Selfie number 19: 31/01/2018
I'll be honest: I forgot to take one today. So, here is me in our camper :)
I'll be honest: I forgot to take one today. So, here is me in our camper :)
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Friday, 26 January 2018
Soupy Guy
I'm back! But Guy is gone. That means we have now gone the length of a normal holiday, but now we're still on one. For months! It's a strange feeling, but one I'm overall definitely glad to be having.
Anyway, the prevailing theme of the past week, as we have been heading north (which, you may be aware, is the Southern Hemisphere's version of south) is that it is getting a lot hotter. So much so that Guy had been complaining that, stuck up in the top bunk of the camper, he was melting into soup. To combat the heat we have been trying many different strategies. We swam in the Great Southern Ocean (which is a new ocean for me), which worked right up until we got out. We have taken a few siestas, which usually last until 4 or 5 o'clock when the sun finally begins to dip in intensity. We have trekked up a small mountain (that one didn't work very well). And of course we have consumed our body weight in ice lollies.
The coolest thing we've done this week is undoubtedly whale watching in Kaikoura, continuing our theme of seeing cool antipodean wildlife. As usual, we got incredibly lucky on that trip; the boat half an hour before us saw nothing but fog, but for us the fog cleared up to reveal not one but three whales, one of which came up and down three times. We also experienced the thrill of jet-boating as the whale boat is pretty dang fast. And the thrill of sea-sickness! But not badly enough for anything to come of it, luckily.
But of course the main change going forward will be the lack of Guy, who should, as I write, just be taking off from Christchurch. Travelling with your best friend is always pretty great, and this has been no exception. Much fun has been had and new in-jokes made. Although most of all I will be sad that now I have to take all of my own pictures. It was really handy having my own personal photographer hanging around.
In conclusion, we have this message for Guy: we're really glad you were able to make it, we will miss you lots, and we're very proud of you for finally visiting New Zealand and coming away without a speeding ticket. Third time's the charm.
Happy travels friends :)
Anyway, the prevailing theme of the past week, as we have been heading north (which, you may be aware, is the Southern Hemisphere's version of south) is that it is getting a lot hotter. So much so that Guy had been complaining that, stuck up in the top bunk of the camper, he was melting into soup. To combat the heat we have been trying many different strategies. We swam in the Great Southern Ocean (which is a new ocean for me), which worked right up until we got out. We have taken a few siestas, which usually last until 4 or 5 o'clock when the sun finally begins to dip in intensity. We have trekked up a small mountain (that one didn't work very well). And of course we have consumed our body weight in ice lollies.
The coolest thing we've done this week is undoubtedly whale watching in Kaikoura, continuing our theme of seeing cool antipodean wildlife. As usual, we got incredibly lucky on that trip; the boat half an hour before us saw nothing but fog, but for us the fog cleared up to reveal not one but three whales, one of which came up and down three times. We also experienced the thrill of jet-boating as the whale boat is pretty dang fast. And the thrill of sea-sickness! But not badly enough for anything to come of it, luckily.
But of course the main change going forward will be the lack of Guy, who should, as I write, just be taking off from Christchurch. Travelling with your best friend is always pretty great, and this has been no exception. Much fun has been had and new in-jokes made. Although most of all I will be sad that now I have to take all of my own pictures. It was really handy having my own personal photographer hanging around.
In conclusion, we have this message for Guy: we're really glad you were able to make it, we will miss you lots, and we're very proud of you for finally visiting New Zealand and coming away without a speeding ticket. Third time's the charm.
Happy travels friends :)
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Sunday, 21 January 2018
It Ain't Rainin'!
Hello my friends! Welcome to the inaugural actual post of this blog! Very exciting times, if you get excited by trivial things (which, to be clear, I do).
As you have no doubt realised from the excessive number of selfies, we have been in New Zealand, specifically the Southland. It is a pretty great part of the world, with an abundance of nature and wildlife, but mostly a wide variety of spectacular views. Views across serene lakes, views up snow-capped mountains, views over sweeping plains, views across stormy inlets... so many views! Basically we have done a lot of looking at beautiful stuff.
In between the looking there has been a fair amount of driving around, quite a bit of being bitten by insects and burnt by the sun, and a whole lot of silliness. Highlights include a 3-day extended game of I Spy, Guy losing his wallet and me finding it in my cereal, me crashing my luge cart on the first corner, Guy backing the campervan slowly into a road barrier, me leaving my swimming trunks in a shower, Guy throwing the frisbee into a lake (4 times)... so basically Mel is having a hard time keeping us in check. Although in fairness he has so far managed to hold on the bubble wand that I bought for him.
We've done a lot of cool stuff which I don't have the energy to blow by blow, but some particular favourites have been: white water rafting in the Shotover canyon with a very stereotypical crazy Maori, eating a world-renowned Fergburger, cruising the spectacular Milford Sound (where, contrary to popular belief, it was raining. No less than 6,750mm per year! In contrast to London's 540), going to the southernmost point of mainland New Zealand and walking in a petrified Jurassic forest which is now inhabited by the world's rarest penguin! It is called a Hoiho and may also be the world's cutest.
