Going Back To Cali

Yes we are going back to Cali,not to disagree with the greatness of LL Cool J, but yes we do think so. It was a fantastic trip, but we are definitely ready to be home.

Since this is our last Blog...well at least until we take off again we thought we would leave you with a pictorial Top Ten.

# 10
Cheryl's support of New Zealand's pharmaceutical community.



#9 Not only was Bungy scary enough, but they wrote our weight on our hand for all to see. Thank goodness it's in kilos.



#8 Cheryl's breakfast every morning. Tomatoes, mushrooms and eggs.




#7 In the wise words of the great Justin Bieber, Cheryl is now "One less lonely girl". To think her fiancé didn't even give us an autograph.





#6 The Back-Up Plan... For both of us







#5 Cheryl played the friendship card, what was I to do?


#4 Susan found her Brit amongst a sea of Kiwi's





#3 Susan's flip book is titled "I'm Like a bird "








#2 The truth hurts sometimes, but do they have to rub it in by writing it on the sheets?



#1 The Bug Catcher





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Location:Queenstown, NZ

Bungy a la Susan (birthday girl)!!!

Can you hear the nervous laughter as you look at this picture? Cheryl on the other hand posed like a super model on a photo shoot for the cover of Vogue's adventure issue.

Yes folks we did it. We jumped off the Kawarau Bridge, the worlds first Bungy site. We had the option to dip our heads in the water, but although falling with nothing but a latex cord stopping us seemed appealing, the thought of possibly drowning while we were falling was a bit too much.

The rush was unbelievable! Enjoy the pictures!




The cute Kiwi's made things easier.


As graceful as I could be. The left is always a bit lazy.


I'm not sure, but was I asleep?


Inhale, exhale









Whew, what a relief!

Location:Kawarau Bridge

Bungy a la Cheryl

Words cannot even begin to describe this, so here are the pictures instead!

Location:Kawarau Bridge, Queenstown

The Last Supper?

Have you ever wondered what you would eat if you thought there was a possibility of it being your last meal? T minus 12 hours until The Jump. At this point in my life, I'm not quite sure while I now feel compelled to jump off a bridge with just an elastic band protecting me from certain death. (Sorry Mom if you're reading) But hey, if George Bush can jump out of a plane on his 80th birthday surely I can Bungey on my birthday right? Of course Bush Senior is a highly trained formal naval aviator...but I digress.

In case you were wondering Cheryl and I both chose a highly recommended pizza place called The Cow. (Daren if you're reading I know what you are going to say...Bring It)

Sorry folks, that's all for now...I am REALLY looking forward to blogging about our jump.

-Susan







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Location:Queenstown

No worries!

Well folks, Susan and I are off to our last city, Queenstown. We were somewhat skeptical that we would make it, seeing that we had 3 plane changes and an emergency landing. When the pilot says "Um, g'day all. We just lost all communications on this plane and need to turn around and get back on the ground. No worries, I'll chat back at you shortly", me thinks this is not a good thing. Alas, There's nothing like a bit of adventure and a good story to tell, so ALL IS GOOD. :)


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Location:Christchurch Airport

Precious...no not the movie

I am sitting in the lobby of our hotel in Wellington waiting for our next adventure wondering if my worst fear will come true...will our tour guide show up dressed as Goleb or will my mortification be spared for today? At the same time Cheryl is so excited she cannot sit still. For those of you like me who have not developed a passion for all things Lord of the Rings, Goleb (as I learned was his name) is the creepy guy pictured below.

Yes today was the day Cheryl had been waiting for, the very reason that brought her to New Zealand. Today was The Lord of the Rings DAY LONG tour.

Philip, our humanly dressed tour guide (mortification spared for another day) picked us up promptly at 9:00 am to lead us on our adventure of all things hobbits, wizards and rings. Philip, we soon learned, had been in all the "Rings" movies and as an added bonus Avatar. After learning that I thought Cheryl would propose on the spot. (Let's just say Cheryl and I don't share the same tastes in movies. Zuelke he is single.)

