Flight Centre - Why I would never use them again

Aside from the fact that they claim they are the cheapest even though they are not..

I used Flight Centre Berry Square for the planning of my 15 flights on this trip. The staff are nice enough and in general really want to help, I just don't think that they have the capacity to do their job to it's fullest potential. I would HATE to be in any situation where they actually had to THINK or investigate anything to fix a problem.

My flight number and time did not match up while I was in Greece. The ticketed details were incorrect, although on the internal system they showed up as correct. They don't have internet, or don't use it (they could check the BA website to confirm the issue) because the whole concept of this was too hard for them because their system is infallible (Of course! what was I thinking).

This is not the main issue as I fixed it with the airlline after a lot of international calls (yeah, don't think I will be getting that money back) it is the attitude and investigation of Flight Centre staff that concerns me. The general tone coming back is that you are stupid, don't know how to travel, have no idea (I have only been travelling since 2 years of age, have lost count of destinations, have a father that worked for Qantas for 33 years...what would I know? Not much..)

My recommendation, pay more, get better service, if you feel like they don't know how to handle a difficult or complicated booking, walk away.

Don't even bother going to Flight Centre Berry Square unless you want to hear a whinge about how tired they are from travelling (poor dears), how complicated your booking is or that they are "confused". The golden comment when talking about changing flights, "you can change your flights overseas, just go into a store"...um 5 continents, 6 weeks...are you on drugs or just lazy?

Oh, and don't bother with Customer Relations, they aren't really interested in customer resolution or feedback on issues as I have recently found out...I got talked over and yelled at. Nice. Funniest part, my real problem was not the issue with the tickets, it was the response I received via email and the fact that an employee that I asked not to be involved in my travel details was included on the response.

And if you think I am whinging (which clearly I am) when I got a good deal (which in reality I did). My flights cost me $6100 so I think I am entitled to be a bit miffed. Yes people, that is how much it costs to travel 5 continents and then chuck in Namibia because I could not include it in the ticket.

Rant ended.

Home Day 45

Another early start, 6am onto a plane with the knowledge that this would be the last flight in a while (thank goodness). 3 hours seems like nothing when you have done so many flights in such a short space of time.

I arrived into Sydney Airport and tried to use my phone which was still barred...typical Optus. Found Zoe and then headed upstairs with perfect timing for Jo to pick us up from Departures. Had some coffee and a chat before starting to unpack. I have the overwhelming urge to clean...I am a little mental but have already started on the fridge and am just about to get stuck into the bathroom.

So that is the holiday of a lifetime over. So much goes unsaid and I wish I were better at writing down how I feel about all of this. Let's just say I am a better talker in person for those that know me may testify.

The end..for now ;)

Auckland Day 44

Arrived at Craig and Lucy's place and woke them up at the crack of dawn...6am. Got to meet little Luka who is absolute darling, lots of hugs and kisses. Plenty of laughs then I had to have a little nap, just an hour to get me through to lunch time.

The Kotze's and Bevo's turned up as well as another friend Tash for a wonderful lunch. It was great seeing everyone after so long and enjoying a meal together. Lots of chatter, kids running around and a bit of champas to boot. I think the cake may have done me in in the end...after everyone had left I was determined to stay up until at least 10pm...which became 9, and I lost the fight at 8 and went to bed. It was a wonderful day and I was really glad to have been able to see everyone in one hit.

Fort Worth to Auckland Days 42 - 43

In the air, enough said? Watched Iron Man on the plane, limited options after so many flights. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Flight was pretty good. Wow, I am a literary marvel!

Fort Worth Day 41

Well I guess this is it for the US of A. I head out this afternoon, finally the skies have cleared and it is a lovely day outside. I should be sitting by the pool but am still contemplating this option..yes, I think it should be done. So I will head off for a quick sojourn before my departure on a two day adventure to NZ (I lose a day due to time zones) sniff sniff...

Ange came home so we went out to lunch at a gourmet market. Lovely sandwiches, pizza's. Pretty much anything that you want you can get at this supermarket, wonderful stuff. Went to Target to get some pain killers as I feel horrid then came home for a swim and we are now heading to the airport.

Fort Worth Day 40

Woke up at 7.50 to the sound of electric buzz cutters...nice. Why could they not have waited until the afternoon? Today we are going to head into Dallas, not sure where yet but I have no doubt it will be great if the rain holds out.

So we did the walk through the mall looking at dresses and the like before stopping for some lunch. I feel like I have walked myself into the ground on this trip and am starting to need a break. Trying on clothes is by far my least favourite thing to do. I found the perfect dresses in NY but did not buy anything...I must have a mental block when it comes to shopping these days. Perhaps a good thing I think.

After a quick reprieve in the afternoon Angela and I headed out to dinner at Reata Rooftop (means rope in Spanish I am told) had tamales, salad, mojito's and chocolate pud for desert. Lovely meal and great atmosphere. We headed out for a walk around the block and there was a band playing. Grabbed a beer and watched people with cowboy hats and girls all dressed up walk past. Angela and I laughed as she asked me "digyallit" aka did you all eat? This came about as I was taking off the country singers as they always whine about a dead cat/dog or the girl leaving them etc...very funny stuff indeed.

Home now and will have to pack in the morning for one of the final flights...home soon.

New York - Dallas/Fort Worth Day 39 - 40

Woke up at 8am...yuk, very tired. Jumped in a cab to Macy's to look for a dress. Found the perfect one....1 size too small, darn chest grrrrrrrr. Contined to walk to midtown and then got another cab to the b&b and then walked downtown still looking for a dress, came up trumps but it was $410....it didn't happen.

The sad news is that I have left NY with no shoes. I think my priorties have shifted somewhat but I do feel sad that I didn't get one pair as my shoes at home have seen their last in a big way. Life could be a lot worse. One thing I am realising from this trip is how extremely fortunate and blessed I am compared to most. God is amazing in what he has given me.

I am now at La Guardia and heading to Dallas where I am sure Angela is getting more excited by the minute...will write more later.