In summary, NZ is great and I still love the country and the people. Right now I am sat outside a community centre in Balclutha which is currently filled with old people dancing to 50's music. It is pretty sweet. Happy travels my friends :)
PS, Shout out to Mr Jamie Clarke (and the rest of my PCT of course), because I have written this on the tiny tablet-friendly keyboard he mysteriously acquired.
As you have no doubt realised from the excessive number of selfies, we have been in New Zealand, specifically the Southland. It is a pretty great part of the world, with an abundance of nature and wildlife, but mostly a wide variety of spectacular views. Views across serene lakes, views up snow-capped mountains, views over sweeping plains, views across stormy inlets... so many views! Basically we have done a lot of looking at beautiful stuff.
In between the looking there has been a fair amount of driving around, quite a bit of being bitten by insects and burnt by the sun, and a whole lot of silliness. Highlights include a 3-day extended game of I Spy, Guy losing his wallet and me finding it in my cereal, me crashing my luge cart on the first corner, Guy backing the campervan slowly into a road barrier, me leaving my swimming trunks in a shower, Guy throwing the frisbee into a lake (4 times)... so basically Mel is having a hard time keeping us in check. Although in fairness he has so far managed to hold on the bubble wand that I bought for him.
We've done a lot of cool stuff which I don't have the energy to blow by blow, but some particular favourites have been: white water rafting in the Shotover canyon with a very stereotypical crazy Maori, eating a world-renowned Fergburger, cruising the spectacular Milford Sound (where, contrary to popular belief, it was raining. No less than 6,750mm per year! In contrast to London's 540), going to the southernmost point of mainland New Zealand and walking in a petrified Jurassic forest which is now inhabited by the world's rarest penguin! It is called a Hoiho and may also be the world's cutest.
In summary, NZ is great and I still love the country and the people. Right now I am sat outside a community centre in Balclutha which is currently filled with old people dancing to 50's music. It is pretty sweet. Happy travels my friends :)
PS, Shout out to Mr Jamie Clarke (and the rest of my PCT of course), because I have written this on the tiny tablet-friendly keyboard he mysteriously acquired.
Saturday, 20 January 2018
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Sunday, 14 January 2018
Saturday, 13 January 2018
Thursday, 11 January 2018
Hello and welcome to the official record of Simon and Mel's Excellent Adventure 2018, aka Gap Year 2.0: Revenge of the Gap Year.
If, for reasons known only to yourself, you want to read about my first Gap Year way back in 2011, when I was dumber than I am now (if you can believe it) then you may do so here:
http://cross-travelling.blogspot.co.uk/
It's pretty funny if you're into the same sort of humour as nineteen year old boys.
However, hopefully you're here to read about my new travels. I mean, honestly, if that's not why you're here, you should probably just go ahead and stop reading now. Grab a coffee. Take a nap. Watch an award-winning drama. Or, if you're really bored, you can keep going I suppose.
So here's the rundown. The day after tomorrow we're headed to Heathrow and thence to New Zealand, for approximately four months of frivolous fun time gallivanting around 8 different countries (plus stopover). I intend to post here semi-regularly, about things we've done and seen (which you should be jealous of), and what I thought about it (which you probably shouldn't care about). There may, if you're very lucky, even be the occasional picture.
Speaking of pictures, I have decided to undertake a self-inflicted Selfie Challenge (it's a challenge because I dislike taking selfies). This will involve me taking exactly one selfie every day. I'm going to make one attempt, and then post that, even if it's just half my forehead and the sky, because frankly I can't be arsed to do much more than that. Hopefully those will end up on here as well as on facebook, although (as always) I make no promises. Also I should probably point out that although I will be taking them every day, they will only get posted when I have free internet.
Well. That seems like enough caveats for one pointless introductory post.
Happy travels my friends :)
If, for reasons known only to yourself, you want to read about my first Gap Year way back in 2011, when I was dumber than I am now (if you can believe it) then you may do so here:
http://cross-travelling.blogspot.co.uk/
It's pretty funny if you're into the same sort of humour as nineteen year old boys.
However, hopefully you're here to read about my new travels. I mean, honestly, if that's not why you're here, you should probably just go ahead and stop reading now. Grab a coffee. Take a nap. Watch an award-winning drama. Or, if you're really bored, you can keep going I suppose.
So here's the rundown. The day after tomorrow we're headed to Heathrow and thence to New Zealand, for approximately four months of frivolous fun time gallivanting around 8 different countries (plus stopover). I intend to post here semi-regularly, about things we've done and seen (which you should be jealous of), and what I thought about it (which you probably shouldn't care about). There may, if you're very lucky, even be the occasional picture.
Speaking of pictures, I have decided to undertake a self-inflicted Selfie Challenge (it's a challenge because I dislike taking selfies). This will involve me taking exactly one selfie every day. I'm going to make one attempt, and then post that, even if it's just half my forehead and the sky, because frankly I can't be arsed to do much more than that. Hopefully those will end up on here as well as on facebook, although (as always) I make no promises. Also I should probably point out that although I will be taking them every day, they will only get posted when I have free internet.
Well. That seems like enough caveats for one pointless introductory post.
Happy travels my friends :)
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