The Final Leg.

After a restful week in Auckland with Dot’s sister Mary and husband Tony it was time to make the final flight back to Wellington. Tony took time out from his busy schedule to run us to the airport and we were there with plenty of time to spare but with flying it’s no use leaving things to the last minute.

A good flight down the West Coast gave us a good view of Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu, (both active volcanos) with a good coating of snow. Even though the countryside was covered by cloud the mountains stood out proud and tall. Mount Ruapehu is the home of the North Island ski fields.

Flying into Wellington over Cook Strait we spotted a couple of the Interisland ferries travelling between Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South Island before touching down to a smooth landing. Dot’s son Brent had taken a couple of hours off to come and pick us up rather than mess around with the airport bus back to the Hutt Valley.

Howick, Auckland.

We were again treated to another fine winters day so took a trip out to Howick Beach. Although small in comparison to Pt Chevalier Beach it was still a safe beach for families. There were area’s of the beach where there was no sand, just volcanic rock which had the appearance similar to the Rotorua mud pools which had become solid as the volcanic activity cooled and solidified. As I had forgotten to take my camera all the photos were taken with my phone (something I haven’t done before) with surprising results.

Howick Beach.

Volcanic rock at Howick Beach. Looks like mud pools that have suddenly gone hard.

Last night we dined out at an Indian restaurant called Indian Summer that Mary and Tony frequented and we were not disappointed. We ordered 4 different dishes and bread’s so that we could sample a wide variety which was a treat.

Launching a boat Kiwi style at Howick Beach.

Is this really an Auckland Winters Day.

Today we were feeling a great deal better after getting a good nights kip last night. We had been willing ourselves to stay awake all yesterday afternoon but by 7pm Dot couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer and I followed about an hour later.

Pt Chevalier Beach on a beautiful August afternoon.Just a hop step and jump down from the car park.

When we awoke we found the place surrounded in thick mist with visibility only about 200 yards but by about 9am the sun had broken through and we have had a glorious day. It was too nice a day to stay home so we headed off to Point Chevalier Beach where Mary knew of a nice little cafe. There we had lunch in the sun before strolling down to the beach where we had a brilliant view of the Auckland Harbour Bridge and Rangitoto Island beyond. Todays weather has been better than we experienced during June and July back in the UK.

Henderson across from Coyle Park, Point Chevalier.Taken  at Coyle Park with the Auckland Harbour Bridge as a back drop. Rangitoto Island is beyond the bridge.

Aotearoa. The Land of the Long White Cloud

Our last Kiwiburger at GBK in Wimbledon before heading home.

The first leg of our journey from London to Singapore was an eleven and a half hour journey aboard a Qantas Airbus A380-800. Having never flown in one of these aircraft it was an interesting experience. The on board entertainment was a touch screen TV in the back of each seat. Along with the usual flight path maps there is a “Skycam” which is a camera mounted in the tail of the aircraft looking along the length of the fuselage encompassing the majority of the wings and engines. This is very interesting upon take off and landings but rather boring in flight. The only complaint we had about it was the air conditioning unit which was very efficient but the temperature was too low as we had to keep the blanket wrapped around us the whole time. Being a night flight we tried to get some sleep with limited success.

Bored stiff at Heathrow and we haven’t even started yet.

After a three hour wait in Singapore we boarded our next aircraft to Brisbane, This was supposed to be a Boeing 767 but was changed to a 747-400. Being an older aircraft and not quite so swish the entertainment unit was the old TV in the back of the seat but with a remote control in the armrest. This again was a night flight but only 7½ hour duration. Long enough to watch a movie during supper and then try and get some sleep.

Again we had a 3 hour wait between flights which at least gave us a break to stretch our legs. Other than watching the planes coming and going we could watch the local train service which ran along behind the airport. Plane number 3 was a new series Boeing 737 with the upturned wing tips flown by a woman pilot. Prior to take off she warned us that there were strong winds out over the Tasman Sea and she would attempt to fly around them but we could be in for a bumpy ride. Half way through serving lunch somewhere around Lord Howe Island we started to bounce around like corks on the ocean. Thankfully this only lasted about 10 –15 minutes and the remainder of this 2½ hour flight was very smooth.

