clivemwilliams

[clivemwilliams]

North of England Tour April 2025

26/27 April. We moved onto Lincolnshire and a visit to Judith’s old friend Margot in Stamford. We spent some time exploring the classy town and its independent shops and cafes. On the Sunday Judith went with Margot to the Salvation Army in Peterborough whilst I rested up at Margot’s place. We also spent some time at Burghley House and Gardens - which I’ve only really known about from the Burghley Horse Trials. Really nice grounds and beautiful weather.

28/29 April. For our final stop we moved onto Northampton and more of Judith’s Salvation Army friends, Cheryl and Tim. Not a lot to see in Northampton so we spent a day in Stratford, about an hour away. We enjoyed a brief boat trip on the river followed by a visit to a butterfly farm. Stratford is full of history and interesting buildings. In the evening we went out to a local pub for a nice meal.

30 April. Returned home to Devon but not before a brief visit to Coventry where we were hoping to meet up with another friend but unfortunately he got delayed at a funeral. However we did enjoy a visit to Coventry Cathedral which was really impressive.

A great time away visiting friends despite fact neither of us were on top form!

[clivemwilliams]

North of England Tour April 2025

22/23 April. Pretty good drive up to Manchester area to visit our friends Paul and Jeanette who we’d not seen for a few years. We stayed with then in Altringham which is a very smart area of Greater Manchester where all the footballers live! The weather was much better than expected and we enjoyed a few walks in the area as well as a trip into Manchester. Really good start to our visit.

24/25 April . Following 2 days with Paul and Jeanette we travelled over to Sheffield via Snake Pass to spend a few days with other friends from HSBC days, Andy and Amanda. Unfortunately neither Judith nor I were feeling great so we agreed to meet them at Chatsworth and we then enjoyed a great day in the gardens with plenty of refreshment breaks. Spent the evening in Andy’s garden with a great Thai!

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024-25

Kerikeri, Bay of Islands 9-10 January

We started our last day at the Bay of Islands with a visit to Kerikeri, a town 30 miles north of Paihia. It has a long colourful history and has some of New Zealand’s oldest buildings. We had coffee in the grounds of Kerikeri Mission Station and Stone house which dates back to 1832 (old for New Zealand!) and built by a Wesleyan missionary called John Hobbs.

After exploring the sight we visited the nearby Rainbow Falls which, although not in full flow, were pretty spectacular, nonetheless.

The holiday would not be complete without a game of crazy golf and very fortunately there happened to be an excellent course not far from the falls. Once again, modestly prevents me saying who won but the girls did put up a credible display under the circumstances.

After lunch in the quaint town we drove back to Paihia and had planned an afternoon on the beach but it became a bit windy and cloudier with temperatures dipping below 20c so we had an ice cream instead!

We rounded off the day with a drink on the pier and a Mexican meal with sangria - the food was a bit spicy!

Today we have driven back to Auckland stopping at Whengarei, the most northern city, where we enjoyed coffee and cake in the redeveloped port basin area, arriving back in Auckland around 3 pm and time for tea and cake!

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024-25

Paihia. Bay of Islands Weds 8 Jan

After yesterday’s punishing schedule we were in recovery mode today with a mere 10000 steps compared to over 14000 yesterday! We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on the veranda where I was able to take photos of a pair of eastern rosellas that were perched in a nearby tree. Our accommodation is called ‘treetops’ so you get the picture! We then made the short journey into town where we had booked a ferry to Urupukapuka, about 45 minutes away. The weather was perfect and the boat trip exceedingly smooth. It’s not a big island but has a restaurant, a number of beautiful walks between the various bays and opportunities for swimming. The walks were not as challenging as yesterdays, and so after a stop for lunch, we walked about 30 mins to the next bay where we enjoyed some time swimming and relaxing in the shade of a nice tree- it really was a very hot day with cloudless skies!

After a stop at the restaurant for some liquid refreshments we returned to Paihia on the late afternoon ferry and enjoyed a nice meal at a restaurant on the pier.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024-25

Whangaroa and Mahinepua Peninsula 7 Jan

We left Mangonui after breakfast and headed south towards Paihia where we are staying for 3 nights.

On route we first of all stopped at St Paul’s Rock which overlooks Whangaroa and the harbour. According to Ellie this would be a quick 20 min stroll up a hill for amazing views. The reality was a 700 metre almost vertical climb up a mountain involving clinging to cliffside chains. Apart from being exhausting, Judith was very inappropriately dressed especially for the climbing sections. All photos of this part of the ascent have been censored! Undoubtedly the views were amazing once we reached the summit and pretty much worth the near death experience!

