You live in Wellington or Christchurch, New Zealand, but are not interested in the Rugby World Cup 2011?
Then would you like to swap your house or apartment for -
An apartment on the French Mediterranean
or a house in the French Pyrenees
We plan to spend probably six weeks in New Zealand during the Rugby World Cup in the autumn of 2011. We will need a base from which we can tour the country, and would like to consider a house-swap for all, or part, of the time.
At the moment we are hoping to arrange the trip to New Zealand broadly as follows:-
* Arrive in North Island in the second week of September. We are hoping that we will be able to stay in or around Wellington, as this seems to offer good travel links to the whole of the North Island, as well as plenty of local interest.
* Move to South Island about the 1st or 2nd of October, aiming to stay in or around Christchurch for three weeks or so.
There will probably be just the two of us, Penny and Frank Parkinson, both English early-retired professionals, though some friends may want to join us for part of the time.
We have two properties here in the South of France, which we use ourselves and also let out as holiday homes.
Both properties are quite different - click on the pictures at the head or foot of this page to see the web sites we use
to advertise them to potential holiday makers, and see for yourself if they might be suitable for you and your family.
The Pyrenees-Orientales is in the far south of France, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains. Here
people remain proud of their traditions, still speaking Catalan, the language of both the tiny independent state of Andorra
and northern Spain, their neighbours.
Admire the beautiful scenery ranging from high snow-capped peaks to miles of safe, sandy
beaches - as well as valleys, lakes, rolling hills and rocky coves. Or have a day in Perpignan with
its pavement cafes and medieval centre; take a mountain trip on The Little Yellow Train; see the nearby Cathar Castles
or the 450,000 years old Tautavel Man.
As for sports, everything you could possibly want is probably here - skiing, both Alpine and cross-country, swimming, walking, horse riding,
microlight flying, go-karting, golf, cycling, climbing, fishing - under a glorious southern
sun (300 days per year, according to official records).
Not to mention wonderful food and wines - this is one of the largest areas of wine production in France - in reasonably
priced restaurants, many offering freshly caught fish straight out of the Mediterranean.
If you prefer the Mediterranean waterfront
click on this picture to see all about our
Seaside flat in Port-Vendres
or are you a lover of countryside and mountains?
Then click on this picture to see full details of our
home in Serralongue
