It's high summer here in New Zealand.

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Auckland is just HOT and sticky most days and it's actually a relief to get into work just for the aircon! Still though, i'm not complaining. Apart from the odd torrential downpour it's fanstastic sunny weather and you are never far from a beach here. Auckland is pretty much surrounded by water, being on a narrow isthmus between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific.

Ive been a busy girl in the last 6 months. I've tried to see as much of the country as I can , racking up two speeding fines in my overzealousness to cover ground. Work has gotten in the way somewhat and made it difficult to be a tourist here, but Ive managed to do a lot, including a 15,000ft skydive, whalewatching, tramping and lots more. Im planning a dive to the wreck of The Rainbow Warrior over Easter Wknd which im really looknig forward to.

My family made the long trip over my Ireland to see me for Christmas. I knew my Mam and Dad were coming but when my two brothers said they wouldnt because of money and work issues, I was disappointed but made up my mind that I wouldnt be seeing them. So, it was a BIT OF A SHOCK when they turned up outside my office one Monday morning before the Christmas holidays! It took me at least a few minutes to actually register that it was them! What a great Christmas presnet though! So, I had my family for a month which was fantastic - we did a lot of travelling and Mum and Dad and I saw a lot of the South Island which is one of the most beautiful places I have visited. It was really great to have a conversation with people who really knew me for a change. After a year on the road, you get tired of having the same one the whole time. "Hi, I'm Evelyn, I'm IRish, yes Im travelling, ive been to Peru, Chile....." you get my drift Its nice to have a giggle with someone you have a bit of history with.

It was hard to say goodbye to them again in January, not really knowing when I would see them again. At that time I had no real plans other than to stay in NZ for another few months. Since then, however, I've put some wheels in motion. Last weekend I wandered into STA travel, more out of curiosity than anything, to price airfares. 20 minutes later I emerged beaming with my airfare tailored and secured with a deposit. The beam faded pretty quickly when I checked my bank account and realised I was broke for the week! But never mind!
So, I leave NZ on 01 Aug, the day before my VISA runs out, stopping in Sydney for a week. Then it's off to Singapore and overland in Asia for about 3-4 months taking in Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and some of China. I'll be back in Ireland next Christmas.
At that point, I will have been away two years!

I'm getting the familiar tingling in my spine now just thinking about the next phase in the journey. NZ was a nice long break in the middle and it's been really great getting to know the Kiwis and make new friends, but I cant wait to really get stuck into travelling again. 4 months in Asia just isnt enough but at this stage it's all I can do. India, Nepal and Tibet are just going to have to wait until I can do them properly.

Its six whole months away yet though! So I still have a lot of time left to enjoy here and lots of places yet to see. I'm moving house this weekend and going to be living with some new ppl for a while in a different area of Auckland which will be a nice change.

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Apparently, the band had \, in fact, never showed at the venue...but there were a few hopefuls lining up att he after party in the hope that they were there. Mysefl and Andy forked out $15 to check it out. The night had great potential - if the band had showed and there were more people, it would be have been great, but as it was, the place was a bit empty. We still enjoyed it though, and since South America I'm really starting to develop more of a taste for this kind of music. It was funny to see all these Kiwis dressed up in their ganster gear.

Our second night there turned into Lord of the Rings fest in the TV room. Due to the sub-zero conditions outside, no-one from the hostel was venturing anywhere! so we cooked dinner, made some tea and settled into our beanbags for the 9 hr marathon! I lasted until the end of the second movie before I started nodding off.

Rain was hammering down the next day as we left the hostel. We tried to pull a not so ingenius car park scam before leaving, but it went against us! but it was worth a shot! As darkness fell, the traffic started to jam up on Route 1 out of Wellington. Landslides and fallen trees. An hour later, we had clearde the other side and were on the open road, heading for wine country of Martinborough. The drive over the mountains was quite treacherous in the fog and slippy conditions, and it was a relief when we FINALLY reached Martinborough, which appeared to be in total darkness except for the hotel and a small restaurant with a glimmer of light behind its fogged up windows. In we went, in search of food. We were met by a nice old man and his wife who served us up some good food and wine and even helped us out trying to find some accommodation for the night.

