Big Plans; No - Huge!

So we're going away for the whole first half of 2012; just back in time to watch the Olympics on telly (no tickets, naturally).
We're going to break the six-month into three chunks, returning home between:
1) South America = Miami, Belize, Lima, Machu Picchu, La Paz, Buenos Aires and a loop through Argentina and Chile ranging from Tierra del Fuego to the Iguazu Falls.
2) China (Beijing, Xian, Yangtze cruise and Shanghai) and Japan (Tokyo, Hiroshima and probably Kyoto).
3) "Beaches of the World" - Bangkok, Phuket, Port Douglas, the Whitsunday Islands, Sydney, Fiji, Hawaii, Los Angeles and New York. Clare can't remember "Whitsunday", so look for occurrences of "Whitstanley".

After months of procrastinating over planning, it's all coming together in a rush, with the great assistance of Lucy at Flight Centre. We're now holding confirmed flights for most of the above - a few minor changes of date and wrigglings of route still to do.

SO exciting!!!