Friday 23rd July - Monday 26th July

Our stay in Port Douglas was all about hitting the Great Barrier Reef and what a trip it turned out to be. It also allowed me to catch up on the updates to the blog that had fallen way behind with limited wireless connectivity. Sorry for the delays all.

Again we took on another different slant during our trip staying in our well stocked two bed apartment at Lychee Tree. A bit of self catering and all the mod cons and a holiday maker could survive almost constantly and definitely more than the four nights we had in store.

After stocking up on supplies and wading through some washing we wandered along the famous "Four Mile Beach". The temperature had gone up a few more notches but the sun decided to stay hidden for most of our stay. The strong wind coming off the sea left us with very comfortable temperatures and more of the easy life wandering around the rows of lovely shops on the main street of town.

We also took the chance to catch up on some family postcards which hopefully will arrive before we get back to the UK - two weeks yet - and Leigh managed to read a new book in two evenings while I gawped at South Africa versus Australia Tri-Nations rugby union on the telly.

The big day of our reef trip and we took our travel pills and I also wore the pressure point bands to fight off the inevitable seasickness. It was all to no avail unfortunately for me as the wind was gusting around 25 knots and the sea was really choppy in parts leaving me with three half filled sick bags during the ride out.

The kids were a bit green around the gills, but just about got through it and Leigh showed her old Royal Navy sea legs by watching us all comfortably.

The actual snorkelling was fantastic though and

well worth those couple of bags. One of the divers on our boat was taking underwater photo's all over the place and both myself and Molly had some play time with a range of fish the biggest of which - a Maori Wrasse - was approximately the size of a big labrador.

Leigh bottled out when the option of touching him came up and Amelia needless to say did not go anywhere near him. The crew had long ago

christened him Marvin and Molly petted him like her long lost pet puppy. For a kid that has great aspirations of being a marine biologist she has certainly had a cracking introduction over the last few weeks.

Port Douglas is probably the location we have enjoyed the most so far with the lovely coastal holiday atmosphere.

Once again after a stroll around the Sunday market and a final night, fancy evening meal it was time to head on to our next destination and the tropical jungle retreat of Litchfield National Park via Darwin. The temperatures are anticipated to climb again and the sun will kill us - and all still in the winter. Northern Territories hear we come.

Sunday 18th July - Thursday 22nd July

After the easy life in the Cooks and the relative hustle and bustle of Sydney we made the most of the the Gold Coast beaches. Sand the quality of silk and quiet winter beach crowds left us with plenty more fun on our hands. Plus we left the restauranting behind for a while and got our fill of some home cooked food - Sunday roast and Cottage Pie to name a few.

We wandered the beaches at Byron Bay, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach and Broadbeach where at the latter all the local surf clubs where competing against each other in swimmer rescue. The surf was pounding and the rescue dinghies where racing out like greased lightning, fantastic to watch, yet I couldn't help but snigger a little at the lifeguard hats the Aussies wear. Necessary against the suns rays but all they needed was the comic spinner on the top to complete the laugh.

The lifeguard skills on the other hand were second to none and kept the kids enthralled. The four of them - Molly, Amelia, Rosie and Alfie - made a point of copying them fortunately without actually getting in the water.

While out at Byron Bay we spotted dolphins in the shallows having a bite and chancing their arm at the blocks of shark bait set out. We didn't spot a shark unfortuately, although the kids were glad, and the dolphins tucked in every now and again flipping out of the water for fun.

We ignored the more in your face, Costa Del Sol parts of the Gold Coast, where everything seems to that much more expensive, and picked the quieter and more kid friendly places to have days out. We also headed into the hills to Springbrook National Park and gazed out at the high rises on the Gold Coast skyline. Even in the winter we spotted a couple of decent sized spiders and wandered through the low cut grass to stay away from any of the deadly snakes potentially waiting for a quick bite.

We managed to grab a photo opportunity while at Currumbina Wildlife Sanctuary where the kids held a young crocodile - jaws taped shut for safety - and bought Alfie a toy lizard seen as he had to go to daycare.

