Eight weeks to travel the world… a 2 month sabbatical. Phone pic selection only, the camera pics will have to wait.

11.12.22: ISTANBUL 5 hour delay sitting on the plane at Heathrow.. freezing fog then electrical fault.. but we made it. Taxi into the city.. check in, dinner 10pm at Hamdi, then a really good sleep. Galata tower, barbers, Topkapi palace, Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Grand bazaar, book market, spice market, Hamam, dinner on the bridge.. a total explosion for the senses.

KATHMANDU Fallen in love with Nepal especially the people of the Himalayan valley. Gorgeous hotel garden and restaurant, then the fierce trekking up, up, up.. out to Chisapani and then Nargakot. Breathtaking views of the Himalayas and charming villages, people, children, dogs, goats, cockerels and buffalo. Extreme cold late afternoon, 10 hour sleeps.

KUALA LUMPUR hotel mix up but thanks to a fantastic taxi driver we found a room on the busiest Saturday evening of the year..changed in the cab, drinks with a view of the striking towers and fantastic dinner in the street food market. BORNEO we went to watch the orangutans every day, and usually twice a day! Dream come true - we even enjoyed watching them in the trees while we ate breakfast. Beautiful restful time, watching the Rhino Hornbills swoop overhead, nighttime walk, river trip, great food. Fully rested for Australia.

MELBOURNE A treat to catch up with so many good friends, David, Larnie & family, PJ, Lucy & family, and also enjoy new family over Christmas with Katie, Josh & Matilda. Really enjoyed discovering the city, river & beach, enjoyed seemingly the best coffee in the world, and had great fun celebrating Christmas on Mornington Peninsula in the sun like a long end of June summer’s day ☀️. A dolphin joined us on Boxing Day alongside the ferry to the Great Ocean Road which we drove and discovered enjoying the incredible coastal beauty, the 12 Apostles coastline, sunset, fish & chips, up to Tower Hill & Port Fairy. Camped (glamping but with huge spiders) and gazed at the southern stars, koalas and listened to melodic birdsong. Airey’s Inlet, swimming & kangaroos before heading on for a double new year.

SYDNEY the Harbour is stunning, the bridge magnificent and the Opera House a thing of beauty - so much more in reality. Barely saw our hotel as we enjoyed the company of more good friends and families. A full day discovering the area with Ali & family, swimming at Bondi, the gallery, gardens, and meals. Then with Cate & Felix at Taronga Zoo with the stunning Harbour backdrop and fierce tigers, ferries, and celebrating New Year’s Eve with a terrific view of the bridge & harbour fireworks. A short sleep before we hit the air to Polynesia, going back in time to land… on New Year’s Eve again.

TAHITI We made it! A day younger too.. Walked to the waterfront, found a bar and a long dreamt of food truck (only one open) for noodles, and celebrated New Year again - this time with Tahitian locals. Off to discover the islands..

HUAHINE We are absolutely loving our time on the islands. Huahine is full of local life, New Year holiday week, families with picnics and BBQs on the lagoon side, children playing football, everybody welcoming and waving ‘Ia Ora Na’! And ‘Maururu!’ As always we enjoy any local supermarket, here is no exception. A wall of freshly baked baguettes, frozen frogs legs and snails, every French item possible plus all the local fruit and veg neatly stacked. And of course lots of Hinano beer. The people are warm and friendly. We drove around the 2 islands with ease (one ring road) discovering local restaurants (beach shacks / snack), snorkelled in the stunning coral garden (in a disused luxury hotel corner of the lagoon), watched a manta glide the water, learnt about black oyster pearl cultivation in a pearl farm in a little hut in middle of lagoon, stared at the local fat sacred eels, explored Marae temple sites (Huahine holds some of the most important archeological sites in Polynesia) shared fresh clam meat with a tipsy local on the southern tip of Huahine-iti, music blaring everywhere, everybody having fun. We’ll always be fond of Huahine because of the people.

BORA BORA such a welcome surprise, and a relief, an incredibly beautiful island, lush green mystical mountain surrounded by a stunning lagoon. Very expensive so just a few days, but totally worth it. Spent one day touring the lagoon with a great contact from Jessie in Huahine (they were family), including dumping us in 10m water to snorkel with grey tip sharks, an incredible experience, completely surrounded by them and many other fish, also in much shallower water enjoying more sharks and also sting rays, one of which was very friendly (Juliette). Also saw many now closed luxury hotels sites.. maybe we enjoyed this island more as it was so quiet, and we could also enjoy local life, food, supermarkets.. Took a kayak out back to the stunning coral garden the next day, went to a fancy dinner with dance / music performance and got invited to dance with them :) The journey to and from airport is like no other… 15 minute boat ride to the airport island. A dolphin joined us alongside on the return.

RANGIROA We have been stunned by this beautiful, remote, fascinating island. A huge atoll made up of many coral motus, encircling a giant crystal clear lagoon with an incredible array of fish, sharks, mantas, and more. We stayed on the lagoon water’s edge listening at night to the gentle lapping of the water in front of us, and ocean waves crashing on the other side behind our heads. Privileged to have been included in Norbert’s family’s week, getting to know them, meet new friends and enjoy first class home cooked dinners and local trips including a wine tasting - the world’s only coral land grown grapes! A couple of thrilling drift dives at the famous Tiputa Pass with the crossing currents, which were also blessed with passing pods of dolphins 25m down. Trips to the idyllic blue ‘lagoon within the lagoon’ and the iles aux recif, striking ancient moon-like above ground coral formations, and fun meals at snack bars, Chez Augustine and Chez Lili. Kayaking, cycling, excessive amounts of delicious pain de coco & haircut too plus hours just staring out to the flat mystical magical water. We will never forget our breakfasts looking out. Really hard for us both to leave this place but New Zealand beckons 😀

AOTEAROA / NEW ZEALAND We arrived in Auckland for a couple of days‘ heartfelt reunion with Maria & family, and a ferry trip to Waiheke Island for lunch at Te Motu vineyard. Drove to Rotorua for a history & culture education, a night-time Redwood treetop walk and an incredible white water raft on no.5 rapids at Okere Falls. Drove past Lake Taupo and into Wellington for a couple of days, fun Weta studios workshop tour, Zealandia walk (beautiful protected nature reserve) and the fascinating Te Papa museum. Really good food in Wellington. The Picton ferry across to the South Island was magical and the drive East around the coast to Kaikoura was stunning. NZ exploded for us here with dolphins, whales, seals and colourful bird life. We drove on to Christchurch and stayed at Richard’s family home before getting the early Tranzalpine train across the island to Greymouth where picked up our Campervan home for the next 9 days. From glaciers at Franz Joseph, mirror lakes and rare wildlife spotting, we are stunned by what we’ve seen in NZ. Towering mountains, magical and mystical Milford & Doubtful Sound fiords, chilled alpine lakeside city Queenstown, and the most beautiful, clean and peaceful camp sites, some set in rainforest trees with complete privacy. Hard to leave, hard to say goodbye to our campervan too. We’ve met so many kind people here.

SAN FRANCISCO A spectacular send off with great company outside the city - a night at Cavallo Point with Anita & Phil (& Duffy 😊) stunning views and a long overdue catch up, then a home stay in the most beautiful home with Phil & Michelle, hot tub therapy, Napa Valley wine tasting & lunch, and walks with Oscar & Ruby. Couldn’t be a better way to finish our trip. We feel fully stretched after campervan life and ready to go home. ❤️