We had hardly recovered from this activity when 20 mins later we arrived at a great beachside location for our next punishment; a 2 hour walk out to The Mahinepua Peninsula which involved very a undulating path and literally hundreds of steps! It was only some comfort that I had my camera with me and able to insist on many stops to enable me to take lots of photos - whether or not they were strictly necessary!

We somehow survived this further arduous activity and were rewarded with a trip to a nearby beach for ice cream, drinks and a swim. Lucky us!

We arrived at our accommodation in Paihia late afternoon and after a brief outing for supplies we adjourned to our decking for sustenance and some recovery time.

Another great day with great weather and terrific company.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024-25

Mangonui 5-6 January

Yesterday the weather wasn’t too good and after such a busy day the day before we decided to stay local and visited a few local cafes and shops as well as venturing into Cable Bay - so named as it was where the first underwater telegraph cable linking New Zealand and Australia was laid. We had a nice walk along the beach followed by more ice cream.

Today was an exceptional day, the weather was perfect and we drove about 40 mins to the Karikari Peninsula which has a number of spectacular beaches and a photographers paradise! We drove almost to the end of the peninsula stopping at Maitai Bay which is a beautiful horseshoe shaped beach backed by green pastures and grasses. Ellie took us on a 90 min hike (she called it a stroll!) to the end of the peninsula which afforded stunning views back over the bay. We then had a go at paddle boarding, Jude and I taking turns to paddle alongside Ellie as she swam across the bay.

As if that wasn’t enough to make the perfect day we then visited the Karikari Vineyard for a bit of wine tasting and a delicious Mediterranean antipasti platter and pizza overlooking the peninsula. A moment to treasure for sure.

A fabulous end to our few days here in Mangonui and we’re heading south tomorrow to Paihia and the Bay of Islands for 3 nights.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024-25

Mangonui 3-4 January

We’ve travelled nearly 200 miles north from Auckland to the Doubtless Bay area and staying at an Airbnb with Ellie in Mangonui, an old whaling town but now a tourist spot along with many towns and villages in the bay.

We got here late afternoon and after a walk along the harbour front we had some fish and chips in a well known (for here) fish and chip restaurant.

Today has been one of full on exploring. We set out quite early on the 100 mile trip to Cape Reinga at the northern tip of New Zealand stopping first at at Gumdiggers Park which consists of two ancient kauri forests with buried trees over 100,000 years old. The site is of a gumfield over 100 years old which was mined for the gum (we’d probably call it amber) and at one time New Zealand exported 450,000 tons of it annually to make floor varnish!

After an hours walk though the forest we rejoined the main road for the remainder of the trip to the Cape stopping only for a toilet and coffee break. Although it was a windy day the sun was shining and the views at and around the Cape were spectacular. This is where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean in a lively swirl of currents. This is the most spiritually significant place in New Zealand and it is here that after death, all Maori spirits travel up the coast to the headland before descending into the underworld by sliding down the root of a tree into the sea below. A really beautiful spot and amazingly no parking fees or entrance fees which you’d be certain to pay back home!

We visited a nearby bay for lunch and a swim (water was quite cold!) and the views were wonderful.

We then made our way back to Mangonui stopping firstly at the Giant Sand Dunes where you can hire a bodyboard and surf down the huge sand dunes. Only problem is that you have to climb up the dunes again to have another go. All looked far too energy sapping for us. We then visited another huge and almost deserted beach and finally an essential stop for very nice fruit ice creams.

A very long and thoroughly enjoyable day rounded off with an excellent Thai takeaway!

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Auckland 31 December - 02 January

On New Year’s Eve we went for a nice walk along the shoreline at Takapuna which is about 20 mins drive from Ellie’s place. We spent the evening with Ellie and a few of her close friends at a a restaurant called Lucky 8 in Ponsonby where everything is $8! A memorable experience for sure. We came back to Ellie’s for some board games before deciding how we were going to celebrate the New Year. All week Ellie has been trying to persuade us to go for a swim at midnight out into the bay in order to watch the Auckland fireworks on the Sky Tower. This was never a serious option for us and so Judith and I went to a lookout point down at Mission Bay where we had a great view of the fireworks and the harbour bridge and was far more civilised!

On New Years Day and after a late night, we had a leisurely stroll in the morning along the bay at St. Heliers and after lunch Ellie took us to Long Bay Regional Park where we enjoyed another great walk along the shore before moving onto Browns Bay and a fabulous Italian ice cream.

