbit; I had walked 8 miles.  No wonder I am tired.  I kind of packed my suitcase again, already for tomorrow.  I am really not looking forward to the journey home but I have no choice.  I told myself I was going to give myself a good day and I did. I did all the things again that I have enjoyed, the beach, the sea, good food, gin, ice cream, good coffee - reinforcing the memories.  All is well. But now I am tired - no wonder really.

I shall leave you with some more photos of the day.

As always, with my love x

Entrance to the school

The nearest I got to a penguin

Giving the feet a bit of a rest

Beautiful Worser Bay 

You see these signs and the ones in the road all near the sea. It is scary to think really

Final dinner in New Zealand

Day Nineteen - Christchurch to Wellington and beyond ......

The Air BnB host was happy for us to vacate the property later than is

suggested, which was a great help.  In return I washed some of the bedsheets and we put them out on the line to enjoy the November (almost December) sunshine.  It was decided to get the bus to the airport, which is about 30 minutes away.  Christchurch is a strange city that has been blighted by

earthquakes which is a terrible shame as it is looking like a huge building site as it slowly rebuilds it self; ironic really as it reminded me of me. Destroyed totally in some aspects; but trying to slowly rebuild something beautiful but in a

different way. Sometimes the new design is good, functional, strong; other times it just looks like a chaotic mess of stuff to put together.  It is ironic how you learn about yourself when there is only you to figure it out.  The street art was particularly good with artists making the most of the space available to brighten up concrete walls.  I wish Christchurch well, it has spirit.

The bus service was smooth to the airport and full of backpackers off on their next adventure.  I wish I had the guts to do it.  The flight back to Wellington was fine.  By the time you are up there it is time to get back down again. However, things were about to change.

For reasons, which I will not go into here, it was time for me to move on. I had two choices: get an earlier flight home which was going to cost me extra (the time of the year, people on the move and all that) or to make the most of it,

have a word with myself and figure it out.  I figured it out as let's face it, I have spent most of my bloody life doing this!  I said my goodbyes and thanks to Jackie and it has been so lovely spending some time with her and the both of us making new memories, ones that I will always treasure.  She really is a dear friend and I love her to bits.

Thank goodness for technology I say and Betsy May Ray Jackson (my MacBook) and a credit card and Plan B was put into action.  When life throws you lemons you can either make lemonade or if you are me 'there is nothing that a bit of lip can't put right' and find some good gin and add the lemons to that.  This is what I did.  

I arrived at my new home around 5.00ish after using my Uber app for the first time (thank goodness for planning for eventualities).  The cab driver was a

Well you have to have fish and chips on your holidays 

lovely bloke and very informative of my new location.  In fact, I had been there before and this is why I chose it as it is in walking distance of the airport and a good location to hold up until the flight home.  My host was lovely and made me feel at home and my room is great; it has all that I need.  My host drove me around the local area showing me places I could go and what was the quickest route to the airport on Saturday.  Unfortunately, she is away the weekend and I have to be out by 10.00am but that is OK, the small town has a library (and you know how much I like a library).  By the time I have gone and got a coffee, done some studying, grabbed some brunch it will be time to walk the 25 minutes to the airport (or I may just get another Uber, we shall see).  So Plan B kind of works.

I went down to the town in the evening and did not really know what, if anything I wanted to eat, so ended up having some fish, chips and a couple of battered mussels (yes, once again you did read that right. It was rather lovely, sitting in the sunshine, watching the world go by.  I then went to the

When you are going the wrong way, go a different way 

supermarket to get some water and that was a total headfuck as there I am in my sandals, teeshirt and cropped trousers and there is Band Aid singing Do They Know It's Christmas ..... really.  It really does not seem like Christmas.  They really do not go overboard here in New Zealand like the craziness of the UK.   I must admit I do prefer it as by the time I eventually get home, it really will be near to Christmas.

I got home and hanged my washing out on the line, such a beautiful evening.  My host showed me the Weta Studios when she took me out to show me around. She was telling me that Sir Peter

Weta Studios -beyond the houses

Jackson was local lad who still lives nearby (she even said she could show me his home), whose children went to the local school when they were little.  A refreshing change me thinks.  Any back to my new abode and my host poured me a rather nice glass of white wine (just what I needed), she must have thought I looked as if I needed it.  So all is well.  Not ideal, but it is OK.  I have figured it out.  So tomorrow is another, albeit my last full day, and I will give myself a different adventure.

As always, with my love x

Day Seventeen - Christchurch

Terrible nights sleep.  I had some news from Stoke (of course I did) earlier in the week that has been playing on my mind.  So I saw my old friend 3:33 and that was it; no more sleep.  Skyped in to my tutorial for 7.00 until 9.00 then started to look at what I would like to see whilst in Christchurch.  Jackie is not feeling well so it looks as if I have the day to myself.  I am not surprised, Mal had difficulty walking last night and I thought I would probably be on my own today.  So Jackie went back to bed.  I hope I am not too tired later on, it is going to be a long day for me.

The weather was a bit overcast but warm as I walked out.  I had four things I

Found some Antony Gormley art lying around - as you do

wanted to see today.  My first stop was the container mall.  The one thing I have learnt is Christchurch is very small. It is also like walking through a building site. In fact, it is a building site with a few buildings.  After the Earthquake in February 2012 the city has been slowly, and I mean slowly rebuilding itself. There has been, like always, some legal battle between insurers and the government.  I thought there was a lot of building going on in London; come to Christchurch.  So the container mall.  Very much what it says on the box, in fact there is one very similar to where I live - the smell from the lamb cooking on the greek stall even smelt the same.  Needless to say I did not have any of this.