In the end, however, after long hours driving , passing what appeared to be ghost towns in total darkness, stopping at many a hotel and motel with no results, we arrived in Napier, about half way up the east coast of the country. Every hostel, hotel and B&B said "No Vacancy", and about one in the morning we were starting to accept the fact that we would have to kip down in the local car park for the night. Ugh. As we were driving up a side street, we suddenly spotted a lit up sign in a little alleyway. "Toad Hall". It was or last resort. Andy hopped out and rang the bell, and after what seemed like hours, a creature vaguley resembling Mole from Wind in the Willows opened the door and peered out at us. She has small wirey, thick glasses and interesting slippers. "You're lucky I'm a night owl", she winked at us. She guided us up the stairs to her office where a half empty glass of wine and some accounts sat on the table. A ginger cat regarded us from the corner of the room. Before long, she had provided us with a room, some sheets and blankets and bade us a good sleep.

In the light of day, Andy said she looked so much older and he was right. Also, she seemed less like a mole. She and her husband ran Toad Hall, which definitely has the most character out of any of the hostels Ive been in so far. They also owned an art gallery and cafe around the corner, which we paid a visit to before we left. They were extremely helpful and friendly, and very relaxed vis a vis checking out, etc. If anyone is heading towards Napier anytime, I recommend checking it out.

Napier is a really interesting little town - full ofArt Deco style buildings, which were constructed in the 30's after the earthquake that devastated the city.

It's situated right in the heart of Hawke's Bay wine country, where you can sample the best reds in New Zealand! And we did. We booked a half day wine tour and were picked up by a lovely old man called Graham Ferguson. We really didnt feel we were on a tour with him - he was so laid back and chatty. It was just myself and Andy, and after the wineries he took us on an extra little tour of Napier to point out the historical sites and places of interest. The wineries were great! Some of the best I have been to so far..which is saying a lot after Napa Valley, California and Mendoza, Argentina and Chile! The first one was called Mission Estate. It was originally set up by an order of priests who used to make altar wine, but they eventually sold up and moved. The woman who arrnged our tasting was really informative and had a sarcy sense of humour. Probably my favourite of the three we visited. NExt, was Trinity Hill wineries..which wasnt as good but they did give us around 10 different bottles to taste. Finally, Graham took us to Church Rd. where were met a lovely man called Don who seemed really interested in what we thought of his Malbec compared with the Argentinian varieties. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and we bougght some really nice Reserve bottles in each of the estates.

And so, that brings us to nearly the end of the week. We left Napier the next morning and drove back towards Taupo again. Just North of Taupo we stopped, on recommendation, at the geothermal site of Wai-o-Tapu. This was excellent! and you really could get an idea of what the earth was probably like millions of years ago before humans came along. We enjoyed boiling mud pools, simmering water holes, and multicoloured lakes with steam rushing up from the 100 degree water underneath the earth. We were hoping for a swim, but were told that if the boiling water didnt kill us first, the acid definitely would. Hmm..right so. No swimming then!

Further up the road, we spotted some cars pulled in on the side of the road next to a little bridge and saw one or two ppl draped in twoels running furtively from the bushes! So, we had to check that out. It turned out to be a natural hot spring in the middle of the trees, deep enough to swim in. Off with the clothes, on with the wet swimwear yet again! It was a overall a nice experience, marred slightly by two pervy local NAKED types paddling in the water. They seemed friendly enough to begin with, but just got a bit weird on us, so after an hours soakage, we fled their nakedness!

Hamilton was, once again, a stopping point and we bedded down there for out last night, tired from our weeks adventures. We edned up sharing a room with a lovely SIngaorean girl called Madeline, who is here in NZ to set up her own jewellery business. She talked A LOT! but was a very nice genuine person. The next morning she dragged us out of bed and frog-marched us to the kitchen for breakfast with her, before piling various jewellery samples upon us and sending us on our way back to Auckland.

And so, I'm back in Auckland. Andy flew out to Oz on Monday, leaving me to the seriuos business of job hunting. UGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

North Island in a NIssan remains copyright of the author samsara2, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Two weeks after arriving in Auckland, I'm slowly starting to adjust. My friend Andy and I spent the first week here touring the North Island. First impressions were great - New Zealand is so beautiful and the people are really friendly. I think I'm really going to enjoy living here for a while.