Today we’ve been to the Auckland Women’s Tennis tournament which was really good. We saw a doubles match featuring the only Brit left in the tournament - she lost, naturally- and 2 singles matches both won by the Americans, Madison Keys and Robin Montgomery. We’ve been to this venue previously and it’s always a good day out.

Tomorrow we are off on a bit of a road trip for the next 7 days to the Northland region of New Zealand and we are hoping to make it to the very top to a place called Cape Reinga. More reports on this over the next few days.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Auckland 28-30 December

Our visit to Auckland this time has coincided with Ellie having just moved into a new house, 5 mins or so from her old place. This is very convenient as her new place is amazing with lots of space, a large garden and a third bedroom that Judith and I can use. Vitally for Ellie and her flatmate it’s still only 15 mins from the beach.

On Saturday we walked down to the beach to meet Ellie and all the Kohi Kippers (the local ocean swimming group) lots of whom we knew from last time. We then went for a nice brunch at a really nice place in St. Heliers, the next bay along. The rest of the day was spent locally and pottering in Ellie’s garden.

On Sunday, Ellie and her housemate held a BBQ and invited some of the ‘kippers’ that we knew. The weather and food were really good and we all had a great time. Nice to chat to Ellie’s friends who are a really close knit friendly crowd.

Today, Monday we’ve been on a little adventure to an island called Tiritiri Matangi about 80 mins away by fast ferry. It’s a wildlife sanctuary with an amazing number of birds that provided some excellent phot opportunities. The ferry crossing itself was very smooth and any seasickness fears were quickly dashed. We were split into small groups of 6 or so with a volunteer ranger, in our case, Carol, to lead us on a 90 min trek through the trees looking at the abundant bird life and other flora and fauna. We met up with Ellie at the visitor centre (she’s not got the patience for a slow going accompanied trek!) for lunch and then walked some more of the tracks together in the afternoon. We ended up on the beach which had great views over the bay back towards Auckland.

A terrific day and a great start to our time in Auckland.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Christchurch 25-27 December

As on our last Christmas visit to Christchurch, we spent Christmas Eve at a large candlelit outdoor Carol service in a park in the city. It’s a real community event with representations from lots of choirs throughout Christchurch and featuring the Salvation Army Band, of course. It was quite a late night as it doesn’t get dark here until 9:45!

We got up early on Christmas morning - as you do when there are young babies in the house - and enjoyed a fairly traditional Christmas Day, opening presents, eating too much, groaning at the Christmas cracker jokes, and watching the Kings speech.

On Boxing Day, Lydia’s Birthday, we enjoyed more quality family time before playing games in the evening and watching a Christmas movie.

Today, we’ve been to a local chocolate cafe which did the most amazing hot chocolate, visited the town of Lyttelton, where the cruise ships dock and relaxed in the garden in the warm sunshine.

That brings an end to the Christchurch part of our trip as this evening we fly up to Auckland with Ellie to spend some time with her and explore more of the North Island.

It’s been an absolute joy spending time getting to know Maddie - and of course spending time with Lydia and Andrew. We’ll certainly miss them all but comforted by the thought that we’ll be reunited in less than 6 months for their wedding.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Christchurch 20-24 December

Since returning from our whale watching in Kaikoura I have spent a good bit of time building a sand pit for Maddie. What started off as a fairly basic idea turned into one with a lid that converted into benches. I am now nearly as familiar with Bunnings as John is! See photos for finished article.

Yesterday we picked up Ellie from the airport following her flight down from Auckland and earlier today we went on a nice walk from Cass Bay to Corsair Bay. In between we’ve managed to complete the food shop for Christmas Day and we’ve been impressed by the variety and full shelves at the supermarkets.

Maddie continues to delight us with her singing, smiling and bouncing and we’re all now looking forward to a wonderful family Christmas.

Happy Christmas!

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Kaikoura 18-19 December

We are now in Kaikoura having made the 3 hour drive from Christchurch on Wednesday. My hopes of being able to take photos of something other than Maddie (beautiful as she is!) have been well and truly fulfilled.

We were aware that the weather for Thursday and Friday was not as good so we basically crammed as much as we could into Wednesday!

The drive here through the mountain passes and along the coast was really nice and we stopped more than a few times to admire the views and take some photos of the scenery and the wildlife which included fur seals, shags and colonies of gulls.

