"HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR FOR 2011"

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

So far we have managed to see and visit a few new places but we start touring after Christmas both in South Island and North Island

Four Day Stop Off in Hong Kong 11th - 14th Nov 2010

Hope you are all keeping well and surviving the severe weather!   Weather in Hong Kong was good with temperatures around 28/34 deg.    Leaving the UK on the 10th November, we arrived in Hong Kong on the evening of the 11^th November on a lovely warm evening.   Our accommodation for the next four days was at The Excelsior Hotel overlooking Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. 

On our first evening walk around the Hotel area was just in excess of anything we had expected “Wall to Wall people” and shops and more shops, shopping malls, and food outlets of all descriptions

Today we were on our way to Lantau Island to visit the giant Buddha one of Hong Kong famous land marks.  Transport in and around was excellent either by underground, bus or boat all as “cheap as chips” especially for us seniors with concessionary fares half price.  

Taking the ferry to Lantau Island and bus up through the mountain terrain to the Buddha Temple, in a spacious but ornate setting which included many impressive statues lined down an avenue of trees to the central square, followed with over 200 steps to the base of the Buddha.   The total area is kept in immaculate condition, a credit as this is a major tourist attraction. 

This was an impressive temple with large ornate gold statues beautifully embellished with brocaded drapes surrounded with fresh flowers.

We returned to Tung Chung by cable car and had an extended lunch before travelling by tube to Kowloon.

Arriving in Kowloon early evening for a night market shop in Temple Street enjoyed an Indian meal beforehand.   The market was a truly fantastic experience, Kathy bought a Calvin Klein watch for $25, and we bought two Jimmy Choo hand bags for $25 each, “All genuine of course”.    

 

We walked back to the water front and caught the free ferry back to Hong Kong Island and a short walk back to the hotel.

“What a day”

To day off to explore Kowloon and the many shops as you can buy anything from a complete outfit: Two Suits, Shirts, Ties and Sports Jacket all handmade to fit for around £150.00.   Took a tour in to the back streets of Kowloon which was an experience but one we enjoyed.   

Lunch in a back street Chinese restaurant with wonderful atmosphere and an arrangement of foods you won’t get in Frampton Cottrell, ranging from raw fish to every array of rice, chicken, and meat dishes you can think of.

  Returning back to Hong Kong Island and the hotel, we arranged a visit to “The Peak” a shopping and restaurant complex pitched on top of a mountain with some spectacular views over Hong Kong at night.   The Funicular railway takes you to the top of the mountain and “The Peak”.    

Some fantastic restaurants, however, you pay through the nose for the view in the restaurant, without the views same food half the price and the beer was good!   We made our way back to the hotel totally exhausted after a wonderful day.

Today is our last day morning spent walking around the local harbour and park, another truly fantastic experience with hundreds of small groups of Muslim women dressed in colourful western dress and Muslim head dress all sitting on blankets spread on the open ground, involved in some form of religious ritual, this was for us an incredible experience. 

 Also in the park is a lake where the local men show off their prowess at racing model motor boats at high speed round the lake.  After lunch we made our way to the airport and departure to NZ.    Again this was made easy, free bus from the hotel to the tube station in Hong Kong. As you arrive at the tube station, you book your luggage in and the next time you see it is in NZ, leaving you all the time to sight see or chill out before catching the tube for a 20 minutes journey to the airport,  

 "The place to live and Work"

ISLE JURA TRIP 6th – 20th JULY 2010

“What Happened Was”

Day’s drive to Loch Fyne for one night stay at the West Loch Hotel on the shores of Loch Fyne, one of the most beautiful lochs at the West Coast of Scotland - the home of crystal clear lochs, lush green vegetation and exceptionally warm weather in summer.

 

With a beautiful morning we enjoyed a pleasant crossing, taking two and half hours.  After a little confusion as the Email ticket said Port Askaig, however, we were in Port Ellen.   Only a short drive (ten miles) to Port Askaig.   The distance from Port Askaig to Jura is short, with ferries running every 30 min, from 7.30am till 6.30pm (Booking not required).

After a short drive (eight miles) on single track road (A846) we are in the heart of Jura at Craighouse; consisting of a Hotel, Distillery, Shop/Post Office, Village Hall and Bistro/Café.   One road runs the length of the South and East coast of Jura single track. 

Our accommodation for the week was a large caravan overlooking the sea, located in Keils a crofting township, made up of croft cottages, a farm and a new build.

After settling in we took an evening walk up through the crofting township of Keils and Kilearnadil (smaller than a Hamlet) Kilearnadil is an ancient grave-yard, named after St Cumba’s uncle, and contains the Campbell mausoleum and medieval grave slabs.  

