the lovely brad and haze

the lovely brad and haze
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

These are some good friends of ours from Robs church in Bristol - Brad and Hazel.
it has been wicked spending time with them - they're so much fun!
Brad and Haze have just finished 9months in Kansas at Bible college and before heading back to Bristol, decided to visit Brads sister in Auckland,NZ for a couple of months.
we stole them for a weekend, headed an hour south to the Waitomo caves which are famous for the amazing glow worms, showed them around Hamilton town and watched the rugby match, and went for brunch and surfing at Raglan - the closest beach to us.
we're in the process of sorting out a weekend skiing together - keep you posted!

yup they're lovely

yup they're lovely
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Its been so great having Brad and Haze around to go out and play with! they've been over to stay with us at least one night every week over the last 3-4wks.
The extra Brit support is helping to carry us through this tough time with the Lions!!

really lovely

really lovely
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Oh.... she's lovely too

Oh.... she's lovely too
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

someone should snap her up!

someone should snap her up!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

A day at Raglan

A day at Raglan
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

the west coast is very beautiful and rugged - reminded us a little of Cornish beaches, and just as cold!
There's a long black sandy beach and a rocky bay, both renowned for surfing.
the little town of Raglan has a handful of cool cafes, a great chippy, and some hire shops - all just 40 minutes from our house

No one would go out surfing in that!

No one would go out surfing in that!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Haze and I daring to get splashed!

Well maybe there is one..

Well maybe there is one..
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Rob is just desparate to get in the water!

Wow, look at him

Wow, look at him
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

The guys stood and watched this father and son surfing for a short time before spontaneously deciding it was time to hire some boards themselves.
they had a fun couple of hours attempting to catch the irregular waves but gave up when they kept landing on the rocks - ouch!
we'll save the surfing photos until we get some impressive ones!

The sun sets on a day at Raglan

The sun sets on a day at Raglan
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

The drive from Hamilton out to the west coast beach at Raglan is 40 minutes of scenic overload!
there is a fun winding road to swerve around and awesome views like this one!!

So ends a lovely walk

So ends a lovely walk
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

it was a lovely walk with parts that reminded us of the Cotswolds, and Brecon beacons and the weather was surprisingly good for the beginning of June. (this is what we did on your birthday pip!)

Yet another bridge photo

Yet another bridge photo
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

gorge again

gorge again
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

We noticed a sign for Devonshire cream tea on our gorge walk, so we took Jess and Ryan to sample a taste of England. unfortunately, no clotted cream in this country so the cream tea was not quite up to scratch but nevertheless enjoyed by all!!

waterfalls

waterfalls
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Karangaheke gorge

Karangaheke gorge
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

The Kiwis have a bank holiday for the Queens birthday here!! the funny thing is that the day they have off is not even the official birthday of our Queen! we didnt mind having a long weekend though!
Karangaheke gorge is an area that used to be a prolific gold mining area - there is an old railway bridge and tunnel to walk through, or stumble through more like!
we went for a scenic walk with some guys we've met at church - Jess and Ryan.

Lemon and Paeroa

Lemon and Paeroa
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Yeah - the kiwis are proud of this one!!
Lemon and Paeroa is a new Zealand drink - refreshing!
They have been making this drink for over 100yrs and have always had a larger than life monument of it.
Apparently they have had to make a smaller model of it recently since they found that tourists would have to stand in the middle of the road in order to capture the whole thing!!!
There was also a week long of special broadcasts one christmas from a radio station that set up inside the original lemon and paeroa monument!!

If you've been to NZ you must have driven past this

If you've been to NZ you must have driven past this
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

New Zealand has some really cool and quirky cafes - and this is one of them!!
We spied it on the main road down to Wellington so just had to stop there on our way back up!
Its a fun cafe decked out with little tables and chairs to eat your pies, savouries, or cakes and has the cock pit still decked out as original - obviously the boy in Rob couldnt resist!!
For those who are interested - thats our car below the cafe (2-tone one).

Mark and Anna

Mark and Anna
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is Mark and Anna who we met up with for breakfast on our way back up out of Wellington.
Mark is from South Wales (the shirt is a give away!) and I've known him for years from my parents church in Cardiff. He has been in New Zealand for about 4yrs and has a lovely girlfriend, Anna, who is a kiwi.
We had a great time with them and I enjoyed hearing the welsh accent again!

Te Papa museum

Te Papa museum
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is Wellingtons Te Papa museum which is fantastic!
it was huge - five levels of Maori history, New Zealand culture, Science and Nature stuff, a really fun kids interactive area, and a temporary exhibition of the seventies.
We could have spent the whole day there but after a couple of hours, we wanted to get back outside to enjoy the sun!

down in the docks

down in the docks
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

We took the pretty coastal road around the bay which provided us with stunning views of the harbour and the sea, all on a beautiful sunny day!

Wellington

Wellington
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Wellington is fairly cosmopolitan mixed with a hippy / arty feel - really chilled out!

we spent some time shopping, walking along the harbourside, chilling in the cafes, and meeting up with friends.

Wellington 2

Wellington 2
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Our second weekend in New Zealand, and we decided to make the long hike down to Wellington in the south of the North Island!
it took about 6-7hours in all but was well worth the trip - Wellington is such a cool place full of cafes, shops, and a busy harbour.
The drive down was awesome too - passing the rolling hills of the Waikato region (where Hobbiton was set!), the enormous Lake Taupo, the aptly named Desert Road, and the majestic Mount Ruhapehue.