Arrived in Dallas to rain, looks like it will rain the whole time I am here. Tops. Angela is taking half day's off work though so that is really good as we will get more time to spend together. Went for dinner at a Mexican place with one of Angela's friends Carol who is quite lovely. Came home, chilled out and then headed to bed.

Woke up this morning and started to go through my bags for washing etc and decided I should back up some more photos. Well, I have been crying for about half an hour. I am dumb and I hate the transport authority in America. I backed up my whole hard drive to an external one and someone in customs or American Airlines has stolen it from my bag. I should have carried it on board but was so tired I forgot. Words can't describe how angry I am right now. It is every photo I have ever taken before this trip gone because I have removed them from my computer as well, I know some are backed up to disc at home, but a hell of a lot aren't.

Angela and I headed out to have a look at a museum and the Botanic Gardens which was lovely. Had a look at some shops and then headed to dinner with some of her friends which is always nice, then off to a massage around 9pm...very nice indeed.

New York Day 38

Woke up around 6am and headed to Top of the Rock, had to wait a while to get in but the views are amazing. There is so much to see in NYC that I don't really feel like I have accomplished a lot in my short time. Robin and Dianne picked me up on 5th avenue and we headed to Long Beach in Long Island. Met up with a couple of their friends and walked along the boardwalk. You have to pay $10 to go on the beach. Apparently they do this to keep the riff raff out. Crazy times indeed. After a beer at the flat we headed back to Robin's house where I met her Mum, cousin and another friend. Robin collects Pez dispensers and has hundreds of them. I asked her why she did this and she said that when she started it reminded her of happy days as a child, fun.

Had to get back to the city in time to get back to Top of the Rock for sunset. After arriving in Penn station and lovely guy gave me his daily Metro card which was really cool as I could not find my change and was looking like a photographic equipment mule as per usual. So when I arrived at west 4th st I handed to the next person I saw at the machine, she was chuffed and it made me smile. Got changed quickly and jumped in a cab to go back up. I can't explain the frustration of one guy standing in front of me for 1 1/2 hours while sunset....patience is a virtue that I am still learning. When it was dark and he and his wife were finally leaving he turned and said, "now you can take your exposition". Quite rude as I had said nothing the whole time, I told him that I only need 1 photo, which turned out to be pretty average as I had lost my mojo by this stage.

I went back down and moved towards Times Square. While standing on a corner a fellow compatriate (photographer) asked me how the shots were going, I told him the story and he offered to buy me a beer. I have to say I am surprised by how friendly people are, of course I accepted. We talked photos, techniques, swapped cards, laughed that we knew some of the same people on flickr and talked to Olga the bartender. Arthur left me there and I kept going, got some shots along the way and then headed back downtown.

Went back to the restaurant that the B&B owner owns to say goodbye to the guys there. Mike made me a cocktail and once closed some of the kitchen and floor staff took me next door as I had not eaten since breakfast. Chips and chicken wings go down well when your hungry. Another beer, some more photos, 3.30am and I headed to bed.....long day....

New York Day 37

Hit the ground running at around 7.30am, and praise the Lord the sky was BLUE. Walked up 6th avenue and followed the clues until I reached the Empire State Building. I did not go up, instead I kept moving towards the Rockerfeller Centre and bought my tickets for tomorrow. Sunrise and Sunset, I will be having a cocktail in the bar post photos. The streets were quite empty and the light was great in some spots.

I continued on until I reached Times Square where a lovely traffic officer asked me how many photos I had taken this trip, I replied, then he asked how many of me..mmm, so he took my photograph, not too bad. We chatted about swimming, he wondered why we have so many good swimmers, I likened it to the fact that we are so close to the coast and we love sport. Not sure if this is the answer, but it was interesting conversation. Moving forward in my quest to Central Park, darn that place is huge, I now know as I may have walked my feet bare. Did the vast majority in a leisurely manner, stopping for a shot or two along the way, found strawberry fields...imagine.

Kept walking and did the mall before heading back into the city and thought I should step into a store, Tiffany's. Oh my, I am sure that if you wanted to spend some hard cash this place would relieve you of it nicely. In typical style I only liked the expensive stuff, and so walked out empty handed and smiling. Starting to feel a bit hungry I walked into a restaurant and had a Rueben sandwich, basically this thing is just meat, mustard and cabbage. Now when I say meat I am sure there is enough for a whole family in this sandwich. I could not finish it. Feeling slightly ill, I jumped in a cab (getting rather lazy after all that walking) and I sit here typing quickly before I head out for round two of the Brooklyn Bridge.....bring it on.

Walked over the Brooklyn Bridge sans rain, wonderful. I was overly keen and arrived a couple of hours before sunset so I took a few more shots and then headed to a bar for a beer. Got talking with a guy that had lived in Australia for a while which was nice. Watched some of the Olympics on the TV, the guys left and then I got talking with two lovely ladies called Robin and Dianne, both from Long Island. So we sat and chatted as the night drew nearer and they got so excited about the travels etc that they decided to do Top of the Rock with me in the morning (Rockerfeller Centre) and then we are headed out to Long Island for the morning to take some photos. Can't wait. Just got home, charging the darn battery that died :( but I still got some night photos that I think should be wonderful.

My feet feel like they have had the skin taken off the bottom they are so sore from walking today!!

New York Day 36

Stopping via the pub to start the backup was not a good idea obviously. Woke up this morning and figured out how to do it. Unfortunately it took all day...I did not head out until around 5pm and you guessed it, starting raining as soon as I left the building. The joy. I thought to myself, "how bad can it be"...walked to Brooklyn Bridge and was half way across when I found out. Decided to give up and head back towards town. At this stage I was carrying tripod, camera bag, umbrella and lots of water in my jeans :) Walked back to Chinatown and had some food since I had not eaten since breakfast. By this stage it was dark and I decided to try and get some shots on the way back to the village. Hopefully some of them worked out, was still with umbrella etc and, only slightly difficult.

