New Zealand so far...

Jeepers it's been too long since we've left our mark on the world's interweb but thankfully we're back and plenty more wee stories to share. Infact so many wee sotries in so little time we're probably going to miss out most of them but hopefully you'll get most of it.

Although you were probably beginning to fear the worst and suspecting those blood thirsty kiwi birds to have torn us apart and ravaged our fat irish bodies, we actualy pretty much wasted our first month in New Zealand lost in orchards and waiting for vans. Gavin and Chris kept us well entertained in Hastings for the first few weeks with a wee wander down to Welly to watch a Super 14s match though. Hurricanes vs Sharks in a rainy stadium finished in a 14 all draw but the night life after made it all worth while and to escape the boredom of Hastings was like manna from heaven.

The rotten apple was our home for the month and just happed to be full of Northern Irelanders. Not that we are complaining because we are the superior race. Nice place and nice people always willing to help. Ths brings us on to our van nicely. In our quest to find our diamond in the rough we were put in touch with a man who kept reminding us how much of a nice guy he was and just willing to help. He found us a van but became very dodgy, so wearing our sensible shorts we walked away from him and left him to con someone else. Only 2 hours after we had left him we became the proud new owners of THE Big Red Van. A few knocks and bumps give it character but she has been transformed into a beauty and currently carrying 5 of us around the North Island. As big as she is 5 is a tight squeeze! That means 3 on our hand built custom bed in the boot, 1 on the bench in the middle and 1 squeezed between gear knobs and steering wheels, and over handbrakes along the seats in the front. When we return home with back problems you will know why. "5? I thought there were only 2 Rorys and Ryans in the world?" we heard you say. Yes, unfortunately there are not more of us and you have only been blessed with one of each, but we have recently recruited Matthew Gaston from Belfast somewhere, into our touring group and he will be staying with us until we hopefully make it to Hong Kong. 5 minus 3 still leaves 2 for all you keen mathematicists out there and those 2 berths are filled by none other than Gavin Gleeson himself and Chris Foye, another man from back home who is currently on a break from work over here. Try to imagine the smell of the van each morning, it ain't pretty.

So far on our adeventure around north island we have covered some 2000kms already. We drove from Hastings to the East Cape to watch the sun rise in the morning and be some of the first in the world to do so. Then toured on round the coast through the Bay of Plenty and its many surfing boudoirs, quickly through the stench that is Rotorua where Gav was taken to hospital fearing a broken ankle (it's all good, don't fret) on up round the Coromandel Peninsula with its amazing scenery, beautiful beaches and brilliant fishing, before collecting Mr Gaston in Auckland, and blasting our way up the Northland coast to Cape Reigna, stopping only for snorkelling, swimming, eating and the odd picture here and there. Its been a whistle stop tour so far but there's still plenty to do.

Like our travels we also have to be moving on now so that's it for now. Hopefully the next blog will be a little less time constrained and we can fill you in on some more of the finer details as well as satisfy your scandal seeking ears and gossip filled mouths.


Love and Kisses from all 5 of us now. That's alot-a-lovin!

xox