Friday 23rd February 2007. Auckland to Hahei.

So that was Auckland. The City of Sails and the City of Volcanoes, shaped as it is by 49 volcanoes and caught as it is between two harbours and surrounded by more than 50 islands. Yet around 150,000 years ago this region was as flat as a pancake. Over succeeding millennia geological activity created one volcano after another. Among the first to burst forth is now no more than a central city hill on which Albert Park now stands. The most recent eruption was around 600 years ago and it created Rangitoto, the iconic cone-shaped island that sits in the Hauraki Gulf.

Today's city is home to a multicultural population of almost a third of New Zealand's 4.1 million people, contributing to making the North Island the most populated of the country's two main islands.


Our first stop this morning is at Kopu Hikuai hill at Kaitarakihi where we take a bush walk to the summit at 852m.

After checking into the Hahei Holiday Park and having a quick lunch we head off sea kayaking. Here I am in Te Whanganuia Hei Marine Reserve and the best way to explore is by kayak on the open sea allowing you to get to geological formations where land and sea collide that simply cannot be accessed from shore.

Corinna was my partner in crime as we headed off along to Gemstone Bay with its stunning volcanic reef and into Stingray Bay before reaching Cathedral Cove where I had my strangest but nicest afternoon tea yet right there on the beach. The highlight of any visit to the cove has got to be the gigantic limestone arch.

Out into Mercury Bay and we explore the islands kayaking through a majestic cove before all meeting up in open waters where the request goes up for a volunteer or nutter to climb onto the front and run along the six kayaks without falling in…naturally I obliged…and no I didn’t fall in!

Tonight we enjoy a team BBQ here in the holiday park.

Thursday 22nd February 2007. Auckland, New Zealand.

Last night at dinner there were 3 earthquakes with the largest measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale...these were the largest quakes in Auckland since 1970 and most of us felt nothing!

After breakfast we head out to visit a Pa site. Maungawhau, or Mount Eden is the highest Pa in Auckland with the summit at an altitude of 196m.

You will also find here an obelisk first erected by Stephenson Percy Smith the Chief Geodetic Surveyor on the 17th of August 1872 as the initial station for the triangulation of the Auckland province. It serves today as a memorial to the pioneer surveyors who helped transform the land from wilderness "for their work continueth great beyond their knowing".

Mount Eden was indeed a rocky wilderness in the early days of European settlement and when the land was cleared for farming many caves that had been created by lava flows were found, such as Nga Ana Pekarau (the bat caves) and Rangi's Cave.

For lunch today I head to the postgraduate common-room at the University of Auckland with Wendy and Carina. Strata Postgraduate Commons is a great venue and from here we head over to enjoy Albert Park.

Tonight Wendy, Paul, Corinna and I are off to the Maidment theatre to see The Tutor by Dave Armstrong.
This audacious comedy is where liberal ideals and right-wing consumerism go head-to-head.

Set here in Auckland the story is based around self-made man John Sellars the hard-talking, hard-living solo father on the fast track construction cash cow. His 15 year old son Nathan has everything - freedom, money, attitude and an ego to match. But examinations are looming and enter the scene the Datsun driving lefty teacher Robert Holton out to save the world and Nathan's NCEA grades.

This was a great piece of theatre and dealt very well with all the social issues emanating from 1984 and the Labour governments reforms that brought such rapid social change to New Zealand the fallout of which is still being felt today.

Before our theatre trip we enjoyed a lovely Thai meal at Mai Thai here in the city and afterwards live jazz at the London Bar.

Tonight I say Haere ra to Auckland as tomorrow we are off to explore.

Wednesday 21st February 2007. Auckland, New Zealand.

This morning is spent working on the project and later today I join my next tour group and I am on the road again to explore New Zealand's North Island.

It's afternoon and I am off to Holy Trinity Cathedral. Famous for its stained glass, the cathedral is a fascinating blend of old and new. In the chancel you will find the stunning Rose Window, above the High Altar it glows like a jewel. Over 5 metres in diameter this gift is in memory of the country's pioneers and is the work of the noted English artist Carl Edwards. Its design embraces many Christian symbols but to all who see it the window is a shining representation of the glory and transcendence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The golden transept window was a gift of the Freemasons of Auckland and illustrates chapters 4 and 5 of the last book in the bible; the Revelation of St John the Divine. The hand at the top is a traditional symbol of the creator and it holds the scroll with its seven seals. On either side are the 24 elders wearing crowns of gold and before the throne sit seven flaming torches that represent the seven spirits of God. This window is the work of the English artist John Baker.

In the Marsden Chapel (Samuel Marsden was the Father of the Missions to the Maori people) are five little windows covering the subjects of Christ's Ascension, the day of Pentecost, the stoning of the first martyr; St Stephen, the baptism of the Ethiopian convert and in the sanctuary the institution of Holy Communion. These windows are also the work of Baker.

As the established church here in New Zealand the power of Anglican authority rides to the top of society with a recent Bishop of Auckland and Archbishop of New Zealand also serving as Governor General.

Hastily made by John Abramczyk for the visit of HM The Queen, the Queen's Window was unveiled by Her Majesty in 1990 and it includes a symbolic rose and a net with three fish. This window is now located in the exterior stairwell of the visitor's centre.

Holy Trinity is a fabulous building and as I am coming to expect in New Zealand it is a wonderful blending. The cathedral was originally intended as a gothic revival building but when the money ran out in came the realisation that New Zealanders' are not a gothic but a pacific people and so from the overbridge the cathedrals' construction was continued in a highly modern style with a roof shaped like an upturned yacht keil. With the gothic stained glass windows representing the Pakeha so the windows of the modern nave are of Maori origin and all made here in New Zealand and not England as is the case with the gothic windows.

This curious blending somehow works brilliantly and is peculiarly New Zealand.

The High Altar is made of New Zealand Kauri timber (a link to the former cathedral church of St Mary's) and the fine organ (which I heard being played) is the work of Harrison and Harrison of England.

The cathedrals' Great West Window is the largest expanse of stained glass in the southern hemisphere and the work of Auckland's own Nigel Brown with the window being made right here in the city.

Reaching to the roof of the nave the window spreads its radiance over the native Kahikatea timber lined ceiling. Kahikatea timber is white pine. The windows multi-coloured light moves as the sun moves pouring through the great seven petalled flower that symbolises creation. At the heart of the window stands the risen Christ as Mary Magdalene looks up to him in adoration whilst others weep not yet knowing that he is risen. Clearly a New Zealand window it features a tall Nikau Palm and three bursts of crimson Pohutukawa flowers from the New Zealand christmas tree. The little white clematis appear like stars in the sky.

This realistic interpretation of Christian symbolism also records our debt to the men and women whose lives were lost in war. Against a backdrop of war graves and Flanders poppies a New Zealand soldier lies dying with a nurse by his side; both are looking toward him who is the resurrection and the life.

To the right we find the Polynesian Window which tells of the great migration of the Maori people to New Zealand. Steep sided Polynesian islands are seen in the upper right edge of the window and then it is just sea...wave-rippled sea...all the way to New Zealand, the Land of the Long White Cloud. With fish great and small for the journey a trinity of light streams over all. A kete, or basket, of kumara has come with them and New Zealand's shellfish, bird life and flora are seen at the lower right and bottom of the window to symbolise the abundance of the new home of the Maori people.

To the left is the European Window illustrating the nineteenth century migration. In the upper cloud are the symbols of royal rule and Christian faith and a ship representing exploration and missionary endeavour lies in the harbour. But this is a harbour of modern transportation in which flowers from the other side of the world bloom...Symbolic of European progress in the New World, or colonial exploitation...you decide?

The corona is a work of art in itself and it crowns the liturgical area serving as both a source of light and an acoustical reflection.

Like so much in this inventive nation the whole building has been designed to be multi-purpose: cathedral, concert hall and conference centre; with moveable furniture and hydraulic floors etc. The architect of the inventive nave was the University of Auckland architecture professor, Richard Toy OBE who charged no fee and gave his years of work as a gift to this church and the city.

If like me you are lucky enough to be allowed to visit the private areas of the cathedral you will find on the stairs that lead to the gallery that there is a small window acknowledging Selwyn, New Zealand's first bishop who began this cathedral project; Mina Tait Horton whose generosity made the beginnings possible and Richard Horton Toy, the architect. The artist, Nigel Brown and his wife are also represented looking out over the harbour to the extinct volcano Rangitoto.