Some people in this city amaze me, as with most places. Favourites of the day, a guy telling me I was dreaming as I walked past with camera gear. What's up with that? Another who waited until just as I was passing to relieve his wind in a big way...nice, how to win friends and influence people. Another yelling at me as I was taking a photo in the village, not in a bad way but still weird. haha, crazy times. I think I will head out for a little longer. I pray to God that it does not rain tomorrow, I need to get a fair bit in and my shots are limited when it rains :( either that or I am just not imaginative enough...could be both.

New York Day 35

I am tired. I got on the little blue bus again, went downtown and jumped off at the financial district. Walked around Wall St etc then jumped on the Staten Island Ferry to go past the Statue of Liberty. Came back and decided to walk some more...without a map, yep good move. So I walked from the ferry to Brooklyn Bridge, past the Supreme Court and then on into Chinatown where I had some lunch.

Then back on the road past all the rubbish looking fake stuff they were selling and ended up back on Broadway, this was not my intention as I had ended up almost where I started. Back on the bus to head uptown. The sky was looking pretty gloomy, and then it chucked it down like buckets when I was heading past central park.

I am really glad that I bought the new camera back as it has it's own raincoat. The tour driver on this bus was rubbish and I could not hear a thing he was saying. Mind you it was also coming down like crazy. Once we had done the lap and were coming up the other side of the park I saw an apple in the distance...a sanctuary of sorts. So I went into the store and bought a back up USB drive.

Got it home via the subway and a pub and can't really figure out how to do a couple of things so I still have not backed up my computer and am out of space!! GRRRR, will have to take them both to an electronics store and ask someone to help me...

London - New York Day 34

I have been wondering why I started putting the days into my blog? It annoys be but I feel compelled to continue, typical Wozniak style.

Woke up at 5am got ready and headed back to Heathrow, oh the joy of an airport, again. Said my sad farewells to Chris and then headed through to the plane. This flight was pretty easy compared to most and I think I even slept a bit which is a change from the last couple. Arrived in New York, had my privacy removed when I was finger printed and scanned...mmm, it is an odd feeling. Having said that though I am told that if you pass through the centre of London your photo will be taken approx 200 times. Orwellian society much? (He went to Eton too!)

Wonders never cease to amaze me, God is great. I was walking out of the subway looking like the typical pack horse when a woman comes running after me saying that I had dropped money. $50 dollars to be precise, I was taken aback and glad. Then a worker next to me said "Welcome to New York! That never happens!"

After settling into my awesome digs with the help of Humphrey who is looking after the B&B I went out to have a look around the street and then had a beer before getting on the usual tour bus. Little did I know that you cannot just get on and pay, so I walked approx two miles which I was not prepared for prior to purchasing a ticket and jumping on. Got my barings, came home and had a shower before heading back to "One if by Land, Two if by Sea" for dinner. Sat at the bar, had a cocktail, three courses and then headed to bed around 11.30pm. The food was unreal and the chef came out to have a chat as he is from WA. Altogether it was a lovely day.

Windsor - London Day 33

What a day, woke up to rain bucketing down and Chris wondering what we would do for the last day. Then the showers cleared, the sun shone and we jumped on the train to Windsor as intended. Of course the little red hop on hop off bus beckoned and we obliged. It was one of the best commentries I had heard in a while although I missed a fair bit because of the wind and general noise. After taking some photos at the long walk we got back on and the clouds loomed again...it was grave indeed. The rains came, people got umbrellas out, battled the wind etc while Chris and I killed ourselves laughing. Why would you bother in a summer shower, on top of a bus to try and battle the rain?

Once we had done the full lap when went on a boat cruise down the river Thames, saw Windsor race course which looks quite amazing. Then we headed back to town for lunch at a little pub nearby before taking a walk through the town of Eton, went in the College as the boys are on school holidays. This school is quite amazing, went through the museum and watched a video. I was surprised to see how much interest they have in the arts these days, not totally scholastic in a traditional sense which is nice.

Headed back to London after a little walk around the streets and got ready for dinner. Chris had booked a really special place for our last night hanging out called Le Pont De La Tour, right next to Tower Bridge. I think I can say without reservation that this is the best meal I have ever had. Cocktail followed by crab salad, white wine, whole fresh lobster with sauce (I know you are jealous Mum), finished off with passionfruit and coconut sorbet. We took some photos of the bridge and then headed home....it was after 12, had to get up at 5...interesting.

London Day 32

The "big day" in terms of how much I walked. Chris and I had breakfast at Roma's then headed into Covent Garden where we came across a video being filmed for a new teeny bopper looking show, cruised around in and out of shops before heading through Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and then down to Trafalgar. We stopped and watched people going by, they have a massive screen erected for the Olympics to be watched outdoors. Since we were right next to the National Portrait Gallery it did not make sense not to go in and have a look, some great photos, paintings and the video of David Beckham sleeping...bit boring on that one. Wandered out and headed down to a little pub called the Shirlock Holmes to meet Steve for lunch. It was wonderful to catch up after quite a while and see that all was well. Chris and Steve left me here.

I decided to walk towards Regent St, did half the length of it, in and out of shops, down alley ways, through Soho, Chancery Lane etc. Ended up near Shaftsbury Avenue but on the dodgy side from coming through Piccadilly and got screamed at by a Madame in a "live nudes place". I CAN SEE YOU WITH YOUR CAMERA, obviously...I was wearing a bright blue top, pink scarf, have blonde hair and was right opposite the place but taking a photo down the lane way. Once I mentioned this she calmed down a bit...so I continued back towards sanity, Covent Garden, West End and along the Strand where I happened across Australia House, completely forgot it was there I thought it was in Holborn for some daft reason. This is really stupid because I used to pass the place on the bus constantly. Kept going and walked back to Bank after a few more shots along the way.

