A wee break away.

We stayed a few days in Arbroath over the New Year and it was freezing, I am glad we went to Bulgaria first which helped to acclimatise us a bit, I can only imagine how bad it would have felt if  we had come straight from Vietnam. 

We did try and get out and about as we go a bit stir crazy when we have to stay in, so on one of the days we wrapped up warm and headed out to do the Arbroath to Auchmithie cliff walk. This is a beautiful walk at any time of the year and always looks different depending on the weather, season and time of day. 

This photo is at the top of the Victoria Park and the path leads from here in one direction to the cliffs and in the other direction to the harbour and town. 

The cliffs are made of a beautiful red sandstone, this erodes over time and in recent years there has been a few rockfalls and landslides. The photo below shows the Needles E'e, which originally was a cave but the the roof has collapsed leaving the mouth of the cave visible, this happened a very long time ago.  This is a popular part of the cliffs for fishing and for some of the local youngsters to hang out. 

The area below is known as Dickmont's Den and was popular in the past for smugglers who would smuggle their goods up the inlet and whisk them away over the rural land and fields close by. 

In January we usually go down to see our daughter in panto in Whitley Bay, so this is where we headed next. This year the pantomime was Sleeping Beauty and once again it was very enjoyable and it  also gave us a chance to catch up with our daughter, who we hadn't seen for about 6 months. As we are still officially on holiday for the year, we decided to treat it more like a holiday, staying down there for longer and then heading to Jedburgh to do a bit of exploring.

The road to Jedburgh was very scenic and looked very dramatic in its winter colours and shows that you don't have to travel abroad to see amazing landscapes. 

We were originally planning to use this wee break away to visit Alnwick Castle, Chillingham Castle and Jedburgh, as we had often travelled passed them or close by on our jaunts down South. However we had to make a change to our plans as most things were shut, I pity any tourists across here just now as they may be lost for things to do. Some places which were open such as restaurants and cafés were not always very accommodating either.

 We walked into one place in Jedburgh which was advertising a soup and sandwich deal in their window, with no specific time on the sign to say when the deal was on. The place was deserted not a soul in and no sign of life even behind the bar , although there was a lovely welcoming fire going in 

the fireplace. We shuffled about and coughed, you know the usual things to get attention and eventually a lady appeared. I asked for two of the soup and sandwich deals just to be told we were too late in the day for that deal, so we left, they obviously did not need our custom. I know some companies do these lunch time deals but I am sure it would have been easy enough to do two sandwiches and soups especially when there were no other customers around. Thankfully there was another cafe around the corner where I got a lovely bowl of mushroom soup and a  fantastic sandwich while David got a hearty beaked potato. 

Mary, Queen of Scots House which was closed but you can walk in the small gardens there. 

We did wander around the streets of Jedburgh and it seems very quaint, old-fashioned (in a nice way) and I would like to go back when there is more open. It still has a lot of independent, unusual shops to browse in and does not have the typical town centre type of shops to go in. I like places with a bit of individuality. 

A sign in one of the alleys,  or closes  as some people may call them. 

Jedburgh Abbey which was open. Hooray! 

Just outside Jedburgh is a lovely bed  and breakfast called Hundalee House, it is set in a very old house which has a lot of character and is well worth an overnight stay. The owner is lovely, very welcoming as is her little dog. The owners have sheep and have also extended and developed the orchard on their land which originally was linked to the Abbey. 

These ceramic pots were in the guesthouse, the smaller one in the front is labelled Cider while the one on the left says Domestos. Hopefully these two don't get mixed up! 

We woke up to a fresh layer of snow which made the countryside even more beautiful. After a lovely cooked breakfast we set off for a Glasgow airport for our next trip to Tunisia. 

Hootsmin, Hogmanay in Scotland !

During our travels we have changed plans as we go, apart from our two organised tours we have mainly played it by ear, as they say. This has worked out really well, with us visiting some places we hadn't even heard off before we left home but found out about on the way. This has also given us the flexibility to change the time scale of what we were going to do, for instance we were going to stay longer in New Zealand but decided to pay our daughter a visit in Bulgaria instead for Christmas.

During November we concocted a cunning plan to go back and visit family at home for New Year, first footing them as a surprise on Hogmanay. Hogmanay is New Years Eve in Scotland, where family and friends get together to celebrate the start of a New Year by visiting them or being with them as the bells ring at midnight. Going to family and friends houses at the start of the year is called first footing where you traditionally take a wee present, such as shortbread biscuits and a drink to make a toast for a good year ahead.

We were going to tell our son, who is staying in our house while we were away, well it was only fair to give him a chance to tidy up! Also we would need to hide there for three days prior to NewYear as the flight we were going to get was on the 28th of December. Apart from him it was going to be a surprise for family members but then we tried to organise transport in Scotland. We were going to get flights to Edinburgh that would be fine but from there it was tricky to get tickets to Arbroath. So, in the end we asked my sister if she could pick us up, which thankfully she did and actually it was lovely getting off that plane and having a friendly, familiar face to greet us and help us with our bags.

