Koala Saturday

(Written by Daddy, dictated by Katy)

(Daddy was working most of today)

Today we went to a koala hospital. Before we started driving we saw some pelicans. The koala hospital had ill koalas (obviously) and we went on a tour round the garden. At the end we saw 2 koalas up in trees: one was in care of the koala hospital, but the other one was wild!

We also browsed round a second-hand book store, and Joanna, Katy and Pippa raced each other at Mario cart on their DS games (Joanna won; Katy came second; Pippa did well too, in a non-winning sort of way).

Jenny also bought some inflatable body board type things, which everyone is looking forward to using tomorrow in the surf if the weather returns to what you'd expect!

An Eventful Day!

Katy here:today joanna got her foot stuck in the side of the escalator. At first mommy couldn't pull it out and she shouted for people to stop the escalator but they didn't. Then Mummy pulled Joanna's foot out of the croc but her sock was still stuck. When we got it out we had to go and buy Joanna new crocs. Mummy also locked the car keys in the car boot today.

(Jenny here). A quick summary of the day's events. Today we were reminded to be more careful: 2 funnel web spiders were found in the pool this morning. Another family warned us about the spiders because they found them (not the pool man who comes each morning). I must admit I didn't know that they can jump!

Joanna's croc accident (I must admit to getting a little worried when no-one could switch the escalator off straight away and her foot was still caught as we neared the bottom). What Katy didn't say was that it actually ripped off some of her big toe nail when I just yanked as hard as I could.

Otherwise we've had a lovely day in the sunshine in the (spiderless hopefully) pool and in the surf at the beach again.

Xmas in the sun!

Joanna here-took this with the camera I got for Christmas. Had lots of fun with inflatable boat in the waves. Merry Christmas everyone from Australia.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND!!!!

Just a quick message to say Happy Christmas to everyone we know in England. Whilst you're all sleeping, Santa has already been to Australia. Do you like our plastic yukka Christmas tree (courtesy of the apartment)?
The rainforest is living up to its reputation - it's raining! But it is lovely and warm and humid. We're off to the beach (because we can) and we're having a BBQ Christmas lunch (also because we can). Sorry to gloat! Just need a few koalas to make an appearance and that's our Christmas sewn up!
Must admit that we did spent a few hours yesterday frantically shopping before all the shops shut after we arrived in Port Macquarie. The drive from Walcha to here was right through the National Parks rainforest and was ver beautiful but also very slow. Koalas saw us coming and stayed well out of the way - too late for the kangaroos though. Saw 3 very dead (bloated, stiff) ones by the side of the road.
May add another entry after someone has been able to use their Christmas present - all will be revealed. Throw a snowball for us! Love all the Browns xxx

No Harry Potter in Sight!

Have swapped brids of prey in NZ (we were seeing at least 2 every day - 13 was the record) for parrots. Very colourful but very squawky! Seeing lots of sulphur-crested cockatoos and crimson thingymabobs - there goes my effort to impress! Very glad to escape our prison at the Norman-Bates motel in the Blue Mountains - not a friendly place and deserted. On our way out of the Blue Mts we decided to go on he Zig-Zag railway which was great if you were a railway enthusiast - but we are not. Too many facts and figures about engine no 158 etc - what happened to Thomas the Tank Engine and friends? Lovely scenery though! For some reason we then decided we'd like to see Dubbo and the mid-western plains. Ended up in a campsite next to the (famous?) Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo having stopped at some little in-the-middle-of-nowhere town (and seen the delightful locals in their nightdresses (!) with some gorgeous tattoos on show in the middle of the afternoon).

Visited the Warrambungles National Park and were treated to views of emus and kangaroos near the road and a kangaroo close-up by the park visitor centre. I (Jenny) also managed to see 2 goannas on the road out of the park - I probably shouldn't tell you I was the one driving and the only one to see them!

Made it to Tamworth (Country Music Capital) but missed the huge golden guitar statue - it's not a fruit (and we're not really into country music, sorry Dolly) so why take a detour? Did our laborious 1 hr of Xmas shopping - this is the life!

Found a place to stay at 8pm this evening and not a worried parent in sight! Did have the emergency plan to drive back to Tamworth if we really had to and risk driving into a kangaroo in the dark!