Met Chris out the front of 1 Poultry, got in a lift and had to be saved by management since we were going nowhere...completely stuck. Finally arrived at the rooftop bar where Zarina and Jake met us for some cocktails. As it was drawing a bit later, Chris, Zarina and I met Rich in Wardour St for some Chinese. I had some crab in the shell, unreal, very nice. After parting ways again Chris and I went down to Piccadilly and I got some night shots, then off to Westminster to get some more of the river at night, London Eye etc. Then home to bed!

London Day 30 - 31

After a quiet morning Chris and I headed for breakfast down the road (it was massive) beautiful mushrooms though, this would have been around 12....then we went down to Oxford St, it was raining, people everywhere and really we were just unlucky with people pushing in front of us. I think I did not exist for a while there..anyhoo, picked up a present for Zarina and Rich. Came home and had a nap before going to the house warming in Wapping.

I got stuck into making salads with the help of Zarina and Chris. Dinner went off without a hitch (except the rain of course so we could not use the bbq) Then we all danced the night away in the middle of the lounge room. Got home around 2am, tried to sleep in without success.

Headed to Harvey Nichols 5th Floor Restaurant for lunch with Liz, an old school friend. I caught the bus and remembered so many places along the way as I used to spend the majority of my time in the city on weekends. I think I did a lot more while I was here than I gave myself credit for. So Liz and I had a lovely catch up with some great food followed by a cocktail.

I headed back to Maida Vale to Chris's house and in typical London style it chucked it down as soon as I got off the bus. Really helpful that I was wearing open toe stilleto's...so the forecast for the next couple of days is rain as well, I think I have had one day of sunshine. Never mind though.

Had dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant called Red Pepper and then headed home around midnight for some sleep and to get ready to do it all again another day.

Bath - London Day 29

In around 800 BC, a Celtic king called Bladud was kicked out of his realm for leprosy. Because he had nowhere else to go, he went off to a place that the locals thought was divine -- hot springs coming up out of the soil He mimicked the swine he had and began to roll around in this mud and, lo and behold, his leprosy disappeared and a town began to build up around the springs as others came to be healed.

The Celts continued to worship at the spring as well, building a shrine to the goddess Sulis. When the Romans arrived, they took over the temple. They associated Sulis with Minerva, but not wanting to offend any gods, they continued to worship to both of these fine women. They named the town Aquae Sulis, and built baths alongside the temple. When the Romans eventually left, the town continued to exist, but in a much lesser form.

That is until the Georgians began to arrive to "take the waters". Bath was THE place to be outside of London for quite a while. It wasn't until the beginning of the 19th Century that its popularity waned when George IV, who had become Prince Regent in light of the fact that his dad was mad, decided that salt water was better than the springs and moved the court to Brighton.

The town was didn't help matters much during the 19th Century. For her very first public appearance, Princess Victoria (seven years before she became queen) came to town to open a new public garden. One of the reporters covering the event wrote that he thought she looked dowdy, a bit harsh in view of the fact that she was only eleven years old. She swore she would never return -- and she didn't.

Since then, Bath has been a sleepy Somerset town. It is now the home of a fairly well known university, but other than that, thrives on tourism. I had been briefly a few years ago with Mom and Lynn, but had never spent any real time here. Nat and I decided that we would go and see what was on offer.

Stepping off the train, we were thrilled to discover that the bus tour had a stop right there. We jumped on and took the 45 minute circuit of the town. I do love these tours. They always provide the right amount of trivia to make what one is looking at come alive. The best bit today? Back in the Georgian days, if one wanted to come to the spa, one needed three things. The first was a letter from the doctor declaring one to be ill. The second was a letter from a priest testifying to one's good character. The third? One needed to provide three guineas. This was in case the cure didn't take. The city did not want to be responsible for the cost of the burial. Fabulous! Bureaucracy existed in the 18th Century as well.

Once the tour was over, we decided to walk to the far end of town and make our way back to the station. Since both of us are keen photographers we started the day in a camera shop, both of us walking out with new camera bags. As a result, we spent the rest of the day looking like pack mules, but needs must.

We walked all over the town, seeing everything a lot of what was on offer. Bath is the only World Heritage Site in Britain, so there really is a lot to see. Of course, the most impressive bit is the baths. They are humbling in how beautiful and well built they are. The audio guide is now done by Bill Bryson, obviously a fan of the place. He told lots of great stories and gave loads of interesting facts. Between the audio guide, my backpack, my new camera bag and my tripod on my shoulder, I must have looked quite a site wandering around the place!

Just before we went into the baths, Chris and I sat in the square by the Abbey for a breather. As we were sitting there, the church bells began to ring. Beautiful sounding, church bells are awesome, I only wish they had them at St Thoms.

I must admit now that Chris wrote everything above on her blog and I copied it...she is much better at writing than I am :)

I tried to download my photos this morning and could not for the life of me figure out why it would not happen. It seems that I have used up all the space on my laptop, I know you are all so shocked...but seriously I was! started to back up to DVD but I think I may have to purchase an external hard drive...the trials and tibulations of a happy snapper.

London Day 28

Chris and I started out by heading down to Roma's coffee shop at the end of her street for coffee and toast. I purchased my Oyster card for the tube and headed out to Monument. We walked the old route towards work and went through Leadenhall Market, I asked a boot shiner if I could take his photo and was rebuffed...fair enough. Looked through some shops and then kept walking to have a look at the Lloyd's, the London Underwriting Centre which is one of the buildings I used to work in. Also took some shots of Fenchurch Street Station. Everything started to come back to me, things we had done, lunches, pubs, walks etc.

We moved on from here after a light shower (typical rain) towards Bank and the Royal Exchange, OK, I know it sounds crazy but I always thought that the big building with pillars that sits between two roads was the bank of England...wrong, it is the Exchange, Chris and I laughed as we had both gotten it wrong for all these years. We kept walking to St Paul's where we stopped for some yum cha, how I love dumplings, little parcels of joy. Took more photos of St Paul's and surrounds, looked at some more shops and then kept walking towards the west end. Found Dr Johnson's House, he published the first dictionary, I had never walked this way before so it was great to see something new, typical London. Moved on to the Royal Inns of Court and then crossed over and as I looked down a side street saw a sign for Speight's (NZ beer, really good). I got really excited and made Chris stop at a pub called the Southerner and bought Chris and I a beer.