It was strange travelling through familiar streets and seeing sights we already knew after so many months away and it was lovely to get back to our own house and our own bed. Now hiding from my mum and dad really began in earnest, we arrived late at night so that was fine we sneaked in easily enough but it was keeping them away from the house which was the problem. On the first day our son decided on a pre-emptive attack and went to visit them, as they have a tendency to pop in for a cuppa and a blether with no warning. Reassured by this we relaxed we put the fire on, let Hank the house rabbit out to play, David was on the laptop, washing machine was on the go and I was busy sorting things out. Then a messaged ping through from our son that they were coming down anyway , so it was action stations switching off everything , catching the rabbit and then hiding in our room. What a palaver, but quite funny we had one other moment like that during our hiding spell but at last the moment came when we could be released and it was lovely to meet up with mum and dad at my sister's house.

Christmas in Bulgaria - Bansko

What a flight it was to get to Bulgaria, or should I say flights. We had an overnight flight from NewZealand to Shanghai, then onto Turkey and from there to Bulgaria. Our first stint was with Air New Zealand and previous flights with them were not great, shall we say. This plane was actually quite good but it's in flight entertainment was so new and up to date it still had glitches. On previous flights with them there were still separate remote controls at your seat attached to wires which you had to use and got entangled in all the time.  This latest plane had touch  screen but messages kept appearing on screen telling you that you needed to pay for films etc. The stewards came around saying they would reset it and things would be free but randomly and inconsistently it would ask you to pay for films, even when you were halfway through. I had a very young girl next to me who was watching a cartoon who put her mum's  bank card through the machine at least three times to pay for what she wanted to watch.  She was told she would get the money back, let's hope he did. 

We arrived in Shanghai very early in the morning and then had a 16 hour wait for our next plane. We were hoping to visit Shanghai but needed to collect our bags between flights and didn't fancy wandering around with heavy rucksacks.  After that it was a short journey on to Bulgaria. 

We arrived in Bulgaria to be greeted by a lovely young man called Stefan. Keira, our daughter in Bulgaria had arranged for him to pick us up and drive us the two hour journey to Bansko. It was such a relief to see him after the hours we had travelled already. The sky was grey and very misty but the sun was doing its best to break through. 

Keira was in her garden when we arrived along with 5 puppies. Her dog Stella had 6 puppies while we were on our travels, one of which has already been rehoused leaving her with 5. My son is taking one, who he has called Ollie, here he is on the settee.

I am taking the black and white puppy who is in the picture below, who I have called Buddy. 

As you can imagine , it was a very warm welcome with 5 excitable and to be honest big pups saying hello. Stella was inside the house but there were also two strays which had made themselves at home on the decking outside her house. David made it his mission during the holiday to block entrances into the garden to keep the strays out. The smallest stray was easily kept out but the biggest stray, who we called Ginger was more persistent and it became a battle of wills between David and it. 

Keira has a lovely view from her house, snow capped mountains basically encircle it. Bansko is an up and coming ski resort which has a lovely feel and atmosphere to it, which I loved and I don't even ski. It is small enough to feel friendly and welcoming but has lots of choices of restaurants and shops which are very reasonably priced.  We have also visited Bansko in the summer which is equally as charming, with alpine flowers covering the mountains and lots of interesting trekking trails. 

This is the first Christmas we have spent with Keira for years and it was nice to wake up in her house on Christmas Day, even though the tree was demolished by the pups on Christmas Eve. Thankfully we managed to save three crackers so we had something to pull when we sat down for our meal. Keira made a fantastic three course lunch, including turkey with all the trimmings which put me and my attempts to shame. 

Tea time in Keira's house. 

Stella getting into the Christmas mood. 

David was desperate for a white Christmas so thought Bansko would be a safe bet. As you can see the weather was actually very nice and sunny, in fact I think it was more wintery in Scotland. On Christmas Day we did head up the mountain where there was snow and we saw lots of skiers, snow boarders and sledgers of all ages. It was buzzing with excitement and even though we just strolled around it was nice to be part of what was going on. 

We had lots of fun in the snow but I have to admit we did not make the snowman, we just posed with it. 

On Boxing Day it snowed, we woke up to a lovely layer of white which put an smile on David's face. The pups loved playing with it but were soon asking to come in. 

Over the next few days lots of snow came down making a wonderful snowy scene but sadly we had to leave as we were going to surprise my mum! 

Long Bay Volunteer Conservation Work - New Zealand

Our friend Margaret who emigrated to New Zealand has always been very keen and active in Conservation work and while she was in Scotland was involved in many projects.She has continued this at Long Bay, with her husband Harry,  going weekly to a Conservation group which looks after the nature reserve there. She volunteers alongside a lovely group of people who we had the pleasure of meeting and working with for a day. Their duties include, planting, weeding, tidying up, mulching and generally looking after the reserve. 