We set off from Auckland last Thursday in a Nissan sunny (the most desired of all rental cars, tis true!), armed with a map and a full tank of petrol. Neither of us really knew where we might end up.

The guide book informed us that we would smell Roturua long before we would see it....and we did! GOD THE PLACE STINKS! They say it's the sulpher....We found a hostel with a car park, dumped our stuff and wasted no time in getting to the Polynesian Spa. The water in the natural springs is 42 degrees! and there we soaked our tired limbs for 2 long hours. I had a particularly disturbing time in the ladies changing room when a flapping bunch of naked japanese ladies descended upon my quiet time in the shower...but that's another story. Quick shower.

Next morning, we had an early breakfast and headed for the local forest for a 3hr trek. Packed a lunch and off we went. It was great to get back into the outdoors again, breathing clean air (both us noticed the difference in the air between here and SA immediately upon arrival). After lunch, we checked out the local Zorbing centre...What's Zorbing? Well, basically you get into a giant plastic-like ball and roll down a steep hill! This time around though we decided to participate only as spectators...$45 for 1 minutes fun was just out of our price range this time. But we will be back! In the afternoon, we were back in the car again bound for a little place called Waitomo.

When we arrived in Waitomo darkness and a dense fog were descending on the area. The town is literally in the middle of nowhere and would surely b bypassed by most travellers were it not for the famous glow worm caves. The landscape is quite unique - full of hills and saucer-like depressions indicative of vast subterranean cave systems. We found some cheap but adequate accommodation for the night in the form of a cabin. Andy took himself off for a soak in the hottub while I indulged in an hour of girlie pampering before we hit the hay, both of us hugely looking forward to the next day's planned activities.

Saturday morning - up bright and early ready for action! We got ourselves to the Black Water Rafting Center for about 9 and decided, after some deliberation, to sign up for the Black Labyrinth tour. Part of me was quite terrified, as those who know me know that Im not so great in the dark or in deep water. But, I decided to face my fears! The trip sounded quite intense, involving two backward jumps down waterfalls aided only by a rubber rube, not to mention the floating into pitch darkness and some serious scrambling about in the underground rocks. Gulp! However, the thought of gazing up at glowworms in the dark was enough to spur me on. Having half an hr or so to wait around before our tour, we headed into "town" to the Museum of Caves for a bit of a run down on what makes glowworms tick (and other interesting stuff about limestone and so on). At 10:30a.m. we were met by Lucas our guide for the morning....good looking Maori guy with a slightly unhinged sense of humour. I had a feeling he was just going to suddenly disappear into the black abyss leaving us in the dark....because it would be funny....thankfully, he didn't!

Next, came the most unsavoury part of the week so far...stripping off, donning an already sopping wet bikini, and then struggling (and I mean STRUGGLING!) into a wringing wet, freezing cold, icky wetsuit. Ugh! Not only did it take me an ETERNITY to wriggle into the accursed attire, but in one of my usual ingenius moves I managed to put it on backwards. Off to a great start! This didnt bode well for the rest of the tour.... A short van ride brought us to the mouth of the caves where we had to select a rubber tube big (or small ) enough to fit our respective bums. I'n telling you, if looking sexy or dignified matters in any way to you, Balck Water Rafting is not for you! And, then came the hard part....we watched as the group in front of us vaulted backwards on their tubes into the 10 degree water. I looked desperately for possible escape routes through the trees...but suddenly, it was my turn. As Lucas counted down 3, 2, 1, I tried to think about diving into a vat of warm chocolate or something. That didnt help at all! It only made the shock of the ice cold water on my body 10 times worse! But it did wake me up! We paddled after Lucas like a trio of physically challenged swans to where the water disappeared into the black underground. No going back now...as Lucas disappeared into the darkness. We stumbled over moving unsteady rocks, fell into holes, and waded through rushing waist-high water until we came to our second waterfall. My adrenaline levels were pumping as I launched myself backwards and down into the water far below. The current took me and swept me further into the caves, as a thrashed about looking blindly for a rope that Lucas swore existed on the side of the cave wall. I found it and clung for dear life as I waited for the boys to follow. Lucas then directed us to form into a line each of us holding on to the white boots of the person behind us. He took hold of my feet, turned off his headligth and pulled us gently in the dark through the caves as we lay back and gazed transfixed at the sight above our heads - thousands upon thousands of glimmering lights clinging to the black canopy above. It was a thing of rare beauty.

