Wed. 4th June. 10th Day UK.

Said farewell to Phil & Helen in Keswick.

We drove up to the prehistoric Castlerigg Stone Circle for final views of the Lake District.

Then, via lunch in Coldstream in Scotland, into Northumberland and the Victoria Hotel in Bamburgh. (Girls waving from window).

Bamburgh Castle, probably my favourite of all the palaces, stately homes & castles in England.

Tue. 3rd June. 9th Day UK.

A walk to Braithwaite and a climb up Barrow 1494' (455 m.) We stopped outside Prospect House where Phil's parents had spent their honeymoon in 1955.

Paula & I on top of Barrow, Derwentwater & Keswick behind,

Meal at the Pack Horse Inn that evening - mine was pork escalope with black pudding!

Mon. 2nd June. 8th Day UK.

To the Lake District, but dropped in to see Hugh, who was with us in Tibet, on the way.

Here, Phil, Hugh & myself (with presentation pack of ale)








Phil & I set off from Keswick and did Skiddaw, 3053' (930 m.), 11 mile round trip, in under 4 hours.











Approaching the summit.

Sun. 1st June. 7th Day UK.

A 10 mile walk around a bit of Morecombe Bay in steady rain.

Fortunately we were able to have an ice-cream at the end.

However we had home cooked roast beef & yorkshire pudding to look forward to in the evening.

Sat. 31st May. 6th Day UK

To Bispham near Blackpool to stay with my cousin Phil & wife Helen. We went walking up the promenade to see the wreck of the 'Riverdance'.


On the way back we had to take a walk down this street.

Fri. 30th May. 5th Day UK.

To Shropshire and Mick & Sue at Rhodes Farm. Sally just off to Thailand.

Not everyone has a well in their kitchen, but Mick has.

Thur. 29th May. 4th Day UK.

Picked up a rental car. Had to pay the CONGESTION CHARGE!!!! $16!!! Just to drive through London. Big Brother is truly watching in England. Cameras everywhere so that everyone pays up.
Drove off to Greenwich to the Observatory, Prime Meridian & Maritime Museum.
Saw Nelson's uniform in which he was killed - bullet hole on left shoulder.

Then on to Chelmsford to stay with Tim & Jilly Baylis. Tim & I up rather late trying to decide if the Sainsbury's Merlot in plastic bottles really was worth drinking or not.

Wed. 28th May. 3rd Day UK.

A visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, then over the Millenium Bridge to the reconstructed Globe Theatre.
Here we watched an excellent performance of 'A Misummer Night's Dream'.

The show was followed by a couple of beers in 'The George', Borough High St. One of my old haunts.

Tue. 27th May. 2nd Day UK

Met up with Madeleine after almost 5 months. Here the girls are outside 'the Old Curiosity Shop'. This was just before a 'near-death' experience in the Royal College of Surgeons lift which didn't stop and crashed into the top of the building!

We went walkabout to the Hunterian Museum, The National Gallery, Whitehall, Buckingham Palace - here the girls are beside one of the State Coaches in the Royal Mews.

Then on to the British Museum so Madeleine could see the Elgin Marbles before she gets to Athens in a few weeks time.

England Bound

Paula & I off to the UK for a couple of weeks.
Trying out the new 'Premium Economy' seats as we couldn't get Business class.
Will be spending much time in pubs with family and friends.
It will all be on the blog as soon as we get back.

TOODLE PIP!

55 YEARS OLD! Birthday dinner at 'Belle Epoque'.

Fri. 23rd May - out to dinner with Paula, Jake & George, Nicola & Brady, John & Jenny Burgess and Rodney & Jane Litzow.
Excellent meal and French wines at 'Belle Epoque' in the Valley. (Birthday was the day before but I was working)

TIBET, TIBET.

As someone who has visited Tibet twice recently I thought I should get a little more involved.
I joined the 'Australian Tibet Council' a few years ago and have had an article published on their website about the changes at Base Camp.
This is highly topical as the Olympic torch is meant to be passing through on it's way to the summit in the next couple of weeks.
My own feeling is that it's a huge gamble attempting this. The chances are slim that there will be a successful ascent this early in the year - most summits are made at the end of May.
The Chinese are tempting fate by trying this. There is much potential for disaster and they may even have to fake a good result so as to not 'lose face'.
Please check out my article at - Tibet: One Year On - Militarisation, Public Relations And The Fake Panchen Lama - The Australian Tibet Council Website.

AND PASS IT ON TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

Mayday Holiday Weekend.

To Maleny to the 'Wood Expo' - a biennial event. It was very woody.

The rockery looking better. Even in our winter - things still keep growing1

Planted a 'Liquid Amber' - Liquidambar styraciflua - which is deciduous and will look great with our row of maples. In a few years the autumn colours will be a bit special.

New Zealand. Day 6. Thur. 3rd April. Aspiring Hut to Wanaka & Queenstown..

A pre-dawn start for the 2 hour walk to the road and our trip back to Wanaka.
Loking back at Bevan Col.After a massive coffee hit I got the bus down to Queenstown before my Saturday flight back to Brisbane. A beautiful place Queenstown. Very like the English Lake District.

New Zealand. Day 5. Wed. 2nd April. Scott's Bivvy to Aspiring Hut.

Overnight the rain stopped and it became freezing. In the morning the rivers had gone down enough to let us pass and we headed off down the valley for the 5 hour walk to Aspiring Hut.The stone built hut had a wood burning stove and mattresses. Luxury!
It also had a fabulous view of Mt. Aspiring and the north-west ridge. A comfortable night ensued.

New Zealand. Day 4.Tue. 1st April. Scott's Bivvy.

A damp but comfortable night. In the morning all the rivers were even higher and we were going nowhere.
We had plenty of food and water was literally running through our cave. We settled in for the day.
Luckily I had a good book to read - 'Mountains of the Mind' by Robert MacFarlane.

New Zealand. Day 3. Monday 31st Mar.

Simon & I get kitted up and about to board the helicopter.

The landing zone, just below Bevan Col.

As soon as the chopper left we were hit by gale force winds and snow. The weather system had arrived early. Simon knew there was no way we could make the 3 hour trip across the glacier in white-out conditions.
No choice but to head down.
He belayed me down about 5 pitches then we had a 100 ft. abseil down to the rapidly rising river in the valley.


However, NOT the end of our problems. We were surrounded by huge waterfalls and the streams were treacherous. We got across a couple of torrents only with extreme difficulty. Simon knew of a cave called 'Scott's Bivvy' but he'd never stayed there. We had no choice.

New Zealand. Day 2. Sunday 30th Mar. Wanaka.

A beautiful day in Wanaka.
I'd spoken to the team at 'Aspiring Guides'
Aspiring Guides
and Simon, who was taking me up the hill, had looked at the weather forecast. A front was coming through and we had a window Monday morning. We'd fly up to Bevan Col. Cross the glacier to Colin Todd Hut and wait out the storm over Tuesday. Ascent day Wednesday. Walk out Thursday & Friday. Good plan!

New Zealand. Day 1. Sat.29th Mar. Queenstown to Wanaka

The quest to climb Mt. Aspiring in the Southern Alps.

Queenstown below. Airport at the end of the lake.