India/Nepal/Aus/NZ/Fiji/Tahiti/Bora Bora/LA (2026)

05/03/2025

So as this epic trip comes to an end - the longest and most diverse trip I’ve done so far.

Now that it’s all over a few thoughts/stats etc.

Flights taken - 19 ✈️
Countries visited 6 🇮🇳🇳🇵🇳🇿🇫🇯🇵🇫🇺🇸
Scooters ridden - 3 🛵
Tuk tuks taken - 4 🛺
Hotels stayed at - 20 🏨
Beaches visited - lost count 🏖️
Favourite country - impossible to say
Best beach - Matira, Bora Bora
Happiest memory - meeting Bonnie
Best moment - Taj Mahal
Worst moment - no suitcase in Kathmandu and crap first 2 days weather in Bora Bora
Plushest hotel - Mumbai
Worst hotel - Delhi Airport

All in all this has to be the trip of my life so far. From the bustling Indian cities like Delhi/Mumbai/Jaipur, to the amazing Taj Mahal, to the incredible Himalayas by plane, to the amazing Mt Cook by helicopter, to the fabulous paradise beaches of Goa, Fiji, Tahiti, Bora Bora and Huahine, to the great food I’ve had pretty much everywhere and, of course, the highlight of my trip meeting my gorgeous granddaughter Bonnie in Sydney.
It’s going to be impossible to top this trip but I’ll give it a go. I’m thinking South/Central America or maybe Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Borneo this winter.
Signing off from French Polynesia 👍😎🏖️🌞

04/03/2025

Day 87 - London. So my mate Steve has knives, swords and guns - so we went to the shooting range this morning (as we both now have clear heads) and it was brilliant ! I shot both .38 and .45 calibre pistols and turned out I was a pretty good shot. Really enjoyed it although the kickback was more than I expected 😂. After, we went for a light Italian lunch then he kindly dropped me off at Austin airport for my final flight of the trip

04/03/2025

Day 86 - Georgetown, Texas. My last full day and we did mostly doing nothing as we were nursing hangovers. After Graeme, Dee and Mike left Steve and I ventured into town for a beer and nice Thai food. Knackered today 😂

03/03/2025

Day 85 - Georgetown, Texas. Basically a hang out day. Went out for breakfast then out for a walk while Steve took his massive lens out bird watching which is one of his passions these days. Spent all afternoon jamming all our old 70’s original stuff in his music room which was great fun and very nostalgic. Later on had a nice roast chicken dinner followed by too many wines and gins - another very late night 😂

02/03/2025

Day 84 - Georgetown, Texas. A chilled day out in Steve’s Jag, consisting of breakfast at a local cafe, a wander around Georgetown, bought a new over shoulder case as mine was totally knackered and a visit to the English club called The Grumpy George for a couple of pints of Old Speckled Hen. Back to his gaff for a little music jam and a much needed nap. Headed into town for beers and live music and had a brilliant night !

01/03/2025

Day 83 - LA/Austin,Tx. Sadly my time has come to leave French Polynesia and I sure as hell don’t want to. My lovely little Airbnb man gave me a couple of eggs (still none in the shop) and after I spent my last few hours on the beach. It hammered down with rain just before I left 😂. 40 minute fight back to Tahiti then 3 hours wait for the long Delta flight to Los Angeles. Another few hours waiting there for a 3 hour flight (got some nice shots of the LA coastline) to Austin Texas to stay with one of my oldest friends Steve. He was the drummer in our band when we were kids and moved here over 30 years ago. Graeme and Mike flew in for the occasion and Steve has got some guitars and amps so some jamming coming up 😎

27/02/2025

Day 82 - Huahine. My last full day in French Polynesia 😞. Another beautiful day here and said goodbye to my new Hawaiian friends as they caught the ferry to Bora Bora. As I still had the car I headed south and spent a few hours on a fabulous beach there before stopping at Chez Tara for a nice cold drink, then headed back to the incredible coastline and drone shots from the opposite direction to yesterday. Once back at the gaff, sat on the beach and in and out of the water for a couple of hours and watching some boat racing before happy hour gin and tonics at the club. Shared a table with a couple of lovely French lady doctors and chatted for quite a while - guess not all the French are the same 😂. Finished up with a fresh baked pizza from a food truck in town and took it home with vin rouge 🍷. Last leg of the trip tomorrow heading to LA then Austin, Texas for a few days to stay with my old mucker Steve Morley who emigrated 30 odd years ago. Huahine you’ve been amazing and even though I’d never heard of it before, it’s quite possibly the best place of all on this trip 🏖️😎

26/02/2025

Day 81 - Huahine. Woke up at 6.30 so went for a walk along the beach and stumbled across a lovely hotel. Having been told breakfast was £30 I asked for a coffee and, not only did the lovely guy in charge give me a free coffee and a croissant, he then got me 2 eggs from the kitchen (all the shops are out). What a lovely start to the day 👍. So after I cooked them I went on a road trip to the South Island and last night I invited my new friends Jason and Theresa as they’d not been there and had no transport. The place is utterly breathtaking and we both popped our drones up a few times to take advantage of the tremendous colours. Once back about 4 I popped to the yacht club and the most overcooked chicken imaginable (they didn’t charge me) and when I came back after a couple of gins, there they were on the beach - Jason said he needed some help finishing some whisky so I obliged. What a wonderful day and we all agreed that meeting each other and becoming besties really made this part of the trip for us all 👍

