Those odour eaters are having to work overtime these days! But were definately needed!

Our adventure is back into top gear again after the break (sorry six months of hard labour (work)).  Have been busy covering many miles, sorry k's, in the old lady (Alice). Its a longway from Christchurch down south, to Wellington, north through Taupo and Rotoroa to The Bay of Plenty on the north west coast, then east to Hawkes Bay for some vineyards and Art Deco buildings. Then back through Taupo for a bungy, then south to Tongariro National Park (think Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) then north again to Waitomo Caves. Before finally heading up to the Bay of Islands north of Auckland and then to the far northern tip of NZ - Cape Reinga! Busy eh! Long way eh! Confused, eh! Proper kiwi eh! Sweet as!!! Back in Auckland recuperating now. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you you both! Good to hear you have got your travelling shoes on again and venturing on from Christchurch (Paul, I hope you are still using those odour eaters!!). How was Christmas 'southern hemisphere style' did you get into the spirit and cook the good old turkey???? Where will you be for New Years, heading towards a beach party or something equally exotic ?
You guys take care and enjoy the next leg of your journey, look forward to seeing updates.Simon.

Hi all back on the road again finally - packed up the house yesterday and headed out into the the wide blue yonder of New Zealand.  We managed to flog some or nearley all of our stuff for knock down prices including the loud sofas at the very last minute. Some people who bought our iron the day before came back half an hour before we were due to leave to take them for a huge 30 bucks.

Anyway good to be on the road again headed north to the Abel Tasman national park via the Buller Gorge - where P had a go on the flying fox ride over the gorge.  Catching the ferry tomorrow across the cook strait to Wellington. c ya P + R

Merry Christmas to you both from sunny (NOT), Cardiff.  I'm soooo jealous of your adventures.  What an experience.  Still trying to find the carpet on the lounge floor.  Again, Emma and Lottie spoiled rotten with Christmas presents!!  Hope you had a fantastic Christmas day.  I'm sure it wasn't the traditional turkey and sprouts !  Looking forward to reading your adventures in Chile.  Be safe and take care.  Wishing you the very best wishes for 2007.  Lotsa love Karina, Paul, Emma and Lottie x x x

Hi Paul and Rachael,Thanks so much for the Christmas card. I especially liked the kiwi on the card! I am still extremely jealous of your travelling adventures! The Christmas spirit hasn't quite arrived in our household, I am a bit bah humbug this year. Maybe it is because I haven't had the chance to go to Sweden this winter. Instead my parents came to stay with us for a week - just not the same.If you are having the same problem, then I am sure that if you squint a bit, the beach in front of you will look like it is covered in snow and if you stay in the water long enough, you will get a bit cold. Have a great Christmas and I look forward to hearing all about your new adventures (will you be writing postcards again?).Love,Cat

Last day at work before christmas! so merry christmas to all! and look forward to all new adventures in 2007.

Cheers Lenny for the Christmas good wishes! All is good here counting down to our Christmas holidays! and our grand tour of the north island. We catch the ferry on the 29th to Wellington, but good news! we have an extra week after shifting our flights to the 16th of Jan from Auckland - so we'll be travelling at a more leisurely pace - despite the extra week, the north island is quite a big slab of volcanic rock to get around in a couple of weeks!

Paul and Rachael,
Hope your having a great time leading up to Christmas... in the sun!!! Its blowing a gale here now... and most of the time its pouring rain. So enjoy the sun while you're there! You must be finished work any day now. And then travelling ... brilliant! Wish I was there too.
North Island, then Chile... wicked. Apart from the malaria. How long are you going to be in Chile? And what are you going to see?
Work here is mad... it'd be fine without the clients. I haven't found a pad of my own yet... but will keep looking. You guys should call over, if you still have the travelling bug when you're back in blighty. Mind you, you'll need the rain coat! 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
All the very best, Lenny

Hey Everyone, Only 3 weeks left in work - it only seems like yesterday that we were leaving our last jobs and packing up the house to head off around the world - now 8 months on and we're off again - can't wait. We've got a few days off for xmas to relax and eat our xmas dinner in the sun? then off to the North Island for the New Year and 2-3 weeks of travelling. Then flying out from Auckland to Santiago (Chile) for our next big adventure.

I'm missing you all, thanks for the emails and text messages. Keep them coming. Before you know it we'll be back in the UK, Pompey. Take care, Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

Lots of love

Rachael & Paul xxx

Doxycycline is the one! plus some other one, can't remember which one it was but the weekly one makes you feel ill. Depends where you're going to as well for the type of malaria bug in the country.

Well we've got the anti-malarial tablets - LARIUM (Mefloquine @ £21.80 a pack)- but decided against dosing ourselves up when we read the possible 'unwanted psychiatric effects'  and further HORROR STORIES on the internet, of people developing depressive illnesses and having  suicidal thoughts after taking LARIUM.    Phoned the doctor and got an alternative prescription for Doxycycline ( £11.16 a pack)- whose possible gastrointestinal & photosensitisation side effects seem easier to deal with ....in my mind!   Further reading would suggest a newer drug MALARONE would have been even better, with very few side effects.     Keep this in mind if your going to any more Malaria prone areas.    OTHER TRAVELLING READERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE TOO!  We're off this time next week.  I'm sure we will have a good time (despite those pesky mosquitoes) - East Africa is an area I've always wanted to visit.  You sound as though you've had another fantastic weekend - we're looking forward to the next batch of photos!   Stay safe.   Love Mum XX

Hope all is good at home! Mum and Dad, have fun on your hols in Kenya - remember to dose yourseleves up with malaria tablets and get some piccies of elephants, lions etc for your photo album.  Our next adventure is to the Franz Josef Glacier over on the wild west coast!