An hour later, we emerged into the daylight again shivering and teeth chattering but on a high after our experience. Lucas took us straight back for hot showers, followed by soup and bagels, and our bodies slowly warmed up again. An excellent adventure! Worth every penny. Once we felt human again, we boarded the Nissan again, this time bound for Lake Taupo and the skiifields. I couldnt wait to go snowboarding! It was quite a long drive that evening through bad weather to Taupo. We stopped there for some sustenance and to weigh up our options re where to stay. The Whakapapa skiifield is about an hr and a half south of Taupo so we decided to look for somewhere to stay in a nearby town. We happened upon some great accomodation and spent the evening soaking our still chilled bodies in the heat of the jacuzzi and sauna.

HOwever, sadly, our skiing trip was not to be. Next morning, the weather on the mountain was wet, extremely windy with almost no visibility and only the lower pistes were open. We sat at the base of Mount Ruapehu in dismay watching a few hardy skiiers and boarders battling against the high winds. Back on the road again, having no real plan for where to go next. We had planned 2/3 days in Whakapapa. What were we going to do now??

As we drove, the weather worsened and driving became tiresome. This part of the north island is a bleak place \, populated only by forest. After some hours, we arrived in a little town called Waiouro. Just outside the town, we spotted a sign for an army museum. I really wanted to check it out, so we decided to get out and stretch our legs for a bit. The museum was maassive and covered NZ's involvement in all the major wars..so we ended up spending a few hours there. I really enjoyed it! Before we left, we had some lunch...and stole some cake from a group of veterans who were there on a tour! Hee hee.

And so, back into the Nissan YET AGAIN! not knowing where we might end up........

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Well, I made it! I arrived below the equator in one piece and minus Enrique! (more on that later..) I've finally found a few spare minutes and some energy to sit down and update the blog. The last few days have been an assault on my body and senses, and I slept like a stone last night finally.

Leaving home was harder than I thought it was going to be. I choked up when I had to say goodbye to my family, as the reality hit me that I might now see them again for a vry long time. As I drove to the airport in the dark and fog of the morning, I had some difficulty working up ANY enthusiasm about what I was doing. \\\

But that didnt last long... :-)

I slept for most of the 7 hr flight to NY, in an effort to charge the batteries for what was ahead. Getting through anything in the States is pretty effortless - everything is signposted, and people, for the most part, want to help.

Arrived at my hostel, Jazz on the Town at about 3 in the afternoon. The website described it as "cosy"...hmmm. It was very cramped, sharing a tiny room with 3 others (although I didnt mind - I met some cool ppl there). The hostel has no communal area which is a big drawback and its very very small. One thing I did like was that the rooms are ensuite. \

Anyway, headed straight out to explore mid-town, armed with Anne's subway map (THANKS ANNE! Proved to be invaluable to someone with limited time!) Managed to see Empire State, Rockerfeller Centre,m Radio city, Grand Central, Chrysler Building and Times Sq all in the first night. Popped into an IRish Bar called O'Quilligans just off Times Sq in the hope of meeting some other backpackers. Ended up chatting to the barman, who, of course, was IRish and it turned out that his Dad does business with my uncle! Small world. He couldnt do enough for me after that! A good first night in the Big Apple.

The seond day, I got up early and walked downtime. The weather was bright, sunny and COLD! As I walked along the water's edge towards battery park, I couldnt stop smiling. The realisation that I was finally "doing it" sank in! Visited Ground Zero, World Financial Centre, queued for AGES to get on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, saw Wall St., Trinity and St. Pauls Churches, Brooklyn Bridge, Bleecker St., Washington Sq. Gdn and lots of other stuff. Spent the evening back in the mid-town area. When I got back to the hostel, some new ppl had moved into the room, so chatted to them for a bit before crashing out exhausted.

Final day in NY - I went to the Met and walked all around Central Park. Checked out the shops uptown and had to fight really hard to keep my credit card in my pocket! Later that afternoon, made my way back to JKF forthe 8 hr flight to Lima.