What fascinates me about this window is the explicit reference to muscular Christianity which is embodied in the writing and which would certainly not be politically correct in Britain today. Yet this window is a recent addition to the cathedral 1996 and it embodies the notions on which Nathaniel Woodard founded his schools for the leaders of Empire.

The highlight of any visit though has to be the Maori stained glass windows of the nave. The cathedral set out to provide a set of windows that relate to one another and provide a resource for teaching and understanding in the traditional pictoral manner and these windows certainly deliver on this aim.

The windows tell the story of God's redeeming actions with his people through the history of salvation and new life portrayed in a New Zealand context...as the Maori's would say Kia marama "let there be light".

This cathedral is a cluster of parts from the wooden St Mary's to the brick clad chancel to the modernity of the nave.

St Mary's is the world's finest example of a wooden gothic building. Built as "new" St Mary's in 1886 it replaced "old" St Mary's (1860)and it is the next stop on my visit.

HM The Queen attended service on Christmas Day 1953 here in the then cathedral when she was engaged on her Coronation Tour. St Mary's was actually created a cathedral on 15th November 1887 but by the 1980's she was threatened with demolition as the pressure of Auckland's property boom grew and with the completion of the first half of the cathedral in 1973 St Mary's had fallen into disrepair.

However Professor Toy was instrumental in her saving. Auckland after all was settled by Anglican's and the Anglican missions, churches and schools are a vital link with that history.

In the North Wall of St Mary's to celebrate the millennium new stained glass windows were installed celebrating the unsung role of European women in modern New Zealand.

One of the windows also celebrates the Hikoi of Hope which was New Zealand's long march. Following the privatisation reforms of the Labour government in the mid 1980's and the sweeping and rapid social changes these brought community leaders from around the country embarked on one of two marches...either from the tip of the North Island or the tip of the South Island to meet in the capital, Wellington to protest the government's policies.

Oh...and that move. St Mary's crossed the road into the cathedral precinct in 1982 with the road being closed for only 8 hours. The pictoral history on display is a real eye opener!

I then walked the streets of upmarket Parnell enjoying a late lunch at La Bocca.

Today I had my first ever taste of L&P (lemon and paeroa) which claims to be the soft drink 'world famous in New Zealand since 2005'.

After meeting with my group, where this time I am the youngest and not one of the older travellers' we head out for dinner at The Waterfront in Viaduct Harbour before heading on to O'Hagan's and then Danny Doolans for drinks.

The world is certainly a very small place as it turns out that my room-mate (Paul McCarthy) for this trip was my mate Bens' maths teacher at St Ignatius College, Riverview back in Sydney and we find that we share a lot of mutual links.

Tuesday 20th February 2007. Auckland, New Zealand.

Started this morning slightly later than planned as I enjoyed the delightful company of a South African lady over a very leisurely breakfast at Hastings Hall. With my morning paper delivered and breakfast served...I could get used to this way of life!

Auckland Domain is New Zealand's oldest park dating from 1845. It occupies the site of a 50,000 year old crater. A beautiful park it played a vital role in the early history of this city with the now duckponds the site of natural springs that were the cities first freshwater supply.

My destination is Auckland's War Memorial Museum. The Auckland Museum I am to find is one of the best museum's I have encountered anywhere in the world. The present building was built as a memorial to the huge sacrifice New Zealand made in the First World War we are reminded on arrival that they were a wall unto us both by night and by day.

The Auckland Museum was founded in 1852 and it is New Zealand's original treasure house holding the world's finest collection of Maori and Pacific artefacts.

My arrival was just in time to be called by a conch shell to the Maori show. Singing, dancing and of course, the Haka. The Haka was traditionally used as a dance that scared, threatened and intimidated holding your enemies at bay.

This was my first ever experience of Polynesian dancing and it was brilliant. It was great to see the joy on the performers faces as I enjoyed cultural preservation in action.

What is fascinating is how the games and dances were traditionally used as fun ways of teaching the skills of manual dexterity and building upper body strength and flexibility to enhance the essential power of the warrior.

With a wide range of sedimentary and volcanic stone, New Zealand provided an essential ingredient of Maori culture allowing for tool, weapon and ornament making.

There is a lot of Maori belief invested in the power of the wind which should not be so surprising in this part of the world where the power of the wind and its influence on sea and land is felt acutely.

Pacific Islanders learned to navigate for long distances over the open oceans without instruments. Rather they made use of accumulated ancestral knowledge about the winds, tides, wave patterns, cloud formations, bird behaviours and the stars. On voyages of exploration they would sail upwind allowing them the option of a quick downwind return home.

Just as I found when I was in China and also within the Aboriginal and Native American communities I have visited, Maori culture reveres the ancestor.

Many Polynesian peoples trace their descent directly back through their ancestors to Gods. Ancestors are also an important element of the supernatural world along with Gods, ghosts and other spirit beings. Religious rituals are seen as a way of allowing the living to communicate with the spirits, to control their power and seek their help.

In death ghosts and spirits of the recently dead have to be treated very carefully and with respect; being sent on their way to the afterlife ensuring that they do not harm the living. Periods of mourning can traditionally last months or even years for widows.

Charms are worn, carried or deposited in special places to convey and control the powers of the supernatural world. They are used in magic to increase personal wealth, to ensure success in hunting, to protect the wearer from sickness or bad magic and to make the wearer attractive to the opposite sex.

Decoration and ornamentation are also key areas of Maori culture. The traditional tattoo, extremely popular in Samoa is a sign of both identity and cultural allegiance. Just as in Western traditions where protective body armour was painted with shield's and clan emblems and where the Scottish clans wore identifying tartans; so the Maori used temporary body art.

Music, often thought to represent the voice of the ancestors was used both to send signals and to entertain. The roles we find for music, art, marriage, weaponry, traps, animals etc have such similar foundations amongst traditional peoples around the world who would historically be disperate and never have met...there is a thesis somewhere in investigating parallel human developments!!

That other great institution of life, marriage, is seen as an alliance between groups of families rather than the joining of two individuals.

Maori as a language belongs to a widespread Austronesian family of languages originating in South East Asia between five and six thousand years ago.

Maori society is organised in a manner inherited from Polynesian forebears with different tribes descended from a common ancestor. The society is both communal and hierarchical with economic and social activity taking place within the extended family. Although gender roles were defined, members often worked together in settlements and gardens.

Traditionally the Maori, as the aboriginal, had the knowledge and skill to make all that was needed for food, clothing and shelter. Young men, just as in aboriginal communities, would be initiated into the secrets of special male knowledge about their ancestors and community rituals.

The Maori in many ways seem to have been more successful than the aboriginals at integrating ways of life and new materials with local culture.

Christianity for example was popular even before the European arrival as local people with experience of Christianity had begun converting their own communities. Further to this in the early days of European contact, Pacific Islanders often preceeded or travelled with the European missionaries. Christian symbols were also adopted into traditional artefacts (in ways similar to those I have seen in South America and China) as an expression of new Christian identity.

Of course after the treaty with Britain, English law was in force and the Maori came to be taught in mission schools where reading and writing were the key components of a drive for literacy. Many today argue over the differing interpretations of the British and the Maori regarding the Treaty of Waitangi and the perceived imposition of colonial dominance. However, even before official colonisation English was being introduced as a language with a Maori and grammar dictionary prepared by the missionary Thomas Kendall printed in London in 1820.

There are so many similarities in inter island culture and these would have had their foundations in trading. However contact also brought conflict. Such skirmishes though tended to be small scale ambushes and rarely large set piece battles.

The role of the Haka, the most sacred of the Maori dances, was to clear warriors mentally, physically and emotionally as well as being a pre battle scare tactic to subdue the opponent. More than just a demonstration of strength, the hitting of the skin was believed to strengthen the skin before battle.

In the traditional Maori way of life war was a prestige occupation in which men proved skill, leadership and courage. Honour could be satisfied when a single victim fell to a wronged party or whole groups might be decimated after bloody fighting.

Much of the strategy of war was based on the attack and defence of the Pa. Fortified Pa were skilfully designed earthworks and stockade defences where tribes gathered for protection when threatened by enemies. The fortified Pa are very similar to fortified hill forts like Maiden Castle near Dorchester and the later castles that were built across Britain in terms of their strategic approach to defence.

In the early nineteenth century old scores amongst Maori tribes were to be settled with the aid of guns that were obtained from the Pakeha leading to the inter-tribal Musket Wars. Later these new weapons were employed by the tribes that were fighting the Pakeha in defence of Maori land and independence.

