Sorry lucy, no pictures of tommy as yet, here's some snaps of our weekend down at christchurch/hamner springs. Will some trees do instead??

Lucy just reminded me that i must post mroe family pics soon. She however requesed pics of tommy explicitly even though i'm undoubtedly more handsome, strange...

Here's one of us in London to keep you going lucy.

Here's Annable, wee Tommy, me and my grandfather (Thomas Patton, wee Tommy's great grandfather, just turned 89) with my grandmother Dorothy. Also picture is my dad, my Auntie Ruth and Uncle Tom.

Tommy was named after my grandfather, whose father was also called (guess what?) Thomas.

In other photos you can see the famous Patton's Place, Ballyhalbert!

no fear as tommy mows the lawn

Here's some selected pics from the day, all the pics from our uk tour at http://blog.keithpatton.com/2008/04/23/UK+Tour+Pics.aspx

Sitting on a log at the end of my dad's garden.

 

Hey, who's this? It's Billy, and he's been out in the cold all night long.

Aww.. in the interests of peace and reconciliation, he gets a bit of love from tommy.

Worked out how to embed the flickr videos! here's the first batch..

Well, time for a holiday. Off to bed in a few minutes then up to brace 12 hours to South Korea, one night stopover, off to London, sprint across Heathrow and then hop on final leg to sunny Belfast International.

It will be good to get back to the Tayto Cheese and Onion crisps (they are the best in the world!!!).

After a busy few weeks (i was in Sydney all last week with work) it was great to have a couple of days relaxing up north in the bay of islands courtesy of some asb rewards points we had built up on our credit card. Lots of sleeping and lounging around, could have done with a week of it. unbelievable weather for middle of winter as well. I tell you, that spa pool was awesome;)

cultural diversity

canberra update

yummy

annable and tommy holiday pics

family pics from northern ireland

pics from the old country

video from south island

the last lot of photos, for now!

holiday snaps!

the best photos yet!

more holiday snaps

auckland to abel tasman photos

3114 kms travelled, 100 or so of them by me (i mainly provided excellent navigational advice) and we are back 2 r s island starting point, Picton. Thanks 2 nick, were able 2 stay in plush apartment in w'ton, b4 heading back to sunny auckland by train 2morrow.

Weather still not gr8 but we still managed 2 have a bath in the rain at the room with a view boutique lodge in Kaikoura. We're just about 2 head back 2 picton via lunch in Blenheim, it's been a brilliant holiday despite not seeing any dolphins!

as conditions worsened and the skipper announced "u may wish 2 view the giant albatross 2 ur left", this was countered with "f--k the albatross, get me back 2 dry land!".

what a ride. Dolphin encounter was abandoned as conditions were too bad, but not b4 wd endured 30 mins of seriously bum-clenching sailing.

Apart from the HUGE 4head, not a bad likeness, got it done in q'town market a few days ago.

We had been given a lot of mixed reports about c'church, but like with Dunedin we were both pleasantly surprised. A very English city, we were able 2 go punting dowm the Avon river when i fell asleep. The art gallery (recently opened in 2003) was gr8, there was some moderm stuff from s korea which was real funny, nice 2 c people smiling rather than stroking their chins 4 a change. we went and saw North Country and Walk the Line, both highly recommended. Went 2 pizza hut 4 first time since uni. Unlimited dessert consistin of choc cake, choc mousse, jelly, ice cream, choc sauce and choc pieces 4 on top. I only realised dessert was free after stuffing myself with pizza (sans crusts, that's how they like 2 fill u up, also ask 4 water not pop which is extra fizzy) so i was gutted only 2 b able 2 have 2 bowls. Have begun panic eating ar new fitness regime kicks in on Wed on r return.

overcame the nerves 2 go up the mountain by skilift, gr8 views of c'church and surrounds.