 

Returning to the shore with beautiful views over the bay to the Small Isles; Eilean Bhrid, Padda,  Eilean nan Coinein and Eilean nan Gabhar we returned along the shore and back to Keils.

Sunshine start today which was Sunday, so we attended the local Church of Scotland for morning service.  

In the afternoon Kathy made up packed lunches and we departed on a cycle ride to Lowlandman’s Bay (Bay of the Foreigners) a 16 Kilometer round trip, enjoyed our picnic lunch on the sea cliffs above “The Light Houses” built in 1865 for the families of the Skervuile (Iron Rock) Lighthouse keepers.

Wet day time spent reading and local shopping clearing in the afternoon cycled into Craighouse for a few hours, to visit the church and their photographic display.

Cycle tour of Jura, from Lagg Bay followed the road north through Corrynahera Forrest to the small crofting township of Tarbet, (The Place to Carry from Sea to Sea) after a short break cycled the old drovers trail to Loch Tarbert used by drovers, and pilgrims’ over the years as the quickest way from Colonsay to the mainland as the option of sailing through The Gulf of Corryvreckan, classed as un-navigable by The Admiralty.    

 Jura House Walled Garden

When the Campbells of Jura built Jura House and its adjacent walled garden, they picked a lovely spot on its south shore with beautiful views and shelter in mind. The views to Islay and occasionally Kintyre and Ireland are indeed spectacular with its ever changing moods. The garden was designed as a Victorian Kitchen garden with boxwood hedges, a rosegarden, vegetables and fruit trees against the walls, now one of few remaining, active walled gardens.    

Argyll as a whole has a very favorable growing climate, long days and high rainfall in summer, combined with the mild influence of the Gulf Stream in winter, makes for rapid growth. So long as shelter is provided from the killer winds, but the flipside of this is that, in a dry summer, while everything down south goes yellow, here things thrive.

Paps of Jura

Paps of Jura found in the southern half of the island. The highest of the three is Beinn an Oir, the Mountain of Gold, is 785m is the only Corbett, a mountain in Scotland between 2500 and 3000 ft. Beinn Shiantaidh, the Sacred Mountain, is 757m and stands to the east of Beinn an Oir, while Beinn a' Chaolais, the Mountain of the Sound, stands to the south-west and is the smallest of the three at 734m.

Cora Bheinn, the steep mountain, stands at a height of 569 m.   This was a misty day and yes I enjoyed the challenge but not the two hours bog walk off the mountain, however the sun was shining when I arrived back at the car where Kathy was reading her book.

Last Day

 

Cycle ride and walk to Craighouse Pier and on to Loch a Bhaile-Mhargaidh Waterfalls, returning for some refreshment at the Jura Hotel and on to Corran Sands for a paddle and lunch.  As our last day we ate out at the Jura Hotel a most enjoyable dinner.

Saturday we departed to Isle of Islay touring the coast by cycle exploring the lovely beaches. The following morning took a short cycle ride along the coast before departing Port Ellen to Kennacraig, and on to Dunfermline to stay with my sister Maureen and Jim.  I strongly recommend you visit the beautiful  “Isla of Jura” one day, soon!

What a Summer on our return from NZ in March 2010

Ireland June 2010

Since our return from NZ back in March our feet haven’t touched the ground with numerous trips planned and visits to North and South Ireland, Isla of Jura, Isla of Arran, Devon, Scotland, and South Wales.  Arriving home back in March we found the house in very good order with no significant damage from the hard winter here in the UK.    Early June we departed from Holyhead to Dublin and on to Connemara, this is now our third trip, after a few days enjoying the cottage at Bun-na-habhann, (Bunnahown).

   

The cottage owned by our friends Jenny and Chris is beautifully situated at the end of a sea inlet on the West Coast of Ireland.  

Kathy then found an excellent B & B in Newport at the Anchor guest house, situated on the loch shore, following the walk we enjoyed our evening meal out at the Newport Hotel.

On this trip I would try and increase my ongoing target to climb all of the 200 Mountains in Ireland and on this trip to reach the 100, and so off to Newport for three days mountain walking. Arrived PM dropped off to climb Nephin Mountain: A fairly straightforward huge, solitary mountain. Walking up on the south western slopes, over hummocky shoulder, Nephin 805m., walking in rain mist with 30k winds, good for the soul!

This was the big day; Kathy dropped me of at the Start a few Kilometres outside Newport and picked me up some 11hrs 43Min later in Bangor.   Kathy enjoyed a local 6k walk around Newport in the morning before driving to Bangor and finishing off her book.   This was, long and hard through some very remote country covering the five summits of Nephin Beg Range. From Glendahurk Bridge to Bangor a distance of 39K with a total high gains of 2025 meters with some rock scrambling.