European settlement actually meant that by 1860 the Maori were outnumbered in their own land and internal disputes were to lead to further losses of land and culture and impoverishment of the people. However there were also new opportunities. Potatoes, turnips, squash, maize and beans were well suited to New Zealand's climate and soon found their way into Maori gardens. Christianity was adapted, new weapons allowed old ambitions to be pursued, mission schools encouraged the skills of reading and writing, the sealing and whaling industries grew and with increased trade commercial opportunities grew.

Despite all this history ancient arts were maintained and developed in both traditional and new ways. Today Maori arts are a visible and strong symbol of identity and pride.

In recent years there has been a strong resurgence in Maori culture particularly amongst the indigenous peoples themselves. The fact that the Maori are the driving force can be set in stark contrast to the less successful aboriginal resurgence in Australia which tends to have been driven by a small core of indigenous people and government financial incentives that all too often are then mis-directed creating social disharmony.

There are many similarities I have found between the Aboriginal, the Native American and the Maori; will all these communities living off the land and developing practical uses for every resource.

The Auckland Museum is the world leader in Maori culture and artefacts and I loved the opportunity to enter (shoes off as a mark of respect) a traditional Maori home. In many ways this building reminded me of a Seneca Longhouse.

In terms of gaining a greater understanding of the Maori way of life I recommend that you read They Called me Te Maari the story of Florence Harsant.

We were all put out of the museum at lunchtime due to a fire alarm. It was more than a bit disorganised but eventually a young man came out waving and moving the crowd away from the building.

The memorial at the top of the main staircase to Auckland's dead is an impressive reminder of this nation's sacrifice in modern warfare. On exploring the war memorial I found this to be one of the most moving memorials I have ever visited with blank panels containing the very thought provoking words...Let These Panels Never Be Filled.

One in four New Zealanders who landed at Gallipoli were slaughtered. In fact in both the first and second world wars New Zealand on a percentage of population basis suffered the greatest losses of any of the allies.

My next stop is an exhibition of paintings and drawings by the British artist Noelle Sandwith who spent a year in Tonga in 1953 warmly embracing life on the island during the reign of Queen Salote.

Noelle Sandwith was born to British parents in Cape Town, South Africa and grew up in Surrey. She attended art schools very close to my own old stomping grounds. Firstly in Kingston-upon-Thames (near my home for the last five years in Dorking) and then in Croydon, South London where I lived from 1996-2000.

Her paintings display an idylic and intimate portrait of life in the realm of Queen Salote. Tonga itself is a wide expanse of the South Pacific with 169 islands of which only 36 are inhabited. One of the smallest royal kingdoms in the world, at the time of Noelle's first visit the population was some 51,000 of whom all but 1,200 were pure blood Tongan.

Noelle over her lifetime noted (as I have done in my travels) that progress had spread its tentacles in recent times to her beloved Tonga in a way that meant that islanders today are no longer content with their rare inheritance of the final Polynesian kingdom and the sole survivng feudal monarchy.

Noelle was the only artist ever for whom the Queen sat and a cabinet meeting of nobles had to be convened before permission could be granted.

Contemporary Tongan culture today remains a mix of traditional Polynesian ways with a strong Christian ethic but things are changing.

Auckland museum is one of the best museum's I have ever seen anywhere in the world. You could spend weeks in the outstanding war museums alone, not to mention the huge Maori collection and colonial Auckland exhibits.

I treated myself to afternoon tea at the Langham Hotel where tea is served as it has been in the hotel's parent The Langham Hotel, London since 1865. Tea here is served in the elegance of The Winery and it was nice with excellent service.

Tonight I meet up with Danish Jen whom I last saw in Cairns. We have dinner at Degree in Viaduct Harbour where I enjoy my first DB Export, Auckland's home beer. Our next stop is the Atrium Bar in Sky City where we watch the opening celebrations for Auckland's Chinese New Year programme. Our night continues at The Palace before we meet up with Teun (Jen's friend from Holland) for drinks at The Playhouse.

Going over the edge...

Well can you believe it...I can't believe I did it, but there you go.

Monday 19th February 2007. Auckland, New Zealand.

Well I am in New Zealand the home of the bungy and so here I go...







Though technically not a bungy I threw myself off the Sky Tower making me the day's first jumper.

At 328 metres the Sky Tower is the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere where you can leap from 192m plummiting to the ground below at around 85kph with the thrill taking all of about 14 seconds.

As the first jumper it was a good job the wire held; though I heard from a Lancashire couple who had been watching the spectacle from the Sky Deck that they were not sure I would go through with it.

Built as a tourist, broadcasting and telecommunications facility the Sky Tower is the twelfth largest tower in the world and is 8m taller than the Eiffel Tower. Designed to withstand winds of up to 200kph the building is capable of swaying one metre at restaurant level. Opened on August 3rd 1997 the building is anchored by 8 reinforced concrete legs.

Well back to my jump. Technically this is not a bungy but a base jump. Base jumping being the latest extreme sport craze to be taking the world by storm. The jump from the Sky Tower is not only the highest jump in the southern hemisphere, it is also the highest base jump by wire in the world...and once you have jumped over the edge the only way is down (all 192m) and it was awesome dude!!!

Oh and it was in 1988 that the world's first permanent bungy was opened at Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown.

I had hoped also to climb up the inside of the tower, but Vertigo is closed for a few months for repairs.

So after my jump I headed back up the tower the conventional way, by elevator to the main observation level where strangely enough I was more frightened of walking across the glass floor than jumping from above??

Later as I left the elevator at the Sky Deck, I was welcomed by a South African lady saying to her husband..."he is the nut that jumped".

Like most jumpers I forgot to bend my knees and hit the ground with quite a thud.

Anyway I celebrate my first ever jump by having lunch at Dine by Peter Gordon at the cities Grand Hotel.

The last fifteen years have seen New Zealand food and wine take on the world and Chef's are stars in some eyes...rarely mine!

Peter Gordon took his virtuoso Pacific Rim cooking style and shook up tastebuds in London at The Sugar Club and The Providores...he didn't shake mine!

The food here was ok but the service was appalling. Too many beautiful people staring in the mirror and ignoring the customer. As the only customer there I felt that I was intruding on the waiters attempts to catch each others eye...bit of a gooseberry feeling.

So after lunch I took a long walk along the trendy waterfront where the myriad of America's Cup yachts are berthed. My journey took me from Market Square to Westhaven Marina where I decided that I needed to do the Bridge Climb.

The Auckland Harbour Bridge took four years to construct and was officially opened in May 1959. It may not be as iconic as the Sydney Harbour Bridge but to this city it provides just as vital a link to both the North Shore and economic vibrancy.

The bridge was the last lattice girder bridge built in the world and in its construction some 6,500 tonnes of concrete and 14,300 tonnes of steel were used. At 3,597ft long the bridge actually carried some 20,980 cars on its first day.

Traffic was a problem...seems strange I know for a bridge designed to carry traffic...but in the first three months of its life, over one million vehicles crossed the bridge and so the designers were sent back to the drawing board. The answer, the Nippon Clip-Ons that were added some ten years later to provide for four lane traffic each way.

The Clip-Ons were the idea of two Japanese university students and were constructed between 1966 and 1969. In total six piers support the bridge which rises to a height of 67m above the water when we reach the summit.

From our vantage point above the harbour which is crowded with yachts in sail you can see why they call this the City of Sails.

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Further to yesterday's conversation about New Zealand as a hot bed of social reform...The 1980's was also a period of major reform in New Zealand. In 1984 a fourth Labour government came to power and adopted an anti-nuclear policy that was in contrast to established Western wisdom at a time when the Cold War was still very much a reality. The government of New Zealand was indeed a contrast between left and right wing policy as it was also the home of market driven economic reforms.

Any middle class concerns over the anti-nuclear stance though were ended when the French sank the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour. This act of international terrorism against the anti-nuclear movement galvanised national support behind the governments' policy.

Sunday 18th February 2007. From Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand.

Leaving Sydney this morning we took the sharpest turn I have ever taken on an aircraft and it was terrifying. But as we climbed the views of the harbour and the Opera House were stunning.

As I have stated on many an occasion my life goes from the sublime to the ridiculous and here I am in Auckland at the historic Hastings Hall Boutique Hotel. I have moved from damp and dingy backpackers to the luxury of a building built for William Motion, a pioneer and entrepreneur who arrived in New Zealand in 1838 and witnessed the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the nation's founding document.