We had plenty of chance to catch up and have a good laugh in the evening when the kids went to bed with bottles of both red and white being sunk faster than the General Belgrano. Terence and Louise ended up having much later nights than they normally would and as much as we enjoyed staying they seemed to get the same amount of pleasure out of the stay as we did. A great time

all around with plenty of good football talk all the way through.

Before we knew it, it was time to pack our things and be on our way again. Getting back to Brisbane airport a lot closer to the wire than we wanted left us grabbing a quick lunchtime snack before boarding the plane to Cairns. All we then needed to do was catch our shuttle transfer. For a 45 mile trip the coach struggled along and left us wondering why the flight was quicker than the blooming transport. Even Rodney the manager at the Lychee Tree was surprised to hear how long it took and made a point of giving them some jip.

Wednesday 14th July - Saturday 17th June

Kids up at the crack of dawn and another set of strange surroundings can guarantee plenty of noise to get your day started. The family Reed decided to grab breakfast in the hotel and what a pleasant surprise it was. After making the most of the sugarless bread in Rarotonga and gorging ourselves each day with toast and jam/marmalade we plumped for egg on toast for the first time in donkeys. Leigh could not have been happier and the kids fortunately had pancakes and maple syrup to direct their American tastes towards. Add tasty pastries (again not so sweet) and plenty of fresh fruit to go around and we were all as happy as pigs in the proverbial.

After our early start compared to most others in our hotel we decided to head for Taronga Zoo for the day. Considering we arrived as the evening was coming on and the sights were not so clear the proximity of our hotel down in "The Rocks" to all the major landmarks came as a big surprise to everyone bar myself. Luckily Leigh had paid special attention to my former Sydney experience when booking our latest place and a short wander through the historic alleyways and lanes straight towards the harbour bridge and opera house left all with wide smiles. The ferry out of the harbour on our way topped it off for the kids gawping at Sydney Opera House. We even managed to fit in a decent curry finding India Quay and some modern Brit-like cuisine.

The zoo was a brilliant Aussie winter day with plenty to see and a new pair of cuddly toys to show for it. Molly and Amelia were the proud owners of Henry the Koala and Peter the Panda, happily showing them off while we rode the Safari Cable Car to the bottom of the hill followed by the ferry back to Sydney Circular Quay. Sydney is such a scenic place with plenty to see and do that it was a great flip side city break after our Rarotonga island paradise.

The following days included a more detailed look at the main sights and a couple of other ferries. The kids made a point of counting all seventy two steps from the harbour walkway to the opera house doors. The only disappointment was going to Luna Park where it was a complete rip off and rubbish to boot. We made up for it with the Harbour Bridge Lookout, Darling Harbour, the

Botanic Gardens, the Aquarium and plenty of quality ice cream. Sydney was great, although expensive, with lots of Brit reminders and links to the old maritime past. In no time at all we were grabbing our final breakfast, catching the taxi to the airport and jumping our next flight heading to Brisbane.

With hindsight when planning we should have flown to Coolangatta as it was a lot closer to Louise and Terence's house in Mudgeeraba, but the extra distance was not a big deal and once again the kids were perfect travellers making the journey a real breeze.

Making our way to Mudgeeraba was easy enough and

getting reacquainted with old friends was great. Between us we had a fine old time for the rest of the day - Leigh and Louise making up for the last six years when they last saw each other, Molly, Amelia, Rosie and Alfie finding their way having great fun and myself and Terence heading into Brisbane with a couple of his footballing mates to catch the glorious Everton FC on pre-season tour against Brisbane Roar. The kids were great, going to bed well after their evening meal and no time zone variations for a change so far, while Leigh and Louise demolished plenty of wine.

Fair play to Terence being a Newcastle supporter and sorting out the footy match where just under 20,000 fans turned up (about a third blues) as it was complete coincidence that we had made it. After just a couple of hours we knew that during our stay we were going to have plenty of time to catch up and relax (again!).