In all honesty the tour was amazing and was more about the beautiful scenery of Wellington than "The Rings" trilogy. My favorite spot was where they filmed Rivendale. (Where I learned Orlando Bloom's elf character was from...yes I did remember Orlando from the trilogy...priorities) Rivendale and other pictures from the day are below.

-Susan

Location:Wellington

The Kids Are Alright

Hello all!

Susan and I are safe and sound after driving over 400 miles south to Wellington from Auckland. It was a beautiful drive, with not a drop of rain. This is a welcome change, as there was such a downpour in Napier.

Rental car is officially turned in, and the rest of the trip will be done via tour vehicle, ferry to Blenheim, and a flight to Queenstown.

We heard that there was an earthquake 340 miles northeast of Auckland. Rest assured we are safe and unaffected. We didn't even hear about it, until our friend from home emailed us about it (thanks for the 411, Scott).

Today, we are off to the official Lord of the Rings movie set tour... Big thanks to Susan for accompanying and indulging by inner geek (I'm so freakin' excited!).

I leave you with the picture if the sunrise view from our hotel room. :)



Much love to you all! - Cheryl

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Location:Wellington

To the left, to the left....

Beyonce's song now has new meaning to us. It is the mantra that we have to constantly repeat when on the road in NZ. The first time driving on the other side of the road, on the other side of the car, can be VERY nerve racking (we are careful not to say the "wrong" side of the road, as I'm sure that is offensive to our kiwi friends). :)

We made it to each destination safe and sound. And though we would typically say that the drive was uneventful, it was anything but that. The landscape, scenery, and this country in general was absolutely breathtaking! At one point I exclaimed, "We are driving through the Shire!" (special shout out to my fellow Lord of the Ring fans!). The green rolling hills, tall forests, and crystal blue lakes and bays alone make this trip unforgettable.

Susan was a great navigator, only having to tell me twice that I was driving on the wrong side of the road. :) After driving 6 hrs to Napier, I am confident that when driving 4 hours to Wellington tomorrow, I will not revert to being on the "American" side of the road!


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Location:Auckland to Napier

Burrrrrr......

We wish we could say it's raining men, but alas, it is your typical rainstorm. Enjoy the pics. We are now off to Napier! :)

Oh, special shout out to my beautiful sister Pearl and family friend Rob B. Thanks for the iPad!!!! :) - Cheryl

Special Happy Birthday wishes to Travis. Thanks for the great tips on where to go in this beautiful country...now can it please stop raining so we can see it? -Susan

Location:Auckland - Princess Warf

1 Arrival Down, 1 to Go

Greetings from the land down under! Oh wait, wrong country... I mean New Zealand! After a long and very turbulent flight (12 longs hours to be exact) I have made it (thank goodness for movies, music, and Bose noise cancellation headsets). I'm hanging out at the airport awaiting Ms. Porter's arrival. Yes, you heard right, we did NOT fly together. I am a United whore (code share with Air New Zealand) and Susan is an American whore (code share with Qantas). I know this may sound crazy, but to those peeps who travel as much as we do, 13,000 miles goes along way when you have status on an airline. So, with that said, 1 arrival down (me) and 1 to go. :)

As I wait, I am enjoying my first meal in NZ. A lovely "vegetarian foldover" and espresso. They put roasted butternut squash in it, so I'm in heaven! I'm sure I will be posting lots more food porn throughout this trip!



Big hugs -- Cheryl

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Location:Auckland International Airport

Baby on Board

As I sit down in row 24 seat G, I ponder on if the bulk head row was a good idea as I stare at the bassinet in front of me and see the eyes of it's occupant, a 3 month old New Yorker without a pacifier. I can only hope the parents have a healthy supply of Children's Tylenol PM....

-- Susan


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Location:Qantas flight 26

Is it time to go already!?!?

Hello all,

Welcome to our first post. Don't get too excited... It won't be that funny or witty, as we are too tired from all the traveling last month. Anyhoo.... We don't leave until late tonight via LAX, so I'm sure some latter postings will have some cool people watching comments. :)

We would like to leave you with an impressive picture below. Only one carry on and checked luggage for the each of us for over 2 weeks. Pretty good for 2 girls on the road!


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Location:San Diego Airpot