Motion and his wife Isabella owned the land that has since become Western Springs Park, the Museum of Transport and Technology, the Auckland Zoo and Western Mt Albert; using it to farm wheat.

Motion had a water powered flour mill at Waiateao Creek (now Motion's Creek) and as Auckland grew, so did his fortunes. In 1878 he had Hastings Hall built on the pleasant wooded slopes of Mt Albert to fit his new status as "landed gentry."

This is real luxury living and if you are ever in Auckland it is well worth the money
www.hastingshall.co.nz. My suite by the way is the Waiheke Studio.

So here I am in a pioneering country at the end of the earth. New Zealand more than most has a right to consider itself a latter day pioneer. Debate surrounds the first human settlement in New Zealand but it is generally agreed to have been within the last 1000 years.

Officially New Zealand only became a British Colony in 1840, although European involvement can be traced back to 1642.

A fledgling member of the Empire, New Zealand boomed between the 1850's and the 1880's on the back of wool exports and colonial expansion...and the inevitable gold rush.

In 1893 she became the first country in the world to give women the vote and introduced the old age pension as far back as 1898. New Zealand is thus a hot bed of social experimentation...despite what you may expect.

The country's first Labour government under Michael Joseph Savage pioneered the notion of the welfare state in the 1930's. With a strongly independent streak in foreign policy New Zealand was considered by many in the Mother Country and beyond to be the most socialist government outside the Soviet Union during the 1930's.

New Zealand though has a strong twentieth century tradition of loyalty to Britain. Proportionately, she contributed more than almost any other Empire nation in World War I.

With a population of just over one million there were roughly 100,000 New Zealanders who fought for King and Country with over 60,000 becoming casualties particularly on the Western Front and in Turkey. New Zealand troops have fought alongside Britain in both world wars and in the other major conflicts of the century.

Maybe its the strong Scots and Irish roots of most of the Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) or maybe its the landscape that makes so much that is New Zealand so familiar to the Brit abroad?

But be warned. New Zealand is no longer the puritanical colony of yester year. This is a modern, developed and sophisticated nation I am told...and I intend to explore!

By world standards Auckland is a young city with a European history of just over 150 years and a Maori history dating back some 800 years.

Although not the capital (there was a brief period between 1840 and 1865 that saw Auckland as the nation's capital before the administrative centre of the country was established in Wellington); Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. Its closest big neighbour is Sydney over 2,000km away.

Auckland actually sits on two harbours: the Manukau and the Waitemata and it is dotted with extinct volcanic cones (which became natural sites for Pas...the fortified Maori settlements). Auckland is the world's largest Polynesian City where the Maori culture remains strong...so its Kia Ora to Auckland.

Saturday 17th February 2007. Sydney, New South Wales.

This morning breakfast will be at Orson & Blake. This concept store is a temple of high design; a Sydney version of Heal's. As I enter I realise that this is a store staffed by beautiful people, for beautiful people, selling furniture and accessories for beautiful homes. My first impression is one of the arrogance of the beautiful...how wrong could I be. This is the friendliest cafe I have found with some of the best food in the city...and the furniture ain't bad either!

My destination today is the Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills. Brett Whiteley was one of the greatest Australian artists of the twentieth century. An intense and prolific practitioner who ranged across an impressive spectrum of media. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, sculptor and wordsmith; but he ultimately flourished best as a painter.

The Brett Whiteley studio was his last home and studio from 1985-1992. The current exhibition 9 Shades of Whiteley is a mini-retrospective tracing the artist's life and career from his earliest work in 1955 with Self Portrait at Sixteen to just a few months before his death with Port Douglas, Far North Queensland (1992).

The exhibition includes 9 phases of his art: Early Works, Abstraction, Bathroom Series, Christie and London Zoo Series, Lavender Bay, Portraits, Birds, Landscapes and Late Works. It is an astonishing body of work displaying all the dexterity, imagination and ambition of a prodigious talent.

This is a master work in how to run a museum. The gallery is a living space used this Saturday, as every Saturday, for a very popular life drawing class. How inspirational it must be to be taught surrounded by such great art works. The space is also utilised for other arts such as poetry readings.

I am hugely indebted to Ashley from the Public Programmes section of the Art Gallery of New South Wales who not only welcomed me and made me feel very comfortable but who also answered my many and varied questions and gave me a real insight into the man and his talent.

A huge range of educational material can be found at www.brettwhiteley.org

Apart from attending evening drawing classes and sketch clubs Whiteley was largely self taught. In Italy he developed a particular interest in late Byzantine and early Renaissance artists and in London his artistic mentor was Francis Bacon, so it will not be surprising that many of his works explicitly explore sensuality.

His works that cover the spectrum of moods saw him obsessed with early ideas of schizophrenia where he followed the work of the British psychiatrist R. D. Laing who famously created self-induced states of madness to enable himself to analyse certain disjunctive aspects of the human condition.

Like many artists, Whiteley saw sexuality and sensuality everywhere; these concepts being the ultimate human driving force. He would get charged and high on this information and saw himself as a telegram boy translating the message.

The Bathroom Series on display here provides one such record of sensual behaviours.

The purchase by the Tate of Untitled red painting (1960) established his international reputation very early in his career.

My favourites though were The balcony 2, (1975) with its deeply insightful interpretation of the multi-faceted Sydney Harbour and Self portrait after three bottles of wine (1977) which is a great study of human behaviour.

This gallery is a true artistic treasure, not just in Sydney but both nationally and internationally!!

I head off to complete the afternoon tea trio. The Queen Victoria Building is a must see in Sydney but too many people just pass through without exploring the full building. Yes, from ground level you get an idea of this gem, but you must explore and see the stunning stained glass, the art works and even a model of the 19 year old Queen Victoria in her coronation robes from June 28th 1838.

Imported by the British East India Company, the first samples of Britain's national drink reached England between 1652 and 1654. By the middle of the 18th century tea had replaced ale as the national drink in England.

Prior to the 17th century there had been two main meals in England: breakfast and dinner. It was Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford who was the first to invite her friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal of bread and butter sandwiches, small cakes and tea.

Later made popular by Queen Victoria, afternoon tea developed into an indulgent cuisine of waver-thin crust-less sandwiches typically of cucumber, smoked salmon and chedder cheese; fancy cakes and regional savouries and pastries such as Welsh rarebit (best in the world is found at Fortnum and Masons in London), Scottish scones (today the epitimey of afternoon tea and my granny made the very best; although Granny Murray's are also exceptional) and English crumpets.

Two distinct forms of tea services evolved: low and high tea. Low tea is enjoyed in the low or early part of the afternoon and was served in aristocratic homes featuring gourmet titbits with an emphasis on presentation and conversation.

The working class were actually the originators of high tea. Not having the means of two main meals each day they combined afternoon tea with the evening meal serving meats, breads and cakes with hot tea at the end of the day. If you are lucky enough to get to Scotland you will find the most wonderful High Tea still being served in traditional hotels!

Sadly, afternoon tea here was a disappointment. The room was interesting but the service was poor and the tea only adequate. The Intercontinental wins hands down as the best place to have afternoon tea in Sydney.

Something that does annoy me about Australia is this desire to always up the price. If its not because its a public holiday, its because its the weekend that they automatically add 10% to the bill...a real con I think!!

Anyway, I have loved my travels in Australia and I intend tonight to celebrate with a very elegant meal to toast the success that has been Building Blocks, Australia!

My dinner venue is Mohr & Mohr in Surry Hills a very elegant European menu is served up here by resident chef Hans Mohr. One thing I have noticed here in Australia is that Chefs' have a sort of demi-God status.

The night however does not go totally to plan. Firstly I get myself locked in the loo for over an hour. I simply closed the lock and the handle came off in my hand. Despite my appeals for help I was trapped until an Irish man came along...talk about surreal?

Then to top it all off I got locked out of my room (no jokes Wayne!!) and so I had to borrow a ladder and climb up to the second floor window. Lucky this was such a shabby hotel and the windows didn't fit properly...Ah well time for bed.

Friday 16th February 2007. Sydney, New South Wales.

As I left this morning to head to the Gallery Cafe I had, as usual, to pass the nearby former Methodist Church that now provides shelter for the homeless and the dispossessed; many of whom are drug addicts.

Despite how down I may feel at times about being attacked I always remember the words of my Mum, that you should not feel sorry for yourself as there are always people worse off than you. I wonder what must have happened to leave people in this state...there but for the grace of God go I, or indeed you!!!

