Wednesday 2 November: Auckland and home

We had planned to have a look at Auckland's "Antarctic Experience" but slept in so late it wasn't possible. We packed up and killed some time at the hotel until the shuttle came to take us to the airport. After having (yet more) words with Air New Zealand about the costs we had imposed on us by their flight changes (more to be said on this subject later) we got on board and headed west. The flight wasn't anywhere near full, so we had a bit of leg and elbow room, and it was generally quite pleasant.

We arrived in Perth, and were met at the airport by our future son-in-law Jan. Home to Kingsley - it's wierd going back into your own home after a time away. Got half unpacked, started sorting the mountain of mail, but gave up and hit the sack.

Well, that's the end of our three months away. Now we have to come back to reality - bills to pay, household maintenance, jobs to go back to. And about 10,000 pictures to sort out and decide which to print. It's been a fantastic three months, with some experiences we'll never forget - as well as a few we'd rather forget. We met some wonderful people in lots of different countries. We saw some beautiful landdscapes, some magnificent buildings and artworks. But after all that it's great to be home.

To everybody who asks which place we enjoyed most, the answer is probably South Africa. But each place was unique and special in its own way. And our next trip (when it happens) will be right here in Australia- there's still a lot of this beautiful country we haven't seen.

Our very sincere thanks to all the people who showed kindness and generosity along the way, and to those who looked after things at home while we were away.