Christchurch (NZ, not Dorset)

New Year's Eve, far from home

So far, in fact, that we'll be celebrating the New Year 13 hours before Britain, and 18 hours before Upstate New York. Weird.

A humbling experience today, visiting the Vodafone store to organise mobile internet access for our laptop. They're obviously used to dealing with customers much younger, and more confident, than me. Some progress, I think - we'll see once we get away from the relative security of hotel systems.

New Year's Day in and around Christchurch tomorrow, then we meet our new (motor)home and it's off into the unknown.

Happy New Year to all.

Was it all a dream?

It's Barb's turn on the blog now.

Have you ever noticed what strange dreams you have in a foreign country? Maybe it's the food, perhaps the climate or the time-zone changes ...

A bit like being at the cantina of Star Wars with every nationality part of the cast!

This one seems to have started at a place called Raffles. I saw him at the Long Bar, no less.

He was the type with loads of exotic women around him that seemed to fade away as I approached. When I asked him his name, he said, 'Lewis, Stewart Lewis'. I was pretty sure that was a line out of some movie. Of course he bought me the required Singapore Sling and then asked me to go on a Night Safari with him tomorrow! What could I say except, 'tomorrow is another day' and then we were Gone With the Wind.

As I said, you can have some pretty strange dreams in a strange land.

Not quite New Zealand

Our stopover in Singapore

'Stopover' doesn't do it justice; Singapore is a whole holiday in itself. Vibrant, exotic and colourful - and that's just the breakfast buffet.

Singapore loves its food, and especially its shopping. All kinds of buildings here - but they're almost all shopping centres.

Visiting Raffles Hotel tonight for the mandatory Singapore Sling, then a night safari tomorrow (a chance for real nocturnal animals to study us pretend ones).

Then to NZ - just another 5,000 miles and five time-zones. Some big questions as we set out: Will New Zealand live up to expectations? Will we enjoy the motorhome lifestyle? Will Barclaycard catch up with us?

Meanwhile, a special tribute and thank-you to Alan Bannister, for setting up this blog and patiently explaining how to use it.

Watch this space!

Just testing

Before we find ourselves at the sharp end, just playing around with the blog

Can we do it?

You are Invited ...

To follow Barb and Stew Lewis’ Adventures in New Zealand.

Come with us virtually, as we cast off on Boxing Day. We will be travelling in a motorhome and posting our blog as we go. That is the plan anyway!

If you would like to suggest places we can visit, offer traveler's tips, or tell us about things of interest we should not miss, then please do so.

Click on 'commment' below and post your own message - or if you prefer, We will also be able to get email on: barbara.lewis@u3a.org.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.