Heading back to Vancouver

 There was definitely an alpine chill in Whistler this morning with the sunshine replaced by grey skies.  Key takeaways for the Whistler hotel were the giant rock hard pillows and the enormous bath beside the bed - not in the bathroom, in the bedroom!

We started the day trying to find Pankhurst and the Ghost Town trail.  After a few wrong turns we found the location but decided against the walk.  It was quite isolated, without clearly marked tracks and was close to groups of 'travelers' who had set up informal camps in the area.  We really didn't feel comfortable leaving our bags, etc in the car so change of plan was agreed.

The next alternative was the Rainbow Falls trail with a 2.6 km loop.  The bush was absolutely beautiful with early spring growth, interesting rock colours and moss and lichen.  Rainbow Falls was certainly worth the climb and it is hard to imagine how much water mast go through during the snow melt.  It also serves as the water source for Whistler.  We spoke to a couple from Vancouver whose son spent a semester at Auckland University, loved New Zealand so much that he and his wife returned there to get married.   Fascinating stories that are often stumbled upon.

We drove up the the Whistler Winter Olympic Village, which as closed sadly, and then had a very pleasant picnic stop at the Alexander Falls.  Plenty of signs telling us not to feed the bears, but not one in sight.

On our way South we stopped off in Squamish which is located at the northern tip of the Howe Sound.  The Walmart had the cleanest public toilets we've visited in a long time!  Forestry is a huge industry for the area and it was fascinating seeing the logs being prepared to be floated down the Sound to be loaded onto ships in Vancouver.  We walked to the Sound entrance way sculpture where the wide was howling and a few hardy souls were wind foiling.  Apparently there is a daily thermal wind over summer which makes it a popular spot. 

Next stop was Lighthouse Park, near Juniper Point, which is just north of Vancouver City.  We first heard about it from a Canadian couple we spoke to at a lookout on the Milford Road, at Christmas time.  Google took us in a slightly convoluted journey, but we finally found our way there.  Another lovely walk to the Lighthouse Point (no lighthouse in view) and then back around a loop track.  Clearly a popular place with the locals and some fascinating tree formations.

Vancouver traffic was a challenge, but we finally made it back to the airport with the car, and ourselves, undamaged, caught the shuttle back to the hotel and now relaxing before our final day here.  Bit of drama when we tried to check in as the hotel couldn't find our booking.  I am so thankful that I am 'old fashioned' enough to print copies of bookings, even though we have electronic copies.  It certainly was worth it in this instance.

The weather was kind to us again, with only a few spots of rain during the drive and then some very light drizzle when we walked to get dinner.  Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow.

Whistler

 Here’s an interesting fun fact:  Whistler got its name from the sound made by the hoary marmots.  Who knew!

While we were having breakfast this morning a big fat rat ran across the carpark outside of the hotel, picked up a bread roll and ran back under the deck.  Another fun fact:  Vancouver was the third ‘rattiest’ city in Canada in 2025.  Since then we have seen deer, Canadian geese but, as yet, no bears.

Caught the shuttle back to the airport and collected our rental car.  The woman serving us took great pains to tell us that it is brand new, 2026, and an upgrade.  It’s a Hyundai Avenue, a very small SUV about the size of a Suzuki 4X4.  When we park it takes up about half the space of the giant 4x4s that most people seem to drive.

Managed to negotiate our way through Vancouver and headed north toward Whistler, with a few stops along the way.  Very pleasant walk to the spectacular Shannon Falls - Kwékwetxwm with a height of 335 m.  The walk though the forest was almost as good as the view of the falls.

Some of the walks along the way were still closed as it is shoulder season, but the main trails are pretty good.  Had lunch at a campsite on the edge of the Cheakamus River, alongside the beware of bears signs.  On to the Train Wreck a 2.6 km walk.  In 1956 a train loaded with logs was running late, so the driver decided to speed up - bad mistake and it derailed on a corner, spilling the logs across the track.  As this was the main transport route from Vancouver to the North, the quickest way to clear the mess was to drag the wreckage off the tracks and into the bush.  The damaged boxcars have been there ever since and have become popular with graffiti artists.  Well worth the walk, even with the suspension bridge we had to cross.

Arrived in Whistler about 4.00, offloaded our bags into the hotel and then went for a wander around the village.  It is something quite special and doesn’t have the frenetic feel that Queenstown does.  Mind you, it is shoulder season and only a couple of the ski fields are still open.  Couldn’t believe that it was 23 degrees this afternoon.  Definitely been spoilt with the weather.