On reaching Kaikoura we headed straight for the lookout over the bay which afforded tremendous views, not only of the bay but the mountains and the peninsula. After a quick lunch we headed to the tiny airstrip where we had booked a whale watching flight. Having been on previous unsuccessful whale watching trips I’m pleased to report that this time we were very fortunate to see a huge sperm whale! It was an awesome sight as our plane circled the whale at 500 feet for 10 mins or so giving me plenty of time to take a few photos (ok 164 if you must know!).

After this mind blowing experience and with the weather still perfect we headed out to the peninsula for a walk around the headland where we once again experienced amazing views and again saw a large number of seals and seabirds.

We ended the day with a meat feast in an Irish pub whilst still trying to take in the truly spectacular sights that we had just witnessed.

The following day was a predictable let down with low clouds and some rain so we enjoyed a bit of retail therapy and a visit to the museum which featured, amongst other things, a fascinating video on the earthquake of 2016 that so badly damaged Kaikoura and the surrounding area.

We were due to come here on our 2017 visit to NZ but the whole area was inaccessible so it’s been great to spend time here at last and of course to have a close encounter with a sperm whale.

Back to Christchurch tomorrow where the Christmas preparations are now in full swing.

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Christchurch 14-17 December

We are continuing to have a great time here in Christchurch and spending precious time with my favourite New Zealand granddaughter. She has got to be the most bouncy and smiley baby so prepare yourselves for more heartwarming photos!

We’ve spent the past few days visiting the local parks and cafes, often with Alfie the dachshund in tow. I say in tow but it’s actually us who are being towed as he is such a strong puller!

At the weekend we went to a market at the arts centre in town. It was very extensive with an excellent variety of local arts and crafts and produce and good food stalls, in particular the stall that sold cheese raclettes with extra sausage!

We also walked to a more local street market which featured children singing a selection of Christmas songs - some of which were even partly in tune! On the same walk we went to the library to get some books for Andrew and Maddie. Unlike back in the UK where libraries seem to be in decline they are thriving out here. The arts and crafts sessions for children, a cafe, and being open on Sundays all contribute to making a visit to the library a really enjoyable family occasion.

Today we went with Lydia and Maddie to a sensory play session at the arts centre as well as a stroll around the impressive botanical gardens.

Tomorrow Judith and I are going to Kaikoura for a few days. This is the main whale watching centre in New Zealand and whilst I’m sure a whale watching boat trip might be too extreme even for my seasickness tablets we are still hoping to see some of the other abundant wildlife in the area.

I’m also hoping to get some nature and scenic photography done in contrast to my recent overload of baby photos!

[clivemwilliams]

New Zealand 2024/25

Christchurch 11-13 December

Great to be back in New Zealand and to able to spend Christmas and New Year with the overseas branch of the family.

Arrived here on Wednesday after best ever flight from London via Singapore on Singapore Airlines directly to Christchurch where we were met by Lydia and the lovely Maddie. Very special seeing your granddaughter for the first time of course. The flight was exceptionally smooth and we were well looked after by the cabin crew. I even managed a few hours sleep, in part due to my new deluxe travel pillow which supports your neck so that your head doesn’t drop when you nod off!

We’ve had a pretty full on first few days, making the most of the glorious weather. We’ve been swimming at the outdoor lido with Maddie which she enjoyed, we went with her and Lydia to a parent and baby class and joined in the singing session - some of the nursery songs were in Maori! I can see why Lydia likes it there so much as very friendly staff and mothers. We’ve also had a picnic in the park and visited a few cafes and shops. It’s a good job we haven’t suffered from jet lag!

Weather so far has been superb with temps in the high 20s so we are naturally making the most of it.

Obviously the highlight so far has been getting to know Maddie - I know I’m a bit biased but she has to be the most smiley baby in New Zealand. She’s so happy (most of the time!) and a beautiful smile is never far away. Lydia and Andrew are doing a terrific job and very proud of both of them as the early days were a bit tricky.

The photos are naturally dominated by Maddie!

[clivemwilliams]

Tobago 2024

Thursday 2nd – Wednesday 3rd May

Well here we are at the end of a fabulous time in Tobago - our first Caribbean experience.

Not really got a lot to say about the last couple of days as we’ve not really done much ! It’s mainly been swimming at the waterfall or the sea,, sunbathing on the beach or the terrace, eating, drinking or reading – not a bad mix, I admit !

Somehow we’ve coped without TV – in fact I can’t recall even seeing one – and the only music we’ve listened to has been mainly reggae in the local bars – and that’s been quite pleasant and certainly part of the Caribbean experience.

