So first things first, we're back in Blighty!

Being back now makes it seem like it hasn't happened so this will probably be the hardest blog of all to write but here goes.

We flew from Auckland to Sydney to get our connecting flight to Hong Kong and it seemed pretty apt that after such a long time in Australia we should be piloted by Captain Cook to start our journey home!! Arriving in Hong Kong we checked into the nice hotel we'd decided to book and crashed out. It's difficult to describe Hong Kong, it's what I'd call organised chaos. People are everywhere and always in a rush to get where they're going. The smog is constant (like many Asian cities I've been to) as is the humidity. However, strangely it really appeals to me but doesn't to Kate.

So the first thing we did the day after we arrived (as you do with Kate) is go and eat! We went for Yum Cha, which is bascially lots of different types of Dim Sum with Chinese Tea on the side. Delicious. There are so many different types and they are like lead in your stomach, you really do not need to eat for the entire day if you go for yum cha! But actually, during the week we did find it difficult to find Chinese restaurants, it was truly international dining. As for sightseeing we didn't do loads (arguably cos there isn't that much to do unless you're heavily into architecture) but did visit several lookout points and a couple of islands as well as watching the famous light show one evening. I don't think you really go to Hong Kong for sightseeing, especially when you have just left the beauty of New Zealand and Australia is still in your memories! The majority of our time was spent in shopping malls where we filled our bags with a new wardrobe for a fraction of the English cost. We did get some education in Hong Kong though as we are now graduates of the Wing Wah school of Chinese Baking where we went for a cake making class and made Wife Cakes and Egg Rolls. It was all very amusing even if truth be told the only 'cooking' we did was rolling dough into small circular shapes. How strange to 'graduate' from a 45 minute lesson!!

So, after only about two hours sleep on our final night because of excitement we headed for the airport and the 13 hour flight home. The flight was fine (the baby that we immediately clocked in the seat next to us was an angel the entire flight - thank heavens!!) but when we landed we did have to spend an hour on the tarmac at Heathrow waiting for a parking space because the airport was so busy. It was a bit annoying but what was another hour on 15 months, eh? Although, I think our parents may say something differently!! We came through into the arrivals hall for an emotional reunion with our parents. It was sooooooo good to see them after all this time. And there we were back at parents houses before we knew it. Since then we've just been chilling and catching up with families so we're looking forward to seeing the rest of you as soon as we can.

We'd like to just say a great big thanks to everyone for your emails/texts/cards/letters/phonecalls and support while we've been away you don't know what a difference it makes when you're so far away from everything you know. Especially at the times when we were down that you guys probably don't realise we've had.

Also a big hello and thanks to everyone that we've met along the way, you helped make our travels brilliant and we are constantly telling stories about you all to our friends back here. Please do keep in touch.

So here we are after 15 months of exciting, amazing, hard, enjoyable, tiring and inspiring working and travelling, back in England beginning to start the real hard work of fitting back into normality (which we have been craving) starting with finding jobs. Watch this space for where we end up.

We hope you've enjoyed hearing about our travels on this blog and don't forget to keep popping back just in case something else gets put on here!

Take care all

Rich and Kate

Hey People,

Well here it is, the trip of the North Island. We did this in around 2 and half weeks, so much faster than the South, but there's less to see and the scenery is nowhere near as stunning. But a fab time was had, as always and here goes.

So, we started off in the capital city of Wellington, which seems to be a really nice city. We only stayed a couple of nights and did suffer with capital fever. It's been so long since we've been in a real city and we did get a bit of fever. Slightly nervous about being in a big place and a little out of sorts, so we scarpered quick enough!

And how many of you have heard of Waipukarau? And can you say it?! Well, anyway, that's where my Grannies sister and her husband live, I guess some of you will remember my Grannie came over this way to visit them in October when my parents came to see us. Well, anyway we stopped in to visit them and to catch up a bit. They left Scotland 40 years ago (to the week we were there!) in a 30 seater plane which took them three days!!! They had three kids in tow and apparently they were the only ones who weren't sick on the plane!! Oh dear God indeed! It was great to see them and for Rich to meet them, and to see where they are living.

