WOF Holidays - the final story.

Well this is the end of the most amazing time that the four of us spent over 83 days TOGETHER.



30th March - Dave and Carole's 40th wedding anniversary.
The not so palefaces return to Wisbech having survived the experience of Heathrow terminal 5!



30th March - Dave and Carole celebrate with family and friends.
40 years of marriage and a safe return to normality with a Chinese take-away.

Before I go I must say thank you to several people who made this trip possible and so enjoyable: Keith & Sheena for looking after our bungalow and family when they visited; my boys for looking after Grandad; Debbie and Jean for looking after Dad; Trea, Grant and girls for giving us a home and making us so welcome on three occasions in Auckland; Kelvin & Karen for giving us such a special last night out in Hollywood; Affordable Holidays.com for arranging all our international flights which went quite smoothly; all the people who talked to us, offering help and directions, especially the ones who commented on our yellow and pink shoes; all the Top 10 receptionists who looked after us, especially Queenstown with our Milford Sound flight and post and Brigitte at Christchurch for spending so long with our swimming with dolphins and whale watching bookings; all the guides, bus drivers and light aircraft pilots who made the trips so interesting; everyone involved in Tribal Lights Rotarua for a special night introducing us to Maori culture; The Imperial Queens Park Hotel Bangkok for their excellent service which got us of to a great start; Marcus and Sally for recommending this fantastic hotel in Bangkok; Michel and Ludeemon for the apartment Patong Beach; Arron for the apartment Sydney; Apollo NZ for an experience we will never forget; Mark and Mandy for recommending Zion Wildlife Gardens Whangarei; Cynthia and Ed McCreedy for our Cottage in Kailua; Aroa and Michael at Boardriders Kailua for the best hospitality anywhere; Mayfair Hotel LA well it was a clean bed for the night and good location for Hollywood and finally our travelling companions DAVE & CAROLE with out whom this trip would not have been possible or so enjoyable, we love you both.

I hope you have all enjoyed sharing some of our experiences.

We will never forget what we got up to!

Watch this space for the next adventure.

WOF phot update part 1 - 11th April 2008

Hi to you all, these are the last photo's and diary logs for the LA
leg of our fantastic holiday.

25th March - Arrive at the Mayfair Hotel Down Town LA.

Told by our Peruvian taxi driver don't turn left out of the hotel at night, dodgy area!

The next day they were filming scenes for the new Will Smith movie on the street and building next door on the right.

26th March - VIP Tour of Hollywood and Rodeo Drive.

We were the stars.

27th March - Universal Studios Hollywood

Paul and Trudy trying out as extras for the new Terminator film!

28th March - The Ranch House, Sunset Boulevard.

Paul riding the bull, not very successful, didn't stay on long.

28th March - Karen Langford riding the bull and managed to stay on until the end.

28th March - Kelvin and Karen, Grants brother and sister in law.

My 2nd birthday party, kindly organised by Karen.

Thanks to both of you we had a brilliant last night of our WOF adventure.

WOF photo update part 2 - 11th April 2008

Hi just updating blog with a few memorable photo's from Hawaii.



13th March - Sun rise some where between Australia and Hawaii.
Most unusual thing was because we crossed the International Date Line we had
two days Thursday 13th March!



17th March - Graces birthday and St Patricks Day.
Celebrations in an Irish bar in Waikiki. Someone had too much and it was not Carole.



24th March - My 61st birthday party at Boardriders bar and grill Kailua.
This was the best restaurant and bar in Kailua with Aria barmaid and Michael Chef.

WOF photo update part 3 - 6th April 2008

Hi everyone more photo's from NZ and Hawaii.



NZ North Island - Kerikeri
8th March - Stone Store 1836 and Mission House 1822, oldest stone and wooden buildings in NZ.



NZ North Island - Kawakawa
8th March - Hunderrtwassers world famous public toilet designed and built in 1997.
Hughie our Maori driver on the trip to 90 mile beach came from this town.



NZ North Island - Mount Eden
9th March - At the summit of the extinct volcano which overlooks Auckland.



NZ North Island - Auckland
13th March - farewell to our snail which has been home for the past 6 weeks, Apollo DPQ 912 and covered 5326k with Dave and Paul at the wheel.

WOF photo update part 4 - 6th April 2008

Hi to everyone these pages will be the last of the WOF blog.



NZ North Island - Waitomo caves
27th February where we saw our 1st "glow worms" and I tried to imitate the local carvings.



