Today, the news in the UK was dominated by the ‘doom, doom and even more doom’ of the Labour Government’s first budget since April 2010. With all the negativity, this could be a great opportunity to leave the country for a big holiday!
So we did! 😉. Let’s hope they don’t end up taxing ‘number of days away from home’.
And this IS certainly a BIG one! It’s our longest holiday (since our trip to Tahiti lasting 28 days, back in April 2023). In part, this one is a slightly premature celebration of 40 years together since our very first date on 14 December 1984. Back then, the celebration was at the “Best* Italian Restaurant in Romford!” (Essex). But sadly, it’s no longer there, otherwise, we might have returned – it would have certainly been cheaper!) 😁
*Actually, back in ’84, it was probably the ONLY Italian Restaurant in Romford, but let’s not spoil the romance of it all! 😍😉
Any plans?
You know us! Of course there’s a plan!!! 😁😉
For this break, we’re travelling to three countries (Australia, Singapore and New Zealand) over a lengthy 33 days– with most of our time spent exploring the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
It’s our first visit to NZ (and probably our ONLY trip, so we’re going to make the most of it!). Given their time of year, it won’t be a holiday where we’re chasing the Sun 😎😎 (in fact, in many locations, it’s pretty similar to the UK at the moment) 🌧☂ – where technically, it’s their Spring.
Actually, we’re more interested in getting a real feel for the country and its people. The map below shows the scale of our adventure, where at this stage, I’ve no idea how many miles we’re going to cover, but we ARE taking an extra pair of shoes! 😁
33 days of adventure!
As part of our research for this holiday, we’d already spoken to nearly everyone we know who’s already made the trip to New Zealand. Somewhat surprisingly, the views turned out to be quite varied. Opinions, ranged from ‘There’s a lot of rain’; ‘The landscape is all a bit samey…’ and ‘the roads are crap’ to ‘The scenery is amazing…’; ‘It’s like going back in time…’ and ‘It’s Paradise, and you’ll love it…’. 🤔. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of the most recent Lord of the Rings film trilogy (and Amazon’s even more recent, Rings of Power), you‘ll instantly recognise much of the mountainous scenery – described as ‘breathtaking’.
A shelf
As a result, our itinerary isn’t an ‘off-the-shelf’ package. Instead, Mrs P created it from scratch based on chatting with many of you who had already holidayed there – warts ‘n’ all. We then asked the specialist travel agent, Trailfinders, to check our plans for accuracy and practicality, where, after a few tweaks, we were sorted.
We booked much of the accommodation online using Booking.com, where in some cases, the host didn’t require any payment up-front, so that was a helpful start. We’re only going to visit New Zealand once – and this is it!
Probably! 😁
We plan to try most forms of transport, including: planes, trains and yes, automobiles – oh, and there’s a ferry, a big-bus, plus some walking somewhere in the mix too! 👍😉. We’ll certainly be covering a huge area, from north to south and east to west – but sorry, ‘Steward Island‘, we just couldn’t fit you in 😮.
We’ve planned to stay in a wide cross-section of accommodation when we get to NZ – from Hotels and Motels, plus B&Bs and a few apartments too! We’re not planning to eat out in fancy restaurants (unless we have to! 😁) preferring to eat like a local, with a fair bit of self-catering. Of all things, meat pies are apparently a BIG thing in NZ, so that’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. As you’ve gathered, there’s a lot of travel involved, and although we could have covered everywhere in slightly fewer days, we’ve deliberately extended the holiday to give us some ‘wiggle room’.
In short, we’re attempting to soak up as much of the Kiwi culture as we can 👏👌. Those of you who know and support my Blog (thank-you!) can expect a daily Post, and because not everyone gets to visit, we’re going to fill it with plenty of travel information and tips, offset with a few pieces of ‘lighter’ trivia along the way.
We hope you enjoy reading about our adventures as much as we’ll have writing about them! 👏👏. See you at the other end!
TODAY’S TRIVIA:English is spoken by 96.14% of the populationin New Zealand
Our Kettering train was on time and once we arrived at St Pancras, we were soon on the Tube to Farringdon to pick up the Elizabeth Line. Unfortunately, it wasn’t at its best today! 🤔. The AC was broken, and the carriage was packed!
When we finally arrived at T2, (self) check-in was a breeze where they even factored in that our luggage was ultimately destined for Australia saving us having to check it all in again tomorrow. Sadly, that’s where the efficiency ground to a halt! Airport Security was on a go-slow and it took us another hour to eventually get airside. On a positive note, they were using the new type of scanner that doesn’t require you to separate out all your tech, so that saved a few precious minutes.
6.45pm: Phew! All through (eventually) without issue apart from some added interest in a small aerosol can in our toiletries which they insisted on testing.
Whilst Mrs P stocked up on nourishment at Pret, I began writing this with less than an hour before they called us to our gate. 🤪
Then we jumped aboard the plane with the rather excellent Singapore Airlines – an A380-800 – departing at 8.35pm for the 13-hour-or-so flight to Singapore. We land at Changi Airport at 5.30pm, tomorrow, Thursday.
Singapore is 8 hoursahead of the UK, so we’ll then be grabbing a one-night sleepover at the Crowne Plaza Hotel located right inside the Airport, before it’s back on a plane the following day to Brisbane, Australia.
Next stop, Singapore! Catch you tomorrow evening on the other side. 👍😊.
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!
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