Banana Split, Raja Ampat, October 2025 After a challenging 13 hour steam from Sorong to the government mooring buoy at Pulau Kri, we settle into life on the water where things just get better and… More
The Story Of Business Class Travel And Indonesian Customs
Our next adventure begins. It was quite the trip from NZ which started with a very special treat – we flew business class. We were told that once you had flown business class you will never be able to go back to cattle class. It was such a great experience. I know exactly what was meant by that statement.
Arriving at Auckland Airport we went straight to priority check in and bag drop, immediately following that was an “Invitation” to go to the lounge. Ok, yes please! We have 3 hours until take off and we feel like kiddies in a lolly shop. Where do we start?
There is cooked breakfast on offer, a barista making coffee, all pastries and cakes you could dream of, and a full bar. 1 plate, 2 plate, 3 plate, oh hang on, here comes lunch! The mandatory glass or 2 of bubbles, even though it is only 10am. Oh this is lovely. We took a seat right by the window looking down at the departure lounge. Passengers waiting for flights, sitting on plastic seats, trying to get comfortable drinking cuppuccino’s out of takeaway cups – this is usually us by-the-way.
That was just the lounge! Now we get onto the plane. First to be called, down a seperate skybridge that I never even knew existed! Into our own little area on the plane. We have our own cubicle with a sliding hatch between us. Duvet, sheet and real pillow. A footrest with room to stretch right out into a bed. This is going to be good.
The Crew are amazing. Right there every step of the way making sure there is nothing we need; nothing is too much trouble. The meals come with linen tablecloth, proper cutlery and glass glasses – which, it seems, were never empty! My crew looked so disappointed when I said no to Champaign, a Sauvignon blanc would be just fine thank you – to be fair, he did not know I had already had 3 glasses of Champaign in the lounge! After the first meal, a little Baileys perhaps? how about a 12 year old malt whisky sir? Oh it would be very rude not to!
It was so very comfortable in our little cocoons. It was wonderful to get our feet right up. It was an 11 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur. We did not get the swelling in our legs that we usually do. It was the best thing for my ankle, as I am still having issues with swelling and stiffness. I think it would have been a lot harder with out the feet elevation.
It was very cool to lie right down and snuggle into the duvet, turn off the light and try to go to sleep. BUT, I was just too excited to sleep, just as well this was a day time flight. So nice to have the choice though. Imagine having this luxury every long haul!
So I sit up again, reclining in my wonderfully comfortable seat. I felt like a Queen. Another glass of wine perhaps, or something else to eat Miss Donna? Oh my Gosh, I could so get used to this.
3 nights back in one of our favourite cities, Kuala Lumper. We stayed at a usual spot in China town and reacquainted ourselves with the wonderful smells and food.
Kuala Lumpur
A few pieces of navigation equipment to pick up for Banana Split took us out to Port Klang. 45 minutes drive from the city. It took an hour to do the “deal”, sign the papers, pay the man, collect receipts, then the driver took us back. Now to readjust the packing to get it all in. We only had to buy 5kg extra baggage for each flight. It was an interesting exercise as you buy by the kilo, not by bag. Perfect for us carrying what we had. We ended up with 3 bags – well one was just a big box. As you tag your bags, the weigh scale counts down your allowance. That was concern No.1, will we get away with the allowance? – yes! Easy peasy.
Concern No.2, getting said equipment into Indonesia. We landed at Jakarta airport. We had the right documentation, but alas, we were called into the office with the very official man asking quite a few questions. The guy on the x-ray machine said “is there something you want to tell me?” and pointed to the x-ray of the box. We were carrying a radar dome, he had no idea what it could be. Through the screen it really looked like something from outer space. I was visualising us being on the Indonesia version of Border Patrol – “do you know the contents of your bag?”…… All was good though. We had a laugh with the man in the office, right before he socked us between the eyes with the bill – he charged us 10% duty, 11% VAT and 10% Income Tax – yes Income Tax as we are not Indonesian citizens, then sent us on our way.
That piece of equipment was the sacrificial lamb, with a bit of clever accounting we got away with a fairly low bill. It could have been 3 times that amount. They were also so interested in the Navigation equipment, they forgot to ask about the brand new dive gear we were also carrying. Job Done!
Next flight, Jakarta to Sorong, 4 hour flight leaving at 1210 am, where is our business class now??
This part was easy, our faithful driver Neddy was waiting for us at Sorong and took us to Tampa Garam Marina where we found Banana Split. This is a small marina with no berths as such. It is a small rectangle of water with 8 vessels tied up in the Mediterranean style mooring system.
It was 0630, and though the manager knew we were arriving today, there was no one around. A quick discussion on how to get out to the boat as our dinghy is on the boat; not helpful. A call to the manager, who offered us to use the one tied up down at the other end of the marina, it has no oars; but there is 1 paddle.
We manage to get us and all our equipment safely onboard. Wow this is cool, we are back on a boat!! Now the real fun begins!
Thank you for reading our story
The Story Of The Accident
Almost to the day, 9th April 1998. Twenty-Seven years ago, I was driving from Gisborne to Tauranga. It was the Thursday before Easter weekend that year.
I had been living in Scotland for the previous eight years. We had decided to move back to New Zealand to raise our family. We had bought a house in Tauranga and were waiting for the settlement date and for our container load of household goods to arrive. My partner had gone back overseas to work and I was catching up with friends and family, filling in time until move-in day.
It was just starting to get dark. My dear friend Karen was in a car in front, I was following with my beautiful daughter Leigh-Ann, then only 2 years old. It was getting close to dinner time. We had stopped at the gas station in Opotiki and made the decision to go into Whakatane to McDonalds and have a break. I can’t remember that stop.
Somewhere after Taneatua, on the open road, 100km/h, a car swerved onto the middle line in front of Karen. She remembers thinking, “that was close” …. That car kept coming over the middle line and when he reached me it was a head on collision. Karen looked in her rear vision mirror and my lights had gone. I don’t remember the impact.
She turned her car around and found the carnage. I was unconscious. Karen unbuckled Leigh-Ann and put her into her car then came back to me. She thought I was dead. I can’t imagine the terror she must have felt in that moment. She leaned in on the passenger seat, I lifted my head up and looked at her. It was the weirdest feeling. I thought I had just woken from a lovely peaceful sleep and was confused why Karen was there. This lasted probably only seconds, it was almost in slow motion. Then I realised what had happened. My first thought was Leigh-Ann and I looked into the back seat where she had been buckled up in her car seat, she was gone. I will never ever forget Karen saying, “she’s ok, she’s beautiful”
I can’t remember an awful lot after that. I do remember the noise of the cutting gear and generators. There were also the blinding lights that had been set up. I remember a face very close to mine. The face had a fireman’s helmet on and it was through where the windscreen should have been. I remember a paramedic leaning on the passenger seat where Karen had leaned, talking to me. I can’t remember the conversation.
