Bartons Go Global

Hi everyone, you have got to be bored with dads blog entries, so now it is my turn to say something.

We are currently in Taupo, it is nice and has the biggest lake in the entire of NZ. Last night we free camped for the second time by a beautiful river flowing from the lake. We all find free camping great fun. The shower in Suzzie is just cool. Well actually it is hot because we can heat up the water !

While we were on the East Cape, basically in the middle of nowhere, not many places or people, we met someone from Dalton in Cumbria, and it turned out Gill went to the same school as dad. She is quite a bit younger than my dad but they still managed to talk for ages about their school days!!! Gill now lives in NZ, but one thing she longs for from the UK is soggy fish and chips, because here they pride themselves on cooking up really fresh stuff.

love Ellie

Well due to popular request we have to let you know about our new home. We have a truck more than a van and it is very spacious inside with room for 5 or even more! It has a bed above the cab which R has claimed as his Batch and Ellie has a single bunk which is a table and chairs in the day. It also has hot running water and a loo with a shower which is brill especially when wild camping in the bush. At the rear there is a dinning table which makes a large double bed at night. We have dragged it up a few mountain passes so far even if its a bit sluggish up the hills ( we have even been overtaken by the loaded logging trucks!) But on the open road we zip along but never travelling very far before we find a stop or two. We still miss Rosie more than words can say!!

The only slightly disconcerting thing is the German stripes on the outside and even we are getting used to this.

For the easter weekend we spent the long weekend travelling around the east cape and of course celebrating AL's Bday. We thought the most sparsley populated place would be kind of nice but we ended up bumping into a lass from Dalton!!! We had a few laughs together about life in the old town and of course the old School.

AL thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes that you sent even if it took us 3 days to find a computer on the east cape attached to the WWW. I wouldn't say its behind the times but...

How's life back in England? NZ is great, we are now in Taupo though we hope to be moving onto the south Island in the next week or so. We have travelled around most of the North Island already, just not all of the West Coast bit. Our camper has been fab so far. We drop it off in Nelson in the North of the South Island on Wed 14th May then we fly from Neslon to Auckland. My best bit so far in NZ is probaly the East Cape, we did a night wild camping on the most easterly point. OK guys enjoy yourselves, Cos we are!!

Love to everyone,

Rowan x x x x

Week 3 in New Zealand and we have found a new home in a large camper we have named Suzzie (the Isuzu!!) What is it with us naming everything? Anyhow we are settled in and have driven about 500km so far along the coast south of Auckland and now into Rotorua. We are loving the mobile life again and look forward to many happy weeks driving around towards the south island at the beginning of April. We have no set plans and we just drive till we find a nice spot, some days we only travel 50Km or so but that is the beauty of being free. We only arrived here in the area of Rotorua this afternoon and headed up to Blue lake for a swim (and a wash!) and have now found an attractive camp on the lake so we stay for a while. We are staying around till Thurs or so and then head out to the quiet coast around Bay of Plenty for the Easter weekend and AL's birthday (dont worry she is not expecting and cards if you all forgot!)

So we are having a ball and the excellent weather is still around which we are enjoying (not as sticky as Oz!)

So for now good bye from us down here.

Jonathan and CO

Well well, Another update before any one managed to leave a comment. Come on What is up with you all. You say I'm slack.

We have arrived in yet another country, I think this is now our 8th, but who is counting. New Zealand is living up to all expectations so far and been lovely and warm and SUNNY.

We are staying in Auckland for a few days then collect a car for a few days then pick up our new home, a camper van for for 9 weeks to tour the rest of the north then the South Island.

We have begun to explore the city but only managed a bus trip, the Auckland Museum and the Sky Tower, managed to secure a few more fridge magnets already though. The city is not too busy (not compared with Sydney) but there is still lots to try and catch up with. We look forward to the coast further North, its still warm so we should get in a few swims in the seas this week if the weather holds.

So come on, get some comments up and I will try to post another exciting episode very soon.

J