Stormy weather here - fantastic lightning show this evening. Off to Port Macquarie for Xmas - it's by the beach, sorry folks! Hope to spot some Koalas if they can stop snoozing long enough to pose for pictures. Happy Christmas to all. Love Browns xx

Monday 22 Dec 08

The 3 Sisters at the 3 Sisters! (Blue Mountains, nr Sydney). Sorry, couldn't resist that one! So hello to Oz again; it's only been 25 years. I remembered the view at the 3 sisters but not the place from where I was viewing it from - a lot can change in 2+ decades. Still incredibly beautiful (still can't really see the "Blue" bit of it). Stayed in a "Norman Bates" kind of Motor Inn (Motel). Not really anyone there except us and they didn't exactly make us feel welcome. Andy had to do some work so the girls and I did a bit of wandering around - also recognised the Katoomba YHA. Did anyone mention that on our first full day in Oz we had some incredible luck and chanced upon some grazing kangaroos in the Blue Mountains National Park. And lots of squawky parrots!

Felt really wierd to be leaving NZ - it was like the end of a holiday even though I knew we were moving onto Oz. Maybe it was because I knew we still didn't have anywhere for Xmas and every web site was showing no vacancies!

For those of you worried that I really was serious about the prospect of us sleeping on the beach or in the car (no campervans avail either); I can put your minds at rest. With only 2 days to go we have found somewhere for Xmas - YEAH! We'll be in Port Macquarie trying to coax the koalas out of those trees to pose for photos. Shame we couldn't do the "Big Banana" in Coffs Harbour (for obvious reasons). But we may manage the "Big Guitar" in the Country Music capitol of Oz tomorrow - Tamworth. For those of you at home in England - only 2 more shopping days to go. I hope you're all wrapped up and ready to roll for Santa. We THINK he makes and appearance on the beach here. Saw a fantastic Xmassy house last night in the Blue Mountains - give some of the houses in Gamesley something to worry about! Happy shopping. Love Browns x

We went to Cadbury's World a few days ago in Dunedin (South Island, New Zealand) and had to wear funny hats. We saw all the factory - my favourite part was the chocolate buttons being made, and all the chocolate we were given. Towards the end we saw a huge chocolate waterfall, in which a tonne of chocolate fell down in a few seconds. At the end we went to a Cadbury's shop, with a whole stack of Cadbury chocolate bars. They had lots of bars we don't have, like Moro, Energy Bar and Perkynana.

We're now in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, staying in a hotel.

Happy Christmas everybody, and Happy New Year!

Katy

First night in Sydney - and it's hot and humid! Lovely tropical feel about the place. Just been a short thunderstorm. Staying in luxury serviced apartments - shame only one night. Off to Blue Mountains tomorrow. It's so nice to be free - no more camper van!

Spent last 2/3 days in New Zealand not doing much in Christchurch. Before that went to see the "little blue penguins" in Oamaru (Australians used to call them fairy penguins, but for some strange reason that name is falling out of favour). Everyone goes through to a grandstand looking out over the sea, then at dusk these little "rafts" (that's the technical name) of absurd little penguins come into shore, and they all tentatively huddle together on on side of a gravel track. On the other side lies their (man-made) hollows, and safety. They dither for ages - you can almost see them shoving each other forward, each trying not to be the first to go. Eventually they waddle across - yellow-eyed penguins (see previous entry from Joanna) look like old men going for a walk; little blue penguins just look comical. Got back to camper van about 11!

Choices of cereals this evening:

• Pippa - Cheerios


• Katy - Cornflakes


• Joanna - Special K


• Jenny - Sultan Bran


• Andy - Fruity Weet-Bix

Photo is of a new friend Katy made in a park near our campsite in Christchurch!

Account of everything we have done in the last few days (in detail)

14th december
pipsie missed out the albatrosses!we learnt quite a lot about albatrosses-the chicks are heavier than the adults and both the female and the male sit on the eggs! The seals were absoloutely humongous, you wouldn't have a chance if one sat you! everyone's very excited about cadbury world(15th)and pippa is thrilled with the idea of seeing penguins jump out the sea.
12th december
milford sound was beautiful:dolphins, seals, hills, snow-topped montains and the opening to the tasman sea.
written by joanna

Penguins

We saw penguins.these are the typs of penguins we saw yellow eyed and blue eyed.The blue eyed penguins were really small. The yellow eyed penguins looked like this.

signed by pippa

As we near the end of our time in NZ, a quick list of impressions (from Andy):

• There is birdsong everywhere and all the time - in the campsites, at the playgrounds, in the towns.
• The playgrounds are much better than ones in the UK! (we should know -we've seen a few in both countries).
• People are friendly and laid back on the whole, with a really good, dry sense of humour. We particularly liked Shawn the Prawn's farm and accompanying text.
• There are very few two-storey buildings outside the cities, and all the houses are built to completely different plans and (seemingly) by different architects.
• All the rivers, streams, burns, creeks and rills have names, which must tax the imaginations of the planners to the limit

This post may be added to!