The steering wheel was close to my face so I could just lean my head forward and have a little rest on the wheel. I was holding my right elbow with my left hand, just like casually folding my arms, but I could feel the graunch and grind if I tried to move. But I felt no pain. I may have been medicated, but I can’t remember. My feet were stuck in the foot well. I was completely trapped, I couldn’t move. I got cramp in my foot but by then they were able to open up the gap to relieve the pressure on my feet.
They cut the two front pillars and peeled back the roof. My seat was wound back and a back board was slid down my back. The gap between dash and seat was widened with some sort of loud machinery and they hauled me out. Two firemen stood on the back seat and I was pulled straight up, out of the seat, onto the board and into the ambulance. Just like that I was free. The pain I felt during that manoeuvre was indescribable. Give me childbirth any day!
Off to Whakatane hospital where I was x-rayed top to bottom. I was in a bit of a mess. Too much for them so I was transferred to Tauranga hospital to get put back together.
It turns out that the driver of the other car was drunk. He sustained a few injuries, broken ribs and broken hip. He eventually went to court and was given a 12 month suspended sentence and was suspended from driving for 12 months. This was his third drink driving offense. What does it take to keep these lunatics off the road, will he kill the next one he crashes into?
I sustained multiple fractures, some compound. My left pelvis was also fractured. I had deep cuts and bruises—bruises so severe, they’re hard to even describe. An imprint of the window winder was visible in the bruise pattern on my right thigh. After a few weeks a hematoma the size of a rugby ball developed in that spot. It’s hard to believe I didn’t sustain any internal injuries—just lucky, I guess. Since then, I’ve undergone several surgeries to remove various pieces of metal, including plates, screws, and wires. I have a jar full of them, tucked away in a box somewhere.
So that is the story of the accident. I got all patched up and sent on my way to live a long and healthy life. It was a five hour surgery, I was lucky to keep my arm. It was a long recovery with a month in hospital and another 5 weeks in a wheel chair. It was tricky to get mobile as I only had one limb in working order, that was my left arm. Have you ever tried to wipe your bum with you non-dominant hand? It is amazing what you can learn when you have to. Onto one crutch and then a walking stick. It took until October before I felt whole and able to go without home help etc.
Here I sit, 27 years later, almost to the day, just out of hospital following a triple Arthrodesis operation on my foot. That is a fusion of 3 joints in my ankle to us laymen. As a direct result of the accident, I have developed severe Post Traumatic Osteoarthritis. This has been causing more and more pain as the years go by. Fusing those joints will take away the pain. More screws and a plate – can’t wait to see the new x-ray! Apparently my foot was jammed on the brake at the time of the accident taking full impact and snapping my Talus in half. This tells us that I saw the accident happen and reacted – but I don’t remember. Isn’t it amazing how our brain can protect us from traumatic memories..
FYI my pelvis has never given me any trouble and other than plates and screws removal, my arm, though I have been left without full range of movement, has been almost fully functional from the get go. I am very lucky and thankful every day. I am especially thankful that my beautiful Leigh-Ann was not hurt.
They say 5 months recovery from this operation…. Hmmm lets try see if we can make it less! There is still an awful lot of world to see out there, people to meet and adventures to have. I won’t be idle for long!!
Thank you for reading my story.
It’s A Kind Of Magic
Uoleva, Kingdom Of Tonga
I love it in the mornings when you come out onto the beach. You see evidence of the overnight activity of the beach inhabitants, the crabs! The little tiny hermit crabs with their gorgeous shells. They come in all different shapes and sizes. There are long cone shape shells and short stubby shells. They are always so beautiful. They are never broken or damaged. You see their tracks all over the beach, their big heavy shells dragging in between the row of little claws.
The red hermit crabs. I think they are the coconut crabs, as we find them in the bush as well, on top of coconuts which have fallen. They have all got the same kind of shell, a kind of a rounded shape, all about the same size. It is so funny in the mornings. They have these meetings on the beach around a coconut husk. Sometimes 6 or 8 of them and they are all just climbing on top of each other having a good old yarn. Then you come along and POP inside their shells they go, I can’t see you so you can’t see me! They are so round when their bodies are inside their shell, sometimes they roll down the slope of the sand. I wonder what that feels like for them, so very cute.
The little beige and black crabs, they are kind of mid-size. They run sideways so fast. Their little black eyes, close together sticking up like little antennae and their little legs all splayed out side ways. Scuttling down the beach into the water as soon as they see you coming. They dig holes in the sand, takes them hours. They are very meticulous bringing sand out of the hole and dumping it one arm full at a time. It is such a labour of love.
And then there are the bigger grey/green crabs, they are a lot bigger. I don’t think they would be big enough to eat but they are much bigger than these other little guys. They have beady red eyes spread quite far apart. They are so funny, they see you coming and back into the crevasses of the rock. As you move around the rock they scuttle around backwards to the other side, they think they are being hidden. Then Jenga will see them and bark and their claws stick straight out; attack mode. They just walk sideways very slowly, step by step, claws up facing their opponent. Jenga barks again, and the crab keeps walking, claws up, until he ends up back in the water to hide.
You know there are no other footprints on this beach, just us and Jenga. Nothing but that beautiful sun coming up, that golden hour. It is a bit cooler than what it will be as the day progresses. Overnight there has been a high tide so there is a new dump of sand and shells. We love beach-combing, looking at all the beautiful shells, but of course the nicest ones are all taken by the hermit crabs.
Jenga loves the morning walks, he has a fascination with the bait fish and the little black tip sharks. Poor old boy, he is getting a bit hard of seeing. He can’t always see them, but he knows there is something there. He runs along, barks, and splashes in the water, forever hopeful. He loves it, enjoying just being out there doing it. He has never caught anything yet but apparently he can.
At the end of the island there is a sand spit. At low tide it reaches, or has the potential to reach half way across the gap between us and Lifuka, the next island up. It has changed dramatically in the 3 months we have been here. Our home owners call it the magic sands. The spit used to go straight out. For a while, it went out towards the north. Now, it heads out to the east. It has completely changed sides. The colours and the patterns that come from this ever changing environment is incredible. Nature, what she can do and the power of the ocean is just beautiful.
We have managed to walk right out to that sand island. This is effectively the very end of the sand spit, which never gets covered by water. It was fascinating, it felt like we were right at the end of the world. The current is quite strong through this gap and the sand is very soft in places. As we were forging our way through the sinking sand we were taking really good notice of the tide. We knew that if we dilly dallied too much we would get stuck out there. It was so cool, we didn’t want to leave.
There is nothing on this island that can harm us badly. Except maybe for the pigs, but I don’t think that is very likely. There are no snakes, or deadly spiders like in Australia. But oh my, the spiders are huge! The Huntsman spider is here and she is very intimidating to look at, but harmless. There are plenty of spiders in the bush and they are very proficient at building webs right across out path. When we walk, we carry a stick. We wave it in front of us to catch the webs. It is a horrible feeling when you walk right into one! Mosquitoes, yes but not that bad. There are rats and mice around, but that is to be expected and they are more annoying than anything else. And that is why we have a cat, right? The worst thing is the paper wasps, we have both been stung and it is not pleasant, but again – not going to kill us!
