Start and Stop

Well as we are stuck in an internet Cafe due to our van needing some work doing to it (and the weather is terrible, rain rain rain) we thought we would just update the blog a little with some snaps and what we have been up to since we left Dan and Jessie's place.......

The way this trip works is that we are basically travelling north from Aukland to the top of NZ and the back down to the south island to experience everything we can that each island has to offer. With regards to sleeping we just find a nice spot where we dont think we will be moved on from, or a cheap camp site and pitch up there and sort ourselves out for the night, with beach spots being obvious favourites (we can catch fish for dinner then, something we are getting good at!).



We are currently on the east coast at a place called Kerikeri which is in the bay of islands and have travelled up the east coast from Aukland to get here. (google the bay of islands NZ)

Along the way there are soooo many places to stop and admire the view with a different picturesque bay being around almost every bend and corner (its tough to do them justice with words and photos really, and thats not my excuse for bad photos ok!!).



There are a few sleepy townships thrown in for good measure, but in between these you can virtually be the only car on the road (and some of the roads are just rough gravel tracks). The people are in general really friendly and the whole place has a very chilled feel to it. We have managed to get some diving in. Well, i snorkelled and Dipi dived.(Poor Knights Dive Site which is one of the top 10 dive sites in the world!). We have been treated so far to some simply amazing views, scenery and peaceful surroundings with the odd little drama here and there........ and we have only really just started......... HOPE THE SUN COMES OUT SOON!!!

Here comes the Bride, 10 - 11.03.07

One of the main reasons for taking the decision to visit New Zealand when we did was the wedding of my mate Tony to his lovely fiancé Anna. Tony and I had worked on a site a few years back and meeting him was one of the very few good things about that job!!!


Well what can we say about the whole weekend? Bloody marvellous wouldn’t even come near to be honest! Perfect weather, perfect setting and great people. We had been made so very welcome by everyone we met and talked to. Special thanks to Tony and Anna of course, but also to the parents on each side of the family. The whole day was great and the setting and set up for the reception was 1st class! Great food, drink and company.

The following day a BBQ was held at Anna's parents place. We were greeted by warm and happy smiles yet again (do you guys ever stop?!?) and were made to feel perfectly at home.

Anna's stepdad had been out hunter gathering for the day and we were told that the monster Crayfish would be the stars of the day.

We had such a great weekend and can safely say that it would be tough to meet a nicer bunch. Thank you to everyone it was really nice meeting you all. Thanks to those who's brains were picked, we really feel like we were let in on a few secrets and great pointers from you guys.

New Zealand, 06.03.07

Well after some deliberation on a beach in Thailand, the decision was made to head to our furthest point for a number of reasons. So we made a few enquiries, let some people know we were on our way and booked an over night train for the 5th to Bangkok and then flights from Bangkok on the 6th March to New Zealand! We arrived safe and sound on the afternoon of the 7th; where we were met by a guy called Dan who had very kindly agreed to us staying with him and his family on the west coast for a while........ Cheers mate!

A different Island, A different vibe!

We travelled across on a boat to Koh Phangan for a few days and what a change in pace! Many people had left the island before we got there so it was pretty much empty where we were for a couple of days (plus most people were heading towards the other end of the island for the full moon party). For the first couple fo days we had the beach pretty much to ourselves. We also noticed that the locals were a lot more friendly than in Koh Tao, in fact they were very far removed from the mostly moody reception you would get on Koa Toa. So it was a very nice break and a lot more chilled out which we both needed. Whilst we were there we hooked up with cloin who was due to do a visa run in the next couple of days, good to see you again talky.

We sampled some of the famous teas and coffees that are available on the island with some reults being good and others more dissappoitning, but we still gave it a go and had some fun.


We did not make it to the full moon party as first envisaged as the following day was buddha day, so therefore the parties were held back a day.... the day we were leaving for Bangkok! Oh well......

Oh oh..... 27.02.07

Yep, i got a tattoo too....Inspired by my beloved mantarays.


Look at the fear in my face! Matt thinks it's hilarious.


Very sore (like a hot razor blade slicing up my skin!) so wont be doing another one in a hurry (dont worry ma). But i'm pleased with it. Too late now anyway to change my mind :o)

Dipi does diving.... 20-24.02.07

Well, not quite the diving some of you may be thinking...


It's been very strange that i haven't yet been scuba diving because that's what i came out here to do right? I was going to do my Instructors course which is why i lugged all my diving gear over here but something wasn't feeling quite right (maybe it was all the money it was going to cost and that it was going to involve almost 3 weeks in a classroom reading boring manuals and dealing with paperwork amongst other things...) so i decided to stay put until it did feel right!

Then my friend Patrick suggested i try freediving, which is diving on your own breath of air. No tanks, no heavy equipment and way more challenging, both physically and mentally. Great. I always like a challenge!


It was tough. It was mentally much more challenging than i believed it could be. It took me a while to trust i wouldnt die whilst doing it....The beginners course was hard but got me diving to 21 meters! I could just about make it to 6 m when i started! But it wasnt easy. My head kept on thinking about how mush water was above my head and it felt like a real struggle to push my body to even 15 m and hold my breath for long enough. I felt as though i was choking myself! So i decided to do the advanced course :o)

We learnt new breathing techniques (because it's all about the breath up!) to flex our lungs. There was a bit of yogic breathing as well as several other techniques to excercise the lungs and fill them up to their ABSOLUTE maximum.


We also learnt how to hold our breath (using a different breath up) and face down in the water with a nose clip on, i managed to hold my breath for 3 mins 21 secs! (Yes, other freediving boys, i know that you all held your breath for longer but you're all way cooler than me).


Again more of a mental challenge than a physical one because you have to trust that you cant kill yourself by holding your breath but it feels like you can when youre doing it and the choking got too much for me....


And then we aimed to dive deeper!!! The boys were all up for it but i was being a wimp. But!! i made it. With some fantastic preperation techniques in and out of the water and under the guidance of our very cool instructor, i dived, on one breath of air and down a line, to 29 meters (!!!!!!) and made it up in a very cool and calm relaxed manner. No choking. No frights. No panics. Me very proud.

This isnt me but thought you would like to see what we were up to underwater... we used long fins to swim head down the line too..



Our lovely instructors Eusebio and Monica(yes i know i look about 12!)


The team... me, Lucien, Eusebio, Monica, Neil, Josef and Chris



And my dive buddy. Thanks Lucien.