Was looking fwd to just getting some rest on the flight, but ended up sitting beside this overly-friendly Peruvian guy, ENRIQUE, who just wouldnt shut up. At first, I think he was just trying to be nice, but then he became a real pest, and when we landed he started following me around the terminal, and suggesting that I stay at his "friend's hotel"..where, naturally he was also staying! He even wanted toi tell the driver who was picking me up at the airport that I was going with him instead. YIKES!!! I managed to give him the slip by going to the bathroom and then legged it to the arrivals hall where,, thankfully, the driver was waiting!!

Lima is crzy! No traffic laws, by the looks of it. I'm in the Miraflores area, which seems safe enough, but have been warned by shopkeepers, etc not to venture further afield unaccompanied. I've booked a tour for today downtown, which hopefully will help me to get to know Lima a little better. The hostel isnt bad - overdescribed on the net, of course, but the staff are helpful and its relatively clean, so I'm not complaining.

Not having the langauge is a drawback but I'm getting by. Tomorrow I hope to go to Nazca where I'm going to stay in a hotel which operates flights over the Nazca lines.

So, that's about all for now. It's great having free internet here = makes a change to $1 for 10 mins in NY!

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I suppose it helps that I can't wait to finish work! Just two days left and I'm free. The thought of not having to come back in here on 03 Jan like all the other suckers (sorry, I dont really mean that ) is uplifting to say that least!

I am a little regretful maybe that I didnt give myself a week on the other side of Christmas to get organised and relax before heading off. It's been a hectic few months recently and now its going to be a hectic Christmas saying goodbyes, packing, and all the rest of it.

I'm having all the usual doubts - Did I do the right thing? Am I nuts? WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING ACTUALLY???!! I'M NOT BRAVE!, etc..etc.. but I'm hoping everyone goes through these and they just disppear pretty quickly.

So, to New York first. And now there's an all out transport strike I hear! YIKES! Not liking the sound of that! I'm all set to go with my subway map that Anne sent me! Fingers crossed that gets sorted quickly.

Lima next 3 days later. This is where it all gets a bit scary....

Sometimes I wish I was a boy!

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Just booked a car for Spain. Got a 5-door A/C Renault Clio for €189.99 for 10days. Not bad!

I have to do this trip on the CHEEEEEEAP! Absolutely no luxuries..
But we're gonna bring all our camping gear and pitch a tent when we can to save some €€€€€

Can't wait! I'm so looking forward to going back to Spain and just chilling out for a week or so. I really need it at the mo!

Yipeeee!

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I finally mustered the courage yesterday evening to tell one of my bosses (the nice one) that I'm not coming back after Christmas. I thought he was going to take it badly, but he was actually quite good about it.

He did say that I'm leaving at a bad time, right in the middle of a project, but he was glad with such early notice because he said they can really prepare for the project with that in mind.

Phew!

He didn't think a year's sabbatical was feasible, though, but I'm not really bothered about that anyway. It looked better to ask for it, more than anything.

I told him that I wasnt planning on giving official notice to my other boss (yes, that fecker!) for another month or so, but he wants me to tell him as soon as possible. Ugh!

So, a weight has been lifted. I know I was silly for dreading it, but I just hate giving my notice. I still have 4 long months to go, but at least they know now...

Lying in bed last night, one thing hit me.....

Now, that this is all becoming a reality....

I reeeeeeallly need to start saving!!!!!!!!!

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I can't wait to live in this country, I've been looking forward to seeing it for such a long time, and I'm thrilled now that I dont have to rush around doing tourist things in a short time.

I think I'll try and get a job in Wellington first - because Fiona said so It sounds like a good spot!
While I'm there, I'm going to get my claws into one of the nice rugby players, and then trick him into marrying me, so that I can stay in New Zealand forever. Good plan, eh?

After Wellington, I might go south to Queenstown for 6 months and explore the South Island.

I'm so excited!!!!

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Not for a while yet though..

Pretty happy too, just found out I get 15% off as VHI member. Happy days!

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Just have to hear back from them but I'm assured there shouldnt be any problem, and they took my credit card details...(I was a bit iffy handing those over..but I suppose its the same thing as giving them over the phone..)

Talk about effortless! I launched a chat window and an operator went through the process with me there and then. It couldnt have been easier. The company are called VISA First in case anyone is looking for info on Oz/Nz visas.

