Jul 2006

It all feels a little surreal; I have just taken an amazing shower at the airport and now I am sitting in a luxury lounge drinking cooldrinks on the house as I overlook the rooftop Sunflower garden.

Ok, so maybe we are behaving like soft spoilt brats forking over R120 each to spend 5 hours in a quite and comfortable lounge. But consider that for this we get to shower, use free internet (but then free internet is available throughout the airport) and drink and eat as much as we like. The food; fruit salads, pastries and cakes, sandwiches and cocktail stuff. And it's not like we can't afford it considering the city tour we went on this morning through Singapore, including a boat trip on the Singapore river, with a tour-guide giving us the rundown and history was free. A rather amazing place this and truly beautiful, they go to such trouble with the landscaping and layout.

Besides, we have gotten tired of the free massage chairs at gate E10 of terminal 2. But don't worry we wont do this on the return trip, for that we will be better prepared - we will bring our swimming costumes. For only R40 each we will spend the return transit in the rooftop pool of terminal 1 (if I can get Marie out of the spa baths that is).

We have been out onto two of the three public rooftop gardens at the airport and although truly amazing it is just too hot to be out there if you are not standing under one of the mist sprays. Mugy it is, but over and above the temp. is also high today.

Anyway, need to go and spoil myself - only have 4 hours left before the 10 hour or so leg to Aukland.

later

I think we got a bit excited a little bit too early, which has really made the time drag till now – but the day is here and tomorrow we fly.

I think how this is meant to work is that we regularly post updates here of where we have been and what we have seen, in order to make you all jealous. Being nice people though (and not wanting to hurt your feelings) I can’t promise that we will do this – internet cafes just aren’t going to be high on our list of must see places - and anyway it is just 3 weeks. We will however try to at least give you 1 or 2 entries; and maybe a photo if we are feeling especially mean.

later

Ok, can’t guarantee that we will stick to this but this is the plan anyway.

North Island
Friday 21st July - arrive Auckland and spend the weekend there with friends
Monday, travel around Taupo, including Wiatomo and Rotorua
Tuesday, visit Tongariro National Park
Wednesday, head on down to Wellington

hello beautiful South Island
Thursday 27th July, enter the Able Tasman National Park for 2 days
Saturday, travelling down the wild cost spending the night at Hokitika
Sunday, play on some glaciers on the way to Wanaka

let the snowboarding begin
Monday, Cardrona ski fields by day, Wanaka by night

continue with the South Island
Friday 4th August, make our way to Te Anau for the night, to be closer to Milford Sound for the next day
Saturday, Milford Sound and back to spend the night in Queenstown
Sunday, play on the slopes of Mt Cook
Monday, arrive in Christchurch
Tuesday, fly out from Christchurch with a short stop-over in Singapore to arrive in Cape Town on Wednesday 8th August