Friday 9th July - Tuesday 13th July

The relaxing continued at a breakneck pace down at the shoreline, etc, etc.

That's how it has been mostly for us with the exception that the kids made a couple of Kiwi friends and played with them happily for quite a few days. The love of the water for both Molly and Amelia got stronger with Molly getting into snorkelling big time by the end of our week and Amelia riding the the light current along the shallows. Cries about "this yellow eel" or "this blue starfish" could be heard in all four corners of the beach - I'm sure you can imagine her sombre tones. The temperature went up a few notches, as did the suntan, and Leigh and I ploughed (Brit spelling again) our way through a few more pages of our latest book.

We did however break up the laid back approach with a trip into Avarua, the only town and capital of Rarotonga, for the weekly Saturday market. It was all good stuff with the four of us catching the longer anti-clockwise bus route around the island instead of the shorter, but busier clockwise one. No numbers needed here as there is only one circular available. The market had plenty more cultural showpieces of dancing and drum banging, as taught daily in the government run schools, and we wandered around the stalls taking it all in. Needless to say the kids managed to acquire a nice flowery Polynesian dress/top, each hand made by a local stallholder. We strolled along the harbour front and made our way to the Cook's Corner bus terminus via the ice cream cafe. Funny how chocolate here still doesn't taste quite how it should. Think we'll have to wait until Australia for that one.

The so-called solar eclipse was nowhere near being 100% coverage for us and for a change clouds made a point of getting in the way around the momentous

8:20AM mark. It was decidedly darker for whatever percentage of eclipse we received, but for all those stargazers up in the Northern Islands they must have been well cheesed off if they had failed to catch the full moment and the surely hefty holiday bill to boot.

We were doubly disappointed on Sunday morning

post-eclipse when Holland failed to get past the slippery Spanish in the World Cup final. The majority crowd around the pool were pro-Spain so at least the days events carried on in a positive light. I was still buzzing off seeing some Aussie in an LFC kit at least eight years old - away one, green and white - and wondering why on earth he

thought it was the right time to don his best clobber. Other than the mandatory overseas Man Utd wearing fan the only others showing any allegiance were our own kids. They were so disappointed with Johnny Heitinga's sending off for Holland that post match we needed an extra long table tennis session to snap them out of it and set them back on the steady Raro pace all over again.

Leaving was a little hectic purely because we were up at 4:15AM to get ourselves in order. Most Americans wouldn't bat an eyelid at that kind of an early rise, but now we were back in Brit mode we most certainly did. Oh and $55 departure tax, what a rip off. Good job we had some cash left at the airport as the ukelele-playing singer bade us farewell otherwise we may have had to stay!! We couldn't have managed the powdered milk anymore I'm sure, but Rarotonga will certainly remain a special place for us all, even if it is just the memory of the clear as crystal waters.

Once again I took exception to the fact that we essentially lost the 12th July - Val's birthday, so hope it was a good one, we tried to enjoy it - and Amelia still pulled a funny face when trying to work out why the International Dateline was what it it is. At the exact "12th to the 13th moment" both kids were making the most of "G-Force" courtesy of Air New Zealand's in flight entertainment, Leigh was in the toilet and the geek that I am took a pic of the airshow as it sat on the mysterious dateline.

The only other downside was realising that Amelia had let her ipod shuffle and headphones fall down the back of her Rarotongan bed prior to us doing a runner, so hopefully we can contact them and get them back. She was very upset at the time, but we'll sort it out once we get a moment in Oz. If the cleaner has Scouse lineage somewhere then maybe we'll just have to buy Amelia a new one.

Both kids managed brilliantly and even with a couple of hours worth of layover in Auckland to change flights they were still going strong when we landed in Sydney. So from "Kia Orana" to "G'Day Cobber" and the jetlagged foursome made-do with room service before getting some kip. Gaining another four hours, as we had done from Denver to the Cook's the week before, left us pretty knackered by 6:30PM when Leigh and the kids dropped off. No idea what time we will actual wake up tomorrow but I'm sure penning this (8:00PM now - 4AM Denver tmw, midnight Raro, 10AM UK) and being the last one to bed will leave it's mark on us in a cool and blustery, but sunny Sydney, when the kid's body clocks kick start during our peak REM sleep no doubt.

