This is the end...................

In the words of Truett Tate [the current Group Executive Director of Wholesale Banking, LBG] when opening the innaugural Lloyds TSB Sharefair "Wow" what a trip it has been!!

I have successfully circumnavigated the globe despite the best efforts of an Icelandic volcano in 65 days, taking in 7 different countries [I know, I know Cook Islands is offically part of NZ!!!!], stayed in 19 hotels & 1 hostel, boarded 18 flights, sailed on 4 boats, 1 train and travelled on or in numerous other forms of transport including a tuk-tuk, a scooter, a bicycle and of course a motor car!!

I have to say and I know its unorginal but it truely was a trip of a lifetime and something I'll never forget. I am also very grateful to Big Ste and Dicko for making the time to come out and share various legs of the trip with me. Thanks also to the Willets family as seeing them was a real highlight of the trip and their hospitality was top notch.

I really would encourage anyone who has the chance to take sometime out and see more of this wonderful world we live in - if I can do it, anyone can!!

Thanks for reading the blog and I hope it brought a smile to your faces for whatever reason.

Until the full version of "An Ordinary Man's Tale of an Extraordinary Journey" is published I'll leave you in peace.

Good Times............Always!

Las Vegas Babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...................

Ok this is going to be a short and sweet post as I was only in Las Vegas for 3 days and to be honest I spent most of my time worrying if I was going to get home thanks to Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic volcano that brought Europe's air travel to a halt. Infact the only thing I realy did in LV of any note was I bought an Apple Ipad plus I purchased a few select items from A&F. Apart from that I pretty much stayed glued to the internet and tv to see if my flight back home woould actually depart, which it did in the end on schedule so all was good.

Please see find below the only picture I took in LV and its not even a good one but it does show my hotel just to right of the Eifel Tower- Planet Hollywood.

A baking time in the Cook Islands

The penulitmate leg of the tour took me to the Cook Islands and my first experience on the trip of a HOSTEL!!! Now I must admit all did not start off too smoothly as when I booked my accomodation [which let me tell you is bloody expensive right across the islands] I forgot that I was crossing the date line hence I was arriving a day before I was expecting - excellent 7 nights of very expensive accomodation rather than the 6 budgeted!! Fortunately the HOSTEL that I selected realised my error and booked me in for the extra night.

I must admit though things got worse when I arrived at 10pm on Saturday night and was told by the taxi driver that I could nolonger buy any alcohol after 9pm on Saturday evenings from the local stores and the nearest bar was on the otherside of the island from where I was staying!! So I settled for a bottle of water and headed for my accomodation, where things didn't get much better..................

When I arrived at my accomodation all was pitch black and when eventually someone came to meet me I was escorted to my room and told that I could check in and get my key when the office opened the next day at 11am!!!

As I entered the room I was greeted with the following sight.........

1. I don't see no tv or air con and what is it with that bed spread!?!?!









To be fair all was good and I had my own room with shower which was clean and I didn't have to share with 3x italians, 2x dutch, a swiss, and 4x germans etc etc.

Plus I did wake up to this view:

But what really made the Cook Islands were the people that I met in the hostel - I had a real good time just chilling out on the decking, fooling around on the beach playing 'how many times can you catch a frisbee before someone drops it', a few good nights out and exchanging travelling stories. Here are some pics of the gang:

I've got to start with Wayne and Vicky from Jersey!! Nice tatoo Wayne!!

Pier [The French cook who only cooked rice & mushrooms and rice and onions] , his lady, Owen and the guy who I have my arm around is the World Champion Coconut Tree Climber!!

Josh & Darren - Ruddy cockney's they get everywhere!!!

The gang on a night out













Believe it or not I did do a few other things beside just chill out the beach - I round around the island of Rarotonga on a bike I hired, which is 19 miles. I went snorkling, watched a coconut show and...................ok I just pretty much chilled out on the beach - I need a rest of the tour of NZ!!!

