nigeyboygoeswalkabout

Well after a bit of a struggle the tickets are booked and the trip is on, barring earthquakes, hurricanes or some other disaster of epic proportions. I leave Thursday night and won't arrive in NZ till Sunday (don't ask). The final itinary is ~ 3 months in New Zealand, followed by a month Island hopping round Fiji, then finnishing with a fortnight in French Polynesia. Well that's the plan as it stands right now.
So I have have to admit I'm rather excited. All I have to do right now is figure out how to get a tent, sleeping bag, stove, hiking gear for NZ, clothing for 4 1/2 months, wetsuit and diving gear and a whole load of other crap into 1 rucksack........................I love a challenge , eh ;-).
Adios amigos

In case you've been wondering why I haven't left on my travels yet, I have been waiting for a lump to be removed from just behind my collarbone. Turned out to be a benign lymphangioma...........but it took two separate needle biopspsies and then an excision biopsy to get an answer.....oh yeah and they lost my file twice, for a total of twelve weeks. I have to say the NHS adnministration in Glasgow is a total shambles. However, I couldn't fault the Medics, particulary the consultants, Brian Irvine and Brian O'reilly, who went out of their way to make up for admin's cockups.
Apparently pathology were a little stumped for a while cos lymphangiomas usually occur in immature teanagers...........hmmnnn, think maybe they're trying to tell me something ;-)