Upon arrival in Auckland we tried to pass through Customs using our new self scan passports but the machine refused to recognise us but we still got fast tracked through with first class passengers. We were met by Dot’s sister Mary and husband Tony with whom we will be staying until next Wednesday when we make the final leg of our trip to Wellington.

New Zealand on Qantas Airways!

By the time you read this we will be winging our way home courtesy of Qantas Airlines.  Although we would prefer to travel with our national airline ‘Air New Zealand’ we had enough air points to make our final return flight on the Australian national carrier.

Our story will continue in our home country soon. Give us a few days to get over that Jet lag first.

This isn’t the end, just a new beginning.

To all our fellow bloggers and blog followers we wish you all health,wealth and happiness.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of the waterways with it’s fellow bloggers who we will miss but will hopefully keep in touch. To all our blog followers, thank you for your support and good wishes. What started as a means of keeping in contact with friends and family overseas blossomed into something neither of us ever dreamed of, 90726 visitors from 148 countries in just under 5 years must be some sort of record.

As the saying from an old TV programme “ Now you all come on back now.”

Hyde Park.

With greatly improved weather we headed off into London. We had a bit of a false start as we called into the local Lloyds bank to check on some arrangements we had been trying to get sorted. Once eventually underway we caught the bus to Surbiton station to catch a South West train service into Waterloo. Once there it was down onto the underground to Hyde Park.

Knightsbridge London.

The horse lane through Hyde Park.

Hyde Park Rose gardens.

At the park hundreds of people were taking advantage of the fine weather. Down at the Serpentine there was a steady stream of people hiring the pedal boats for a cruise around the lake. Eventually our feet started complaining with so much walking so we headed back to the underground. At Waterloo we decided not to catch the train straight away but wander out to the Embankment and the London Eye. The crowds here were horrendous with a 30 minute wait to go on the “Eye” but we managed to squeeze through and have an ice cream overlooking the river. At 3pm Big Ben sounded off which gave me the feeling it was a parting gesture from London.

Beautiful displays in Hyde Park.

The cycleway, horse lane and pedestrian walk through Hyde Park.

The Serpentine in Hyde Park.

Back at the flat we had to cancel the insurance on the motorhome as it’s now safely out of the country. With not having a scanner or printer at present this presented a problem but Sarah, the lady of the house said she had the required equipment upstairs and we were welcome to use it. Now this has been done it’s another chore ticked off the must do list.

Hyde Park and a lovely day for a picnic.

You wouldn't believe this was Hyde Park in the middle of London.

Westminster and Big Ben.

We are Sailing.

Well at least the motorhome is. “Loaded at 12.39 hours and sailed at 1800 hours 17th August aboard MV Tarago”. It was great weight off our shoulders to get the text giving us the above details. That’s now one less thing to worry about for a while.

A novel use for an old Route Master London bus.

Watford Pond redesigned once again.

Today we travelled by bus and train to Watford, my old home town for a look around. The only problem was the weather, because not long after we arrived it started to rain quite steadily. We managed to have a good wander around the High Street and then went into the Harlequin Centre where we managed to find some seating so that we could have our snack lunch we had bought with us.

Watford High Street near "The Pond".

Watford Town Hall.

Around town I noticed a few familiar bus service numbers but there were a lot of new one’s. Checking the bus routes at a bus shelter I found the number 10 operated by Arriva covered a fair bit of territory I was familiar with so we boarded one of these for a self styled guided tour. Other than some of the roads there was nothing much different to what I remember. The only changes spotted were both the schools I attended. The Leavesden Green Primary School had expanded but the old C of E school with the Headmasters house attached that was on the opposite side of the road had disappeared, now replaced by housing.

Watford High Street. Not quite a pedestrian precinct.

Watford Football team mascot . The Hornet.

Francis Combe Secondary Modern School for 11 to 16 year olds has now become Francis Combe Academy and probably goes on to 18 year olds now. Back at Watford Junction Railway Station it was still raining so we decided to start heading back to London and our accommodation at Tolworth.

Blue squashing Leo in the cat bed. These guys are brothers living at Tracey's flat in Tolworth.

Victoria Park.