We stopped off 2 view the rather strange boulders at moeraki, and took some pics of a's tummy next 2 one of them. Beware the offensive $2 fee via the restaurant, take the 'alternative access' in which is the official public free access! Timaru was a bit overcast but we had our first indian in ages, and read our books, all very civilised.

we both really liked dunedim from the start. Easy 2 walk around in the centre, lots of cool shops and cafes, it had a very positive vibe. We had dinner and then went 2 see the abysmal River Queen!

this is a really cool drive across the se coast 2 dunedin. There r many stop offs, but as it was so windy (a couldnt open her door at one point!) we managed only 2. The first was a famous cascades which has a long name i cant remember, and 2nd was nugget point, a cliff walk 2 above a seal colony. We havd yet 2 see any penguins though. Quite a long drive 2day, arriving in dunedin just after 6.

2 b perfectly honest i cant really recommend invercargill too highly as a holiday spot. the weather turned nasty as we hit the south coast, and we arrived at the beach road motel, which oddly only took cash. when we entered our 'room' it was pretty clear it hadnt been cleaned in months if not years. dust, woodrot and a strange musty stentch were its main characteristics. the showers were worse, unusable really, whilst the tv room was like something out of a 70s Pinter play. After rushing down 2 the beach 2 get away from it all we decided 2 go back and clear off pronto. We found somewhere decent on our 2nd attempt, and complained 2 the council aswell! The good bit was going 2 the southland museum and a trip down to the coastal town of Bluff where we saw an amazing sunset over stewart island.

We drove down up to Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park, the best drive of the holiday so far, and not to be missed. Milford Sound itself at the terminal was pretty hectic, lots of tourists and so we were a little wary the sounds would be full of boats. However, once we set sail we hardly saw another boat for 2.5 hours and were greeted with waterfalls, seals the odd dolphin and the most astounding scenery i've ever seen. No mobile pictures i'm afraid, but quite a few uuality ones to be posted up on our return next week. We were pretty lucky with the weather as aparrently they get 220 inches of rain down here a year, over 200 days a year are a washout!

We were planning to do some of the many walks available along the Te Anau - Milford Sound highway, but were both pretty exhausted by the time we went home. I've just spent 30 minutes under a cold shower and am still feeling pretty zonked to be honest. Tonight will consist of pizza and falling asleep on the lakefront before the sandflies start to bite.

It's nice to get all the comments people, makes me feel like i'm not talking to myself like some madman. Anyway, Lucy Howard, can you please post up a comment to let me know you're still alive, i've been old you're checking every Monday but you've been very quiet and Annabel and I would like to make sure you're still alive.

Captain Chris, can you please post up your blog address, as your wedding one is busted and i think you changed your main one.

Nasty Marlon, are you still out there?

There's a big fence of bras on your way into Wanaka. Apparently a farmer put up 5 of his wife's bras when she left him and tourists have added hundreds since. If anyone has more information on this bizarre piece of art, please let me know. I'd like to build a website allowing people to put advertising on the bras, or perhaps purchase them, a real winner methinks. Should really have stopped to take a picture, i know it sounds weird.

I have stubbed my toe. On the way back from a big dinner at the Moose bar and sunset food smack grassy knoll snooze, i jammed my jandle/flip flop into some gravel. I'm ok, don't panic. The nice ladies at the Top 10 Holiday Park have given me 2 band aids and the general opinion is that i will make a full recovery in time for our big day tomorrow. Te Anau is about 2 hours drive from Queenstown, and yet again, the scenery is astounding, changing all the time.

Te Anau is mostly a tourist stop off point for delving into Fiordland National Park in the south west of NZ. As Annabel is pregnant we won't be doing anything too adventourous but a 2.5 hour cruise tomorrow with a 4 hour return drive to get there will be action enough i think. We would both love to come back to do the 3-5 day walks such as the Milford track that are out here. As with Abel Tasman you could easily spend many holidays in this neck of the woods, but we only have 2 days.