Surry Hills is "COOL" Sydney and my enjoyment of this area in many ways is a reflection of the similarities with my beloved Brighton. Here in Surry Hills the junkie lives cheek by jowl with the trendy mummy who has just jogged past me with one of those three wheeled prams. Like Brighton, this is about as meritocratic as Western society gets.

Last night David, a real nice guy I met asked me whether I would like to move to Australia. As I often say, everyone has a story and David's was fascinating. A political refugee from Rhodesia he and his family came to live in Australia, although he subsequently went on to live in London for seven years.

Australia remains a mecca for immigrants. There are parts of Sydney, Melbourne and even in remote areas where I have struggled to hear English spoken...But for me, I am too much of a Brit. I love my country. I saw a television programme last night about Bateman's and the National Trust, and it took me straight back to Sussex. For all my travels there is still no-where like home!!

The Gallery Cafe is a gem displaying the work of local artists. My personal favourite was Bush Fires. The gentil hidden courtyard is an oasis in the city. Like all Bohemian enclaves art and artists are the key and as I sit here writing on my latest napkin a young Chinese lady is editing a text at the next table.

Talking of art, my next stop is the Ray Hughes Gallery. This is a great space and I am lucky enough to get to see the hanging of a show that opens tomorrow. The subject matter is basically female eroticism with many lesbian images. Art? possibly, but my own sixthformers have produced far higher quality work in the schools fashion and textiles and art departments.

This afternoon I am furthering my aim to have afternoon tea at Sydney's three best spots. After the Intercontinental in early January,today I am off to David Jones...THE Sydney department store since 1838.

Well despite the promises Marshall Fields this ain't; but then neither is the Walnut Room anymore as the people of Chicago know. As it was I had scones and tea but this was nothing to write home about and certainly not worth a visit if you are in Sydney!

Tonight I meet up with my two beautiful German travelling companions, the Julia's. We three are all in Sydney at present and so I take the girls to Burger Bar on Devonshire Street for the best gourmet burgers the city has to offer.

After dinner drinks are at The Vault in the city before we head over to visit the Westin Hotel. Tonight every red-blooded male in Sydney stared as I walked the city streets in the delightful company of these stunning and intellectual blond German ladies.

I walked home on Cloud 9 realising just how many wonderful friends I have. My time here in Australia has been magical and that is in no small part due to the wonderful mates who have helped 'put me back together again'. As I walk along Oxford Street the sights simply have to be seen to be believed.

Talking of sights, your average GAP traveller ends up with a tattoo and I am no different. Now that my leg has healed I have a permanent tattoo from the scars left by my snake bite...now that's a tattoo!!

Thursday 15th February 2007. Sydney, New South Wales.

Began my day with breakfast at MoS Cafe which was a complete rip-off where it was $4.50 for a single slice of toast and the waitresses walked around with their noses in the air ignoring you.

I am attending the Bridging Sydney exhibition today here at the Museum of Sydney which is built on the site of the Colony's first Government House. The museum opened in May 1995 to celebrate the history of the city and its people. Historically this is where Governor Phillip's house once stood.

When it was built the Coathanger was the longest, heaviest and widest bridge in the world. For example, before the building of the bridge no construction had ever used rivets this large.

Not only was the bridge to become an international symbol of Australia as a mature nation but great controversy was to surround the official opening.

The publicity for the exhibition claims that

the Sydney Harbour Bridge has become one of the key symbols of the city, inspiring painters, poets, photographers and thousands of Sydneysiders

and judging by the huge numbers attending the exhibition, Sydneysiders are justifyably proud of the coathanger.

There were many grandiose schemes for crossing the harbour from the beginnings of the colony until JJC Bradfield's design became a reality. Particularly during the 19th century proposal came after proposal; the coathanger though was to come just in the nick of time during a century which saw the population of Sydney grow nine-fold.

The bridge itself was highly controversial both in terms of cost and the huge amount of land consumed by the approaches. Let me take you now to the official opening ceremony on March 19th 1932.

In the pageant that marked the official opening, which stretched for approximately 2km, the symbolism was of the Future of Australia, Empire and the Return to Prosperity. The procession featured not only the likes of marching military bands, boy scouts and the Young Australia League; but also included a party of 25 aboriginals...was this an early attempt at inclusion?...after all it was not until 1962 that the Federal Parliament gave aboriginals the vote...some 174 years after they were dispossessed.

However, the real controversy came over who should open the bridge. Traditionally a member of the UK Royal Family or at least the Governor General opened all major projects in Australia. The call went out for the King to open this engineering masterpiece. That said, it was not until 1973 when HM Queen Elizabeth II opened the Sydney Opera House that the first ever reigning British Monarch visited this southern realm.

Jack Lang the Premier of New South Wales decided that he would perform the opening ceremony. After all the bridge was a symbol of Australia as a nation and no longer simply as an outpost of the British Empire.

However at the opening ceremony Lang was to be upstaged by Francis De Groot who like many at the time viewed Lang as overrun by his ego at best, and at worst, as a communist.

In his WWI uniform De Groot (of Irish origin) joined a group of mounted guards near Government House and followed them undetected as an interloper to the ceremony. He stole the show by riding in and cutting the ribbon with his sword declaring "I open this bridge in the name of the decent and respectable people of New South Wales".

The ribbon was re-tied and not to be outdone Lang cut the ribbon and opened the bridge.

However the actions spoke louder than words as the controversy had rumbled on for most of the projects history. A symbol of Australian pride and liberty from the Mother Country it was a great gamble for New South Wales to undertake the project at a time when she was greatly indebted to foreign banks.

The contractors for the project were indeed English. Dorman and Long of Middlesbrough-on-Tees. The engineers in charge of the workshops were all from the contractors' home works, but the labour both skilled and unskilled that was to be used in the manufacture and erection of the steel work was to be obtained in Australia (mainly though of Scots, English and Irish descent).

To further national pride it was specified that all materials used, other than steel, were to be wholly Australian. The erection scheme though was an imperial design that had been created for the Victoria Falls Arch over the Zambezi River in South Africa. Due to a shortage of suitably qualified stonemasons in Australia tradesmen were imported from Italy and Scotland (particularly from Aberdeen) to work in the quarry at Moruya.

As the massive parts required for the construction of the bearings were beyond the capacity of any machining in Australia, they had to be ordered from the Darlington Forge in England. The creeper cranes that played an essential part in the construction of the main arch span of the bridge as well as the deck were manufactured by Wellman, Smith and Owen of London.

All of this aside, there is no doubt that the project was an engineering masterpiece. To think that this huge construction opened in the midst of the Great Depression simply reflected how the nation was moving forward. The quality of the work was such that one of the permanent survey marks used in the setting out of the bridge was to form part of the survey control network for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel construction some 60 years later.

So was this Aussie feat really an Australian masterpiece. Well it is arguable that the Bradfield design would not have been possible anywhere else in the world at this time. One of the deciding factors in the bridge's eventual location was the solid foundation provided by the Hawkesbury sandstone on the shores of Sydney Harbour. The foundations of the bridge were though dug deeper than originally planned to ensure a reliable base free from weak seams of clay and shale.

The political hot potato that was the bridge led to compromise from the start. The foundation stone had been laid on March 26th 1925 by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Dudley de Chair in the presence of the Premier, Sir George Fuller as was the established custom at the time.

BUT...More than anything else this bridge was to come to symbolise that Australia was no longer just a colony! This was to be Australia's great pride despite any British or Empire involvement.

The political compromise, that failed to please many like De Groot was that the government committee established to arrange the city festivities that followed the official opening should be presided over by the New South Wales Governor, Sir Philip Game. The official proceedings were opened with a range of speeches which began with a message from the King, George V, and which was read by Governor Game. The opening was broadcast nationally and also to Britain and the USA; and the decision not to invite a Royal was justified in terms of expense at a time of acute economic hardship. That evening saw the first ever fireworks display over the coathanger...

Luna Park where I celebrated the coming of 2007 and the 75th anniversary of the bridge was built on the bridge workshops site at Milson's Point in 1935.

And those bridge tolls...they were an after thought and added at the last minute much to the chagrin of North-Side residents who had since 1923 been paying a special land tax introduced by the Bridge Act. Although the toll collecting began immediately the toll booths were not added until December 1932 and so initially the toll collectors stood on a small concrete island protected only by a light railing.

