When we first started planning Indonesia, about a month before we actually got there, we had planned to visit Java first and then Lombok and the Gili Island. About two weeks before we left Malaysia northern Lombok was shaken by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake causing widespread destruction and hundreds of fatalities. Indonesians in general have … Continue reading Dragon, meet Dragon – Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park
Travelling
Quirky Kuala Terengganu
Luckily our journey back to the mainland from Perhentian Besar was a little calmer and we arrived back in Kuala Besut only mildly shaken up. With a couple of hours to kill before our bus from Jerteh to Kuala Terengganu we tried to get some food but the restaurants were all hectic so we admitted … Continue reading Quirky Kuala Terengganu
Visiting Sri Lanka: Some hints, tips and general observations
As with all the countries we have visited so far, we have pulled together some tit bits of information that we have picked up along the way, in the hope that they are helpful to others planning a trip to Sri Lanka. We have already outlined some of the downsides of travelling in Sri Lanka … Continue reading Visiting Sri Lanka: Some hints, tips and general observations
Trains, tuk tuks and terrifying traffic – our first impressions of Sri Lanka – Negombo, Colombo and Galle
With a long journey ahead of us and a 3am start, it would have made sense to get an early night, but 10pm the night before our flight found us with our clothes hanging all over the room to dry and Caro attempting to dry our hiking boots with a hairdryer. True backpacker problems.Three flights … Continue reading Trains, tuk tuks and terrifying traffic – our first impressions of Sri Lanka – Negombo, Colombo and Galle
Boulders, Steampunk and Richie McCaw – Invercargill to Kurow
The very un-Bavarian Bavarian motel had everything we needed; a powerful hot shower, a comfortable bed and our own cooking facilities allowing us to keep watching Harry Potter in the morning whilst also indulging in pancakes and taking full advantage of our rapidly dwindling calorie deficit.Upon leaving Invercargill, we spent the next 3 days bouncing … Continue reading Boulders, Steampunk and Richie McCaw – Invercargill to Kurow
A Dunedin Art Attack and a Papatowai Scrap Heap Challenge
From Milford Sound we drove straight across the country to the east coast as we were a couple of days ahead of schedule due to the weather earlier in the trip. With time to spare we thought we would drop in to Dunedin, which hadn’t made the cut previously, before heading back to the south … Continue reading A Dunedin Art Attack and a Papatowai Scrap Heap Challenge
The astonishing natural beauty of Milford Sound
We left you last time with the tantalising prospect of our free camp in Lumsden, which centres around a renovated train station in the middle of the small town. The pitches are on either side of the platform and the whole effect is completed by a couple of restored trains and carriages. Unfortunately, at the … Continue reading The astonishing natural beauty of Milford Sound
A whole array of wildlife from Reefton to the Pancake Rocks; birds, seals and the dreaded sandfly
After a wonderfully relaxing evening in the dry, we woke up to beautiful sunshine and were definitely in need of a walk to stretch our legs. We headed out to Victoria Forest Park to tackle the Murray Creek Track, a 10.7km loop through forest dotted with redundant mines. The area had been heavily mined for … Continue reading A whole array of wildlife from Reefton to the Pancake Rocks; birds, seals and the dreaded sandfly
Henna and dreadlocks, from camping to damping and some necessary home comforts
After packing up our site at the River Inn we made our way to the northernmost point of the South Island, Farewell Spit. The spit is 27km sandbank that is constantly extended and reshaped by the sea. You can’t actually access the far end without some sort of special permission so we just went for … Continue reading Henna and dreadlocks, from camping to damping and some necessary home comforts
James the passion killer and a very Welly New Year
We have not really experienced the downsides of sharing accommodation with lots of other travellers, but James had the misfortune of disturbing a French couple getting frisky in the gent’s showers when we returned to camp after the Tongariro Crossing. He signalled his presence with some awkward coughing and loud gargling whilst cleaning his teeth … Continue reading James the passion killer and a very Welly New Year
The Rolling Stones 