Here are some more photos of the island:

You've got to love this Sports bar on the island - I walked in and it was totally empty and as I walked up to the bar I was confronted with the little sign that I am pointing to in the picture - I'm sure this would work perfectly in all towns and cities acorss the UK. Once pressed the man int he blue vest in the background appears and provides the service of serving you your drink!!

Nice hat - Made of coconut leaves

















Next stop Las Vegas babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.................

The Kiwi Tales

Well my 13 days in NZ totally flew by as so much took place including driving a few thousand kms [thank you Dicko], staying in 9 different hotels, taking a ride on a boat, two rugby games, a Cricket Test Match, a couple of cable car/luge rides and taking in so much amazing scenery of the NZ landscape. As I totally believe in the saying a "A picture paints a thousand words" - I let my snaps do the talking:

1. Me up the Sky Tower

2. Test Match Cricket - 2nd Test Nz v Oz in Hamilton - Look at the huge crowd!!!

3. Dicko & I ready to go for a luge ride in Rotorua - Nice helmets!!

 4. On a cable car returing to the top Mt Ngongotaha, Rotorua

5. The smelly Hells Gate, Roturua

6. Dicko sure scares me in this one, not very welcoming!!!

7. Sunset in Napier

8. The 'Deadly Duo' in Wellington

9. Unfortunately I didn't get a game for the Crusaders so sat in the stand to see the great Dan Carter miss the conversion to win the game. Final Score Hurricanes 26 v. Cusaders 26.








Next 4 pictures are some views from the South Island

Can you spot the seals.......!?!?

14. On route to Queenstown

15. No I didn't bungy - Dicko wouldn't let me!!!

16. The cable car ride in Queenstown

17. The view form the top was amazing!!

18. Me at the top & yes I did go on the luge again - so much fun!!

19. Queenstown is so nice.

20. Me playing frisbee golf

21. Me on Day 3 of the '14 Day Beard' challenge 

22. Me on the pitch after watching the Crusaders beat the Waratahs. Final Score Cusaders 20 v. Waratahs 13.

All in all New Zealand truely is as amazing as people say. It is by far the most naturally beautiful place I have ever seen - Awesome.

Ok next is the Cook Islands..............................

The view from Mount Lofty for my Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liggy down under!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well what an awesome week I had in Oz principally thanks to the hospitality of firstly the Willets family in Adelaide and then Dicko in Melbourne. In Adelaide believe it or not the weather was gorgeous even the sun came out to play - about time too!! So I finally got to see the view from the top of Mount Lofty. Willets and I also went to finals day of the IRB International Rugby 7's at the Adelaide Oval which was alot of fun plus I got to shoot some caps with down at the range - so beware I am now a sharp shooter!!! The best bit by far at the Willet's was seeing how Libby and Fraser have grown up - I did have great time playing with the kids, they were alot of fun.

After 5 days in Adelaide I popped up to Melbourne to catch up with Dicko where unfortunately Dicko's cricket team didn't win the Grand Final but despite this fact many beers were sunk and many a laugh shared. I was especially lucky as my time in Melbourne coincided with not only the Oz Grand Prix [more about that later] but also the Melbourne Comedy festival, so on the Friday night we went to see an Irish comedian called Jason Byrne who was v funny!! Saturday was Dicko's cricket teams final and Sunday was a day at the Australian Grand Prix which was quite simply amazing and made even better by Jenson Button winning the race. I'll never forget the noise and I know this might sound stupid but boy does cars move quick - you really don't appreciate the speed of them cars until see you see it up close.

And then my time in Oz was over as we were up Monday morning at 2.30am to get our flights to NZ!!

Here's a few pic's of my time in Oz:

1. Willy and I at the Rugby

   2. Libby Willets

3. Fraser Willets

4. Oz Grand Prix

5. After Jenson's great win!!

I'm still alive and kicking...........

Just a quick post to let everyone know [ok when I say everyone I mean my Mum & Dad] that I'm still alive and traveling. I have had an awesome time in OZ in both Adeliade & Melbourne and I will post an update with pics etc very shortly to show what I've been up to. All is very good except for my specs which I broke at the OZ Grand Prix - D'oh!!!

I'm off to NZ now, be good.