Kindred Travel

04/05/2024

We often complain that food is expensive in NZ . Often weekend markets are great places to buy local produce, often organic . I’ve just been to a local weekend food market on the Gold Coast and judging by the prices I don’t think we should complain . Admittedly the strawberries are not in season in NZ ( although I do believe the average wage and hourly rate in Australia is higher than ours)

20/04/2024

Have you been to Auckland Art Gallery lately ? We went in to see the Guo Pei exhibition. Amazing work by this talented Chinese Haute Coutere designer.Here are some of her amazing clothes / shoes/ beadwork

01/04/2024

16/03/2024

Enjoying time with grandies today

13/03/2024

I went to a great update in MSC cruises. So good to have a rep / BDM here in NZ again . Yes MSC are big ships - don’t be put off -We’ve done a cruise in the Med with them - it was great !

01/03/2024

Auckland turned on a fabulous day yesterday for my ship inspection with my Kindred Travel clients Rhonda and Dennis , onboard Silverseas Silver Muse. Gorgeous ship carrying only 580 passengers .

28/02/2024

I had a great turnout of my Kindred Travel clients yesterday morning at the Stables Matakana for the Viking Explorer information session which was so informative .

28/01/2024

Another hot day to be out and about in Christchurch today. A visit to Riccarton Markets, the out to Kirwee to the Thirsty Acres pub for lunch followed by absolutely enormous ice creams at Darfield dairy . A lovely day with Alan Kindred . Mike Kindred and Lyndon McKendry , Liz Evans and Peter

27/01/2024

It’s 32 degrees in Christchurch today - whew! We sought refuge for a while at Deans Bush then visited the always lovely Mona Vale .

14/01/2024

Kindred travel - broker in association with You Travel Mairangi Bay

21/12/2023

Yes, it’s cruise season and the season we see so many ships calling into Auckland . Once again I had the privilege of boarding and doing a walk around . This time on Viking Orion. Gorgeous decor. Award winning Small ship with maximum of 930 passengers.
Does this sound like your type of cruise? Why not contact me . Here’s a few tempters there’s even the Nordic plunge pool , gold shower and ice room !

15/12/2023

And hello , look who else was in town this week

15/12/2023

Tempting you to book with me with photos from my walk around on Celebrity Edge when she was in Auckland this week. With Nicola Preston and Derren McAneany -

15/11/2023

03/09/2023

Happy Fathers Day Alan, Ben and Ally

03/08/2023

A few wandering around photos in Singapore as our amazing holiday comes to its last days

01/08/2023

We stayed the night at the seaport of Rome airport so had seafood pizza! It was a bit difficult to eat though .
At the airport duty free alcohol - so many gin choices and of course Lemoncello on offer but didn’t partake as we still have another flight. There’s some intersting sculptures on display at the airport

31/07/2023

The start of our homeward journey

26/07/2023

Soooo hot in Chania - hydration is important

25/07/2023

A day of Remberance for
yesterday . Where we were staying in Chora Sfakion is a memorial to the Allied soldiers . This was the point where they were evacuated to Egypt ( including I believe , my Uncle Allan Joseph Foley ). Then onto Souda Bay across on the other coast to the Allied Cemetary .
Beautiful and peaceful now but so different to what those men had to endure. Let us not forget
I’ve taken some photos of their headstones - maybe some of your ancestors /family ?

20/07/2023

Heraklion , the port is dominated by the Fortress built 1524-1540 . This is where the Interislander ferries and international cruise ships dock . Easy walk up to town. We wandered a bit more and then drive up the coast for a swim - sea temperature we decided was around 25 degrees . Our dinner tonight was convival with the owner chef of a local restaurant .

19/07/2023

We found Sandy beaches today ! So it’s not all pebbly beaches here in Crete. Today we moved from Elounda to Heraklion where we will say goodbye to Belinda and John Kitchen . We Tiki toured on the way via beaches and also visited the Palace of Knossos that huge really really really old place with lots of ruins ! Inhabitants started From 7000BC - That’s the Neolithic and Bronz Age . Pics of beaches, through to Herakalia

18/07/2023

We’re now in Crete (Kriti) Greece’s largest island and the 5th largest in the Mediterranean . Sharp barren rocky landscape juxtaposed with beautiful coastlines. We’re in a small area called Elounda which suits us just to a tee . Beaches, port, restaurants, shops.

It’s the stepping point to Spinalonga island that has been on my bucket list . Spinalonga island , the base for Victoria Hislops book ‘the Island ‘ was once a l***r colony .
In its very very early years , a fortress and valuable to the Turks . Because of its position, the island was fortified from its earliest years in order to protect the entranceway of the port of Oleus .- then there were lots of raids by Arab Pirates in the 7 C , people left in droves but in the 15c the Venetians came barging in and said we want this area. Valuable as a harbour but also the salt plains and they fortified the area.
But in 1715 the Turks blockaded the area- people were starving and once again rulership changed . But .. wait there’s more. Skirmishes, religious battles etc Christianity vs Ottoman families The last Turks left the island and area in 1901
In 1903 -4 .it became a l***r colony.Crete had a high incidence of Leprosy under the Ottoman rule and it was decreed that those with the disease had to live in isolation .
There were houses, shops , businesses a hospital and supplies were bought from the mainland Plaka. The Greek Govt gave all inhabitants a benefit so they could purchase what they needed .
With the advent of modern medicine and vaccinations leprosy had a cure .
The last inhabitants left 1957 except 1 priest who stayed to honour Greek Orthodox tradition of honouring the dead up to. 5 years after their death .
Spinalonga was one of the last active l***r colonies in Europe.

16/07/2023

We took the local bus up to Fira then another to Oia . Oia was packed with tourists ( just like us ) so we decided not to stay for the sunset as we were uncertain about getting the bus home . The town , stunning of course is recognisable with the white cubic formBuildings and where lots of fashion shoots are held .
We decided we prefer where we are staying in the other side of this volcanic island .
And one if our local men . And our fab hotel pool ( we swam
Mostly in the sea thou