One example of the many great Aussie adverts dissing us Poms during the Ashes. Apt, of course. Elsewhere, the 'Tonk a Pom' theme has become a little wearing as the series has worn on, and we have become no more inclined to eat Weetabix, despite its properties allowing one, apparently, to hit a Pom for six.

Here we are at a seasonal open air carol concert style thing. Some chap from Australian Idol turned up and sung a couple of lurve songs. A few young girls screamed. Most everyone else went home. Which was mildly amusing.

Christmas Day at, and around, the ranch.

We have spent Christmas with kind Denise, a friend and former work colleague of Vicki, who has returned to live in sunny Bli Bli, just north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast. This is where she lives and where we have made home for this long week of R & R. We needed it you know.

So here we find Vicki finding life on the road all a bit too much. Shadow the hound is the convenient foot rest. This is at Denise's in sunny Bli Bli, an hour or so north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast.

Next stop was Charters Towers, a few hundred kms inland from Townsville, and an old Gold Mining town of formally the very highest repute. Previously nicknamed "The World" for its fabulous wealth, it is now a sleepy place of faded charm surrounded by a lot of nothing. Save for the rock wallabies, of course. In the 1890's it was no so, following the accidental discovery of gold by one Jupiter Mossman, whose portrait I am pictured. Thereafter came every man and his dog, including many a swagman, the itinerant men who roved the lands looking for adventure. As the wealthiest city in Australia, fine hotels and banks and a stockexchange were built. Those hotels still, happily for us, continue in a particularly dusty service, allowing us a couple of brilliant days wandering the wild west streets being filled with tales of the quest for gold in the ground.

Pictures from around Magnetic Island, a short way off the coast of Townsville, Queensland. Proper sunshine at last.

From Ravenshoe we moved back to the coast and spent a couple of days at Mission Beach, which can be seen behind Vicki in the middle shot. We then moved down through Townsville and out to Magnetic Island. We rather liked Townsville, seen in the bottom shot from atop nearby Castle Hill, and then in the top pic from the ferry as we were leaving. Townsville felt like a real place where real people actually live and work, rather than a town existing for tourists alone. Plus it has the most obvious name in Australia.

These pics are from around Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands. It is a place where waterfalls abound and there are som,e fine examples of giant curtain fig trees. Of much fun was a bushwalk aken through the misty mountains. It rained and rained and rained and all the leeches came out to munch on us. Vicki can be seen removing then from her feet amongst the gloriously coloured heather. Interestingly, when we got to the end of the track we discovered the pictured notice. The authorities could have considered putting it at both ends of the track.

This is the little town of Ravenshoe. Park where you like.

Here we are 4x4 ing around the Atherton Tablelands area with Alan, Anna and Sam the bulldog on the back.

Anna, baby Matthew, Alan and Vicks, all enjoying the late afternoon sunshine at the Millstream Falls, near Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands. A couple of hours from Cairns we reached Anna and Alan. They showed enormous kindness by putting us up and entertaining us for several days whilst we saw the local area. We were able to catch up on old times as well as seeing all the fab surrounds. Super thanks to them.

The Millstream Falls.

One Matty Taylor

We are presently in the finally sunny Magnetic Island, somewhere off the East coast of Oz. Since leaving NZ we have skipped through Cairns up onto the Atherton Tablelands to little Ravenshoe, where we enjoyed the considerable hospitality of Anna and Alan and Matthew. Amongst other things we managed to get thoroughly eaten by leeches whilst wandering in the misty mountains. We then moved through Innisfail and down to Mission Beach. This was lovely, though it rained a lot. It is somewhat strange being near all the lovely blue sea but being unable to get in it for schools of jellyfish. We are now, via Townsville, on Magnetic Island staying with the Koals and Crocs. Next further South for Christmas. Matty Taylor is a football genius and no mistake.

The end of our time in New Zealand was spent with Dorothy and Alan, who conveniently live just west of Auckland. Their enormous hospitality very kindly accommodated us for three days spent exploring the local area. The bottom picture is taken from their house and shows their back garden. Very nice indeed.

Auckland skyline. Great. And then onto Waiheke Island, about 30 mins by ferry out of Auckland harbour. It was something of a posh Isle of Wight. It was also, like IOW of course, surrounded by nice sandy beaches.

Rotorua and surrounds are built on lots of really hot stuff. Which has strange effects on land and man alike.

Skydiving in Rotorua. Unbelievable. Get in a small plane with some chap strapped unusually close to one's behind. Fly to 12,000 ft. Get out. Worry a little. Arrive very soon at 5,000 ft. Smile at the wonder of parachutes.

The glamour of travel. When we came to leave Ohakune to head up to Taupo we discovered that a round Lake Taupo cycle ride was taking place that weekend. In short, this meant that all of the accommodation was booked up and almost all of the buses were also full. In consequence, we found ourselves waiting around in a small rubbish road town for several hours trying to get out. Eventually, it transpired that the bus stop was actually at the public toilets. For such a dump, this was rather apt. And it was raining. Really hard.

Pics from around central North Island of New Zealand. The huge volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park dominate that whole area. The weather was pretty rubbish whilst we were there but from a base in a small place called Ohakune we set off to trek the brilliantly named Urchin-Umakarikari track, which is a little to the east of Tongariro. The first day of this tramp involved a trog up, across and often in the river pictured. With this helpful signpost. Bridges really required. Having completed that tramp we went canoeing for three days down the Wanganui river. This was marvellous. We avoided capsize, narrowly.

Images from around Napier. Vicki wine tasting at the bar during a very pleasant couple of hours and then some geese, for Mr Ferguson. Taken especially.