The marine creatures are amazing. Every time we go out on the boat we see flying fish. They fly out of the water and dance their way across the water surface right in front of us. There are always turtles around. We see them out from the seat of knowledge and also from the boat in the lagoon. It is always a thrill to see the turtles, I don’t think I could ever get tired of them. One trip, we were coming back from the China shop on the boat. A Ray jumped right out of the water in front of us. It was incredible as we both saw it and could hardly believe our eyes. It jumped out of the water with its belly to us. It seemed to have a fish in its mouth. The fish dropped as it breached the surface then splashed back down into the water. We thought it could have been a Manta Ray, we clearly saw his mouth. But they are not meat eaters, so we are not sure what kind of Ray it was, but super exciting to see. We were buzzing for ages after that encounter.
There are big bats in the trees. They fly around right at sunset and land in the coconut trees, they are so lovely to watch. I think they could be flying foxes, which is just a big fruit eating bat. They make quite a racket during the night but we are getting used to it now.
It is so untouched out here, there is time to stop watch and listen to nature. I have been surprised at the lack of flowers. We only seem to have a hibiscus type of flower and we only see them once they have fallen from the tree. Maybe it is the time of the year? It is so green though, lush greenery everywhere. The sound of the ocean is ever present, waves crashing on the reef. Sometimes when the wind is blowing the right way, we can hear the crash of the waves landing on the outer reef beyond the lagoon on the other side of the island. Occasionally we hear a boom of the under water caves as they fill and empty with ocean surges.
We are loving this life, it is pretty unique. It is very refreshing to leave all the stresses of “normal” life behind for a while. But I always ask the question – “what is normal?” I will leave you with that to ponder!
Thank you for reading our story
Life on a Deserted Island: Embracing Isolation
Uoleva, Ha’apai, Kingdom Of Tonga
Who doesn’t want to go live on a deserted island? Where the sun shines all the time. The cool, crystal clear water of the ocean is right there in front of you. The gentle breeze through the coconut trees, white sand as far as you can see. Leave behind all those day to day grinds. Who wouldn’t want to have that – even just for a while. Hands up if you do!
It is an interesting concept, to just leave the rest of the world behind, sounds idyllic, sounds perfect even. It is the most unique situation I think we’ve ever been in and probably will ever be in again. This whole island, we are the only people on it; us and our little furry friends, and the crabs and the bats. It is a really unusual feeling. So freeing, we have escaped an everyday life of schedules and expectations.
We do miss the people though. Of course we miss our families and our friends. We also miss the strangers we meet on the street, in the shops, at the parks, on the train even. That is something we really enjoy about house-sitting and we are missing it a bit this time. We are so thankful for the awesome star link system here. It means we can easily keep in really good contact with people back home, which is vital. And just if you were wondering, Chris and I are still talking to each other haha! The parting comment from daughter when we left was “don’t kill each other!” Well, we haven’t – yet!!
We are coming to the end of our stay here. Well I say that, we still have 5 weeks to go. Just in the last week we have connected with people! We are in the low season just now, the rainy season, the cyclone season. This is when the people who live here go on their holidays, they get out of town so-to-speak. Close down the resorts and go somewhere else; hence the need (for some) for house-sitters. We have been here 3 months now and the people are starting to come back! We have now connected with a couple of people. We met them last time we visited Ha’apai in 2011. Through them, we have met other people. And so it goes.
We realised that there is a family who live in Pangai. It’s a village on the next island up. They have a property on Uoleva too. They said they would be out there on Saturday for the day, we should come for a visit. So we take the inflatable down the lagoon side of the island and try to find the track that goes through to the other side. The track up at our place is about 350m but this part of the island is a bit wider. The track has not been used since the end of the last season, probably not since October. So we are not sure how overgrown the track will be, or even if we can find it. We are so excited to be doing something different, and we get to hang out with some new people.
We see a buoy hanging from a tree and decide that this will be as good a place as any to start looking for said track. We anchor Wodga, the inflatable, and go ashore. Well how about that, this actually is the start of the path across, how clever are we. It was about 20 minute walk. Toward the end we just follow the smell wood smoke – yes, there must be people nearby! We come out the on beach and see their boat anchored just offshore, looks like we made it!
We had the best afternoon. The whole family was there, we met the kids, 3 girls, and Aunty. Dad had the fire going. He used branches from the trees to make a rotisserie for some lamb and chicken and started cooking over the fire. There was a pot of boiled root vegetables. Aunty weaved a table cloth from a palm frond and when the meat was cooked, we all sat around the table and had a feast. The meat was cooked to perfection, dripping with flavour, so simple yet so perfect. Grease all over our faces, licking our fingers, the kids fighting over the juiciest piece, could this have been any better! We were not expecting to stay for a meal. The kindness and hospitality was so beautiful, we felt like part of the family.
After the meal, we had fruit grown on the island. More sticks were sharpened so the girls could toast marshmallows over the hot coals. They were so soft and melty, squished between cookies and ended up all over the girls faces, so much fun. Reluctantly, we had to leave. We needed to get ourselves back across the track. We also had to return through the lagoon before the tide got too low. We had a great afternoon, days like this a gold, this is what it is all about, this is our “why”
We have been making amazing meals here, probably the best home-made meals we have ever created. We take turns in the hot-house (kitchen), it can be 38°C in there in the afternoons. We have plenty of meat, thanks to our awesome home-owners, and a pantry full of goodies. We just lack a bit of fresh produce. We can get potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic from the little China shop on the next island up. But that is a trip in the inflatable, and only when weather and tides are permitting, We can’t just go if we are missing an ingredient, it can be weeks between visits. We have been creating all sorts of dishes using what we have to hand. We have been using Papaya and Pele (Tongan Spinach) regularly. We have learnt how to make our vegies last in storage so we can buy bulk and not waste anything. Blanching and freezing, refrigerating in water, storing dry – it has been an awesome learning experience.
There is only a basic supply at the China shop. But we can order supplies from Tongatapu, which is about 160 km away. This involves an agent on Tongatapu to do the shopping, then package it up and deliver to the airport. On arrival at Ha’apai, the cargo then gets delivered by another person, to a place where we can get to by dinghy, dependent on weather and tides of course. It’s a challenge in itself, believe me! So we have not done this very often. We have made do with what we can get locally. If there’s something we can’t do with a carrot, it’s not worth knowing!
BUT……..
One day we get a message from our home-owners (currently in Bali). They say that we are to meet a guy at the end of the next island on Saturday. There is a box of cargo to pick up. So we just go and get on the boat and make our way across. Collect said cargo to find it is actually a box of vegetables and fruit for us. Oh My Goodness, we were so excited to see all this fresh produce. We feel very overwhelmed by the thoughtful kindness. What a surprise, just like Christmas all over again! We spent the next week creating even more amazing dishes with fresh produce! Thank you again Glen and Karen!