It's been a bit of a whirlwind tour, but we've managed to balance the 2 days breaks with 1 day stopovers pretty well so far I think. On Monday we're off to Invercargill, then we're taking the Catlins drive over the Southeast coast (not many people do this apparently, so we're special) up to Dunedin, then Timaru, 2 nights in Christchurch and 2 nights in Kaikora before heading back from the mainland;)

 

 

too hot! we arrived 2 find our holiday park didnt have a pool, disaster! we then realised we were next 2 a huge lake and so cooled off in there b4 falling asleep under searing sun. i tell u this holiday lark gets harder day by day. despite q'town being action capital of world, were doing nothing more strenuous than dinner and stroll.

a quaint old mining village that contains the best sweetshop in the world! www.remarkablesweetshop.co.nz. There's one in Queenstown as well.

ive never seen these b4, available only at haast lodge.

heat for the mind is wind for the feather.

We set off by 9am today, getting really good at packing the car. Stopped by a little place called Blue Pools. I've been trying to figure out what it is that reminds me of the colour of the icy blue water, and realised it's the Colgate Gel you get in those pump packs. So it's like swimming in diluted toothpaste, but not really.

We stopped off at the amazing trip highlight (for me, annabel tolerated it) puzzling world, just outside wanaka. there was loads of optical illusion stuff and a huge maze, which i successfully completed, testing my theory of 'stick to the left' which worked a treat. Annabel was very impressed at my orienteering prowess. She took a picture of the leaning tower of wanaka from distance as if it was poking me in the arse, which i'll be posting up on my return, this caused much merriment, a very carry on moment.

Got into Wanaka, still very hot. We've spent a few hours by the pool, and did 3 cycles of swim, dry off, swim, dry off etc, until we got hungry for chippies and pop. We're going to go and see Little Fish tonight at the indie cinema Cinema Paradiso which is supposed to be very cool. Red Star Burgers has been recommended to me as a colleague Simon N has a friend called Trudy who runs the place, a full review will be posted in due course, as i am a connoiseur of gourmet burgers.

The internet terminal i'm at is scary, it's $2 for 15 minutes, and it doesn't tell you how long you have got left, so if it goes off someone will have access to whatever it is you were working on. I don't have a watch but can feel the 15 minutes approaching with every key stroke, so, farewell until queenstown..

 

have arrived in Haast, a stopover village on the west coast on the way to Wanaka/Queenstown. It's blisteringly hot, not what we had been led to expect, although the sandflies are starting to bite now. They love my ankles and the small of my back.

Annabel fell a little ill last night after dinner, but is much better this morning. She hasn't got much room in her stomach and we ate quite late, so there's nothing to worry about.

The trip down from Franz Josef was great. We had a walk around Lake Matheson, which is famous for showing reflections of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman in the lake, but unfortunately it was a bit windy although it was still pretty impressive. We stopped off for another break at Lake Pakaringa which was just lovely where we had chocolate and banana muesli bars.

 

Hope this pic comes through ok, the others looked a bit dark when i checked the blog earlier. The camera on the mob isnt gr8 (only 300k!) and so will b looking 2 get a 3g one when the prices come down. Anyway, yesterday we tried 2 have a picnic beside a river, just b4 franz josef. All was going well until annabel mentioned deliverence and said the air smelt of testosterone. I had a paranoia attack and demanded the picnic b cut short as i thought i heard someone giggling. This caused annabel much merriment, i think it must b protective genes kicking in or summat!

I've got 6 minutes and 52 seconds to post this as i'm internet outpost at the Rainforest Retreat. The major irony with this place is that it looks like it's taken a rainforest to make the retreat judging by the debris i can see out of the window. The place is fairly new and we're here for a couple of days.

Today was brilliant, we slept in and then took a drive and walk up to take some pretty breathtaking photos of the glacier itself. I confused myself trying to understand the geology of the place but eventually felt content to stop thinking and just go 'wow' inwardly, which brought on a smile.