Monday 5th July - Thursday 8th July

We finally arrived and the scenery is pretty special. Luckily the flight alone was smart enough and Amelia slept most of the way through bar the last two hours. She woke up just in time to see Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. Molly indulged a little with some fancy business class food and a film sessions with Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Nanny McPhee before nodding off too. Leigh struggled to sleep - for a change ! - and I got stuck into the range of top notch fodder and bit of TV before catching forty winks.

It was ironic how on the way into Denver over four years ago with British Airways both kidswatched the original Nanny McPhee over and over again (with the exception of a toddler Amelia crying out of hunger) and now here we were with the kids taking in the follow up Nanny McPhee movie on the way out. How they have changed since then.

Kia Orana !! Arriving at Rarotonga was quite bizarre. Landing just around sunrise so the passengers cannot see how small the runway is and gazing on at how huge the aircraft was in comparison was well smart. Coming into the immigration and customs area to be met with a local hip-swaying, ukelele-twanging Pacific greeting was something we had been waiting for since Dale and Andrea's account of Cook Island Homeland Security. Then once past customs we each received a fresh flower garland around the neck and headed off to our hotel. Great stuff.

With July the coolest yet driest month in climate (mid-70's F and 4 inches) the days have been relaxing with the beach great and the water - Aro'a Lagoon - lovely and warm. Sitting watching the breakers outside the reef is relaxing enough, but the slight breeze and the sound of the sea (or ocean) just tops it all off. Molly and Amelia are hitting the kids club in the morning and then making the most of it with us for the rest of the day. Playing in the canoes, attempting snorkelling or just messing about in the shallow waters edge is providing us all with the desired buffer from US to UK transition.

The only real item of interest that we got involved in was a Cook Island Barbeque night with local music and fire dancing. The evening included a massive tropical storm so we stayed inside the pavilion which increased the noise from the musicians and added to the spectacle. Again the kids thought the whole thing was amazing watching the incredible speed at which the best fire juggler could spin his brand and helped them fight off some of the never-ending jetlag. The inference of some of the suggestive dancing was lost on the kids but the wide smiles from the dancers was funny enough to us.

According to Lonely Planet, Cook Islanders are reputed to be the best dancers in Polynesia, even better than the Tahitians, so we definitely got our moneys worth and had a great evening.

The area is due a huge influx if tourists from today as the the islands are apparently afforded visibility of a solar eclipse. I haven't managed to check but a full 100% eclipse would be fantastic. After catching a cracker eclipse myself with Chris Shaw and Billy Bray back in 2005 (I think?) when camping in Cornwall it will certainly be interesting catching one from the middle of nowhere.

Kia Manuia ! or "May you enjoy good fortune".

Sunday 4th July

Well the day had finally arrived and the fact that it happened to be the 4th July resonated in different ways for ourselves and our American friends. Regardless of what kind of slant you take we will be happy to get on our way and get back with our family and long time friends.

Sid did a splendid job getting us up to the airport and left us reflecting again how strange it all was

having a completely different family picking up most of what we knew as home. Nevertheless I'll no doubt have plenty of dealings with Sidders over the coming years, so cheers mate.

The severe thunderstorms that raged around Denver International Airport for a while threatened on leaving us slightly stranded a la Icelandic volcano. We waited with baited breath, both at the gate and on the runway, on making our hop to LA and catching the once a week connection to Rarotonga and taking the giant leap forward to hitting

our beach paradise.

The less said about LA airport the better but fortunately for us we finally made it to the business lounge with enough time to grab a bite to eat and allow the kids to catch an hours worth of shut eye. We were even fortunate enough to catch a major fireworks display off in the distance that must have cost a fair packet. It was a cracking showing though.