The weather has remained dry for us. It is rainy season as mentioned, Cyclone season in-fact, but we have just had hot hot hot and very little rain. My seeds as mentioned in my last story have not survived! Just too hot, 30°C feels like 41° C, nothing will grow in that heat, especially tender baby plants. Last week we had a little rain at some point almost every day. This was a very welcome reprieve from the heat. The forecast was for rain again, every day this week, but it has not come and is again hot hot hot. We have noticed a strange phenomenon with this island. All the weather seems to go around us. We seem to be in this little bubble in the middle of the chaos. We often watch the black storm clouds building, but we don’t get the effect. The ocean temperature is currently 29°C. Warm sea temperatures spur on Cyclones, so let’s all keep fingers X’d for the next 5 weeks!! But a bit more rain would be nice!
Thank you for reading our story!
We Put The Turbo Boosters On And Found Our Wings
2024 – it’s a wrap!
Recently I made a reel of all our 2024 house-sits, it was awesome, it turned out so well. Trusted House-sitters prompted that reel as a competition and I was hoping we would win a go-pro haha – of course I thought our house-sits and our pets were the BEST, and was very surprised that we did not win the competition.
As I was going through the photos and making that reel, I realised that the house-sits for last year were only a part of what 2024 was for us. Since 2017, (excluding the COVID 1.5 years and 2018 when we tried time back in the real world and worked), House-sitting has been our top focus. We have traveled around the world several times. Like bees, we have moved from flower to flower and from country to country. We always have the next 6 months or more booked up. But last year was different, we tried to slow things down a bit – HA!
The years go by so fast, don’t they? We are already almost half way through January and If I wanted to wrap up last year, then I better get on with it because before we know it we will be half way through July!
So, 2024, what did that look like for us? 12 months from the beginning of December 2023 looked like this:-
December we were in Engin, Germany, doing a new (for us)house-sit. We fell in love with 2 beautiful Sight Hounds, were enchanted with the village, especially when it snowed, and made awesome new friends. Then off to Leros, Greece to do a sit we have done before, we feel so at home on Leros. That was house-sits 1 and 2.
A few nights in Athens being tourists then off to Paris. 3 nights in Thure, France, catching up with friends we made while house-sitting there in 2019, then up to The Netherlands. We never visit Europe without a visit to our friends in Holland, we always have the best time, even though it is often years between visits.
We cannot be in this part of the world without a visit to Belgium – even if it is purely to drink beer! And that is exactly what we did. 3 nights in Brussels, 1st time visiting this city. Now, across the channel, House-sit 3 and 4 in South England, Weymouth then Shoreham-by-Sea. Some more new pets to get to know and love, and awesome homeowners/new friends.
We want to head over to Puerto Rico, not to house-sit this time but purely to visit all the wonderful people we had met there during the 2 X 6 month sits we have done in the past. So, this time we jump on a ship and sail from Southampton to Miami. 11 days crossing the Atlantic – truly a bucket list item! On arrival we fly straight to Puerto Rico and then on to Vieques. Two weeks was not enough, but we must move on.
By now it is March and our next stop New Zealand. Now this is novel, haven’t had much time here in the last few years. We have a full immersion into our family and friends. It is awesome! Exhausting but fantastic. We make our way up and down and around the country and have a great old time. Chris spends 8 weeks here and I have 6. I opted to head over to Queensland, Australia for 2 weeks to spend a bit of time catching up with friends and family there.
It is now May and we each jump back on a plane. Chris flies from Auckland. I fly from Brisbane. We meet in Langkawi, Malaysia. Back to a house-sit we have done before; this is house sit-number 5. From Langkawi it is a quick 3-day visit to Kuala Lumpur to be tourists again. We just love Malaysia, the food, the people the warmth – everything! But now time for Thailand.
We have been to Hua Hin, Thailand several times now. While there, we have made great friends. We have 3 house-sits here over the next 2 months, all through word-of-mouth for friends. Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Thailand without a sit for the 44+ dogs and our dear friend Cristina. We are so glad to be able to be there so she can get away for a break. That was house-sits 6, 7 and 8.
August we head to The Sunshine Coast, Australia. Maybe put our feet up for a bit? Fat chance! Chris stays for 4 weeks and heads back to Langkawi to do that sit again that we did in May. House-sit number 9. I chose to sit this one out and stayed put in Australia for about 2½ months. Meanwhile Chris finishes in Langkawi. He heads first to Kuala Lumpur then to Tioman Island, Malaysia to be tourist for a few weeks. He absolutely loves it – though he says it was not the same without me…..
I have 2 weeks in New Zealand again and by late October Chris arrives into New Zealand also. Only for a week though, November we head off to the most remote house-sit we have ever done. Uoleva, Tonga. House sit-number 10. And here we are, halfway through this 4 month sit. Lots of time to reminisce over the past 12 / 13 months. Wow we have been busy! I am feeling exhausted just thinking about it.
What a year!
10 house sits, 63 pets. 13 countries, we won’t count USA, we only transited, 12 international journeys together and 7 separately, that’s average 15½ each.
We travelled between places by ferry 3 times, bus 8 times, train 3 times, were driven by car twice and sailed on a ship once. I can’t remember how many domestic flights we took while in New Zealand. It was more than I can count on two hands!
During this year, we celebrated an awesome milestones. Our daughter Tayla and her partner Jesse got engaged! Huge congratulations to them both, we are so very proud. Such a privilege to have been there to celebrate with them! WOW, It has been quite a year.
So that is a year in the life of the house-sitters. How did we ever have time to work a 9 – 5?
We often get asked how do we do this? How do we step away from the conventional? My answer? what is normal? And often a comment comes back, oh I could never do that! but you know what? you can! All you need to do is put your mind to it and just take that first step. It’s just one foot in front of the other. I say just go for it, go on! give it a chance. Life is too short and you never know what you’re gonna find out there. There are so many wonderful people to meet and sights to see. Give it a go! you might just surprise yourself.
We have each and every one of these stories in detail with loads more cool photos. If you want to see more, check out the rest of our blog……https://kiwisdofly.blog/
A big year but nicely balanced, exhausting and exciting all at the same time.
Thank you for reading our story
The Tale Of A Remote Island
Uoleva, Ha’apai, Tonga
One month in – 3 months to go! Oh boy what have we done?
It is like we are on a big boat, nothing but ocean all around. No connection to the mainland, ie no power supply, no water mains, no sewage. Just what we have here on our “boat”. Chris and I have lived remotely before, but this is the most extreme. Are we loving it, are we managing ok? Hell yes! we are loving it. Every day brings joy and challenges in equal parts.