We have still not heard from the Optician regarding Dot’s glasses so instead of sitting around here we caught the bus to Malden Manor railway station. From there we caught the train to Waterloo  where we changed to the number 26 bus to Hackney.

The objective was to locate and visit Narrowboat Epiphany with John and Fiona who were moored along the Regents Canal at Victoria Park. The park is undergoing a major face lift with a new entranceway and fencing. The lake has been cleared of fish and drained to enable repairs and modifications to be carried out. A Chinese Pagoda is being built on the island which I believe will be a restaurant and a bridge to access it. It should look quite nice when it’s all completed.

It wasn’t too difficult to find John and Fiona who we had cruised with along the Rochdale Canal a couple of years ago. Fiona kindly made us some lunch and we had several hours of chat about our travels in the motorhome and future plans. Time flew too quickly and we had to say farewell once more to enable us to cross London before the commuter rush started. It was nice to meet up with John and Fiona once more and we wish them well for their cruises, hopefully for many years to come.

John and Fiona with narrowboat "Epiphany"

Look what’s awaiting us in NZ!

It’s snowing at our home in New Zealand.  Unbelievable. (thanks Richard)

Tying up loose ends.

Monday morning and we were as busy as ever with visits to the bank and chemist in Tolworth, and a bus trip to Kingston upon Thames to find a “T” mobile shop to cancel our internet account. None of this was 5 minute stuff so by the time it was all completed we went and sat down by the river to watch the world go by and have some lunch.

Paddle steamer Yarmouth Belle on the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames.

Later a few phone calls had to be made to ensure everything was in hand with the bank and Cranham Motorhomes regarding completion of warranty work in time to take the motorhome to Southampton Docks tomorrow morning.

Another busy week-end.

Saturday morning and we were busy with last minute packing before Mick, Julie and Liam, our host’s in March took us by car to Peterborough Railway Station. Here we caught the 12.38 train to Kings Cross in London where we transferred to the Victoria Underground line to Vauxhall. It was here that our problems began. As we were loaded up with one large suitcase and one small suitcase each plus a back pack and in my case another small suitcase strapped to the large one we made use of lifts and ramps to go between stations or platforms. At Vauxhall which is a really old station and as yet not user friendly by modern standards there are no lifts or ramps but 3 flights of stairs from the subway to the platform. We started to move the cases up one flight at a time so that they were not out of sight as we returned for the next one. Luckily there were two good Samaritans on hand who gave us a helping hand to reach the platform. We had about a 10 minute wait for the train giving us time to get our breath back.

With some text messaging going between Dot and daughter Tracey, she managed to catch the same train as us from a different station giving us an extra pair of hands upon arrival at Malden Manor our final stop. Again here we struck the problem of no lifts or ramps and lots of stairs, luckily going down this time but again a knight in shining armour stepped up and gave us a hand. It just goes to show that there are still some good honest decent people around despite all the anarchy that was going on around the country at the time.

We are now comfortably settled in Tracey’s flat until we fly out next Monday. Yesterday was spent at Tracey’s partners house (Greg) for lunch and a BBQ which is something we haven’t had the pleasure of for quite some time.

Another step closer.

Thursday and we are taking a breather from our hectic social calendar to catch up with more mundane things such as washing and packing before we leave March on Saturday for our final week in London.

A visit to the doctor this afternoon is planned and hopefully we will receive a prescription to tide us over for a time when we return to New Zealand.

It’s all happening.

The fish don't want to play today.Jim & Rosie, two waterways Icons.

On Monday we slipped our moorings to return to March to hand back Nb Uccello and Bungie the dog to their rightful owners upon their return from Canterbury. With a very strong tail wind we made very good time and were lucky enough to find a mooring on the new moorings in the park from where we had started.

Derek locking down at Whittlesey for the final time.Bill & Ben the Flowerpot men in Whittlesey.

Derek and Carrie arrived back in the early evening a bit weary after their travels especially with 2 hyperactive Grandsons in tow. After several hours couped up in the car these fellas had a bit of steam to let off so they had a bit of a run around in the park before Derek kindly gave us a lift back to our accommodation. It was rather sad leaving Uccello as this brings an end to an extraordinary 4 year adventure that many people just dream about. Still, who knows what the future may hold.