Moving on we spent a couple of days thinning out some Weigela bushes and trimming the Box hedge before enjoying a well deserved G on the decking.   Spent a couple of hours with Frank and Jean a good old chat and chin wag mainly from Frank, before showing a few photos of our wedding and last year’s Ireland trip.  Back home by 
8 O’clock, dinner cards in front of the fire “Bliss”

An enjoyable day spent in the garden.   With Franks help we managed to trim the Holly Tree and finished tiding the box hedge all done by 3 O'clock.   Afternoon spent sitting on the decking enjoying the warm sunshine and light breeze to keep the midge at bay.   Lovely meal, cards and a glass of wine, it was the only way to finish the day.

Up and about and drive down through Limerick and Tipperary to the Galty Mountains to climb Binnia Mountain.  Parked up beside the mountain Kathy done some reading and a short walk along the Lough Curra track.  We made our way to Mitchelstown where Kathy found some five star B and B at The Palms Guest house

The weather is again excellent and have decided to stay an extra day, this will give me a chance to finish the Knockmealdown mountains: This was a Mountain traverse from East Munster Way trail, covering 7 tops off Knocknafallia 998m, walking 18 K over 6 hours, descent was via Knockmeal  to the small village of  Newcastle to meet Kathy, who spent the day in Lismore and the coffee shop with a good book.  Again the evening spent in town dinner out and watched England attend a football match! (World Cup)

This being the longest day we had a good start in what a was a beautiful day , again wall to wall sunshine.   Following breakfast and a lazy morning we set off on an afternoon bike ride West off Clifden from Fountainhill lunch on Omey Strand, and cycled around Aughrusbeg Lough, and coffee break at Lough Atalia and finished by 5PM. Stop off in Clifden for some supplies and home to celebrate the longest day lovely meal and sat up till it became dark around midnight. 

 

Cheers to the longest day in 2010.

Our last morning for the full Irish breakfast, following a tidy up and our last coffee we departed around 1230 pm, for Belfast.   Rained most of the day only stopped when we arrived at Mum’s.   After dinner spent the evening looking at photos and NZ.

  

Spent the day in Belfast touring around various sites, including a visit to the city hall and the new Victoria centre.   After dinner we played Yattze enjoyable evening. 

Day out with a drive around the Antrim Coast, Lunch in Ballycastle, short walk around the harbor with Mum and Dad now in their ninety first year

Followed with a drive to Portrush and Portstuart for afternoon tea, weather now changed to rain drive home, packed and a little shopping for when we arrive back home: Yate.  Ferry – Larne – Fleetwood, enjoying a full breakfast and smooth crossing, home to Yate.

"The end of the longest day, a beautiful sunny day"

South Island Experience 7th – 25th February 2010

We started out tour of the South of the Island by spending two nights at Lake Tekapo, walking and exploring the countryside.

From there we moved on to Mount Cook, an awesome spectacle.  We camped for two nights at a nearby campsite and Norman walked to the Muller Hut and climbed Mt Ollivier near Mt Cook, with views of the Tasman Glacier.

We spent the next night at a backpackers hostel in Alexandra before moving on to an area called the Catlins. This area has beautiful coastline and beaches, with abundant wildlife, including sea lions and yellow eyed penguins.

On one of our coastal walks, we nearly tripped over a sleeping sea lion, thinking it was a large lump of seaweed! We spent two days there before moving off to take the ferry to Stewart Island.

 

We really enjoyed our stay there. The Island is very quiet and peaceful, with lots of interesting walking tracks. Kiwis inhabit the island. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any, they are nocturnal and rarely seen during the day, but, on one of our evening strolls we did hear them in the woods.  

During our stay on Stewart Island, we took a ferry across to Ulva Island, which is famous for its variety of birds seen nowhere else. We saw saddlebacks, tomtits, kakas, and parakeets amongst the trees, together with very tame robins. The NZ robin has a white breast as opposed to our own native redbreast.

We then moved on to Te Anau, which sits by another beautiful lake,where again we enjoyed some lovely walks.

Our next stop was in Milford Sound, which has the most spectacular scenery and is situated at the end of a fiord. We took a boat trip down the Sound and out to sea to experience the breathtaking scenery.

 

Our next stop was Wanaka, another lakeside venue surrounded by mountains, a couple of which Norman climbed while we were there. 

 

Our last port of call before heading home was the Franz Joseph Glacier.

 

The whole trip was amazing. We were lucky with the weather with only one half day of rain, so we were able to make the most of our time down South.