This is Uoleva, smack bang in the middle of nowhere! Actually not nowhere, the Kingdom of Tonga, in the South Pacific. 19°50.5’S 174°23.65’W to be exact! A 4 X 1 km (at the widest point) island of sand and coconut trees, running almost North-South. There is almost no one else around. We are looking after 1 of 4 small resorts on the island and besides the resort owners, staff and guests, Uoleva is uninhabited. No roads, no infrastructure. Access is by boat only and completely off grid. We are in the rainy season now and all businesses are closed, there are no guests, and the owners and staff have, mostly, left the island. So, we really are on our “todd”
West side, we hear these waves all day and all night – love it! 
East side, Lagoon side 
Never short of a fabulous sunset
Our amazing owners have been here for over 10 years and have built this place from the ground up. Literally, from the clearing of the land to the supply of materials and building of the dwellings. Blood sweat and tears have gone into this project which has been an absolute labour of love and passion. We are so in awe of what they have done! A young couple with a dream, a vision, and they made it a reality! Following their love of Kite Surfing and their respect for marine wildlife and the ocean, they have found a spot with perfect conditions to make that dream become real. We are so lucky to be here and live in their shoes for a while.
Check out their website, and see their full story https://kitesurftonga.com/
Kitchen fale, complete with the naked chef! 
The house fale 
It is always exciting to learn the ropes of a new house sit, but this one is out the gate! We have to call on all our experience and knowledge from the past. We have done the no power, remote food supply, the unique challenges of island life, the hurricane zone, the long sit duration, the excessive heat and humidity, the bugs and mosquitos, sick and medicated animals; but not all at once! We must take everything we have learnt before and wrap it all up into one package, and we are ready for the challenge.
Having said that, we thought we might get fired in the first few days of being here. The dinghy disappeared on our first night here, off the mooring right outside the house. A mystery which will probably never be solved. Then poor Jenga, the dog, was mauled by either another dog or perhaps a pig?? Blood everywhere! Big wounds around his head and ear. Very pleased this happened while the owners were still here as we had not had enough time to bond with him. We are very much bonded now! Poor guy! He remained sedated and on antibiotics for a few days after our owners departed. And then the cows; there have not been cows on the property for 10 years, first day on our own and the cows come in, sheesh! Thankfully they didn’t do too much damage, and now that Jenga is better – and not in a drugged up state, the cows have not returned!
So here we are, getting into the swing now and pinching ourselves that this is real. We feel so lucky to have had this opportunity to look after this little piece of paradise. We have a very efficient solar power system, gas for cooking and hot water, a water well and rain water tanks. We have a Starlink satellite system, so comms will not be a problem! What more does one need?
There should be no shortage of sunshine here in the South Pacific – she says hopefully! There is ability to capture enough sunshine to provide power for 12 guests in the season, so I think with just the 2 of us, we should not run out of power. The systems they have in place are quite substantial. No doubt this has come from experience, anything can happen in this unpredictable and volatile environment – Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Cyclones, and just the mere fact that we are sitting on a tiny sandcastle, surrounded by salt water which can kill anything, if you give it half a chance. The corrosion is a continual battle. So we have a generator, in fact we have a three, and spares for everything, just in case.
1 of 3 banks of solar panels 
The water well
Along with plenty of sunshine, there is also plenty of rain, particularly at this time of the year. Rain fills the freshwater tanks from the runoff from the roofs, this is our drinking water, and the well water is pumped into other tanks for everything else. The well water is mostly fresh water, but there is an element of sea water mixed in there. So, there is always a saltiness to the well water, we are getting used to showering and washing dishes in salty water. There is enough water to furnish 12 guests plus staff in the season, so I think we “2” will be fine for water. And there are spare pumps, just in case!
And what goes in, must come out! The toilets are composting, and there is a complex composting system for food and other scraps. So no damaging effect on the environment. What goes on the island, stays on the island.
We are finding this to be a healthy lifestyle, we are out in the elements all day and by 7:30pm we are exhausted and ready to retire to the house fale and watch some Netflix – yes, we do have a TV, there is even a spare!! Planning and cooking food is a daily job, the nearest shop is a boat ride away, over a reef, so we can only go when the weather and tides are favourable. We are baking bread, loaves, cookies, making our own sauces and curries and pizza dough from scratch. Chris is getting coconuts each day and we are drinking fresh coconut water – that has got to be good for you! We have planted some seeds and are coaxing them along; we are hopeful they will yield some food soon. Neither of us have had a lot to do with gardening. We learnt a lot at the Chateau in France, but that garden was already established – so watch this space, when I start singing and telling stories to the plants, maybe send help!
Being on a small island we are very conscious and dependent on the weather around us. As I said before, just like being on a boat, we consistently have to check the forecast and be aware of and recognise the changes. We are getting temperatures up to 30°C most days and it is not dropping below 27°C at night with up to 90% humidity. There is a fairly consistent Easterly wind which is very well received. We have use of an inflatable dinghy which is on a mooring in the lagoon. This is our life line to the other islands, and our mode of transport to get supplies. Both Chris and I are loving the boat, it is not a chore to get out in the boat and navigate our way through the reefs over to the other island, its what we do!
Cannot believe the clarity of this water in the lagoon! off this planet! 
Ever loyal Jenga 
Has it really been a month already? This first month has been amazing, we are looking forward the the next 3. Day to day we are finding plenty to do. Along with the coconuts, Chris is harvesting bananas, papaya and passion fruit every day – he is attempting to make wine from the bananas – we will keep you posted on that one! We have a few projects on the go here on the property along side the normal daily chores, so we are not getting bored! We are finding it pretty hot though and not a lot can get done in the middle part of the day, so reading books under the fan is another one of our daily jobs! We are swimming a lot, kayaking and snorkelling too. Its a great life!
By the way, Jenga is all better now, he has recovered fully from his ordeal, and he is an absolute joy to have around! Him along with our darling little girl cat Tigger “T I double G er” are delightful members of our wee family here on the island.
T
Thank you for reading out story
There is more coming soon…..
It Is Always An Adventure, Visas, Flat Tyres And Snakes
Getting into Thailand is never been difficult for us. We have been here each year for the past three years. We never planned it that way but there you go, we are here again. We have never had to be here for more than 30 days, so never thought about the visa requirements. This time we are in for a longer stay. The Thai government increased the stay in Thailand for a lot of countries from 30 days to 60 days, effective from 1 June. Perfect timing, we are arriving on 11th. But, Alas, No. On arrival, the immigration guy said this was in fact, only a concept. 30 days it is then; we will get an extension. This trip we require exactly 60 days.
