Public Transport - Buses, boats, trains

Bugle Says

It was GREAT to be back in Hong Kong. We were staying in Kennedy Road, with Anthony's best school friend (and Adelaide's mad godfather) Christopher and his other half Louis, which was supremel...Read More

You Say

Winston: "Who ARE all these people?!"

Adelaide: "They're MY friends. Nothing to do with you."

Bugle Says

Next couple of days are a bit of a blur. I don't know how we managed to survive HK all those years ago: after a mere four days this time, Anthony and I both felt in need of a rest cure... there wa...Read More

You Say

Winston: "Am I allowed to spit in the street too?"

Bugle Says

Two scorching days in Seminyak where we racked up mortgage-sized lunch bills by forgetting how much wine cost in Bali but saved equal amounts by staying in the best-value Bali hotel ever (www.mutiarab...Read More

You Say

Bugle Says

We had to cattle-prod the children out of bed but by some miracle we were in the Uma car by 8am, with our NBFs Chris, Jim and Chris’s son Darcy – off for a 20 minute driv...Read More

You Say

Winston, in Naughty Nuris: "Mummy, how come you're getting drunk on water with olives in it?"

Bugle Says

Not the worst of birthdays. Presents, well-behaved children, New Friends, the last few moments at the lovely Uma Ubud hotel, then back to Seminyak to our very own VILLA, pool and gar...Read More

You Say

Adelaide, naked in our private pool: "Can we always stay in hotels like these, please?"

Bugle Says

This was the day when I realised that the children had turned into proper little travellers. They packed their own carry-on bags and Adelaide packed her own suitcase. They turned off the air-con and n...Read More

You Say

Winston: "I didn't get lost in the airport this time - but I did remember to look down at myself and think about what I was wearing so that if I heard the people announcing my description aga...Read More

Bugle Says

A truly lazy day in the excellent hands of the lovely lovely Tania and Dominic Pemberton (and D's mum, Jenny!), who entirely put their own lives on hold to entertain us all weekend... cooked break...Read More

You Say

Bugle Says

We had been glazed and dazed when we arrived, after a day of flying into Auckland, flying on to Nelson, then being driven up to Tapu Bay, just south of the Abel Tasman National Park, where we are stay...Read More

You Say

Bugle Says

Blimey, the social life here. First we meet Mike on the beach. He was from Birmingham. Then John comes over and invites us to a Christmas party tomorrow night. He was from Kenilworth. Then Paul and Ka...Read More

You Say

Winston: "This is the life."

Adelaide: "This is the life."

Anthony: "This is the life."

Susannah: "Where did the sellotape go?"

Bugle Says

While you luggardly England-lubbers were slumped in front of the History of Slapstick (or something like that), we were already up for our very first Kiwi Christmas. Of course we had to cattle prod th...Read More

You Say

Winston: "Father Christmas came! He found us! AND he ate his biscuit!"

Adelaide: "You mean, we can eat sweets before lunch??"

Bugle Says

Not so much Boxing Day as Boating Day as we threw off misgivings about the overcast weather and set off with our packed lunches and swimmers up into the Abel Tasman proper. Winston cozied up to the bo...Read More

You Say

Nine people on a boat: "Awww, look at the baby seal..."

Susannah, looking through viewfinder: "What? Where? When?"

Bugle Says

One could get horribly used to this life. Wake up late, tickle awake still-sleeping children, leisurely breakfast, wander off into the Bay for an explore along the northern beaches - even an intrepid ...Read More

You Say

Anthony at 3pm: "Vile, bloody children, I wish I could sell you both."

Anthony at 6pm, being cuddled: "Sweet, lovely possums..."

Bugle Says

Having eaten all the porridge at the absent Websters' des res, the four Goldilocks packed a toothbrush and some swimmers and headed out to meet up with the Websters themselves at their holiday ren...Read More

You Say

Alex: "My big thing point is...."

Bugle Says

So, one New Year’s Eve was celebrated during a patch of turbulence over the South Pacific; plastic tumblers of sparking white wine clashing inadvertently against each other; me...Read More

You Say

Winston: "If the world blew up and came to an end, or if a tsunami flooded the whole world, we could pick a leaf and breathe the oxygen off to survive, couldn't we, Mummy?"This is just t...Read More

Bugle Says

The boys' bunk room ensured that we all had an early awakening, though we lazed in bed awhile, listening to the pound of the surf and the happy cheeping of various birds. This set the tone for the...Read More

You Say

Every single grown-up in and around the Websters' house, at some point: "Winston, calm down and stop showing off!"

Bugle Says

The Cook Islands has brought our lotus-eating to a new level of slothfulness… or at least it would have done if the weather had been better, in which case we would have moved ...Read More

You Say

Bugle Says

After another lovely day in Pacific Paradise, it was time to brave the new paranoia and pervy 'pat-downs' of any airline flying into the US. It had been impressed upon us that we needed to get...Read More

You Say

Bugle Says

Land. Explain to Greek taxi driver where Santa Monica is (!!). Arrive into bosom of Anthony's family. Leave five minutes later to drive the 45 minutes (big place, this LA) clan gathering at Cousin...Read More

You Say