Backpacking in New Zealand: Bus Through Arthur’s Pass

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

  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

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!)

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” *

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 *

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 *[…]

The Last Plane Out Of Sydney’s Almost Gone

Not quite, and “hardly end of the rainbow stuff” (as Del Boy once said to Rodney in ‘Only Fools And Horses’) but I have a flight booked out of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport this very Friday morning. Not since I was aged 8 have I spent so long in the same country. I will have Read more about The Last Plane Out Of Sydney’s Almost Gone[…]

Backpacking in Australia: Sunset at Drummoyne, Sydney

The district or area of Drummoyne sounds so Northern Irish I was convinced it would be some kind of Irish quarter of Sydney. In fact it’s basically just a picturesque inner suburb of Sydney, nestled nicely by the Parramatta River. I had known about it for a brave while, since arriving in Sydney in October Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Sunset at Drummoyne, Sydney[…]