Here is Margaret busy weeding, it was quite a cool, grey day but we kept warm with all the work we were doing, so coats were abandoned and t-shirts worn. 

It was amazing how much the weed known as sticky willy was there spreading, clinging and weighing down plants. I get quite a reaction to this weed when it comes into contact with my skin so I needed to keep my arms covered. It still managed to get me though so I had welts on my arms for several days.

The two of us trying to clear the weeds. It is incredible what a hardworking bunch the volunteers are, my legs were aching the next day from all the exercise I got. 

At one point of the day the group stop for a refreshment break, as it was Christmas a special raffle was drawn. Harry, Margaret's husband won "Cutest Volunteer" award, made his day! 

A before and after picture of an area we weeded.

Rangitoto

Just before we left New Zealand we decided to visit the island of Rangitoto, we actually went to the harbour planning to go to another island but thought  Rangitoto sounded more interesting,  as it was created when a volcano erupted. The whole island is made of volcanic rock which is very black and rugged looking, it reminded me of bits of broken toffee,  the way that it heaps and clumps together. It is the youngest volcano in the Auckland volcanic field. 

The island is pest free, with the Department of Conservation putting a lot of effort  into clearing it  of animals that would threaten native species especially birds who are easy prey. These pests such as possums and rats were trapped and traps can still be seen around the island, as the situation is constantly being monitored to ensure it remains clear. 

On the way to the top you can go off to some lava caves. At the first section there were three openings, one just went in a short way and you could easily see the back, one looked blocked by a tree root and the third was very small. Undeterred by its smallness David scurried in, he likes exploring caves and seemed to be gone for ages while I stood outside speaking to other people who came down,  so by the time he reappeared he was met by a small audience. 

We then walked a little bit further,  where you could crawl through another section which actually led to the initial cave, that looked like it was blocked by the tree root. There were two young ladies dithering about going through the tunnel but were happy when I said I would go before them after David. It was a tight squeeze and I ripped my rucksack on the roof of the cave but it was interesting especially squeezing past the tree root. 

It was a steep climb to the summit but the view at the top was amazing with beautiful views over the sea. At the top you stand on the edge of the crater and can look down into it, the crater is full of trees and plants. The day we were there the walk around the crater was blocked off but we could still stand on the viewing platform which overlooks the crater. 

After a short time at the top admiring the view we went back down to the point where the ferry would pick us up.  We were going to explore the Bach houses down there, these are small houses that people had on the coastline, like beach houses. Apparently they got the name Bach houses, as initially it was bachelors who used them. In the past on the island there was quite a community of families who used them but nowadays no-one lives on the island and you are not even allowed to camp on it. When we got to the bottom though there was a Ranger beckoning to us, we went over to him and he told it was too windy for us to be picked up from that area, so they were transporting everyone to another point on the other side of the island. We had to climb onto a carriage thing being towed by a tractor along with other tourists to be taken to the other  wharf. This actually was really good as we got a tour of the island with the tractor driver talking to us and explaining aspects of the island as we drove along.

The view from this more sheltered section of the island was stunning so it was nice sitting there waiting for the ferry. 

The oldest and fattest trees in the land!

On our journey back to Auckland we decided to drive down the west coast as we had driven up on the east coast. Again this was a beautiful drive and led us past two important sites for the Kauri tree. The Kauri tree is New Zealand's largest and most famous native tree but at the moment it is danger from being destroyed by a disease that it can get through its shallow delicate roots. There are signs and areas to wash your shoes before entering Kauri woodland. 

We stopped on our drive to see the largest and fattest Kauri tree. 

Tallest tree, so tall you can't get it all in. It is very impressive to see. 

Fattest tree. 

Russell and Kerikeri

Russell, nowadays is a lovely little town which although it is visited a lot by tourists staying at Paihia has not become too touristy. It is easily reached by two different ferries or you can take a three hour drive around the bay to get there. Back in the day though, it was known as the Hell Hole as it was a whaling harbour full of whalers, prostitutes and known for its wild drinking ways. 

It still has a lot of its old colonial style buildings and it is lovely to walk around. One of the walks from the town leads to a huge sun dial and a flag pole which is significant to the history of New Zealand as a flag was flown from this point after the signing of the treaty between Maoris and the British. The Waitanga Treaty ground, where the agreement was signed  is actually just over the bay on the outskirts of Paihia.

The big sun dial. 

The flag pole was actually cut down lots of times as described in the plaque above. 

This is the policeman's house in Russell 

I just loved this Christmas tree, the effort put into it is fantastic, it was outside a cafe called "Hellhole."

Just north of Paihia is a town called Kerikeri, it has this interesting building called the "Stone Store", it is still a shop which sells old fashioned and traditional items. 

A nearby walk through leafy woodland, intriguing rock forms and following a winding river leads to a dramatic waterfall called the Rainbow Waterfall. In nicer weather you can swim in the pool and even go behind the falling water. It was a long walk but worth the effort and the walk itself is very enjoyable.