After our refreshment we moved on and walked though the Inner Temple and Middle Temple, some lovely gardens surrounded by buildings which I can only assume have a lot of law related business. We headed towards the Thames and starting walking back to Tower Bridge (the pretty one). Called a couple of old work colleagues and ended up at what used to be our regular Wednesday night pub the Emperor for a few drinks. Giovanni was excited to see us and laid on the hospitality thick and fast. Zarina, Rich and Jeremy turned up and after a relax Chris, Jeremy and I headed out for some Indian just near her house before going home.

I did a solid 14 hour day, 230 photos (Chris laughed because I thought she was taking as many photos as me...she only took 126) Yeah, it became a bit of a laugh. The best part of walking around with Chris is that she does not mind stopping every five minutes for a photo.

Poros Day 27

Starting packing this morning :( I am headed out on the 3pm ferry and will be in London around 930pm

I have loved my time on the island and yacht. I am going to head off for another Freddochino (iced coffee) and Watermelon juice before I depart. A lazy day it will be indeed.

Checked my flight online and had a major freak out....Flight centre had the wrong flight number with the right flight times. Called the Athens office an hour before getting on my ferry to sort it out, luckily there were seats available on the flight, panick was all that ensued for the next couple of hours. Got a cab from the port, driver was a little too friendly and got a slap on the hand but he got me there in time so that was all that mattered. I was upgraded to club as it was British Airways fault by the sounds of it and arrived safe and sound to a jubilent Ms Bohner in London. Went for a beer followed by Thai and then headed back to the flat for a glass of champas before going to bed and crashing from tiredness.

All things considered it was not as bad as I had thought, but it was a hectic day indeed.

Hydra - Poros Day 26

Woke up and sorted out tickets on a flying dolphin (ferry) to Hydra, another island approximately 40mins away. Arrived and had a coffee with Bryan and Hattie before heading out to take snaps. I am back on a roll, took almost 400 photos today. Of course some are rubbish but I really felt like I was back in the swing of things. It was great people watching and just walking around. This Island is where all the rich Americans and general well to do people rock up. Unfortunately it has no water, this has to be ferried in every day. It also does not allow cars so mules do most of the work, I felt really sorry for the poor things.

Headed back around 4.30 and kept walking around Poros to get some last photos, light was lovely although I was sweating it walking up the hill to the clock tower. When I had been walking for a couple of hours and felt so sick I thought I could not go on a lovely Taverna owner held out a fork with watermelon on it as I was passing by, how could I say no? So I sat down, had some melon, a beer and chewed the fat. Again, just wonderful watching the world go by. I also managed to get some great portraits today. I love that I am feeling more comfortable in asking people, they are generally chuffed to think that you want to take a photo of them. When I was taking a photo of a guy in town he asked where I was from and then said "to Sydney with love from Poros" haha, it was good.

We are off to dinner at a place where the guy loves to scream at everyone, a real hoot. Have gotten quite used to him as the food is wonderful.

Poros Days 24 - 25

Sat on the yacht for two nights, swam, ate muscles and generally relaxed. Three yachts went out together, Hattie's cousin, wife and child as well as another man. We all anchored together in a small bay with crystal clear water and beautiful views back to the habour and the mainland. Neck and shoulder got much better during this time. Not much to report about the first day on the boat as mostly it was swimming, watching other boats and eating.

This morning we came back into port headed to the physio who gave me another massage prior to my hiring a moped...so much fun. Strapped the camera to me and headed off. Went to the remains of the Poseidon Temple, I think it was more like a really small village on top of the island, wonderful views from here. Also went down a really dodgy rock track, my "ladies moped" probably was not meant for this...got a couple of funny looks from local guys as they went past on much superior forms of transport, meh, I like to keep it real ;)

I have just arrived back in town for some respite before we head out to dinner...oh the food...fetta, kalamata, tomato and cucumber like they should be...divine..

Poros Day 23

My neck is still killing me, not as bad but the pain is unreal. Sat on the yacht today, ate, slept, got ouzo massaged into my neck, lounged some more and then went for a coffee. About to head back to the yacht to go out to a bay for the evening. Hoping my neck and shoulder are better soon.

Poros Days 21 - 22

Well actually most of the day was taken up by travel, was delayed at Pireaus for 2 hours after running to the ferry with bags in tow. Have also managed to pull a muscle in my neck quite badly due to sitting next to a wriggling boy on the plane. Arrived to a very big hug from Bryan and Hattie, quickly settled into my room before heading off to dinner..... oh the greek salad. By this stage though I had only slept 2 hours in the past 35 so I went down hill pretty fast and headed to bed.

Got up and my neck and shoulder were still kiling like I had been hit by a sledge hammer so it was off to the physio after breakfast only to be told that I had to wait until the evening. No matter, A beer and some amazing muscles for lunch and then off to the beach for the rest of the day. Also had a look at the house that Bryan and Hattie are building, was shown my room (the shell that is ;) and the view is quite spectacular, the house looks like it will be wonderful when it is completed (I had a look at the plans) Headed back to the physio who gave me a brilliant massage and told me to come back in a couple of days after some exercises. I am amazed that this will only cost 20 euro. Went and had a look at the yacht which we are cruising out on tomorrow before having dinner. Just got home I think it is around 1am...yep exhausted now. Off to sleep

Poros is lovely, right next to the mainland, I can see it from my balcony. I have always loved Greece and being back here is a real treat.

Airports Days 19 - 20

Woke up and was sad that I was leaving Namibia, the place is pure magic and even though I did a fair bit there is so much more to do. I had such a wonderful time with Tash and Flanagan. I think I forgot to mention that on my birthday I woke up to beautiful gifts and hugs and kisses followed later in the day by an awesome chocolate cake topped with maltesers.