Now for lunch and I am off to one of Sydney's most exclusive restaurants. The views are stunning and the prices quite ridiculous but here I am at the top end of Sydney dining at Quay looking out on to that iconic harbour bridge and surrounded by big business talking about the trading floor.

Making money your God won't get you anywhere in life, and it's sad when they start trying to out do each other with who's child has been made House Captain. After years in private schools...trust me its often not the best child that makes it to the top spot.

I have managed to get one of the best tables here by the window in the tower at the restaurant's north end. My view of the Opera House though is obscured by the huge Amsterdam of the Holland America Line docked here at the Oversea's Passenger Terminal today.

Today I am to pay more for my meal than my accommodation but this was an experience and that is only a bed!...and after the $4.50 toast what is a $65 steak?

I love the pretenscious behaviour as I watch one young trader trying to impress the boss by sniffing his wine and swirling it as if he would know the difference between a good wine and a bottle of supermarket plonk. It is even funnier though when a few others join him because they think it is the right thing to do.

The arrogance here though only annoys me when the conversation turns to teachers and how it is easy to set up funds for teachers unions that charge exorbitant fees because they know nothing...this from the table where one guy still can't believe that ships like the Amsterdam are built and then just plopped in the water...it defies his tiny brain to figure out the concept of the dry dock!

It is great to watch all the false laughter at the bosses appalling jokes. It makes me think that if I were the boss how refreshing it would be to meet the honest guy.

After a few vino's my character reverts to type, swinging on his chair like a sixthformer and exposing his not so corporate DM boots that were hidden under his suit trousers.

Insignificant to most and ignored by all but the most avid tourist...just behind Circular Quay at the side of the Old Customs House on Loftus Street flies a Union Jack. A replica of the flag hoisted by Captain Arthur Phillip, R.N. and his company; marking the first ceremony of saluting the flag that took place marking the foundation of Australia on January 26th 1788.

It is sad that this should be a place of pilgrimage for all True Blue Aussies, but as an old man that I chat to informs me...no-one really cares. Few people even know this place exists and many walk past each and every day without noticing it. People are to busy rushing around and achieving nothing.

For me I am glad that each and every day in the Royal Navy we still raise and lower the flag at sunrise and sunset and that I have in my naval career attended many such ceremonies taking a moment to reflect.

Tonight I am off to the Shakespeare Hotel in uber cool Surry Hills. Since 1879 this hostelry has been a popular local and since 1975 you have been greeted by NORA.

Tonight I s*** myself when a bike squeals to a halt behind me. It brought back all the fear of being attacked although it turned out that the guy hadn't seen me and was trying to avoid hitting me. In a strange way I drew comfort from the familiarity of the street names as I negotiated Surry Hills at night: Waterloo, High Holborn, Wiltshire.

A cultural lesson I am to learn tonight is that the Aussies seem to have it right for most pub customers with the pub, bottle shop and bookies all in one.

Wednesday 14th February 2007. Sydney, New South Wales.

I went for breakfast this morning at the cafe of the moment Bourke Street Bakery in Surry Hills. Maybe because it is so cool that is why it is one of those places where you can access food only at the time when the acclaimed pastry chef and baker who jointly run this establishment are ready?

I had hoped to try the famous pork and fennel sausage roll...how pretentious. Anyway there were no pies, sausage rolls or sandwiches before 10.30am and so I settled for a strawberry and pear muffin with some sparkling cranberry and lime organic fruit water.

The muffin was nothing to write home about but still they come in their droves. It was like a catwalk of the beautiful and trendy in all shapes, sizes and ages who simply had to be seen. A smash and grab here would generate quite a designer haul!

After breakfast I take a gentle stroll down Oxford Street and through Hyde Park to the internet where I will work on the project. It was GREAT to hear from so many of my Aussie travelling companions checking up on me to make sure I haven't died yet!

I am seeing the two Julia's for dinner and drinks here in town on Friday night.

This afternoon I attended the matinee of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and made my debut at the Lyric Theatre, Star City.

This is possibly one of the best shows I have seen anywhere in the world, all high camp glamour and fun and its well worth splashing out on those expensive front row seats in the stalls...

because just after the interval you too may be lucky enough to be plucked from the audience and on to the stage to join the cast in one of the dance routines...a sort of Gay Gordon's meets Line Dancing.

Today a new star was born at Star City and his name...Will Glover.

After my forey into showbiz it was time to dine at Passello in Darling Harbour.

Update on the hostel...Tonight a large group of girls and guys assembled in the forecourt below my window and partied 'til all hours of the morning. Couple this with the weird guy who keeps wandering the corridors at all hours and you have a recipe for little sleep.

Tuesday 13th February 2007. Melbourne, Victoria to Sydney, New South Wales.

This morning I take my last ride on Melbourne's trams. Melbourne is home to one of the largest tram networks in the English speaking world.

I head off with South African Jess and Aussie Jess to Sugardough on Lygon for breakfast before taking a walk with the girls through Royal Park.

I have had a great time in my few days in Melbourne and now it is time to say bye to Tom's house at 74 Flemington Road in Parkville. I must say a special thanks to Buzz and Maddy who made me more than welcome in this wonderful student abode. They were not only welcoming but great fun during my stay!!!

Why do I always get them. Now onboard my Qantas flight and the twat infront wants way more seat than he is entitled too and stretches and stretches the seat such that my tray table flops down and won't go back up.

As we shot out of Melbourne with me at the bumpy back of the plane I got a real sense of sonic boom which I kind of enjoyed in a weird way and then I felt really sick.

As we descend into Sydney I get my first and only sight this trip of the Blue Mountains.

Back in town and I am staying at the Pelican Hotel. I may be in ultra cool Surry Hills but this hotel leaves a lot to be desired. For the next five nights I am in a centrally located backpackers with shared toilets and more than a musty smell of damp...think Rigsby on a good day!!

But hey, this journey is all about experiences and this hotel is cheap. I am welcomed to my room by the fly's in the fridge and as far as the bed goes when I sit on it it sinks. It has seen more action than it should have and I just don't want to imagine where either it or the linens have been. A basic picture is that this is the sort of place where depression looms in every corner.

At least I had a good thai meal at Som Jit Thai in Taylor Square.

Oh...and an interesting fact about Melbourne is that Melbourne Gaol (which sadly I did not get time to visit) was the site of the hanging of the famed outlaw Ned Kelly.

Monday 12th February 2007. Melbourne, Victoria.

This morning I am living like a uni student again. Tom has a rehersal this morning for one of his forthcoming gigs and I enjoy the entertainment whilst I complete the household chores like my washing...talk about Melbourne housewifes'.

Off on my own again today and I head into Melbourne to continue exploring. This is a fascinating city which has proved thus far to have a great deal to commend it. I have only scratched the surface and even with today's explorations I hope one day to return.

I make my first stop St Paul's Cathedral. An example of the work of English architect William Butterfield and built between 1880 and 1891 the building is designed in the High Victorian Gothic Revival style. It is possible (for me after visiting so many churches this year)to view this building as yet another metropolitan building imported from the Mother Country. It has all the facets from design to mosaic floors to memorial plaques and stunning stained glass...but it deserves recognition as the fine building it is.
The three towers and the spire were completed in 1933 to the design of Sydney architect John Barr.

This church makes overt its connections with the Mother Country with displays from English cathedrals and memorabilia of Royal visits. But a real connection for me was the memorial I found to one George William Rusden who was an educationalist and author and who served as Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the Legislative Council from 1856 - 1882 and who was born at Leith Hill Place in Dorking on July 9th 1819. Dorking has been my home town and place of work for the last five years and for me it is always fascinating to find connections.

Scotland's national bard gets everywhere. I have seen Rabbie Burns immortalised around the world from St Louis to Melbourne where his statue was erected in 1904 by the Caledonian Society here in Treasury Gardens.

A strange concept is Captain Cook's Cottage relocated here from Yorkshire being shipped to Melbourne in crates and barrels. Cook's Cottage displays how simple life was during the 18th century in Great Ayton only 15 years before Cook landed in Australia.

Standing outside is a Moreton Bay Fig. A native tree in New South Wales and Queensland it is strongly identified with Moreton Bay near Brisbane. As the Endeavour sailed north along Australia's east coast in 1770, Cook named Moreton Bay after the Earl of Moreton (then President of the Royal Society). The re-creation of an English cottage garden is wonderful and the smells simply adorable. This is an excellent example of historical preservation and well worth a visit.

