Travels with SG: Oz to the Gilis

Hello from Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia!!!

It's been quite some time since I sent out a group email-about 2 months!!! Not much has gone on since then...
NOT! Just been too busy, but will give a short recap.

Australia

Mom and dad came for a short visit :) -2 months...
last time I wrote-dad, Michael and I were boarding Mike Balls dive boat up in Cairns...
a most fantastic trip! They really know how to pamper you on a live-a-board (3 nights and 4 days)...
Beautiful fish and warm waters!!! Mom stayed back in Cairns and hung out at our luxurious hotel Sofitel and checked out the aquarium and did some 'light' shopping!!! We soon left Cairns and headed south-rented a car and headed to Surfers Paradise! At one of our "pit-stops" dad came upon a green tree frog in the toilet!!! We all heard him!!!

New Zealand

Michael and I flew in to Auckland a day before mom and dad. Our friend Greg (who we met on the Inca trail last year) picked us up at the airport-he and his very pregnant wife, Nicole, put us up for a couple days, in their very lovely house that they just moved back into the day we arrived!(thanks again!) We stayed with the Moons while we decided where we would head off first...
We were hoping that Nicole would give birth while we were still in town-but no luck! She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy-Tyler (9lbs,9oz-we got to see him before heading to Indonesia) We rented a van, picked up mom and dad and headed north...
New Zealand has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world!!! The mountains, the beaches, glow worm caves, speed boats up the rivers, Milford Sound, seeing the Yellow-eyed-penguins up close and personal, going to my first rugby game in Christchurch, hiking the Franz Joseph glacier-Gods country...
But oh, lets not forget-getting all our lovely vaccines in Christchurch and Auckland (too many shots to tell you all about...
But if you are traveling, it is much cheaper to get them here that in the US)!!! I could move here in a second-but Michael had a horrible time with his allergies on the north island...
We were in NZ for one month-there is just so much to see and to do on both Islands...check out the pictures-there are so many cool places to go on both the north and south islands!!!

Fiji

Mom and dad treated (not to mention OZ and NZ) us to a fantastic trip to Fiji!!! The first 2 days we spent at the International Hotel Tanoa (if in Fiji-definitely do NOT stay here, the service BITES!) We then jumped on the Blue Lagoon Cruise-4 day, 3 night around the Yasawa Islands-despite the rain, the first 2 days, it was very lovely and relaxing! We got to visit a local village and do a bit of snorkeling...
And every morning at 6am we had a swim- mom and dad made it every morning-Michael and I missed one-too tired! After the cruise we took a very scary seaplane ride to Matamanoa Island. Our flight was delayed for 2 hours-rain, lightening and thunder storm and HUGE winds...
We finally got to depart after the storm passed-the takeoff was fine...
However, we had to drop off an Austrian couple at an island one over from ours...
The landing-let me tell you...
Most of you have heard about the small planes that Michael and I have been on in Guatemala, Panama, and Peru (I vowed never again to get into a small plane-small, meaning one that did not have drink service, bathroom and had the option of seeing an in-flight movie) Here I am on a seaplane...
SMALL!!! Dad and I got to sit in the back...
Mom in the middle w/the Austrian couple, and Michael, as always, gets the front-great view and all the air!!! The wind picked up and blew under the right wing...
Then under the left wing when we were only 10-15 feet from landing in the water!!! Our pilot (about 26 and from Canada) aborted his first attempt to land-scared the heck out of me!!! Michael said that the look on the pilots face was sheer terror as well! Second attempt to land went fine!!! Then another take off-very bumpy because the swells...
I was so glad to get to our lovely Island of Matamanoa!!! Only 33 cabins-beachfront with fans or aircon behind the beach bungalows...
No children under 12, swimming pool, kayaks, catamarans, snorkeling trips and a dive shop on the island! I highly recommend this island-just beautiful and very relaxing!!! Dad, Michael and I did a fantastic dive at a sight called 4 sisters...

Back to Auckland, New Zealand

More shots, pick up some new Maui Jim Typhoon Sunglasses (both mine broke in Fiji) and caught up with Greg and his baby!!! More errands, and to the airport w/mom and dad-their flight departed 1/2 hour after ours...

Indonesia

We spent 5 days in Sunur, Bali at the Radisson Suites-CHEAP!!! Kim, Ricky, and Cecile flew in a couple days a head of us, and Kim with all her connections got us a deal on the suites (3 Bedroom, kitchen, aircon, pool etc.) We hung out at the pool, shopped and ate in Kuta (not as bad a place as it was 2 years ago-where everyone wanted you to buy a watch and tee-shirt!) Did a tour of Ubud and the baths (private tour for just the 5 of us-thanks again to Kim and Yogi) and then, last Tuesday, we travelled as Michael and I are used to-on the "dirt cheap" and no connections!!! For 55,000Rupia (about $6US) we took a 1hour 40minute shuttle to catch a 4 1/2 hour ferry to Lombok (island to the east of Bali) and another bus(2hours) and another boat (11 grueling hours in all) and finally got to Gili Trawangan...
Kim, Ricky and Cecile held up well-they are not used to this sort of travel-and I myself was a bit bushed as well!!! We are now in the Melati bungalows (same place that we stayed in 2 years ago, with some of the old familiar faces!) No cars, motorbikes on this island, only horse drawn carts and your feet to get around-very easy to do as you can walk the whole island in 2 hours! The ocean is lovely-blue green water with colorful fish and friendly locals-especially the kids!!! We are learning a bit of the local language with 2 of our hosts (Jeff and Masmon) at our bungalows and Joe at the Sunrise Cafe. Michael and I still need to do some diving-most likely tomorrow-but no rush...
Last time we were here there was one dive shop, now there are about 6, and many new places to stay and eat...
And yes, they do have internet via satellite!!! Two years ago there was one phone on the island (it never worked) now just about every place of business has one...
Yes, things change-you just alway hope that your little place in paradise will always stay the same!!!

All for now,
luv, SG