So I am currently in Joburg airport on my way to Greece, I will arrive sometime late tomorrow. Not sure if I will have an access there so there may not be a post for a week. I am loving my trip, catching up with old friends and starting to feel very relaxed.

Much love. Me x

Swakopmund Day 18

I had a wonderful birthday. I woke up and got a present from Tash and Flanagan then had breakfast before heading out to get my phone fixed. I now have no numbers so if you text just let me know it is you as I lost everything.

Then I did something crazy and went and jumped out of a plane :) fully sick is all I can say. I was so scared that when I free fell I could not breathe properly. The best part was cruising down looking over dunes, water and seeing all the way to horizon.

Anyway, I had paid for a dvd and photo package. The photos didn't work out after I had a beer (I know that I sound like a drink a lot these days but wouldn't you if you had just jumped out of a plane at 10,000ft?) they told me to suit up I was going again for free....I didn't have time to think and I was at it again and still scared. This time the free fall was better but not the parachute part, went a bit too fast. So how lucky am I? I got my phone back, got two jumps for the price of one and now am going out to dinner. All my nervous energy from the last week is starting to subside, jumping out of a perfectly sound plane will do that to you ;)

Swakopmund Day 17

This morning I woke up early and had a lovely cooked breakfast before heading out on my living desert tour, named the "little 5". Our guide is like the Steve Irwin of Namibia and was very entertaining, I was introduced as the Australian Mafia..

We set out into the dunes and he immediately jumped out and gave us an 1 hour introduction, he can talk I tell you. Such interesting information as well. When you walk through the desert here you are walking over spiders, snakes, skinks and the like, so much wildlife. He found us a small spider hole but did not bring this one out as it was an albino and would take several hours to re built it's hole. The first thing we saw was a horned adder, they move sideways and was beautiful in colour and waxy to touch like most of the desert animals. I also saw a chamelion and a little light coloured skink, then lastly a small lizard. Really cool tour. One of the sad things is that when quad bikes etc go through the flats the tyre prints never leave as the wind will not move the gravel, there are tracks from carts of 120 years ago that can still be seen today. Totally devasatating for the environment. This tour stays to only one set of tracks all the time and my guide may no bones about how much it upset him that approx 80% of the desert is covered in 4x4 tracks and quad tracks, apparently there are around 360 new tracks made each year as a round estimate, these will never go away.

I returned home and went out for coffee and cake with Tash who is feeling much better after a day of rest. Tonight Tash and Flanagan are making me Pap a traditional African dish with a Braai (bbq). I am sitting watching the sun retreat through the window with my "sundowner" (beer with lemon and ice) very refreshing...

Swakopmund Day 16

Poor Tash is really sick, has a cold of sorts and not fairing well. Flanagan made me breakfast and then after some pottering around I went into to town and took some photos, walked back via the beach watching kids play and the water coming in on the sand. Very relaxing here and I am not doing too much today other than chilling out.

Tomorrow morning I am headed on a desert tour which should be really interesting. I am sure I will have more to update then.

Swakopmund Day 15

Today I woke up late, had some breakfast and headed into town for a look around. It is only small so did not take long. Got a new USB cable and a couple of other things that I needed. Headed home for some lunch in the garden and then spent the afternoon relaxing.

Headed out to watch the sunset (through a lens of course) down by the pier.

To anyone that does not know, my mobile was stolen...meh, I didn't need the social tool anyway ;) Took me 45 minutes in the police station with the girl almost laughing that I was reporting it, I think she thought I was a bit crazy?

Flanagan has prepared some fresh caught fish for us and I am about to enjoy dinner.

Swakopmund Day 14

I set out early and boarded a boat tour for half the day. We had seals that came onto the boat which we were able to feed and touch if they were not aggressive. Also saw a colony from the distance, some dolphins, pelicans and sea gulls. This was just near Swakop in Walvis Bay, about half an hour away. We had some lunch, oysters and the like with Champas and then got back to Port at around 12 where Tash and Flannigan were waiting for me.

We drove a little while to "Dune 7". This is the largest natural sand dune in the world and I climbed it...only just. Took me 18 minutes which is apparently really good considering I thought I was dying half way up, my heart was going to jump out at one point and walk itself :) When I finally reached the top and regained my breathe it was quite something to look out over the dunes and take some photos which I must admit are probably pretty average...I was half dead. More sand in my shoes and every other part of me than I care to think about and I headed down. We headed to the Moonscape, named after an area on the moon as the landscape is so similar. At one point in time it was a river. Amazing looking landscape, can't describe it. More photos were taken of course!

And how do you finish a day like this? Beer on the waterfront...nuff said

(Namibia) Swakopmund Day 13

Caught the first flight on my trip that was on time today...yeah, every other flight has been delayed by around 2 hours. So it was a tiny yet and the guy behind me loved to give me a constant knee in the back and talk that little bit too loud...but then I saw desert and sea and the smile broadend. Got off the plane and arrived at an airport the size of a small shop, gold. Came out of customs and could not hold back the smiles as I saw Natasja (she is calling herself a little elephant) to me she looks beautiful with a lovely 8 month bump...awe, and as an added bonus got to meet Flannigan for the first time who is just darling.

We headed straight from Walvis Bay to Swakop to settle me into my dreamy room, you really must come here, if it was good enough for Brad and Ange to have a baby in the town clearly it is great for us little people as well ;)

Went out for lunch and had a monstrous (spell?) sandwich. Prepare yourself, it had banana, cheese and bacon...bloody great even though it sounds particularly weird. Also goes well with local beer...

We have looked through about 2 years of photos, chewed the fat and generally just caught up. Feeling pretty tired now so going to have the other half of my sandwich if I can actually fit it in and then head to bed before hitting the ground running tomorrow.

