Friday, April 06, 2007

The Adventures of the Flatulent Four

"Iconic skyline, dead ahead!"
Dames on the Manly Ferry.

Taking things easy in the Sydney Botanical Gardens. Taken shortly before we were attacked by ravens, wanting chicken-salad wraps, rather than the traditional eyeballs, thank God.


When Crayfish Turn Bad...
Somewhere in South Australia.




On the beach in Robe, South Australia.
Go on, Dave, point out The Southern Cross.


Always come to the beach fully prepared,
says Jules.


Woody is in raptures over the beauties of nature in South Australia. Or else he's mulling over the trauma of swimming in what are, in essence, the nipple-terrifying waters of the Antartic. Honest.


Julia's been reading the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
(She's a bright spark, Muriel.)

Damian explains basic geological principles to any that care to listen.
Great Ocean Road, Victoria.









Ooh Babe, That's Really Free.








Woody is broad-brimmed as well as thick-skinned.
Echo Point, Katooomba, Blue Mountains, New South Wales.








Caged - like wild beasts. Grrr!








Dave and Dames - off to, or just back from, the pub: you be the judge.
Byron Bay, NSW.



Crikey! The petting zoos in Oz are certainly more adventurous than those at home.












Woody gets his first taste of elephant snot.











Crikey!











Not a combination of signs you see often.











Something Wicked This Way Comes.











A local pub for local people. Julia's new pool nemesis, Edgar. He's a lovely ex-thesp ("worked with The Goons, dear boy") who now works as an artist in the strange town of Dorrigo.















Woody takes in the scenery at Dangar Falls, Home to the World's Most Prolific Amount of Dangerous-Looking Spiders to be Found in One Toilet.














The Waterfalls Way, New South Wales.














Julia attracts the North Sydney wildlife
with a cunning combination of stealth
and take-away pizza.










T

The End of the Road
- it's back to a world of indoor bathrooms and electricity
for the bouyant band.




Good Old New Zealand

Don't tell our parents what we're about to do in these jumpsuits!

The hobbits approach the Misty Mountain.


I've been to Paradise, but I've never been to... Geraldine.

Hi Gege!


Banged up with nothing, but porridge and a rather nice Sauvignan, actually.

The Jailhouse Hostel in Christchurch.


"...And I'd have gotten away with it, if it hadn't have been for you pesky kids!"

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Beautiful South

The Rob Roy Track (he's a relative, y'know) nr Mount Aspiring. Aspiring to what?, you may well ask.




If only they'd just grow up.







Morning, Dames.








Here we are at the Franz Josef Glacier; which we couldn't walk on, touch, fly over or otherwise get close to (we'd had to climb a barrier to get this close) due to the weather being quite dreadful and the glacier itself being incredibly dangerous. But we did do a cheeky bit of overnight parking in the Department of Conservation car park, which was some (but not much) consolation.


Julia and Dames are on a quest for the One True Engagement Ring. To this end, they are pleased to be behaving like characters from The Lord of the Rings. Can you guess which?





Ducks are quackers for cous-cous. Who knew?
Beautiful Marlborough Sound.

Beautiful, hot Marlborough Sound.

Dames flexes his mussels.
The Clansman Pub, Havelock






Punakaiki's got some beautiful formations. Some of them only thirty years old.


Monday, February 19, 2007

It's Not Very Grim Up North

Our joy at finding amusing road signs remains unconfined.

Several dodgy geysers.


Will the grind never cease?


G'night, possum!

Dames experiments with the nightime setting on Jules' camera. This is before we are told that possums are vermin and that we should steer wildly to knock 'em over, should we see them on the road. Now Dames has an excuse for his erratic driving.


Jules dispells the Dames-originated myth that every photo can be improved by his inclusion. Beautiful, beautiful Piha.



At the Stadium on Saturday, we watched our new favourite team, the Wellington Hurricanes, narrowly beat the Auckland Blues. Go the Caines!



Jules is looking for a sign.

The most Northern part of New Zealand, Cape Reinga.


Got a light, mate? Erm, yes, actually: in that lighthouse.

My dad gets the point at the Bay of Islands.

Sally and Ali. Some of the delightful people who fed, watered and accommodated us while we explored Northland.


Rich makes the unforced error of having us stay the night at his and Joylene's beautiful flat.


This Jon chap was a bit handy with a tabel tennis bat.


Our other host, John. Never far from the barbecue or the bottle opener.

Thanks to all the very kind folk we met in the Bay of Islands and Northland. We didn't expect such comfort, good fun, and great company. Can't wait to catch up in the UK next year!

Much love from Damian and Julia.