Oct 2004

So, Everything is sorted for leaving the country and Hong Kong is the first destination. We've used the hotel booking facility on Travellerspoint (which is very good) and managed to book into the Newton Hotel in Hong Kong which seemed close to some of the nice areas such as Causeway Bay and Wan Chai. A bit of a bugger to get their on public transport (about an hour by bus from Lantau airport) but it should provide a good base from which to explore the rest of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Since we booked it we've had 3 recommendations from people who've been before so we're really looking forward to it.

Really want to catch up with Morse Lee whilst I'm there. Hope it can be arranged.....

Finances are all sorted and we have a pretty generouse budget but we'll see if I can resist all of those gadgets when the exchange rate is £1 = $14.2493 HKD

Very Excited......

Title says it all actually. Great news is that it is before I leave the country....

Fingers crossed....

Here's what's booked so far.

November
15th - Leave Newcastle for London (to have a relaxing night in a heathrow hotel. Hopefully meet Andy / Lucy and Bobby)
16th - 19.00 - Depart London Heathrow
17th - 14.45 - Arrive Hong Kong (maybe catch up with Morse)
21st - 20.30 - Depart Hong Kong
22nd - 08.25 - Arrive Sydney, Australia
(here we'll be visiting Melbourne briefly and then back to Sydney for Christmas and New Year with Gail, Ian and Julian before heading up the east coast to Cairns and the Barrier Reef in a campervan before returning to Sydney).

February -
17th - 11.40 - Depart Sydney, Australia
17th - 16.35 - Arrive Auckland, New Zealand
(here for a month, backpacking, camping and getting around by train before returning to Auckland).

March -
17th - 14.00 - Depart Auckland, New Zealand
17th - 16.05 - Arrive Nadi, Fiji (for a brief beach holiday)

20th - 23.00 - Depart Nadi, Fiji
20th - 13.15 - Arrive Los Angeles, CA. U.S.A.
21st - 22 day trek with Trek America taking in San Diego, Grand Canyon, Monumnet Valley, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Yosemite, San Fransisco and back to LA.

April -
11th - 12.15 - Depart Los Angeles, CA. U.S.A.
11th - 14.59 - Arrive Seattle, WA. U.S.A.
(buy a Cadillac. Spend April, May and June travelling from Seattle through Montana to Omaha, Chicago, Boston and New York).

June -
- Get accross the border at Niagra into Canada and spend the rest of our money / time around Torronto.

July -
Leave Canada (probably the 11th) and return to London Heathrow. Dodge around the South Coast and then head home......

So here it is. The itinerary. Some of the dates are moveable and therfore unimportant so I've only included fixed dates for things that are booked e.g. Trek's and beach holidays.....

November
15th - Leave Newcastle for London (to have a relaxing night in a heathrow hotel)
16th - Fly B.A. to Hong Kong
21st - Fly Quantas to Sydney, Australia (here we'll be visiting Melbourne briefly and then back to Sydney for Christmas and New Year before heading up the east coast to Cairns and the Barrier Reef in a campervan before returning to Sydney).

February
- Leave Sydney and fly Quantas to Auckland NZ. Here for a month, backpacking and getting around by car before returning to Auckland.

March
- Leave Auckland and fly to Fiji for a weeks beach holiday
20th - Leave Fiji and fly to LA, California, USA.
21st - 22 day trek with Trek America taking in San Diego, Grand Canyon, Monumnet Valley, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Yosemite, San Fransisco and back to LA.

April
- Fly North to Seattle and buy a Cadillac. Spend April, May and June travelling from Seattle through Montana to Omaha, Chicago, Boston and New York (Wherever in between).

June
- Get accross the border at Niagra into Canada and spend the rest of our money / time around Torronto.

July
- Leave Canada and return to London Heathrow. Dodge around the South Coast and then head home......

I'll fill in the dates as I get them confirmed.