Mum, we can skype on the 29th. Will sort out times etc and let you know. Much love to all. x

Cape Town Day 12

So I got up at 6am and after saying goodbye to the Lloyds which was a bit sad :( Got to the airport and it was fogged in so I waited 2 hours to board my flight and after some great conversation with locals I got on board. Arrived in Cape Town only to find out I could not go up to the top of Table Mountain...closed for maintenance, oh my...got on the hop on hop off bus and did a whirlwind tour of town, clearly 1 day was not enough. Brian had collected me from the Airport and Shell picked me up from the botanical gardens in time to see baby Finlay for a hug and a kiss before we headed out to a lovely dinner. So that was my half day in Cape Town, not enough but most importantly got to see old friends :)

Port Elizabeth Day 11

This morning Rose, Jenna and I headed out to a small game park where I got to see some Tigers, Lions (babies as well) and Peacocks, really sad that there were no Meercats around, they may have been sleeping. After lunch Kenny, Rose, Jenna and I headed to the beach and I took some family shots. I have to say, the light here is more than slightly amazing. I was talking to Rose this morning and looking up at how blue the sky is, not washed out from too much light like Australia.

Tonight we are headed out for dinner to Blue Water Cafe in town which will be a lovely way to spend our last evening together.

I have had a wonderful time with the Lloyds and will be very sad leaving tomorrow. I am however looking forward to seeing Brian and Shell and little Finlay...bring on the babies for hugs :)

Oh, as an aside...BOO HOO as table mountain is closed while I am here....NOT, HAPPY, JAN...I wonder how long it would take to walk up and am I fit enough....stay tuned...

Port Elizabeth Day 10

After some last minute preparations this morning Rose and I went to the University where we met with a group of girls and I led my first bible study. Of course I got interviewed again by Rose which was great to share with the group.

In the study we discussed the concepts of foolishness of the cross (1 Cor 1:18 - 25) It was a good meeting with some great discussion. Of course I whipped out the camera for a happy snap of the group, will post it later. Awesome to be reminded that even though we are weak God will work through our foolishness.

I am off to take Jenna for a walk while Rosie prepares supper and Kenny goes out for a bit. Loving it :)

Things lost so far..

So, I would like to say that when travelling I am usually more organised than most. However on this trip I have lost stuff within the first week...

Day 1 - Left brand new uggies for Jenna and book in back of cab
Day 7 - USB cord definitely gone now, possibly left in Beijing
Day 7 - Black jumper in front of cab

Will keep you posted on the progress of my luggage lol ;p

Port Elizabeth Day 9

Woke up early and headed off to a community church with Rose and Jenna. This church is in Walmer Township where the population is all black and most are unemployed (Apparently the unemployment rate in SA is around 40% min). The service was great, with a lot of signing, flag waving, hugging, yelling, praising and a bit of dancing. Some young boys got up on stage and busted a move during the signing, awesome stuff. Although there were some iffy bits in the service I loved the story the preacher gave about a girl and a chicken and the forgiveness from the mother, twas great.

After having a lovely lunch that Rosie prepared for us we went for a walk along the waterfront, had a look at some market stalls. I smelled doughnuts....and even though I did not have any they looked good served with chocolate.

This evening I am off to church with Kenny and in usual fashion he is going to hit me up for an interview in front of the congregation. I have pre read the questions and they are not bad :)

Days 7 & 8

Wake up, pack up, eat breakfast arrive;

Beijing Airport 1pm...left jumper in taxi...excellent, flight delayed by 45 mins, marvellous.
Hong Kong arrive 8pm, change some currency, send postcards, order watermelon juice and cruise the internet for a couple of hours. 13 hours in the air, 2 movies - a history of violence and the bank heist (both pretty good) approx 7 hours broken sleep...gold
Johannesburg arrive 6.50am, bathroom, check in, wait until 9 to drop bag off at check in....go through security (only to realise I have no currency and now can't change any) Flight slightly delayed..
Port Elizabeth arrive 1pm, greetings, laughs, joy and talks with Kenny on the way to his Aunty's house. Watch Australia finish of SA in the Rugby and then head home with Rose and Jenna in tow...SHOWER...ah the joy after over 24 hours in transit ;)

Drove to the beach and did a nice walk, took a couple of photos. Came home and had a Braai (bbq) and then went to bed.

Beijing Days 5 & 6

Went to the Great Wall on Wednesday, oh my, I don't think I can describe it, you would have to look at my photos on flickr amazing is all I can say, hard work climbing those stairs but so worth it. We had lunch and then headed to the Ming Tombs. Everything is on such a grand scale.

Thursday I headed out at 8am and set off to the Temple of Heaven, again, massive, approximately a couple of kilometers each way, walked around the temples and through the gardens. Some people were gathered singing, others were exercising and I played a game of racquet ball with an elderly lady.

Jumped in a taxi and went to a Hutong, local communities in little streets. A lot of these have been raised to make way for new high rises which is a shame. Had lunch in a local restaurant, no idea what type of meat I ate, but hey who cares right? Kept walking and went to the confucious temple which was surprisingly quiet and small by comparison to everything else. Watched some men play chequers and then jumped in another taxi to head home for a minute before going to Wunfujing where they have all the crazy food. Ate a piece of Starfish. Salty, could not eat a whole one. Found a remote switch for my camera and got home at around 8pm. It was a long day which is why this post is so short.

Heading off to the airport in about an hour for South Africa. See you soon.

Beijing Day 4

Oh my goodness, I am hopeless with words (when typing obviously, no need for laughs there) This morning I went to Tian amen Square and then into The Forbidden City. I cannot describe how large these areas are. You could spend around 3 days in The Forbidden City I think as a rough estimate. I became a rock star today and everyone wanted a photo with me. Being the happy snapper I am I was more than happy to oblige, meh, on holidays, everyone is so happy who cares right? It was funny with a whole group going shot after shot though...one kid was none too impressed and did not want a bar of it, I like his style :)

Ren and Dave live in a place called Central Park, there are around 4 towers and the Ayi's (Chinese for Aunty aka Nanny) like to hang in the park with their charges and talk. I came across one that had 3 children and she was calling after one saying "Ethan Bear" made me smile and miss my nephew. For those of you that don't know, my nephew's name is Ethan and gets called little bear...so close yet so far.

