And that concludes Fowler's travel diary. No major hassles between Fiji and London - the overnight stay in LA was fine but a bit of jet lag is being experienced now. Unfortunately it wasn't feasible to work back at the MaC at the Hammersmith so it is back to reality with a bump and some serious job hunting, though it has been brilliant to see loved ones again after so long!
The whole trip seems like a distant dream already - but Fowler is determined not to forget a second of it (even the unpleasant bits!). Meanwhile Burdett is still travelling and there have been sightings of him throughout SE Asia and now Sydney. According to sources he will be returning in September!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Manta Ray Resort, Nanuya Balavu, Yasawas, Fiji
Fowler stayed here for a couple of nights - specifically to watch the England v Paraguay game. Typically the staellite TV was on the blink so he had to make do with snorkelling and reading in a big hammock on the beach - and also met some great people. 
Felix
Felix and Fowler demolished their extremely fresh (2 hours old) fish from the fishing expedition, it really did taste good.
Catch of the day, Botaira, Naviti
Joe (pictured), Felix and Fowler went off snorkelling and spear fishing in the bay - and this was the end result!
Sunset at Botaira Beach, Naviti, Fiji
Botaira was a secluded idylic and uncrowded place to stay with lots of fish, stunning coral reef 30 metres from shore and the clearest water Fowler had ever seen.
Waya (probably), Yasawas, Fiji
The boat trip out to Naviti was really something - and seeing some acrobatic dolphins riding the bow wave of the boat was great.
Paintball near Taupo, North Island
A paintball trip was set up by Butters and Fowler so they could release some agression..... and also to shoot seven shades of shingle out of each other and see if America or Britain was best. They ended up staying most of the day and had a great time playing with other parties and also a couple of very enjoyable one on one sessions. A great moment during the day was Butters' baseball style slide-in to win one of the "capture the flag" games.Pictured is the forest where the games were held - and the herd of cows that have just ambushed Butters in the trusty white Toyota.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Brown trousers at the ready, Taupo, North Island
More meat for the grinder. The adrenalin hungry Kiwis finally got their man and Fowler signed up to jump out of a mechanically sound plane at 12000ft. Fowler will be able to give an accurate description of the experience once he stops rocking back and forth in a darkened room. Needless to say it was just amazing - and gave a superb view of lake taupo and the mountains nearby volcanoes.
Emerald Lakes, Tongariro Crossing
Lots of nasty sulphorous gasses being released around here - a bit like the changeing rooms at Warden Park School.
Mount Doom (no really), Tongariro Nat Park, North Island
Dee climbed this little puppy and slid back down again on the loose scree slopes. Fowler went to have a look at some of the other volcanic craters and lakes.
Heading from the South to the North Island on the ferry
I think this is the Tory channel but I'm not 100%. The boat is another large car ferry giving an idea of the scale of the channel.
Wine tasting around Marlborough, South Island
This region of NZ is famous for its Sauvignon Blancs. While pondering the fabulous honeysuckle and gooseberry on the nose of this cheeky little wine, Fowler realised all the vineyard staff were laughing at him.
The Super 14 Final in Christchurch
As you can imagine this final was named the 'Pea Souper 14' after a very dense fog descended before the match. It lost something as a spectacle unfortunately but was still worth a look(as long as the ball was on our side of the pitch).
Sea kayaking, Milford Sound, South Island
Simply majestic (and thats just Dee's wooly hat) - Milford Sound was beautiful and the weather was unusually sunny - they have something like 6 metres of rain a year here. Highlights included the safety briefing on the water where one of the guides was upstaged as a fur seal glided past - the first of many.Fowler commented 'this is the best 30 quid Ive ever spent on an activity like this'. Camping was another frosty affair as the temperature plummeted in the evening!