We then headed up for a quick trip to Napier - the Art Deco city. But we were only there for a few hours before heading over towards Whakapapa (pronounced Fucapapa - "Wha" in Maori is "Fuc", for those who are interested) where we mastered the Tongariro Crossing. This is a 17km walk over and between the Ngauruhoe and Tongariro volcanoes. Said to be one of the worlds best day walks with spectacular views. So we set off all merry at 7 am thinking this will take some doing.....and it did! Unfortunately for us, around three hours in and 1900m above sea level, the weather turned and just as we reached the top the cloud came in and it started persisting it down! Persisting and persisting and sleeting! We couldn't see a darn thing and were soaked through two jumpers, a t-shirt and a rain coat - each. It was 7 degrees halfway down when we finally ate our sandwiches feeling mighty miserable and unimpressed by the Germans singing happily around us. It was at this point that I noticed my fingers had turned to fat sausages and it really would be a good thing to get a move on. So, onwards we went. Well, aimed to, we couldn't move so fast after a twenty minute lunch stop as the old joints and bones had all seized up. Anyway, we made it down to the bottom in time to wait an hour (!) for the bus to come and collect us (yes still soaked and by this time freezing). I won't even mention the issue with down hills and knees, that still bloody well hurt, 3 weeks later. But yes we did indeed conquer the Tongariro Crossing - one of the greatest walks in the world! Hooray indeed.

So the rain didn't stop for three days after this as we whistled through Taupo. A good sight was the Huka falls which are not high but have so much water going through them that they provide 45% of the North Island electricity needs. Two silly people kayaked them a few years ago, at 50% survival rate, that's one they can keep. The rain still kept coming as we arrived into Rotorua, another volcanic area that smells mighty like sulphur, although we have it on good authority that the smell was left by some fairly recent visitors of ours! No comment from me. When it finally stopped raining, we visited a Thermal Wonderland where we saw boiling and bubbling mud pools, sulphur pools, geysers and caves of sulphur. It was a pretty amazing place and looks how you might imagine the moon to look. Everywhere in this town smells of sulphur (even the washing machines!) and there is steam coming out of the ground all over the show. I don't think I'd feel safe living there but there you go. We also went to visit the Buried Village which was buried by a volcanic eruption in the late 1800's and has since been excavated. Interesting bit of history and all the more reason not to buy a house there.

The sun finally started to shine and we had a couple of lazy days getting a last few rays. In the Coromandel Peninsular we found a beach called Hot Water Beach. An experience that should be had! So, the trick is arrive at the beach two hours either side of low tide, rent a spade and dig for your life amongst all the other tourists. Try not to look at the successful ones with too much envy and keep on digging. But if you look slightly too sad and useless the successful ones will come to your aid! So, what you find is hot water under the sand and if you get the balance of this and sea water coming in just right, you've got yourself a cracking little bath! So, that's where we were sitting for hours on end last Tuesday! Cathedral Cave is also worth a look, but not if you've a Tongariro Knee.....

The Bay of Islands was pretty much our last stop in the campervan and as soon as we arrived in Paihia, the main town, yes did the rain start. We had planned a boat trip out into the Bay, but meekly postponed it cos we couldn't face getting wet again. But still the next day was beautiful and we went out on an ultra fast "Excitor" boat and listened to "happening" music all the way around. We only looked on to the divers with a little envy and were happy listening to Barry White as we cruised around the nicest cove in the Bay.

We are now in Auckland and the campervan has gone (with 5945km more on the clock) . But we're not sad, we're all good. It's getting near to hometime and we're extremely happy with what we've seen and done in New Zealand. Thank you all for your encouraging messages, we did indeed manage to summon up some enthusiasm for the last couple of weeks.

Hong Kong is calling now. We leave New Zealand on Tuesday and head back towards the Northern Hemisphere. Time is ticking pretty fast now and it's actually hard to believe we'll be home so soon. Wow, what a year.......

See ya oh so sooooooonnnn!

Kate and Rich xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (grinning!)