I'm not sure what kind of web service we may get over the next week, so contact may be a bit limited. Either way here we come own way passage and home - thanks for the memories USA.

Friday 2nd July - Saturday 3rd July

Another couple of waiting days. After the come down of handing over the house keys we are stuck in a "of no fixed abode" status waiting for our once a week flight out to the Cook Islands on Sunday 4th. The now mandatory meeting up with friends for one last tearful farewell was clearly taking its toll and leaving us in the nicest possible way wishing for Sunday to arrive sooner rather than later.

We made the most of Park Meadows Mall for one last time picking up some jewellery (UK spelling) for the kids and using up the excess on the Starbucks gift cards before again taking to the pool with Marcie and the girls. While the kids had fun I had the pleasure of getting the car through its emissions test over in Parker prior to sale on Sunday.

Meeting up with Kate and Glen - reckon it was Venus low in the western sky mate, Roy and Jennifer - our Yorkshire next door neighbours have got an awful lot to live up to failing miserably, Kristen and Riley (Leigh) - Amelia has her new e-mail ready to go and Joe and Mike (James) - checking out Robin Hood will no doubt kick start the inevitable jokes about the standard of British teeth and how nothing much has changed since the 12th century - was great for one last time, for the near future at least, and thoughts again of not only what we were leaving behind but how much we have done and enjoyed during our four and a bit years out here.

The two days have been dominated by World Cup goings-on for me with great pleasure at seeing both Brazil and Argentina (especially the Argies) bite the dust and seeing some brilliant showpieces of quality, flowing football. Incredible how the quarters had a great South American feel and now the semi's are practically all Europe. If the Dutch win then I think that would be justice for the best footballing team historically never to win the tournament. Fingers crossed. Special note for Katrin and Leonard who hit Florida for a family wedding. Hope you managed to catch a bar to catch the big games that wasn't completely inundated with Brits.

Lastly the kids had a great time catching Avatar: The Last Airbender and didn't stop spinning around waving their arms in the air for the whole day. Nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews claim and a typical first film for a series of three or four. As we were walking out of the cinema Amelia reckoned it was the best movie she had ever seen. That was good enough for me.

Thursday 1st July

And so the month started on a steady note for us all with the mandatory let's get a few things sorted before checking on the house again.

While we made the most of the breakfast, we received e-mail notification that the kids had been accepted to St. Wilfred's in Ripon. A shock to us all seen as we had gone to appeal, but a very welcome one nonetheless, and a great way to start the day.

Running around the shops both buying and returning went well enough considering before making it to the house for one final hurrah. Checking on each room and giving the empty spaces one last look over was much easier than it had been on all the previous occasions when we had been cleaning them and so once checked out we drove on in the trusty Camry with one final sneak look and wave out the side windows.

For me personally, the sad man that I am, I was almost as gutted returning our books to Smoky Hill library and giving that the last once over. How I've used that place to death and will definitely miss the quality and range of stuff available from there - as will the kids. Rather than pay their final respects both Molly and Amelia chose to stay in the car with the air conditioning on rather than walk the couple of yards into the place, although the temperature was around the mid-nineties at that point. In great anticipation of our hol's we then made a quick stop over at the barbers so I could shed a few pounds from the barnet before heading back to our now comfortable hotel suite.

When we arrived at our hotel the fire brigade were there attempting to kill the ear-piercing alarms after a plumber on a welding job had set the whole place off. It didn't take too long before all was sorted and we grabbed a bit to eat.

The kids hit the pool for the now daily swim session while Leigh headed off to meet up with her book club chums (old, but good picture) for the last time. The kids loved the TV drama of

some painful quiz show where the contestant managed to blow 140,000 dollars with her avarice while they chomped down the remains of a Cadbury's Flake easter egg. Spot on.

Leigh made it back from her evening sad to once again say goodbye, but with a couple of welcome gifts that will keep us all happy on our trip. No wonder you ladies are full of smiles - or is that just the range of steady alcohol.