This time last week, I had nothing organised at all...now I seem to be on some sort of roll!

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I did it. I just booked the preliminary flights for my RTW trip. I've been talking about it for so long at this stage, I was even beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get my ass in gear and do it.

Anyway, I've been keeping a close eye on some ridiculously cheap fares over the last while and today they went up slightly, so that was the impetus for the RASH DECISION.

So, I'm booked on a flight to NYC on 3 Jan and then on a flight from there to Lima 2 days later.

I've also reserved, but not paid for, a flight from Buenos Aires to Auckland (which is about €1000 ouch!) in late Feb.

Excitement, excitement, excitement......

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Back at work this morning...Il Fuhrer is still faffing about with his palm-top, but I've decided to set aside my plans to remove his spleen today, instead opting to waste the company's time and money by doing MY kind of research - i.e. checking out what travel vaccines I'm going to need in the coming months.

Yikes! There's a lot!! Although, maybe I don't need everything...

[*]Typhoid - €35

[*]Hep A - €46 x2

[*]Hep b - €30 x3

[*]Yellow Fever - €35

[*]Polio - €35

[*]Meningococcal Menigitis - €50

[*]Flu vaccine - €15

[*]Tetanus - €17

[*]Rabies - €25 x3

[*]Japanese B Enceph - €50 x4

[*]Tuberculosis - €15

And then there's the anti-malarials and repellent paraphenalia, and finally the doctors consulation fee (€50).
I've underlined the ones I think I will really need.....(if anyone reading this is an expert on vaccinations, whatcha think?)

Also, I'm not entirely sure how soon I should start getting these vaccs. The Tropical Medical Bureau website recommends at least 4 weeks before leaving...but that sounds a little bit too close for comfort to me. I'm thinking of maybe making an appointment for end of Oct/start of Nov.

This might be a silly question, but is there any reason why I shouldnt be getting them a few months before leaving?

Ugh...not relishing the thought of being stuck that many times.... but it's all for a good cause!

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All that was left of me in the office car park at 5:30 were some big black skid-marks! :D

Got home, threw some essentials in my pack and we hit the road. The weather forecast for the wknd was promising blue skies and lots of sun, and it was certainly shaping up that way. Apart from a pitstop in Tralee for petrol and some Mars bars, we made Dingle in just over two hours. Even though we'd packed the tent and camping gear in the boot of the car, we rang ahead to the Rainbow Hostel and, as luck would have it, they had one twin room left! Rainbow Hostel is a great spot! A spotlessly clean hostel with good facilities and about 10 mins walk from Dingle. (meant to take a photo but forgot )

Headed straight into town to Conaire's pub to meet up with my brother's friends. One of them is jsut back from a few months in India, so I was happy to spend a few hours picking her brains and listening to all her travel stories. Conaire's was quite a lively spot - there was a trad band in the for the night and the walls of the pub were pratically heaving with ppl up dancing and singing. We fancied somewhere a bit more chilled out after a few hrs, so we decided to check out the wine bar up the street. This place was really nice - you would not expect to find it in Dingle. It serves quite late, and has some of the best pizza Ive ever tasted! Yum. After a few glasses of wine, we all meandered homewards emjoying the warmth of the night.

10:30 a.m. Saturday. Woken by LOUD knocking at our door telling us we had to get up. Groan. Pain in head. Meant to drink at least two glasses of water before bed last night....We had to get up and get dressed, get our thing together pretty quickly. Initially, we were told that Sat night was booked out at the hostel, but when we went downstairs to pay, the girl in charge told us she had just had a cancellation and asked if we'd liek to stay another night. We could have stayed in bed after all....LOL. Oh well, it was good to be up anyway. After dumping our gear back upstairs, getting on some new clothes and washing up, we decided breakfast sounded good. We walked into town to wake ourselves up. I love the smell of the sea air! And what an amazing morning - blue sky, sun sparking on the water and on the boats - it was good to be alive.

This is where we had breakast - Darcy's. I had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, lots of fresh coffee, orange juice and toast. Pain in the head was gone within a few mins and I was right as rain.!

The day was stretching out ahead of us with lots of possibilities - we could go swimming, we could sit outside in the sun and read, we could explore the town....in the end we decided to go for a hike. At the mouth of the bay, there was a hill with a look-out tower at the top which looked interesting, so we piled into the car and drove out along the bay to the foot of this.