With its little bridge, piped classical music and stunning blooms the Conservatory in Fitzroy Gardens is high Victoriana at its best.

Afternoon tea is at the Hotel Windsor where there is an eclectic mix of businessmen, ladies who lunch and tourists. I loved the cute detail on the cake stands with the heraldic lion adorned by the British Crown.

The Windsor Hotel lies next door to the site where Scotch College rented premises from 19th January 1852 until 1853. This was the second location of the school which moved to its own premises in Lansdowne Street on January 10th 1854.

My last stop today is the gothic revival masterpiece that is St Patrick's Cathedral. This building is stunning with its magnificent organ...and the unfriendly porter who ushers you out in order that he can close. There is something very wrong in our world when the doors of churches have to close to God's people (particularly at 5pm).

In the cathedral there are exhibits of Chinese iconography reflecting Melbourne's, and Australia's, growing multi-cultural population and the high proportion of Chinese catholics in the city. I did though manage to offer up two prayers before leaving...

Dear Father
Pray that we grow in understanding of each other; of different cultures and beliefs; and that we come to respect each and everyone for who and not what they are , in order that we ALL can live free from the fear and hatred that leads ultimately to war and insanity.

Dear Mother of All
Pray that we grow in our awareness of all that Mother Nature has to offer; that we grow to treasure natures gifts and the wonders the earth can and does give us. In your capacity as the Mother of God show us...the weak, feable and ignorant peoples of the world...the true path to environmental protection and understanding, such that we can pass on a world at least as bountiful and wonderous as the world God allowed us to inherit.

Tonight I have yet another Melbourne experience. After our Shisha in the garden the girls and I were joined by Mary our neighbour and a retired University Professor . After a fine discussion over an equally fine bottle of French wine I headed out with the girls to The Clyde to meet up with the University College crowd. At the College the atmosphere, the history and the buildings reminded me of my time as a student at Oxford.

It is a shame that I have so little time in Melbourne as I haven't had the chance to do the city justice and will thus need to return one day and explore.

Sunday 11th February 2007. Melbourne, Victoria.

This morning we are off to North Brighton to have lunch with Auntie Cheryl and Uncle Gary and we have a delightful time!!!

This afternoon Tom and I are attending the final day of the Midsumma Festival which is being held in Treasury Gardens. It was actually wonderful today to see so many people celebrating with such gusto their pride in themselves.

I also turned the whole experience into an educational investigation and learned a great deal about CAN Victoria which operates educational programs state wide with a focus on rural education.

The idea is to foster appropriate, sensitive and accessible information, education and support services for people infected with or affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Providing services from counselling to library resources; from same sex youth education to workshops; the idea is to support resource needs in rural areas. The Country Awareness Network advocates empowerment and inclusion.

We head off in the late afternoon to see that icon of Australia and Melbourne's favourite housewife...Dame Edna Everage. This is the last show of Barry Humphries, Back With a Vengeance tour here in his home city and for me it is a real cultural high point of my trip.

Tonight I meet a lovely lady called Lorraine whom I have the most interesting discussions with about the city, its architecture and the world of travel.

Saturday 10th February 2007. Darwin to Melbourne, Victoria.

I had a night flight down to Melbourne where I met up again with my old mucker Tom who is now in his second year at Melbourne University. For the next few days I am staying with Tom in Parkville.

I started my day in Melbourne on the tram when Tom and I headed up to have a look at the university campus. Into town and it is a Melbourne must when we take a historic tram ride on the free city loop tram. They use a W class tram of the type that first appeared on Melbourne's streets in 1936 for this tourist trip.

I am again dipping my toes back into work after having had a few relaxing days with my mates in Darwin.

We pass sites such as the Welsh Church on La Trobe which is a Calvinist church where the services are still conducted in Welsh. Along the harbourfront in the docklands we saw sculptures like Cow Up A Tree by John Kelly. My only issue with developments like this is that every city around the world now has "copy cat" projects based on the original concept of re-vitalising London's Docklands...but it is all contributing to the world being samey. Number 2 Goods Shed is part of the historic sheds area of the docklands and was, in its day, the longest rail shed in the southern hemisphere.

It is interesting sitting here on the tram and listening to the South African and English tourists around me...who the hell was Captain Cook, I thought he was a cartoon character?...and when we get to the Old Treasury Building (now home to the City Museum) they made jokes about the exterior exhibit 'Swim Between the Flags' which they failed to understand was actually a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Surf Life Saving Clubs in Australia (the first being established at Bondi Beach in 1907).

The Old Treasury Building is rightly considered to be one of the finest colonial buildings in all of Australia...and talking of fine buildings the opulence of the exterior of the State Parliament House has to be seen to be believed.

Our first main port of call is the Queen Victoria Market which is riddled with locals and their little trolley's. This area began life with the construction of a meat market in 1868. In 1877 the City Council acquired part of the old Melbourne General Cemetery and built the first produce sheds. In 1884, William Salway designed a new front for the meat market and the Elizabeth Street shops. Extended in 1887 and 1936 this is the last of the former markets that were located in Central Melbourne.

Ecuador refuses to leave me alone and as I wander the market I recognise some traditional South American folk singing. The last time I heard this performance was in South America and now I am hearing it here from the Ecuadorian band who are performing.

On now to Melbourne's oldest arcade, the Royal Arcade where the two seven foot giants have been striking the time on the Gaunt's clock since 1892. Carved from clear pine and modelled on the figures erected at the Guildhall in London in 1708, the figures symbolise the ancient Britons and the Trojan invaders. Mythology has it that Gog and Magog (also known as Corineus and Gogmagog) having been captured in battle by the Trojans were made to serve as porters at the gateway of an ancient palace on a site later occupied by the Guildhall. It is traditional for Gog to stand to the north and Magog to the south. It is just as well that the clock was at totally the wrong time as we got to hear it chime.

Now for tea and it has to be the Hopetoun Tearooms in the victorian splendour of the Block Arcade, a Melbourne institution since 1892. The history of the tearooms is fascinating with the Block Arcade site originally being a bulk grain store that was sold in 1837 for the princely sum of £18. Taken over in the late 19th century by George and George, Silk Mercers and General Drapers; this was the site of one of Melbourne's most prestigious stores until a spectacular fire in 1889 raised the building to the ground. The present arcade was officially opened in 1893.

From 1893 to 1907 the Victorian Ladies' Work Association ran a small tearoom. When the association was disbanded the tearooms continued under the Hopetoun name, being named after the Ladies' Work Association founder Lady Hopetoun.

Lunch is at Hells Kitchen in one of the many trendy back alleys of the city centre before we head to another Melbourne institution, Young and Jackson's where we enjoy an appropriately named Naked Ale. Young and Jackson's Hotel is famed for the Queen of the Bar Room, Chloe.

The land on which the pub stands is linked with the very birth of Melbourne. Purchased by John Batman (Melbourne's Founder) at the first Crown Land Sale on November 1st 1837 the site was where Batman built a house for his children and their governess, Mrs Cook. After Batman died, Mrs Cook continued to run a school (Melbourne's first) on the site until 1851.

On July 1st 1861 the Princes Bridge Hotel opened with John P. Toohey as licensee. Toohey, along with his brother were later to establish the Standard Brewery in Sydney, home to the famous Toohey brand of beers.

It was in 1909 that the scandalous work of art Chloe came to the hotel. Since that time Chloe has been a fixture of Young and Jacksons with the two inextricably linked with Melbourne and its heritage. As they say, Chloe has farewelled countless diggers to war, welcomed returned servicemen with open arms and embraced generations of Melbourne drinkers.

Chloe immortalises a young Parisian model named Marie who was roughly 19 years old when she was painted by Jules Joseph Lefebvre. As in all the best tragedies, Marie died two years later after throwing a party for her friends at which she boiled a soup of poisonous matches and then drank the concoction. Legend has it that she committed suicide due to unrequited love.

The painting debuted in Paris in 1875 where it won a gold medal and acclaim from the Paris Salon judges as well as critics and the public. On travelling exhibition she was a success in both Sydney and Adelaide. However when she was displayed in Victoria at the galleries new opening time of Sunday there was a scandal. So much correspondence was received by The Argus newspaper that it dedicated a column to Chloe.

Since coming to Young and Jackson's Chloe has gained the names Mistress of the Soldiers (witnessing world and regional wars); Queen of the Bar Room (watching over depression and boom, immigration and the changing face of not only Australia but the world)...and all the best political debates are held over a drink or two...aren't they??