Friday - Dunedin. Seriously cold evening - coldest so far - so Pippa is using William's hot water bottle present (are you reading Rachel?).

Yesterday we drove to Milford Sound - got stuck behind thousands of sheep trekking down the road on the way, which the girls loved (literally thousands, by the way - we reckon about 1,500). On the way back it was cows. Lovely drive, with highlight being the keas in the car parks (the only temperate zone parrots in the world, apparently), which sit on your wing mirrors and try to get their beaks into the car.

Stayed overnight in Milford and went on Milford Sound cruise in morning - touristy, cliched but still utterly beautiful, unspoilt fjord. If only the rest of the world was as unspoilt as New Zealnad. Saw dolphins in water and seals on rocks, which made everyone's day. Bit tired now after 6 hour drive over (although girls happy with small heated indoor swimming pool at campsite).

Kingston, Tuesday (I think)

Last entry was Joanna - this one is Andy. 4 and a half minutes left on this internet connection, so won't be long!

Went to Queenstown today - went on "gondola" up mountain, then on chair lift to do luge (you sit on a trolley going down a slope, with - in my case - Pippa shouting at me to slow down, and steering all over the place). Before that went to have a look at bungy jumping. Should daddy do it? Two votes no, one yes - so he wimped out.

Before that 2 nights in Wanaka - rented bicycles this morning and had lovely time cycling round lake.

Now staying in dodgy campsite south of Queenstown (Kingston, it's called) - looks like last investment was in 1965. Tomorrow to Te Anau, then Milford Sound.

Hi to anyone who's taking the time to read this!

Long drive down to wellington today. Crossed swing bridge and tried the Flying Fox across Bullers Gorge. We had to make Pippa go on it she was that terrified, though as soon as she got off she said she wanted to go again! Saw humungous male seals and smallish females, along with baby pups, swimming females and fighting males. Watched beautiful sun set at the Punakaiki campsite.

Sunday 30th November '08

What a lovely city and thankyou Dominic for recommending the Te Papa Museum.

Saturday 29th Nov '08

Drive on and burn those miles! Decided to try and make it all the way down to Wellington in one day so that we could get longer in South Island. Weren't absolutely that the girls would be able to bear all the driving - but we shouldn't have worried. Worked out that the DVD would play whilst driving and they could all watch it (although not hear it terribly well).

Got held up by this massive cycle race going around Lake Taupo. Never seen anything on such a huge scale - there were 1000's of competitors. Stopped at Huka Falls (and the Prawn Farm for a coffee; hmmm...) which are amazing by the sheer volume of water that flows through. Made it to the campsite in Wellington in one piece.

Friday 28th November

Katy here.
On Friday we went to the Maori village.First we saw a kiwi bird; it was in a dark room where you had to be quiet there.
Pippa now.
Then we saw a giant mud pool,it went splop,plop and spish,spash.

This was the view from our picnic site on the way up to Hahei Beach in the Coromandel Peninsula. As you can see, I (Andy) haven't quite got the hang of creating panoramas with my whizzy new phone (if you're reading Sandi, tell Diana I got the HTC Touch HD in the end).

Coromandel was beautiful - huge, empty sandy beaches with backdrops of subtropical vegetation (think "The Piano" without Holly Hunter or a piano and you're close).

Just beginning to realise how far apart everywhere is here - roads are fine, but they're all windy A roads, and it takes hours to get anywhere. Spent 4 hours driving down to Rotorua today - too long. Stopped en route to look at an open cast gold mine (pictures may follow), which was fascinating for adults (less so for Pippa, I think). We even got to see them blasting, which was ... a blast. Now only 6.5 hours drive from Wellington, whence the ferry leaves to the South Island.

Geysers and mudpools tomorrow ... love to all in the UK.

Weds 26th Nov '08

Beaches, beautiful beaches! Now on another campsite next to the beach on the Coramandel Peninsula. Being hassled by birds and seaguls - boy are they cheeky. As soon as we open the campervan door they are there. One cheeky seagul tried to pinch our picnic lunch out of the rucksack on the beach today! Went to the beach in front of the campsite last night - brrrr - it was freezing. About the temp of the sea around the UK, I'd say. Bit of a surprise, that one. Went on a lovely walk to get to Cathedral Cove this morning on a little track through the forest/bush. Beautiful near-deserted beach - still bloomin' freezing sea though! Girls got straight to their task of erecting some sort of sand palace (we Browns don't do mere castles!). Pippa did her usual of needing a wee when there is no toilet in sight (at least a 45 min walk away). Andy took her to the sea and then promptly held her over it like some 2 year old on the potty - not quite what I meant when I said to do it in the sea! Decided to take the passenger ferry over to Whittianga where we met an English lady who emigrated in 1988 with her 2 children. She spotted straight away that we were English - how do they do that, before you even speak? Reckon it must have been the gorgeous honey colour that Andy's legs never go! Didn't see the dolphins that Andy reckoned he saw here 22 years ago! Think we'll be off to Rotarua tomorrow - must get the girls some clothes pegs if we don't want the constant "smelly" comments everywhere we go. Will be another travelling day tomorrow - fairly slow going in a campervan this size. WIll set off once we've done the girls' school lessons. They started looking forward to these, not so sure now! Andy and I find it quite draining. The girls are also learning touch typing from Mavis ("Mavis Beacon Teaches Touch Typing" came along with us). Think they enjoy this more than anything! Adios for now from the typing Browns.

