Month: October 2010

Backpacking in New Zealand: An Intervention of Fate on my Trip to Belfast, South Island

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Belfast or Beal Fierste, is obviously the capital city of my home country of Northern Ireland. That home will always be the original Belfast – where the name began, just like New York is really just York with skyscrapers. So around the world there have been scattered a few “Bangors” and “Belfasts”, and spontaneously I Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: An Intervention of Fate on my Trip to Belfast, South Island[…]

Paragliding Over Queenstown, New Zealand

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Well I certainly didn’t mean to do Para Gliding. But then life is better when its all spontaneous. Queenstown, by the way is a very popular tourist resort nestled in between two massive mountains ranges and national parks near the south of New Zealand’s South Island.  Over the years, Queenstown has developed into a party Read more about Paragliding Over Queenstown, New Zealand[…]

Backpacking in New Zealand: Bus Through Arthur’s Pass

Posted on by Jonny Blair

New Zealand really can teach the rest of the world how to treat passengers travelling on buses, coaches and tour companies. The treatment of the passengers is always top class, and on any given route you get lots of stop-offs where you can decide to stay, get off or get back on. And the stop Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: Bus Through Arthur’s Pass[…]

Jonny Blair the travelling Northern Irishman in Franz Josef in New Zealand

Backpacking in New Zealand: A Night Out In Franz Josef

Posted on by Jonny Blair

  After the Franz Josef Trek, it was time for a really really chilled out evening. This began by getting freshened up and dried up in the wetness of the Glow Worm Cottages.  Then there was free soup to be had at the hostel kitchen. Excellent home brew and well needed in the cold climate Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: A Night Out In Franz Josef[…]

Jonny Blair of Dont Stop Living at Greymouth in New Zealand

Backpacking in New Zealand: Grey Skies At Greymouth

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Arrival at Greymouth was via the immense northern mountains of the New Zealand South Island.   On arrival there I was greeted by grey skies and drab surroundings, knowing a had a few hours sightseeing there meant nothing, though like many others its a popular venue to stay overnight and to do adventure sports.   Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand: Grey Skies At Greymouth[…]

Jonny Blair in Christchurch in 2010

Arrival Into Christchurch (No, Not That One!)

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Well I arrived safe and well in pretty Christchurch. The Garden City.   Of course I had been to Christchurch many times before, and indeed to Christchurch Airport. However that was Christchurch in Dorset, just up the road from my home for the best part of six years while living at Bournemouth.   The flight Read more about Arrival Into Christchurch (No, Not That One!)[…]

“It’s really got me worried, I’m going nowhere and I’m in a hurry…you know the last plane out of Sydney’s almost gone” *

Posted on by Jonny Blair

I probably couldn’t have left Sydney in any worse a state, but in many ways I was better off for it. Thanks to Hannah Wicks I got a lift home to my flat in Parramatta around midnight, with my flight in 10 hours time, I was feeling a wee bit worse for wear, but had Read more about “It’s really got me worried, I’m going nowhere and I’m in a hurry…you know the last plane out of Sydney’s almost gone” *[…]

Goodnight Parramatta, It Was Sheer Bliss, We’ll Meet Again *

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Goodnight Parramatta – internet in New Zealand is shit so photos and videos are banned sorry… I had been so busy, I just about had it all sorted for leaving Parramatta for a 108 day stint globetrotting again – this time I would be entering three new continents, to finish off visiting all seven continents. Read more about Goodnight Parramatta, It Was Sheer Bliss, We’ll Meet Again *[…]