Afterwards, we took a fairly long walk down to Lake Wombat, a lovely little place where we scoffed a picnic of BLT and Ham Salad sandwiches, with chocolate brownies and fizzy pop. I read Empire magazine, which contained a helpful list of 100 movies i must rent out on DVD when i get back, together with little 'Seen It' checkboxes which i thought was great.

Loads of pics on this holiday, burnt off 210 already. Camcorder not seeing much usage, dunno why, scenery doesn't move very much, and i'm getting into my photography a bit more.

toodlepip.

we got 2 westport late afternoon and went to the coal museum which was really cool 2 my surprise. W'port itself wasnt up 2 much but our dinner last night and bfast this morning at the barhouse cafe were superb. 2Day we headed down the west coast taking in the amazing pancake rocks b4 stopping in sunny greymouth where i bought annabel a jade ring at the jade and greenstone museum. Beautiful day again, totally spoilt with all this nature, next stop hokitika.

1 year ago we got married, off 4 dinner at cape foulwind, seriously.

motuekas finest cafe bar, reggae at night and the delicious 'hangover brekkie' in the morning.

Well, what an experience that was. Most of the day long trip was idyllic paddling around looking at birds. However, going around the back of adele island when the wind picked up unexpectedly, was the scariest 30 mins ive had in a long time. A, 7 mths pregnant in the front, me steering us into the waves 2 avoid being tipped over into the rocks behind. Pretty bloody stupid in hindsight, although were both 2 have done it. Oh, the moorings rest't in motueka is terrible, worst steak ive had since coming 2 nz!

got a boat from kaiteriteri 2 torrent bay and went 4 walk 2 cascade falls. Beautiful sunny day, water clear and torquoise. Bush down here smells very sweet and the land granity. U could easily spend 2 weeks here in abel tasman, in fact we spoke 2 1 lady who had been here over 1 month! 2Morrow we have a day of sea kayaking around abel tasman, cant wait!

off 2 abel tasman after full cooked bfast from ra's cafe on queen st richmond, yum.

staying in top 10 hol park cabim. Annabel is having pregnancy nap, im doing a bit of planning 4 our trip 2 abel tasman 2morrow, where we r planning 2 spend 2 nights. Everything very beautiful, looking 4ward 2 a bit of sea kayaking.

arrived in nelson after an amazing scenic drive from picton. So heres the back of the car.

actually its this 1, Sans cd player. A threw a strop and demanded a map of picton and highlighting of the nearest Warehouse. The man replied that there was only 1 street and the choice basically amounted 2 left or right. Welcome 2 the south island. There is no Warehouse in Picton btw.

Just picking up our car, a toyota corolla mkii with a cd player.

weve finally managed to weave a bit of a plan 2gether beyond down the left and up the right. Were doing nelson, motueka, westport, greymouth, franz josef, haast, wanaka, queenstown, te anau, invercargill, dunedin, cromwell, tekapo, christchurch, and kaikoura b4 heading back 2 picton 4 ferry, 18 sleeps woo hoo!

seem here documenting the trip. Perhaps well c an irishman's wife down under blog appearing soon?

Just leaving w'ton 4 pictnn, still a bit grey, but it's stopped raining and will b sunny in nelson.

well, the points failure didnt last long, but it is still raining. A's brother has a flat we could stay in with a plasma. We went 4 lovely dinner at tinakori bistro, b4 collapsing in heap. Taxi coming shortly 2 take us 2 ferry terminal.

only about 1 hr outside w'ton, and heavens have opened alongside a points failure.

another shot

just passed over some enormous viaducts, built over an increasing number of gorges as we head south 2wards wellington.

unfortunately, the central north island is very overcast 2day, so we havent seen much of the mountains. we have howevdr discovered blueberry chocolate!. pic is of a huge big viaduct, there are loads of these down here.

my first week in New Zealand

a couple of days in Sydney with Greece reaching the final

a couple of days in bangkok

mind your kilos...

our big send off

Home in belfast, thinking about the big move down under