Monday 24th Nov '08

Rain, rain go away! Sat listening to the rain drumming on the roof of the campervan. Made it to New Zealand. Yeah - the trip has started "proper" now! LA done.
On Friday we visited Venice beach which lived up to it's bohemian reputation. Girls had lots of questions! Some very interesting people around to say the very least! The highllight of the day for the girls was probably getting attacked by seaguls whilst trying to have a picnic near the beach.

We drove up Sunset Boulevard through Beverly Hills and on up to Hollywood Boulevard to see the Walk of Fame. I think the girls were very unimpressed by this. At least we got to see the Hollywood sign on the hills - shame (and odd) they don't illuminate it at night.

Summary for last week: Unusually hot in LA for Nov. Parks v. quiet mid-week but boy did we notice the difference when we went back for a short visit before we flew on Saturday! How anyone thinks it is a fun day out to stand in a queue in the hot sun for 45 mins or more beats me! Very unimpressed by how little recycling is going on in places like Disney. At Universal Studios they kept goign on about "green your routine" but there was little evidence of it as we walked around.

First thing I noticed at the campsite here in NZ was the abundance of separate recycling bins. Good on you Kiwis! Had a lazy day as we are all a bit wiped out after the night flight and losing a day. Had a lovely swim in the hot springs here at the campsite - the girls did go on a little about the "bad egg" smell! 9pm approaches and we're off to bed now, to the sound of the wind and rain. Feels like home...

Thursday 20th Nov '08

Universal Studios - Still hot and sunny. Hired a car and drove to Hollywood (not nearly as scary as we thought it would be). The entrance fees to the studios were truly terrifying! The studios tour was quite interesting but a little disappointing that you didn't visit any live sets. Still managed to frighten Pippa with the pretend earthquakes etc! Pippa and I played cards in the Californian sunshine whilst Andy, Jo and Katy went on the "thrill" rides. Katy is now a Hollywood Star! Her stage name is "Casey"! She volunteered during the Special FX show and went up on stage to do sound effects - I have a video clip but we're having trouble downloading images so will add later when better connection speeds. Off to an unscheduled stop to a mall - Andy has broken his glasses. Hoping to hit the beach and the Walk of Fame today.

Wednesday 19th Nov '08

Oh no, not more rides! Well, you may as well use the tickets... Yet another day when Pippa is terrified by a supposedly harmless ride. This time a 3-D cinema screen presentation from "It's a Bugs Life". Good job I got her out of there before the spiders dropped down from the ceiling!!!!

Fortunately the High School Musical 3 stage show was passing to distract her when we got out... more torture! Highlight of the day (apart from the bus leaving) was accidentally catching the evening "parade". Akin to a carnival in Rio and was pleasantly surprised. More friendly Americans chatting to us on the bus home - from Alaska this time.

Name that Disney princess!

Nice tacky day in Disneyland - not sure how you could do it for much longer than a day, though. Pippa went on the Adventures of Pooh (a ride) 6 times. She also got upset when she lost her balloon, but a kind chipmunk went to get her another. Katy got soaked going on Splash Mountain one last time at the end of the day, while Joanna bravely went on Indiana Jones (but swore she'd never do it again).

We're off!

Monday 17th November 8:41am

Despite the best efforts of Microsoft to delay us (Andy got a nasty virus on his PC on Friday afternoon and spent the next 36 hrs trying to resolve this), we caught the train to Paddington and then Heathrow. We're now sat at the Gate waiting for our 11hr flight to leave and fly over all the fires in LA! Thanks to Nanny and Grandad and Auntie Jacqui for making sure we got the right train (Jenny doesn't have a good track record for this!).

Tour starts in 2 weeks!

Preparations so far ...

1. Two weeks to go, and we've already given Katy's toys to Naomi to look after!

Bought universal sink plug