Category: Travel

  • Day 3. Tour begins. 6 April 2024.

    We met our guide Alex at 9:00 and bundled into another black van – Staria. Not quite as swish as first one but comfy nevertheless. Alex’s first question- would we mind swapping out two days around? Why? The cherry blossoms are not close by hotel so going there today as they only last about a…

  • Day two -free day. Meet up Susie and explore. 5 April 2024.

    Now, Im not one to start off with personal things but this place has a heated toilet seat. OMG so weird the first time, bit of a surprise the second time now I’m worried about another any other sort of toilet LOL. Breakfast was BIG. So many things to choose from Korean Middle Eastern European…

  • Arrival. 4 April 2024

    The second leg of our trip was a short 6 hours or so. Managed a couple of movies and some sleep. Immigration look like a nightmare with very long queueing our Disneyland according to Suzie. Lines moved quickly, no issue getting through until baggage carousel . My bag was there immediately on arrival and we…

  • Departure #1 and #2 and #3. 3rd and 4th April 2024

    After some time to relax over Easter including visits to friends and a trip to Sale to see an amazing Life’s Work of Annemeike Mein, today is departure day. With thanks to Barb next door for the lift to the station, first leg is 5:41 train to Melbourne, 2nd leg is tram to Aunty Sue’s,…

  • Easter Tidings and trip preparations almost complete. 1 April 2024

    Phew! And that’s no April Fools blog title either. The Easter break couldn’t have more conveniently placed. It coincides with end of school term and we leave on 5 Esses trip on 3/4 April. I was very unprepared and have used the time off work to get lists finalised and cases and cubes packed. There…

  • The Five Esses Tour – April 2024. What’s this all about? 30 March 2024

    After returning from Antarctica, South America and Rapa Nui in 2023, the question on everyone’s lips was…Where to next? There was nothing on the agenda, until a conversation with Suzie (Aunty Sue) regarding her plans for 2024, there were two options and April suited me, the destination – South Korea! I’m in. Suzie and another…

  • Melbourne ANZAC day Dawn Service, breaky and home. 25th April 2023

    Yonks ago we decided to capitalise on being in Melbourne on ANZAC Day and organised to stay in St Kilda Road and attend the Dawn service. I’m pretty sure we were all having second thoughts on the wisdom of that at midnight after a long two flight 18 hour trip home. We got collared by…

  • Homeward bound- 23 & 24th April.

    Up for showers, packed up all the tech we had charging and breaky. Not picked up till 10 for our 1:40pm flight to Sydney (14 hours) The airport was painless. It’s a Qantas flight and we had back row seats. Lots of movies to watch and a tiny sleep. 1. Blue back 10/10 2. Top…

  • Santiago to coastal sister cities – Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. 22nd April.

    Into our mini van this morning with our team – Carolina and Juvernal. J struck a bit of traffic so was running late – time for me to run to the supermercado following a last minute request from home for some maté tea. Fascinating to see the ads on buses and along the freeway –…

  • Leaving Rapa Nui in style – 21st April

    Today we sadly leave Rapa Nui. We’ve all agreed that 7 days here would be the way to go. The way the limited flights to Island work it’s either 4 days or 7. We have business class flight today as it was the only option to get off the Island. We were not clear of…