Our house

Our house
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

After spending a fortnight in hospital accomodation we found a house to rent.

As you can see we have gone for a fairly minimalist look, as it came unfurnished. Sarah now knows all the local second hand stores, and they all (rather worryingly) know her by name as well.

The fire is great, as the house has no central heating or double glazing (most houses don't out here) and it's pretty cold out here at the moment. So the fire is burning most of the time at the moment.

We do have three bedrooms and so visitors are most welcome. It also has this great decking area and folding doors that will be awesome when the summer finally comes!

Waikato hospital

Waikato hospital
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is waikato hospital in Hamilton, where I'll be working for the next year. It has about 500 beds and covers most specialties.

I've started in Cardiology/general medicine and so far most things seem fairly familar. One of the best things is that the hospital pays for your lunch, and I have been converted to the very good sushi they do here.

This photo also shows the lake in Hamilton, which makes a very nice circuit to run around.

Hot pools

Hot pools
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

So we find ourselves in the famous hot pools of new zealand. You think of remote pools of steaming water set in an area of rugged rocks and general volcanic type scenery.

The reality is that most hot pools do have geothermically heated spring water, but they pipe it into ageing concrete swimming pools that look like imports from Butlins. Did I mention they smell of rotting eggs?!

That all said we found one hidden area in the afore mentioned butlins complex, which had been fitted up with rocks and plants. It was also deserted allowing us to soak up the heat, catch up on some reading and pretend we were in some remote volcanic resort!!

So we've now been warned, some of the hot pools are awesome and rugged and some... well some aren't.

where we're going there are no roads

where we're going there are no roads
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

James and Dizz showed us loads in and around Auckland. Including this long stretch of beach which also functions as a state highway!

chez bundy

chez bundy
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is the lovely house of James and Dizz Bundy where we spent our first week in New Zealand.

they are fantastically kind and hospitable mates from Robs church (Vineyard) back in Bristol,who now have residency here and are mid-way through renovating their New Zealand villa which is pretty much the oldest building over here!!!

we had lots of laughs, great food, and outstanding wine along with adventures around the local vineyards and to some awesome beaches.

sky tower

sky tower
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Auckland is a cool place, back in the western world again. Very cosmopolitan with lots of cafes, shops and restaurants all set around a harbour side.

We went out one evening to the revolving restaurant at the top of the famous sky tower - the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

However, we spent much of our first week at the car auctions, looking at loads of cars. Sadly in all our effort we forgot to take any photos. But it was like the one I went to years ago in Bristol (Alistair?).

Basically you sit very still, as the slightest movement will result in you raising the bid by 100 dollars.

Unfortunately on the third day I had a cold, lots of coughing, and so we now the proud owners of a Nissan!

Auckland, the big city

Auckland, the big city
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

And so at long last, after our flight from Bangkok, via Taiwan, we made it to our desired destination - New Zealand.

We were excited about finally settling in one place, relieved that people spoke the same language (although badly!) and delighted to have hot showers and wash our clothes.

Luangprabang 29

Luangprabang 29
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

And so the sun sets on our time in Laos and our little adventure in SE Asia. We got out flight back to Thailand and then on to Auckland......

So stay posted

Luangprabang 28

Luangprabang 28
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

fortunately found the steps to get back down

Luangprabang 27

Luangprabang 27
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

plenty of adventuring to get up to the top

Luangprabang 26

Luangprabang 26
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

local waterfalls were massive and had about four different levels

Luangprabang 25

Luangprabang 25
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Luangprabang 24

Luangprabang 24
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Luangprabang 23

Luangprabang 23
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

If you are a local and you want to get married, along with a dowry, you need some tattoos (check out his waist and thighs). We were assured that local chicks dig tattoos.

Luangprabang 22

Luangprabang 22
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

locals head over heels due to our visit

Luangprabang 21

Luangprabang 21
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

proper traveller now, as have weirdy beardy effort

Luangprabang 20

Luangprabang 20
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Luangprabang 19

Luangprabang 19
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Activities in the area often revolve around the water, so we did a days kayaking.

Luangprabang 30

Luangprabang 30
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is the best beer is SE Asia, the Laos people are very proud of it (and rightly so) as it is delicious. And also retails at about 50p, if you ever see it try it!

Luangprabang 18

Luangprabang 18
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Luangprabang 17

Luangprabang 17
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

luangprabang 16

luangprabang 16
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

great food to be had eating off the streets

Luangprabang 13

Luangprabang 13
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is the night market, lots of blankets, t-shirts, wooden carving, lanterns, jewellry, linen and paintings.

I spent many nights trailing behind my wife and getting out my wallet.

study

study
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Luangprabang 12

Luangprabang 12
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

The people in Laos were so friendly, they were very relaxed. Kids loved digital cameras, pose for photos (mostly without being coerced by their mates) and run on up to see the photo on the back of the camera.

Luangprabang 11

Luangprabang 11
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Found some new things that the camera can do

Luangprabang 10

Luangprabang 10
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

We did find it strange to wander around these temples, where people were worshipping something so different. We are all looking.

We did however, often marvel at what we viewed as the gift of creativity.

Luangprabang 9

Luangprabang 9
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

tourists always spoil your shots!!