End of Oz, NZ and US

It has been a long while since last blog- sorry but access to computers is expensive in US and at my typing speed I would have needed a third mortgage to pay for it- second already used for this trip! Well what has happened since last blog- where to start? We spent about 10 days in Sydney in great apartment overlooking harbour then flew to Christchurch, NZ where we hired a campervan and travelled round south island visiting Arthurs pass, Queenstown- didn't fancy the bungee jumping- 7 seconds freefall on some apparently, did helicopter ride on Franz Josef glacier and landed in the snow at top- great scenery travelling around in van. Did lovely trip on Milford Sound which was incredible despite the thousands of midges that followed us around. Managed to get speeding ticket near Mount Cook- yes it is possible in a campervan- apparently I managed to find the only cop in New Zealand. Watched the sea lions on the east coast round Kaikouira. Got ferry to north island and visited the hot pools in Rotorua where you can dig holes in the lake beach and sit in hot water - bizarre and very smelly with the sulphur. On one campsite on Coramandel peninsula in a place called Hahei we were woken early on our site with a Tsunami warning and told to get to high ground asap. After watching the sea for about two hours we were allowed down- apparently the sea only rose about 1 metre, thank god! We then met up with an old friend who emigrated from England 10 years ago-Graham and after demolishing the roof of his office with the top of our van we stayed the night, had a few beers and swopped stories of old times.

Flew out to LA after arranging to meet up with Graham who was going to a conference at the same time we were due in LA. Stayed in Redondo beach in west of city whre there was some great live music in the local bars. Went round Hollywood and watched the stars arriving for a film premiere of Law Abiding Citizen with Jamie Fox and Gerard Butler- I was snapping away at everyone together with the paparazzi but didnt know who anyone was- even Jamie Fox- so had to be told by Tania who I was taking photos of! Stayed a few days at a nice site in Malibu round the corner from Barbra Streisand and Pamela Anderson's house after hiring another van which was enormous and only did 8 miles a gallon. Headed off to the state parks after a quick drive round San Francisco. Saw giant redwoods up the west coast and two bears in Yosemite park. Camped out with open wood fires in the evening after surreptiously collecting wood and piling it in the back of the van- strictly illegal but cheaper than paying 10 dollars a bundle! Went to Lone Pine where the old westerns were filmed and then Death Valley which was busy with old timers getting ready for the 49ers 60th anniversary concert in remembrance of a group of people who tried to cross the valley and perished in 1849. Went to Las Vegas with not much money left and were probably the only people that didn't spend a dime on the tables although we did take advantage of the all you can eat buffet at Hotel Rio! Made our way to the Grand Canyon which is surreal and awe inspiring. Received another speeding ticket in Bryce canyon national park, Utah, even though I stuck rigidly to every limit, which seems to change every 100 metres- I might as well have put 90 dollars on red in Vegas. Drove through Mohave desert back to Malibu and after short stop went and met Graham again in Long Beach. Flew to New Orleans and after a night on the town drove up the Mississippi to Clarkesdale where we went to a juke joint- Ground Zero owned by Morgan Freeman- we left our mark on the graffited walls along with the thousands of others and ate the local catfish and frogs legs- Tania! Travelled to Memphis where we visited Sun studios and then Graceland - which is really quite small but a great experience also saw Elvis' cars and planes on show there. Spent a couple of days in Nashville and are now country music fans although we haven't got the ten gallon hat and boots .. yet. On our way back to New Orleans for a bit more jazz via Louisiana swampland- home in only three weeks just Miami to go-- aargghhh- pictures to follow

Australia photos

Photos of Australia again in no particular order- see previous blog for textOn Derek's boat

Derek's fast flash Bayliner

Twitching again!

Cooking on campsite bbq at Noosa

Our pitch at Noosa

East coastline up north!

Kookaburra- more twitching!

Aussie landscape

Sugar beet moving

Local wildlife

Yet more twitching

On reef trip

Reef trip

More .....

Sailing around Whitsundays on Camira cat

No comment

Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday island

Me and Camira

Beachcombing

Whitehaven beach again

Me not wake boarding

Me not wake boarding again

Derek wake boarding

Turtle

Derek, myself and Napat on boat

Frankie and Tania in Cairns twice!!

Our friends in Cairns

Michelmas cay

Boat to Michelmas Cay

Back in Cairns!

Enough said

Rainforest canopy

Sugar cane

Up near Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation

Rainforest around Daintree

Campsite in rainforest with our van!!

Far north Queensland

Cassowary

Koala but in wildlife park

Where is Rod Hull

See little Joey

Thankfully in park

Local landscape

Aborigines in Kuranda

Kuranda railway through rainforest

Cable car over rainforest

Curtain fig tree

Sugar beet

Magnetic island daytrip

Another little Joey looking out