I was curious to know how this extension thing works. We had been told by friends in Thailand that it is easy, just go to the place and pay the money (equivalent $85NZD) and voilà, extension granted. This sounds good, but being me, I was still a bit concerned. What if they say no for some reason? I feel immigration people have so much power it is frightening. Quite often it seems to be an opinion, or interpretation of the rules by the individual guard, and if they got up on the wrong side on the bed that morning, then you are screwed! And have you ever noticed that different airlines seem to have different rules? Picture this, same day – New Zealand passport holder number 1 – Go to Malaysia on Batik Airline, you need an onward ticket from Malaysia to board the plane, New Zealand passport holder number 2 – go to Malaysia on China Eastern Airlines – you do not. Go from Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico on InterCaribbean Airlines, you need an onward ticket from Puerto Rico, take the same route the day before on Frontier Airlines, and you do not. (we actually missed that flight all together – but that is ANOTHER story all together!!) Really??
The people at the immigration office in Hua Hin were so nice. We ended up going twice as we needed proof of where we were staying in Thailand, along with photos, our passports and the signed application form that we already had. We were given the correct paperwork from our awesome homeowners landlord and within minutes we had our extension. Our friends were right, it is very easy, job done!
As we have been to this part of Thailand recently, it takes no time to settle back into the old neighbourhood. Our homeowners head away on their adventure, and we are left with 2 adorable big dogs. Our daily routine starts with 6am dog walk. We were introduced to a French family at the end of the street with 2 dogs and we end up enjoying our daily morning walk together. It is so wonderful to meet people you know will always be friends, our different nationalities and language challenges makes no difference.
We are very lucky and have been left a car and bicycles to use. We head out on the bikes a few times until one day we stopped for coffee, and when we got to get back on the bike, I realise I have a flat rear tyre. We are about 6 km from home. So I start walking the bike and Chris cycles back to get the car.
Chris heads out on a journey a few days later alone and wham! Another flat tyre. But, this time he was about 8 km from home. If anyone knows Chris you will know – of course he did not have a phone on him. So a long, hot walk back for him. This time there are 3 punctures in the one tube, so a new tube goes in. A few days later we notice that the front tyre on the other bike is flat. Another patch! We realise that the thorns from the trees along the beach road are killing us!
Our friend Cristina very kindly has now lent us her motorbike. This is more like it! BUT… First time out – guess what! Flat tyre – Yes, it is true! We had been at the Wyndham resort to celebrate my birthday. On the way there we were thinking that the tyre felt a little soft going over the bumps – but with 2 large Kiwis onboard……. what did we expect! One completely new tyre later, we start to wonder what it is with us – 6 wheels and 6 punctures, not bad odds! Thankfully that was the last of the flat tyres.
It was incredibly hot for the first few weeks, and then the rain started. At last, some relief from the heat. We manage to fill our days with dog walks and food hunting. I joined a group and did yoga a couple of times a week and played cards and board games once a week. We try all the local restaurants and marvel at the price of some of the menus. You can eat incredibly cheap here if you stick to the local places. $3 for two, flat rice noodles with chicken, Pad Thai, including soup. And so tasty! We love it how they take your order and start chopping, bit of this and a bit of that and within a very short time you have the most delicious meal in front of you.
A bit more expensive at the bigger restaurants but still, very cheap for us spending New Zealand dollars. We occasionally cook eggs on toast at home, but there are so many places to eat around, so why dirty the dishes at home?? Occasionally we crave a burger or something like that but we love Thai food so much that we never get tired of it.
fish cakes, fried cashews and tempura veg and squid – and of course a couple of large Chang! 
Honey toast with ice cream – actually really good! 
Mango sticky rice – one of my favourites!!
It is interesting, the condiments for the Thai food. There will always be bowls or small packets of fish sauce with small green chillies, chilli powder and sugar. Sugar goes into almost everything and then you have the opportunity to put more in, it is quite different to what we are used to. This is not unique to Thailand, it is the same in Malaysia. There is quite a problem of diabetes here, I guess you can see why.
Oh the snake!! Driving into our drive we see a green tail disappear under the gate. It is an electric gate, runs on steal wheels along a rail – you know the type. Not sure what the tail belonged too, lizard? Snake? Gate opens, park the car and go to see where “it” went. Oh no! the gate wheels had chopped the snake right in half! You could not have done this if you tried, the poor snake. He was not a poisonous one and he was quite pretty but chopped in two places! Unbelievable!
Next house sit is back with our dear friend Cristina with all the dogs. We only spend 3 days here this time as she takes a well-deserved weekend off. All the dogs remember us! There are a few new ones, but it takes no time to win their affection. There are a few there who we would dearly love to bring home, but importing dogs from Thailand to NZ is pretty difficult.
Last house sit is in the same neighbourhood as the first, 2 dear wee cats, Mumma and daughter. They are pretty timid, but it doesn’t take too long for them to come round, especially the Mumma. We continue to visit with friends from around the corner and eat our way around the district.
One of our favourite things is to go down to the beach about 4pm, have a couple of large Leo’s sitting in the bamboo salas, watch and listen to the ocean, order some ridiculously cheap food, and just enjoy our surroundings. This is what it is all about!
One of our favourite spots to while away an afternoon 
Caught in a storm – what is one to do?? 
Feet in the sand, delicious food and great company – this is the life! 
Walking with the girls
We spent 2 months in Thailand, 3 house sits, 46 dogs, 2 cats and 1 snake later we are heading back to Australia. We always have such a wonderful time in South East Asia, it goes too quickly!! Sad to say goodbye! But we will see you again!
Thank you for reading our story
House Sitting in Southeast Asia: A Rustic Paradise
House sitting in Southeast Asia, we just keep coming back!
It was an interesting journey to get here this time, but once on the ground, everything just slotted back into place.
We love Malaysia, and Langkawi is a fabulous island. It is not super busy or highly modern, in fact, some might say it is very rustic. And this is what we love. It is nice to become part of the village, part of the place. Malaysian people are so caring and giving and very accepting of everyone. No matter what your religion or nationality, they never judge or disapprove; beautiful people.
We commence a very pleasant five weeks. We reacquaint ourselves with our favourite foods and reconnect with dear friends we made on the last trip. Lots of walks on the beach, plunging in the pool and duty free beer! We quickly remember the feeling of being in a constant state of sweatiness and mosquito bites! The time flies by, how can these weeks go so fast? It is true what they say – time flies when you are having fun!
We have been to this house sit before, one year ago. So we know the drill, and the dogs, HobNob and BD know us. This is the most magical spot. The house is open so there is a constant breeze coming through. We share the space with all manner of beasties including snakes and the resident Tokay Gecko. The Gecko hangs out upstairs and hides behind the picture frames and talks to us every night. We dont see the snakes but the snake skins are around, which tells us they are there somewhere! We saw centipedes, flying termites and of course mosquitos, we all learn to live together in relative harmony.
There are monkeys in the trees out the back but they don’t try to come in because of the dogs. There is so much bird life here, it is like being in David Attenborough documentary. A pack of Hornbills live on the property, they are always flying around or hopping around the base of the palm trees with their white baggy pants on. A couple of pairs of Greater Racket-tailed Drongs are nesting in the coconut palm, we see them foraging on the tree trunk, eating bugs with their flag-like tail feathers swishing around. It is so amazing, so much nature all around us.