NZ North Island - Coromandel
2nd March where we saw these beautiful Monarch butterflies.



NZ North Island - Zion Wildlife Gardens Whangarei
3rd March where we saw 43 big cats and heard them roar, thanks to Mark & Mandy



NZ North Island - Bay of Islands Russell
5th March boat trip with Fullers to the "hole in the rock".
Dave and Carole in the yellow submarine watching the wildlife on the reef.




NZ North Island - Houhora Harbour Game Fishing Club.
8th March BBQ lunch on the way to 90 mile beach.

Kailua - day 75

Well this has been a busy week continuing on from my last entry:

• 18th March - quiet day on the beach but became very windy so had to quit.
• 19th March - Took a bus to the Polynesian Cultural Centre at 09.20 and returned via Kanonoe in a taxi as buses do not run to Kailua after the show had finished at 21.00. It was a fantastic experience with our guide Veti from Samoa who escorted us around the different islands and displays making sure that we always had front row seats. At 17.00 we went for an Hawaiian meal with ground oven roast pork, very tasty and plenty of it. At 19.00 we then went to the evening show which presented dancing and singing again from around the islands. Most of the people involved in presenting the show and cultural areas are students at the Brigham Young Hawaiian University and they use the money to support their education. Veti was studying IT.
• 20th March - Again took the bus which only costs $2 each with one change to anywhere on the island and went to Pearl Harbour and visited USS Arizona with lost a crew of 1,177 on 7th December 1941. A very moving experience. We then also did a tour of the submarine Bowfin which was launched exactly a year after Pearl Harbour and nicknamed the "Pearl Harbour Avenger". Amazing to think that 38 crew lived in such a small area for weeks on end. To out amazement we managed to get back to Kailua with the help of a little Chinese lady when to change bus and had a group hug when we got back.
• 21st March - Beach day started out very warm but again became windy so retreated to the cottage. For the evening meal we decided to try Formaggio an up-market grill which is always packed. A very tasty meal but double the price we have been paying at BOARDRIDERS and that also includes the beer. Anyway had to end the evening there to have a couple of Guinness, Dave refrained as diving the next day, must be a first!
• Boardriders has become our local with a great selection of UK beers, Guinness, Bass and Newcastle Brown on draught, good well priced food, local bands and a friendly clientele who thing of us as the "English Folk". If every you are in Kailua visit this bar and say Hi to Aroa the best Barmaid in town and Michael the Chef.
• 22nd March - Dave diving with Arron's Dive Shop so Trudy and I have been to a local historical spot "Ulupo" which is a platform of rocks and boulders built over 1,500 years ago and has a great view over the marsh at Kawai Nui. It was a great walk although we did have one of the many small showers on the way.

We signing off now as Trudy has returned from window shopping and have to now go and spend.

Kailua - Hawaii - day 70

Well we left Auckland on Thursday 13th and returned our "snail" to Apollo which had been home for the previous 6 weeks. Thanks Trea for the three occasions we dumped on you to stay, we had a great time with the Langford's and meeting your family.

• 13th March - flew to Sydney and caught the flight to Hawaii, where because we crossed the International Date Line we arrived a 07.00am before we left at 06.00pm, weired? We had two Thursdays in one week. Stopping at 156 Kailua Road in a cottage owned by Ed and Cynthia and only 5 minutes from the beach. Visited Kailua and did some shopping for groceries and had a sandwich at the cottage as we were too knackered to go out.


• 14th March - Spent the day on Kailua beach which is a 5 minute walk from our "Cottage" and all got scorched. Had dinner at a local top restaurant BUZZ'S, great steak and apparently Bill Clinton also ate here!


• 15th March - Because Dave was badly toasted on previous day we left them at the Cottage and explored Kailua and did some shopping, you should see my new Hawaiian shirt!


• 16th March - Day on the beach but the sun hardly came out and the wind was a bit chilly.


• 17th March - St Patricks Day and too the bus around the coast to Waikiki and had a great time and several Guinness both in Waikiki and when we returned. We have found a great bar and restaurant "Boardriders" and have made a new Hawaiian friend Aroa. They serve BASS and Guinness in 4 pint pitchers which saves time, food is pretty good to and a reasonable price to the Pound.

Before I sign off we must sent some birthday wishes to Louise and Tess on 17th, Grace on 21st and Candice on 25th, have a great time we miss you all.