I was drawn into a shop because of the ACDC music playing. This was a fab

My new 'friend' whose name I forgot to ask :(

shop that sold all kinds of 'interesting paraphernalia' including nose studs (of which one was duly purchased).  I had a lovey chat with the woman who served me, we talked about ACDC and the recent death of Malcolm Young.  I explained to her that I had seen them numerous times but could not force myself to go and see them last year when Axle Rose was front lining.  We then started chatting about music in general and it turns out her auntie used to live in London (so do I), was born in Kent (so was I) and used to go to the Ministry of Sound which is just around the corner from my flat. Small world isn't it.  It was lovely to have a chat and she took my blog details, but unfortunately I did not get her name. I am sorry.

From there I continued on my Christchurch mission.  I went to see the riverside memorial to the earthquake victims; it was very touching.  188 peopled died

188 White Chairs

that day and so many more injured. Terribly sad.  I then went to look at the Christchurch cathedral that is made of cardboard as the original one was severely damaged in the earthquake.  It really is quite strange and does not look like cardboard (well not like a cornflake box anyway).  Opposite the cathedral is a wonderful art installation of 188 white chairs, on chair for every victim of the earthquake.  All the chairs are different, and you are encouraged to sit in anyone that takes your fancy.  I did not bother as they are on a piece of disused land (like a lot of the land in Christchurch) and I thought I would look rather silly just sitting there on my own, especially as a bunch of Chinese tourists had just rocked up.

By now I was hungry and thirsty.  I had my first breakfast at 6.00am and it was now 1.00pm.  I found a lovely Japanese restaurant that was like an upmarket

Cardbord Cathedral 

Japanese McDonalds (I know I am not selling it to you).  I had a lovely meal and it really was quite filling and it was good to sit down for a while and watch the world go by an to also hook up on to some Wifi.  I have had to make some very difficult and emotional decisions today and really valued the WiFi in that restaurant.  Oh and the food was good too.

Continued to walk around and sat by the Bridge of Remembrance reading my book and trying not to nod off.  By now, I was very tired and the sunshine, as lovely as it is, was not helping.  I decided to have some caffeine and found a lovely place in the container mall near to the shop where I had spoken to the wonderful woman (so full of life).  The scones looked lovely too so I had an Americano and a date scone and sat in the sunshine, feeding the sparrows some of my scone.  They really are so tame and will take the crumbs out of your hands.  The other day, when Jackie and I were at the gardens in Wellington they were also very tame there; eating from the waste plates.  However, it was not long until the seagulls rocked up so that put paid to that.

Onwards and upwards an I made my way to Quake City, which is very much

Tourist Tram

what it says on the tin.  An exhibition about the 2011 earthquake.  The guy who was on the desk was so lovely and asked me was I studying (I must have that haggard look, well I only had 4 hours sleep); I said yes and he did not even want to see my University card (but I showed him anyway) and I got student discount!  Yay, go me.

The exhibition was really good, well good in the sense of it being interesting and informative; however, it was also very emotional. It really is amazing what damage can be done by Mother Earth when she is not happy!  Hell have no fury and all that.  

Earthquake Memorial

There was a documentary with witness telling their tales.  There really is nothing more powerful that oral histories. I sat and listened an found some of the stories very emotional (but I don't think the fact that I was tired and also upset about something didn't help).  If any of you go to Christchurch I really would recommend this exhibition as it puts the city and the work being done there into perspective.

Finally rolled up to the Air BnB.  Change of plans for me tonight, I was due to go out with Jackie and Mal and his sister for dinner; I am not going now. It is fine. It is what it is. Also, I think I will be asleep by 10.00 the latest as tomorrow is a very busy day.

As always, with my love x

Day Eighteen - Trans Alpine Railway - Christchurch to Greymouth

The Universe never ceases to amaze me, but I really do wish it would give me a break! Plenty going on at the moment both here and in UK.

Today we went on the Trans Alpine railway.  There are no trains in New Zealand.  Well that is a lie, there are some, but not many.  I originally wanted to either

Trans Alpin

drive or go on the Pacific road/train, but Mother Nature, obviously working in conjunction with her best friend The Universe, put pay to that but making the earth move and not in an erotic way (an earthquake last year). So it was decided that this was a good second best. Early start and the train left at 8.15 and it took 5 hours (yes you did read the correctly) to go through the Canterbury Plains then through the mountains and valleys before arriving at the destination of Greymouth.

The scenery was very beautiful and you could see it change from the planes to the streams and thens snow on the tops of the mountains. However, here I the rub, you had one hour and ten minutes in Greymouth then back on the train for the return journey of yes, you have guessed it 5 hours (it may have been

around 4.5 hours but either way). Nothing much in Greymouth apart from backpackers catching buses to go further south on the west coast.  I had a little chat with two Americans who were moaning about no longer getting their passport stamped when they go to countries.  I know what they mean.

The train had a buffet car, which was limited for vegetarians and a bit pricey. You could go up to the open sided viewing car but I did not bother. It was a lovely experience but a lot of sitting down, considering I will be doing a lot more soon anyway (when I fly home).  New Zealand really is a beautiful country and the train journey just highlight this. However, I am tired. I have not slept properly for two days now (approx six hours sleep in two days) and this is not good.  

I will leave you with some photos of my train trip.

As always, with my love x