We’re leaving together (*a planeload of Brits)But still it’s farewellAnd maybe we’ll come back (*I am pretty sure I will)To earth (*NZ), who can tell?I guess there is no one to blame (*COVID-19 is not a person)We’re leaving ground, leaving groundWill things ever be the same again? (*probably not thanks to Boris) IT’S THE FINAL… Read more

When walking with mum in St Arnaud, I introduced her to one of my favourite Disney tracks, ‘I’m still here’ from Treasure Planet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA68KUb4e7Q). It’s an absolute banger (in English or Spanish). It is also very fitting for my current situation…I’M STILL HERE. After increasingly struggling with a sense of isolation in Canvastown I am… Read more

Another special addition blog post for you… I have slipped into a regular routine here in the outbacks of New Zealand, so don’t have too many grand adventures to report on. We celebrated 2-weeks of lockdown last Wednesday with a few drinks, nachos and a movie and the virus situation here seems (touch wood) relatively… Read more

Hands up who’s watched the film or read the book called The Martian (the one with Matt Damon). If you haven’t I’d definitely recommend it and if you have, well it’s very relatable for me right now… Ok, well perhaps there are some slight differences. He was stuck on his own on Mars for many… Read more

25th March – onwards (Canvastown) Wednesday 25th March. It was our last day of any freedom before stricter measures are implicated across New Zealand. We made the most of it, walking the Queen Charlotte Track from Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay and back (~ 20 km). We were social distancing, but that was not hard with… Read more

20th March – 22nd March (Abel Tasman National Park) After a final night in Airbnb heaven we started the onwards journey. We stopped in Nelson for supermarket provisions (there is no clear stockpiling in NZ yet) before moving on to Marahau and Abel Tasman National Park. After some Coronavirus related changes to our accommodation (no… Read more

15th March – 17th March (Christchurch) Life is most certainly a rollercoaster (credit to Ronan Keating for that one). After a bit of a scare getting into New Zealand due to the Coronavirus, I flew into Auckland and then Christchurch. After a short wait (filled by bananas and rice cakes) a special someone arrived on… Read more

Bula from Fiji!! We touched down in Nadi after an overnight flight and set out to explore the town. The vibe was much closer to Sri Lanka than anywhere else we have been in South East Asia (very friendly and chatty people, but with more litter and less touristy). We checked out the colourful Sri… Read more

8th March – 9th March (Singapore) After a final riverside walk in Melaka (Helen went to the Sultanate history museum) we travelled to Singapore. The bus took five hours including a border (with Coronavirus checks) so it was early evening by the time we arrived. We then set off for the iconic Gardens by the… Read more

28th February – 29th February (Kuala Lumpur) We arrived back in Kuala Lumpur on the evening of the 28th and feeling tired we crashed early. In the morning we jumped on a commuter train to the Batu Caves. We walked on rainbow coloured steps up past the huge golden Lord of Murugan Statue and hundreds… Read more

20th February – 21st February (Kuala Lumpur) After an early start we arrived in Kuala Lumpur around lunch, sorted a SIM card and cash (more efficiently than in Chiang Mai) and went for a walk. We visited the famous Petronas twin towers, picked up a McFlurry (also a highlight) before exploring the peaceful KLCC Park.… Read more

Never has this song been more appropriate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbc_LxfhSoY 14th-15th February (Ko Phi Phi) After a night near Phuket airport we caught the bus to town and then a ferry to Ko Phi Phi (after a bit of a nightmare arranging the tickets). The ferry journey was scenic, although we mostly hid inside as it was… Read more

I don’t want to make you jealous or anything but it’s a Thursday afternoon and I am sat in a cafe by a waterfall in a national park in Thailand. Travelling life ain’t bad you know… 9th February-10th February (Chiang Mai) After a final morning in Laos we journeyed to Chiang Mai (8th Feb). The… Read more

30th January – 1st February (Vientiane) I know right… that title pun is pretty Laosy. Anyway…on our last morning in Vietnam Helen did some writing and I went shopping, got a haircut and organised lunch.  Almost like being back in Bath…just with a million motorbikes!! The afternoon was spent travelling, so not much to report… Read more

Vietnam has been awesome. We’ve had a month here and we wish we could have stayed for longer. The people are SO warm and welcoming (everyone always says hello), the culture is fascinating, the food is incredible, the history is rich and the scenery… well the scenery is out of this world. For a country… Read more

17th January – 19th January (Sapa) Our next adventure took us on another overnight bus, this time from Hanoi to Sapa. We had signed up for three days of trekking with Mama Mao, which was organised through Lily’s travel agency (Website: http://lilystravelagency.com/project/sapa-trekking-with-mao/). We arrived in Sapa at 4 am, feeling quite tired but after a… Read more

11th January – 12th January (Hue) As a belated Christmas present to each other we decided to travel from Hoi An to Hue by motorbike. In true Top Gear style (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=639EFj3RJkw) we conquered the Hai Van Pass as part of an epic day led by our guide Chung, who made us laugh with his… Read more

2nd January-4th January (Ho Chi Minh City) Whilst the adventure so far in Vietnam has been pho-bulous, the start was a tad…slow. We caught a bus from Phnom Penh in Cambodia, across the border into Vietnam via Moc Bai. The journey took around 9 hours and we were all feeling a bit worse for wear… Read more

2019 was one to remember. I finished my PhD, Helen left her job with Techmodal after four great years, we moved out of our flat in Bath to start our big travel adventure and… we got engaged (although I am sure Helen is regretting that now that she’s spending so much time with me). I… Read more

Christmas. Oh WAT a wonderful time of the year!! Right… I’ve got that terrible temple pun out of my system so we can move on now. 25th December-29th December (Siem Reap & Angkor Wat) Christmas in Cambodia. A tad different to usual…. Temperature = around 30 degrees. Christmas lunch = banana smoothies and iced coffee.… Read more