The Fens. You can see for miles and miles.Bungie doesn't think much of this sailing lark.Captain Dot and first mate Bungie.

Tuesday and the phone was running hot with text messages to and from our agent in New Zealand and phone calls back and forth with Cranham Motorhomes regarding the state of play over repairs and keeping them abreast of the shipping arrangements. We also had a luncheon invitation with Dieter and Sheila, friends made through the March Model Railway Club.

Derek, Carrie and grandsons Jayden and Aden

Wednesday and we were just as busy with a visit to the bank to transfer funds to the shipping company. We had originally been told that payment for shipping the Motorhome would need to be paid 14 days prior to shipping but as we only got the account on the 9th and shipment is due on the 17th this wasn’t going to happen. A £30 Chaps fee and the bank had the money transferred within a matter of hours much to our relief. After lunch we met up with Joe and Lesley from N/b Caxton with whom we had spent some time on the waterways. Again we headed off to the Wetherspoons new “Hippodrome” restaurant and bar in March for a lovely meal and talk of many happy hours boating and caravanning which we all partake in. It was great meeting up with Joe and Lesley once more before we head off to the other side of the world.

Joe and Lesley. Narrowboat's Caxton and Yarwood.

In fact its has been a pleasure catching up with everybody. To those too far away who have sent their best wishes, thank you, you will be in our thoughts always.

Relaxing week-end on the water.

Now moored at Whittlesey on Whittlesey Dike.

Our time here at Whittlesey has been spent fishing, reading and dog walking.  The fishing yesterday wasn’t too bad with a few reasonable sized fish and plenty of tiddlers but today has been poor with only a few Perch taking the bait. Dot has managed to get through over half of a book she bought with her.

As for the dog he pined for the first 24 hours and didn’t eat much but now we are the best of buddies. He’s still not eating as much as we were told to feed him but that won’t do him any harm.

While fishing off the stern deck a gentleman called from the opposite bank to say he followed our blog. Initially I thought he was referring to Nb Uccello but then he said “No Gypsy Rover”. He knew we were in the area and hoped to pass us somewhere along the way. Anyway welcome to our world to the crew of Nb Julanda, nice talking to you.

Floods Ferry Marina with Nb Harnser in residence. The blue narrowboat second from left.

Tomorrow we are heading back to March to hand Uccello and Bungie back to their owners who we trust will have had a good week-end back on Terra Firma.

Fox's boat yard and marina on the Middle Level at March. This is where our love of narrowboating was born back in 1995.

For those of you who have been following the saga of Nb Waiouru and sending their good wishes to Tom and Jan, a BIG thank you even though we see one couple who shall remain nameless coming out in support of Harp Narrowboats.

Because of all this delay and upheaval Tom and Jan now find themselves in a jam regarding accommodation for the next 3 – 6 months so if there is anybody out there with a boat, caravan or holiday home who is willing to loan or lend to them for this period please get in contact with either them directly or forward contact details to us to pass on to them. I know that they would truly appreciate any help in their hour of need.

Off cruising.

Now moored at Whittlesey on the River Nene Old River

Visitors for breakfast!

Today turned out to be another eventful occasion with workers arriving outside the boat before 8am and erecting a Gazebo. Shortly after a cruiser arrived all bedecked in buntings and moored ahead of us. It was at this point that I had to walk the dog before walking back to our temporary accommodation in March for an unexpected meeting. As I stepped off our boat the skipper of the cruiser approached me asking when I intended leaving as it was the official opening of the new March Park moorings. The ceremony was to be officiated by his worship “The Mayor” at 10.30am. I said that I would be unable to move the boat much before lunch so he then asked if we had any buntings to decorate the boat. Of course the answer to this was “No”. How were we to know the opening was this morning, it wasn’t advertised and they only decided last night, how ridiculous!

We were all alone 5 minutes ago!