This time in Langkawi we get to go up the SkyCab gondola to the SkyBridge. Our friend from NZ had called into Langkawi on her way to Thailand so this was the perfect opportunity to play tourist. If you ever get to Langkawi this is a must see! At 125 metres, the SkyBridge is the longest free span and curved bridge in the world. The bridge deck is 600 metres above sea level and as we are on a small island, that makes it a long way straight up! It is an incredible engineering feat and well worth the visit to see it up close. We had the best day for it too. The bridge is closed if the wind is too high and often the bridge and the mountain peaks around it are shrouded in cloud, so we timed it perfectly.
We are here again in the rainy season, but again, there is not much rain. The rainy season is April to November but it is the worst in September/October. We had forgotten the intensity of the humidity here, consistently being in a “sweaty mess”
We went up to the 7 Wells waterfall and was so surprised at the lack of water, it was a sure tell-tale of how dry the island has been. Drag the arrow to see the difference.
From Langkawi we make our way by train to Kuala Lumpur. We love travelling by train and it is a nice change. We were not in a hurry to get anywhere so this was the perfect option. Air travel within Southeast Asia is so cheap and you can fly from Langkawi to KL for about the same as the train. It is always so surprising when converting into New Zealand dollars, just how cheap some things are over this part of the world. $42NZD one way flight, KL – LK, crazy!
We have 4 nights in KL, really just to fill in time as we cannot enter Thailand until 11 June as we need the full 60 days in Thailand to complete the 2 house sits we have booked there. The Thai government has announced that the tourist visa-on-arrival has changed from 30 days to 60 days, as of 1 June. This is great news as it means we won’t have to get an extension when we get there – but wait one caller!! On arrival at Bangkok airport, we only get 30 days. We very politely questioned this and were told “oh no, 60 days on arrival is only a concept” OK so we will have to go get an extension.
It is funny how things work out. This is the third year in a row that we have come to Thailand, to this area near Hua Hin. We didn’t actually plan it this way, it just happened! The first 2 years we were here to house sit for Cristina at Paws and Tails. Check out those stories by the links below! 44 dogs is not for the faint hearted! We met some awesome people through Cristina while we were here during those times, and now we are back and sitting for them. We hardly use the housesitting web sites now, we are either doing repeat sits or being requested through word of mouth. So we have two sits ahead, both for friends. In between these sits we will have a few days looking after the dogs at Paws and Tails.
What is it that keep taking us back to Southeast Asia? Malaysia? Thailand, the land of smiles?. Well, it is the food, that’s for sure, the warmth of course and mostly it’s the people! The friendships we make along the way are what it is all about!
Stories of Paws and Tails
The Tale Of Paws And Tails
Another Tale Of Paws And Tails
See you in Thailand, our next adventure has just begun!
Thank you for reading our story
“Time Flies” Metaphore. Time appears to pass more quickly when engaged in something you enjoy
Retimed To Langkawi
We seem to be faced with many reschedules, cancellations and delays to journeys these days, it is becoming a bit of a worry. Is this a thing now or is it just me?
Last year our flights to South East Asia were changed last minute, and we had a major re shuffle just days before flying. Now this year, similar things happened.
Chris had a flight booked, a through ticket, Auckland to Langkawi. We have had a couple of bad experiences with 3rd party booking sites in the past, so now we always make sure to book with the airline itself. Not sure if this is recommended by all, but we feel it must be a little safer. On the long journeys we like to book afternoon flights, so they go through the night and with a “get to the airport 3 hours prior” we don’t have to get up at stupid-o’clock to get to the airport.
So, Chris is booked for Sunday night 1800 take off, Auckland to Langkawi. A few weeks before, he received an email – your flight has been retimed. What’s this new word we keep hearing – retimed?? Hmmmm, is that to make it not sound so problematic? Anyway, his flight is “retimed” to 0630 Monday morning. Really? That means getting to the airport at 0330!! NOT our favourite thing to be doing.
The flight has two stops, Perth and Kuala Lumpur. Remembering this is a Through-ticket, the first 2 flights have been retimed but the KL – Langkawi leg remains the same – that is, it is leaving KL before it arrives. Well, this wont work. A couple of emails later, they change that leg to work with the rest. Nice.
4 days before the flight, another email to say the flight has been retimed. And again, only the first half changed, which means, again, that he would arrive in KL after the flight to Langkawi has left. No mention of this in the email, it is as if they don’t notice it, or mention it, then it isn’t a problem. It is a problem for Chris though, how is he meant to get to Langkawi? There is not other flight until the next day. So he chooses, this time, for full cancellation and refund. Cutting it fine though, this is 4 days before he is due to be meeting me in Langkawi to start a house sit.
A new ticket is bought, leaving Sunday night (no stupid-o’clock get up) arriving in KL in plenty of time to get a flight up to Langkawi – but via China! Oh Well, at least he will get there, though be it, the long way round.
Meantime, I am flying from Brisbane to Langkawi, a through ticket, booked through the airline, via Denpasar and Kuala Lumpur. And I DID have an early get-up! I Checked-in online so line up to drop my bag. Where is your onward ticket from Malaysia, she asks? Eh? You cannot board the plane without an onward ticket from Malaysia, she said. Really? We have been to Malaysia several times, is this new? I really think that different airlines have different interpretations of the rules. Chris did not have to have a forwarding ticket. But you cannot argue, you cannot question, they have all the power in the world to stop you from boarding the plane at the end of the day. So over to a chair I go to book and pay for a flight out of Malaysia. Done.
Back into line. You have to pick up your bag in Kuala Lumpur, she says. Dam, but this is a through ticket! Why? Again, you cannot question. Ok, whatever you say.
My plane was 90 minutes late leaving Brisbane, we didn’t get off the plane in Denpasar, 1 hour on the ground. I won’t have much time in KL to get to my Langkawi flight.
On arrival at KL, I see on the board that my flight has been “retimed” yay I have an extra hour to get through. I go through immigration, (by the way, he didn’t want to know about my onward ticket!!) I make my way to the carousel; my bag is nowhere to be seen. I ask at the lost luggage desk, he says that as I am effectively in transit, then I should have gone to the transit desk air side and my bag would have been there. Oh? I say, dam, missed that memo.
Ok so I have to get back through. By now I am running out of time and feeling a bit panicked. I am talking to Chris on the phone, he is here at the airport too but at terminal 2, and about to board his plane to Langkawi.
I finally find the place to go through to domestic departures and show my boarding pass to be told that my plane has left! Eh? Did I miss read the board? I actually did question this this time and took the lady to the board to show her, I had also received an email about the retiming, so I was pretty confident that I was right. So yes, the flight had NOT gone, and she let me through.
