Home James . . .

June 23, 2023 . . . and don’t spare the horses. Well that was the saying in our household back in the day. And heading home it was for us yesterday, another long day on the train. I was less compelled to take photos from the train window on this trip. In fact, even though … More Home James . . .

Island in the sun

June 20, 2023 Every night since we’ve been here, the weather forecast has not been promising. But every day bar one, we’ve had fine weather. And even the one day it rained while we were out and about, it was a short shower only, and no drop in temperature. The trend continued today. In fact, … More Island in the sun

A walk in the park

June 19, 2023 Yes, no ferries today. Instead a walk in the park. Plus a bit of pavement pounding. We started the day with a coffee and croissant in a cafe (1920s Cafe) and finished at a bar (the Brit). In between we walked … and walked … and walked. So much so I’m exhausted. … More A walk in the park

From the train

June 19, 2023 I’ve been having photo woes on this trip. In the interests of travelling light, I decided not to bring my camera but use my phone camera instead. This has led to a new refrain of ‘Well, that would have made good photo’, to add to my usual one of ‘I just don’t … More From the train

Northern Explorer

June 16, 2023 The clock says it all. Checked in and on board by 7.20 am, and 12 hours later, almost to the minute, we arrived at Auckland Strand station. Long, yes, but boring, no. If it had been long distance air travel, it would have been punishing, but on the Northern Explorer — a … More Northern Explorer

Moving on

June 6, 2023 Well. It’s nearly nine months since I posted anything. So long that I’ve almost forgotten how to do it. But here we are, finally back into writing. There’s been no particular reason for the absence other than lack of motivation. Even my garden blog has suffered, though I’ve managed a few more … More Moving on