Must be nearly time for bed - still trying to manage jet lag, but doing okay after a good sleep last night.

Vancouver

 Arrived safely in Vancouver after a slightly delayed take off.  The pilot kept mentioning that we had an extra heavy flight and needed a longer runway.  He also mentioned that some cargo may need to be removed because of the weight.  A sure fire way to ensure the anxiety levels were elevated!  He also said that we were going to fly through the thunder storm that had hit Auckland earlier in the day and would experience some heavy turbulence for about an hour - great!!  Thankfully we were able to take off, made it through the weather system and then encountered many more as we bumped our way across the Pacific.  Have to say that the Air New Zealand service was outstanding- not something we have experienced on previous trips,

Flying into Vancouver reminded us a lot of New Zealand on a much bigger scale.  Glorious sunny, warm weather and lots of signs of spring.  Another bonus was the safe arrival of our bags, having bid them farewell in Dunedin.

Our hotel is close to the airport and in an area with lots of high intensity apartment blocks.  There's a really diverse cultural mix and lots of Asian supermarkets.  Over the road is an enormous Cisco Warehouse.  Just watching the massive trolleys full of goods that people come out with is entertaining.

At that horrible stage of knowing that it is too early to sleep but not feeling like doing anything, so we went for a walk.  Dinner was KFC - mainly because it was close by.  We forgot that 'large' in this part of the world is not the same as at home.  We'll be having chicken for lunch tomorrow as well.

Next door is a Tesla agency which has a couple of cyber trucks in the car park.  Couldn't resist going to have a look at one in real life.  Lots of huge utes driving everywhere.  At least the car parks are designed with enough room to accomodate them. 

After a (hopefully) good sleep tonight, we will go back to the airport to collect our rental car and begin our mini Canadian roadie.

Away to see Ella

First day of the next adventure. Left Outram early this morning, thanks P! Long stop over in Auckland but gave us time to catch up with my brother and meet his beautiful new granddaughter. Also caught up with the Browns during an impressive thunder storm. Thankfully that has moved on. Also enjoyed the sunshine and warm weather- bit of a change from the 4 degrees at home this morning. Flight to Vancouver leaves at 8.00 so not long to go. Feels like each step is getting us closer to Ella. 

Out and about in Singapore

Yesterday morning we decided to negotiate the very efficient public transport system by ourselves and navigated our way to the Gardens by the Bay.  The most challenging thing was figuring out what tickets we needed to buy and then work our way through the queue to actually get them - should have booked them online.

We went up to the skybridge, which gives a view across the park, the waterfront and across to the iconic Marina Sands Hotel.  Have to admit that I was happy when we decided to come down from the bridge as it was quite high and you could feel it shaking when people were walking around.  We were advised to do the walk as soon as possible as it is closed in bad weather.  We could already feel the wind starting to pick up and can imagine that it could get quite windy.

There are two large domes that cover the gardens - Sky Dome and Flower Dome.  As we had limited time, we decided to only visit the Flower Dome.  There was a special tulip exhibition which really was spectacular  (except for all  of the tourists trying to take photos).  They were mass planted in colour blocks, interspersed with blue and white hyacinths and daffodils.  Has inspired me to do the same next time I am planting spring bulbs.

The different garden areas reflected different countries or continents.  Many of the plantings were quite familiar but there were some pretty impressive succulents and cacti as well as crazy looking Baobab trees. From there we walked through the park to the Helix Bridge which links the Marina Centre with Marina South.  At the base of the bridge is the grandstand and area used for pit lanes when the Grand Prix is held here.  Drive to Survive fans will understand!  Passed by the Art-Science Museum, another interesting looking building that was inspired by the lotus flower.

We braved the crowds and walked though the Marina Sands Shopping mall that was wall to wall, high end fashion stores.  The window displays were quite something and worth a look.  On the lower level is a 'canal' complete with small replica gondolas and hump backed pedestrian bridges.  Only thing missing were the gondoliers singing.

We came back to our 'local' food court and met Elton for lunch.  Had planned to go out exploring again but it started pouring down, which had the bonus of cooling things down a little.  Once it stopped, we went for a walk in the local park, but the stream were we had seen the turtle was wet and truly flooded.  Nice to be out while everything was fresh after the rain.

Dinner was mookata, a Thai meal, where you cook the meat on a hot plate at the table.  It was a slow precess, but a great way to spend the evening together.