25/02/2025

Day 80 - Huahine, French Polynesia. Woke up to a beautiful day and wandered down to the supermarket to get a few bits - no eggs again ! So had a nice coffee at the yacht club (visited by a sweet little crab) then had brekkie at the gaff. Spent all morning on the great beach 10 yards from my room although slightly spoiled by a bunch of German pensioners off today’s cruise ship 😂. Later on I got the owners car on a great deal (less than a scooter) and did a loop of the northern island. Really wild on the NE coast and the ocean was way rougher. Stopped off to see the ancient fishing rock formations and then a Polynesian tribal which was the capital a few hundred years ago back home for a chill then down to the wonderful yacht club for happy hour. All of a sudden a bunch of fireworks were let off then Chinese new year dragon dancers took over the place. Spent a couple of hours with my new friends Jason and Teresa before heading back to cook up a little bowl of pasta washed down with white. Another great day in paradise 😎🏖️🍺

24/02/2025

Day 79 - Huahine, French Polynesia. So I was originally booked in Tahiti for another 5 days, but decided to drop in on another island as it was the end of the trip and I’d spent enough time in Tahiti. Dropped the car back to the airport then caught the 40 minute flight to this place. My Airbnb owner Teraine picked me up and showed me around before arriving at this place - it’s bloody lovely and 10 yards from the beach. She then says as it’s Sunday everything is closed 😞😞. I had no food, wine or anything and thought I’m in for a crap evening. Luckily I saw some people at the yacht club 100 yards away so I wandered along just in time for happy hour 🍺. Several beers later, met this lovely couple Jason and Theresa (who live in Hawaii) and we got along great. They even picked up the tab but as we’re going to be here (they stay in the same place) a few days, I’ll catch them back. They had been to the shops earlier and were cooking so after they left I had a nice burger and bought a bottle of red to take back to my lovely cool, breezy veranda. This place has a terrific vibe and may even turn out to be the best place of all. We’ll see.

23/02/2025

Day 78 - Teahpo’o, Tahiti. Woke up to another beautiful day so after a nice avo brekkie, just chilled at the gaff on the sunbed/pool for a few hours before heading down to the port. So as the wave at Teahpo’o is so well known (it was the venue for the 2024 Paris Olympics for surfing), I boarded the boat to see them in the flesh. I’m not sure I’ve been to a more beautiful place and I’ve been to some beauts. Amazing waves (although only 6/8 feet) and it was amazing to just watch the surfers do their thing. Bear in mind, the depth of water is only around 5/6 feet with very unforgiving sharp coral so it’s actually pretty dangerous if you get wiped out. I popped the drone out for the first time off a boat, but it was really windy and difficult to control - but wow I got some great shots. On bringing it back to the boat I almost gave the crew member a free haircut and crash landed it - but it survived the impact 😂. After (around 6pm) I went to the Teahpo’o village and had a bite to eat then back to the gaff for a much needed splash pool and some red wine. Bit of an overload of video etc and showing my lack of drone skills but hey I’m new to this 😂Honestly, that was one of the most exciting trips I’ve ever done.

22/02/2025

Day 77 - Teahpo’o, Tahiti. Up early to catch the free Tahiti Airlines ferry to Bora Bora airport and then took the 10 minute flight to Raiatea and then on to Papeete. Got some great aerial shots of Bora Bora. Picked up my little car rental and drove the 50 odd miles down to Teahpo’o down in the south west. I wanted to see the world famous surf waves (albeit the wrong time of year) and originally booked to stay here 4 nights, plus another couple further north before heading to the USA. But my hosts last week advised against it as there’s nothing else here, so I’m just here 2 nights now and heading for another island on Sunday. Not the easiest place to get to but wow it’s amazing. Great views plus added bonus of a washing machine (well needed) and a splash pool (also well needed at 34 degrees and sweating like a bull). Then popped down the coast a bit to check out my options and booked a boat for tomorrow to see the waves close up - in the meantime, I threw the drone out almost a mile and caught some wonderful shots. Picked up a few bits for brekkie then chilled in the pool for ages before heading out to find a restaurant that looked good - but couldn’t bloody find it 😡. Anyway I came across a roadside van and they were barbecuing chicken which was really great. (I checked it was properly cooked)🤢Then back to the gaff and sat in the pool with wine and the I Pad. Happy as ….

India/Nepal/Aus/NZ/Fiji/Tahiti/Bora Bora/LA

05/03/2025

04/03/2025

04/03/2025

03/03/2025

02/03/2025

01/03/2025

27/02/2025

26/02/2025

25/02/2025

24/02/2025

23/02/2025

22/02/2025

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