Mount Cook - Or no Mount Cook - as you can see, you can't quite see it. The few days we were in the area the rain at mount cook just didn't clear, and we weren't prepared to wait a week for the weather to improve! We could have driven up anyway but I don't think we'd have seen much. So it's a bit disappointing not to get up there, but anyway here's a few pix of Mount Cook in the clouds.

We were just cruising up Lindis pass a long winding mountain ridge on our way to lake Tekapo when just as we were getting to the top or the ridge we had an almighty explosion ! Not an ideal place to break down ! so needless to say, we didn't hang around taking photos on the roadside. We had been laboring the engine up hill for some time, so at first Paul was worried about big engine problems, but after a few checks Paul decided [...]

We enjoyed being back in Cromwell which is so familiar to us now - We know all the best swim spots, kids parks, and all the boring stuff you need to know like where to restock food, launderettes and where to get fresh water and off load our waist,  - ( boring - all the fun stuff ! ) which all needs doing every 4 ish days and much easier when we know where it all is. We even have our favorite coffee shop in [...]

Since the historic aviation and steam show we've been working our way back up the north island stopping off in some familiar spots we've stopped before which makes a change from planning from place to place. We've dotted along back the way we came to Fortrose estuary camp spot where friends visited us for the day, another day Lola cooked lunch ( see here blog ).Then onto Waikawa inlet were we  took a damp jog through nearby bush to stretch our legs and spent the [...]

Paul was lucky enough to have a flight in a Tiger Moth. Thanks to Glenn the pilot and the museum team he had a awesome flight, one to remember.

Ok it's not everyday we get the opertunity of a ride on a steam train from the 1800s.Over the weekend I think we had 4 rides up and down the track. We just loved it, the sound of the train track, click lack, the smell of the old oils and grease built up over the years. This 1878 Rogers K92 locomotive was built to last, and is has so, with a lot of elbow grease from some dedicated folk she's been beautifully restored to be [...]

A weekend of steam and aviation fun for all in Mandeville, which is just north of gore. We're far from historians but do appreciate the steam era. The girls enjoyed a few rides in the passenger steam train finding all the noises, smells, and energy of a steam train rail ride fascinating. A range different steam engines were on show which have clearly been lovingly restored giving them a new lease of life for others to admire. There was a hand full of classic cars [...]

Working our way along the catlins we visited the 170 million year old petrified forest, here on the very edge of the rigged coast. It seems hard to get your head around so many millions of years gone by, and so many changes to our planet have passed, yet the trees are still here! We Enjoyed stepping back in time while examining these amazing samples of what looks like wood but feels like rock. A combination of minerals from ash and soot from a volcano [...]

Soon after arriving here to Curio bay we heard about the resident dolphins and how they love to swim with the surfers and the visitor swimmers. We looked out above the beach to see them swimming just out beyond the surf. The girls we're so excited to get in he water with them, we quickly grabbed our swim gear of masks and boards then jogged along the beach to where we saw them cruising. Its recommended to give them space of 50 m distance, but [...]

It's been particularly nice to be at slop point and stay in one place for a while where we can keep a good routine as a family. As we travel and visit new, and old friends Isla's anxiety rises. As their kitchens aren't locked, unlike ours  in our bus, so we have to keep a very close eye on her. If there's lots of children Isla's well distracted - most kids are understanding and have a quick lowdown on a few dose and don'ts, like [...]