This morning Elton and Jucintha took us to Haw Par Villa, built in 1937 by the developer of Tiger Balm.  it was an eclectic park with over 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history and illustrations of Confucianism.   It was fascinating in an odd sort of way but definitely worth the visit.  

It was sweltering hot so we headed to a large shopping mall nearby for lunch - Japanese pizza, which happened to be delicious.  Caught a cab back to the apartment and arrived back just as a massive electrical storm arrived.  Don't think I have ever heard thunder as loud.  Am now hoping the it passes by before we fly tonight.

We are now packing our bags before heading to the airport for our last long-hall flight.  Has been fantastic catching up with our Singapore family, who head off to Turkey next week, for their own adventures.

Next stop Christchurch

To Singapore

We bid a final and very sad farewell to our wonderful daughter, at the train station at Queens Park.  The rain held off long enough to get onto the train before it poured down.  It was such a treat to be able to spend the time with Ella and now visualise her everyday life in London.

Our trip on the Bakerloo and Elizabeth Lines, to Heathrow, has become quite familiar and we felt like old hands.  Check-in went smoothly and our bags were not overweight, which was a relief.  We flew on a Singapore Airlines A380 (the two storied one) which was so nice.  They feel so like there is much more space and are incredibly smooth.  The flight attendants were very polite and the service very efficient, considering how many passengers there are on those monster planes.  I really enjoyed tracking our flight path and picking out the countries and cities as we flew over them - no clouds.  Sadly very little sleep again.

Arriving in Singapore was painless, though we had forgotten to complete the online arrival registration, which caused a bit of a delay.  When we got the baggage claim area, our bags had been removed from the conveyor belt and were sitting sadly with only one other bag.  The opposite of standing with baited breath, hopping the your luggage would appear.

David's brother Elton had borrowed a friend's car and drove us to their place.  Considering how hot it was when we arrived we so appreciated not having to make our way using public transport.

Their apartment is quite a bit bigger than we had expected and we have room to spread out, so don't feel like we are cramping their space.  Delicious beef stir-fry dinner before heading to bed, even though it was only early afternoon London time.  Thank goodness for air conditioning.

This morning we went to the Mustafa Market where you could find just about anything you could possibly  want to buy, and copious quantities of it.  Again we loved the different sights, sounds and smells of the market, but were restrained in our purchases.

From there we walked through Little India with its amazingly ornate temple, on toward Chinatown, through a predominantly Muslim area.  Apparently this is considered a tourist area, but we enjoyed seeing the quaint and colourful shops and exploring the alleyways.

We caught the bus back, enjoying seeing the world from the top of a double decker, as opposed to the underground, and had lunch at one of the many food courts opposite the apartment block.  Not sure what was better, the food or the cold drink!

Had a bit of a rest before walking to a beautiful park about five minutes away.  We had a great time watching a heron fishing for its dinner and then a friendly turtle that kept popping its head out of the water on the edge of the stream.  The breeze was deliciously cool amongst the trees.

Back to the food court for the boys to have  a beer before dinner and saw a couple with their dog in a backpack!  It was a seven year old long haired chihuahua and they take it cycling with them.  The dog seemed completely unfazed by its unusual mode of transportation.

Dinner was satay and fried rice, followed by fresh mango - absolute heaven.

Time to move on

 Sunday morning the sun shone for us as we headed back to Bath for Ella's requisite morning coffee (and a perfect hot chocolate for me, that David ended up drinking half of, as it was so delicious).  Could spend days just wandering the city and finding something new and different to feast your eyes on.

Our meandering drive took us through Newton St Loe, a tiny and very cute village owned by King Charles, then to the Slaughters - Upper and Lower,  also very quaint, with a stream flowing thought both.  Then Burford which, even though it was heaving with people, was another delight.  Just never tire of how beautiful the villages are and so full of history.

We had time before returning the rental to have another quick visit with David's cousin Wendy, which was a great opportunity to strengthen the family connection.

Dinner was Ella's favourite Thai takeout and it was delicious.  Making the. most of our last evening together.

This morning we went though the challenge of trying to fit everything back into our bags - including my Beatrix Potter collection!  Am slightly under he maximum weight which is a relief.

Ella and I walked to Queens Park so that she could do some chores - and get her morning coffee.  David and I will head off shortly to fill in a few hours before we have to say our final goodbyes.  I'm on a mission to find a 'funky' pair of British socks - about all that I will have space for in my bag!