To many young men she was the only naked woman they ever saw (on their way particularly to the first world war) and so to many she is the Naked Nymphe. A picture of innocence, tragedy and beauty she is a metaphor for the world.

From here I take in the architecture of Flinders Street Station and trust me you could easily be in Blighty!

Tonight I am to accompany Tom to Gay Shame. This weekend is the ending of the Midsumma Festival and Tom has played an active role as a performer at this Gay and Lesbian fixture on the Melbourne social calendar.

Gay Shame is the final night party and the idea is to turn political correctness on its head. People are encouraged to get back into the closet and shame their own outings. It is a brilliant idea to reel against the politically correct madness in the world but I have to say that there were so many stereotypical queens at this party...totally in love with themselves and their image and with nothing deeper to offer their community than their sexuality. From here we attended the after after party at The Peel and I was exhausted when we got home!

Friday 9th February 2007. Darwin, Northern Territory.

This morning it is another day of farewells. We all head off to the internet and then to brunch to say our goodbyes to Rob and Phillipa.

And now there are three...Carly, Paula and Will.

It was a really sad farewell today. One month ago I never knew any of my tour group and now we are all e-mailing each other and even extending our travels (where we can) to see each other again along the route.

I have had a great time with the lads and Rob and I have been sharing a room now for well over four weeks and it is still a blast!!

This afternoon I head down to the Esplanade and get talking to a group of locals...of the indigenous kind.

More than a quarter of the population of the Northern Territory are indigenous Australian's, a far greater percentage than anywhere else in the country. That said the population of the Northern Territory is only about 1% of the total Australian population.

It is fascinating to get the take on life of a local, most of whom are criticised for spending their life in an almost perpetual stupor. However these are ostricised people who feel that they have no part to play in the modern Australia.

Take fire as our example. To the aboriginal a bush fire brought no threat. As a hunter-gatherer nation fire was simply a part of nature that replenished the land and allowed for new growth. The materialistic white man builds great monuments on the land and then he fights to protect his buildings when natural disaster strikes. The aboriginal lives in harmony with and not in a constant fight against nature!

The concept of Terra Nullius (that there was no legal system in place and no owners of the land) evoked by the British on their arrival meant that English law prevailed in its entirity. It was as recently as 1992 that the High Court finally overturned this concept. With the 'Mabo Decision' there was a major step taken towards reconciliation with modern Australia's past...just sit and think awhile, the world has many and varied lessons to teach us all.

Tonight I will finally break from the tour and Paula and Carly are hosting my farewell dinner at Lizards Bar and Grill on the Esplanade before I head to the airport and down to Melbourne.

Thursday 8th February 2007. Darwin, Northern Territory.

This morning I have breakfast at Salvatores with Wayne and Amanda who are both departing.
My aim today is to work on project e-mails etc and try and get up to date. I am also organising the massive photo exchange which has to be coordinated around the varying flight departures.

I do though manage a walk along the Esplanade before lunch at the Hogs Breath Cafe where we bid farewell to Kim.

This afternoon I finally do it and have my hair tinted. Rob, has a haircut and he and Philippa photograph the whole episode at Hair Dude.

We head from drinks at Dolce in the Mall before it is time to get ready for another fine dining experience...this time at Char at Admiralty House. Char Darwin is based on Cha Cha Char in Brisbane which is owned by the renowned beef expert John Kilroy.

The old Admiralty House was once a grand residence that was built in 1937 for the District Naval Officer. When Cyclone Tracy devastated the city, this building survived with only minor damage and actually became the headquarters for the rebuilding of Darwin. This is a wonderful colonial style building with a lush tropical feel and the most fantastic frangipanis.

Tonight we bid farewell to Bettina with more than one or two Cosmopolitans. The group continues to shrink and now it is only...Rob, Carly, Paula, Philippa and Will and tonight we were joined again by Jen for one last fling!

Wednesday 7th February 2007. Darwin. Northern Territory.

Up and out and today we are on our way to Litchfield National Park and our first stop the termite mounds that thrive on the grassy plains of Northern Australia. These plains flood in the wet season and bake in the dry. To survive the conditions the termites build mounds which create a stable temperature. Termites thrive on warm stable temperatures.
The different angles of construction used provide for local shade and wind conditions and allow for the centre of the nest to be cool.

Cathedral termite mounds are amongst the largest built by termites anywhere in the world, sometimes exceeding 6m in height.

Litchfield National Park has been home to aboriginal people for thousands of years. It is sad thus that it was not until 1976 and the Aboriginal Land Rights Act that a basis was established on which aboriginal people in the Northern Territory could claim rights to land based on traditional occupation.

The park is home to many and varied habitats yielding a variety of bush tucker and plentiful wildlife. Named after Frederick Henry Litchfield, a member of the original Finniss Expedition of 1864 which was aimed at establishing a settlement at Escape Cliffs at the mouth of the Adelaide River, the park area saw its first tin mine established in 1888 . Mining continued until 1951/52 with some of the miners marrying local aboriginal women (many of their descendants still live in the area today). Logging began in this area in 1948, but by 1985 the national park had been created.

Our next stop is Florence Falls. In the wet season the sandstone plateau around this area sheds large volumes of rain water. However, some water is stored in the underground cracks in the sandstone, which acts like a giant sponge. In the dry season water slowly seeps out feeding creeks and waterfalls.

After visiting the base of the falls Paula, Heather and I walk back via Shady Creek Walk.

Lunch is at Wangi Falls which are spectacular.

Litchfield National Park is dominated by a huge sandstone plateau with cascading waterfalls, pockets of monsoon rainforest and tropical woodlands. With wildlife ranging from dingoes, small marsupials and freshwater crocodiles; to birds like the blue winged kookaburra which we actually saw at lunch.

Back in Darwin I checked into the Value Inn on Mitchell with Rob and Philippa...her two big brothers are protecting her. It is actually like a uni hostel. Paula is next door and Amanda and Carly are in the hostel across the carpark. Who would have thought one month ago that I would be sharing a room with a nineteen year old school leaver and sharing a bed with Mr Cool!!!

The whole group meet at Wisdom for drinks before we head for a very elegant dinner at the Hanuman; Jimmy Shu's iconic Thai restaurant and one of the finest dining experiences in the Northern Territory. Tonight we bid farewell to the two Julia's, Heather, Marianna and Marco.

Mum's Birthday 2007. Kakadu to Darwin.

This morning it is torrential rain and despite the obvious stupidity of sailing in such weather with the thunder peeling and the lightening strikes the group decision is to sail the Yellow Water Cruise.

One of the joys of group travel is that the loudest voices prevail even if they are not in the majority.

That said, I have to confess that the weather clears as we sail over the Wetlands from Home Billabong to Yellow Water Billabong and on to the South Alligator River (which at roughly 200km is the largest river in Kakadu).

** A billabong is a permanent body of deep water that exists even in the dry season.

Kakadu is Australia's largest National Park and like everything else on earth it was created as the Aboriginal's dreamtime ancestors travelled across the land.

Today we saw birds like the Darter and the White bellied Sea Eagle(the second largest bird of prey in Australia) and we even saw a crocodile.

Lunch is at Corroboree Park Tavern. I must say that it was much nicer to see a crocodile in the wild than penned in at Corroboree for tourist entertainment. It did make me wonder if the star attraction here (Brutus) would not be better off as a pair of shoes?

In Darwin and we check into Mirambeena.

Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory and during world war II it was heavily bombed by the Japanese.

Tonight we will head out for sunset at East Point. It was here in 1940 that a boom net, the largest in the world, was installed to protect the harbour from submarine attack. The net moorings are still visible today.

At East Point I also visit a battery observation tower and a gun emplacement. If you ignore the vandalism and decay you can imagine the troops manning this gun as even the turning tracks are still here. There are many remnants of wartime defence structures here in Darwin.

Well...here I am at the top end of Australia watching the sun gone down over Fannie Bay...this trip just keeps getting better and better!!

Our last official tour dinner is tonight at Tim's Surf 'n' Turf, before we all head out to Shenannigans for the dancing.

My most important task all day has been trying to get in touch with my Mum at home and tonight after many attempts at the useless payphones that simply swallow cash, I finally get through to Scotland to speak to my Mum and wish her a very happy birthday.

I am so lucky. My Mum is the most caring and sensitive person you could ever wish to meet. She is intuitive and I certainly would never have survived the ordeals of the past year without her support.