I got to the gate and told the attendant that I didn’t know where my bag was, that I was told to pick it up and it might still be at the transit desk at international arrivals, but I didn’t know where that was. He was so very kind and said, Madam, take a seat and relax, it will be fine, you bag will be on the plane. So, I sit, and the plane is delayed again, so I have lots of time to unwind the tight coil of worry that has wound up around me. At least I was at the gate, and I had not missed the flight.
I arrived in Langkawi and there was Chris to meet me and, to my amazement, there is my bag!! Miracles do happen.
David, our home owner, picked us up and we went to Cocos bar and that first Tiger beer did not hit the sides and was delicious.
We made it!
Thank you for reading our story!!
This Is Better Than Flying!
The story of the Cruise Ship – It just gets better and better!!
We feel we are lucky to have chosen this transatlantic crossing as our first cruise. It is 11 days long and we will not hit another port until we get to Miami. That is a lot of days to be at sea, nothing to do but be on the boat. It is a re-location voyage; this ship goes on to cruise the Caribbean for the season. No ports? Perfect for us as we feel that it has really given us a chance to get to know the boat. If this had only been 5 days for example, we would not have discovered all the hidden gems that we have done. We have walked and explored every corner of this ship. There is so much to see and do. We have loved every minute.
The weather has not been the best, but as we progress toward USA, the outside temperatures are getting higher. We were in fog for at least one whole day where every 2 minutes there was a 5 second blast on the horn – fog signal. Once the fog cleared the drizzle started and the swell got bigger and bigger. 10-meter seas, 40 knot winds, she got a bit rocky there for a while, about 3 days at its worst. The captain gives an update every morning at 10am and this is normal for the North Atlantic Ocean. We knew the weather was coming up when we saw the vomit bags being put out at the stair wells at every level.
The Observation lounge is one level above the bridge and has a fabulous view forward. We would sit up there and watch the ship riding up and down the swells. This is a huge ship, yet we managed to spray water up and over the bow as we dipped into the troughs and ploughed up and through the wall of water ahead – exhilarating! Each time another big swell came there was a collective “wow” from all watching, followed by nervous giggles! Day 8 the wind dropped to around 20 knots, and as we have been travelling at a constant 17knots, it is felt a lot calmer. This was just one day; the wind has been around 40 knots for most of the trip.
When we left Southampton, we did not expect to see land again until we came into Miami. On the evening of day 3 we had an announcement to say that there was a medical emergency, and someone needed to go to hospital so we would be altering our course to go to Azores Islands to medivac the patient. They were not sure at this stage whether we would go in and dock or stay off and transfer the patient by boat. We were a long way off these islands so would not arrive until 0500 in the morning. Of course, I had to get up to see this!
0445 I got up and could see the lights of the island in the distance. We stopped just outside the harbour of Ponta Delgarda. It was dark, but you could see the beach not far from us. The captain kept position using the starboard thrusters, the wind was pushing against our port side. The pilot boat approached and came alongside beautifully, and they loaded the poor man from the lower deck in a stretcher. He was waving so I felt happy that he was at least conscious and aware of what was going on, we never did find out what actually happened to him. The Pilot boat left, and we slowly moved off and headed back on our way. The diversion was a welcome change and something quite different. I was fascinated in the while process, having been involved in this sort of operation back in New Zealand. It was great work by all involved, very efficient and professional.
The lights of the Azores 
Our diversion track around the islands
This ship can carry 3800 passengers and 1600 crew. We have heard that there are only 1000 passengers onboard! So that means there are more crew than passengers! We feel, again, so lucky that this is the case as it is not crowded at all. We try to imagine how different it would be with another, near enough, 3000 people on board. But as we have never done this before, we don’t have anything to compare.
The sun is out, so we have to try – its only 19 degrees and so windy!
There are over 13 bars – (we know because we pub-crawled 13 all in one day – took 8 hours, but that is a story for another day!!) There are 11 restaurants, a casino, car racing track, kids water slides, swimming pools, a library, cigar lounge, theatre, full spa, art gallery and shopping mall selling the best diamonds in the world. It has to be seen to be believed. There are millions of dollars’ worth of paintings onboard, Dürer, Dali and Rembrandt just to name a few. Full on art auctions are taking place under our noses. The bars all have themes, the Beatles are at the Cavern club, whisky “by the jar” at the Maltings, Mojito’s at the Sugarcane or 70 different craft beers at the Brewhouse. You want cocktails with breakfast – feel free, its all here, and no one will judge!! Gives new meaning to the concept of day drinking.
Half way through our pub crawl – we are still looking ok!! 
The food is incredible. We have tried all the restaurants that are part of our package and they do not disappoint. Whether we have A la Carte or the buffet, the food quality is sensational. We had one meal at the steakhouse as it was part of our “specialty dining package” OH MY, WORD! 5-star dining, 500g steak perfectly cooked, 4 courses, outstanding! And it is free! We are still so blown away by what is on offer, and we continue to pinch ourselves every day.
The Garden Café is the buffet restaurant and is the typical buffet style with multiple dishes of many cuisines. They usually have a different theme each night or a specific roasted meat. Rib Eye, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey, its all been pretty good. We are certainly not going without our protein! One night they were advertising “Steamship” as the specialty. We asked, what is this? Beef, they said. Ok lets have a look. Have you ever seen a whole cow leg roasted? Well, that is what Steamship is. We could not believe our eyes at the size of this roasted piece of meat, complete with bone out of the top! 10 hours cooking at 120 deg apparently, and it was delicious.
The staff are so friendly, everyone has a smile and hello. I have been amazed to see the natalities of the staff. Everyone’s name badge has where they are from. I read somewhere that the crew are made up of over 50 different nationalities. It is a wonderful mix. Evening 10 after the Broadway Cabaret, a huge collection of the staff came onto the stage for a farewell. Representatives from every part of the ship from the engine room, catering, housekeeping, retail, bar and restaurant, to the captain, were there. As they filed out, up the stairs of the theatre we were able to say thankyou and show our appreciation. As we then filed out of the theatre, they were all there, almost as a guard of honour, thanking us! I was quite overcome by this gesture; this could almost be my highlight of the trip.
We have not spent much time out on deck because of the weather. We thought that we would start getting better weather by the time we were a few days out from Miami. Surprisingly this was not the case. The temperature got up to 20°C on the last day, but the wind was still cold. The pools remained closed and half empty until day 8, a small handful of brave soles got in.
not a lot going on out on deck
We were at sea for 11 days, I saw 2 other boats on day 11, we had our Medi-vac on day 4, but other than that we have not seen any other signs of life besides what is here on this ship. It has been so peaceful. We have been able to find quiet spots and been able to relax and just ponder this amazing planet and the enormity of the ocean in front of us which is 5km deep right here. Watching the ever-changing clouds and the colours, the swells and currents. The gentle hum of the engines underfoot and the slight sideways rock is reassuring as we make our way towards land.
7752km behind us is Southampton.
This really is so much better than flying!
Thank you for reading our story!!
Kiwis Do Fly 