Anyway, I digress. So I cruised around the sites with more tourists than I have ever seen at any location in the world (I know I am prone to exaggeration, but this time I am not talking it up) and just took in the sheer magnificance of the place. It blows my mind, not to mention the ornate detail to almost everything, even as you are walking in parts they have made flowers etc out of the stone work on the paths, unreal.

I headed home after getting some serious heat....bad girl, I look like a melon...I blame the weather man! As I sit here drinking a glass of wine I think I am emitting enough heat to power a car ;) Then went to the silk markets. I hate haggling but when I returned with my bounty Ren told me that I had done supremely well (slightly chuffed at this point, minus burn) I bought the nephews some tops and was pretty much yelling at the girl (in a nice way) before walking off and winning....oh yeah, I still got it...lol

Stay tuned, Great Wall tomorrow (with umbrella for shade, stupid whitey..)

P.S. no photo's today as I think Dave may have obsconded with my USB cord by accident...

xx

Beijing Day 3

This morning Ren and I headed to the local markets to get some fresh food for the house. We where the only white people there and when I say fresh food, this place was FRESH...such beautiful produce and of course everything is seasonal. Wonderful textures and colours as well as a tonne of people walking around. Had a great time taking photos while Ren shopped.

After coming home to drop off the shopping we headed to the Summer Palace. I have started to notice a theme with Beijing in that everything is on a massive scale. You cannot do one attraction in a day...perhaps if you were and elite athlete and did not stop for photos..so we walked around through amazing gardens, temples and the like before heading to the lake and jumping in another boat for a spin around the lake. Ren and Miles left me after this and I walked a bit more, went into another temple, took another 60 photos, fell on the steps and suddenly had about 3 people all over me helping me up. I have to say that the Chinese are really polite and generally happy which is a lovely surprise after years of travelling and seeing disgruntled locals here and there.

It has rained all day, but I could care less. It is harder to get some shots but I am on holidays so my care factor is minimal. P.S. rain forecast for tomorrow as well ;)

Mum, I found you the perfect vase...unfortunately I can't bring it home ;)

Beijing Day 2

Woke up early, then promptly went back to bed after breakfast, I normally go gang busters on my trips but feel a little bit more relaxed here. Ren and Dave are showing me the best hospitality ever, my room is better than any hotel I have ever stayed in, complete with all beauty products, hair dryer and...yep a straightener...gold! I feel like I am in a 5 star resort, have even ordered in a massage tonight, they come to your room and you get 1 1/2 hours for under 20 bucks in your own bed.

This afternoon we headed to Chaoyang Park in the centre of town, the park is huge like everything in Beijing. Now when I say huge it has it's own lake, amusement rides etc and is approximately 5km by 3km. We jumped on one of those water rides and I got completely drenched, reminded me of childhood. Miles was on his bike a lot of the time and having just had his cast removed was going crazy all over the place loving the freedom. We also took a boat out on the lake and did a balloon ride that takes you up to an awesome vantage point, the guys were lovely and gave us 2 trips for 1. Miles and Reuben (Ren and Dave's kids) are great to go out with, and they get treated like rock stars, everyone wants a photo with them.

Ren has everything planned and we are going to the markets first thing in the morning, so I am looking forward to getting lots of food shots, then possibly on to Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City. See you soon!

Beijing Day 1

Well I arrived last night after a 2 hour delayed flight, thank goodness I was early to the airport!! hahaha. Had a couple of beers with Ren and Dave, caught up and then realised it was 1.30am and I had to get up at 7 to go out...good times for your first day of holidays.

Woke up to a beautiful blue sky which is a rare sight in Beijing due to the factories and general work that goes on it is constantly covered in a thick dense smog which I noticed when I arrived..you can't see 3 high rises in front of you at points. Jumped into a cab and went to a friend from work's parents house where I was spoiled with attention and fruit and juice. We drove to have a look at their house being built and they dropped off lunch for the workers. Headed to the salon where I thought I was just getting a massage....I emerged 3 or so hours later having had a full body massage and full facial. Was feeling like mush when we headed to lunch, amazing food, whole fish, spicy chicken hot pot, flour rolls with mushroom filling, soups....oh my I was full.

About to head out in an hour or so to dinner with Ren, Dave and a group of their ex pat friends.

Oh and hold your breath, I only took 2 photos today....yep I know, crazy times...

Not long now..

With around 30 days to go...oh yay, I went and picked up my camera gear today. It is sitting patiently beside me waiting to go home and be played with. It will be interesting getting used to a prime lens, but so rewarding I think! :)

Maybe I will even upload the first test shot if you are lucky..

Counting

So, I REALLY shouldn't be counting down but I can't help myself and these silly signs with World Youth Day all over Sydney don't help either as I leave 4 days before it starts.

So to this vain, I am under 2 months until I leave :)

On the sad side, one of my friends in NZ won't be there the weekend that I am....so sad :(

The Kit has been decided...

Let's just hope I can live up to the standard of the gear...

Canon 40D
Sigma 10 - 20mm wide angle
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM
Manfrotto Tripod 190XB and Head 804RC2
Sandisk 8GB Extreme III

Camera Stores

This is more of a rant than anything else...it seems that every time I go into a camera store the sales people want to have a massive disagreement with my lens/camera/tripod choices, oh and any other thing that they think of. Snobs in a big way.

Today's was perfect, because I am in a suit they assume that I have no idea about photography. I asked to see a 50mm f/2.8 macro lens (which they did not have), was told that they could order it for me but the 100mm was much better...."more expensive but better" when I told them this is not what I was after I got a great lecture about portrait photography and that if I looked online I would see that this is the lens that most "Professional" photographers use...pigs eye, you can manipulate a lens to suit you...check out Lauren for example (she is awesome)

So, with that said, I will not be stepping into anymore camera stores in Sydney anymore because the majority of them (Foto Riesel on Kent St excluded) SUCK!

That's all, I am over my episode now :)