Hello again - I bet you thought this final blog posting was never coming eh?
We've been back for just over a month now and are really enjoying being back in our own house and our own bed, and catching up with our lovely friends and family. Already the trip is beginning to feel like a bit of a dream - did we really do all of those incredible things?!
We feel so lucky to have been able to have such a great adventure, and will have memories to last us a lifetime. Picking out our highlights has been a pretty difficult task, but we've had a go, so here are The Official Off-shored World Highlights 2007-08......
Favourite City
Nominees
- Hanoi, for its hustle and bustle
- Sydney, for its beauty and cool
- Melbourne, for its friendliness and style
- Wellington, for its great museums and views
- Buenos Aires, for its life and soul
- Rio de Janiero, for its jaw-dropping beauty
Winner........for its stunning harbour and cool-vibes, Sydney
Favourite Town
Nominees
- Hoi An, for its quaint riverside and lively festivals
- Cooper Pedy, for its alien-landscape and other-worldly feel
- Wanaka, for its "we could live here" charms
- San Pedro de Atacama, for its laid-back desert setting
- Pucon, for its great cakes and ice cream!
- Colonia de Sacremento, for its cobbled cuteness
Winner........for its beauty and laid back wonders, Wanaka
Best Adrenalin Rush
Nominees
- climbing the Bicentennial Tree
- Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef
- Bungy Jumping at Queenstown
- Sky Diving over Lake Taupo
- White Water Rafting in Argentina
Winner........for its eye-popping excitement, Sky Diving
Lowest Point
Nominees
- No room at the inn in Napier
- Bottles thrown at our hotel window in Nowra at 2am
- Rain obscuring the Great Ocean Road
- Clouds obscuring Torres Del Paine
Winner (Loser) ........The Nightmare in Nowra
Best Natural Wonder
Nominees
- beautiful Ha Long Bay
- the mountain-side paddy fields at Sa Pa
- the beaches on Wilson's Prom
- the blistering Ayers Rock & the Olgas
- the gorgeous NZ Lakes & Mountains
- the jaw-dropping Milford & Doubtful Sounds
- jumping off the sand-dunes on Farewell Spit
- hiking the Tongariro Crossing
- the vibrant colours of the Champagne Pool
- the other-worldly Atacama Desert
- the stunning Perito Moreno glacier
- the beautiful Iguassu Falls
- the improbable landscape of Rio
Winner........for the sheer spectacle of watching icebergs crash into the lake, the Perito Moreno glacier
Most Magical Moment
Nominees
- cycling through a river on Cat Ba island
- kayaking in the rain in Ha Long Bay
- exploring the haunted casino on Bokor Hill
- the stunning Kampot sunset
- wandering through the overgrown temples of Ta Phrom
- lazing in the pools of Lichfield Park- hiking and swimming at the Edith Falls
- the helicopter flight over the NZ glaciers
- swimming with dolphins off Kaikoura
- hiking through the snow in the Torres Del Paine
Joint Winners........the Kampot sunset and swimming with dolphins - both amazing!
Best Wildlife
Nominees
- crocodiles and birds at Yellow Water, Kakadu
- kangaroos on Pebble Beach
- koalas crossing the road in Australia
- the dolphins of New Zealand
- butterflies and hummingbirds in Brazil
Winner........koalas...no, penguins...no, crocodiles....
Best Man Made Structure
Nominees
- Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam
- the temples of Angkor, Cambodia
- Itaipu Dam, Brazil
- Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio
Winner........for their scale and beauty, the temples of Angkor
And that's more or less it. Just a few thank-yous before we sign off.....
...huge thanks to Jean, Gil & Chris, Vern & Shirley, Tony & Max, the Woods, Walkers, Sorensens, Steeles and Searles for their hospitality and kindness - spending time with friendly faces really kept us going.
...big thanks to Sally, Nona, Yvonne, Ross and Sandra for keeping things in order back in Worthing and making coming back home a real pleasure
...and finally thanks to all of you for reading this! Knowing that there were people at home interested in what we were up to made it feel like we were never alone.
Till the next time....