The heat was really starting to build up by now, and I wasnt relishing the thought of encasing my feet in my big hiking boots, so i opted to leave on my sandals. Mistake! Half-way up the hill we came upon what seemed like oceans of gorse!! I had to trudge through this for at least 15 mins. Ow! Ow! Ow!

But the pain was definitely worth it. The views of Dingle from the top were spectacular. YOu really wouldn't think you were in Ireland.It was more like Croatia or the South of France or something.

We spent a couple of hours lying in the sun and chatting, and soaking it all up. This is Ireland at its best. We dont often get weather like this.

Eventually, when we all started to feel hungry and thirsty, we made our way back down. We arranged to meet a friend out in Ballyferriter, so we took the Slea Head drive out past DunChaoin and the Blaskets. It was funny to see the confused tourists standing out with their English language maps looking at the Irish roadsigns. Lol!!

This is a beehive hut that we spotted at along the way.
We spent the rest of the day out in Ballyferriter drinking in the sun. When the sun eventually went down heaeded back into Dingle for something to eat. Spent the rest of the night crawling the pubs and listening to the Irish lads winding up the American tourists. It was hilarious!! LOL. Ended up back in the wine bar to finish off the night. Didnt crawl into bed until well after four.

Sunday More knocking at 10:30a.m. Up, shower, pack, back into Darcy's for brekkie. Everyone feeling very tired this morning. Decided on a short walk around the headland at the mouth of the bay to wake us up. Found a secluded little beach and spent the next few hours watching Fungi the Dolphin in the water. He followed some jet-skiers right up to where we were, and jumped out of the water metres away. I'm a big kid, so this was the highlight of my day! I got pretty sunburned even though the weather was cloudy in the morning, so eventually I had to reluctantly leave the beach and head back.

In the afternoon, one of my brother's friends was having a barbeque to celebrate her birthday, so we picked up food, beer and a present. The bbq was great, and I ended up being head chef. Lol! I'm still waiting for the phone calls to say taht they are all dying with food-poisoning. We ate until we couldnt eat anymore, and then the weather turned and the mist started to move in from the sea. At about 8 o'clock we packed up the car, and headed back to Limerick, relaxed, full and very tired.

I fell in love with DIngle this weekend. Its a really vibrant town but its not overrun with tourists, and there's so much to see and do down there. I'll definitely be going back for a long weekend very very soon.

Kicking back in Kerry! remains copyright of the author samsara2, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I've been to Spain once, a few years ago. My ex and I stayed with some friends in an apartment in Torrevieja just outside Alicante. We hired a car and managed to do some exploring around the South-east coast, but I was pretty unimpressed and wanted to leave after a few days there. Maybe we missed the good spots, but it just seems that this part of Spain is crawling with British & Irish tourists and, what was probably once a beautiful coastline, is destroyed by high-rise developments stretching as far as the eye can see.

This time, I'm doing it Myyyy Waaaayyyyy. Spain is somewhere I've wanted to explore for a long time, and even though I only have 10 days this time around, I'm hoping to see quite a lot.

Hiring a car seems like a good option. Splitting the cost between two of us, it works out about the same as train-fares, and this way we can cover more ground.

Our flight is landing in Girona early in the day, so we're thinking of picking up the car, putting the boot down, and driving straight through to Madrid. I'm looking fwd to experiencing this city a lot. Spanish ppl I've met in college and worked with over the past few years seem to agree that, while Barcelona is decidely hip and cool, Madrid is less assuming and the ppl are warmer (and no, it's not because they are more inland. LOL). I'm looking fwd to making up my own mind.

I'd like to spend a couple of days in Madrid, there seems to be lots to see there. Two days isnt nearly enough time, but I think you can cover a good bit during this time. Although, I have been warned that you can wake up in Madrid, having lost 2 days of your life and not remember a thing! LOL!!

After Madrid, it's on to Cordoba and then Seville, maybe 2 days in Seville also. Andalucia sounds like an amazing part of the country. I cant wait to see it.

We're hoping to spend a night in Ronda. My brother didnt get to see it when he was last in Spain, and I've got lots of recommendations from ppl on this site to visit it, so we can't miss it!

