Back to NZ, Again

Not actually NZ - the coastline south of Byron Bay, Queensland, Australia


Suzanne and I arrived back in Oxford late last night. It was good to be back.

Our time in Australia was good. Australia is a huge country. We traveled 4100 km (~2400 miles) up and down the East Coast of New South Wales and Queensland. The furthest that we made it North was to Town of 1770 - many, many hours short of Cairns. It was many hours of driving, but many beutiful kilometers of country in three weeks.

There are a few adventures to tell of along the way - whale watching, zoo visiting, snorkeling in the Outer Great Barrier Reef, getting sunned at many a beach - things such as this. While there is not time to post too many stories I have had a chance to upload some new pictures - nine to be exact. Nothing fancy, just a few pics showing us and some of the places visited.

Check 'em out by clicking here or pasting this into your browser's address bar:
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=13444743&uid=3614333
We are taking a few days respite before continuing onto travels into the South Island of New Zealand. There is a bit of activity here at the YWAM Oxford Base and so it has been good to visit friends and new faces here.

Suzanne and I will venture off here to maybe take a trip around the southern part of the South Island, or maybe we will go to the north of the South Island - either way, were bound to see a little bit of this country before we leave in mid-November!

Whale Hunting.

Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. Home of tropical temperatures, sandy beaches, and many a fine Humpback whale.

We shot a few Humpbacks today. Well, with a camera anyway. It was quite beautiful and I do hope a few picutres turn out.

They were close, very close. Amazing really. Oop, times up!

Bumming

We've become something a bit shy of beach bums but don't quite fit the hard-core backpacker style either.

Our journey up the East Coast of Australia has brought us to Byron Bay today. We will depart tomorrow, likely for a day or two in Brisbane. It's quite beautiful here - more so than the previous locations we have traveled I dare say. I can easily understand why this town has become a place so popular with many. White, sandy beaches streching the two sides of Cape Byron. The sun doesn't stop here.

Suzanne has gravitetated towards complete beach bumming, opting for streched out sun-time whenever possible. Whereas I tend to lean towards a bit less sun-time and a bit more walking the coastel paths, viewing the floral, fauna, and far-reaches of the views.

We don't yet know what the 'morrow will bring.

Down Under

Suzanne (my sister) arrived last week in New Zealand. We were able to travel New Zealand for a few days, well, actually it was more like sleep in and then get out for the afternoons... Centering our days out of the YWAM Oxford Base made an afternoon out to Christchurch just as easy as an afternoon (quite sunny and nice I might add) to Castle Hill (renowned bouldering & scenic area that just happens to be 45 minute drive from the base). It was a good couple of days.

We flew to Sydney, Australia this past Saturday and have been in the greater Sydney area ever since. Well, not quite, we did spend one day out at the Blue Mountains, to the west of town - quite a beautiful area - prior to returning to the northwest Sydney area. The past day and a half we have been hanging out with David & Candice, a couple from Alaska that I had the pleasure to get to know off and on over the past number of years. We have had a grand time here visiting with them and experiencing a bit of their lives here at the Hillsong College. Tomorrow we will set out to the north.

So, a bit too short & sweet, but, time is not slowing down for any of us. Maybe there will be pictures posted next time... Cheers, mate.

New Zealand via Fiji

The Around the World ticket is no longer.

Saturday late afternoon marked the end of the last flight of the RTW ticket with my arrival at Christchurch. It's good to be back in New Zealand.

Fiji was good as well. Warm. Beach, snorkeling, sun. What more could one ask for? But, only five nights in Fiji is a bit short for those wishing to visit more of the islands - with only >300 islands or so it's a bit difficult to cover them all in a short time. I would recommend Oarsmans Bay Lodge out on Nacula Island in the Yasawa Islands. Pictures later on...

So, now back in Oxford, New Zealand trying to pray and consider the next step in life. My sister (Suzanne) arrives tomorrow (Wed) and we will be traveling Australia and New Zealand together until mid-November or so. Should be exciting...