Day 68 24 September

Our last blog!  This is a very predictable entry tonight.  Yes, we rested, read and walked!  It has been another warm day, super sea views and interesting people.  This is a really lovely beach resort, a great place for families as well as conferences.

We have had an amazing time, are grateful for all the support we have had from home and have learned so much about how to travel.  We look forward now to processing it all as the weeks go by and hopefully we will have opportunities to share many stories.  

Tomorrow we leave here at 2.15 for the Brisbane airport, fly out at 6.45 pm and land hopefully just before midnight NZ time.  Thank you Katherine for staying awake to meet us.  Hope we are on time.

We are ready to come home, despite the reports of wet, cold weather.  We are also interested in the yachting and of course are hoping for success.  Go Team NZ!  

See you soon.  Love to all.

Day 67 23 September

A very restful day for us here on the Sunshine Coast.  Another late start, a bus trip to Maroochydore to browse the shops and a one hour walk along the beach.  This is a wonderful warm part of Aussie.  All good and most enjoyable.

 Have just had a fire alarm activation, a false one, so the hotel is settling back after a visit from the brigade.  This time we were sitting in the foyer catching up on emails so we just sat and looked on!

We are interested in the outcome of the America's Cup - can they do it?  Not much talk about it here and the iPad Herald has not helped.  You must be really glued to the telly as each race is run.

Tomorrow we pack and prepare for homecoming on Wednesday.  Hard to believe that we will soon be on that plane.  It will be good to see everyone again.  School holidays are fast approaching too.  Love to all.

Day 66 22 September

Another day of rest and relaxation so not a great deal to write tonight.  We slept late, walked along the beach, read the newspapers, enjoyed a telephone call from Katherine and girls, and have watched some TV.  We are truly on countdown to our journey home.

It has been a lovely warm day on the Sunshine Coast.  The wind surfers are having a great time and are fun to watch.  This resort offers all we need and more.  Tomorrow we will take a bus and look for some shops.

Love to all.

Day 65 21 September

After a really really long sleep our morning disappeared quickly!  This afternoon we took a long walk along this beautiful beach.  School holidays begin here and it was the first day for the Surf Lifesaving teams to be on duty.  We enjoyed the warmth of the temperatures and the exhilaration of being beside the sea.  The swimming pool here was occupied most of the day.

Our plans for the next couple of days are very open. We are able to take a bus to Maroochydore, 20 minutes away, so we may do this.  One thing for sure is that we will be spending as much time as we can walking the beach, reading and just relaxing.  The apartment offers everything we need, meals are there too if we want them.  Faye ironed shirts today for the first time since we left home!  

Deborah and Andrea thanks for phoning tonight.  Brings the reality of homecoming very close!  Good to hear all is well.  Love to all.

Day 64 20 September

We are now very settled into the Ramada Hotel, Marcoola Beach on the Sunshine Coast.  It has been a very full day for us, hot and sunny day and a very early start.  We waited on our aircraft for about an hour before the plane got clearance to leave Hong  Kong. What a busy airport!  However, we had a very good flight and managed to catch some sleep.  We landed at Brisbane an hour late but this did not affect our booking with the bus company as we were scheduled to leave at 10 am.

This is a very spacious apartment on the 5th floor with a magnificent view of the sea.  The facilities are excellent.  It was great to be able to catch up with our washing using a machine and drier as well as using a clothes rack.  We are sorry we are going to miss seeing Damian who is holidaying in Europe.

We have had an early tea and are ready for bed.  I think the travel is catching up on us!  Will share more tomorrow.  Have a good weekend.  Love to all.  View from our balcony............

Day 63 19 September

We are now at Hong Kong Airport in preparation for our flight to Brisbane.  This airport is huge and we have walked a good distance to get near our Gate!  All seems well organised and very clean with plenty of signs and of course heaps of people.  The Cathay Pacific Lounge is also big, one of three at this airport - a pleasant place to wait.

Today was really quiet.  We slept late, had breakfast brought to our room, leisurely packed, had lunch and let the day go by before we caught the shuttle, a service which operates every 20 minutes at no cost.  We are very impressed with both hotel and the attentive service we have received.  It is very hot outside so air conditioning is welcome.  Unfortunately this climate is not conducive to walking, the heat and planes constantly taking off detract from fresh air!  This stop-over was a very good call as we feel quite rested.

We are presently reading an Australian paper and note that temperatures of 25 to 30 can be expected over the coming week.  Looking forward to that!   

Good to hear from you.  The skies are beckoning.   Love to all.

 

Day 62 18 September

It has been a very long day.  We left Copenhagen at 9.20 am 17 Sept, Frankfurt at 2 pm and arrived in Hong Kong at 6.30 am 18 Sept.  With the exception of a few anxious moments at Frankfurt when we had to change flights from Luftansa to Cathay Pacific.  Once sorted (bus to terminal 1, train to terminal 2),  all went well, good flight, lovely food and great attendants.  We were able to catch a shuttle to the Hotel, good service too.

We are staying at the Marriott Hotel close to the airport, ninth floor, great view, spacious room - ideal for us to be in all day and rest after the long flight.  We are looking forward to an early night tonight!

Tomorrow we have organised a late check out for 2 pm.  We fly out about 9 pm, hopefully sleep through the night and arrive 7.45 am in Brisbane.

We are dining at a Chinese restaurant tonight.  Menu looks good.

Yes, our days are numbered now!  Love to all.