Then, on to Granada for a night. Looking forward to seeing the Alhambra a lot. One night should be enough here.

The drive to back to Barcelona from Granada is going to be a bit of a beeetch, so I think it might be worth stopping off in Valencia for a night on the way back. We might check out Tarragona, if we dont stay in Valancia. This leaves us with two nights in Barcelona before we head home.

We might be taking on a lot for a 10 day trip, but neither of us mind driving very much. I dont want to spend all my time sitting in a car trying to squeeze in everything, but I think it's pretty doable.

If anyone's got any recommedations of places to go, things to do along this route, I'd love to hear them!

In the meantime, it's back to boring old work....

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Checked out some flights today. Found a great deal from Shannon to NYK for €118. Then NYK to Lima is working out at about €360. Santiago to Auckland is an eye-watering €1200, didnt check flights to Oz...but then Melbourne to KL was about €400.

After that, the bulk of the fligths would be out of the way, apart from a my flight home at the end of the trip. Working in NZ for the year would also allow me to gather some more funds for the SE Asia leg.

Honestly, I'm very daunted at the prospect of India as the first stop on the trip. I think leaving this until the end is wiser for a few reasons. Firstly, I will be a savvy traveller by the time I get there and it will probably not seem daunting at all. Secondly, what a great place to end a RTW trip Thirdly, I'll be getting the more expensive half of the trip out of the way first, and wont need as much money for the second half.

I'll probably have changed my mind again by this time next week. Lol!

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I'm in a great mood anyway because my brother has decided he's coming to Spain with me in September. We're gonna hire a car and drive from the north to the south of the country. I was pretty happy going alone and just doing my thing, but it should be a great laugh now.

Plus, it seems like the planets are coming into alignment re my RTW trip. Everything should be good to go by January! I'm getting lots of good tips from Anne about some of the countries in SE Asia, and I'm starting to compile a little book of addresses and things not to miss, etc. I've also been doing this on India for quite a while as well. Just reading them is enough to keep the flame burning for the next few months.

Also, there are plenty of people to meet along the way. Will definitely be hooking up with Dave in Vietnam and Hien in KL for a while. If Rich is still tormenting the Chinese when I get there, I'll hopefully catch up with him for a bit too. Once I get to Oz there are a few friends down there, and I will drag James and Peter out for a few beers if possible. Myself and Anne are either gonna meet in Peru or Fort Lauderdale, AND IF I EVER REACH CANADA Tway is gonna be stuck with me for a while. Lol!! cos let's face it, we agree on everything from washing powder to strategies for world domination. I'm so excited just thinking about it, and it's not as far away as it all seems at all.

What is it about when the sun comes out! The world seems full of possibilities again.

Summer's here! remains copyright of the author samsara2, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I've just booked my flights to Barcelona for 10 days in September! Woo-hoo! It's one of the best feelings when you book a holiday!

Now, the next 3 months in this cesspit of an office don't seem so long

Next comes the fun part. Trying to do it all for less than €500.

Roll on September......

God Bless Michael O'Leary! remains copyright of the author samsara2, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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THanks to Ryanair, I have sourced some very cheap flights from Shannon! In total, with taxes, etc. a return flight will cost me €88. I live not too far from the airport which is great! No long-term parking, I can just get my brother to drop me off. PLus, the great thing about Shannon is that its relatively effortless to go through. No long waits or prolonged security checks.

So, this morning I e-mailed my boss to ask for the days I need off. His typical response was "I'll have to get back to you" Hmph! Bosses! *roll-eyes*. Why do they always act like they're doing you a favour by agreeing to give you your days off. He better hurry up. Grrr...If I lose my cheap flights......

The flights I'm thinking of booking are from Shannon to Barcelona (Girona). I would really like to see the south of Spain but flights to Seville or Malaga are quite significantly more expensive (and would mean flying from Dublin with Aer Lingus) so this time, for convenience sake, I think I will stick to the north of the country.

I'm getting excited already planning how I will spend my time there. If anyone who's reading this has any suggestions on where to stay/what to do, I'd love to hear them!! September is my favourite time of year to travel in Europe, and it's usually still quite hot.

I know I should be keeping the money for the Big Trip, but I NEED A BREAK!

September in Spain remains copyright of the author samsara2, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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