Mr Mayor all ready to cut the ribbon

As I walked off along the river side to my meeting I spotted several other boats heading to the park all covered in buntings so I rang Dot to warn her and just allow them to breast up to save any dis- agreement. Back at our temporary accommodation I had to wait until well after midday as the person I was to meet had been held up by an overturned caravan on the motorway. When he finally arrived he had a document that should have been made available to me when we were at Cranham Motorhomes on Monday. They also wanted another document which I was unsure as to whether I had ever seen it and if I had, it was in a document folder left with the boss on Monday.  I was rather annoyed over this as we had kept in contact with Cranham Motorhomes at every turn of the process and the arrangements for last Monday had been made 3 weeks previously. Hopefully everything will get sorted out on time.

I eventually got back to the boat about 1pm and after a bite of lunch and a quick walk in the park for Bungie we set off for a leisurely cruise to Whittlesey. After working up through the lock we found there was just enough room on the moorings if we winded first and reversed onto the moorings.

The boys out cruising

Haven't we seen them before?

We are back on the Water.

Wednesday morning and here we were packing some overnight bags for a 5 day 4 night stay on narrowboat Uccello while the owners Derek and Carrie go off to Canterbury for a long week-end and a family christening. We will be looking after the boat and dog “Bungie” as he didn’t get an invite to the ceremony. After a trip to the opticians to have eye tests and order new glasses (now that's another story) we headed off to join Derek and Carrie for the afternoon and dinner.  Wow, wish I could cook like that.

Derek and Carrie with grandson Aden. Moored at the end of the Wey Navigation back in April.

After getting ourselves settled on board Dot went to the supermarket for a few bits and pieces but we have decided to stay put due to the persistent rain. It turns out that it was wise decision as we have received a phone call from Cranham Motorhomes to say that they urgently need a document to be signed. Grrrrr. Why didn’t they give it to us on Monday? As we won’t be back in London until the 13th they will send one of their staff to meet me at our temporary accommodation tomorrow morning to complete the paperwork.

Bungie helping Carrie to moor Nb Uccello back in January 2010

Once this has been sorted out and if the weather improves we may cruise up to Whittlesey tomorrow and then Peterborough on Saturday returning on Sunday or Monday depending on whether we do the return in one or two stages depends on how energetic we feel. We may be a little out of practice.

Regents Canal London.

After a hearty breakfast at the Hotel it was time to head off to Kings Cross railway station for the journey back to Peterborough. We were in no hurry as we had plenty of time to spare. A bus ride and two changes on the Underground and we found ourselves at Kings Cross with plenty of time for a bit of sight seeing. We wanted to see how St Pancras station was looking after it’s conversion into the Eurostar Terminal and we were both pleasantly surprised how this beautiful building had been transformed hopefully giving it another 100 year lease of life.

Regents Canal London near Battlebridge Basin. If it's good enough for Manchester, it's good enough here.

Just down the road was the Regents Canal and the Battlebridge Basin where the London Canal Museum is situated. As we have visited this museum previously we didn’t bother going for a second look. One thing we noticed that we didn’t encounter when we visited the area in 2008 was the blanket of duck weed covering the water. Another thing that caught our eye was the number of narrowboats moored along the towpath two abreast and some displaying very expired BW licence’s. We are led to believe these boats may have been kicked off the River Lee after mooring revues in that area.

Duck weed covers the Regents Canal by Battlebridge Basin.

Eventually it was time to head back to Kings Cross to catch our train. Once on board we thought that it might be a good idea to get some drinks from the snack bar on the train. As the train was due to leave in a matter of minutes I walked back down through the train, about 6 carriages, to find the snack bar. Walking through carriage “E”, which was the only carriage that was full, there was a distinct rise in temperature. About 10 minutes after pulling out of Kings Cross the train manager came on the tannoy system saying that as the Air Conditioning Unit in carriage “E” had failed passengers were invited to move up to carriages “C” or “D” for a more comfortable journey.

St Pancras Railway station. Thank goodness somebody fought to save this beautiful building. Upstairs windows are now apartments.

St Pancras station with it's Olympic Rings with the games now less than 12 months away.

A statue depicting St Pancras station over the decades. The gangers who kept the railways moving.

The troops departing while injured comrades return.

Back in March we walked in the back door of our temporary accommodation to find our dinner on the table ready and waiting. We feel absolutely spoilt living with Mick, Julie and Pam who have been a real Godsend to us.