The shark attack, a week ago, was a bit scary but fortunately didn’t really impact us – our travel agent in London emailed us several times to check we were ok – a nice touch.

The weather has been amazing, about 28-32c all the time. Grateful for the aircon in our room. In last few days we’ve had a couple of heavy downpours as we get closer to the rainy season in June.

I like the fact that you can fly here direct in under 10 hours and we’ll certainly be looking to come this way again in the future.

No photos of birds today – just a few self indulgent ones of us !

Thanks for reading.

Until next time

Clive and Judith

[clivemwilliams]

Tobago 2024

Wednesday 1st May

Another early start spending the day with Newton (our personal guide!) and a trip to Little Tobago.

Spoiler alert - mainly photos of birds!

Turns out our guide Newton contributed quite a lot to the Tobago bird guide book that I bought Judith for Christmas and he travels the world promoting Tobago as a birdwatching destination on behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago government !

We’d not gone far this morning when he spotted a mother with 2 young children by the side of the road waiting for the bus. He stopped and offered to take the 2 girls to their primary school so they got in the back seat with Judith and said in unison ‘good morning’. Of course you’d get arrested doing this in England but it was a very good heartwarming start to the day.

After a good hour’s drive and a few bird spotting stops on the way, we ended up in Speyside which is actually on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island. There we got on a glass bottomed boat for the 15 minute trip to the island of Little Tobago. It was actually quite rough as there was a decent wind blowing and fairly turbulent where the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea meet.

The island has quite an interesting history but briefly it was used in the mid 1900s by Sir somebody or other as a haven for 46 birds of paradise that he’d taken from the south seas where they were being hunted to extinction for their plumage. Unfortunately a huge hurricane in the 1960’s destroyed most of them but the islands reputation as a bird sanctuary was established. On Sir what’s his name’s death, the family gave the island to the state for use solely as a bird sanctuary and Newton’s father was appointed the custodian of the island with a house built for him there !

The island is world famous for its sea birds including the red-billed tropicbird, the brown noddy, the magnificent frigate bird, the sooty shearwater, and all sorts of boobies – although interestingly nude swimming is forbidden !

On the way back to Tobago mainland, we stopped briefly for Judith to do a bit of snorkelling, it was a bit too rough for my liking and I was already feeling a bit quesey !

On landing we went for a fantastic lunch with Newton at a local restaurant and it was fascinating to hear more about Newton’s trips.

After lunch we went to Newton’s house which doubles up as a hummingbird gallery run by his wife. More amazing photo opportunities whilst sitting on his terrace with a cup of tea – now that is my kind of bird watching !

Went for a swim when we got back followed by a sundowner of our own with cups of tea instead of cocktails in the yoga studio above us that has great views out to sea.

Another busy day – and I’m still swaying from the motion of that boat !

[clivemwilliams]

Tobago 2024

Tuesday 30th April

I know I promised no blog today but, in the end, we did quite a bit and got hopes that tomorrow will be an action packed day.

We again got up early and walked 15 mins or so to a small waterfall. We weren’t expecting much as the river was fairly dry, so we were pleasantly surprised to find a decent pool beneath a respectable looking waterfall. As it was only about 8 :00 am we imagined we’d have the place to ourselves but a couple of very nice heavily-tattooed ladies were already enjoying a swim in the pool. Judith soon joined them whilst I took the photos.

We then went down to the beach where the fishermen were once again pulling in the nets that had been strung out across the bay. I offered to help along with a few other Brits which was sort of fun - but I wouldn’t fancy it every day !

Disappointingly they didn’t seem to catch much at all – they threw back a stingray and another ugly looking thing and it seemed to me that the birds helped themselves to most of the tidlers that remained.

We returned to our apartment (I’ve marked the location on one of the photos) for late breakfast and we continued to potter around on the terrace or in the hammock !

After lunch we went back down the beach for a swim and chance to catch up on some reading. I brought a couple of books with me which I’ve enjoyed reading and didn’t fancy starting another epic so came across a Jeremy Clarkson book in the apartment bookshelf which I’m finding highly amusing mainly because I know I shouldn’t really be finding his un pc ways so funny !

In all our time at Castara we felt a bit guilty that we’d not cooked for ourselves despite having a fully functioning kitchen. So today we decided to cook for ourselves- nothing too exciting – chicken and veg. This was preceded by a sundowner drink in the bar watching another amazing sunset whilst sipping a Tobago rum punch and a virgin pina colada.