Hello folks – what’s with the no comments and no emails – we are beginning to feel neglected and unloved, and may just decide to stay in NZ if we don’t soon get some feedback from those of you in North America!!
Hello again. am once more sitting in an internet cafe, in Golden Bay, waiting for lunch this time. We drove over the Takaka Hill to get here – very steep and windy! We have one night at a small hostel here and then back to Scott’s tomorrow night . It is only about a 2 hour drive. We just went for a 1/2 hour hike into Wainea Falls. It was beautiful, very green and rainforesty, with a waterfall at the end. Of course there was also a scary suspension bridge that we had to cross to get to the falls. It is very narrow, one person at a time only! We are next heading to PUPU Springs, a freshwater spring said to be the clearest water in the world.
Lunch is here – I will write more later.
Hello All and Merry Christmas! This is coming to you on Christmas Day for us, middle of the night for you in North America.
We had a great Christmas Eve and Day. Spent part of the day on the 24th at the beach and then a little waterslide place. Then we headed up the road to neighbours for a Christmas drink and visit, and a ramble around their orchard – really their “front yard”, but it is entirely planted with fruit trees! We had apricots, lemons and oranges right off the trees. You gardeners would love it here – they have things in bloom 12 months of the year.
Then Sam ran down to Maupuo, a harbour town about 20 minutes away, and picked up Fish ‘n’Chips take away for dinner (oops – that’s “Tea”here), a nice traditional Kiwi feast.
Quinn put out a snack of kiwi fruit and milk for Santa and we went off to bed. The sky was so clear and the stars seemed so low you could almost reach out and touch them – like being in Northern Sask. for Christmas, only warm!
Today, the 25th, was hot and sunny and we were all up early for stockings, breakfast and gifts. Lots of lovely things for everyone, including some Kiwi clothing, hats, games and food.
After a visit with more friends of Scott and Leigh’s we were off to the neighbour’s OUTDOOR pool for a swim – what a change from skidooing or toboganning!
Scott and Leigh put together a wonderful feast of bar-b-qued turkey, stuffing and salads. Ian and helped out with the chopping of fruit and vegetables, but really not a big fuss for a dinner when it is kept to a fairly simple summer barbeque!!
The boys are all downstairs playing a game of Pit – you Willimasons will know that this is an extremely loud game of cards/trading and basically yelling. I lasted a couple of rounds before coming up to the quiet computer room. Leigh was smart enough to takethe dogs for a walk and escape altogether!!:)
All in all, a good day; very different from Canadian Christmas, but I can’t say as I missed anything about a cold December Christmas except seeing all of you family and friends.
Have a wonderful, peaceful and blessed Christmas Day
Much love to all from all of us down under!
Shel
Hello – we are in greymouth and it is cold, cloudy and pouring rain! Does that make any of you shivering North Americans feel better?? We are off to Nelson, and not sure how much sightseeing we will do in the wet. It may clear off as we head inland. Had a lovely day yeaterday; Hanmer Springs is just like going to Banff, except no snow on these mountains. The hot pools were lovely – a really nice complex of about 7 different pools.
We arrived a little later than we thought in Greymouth, so just had McDonald’s takeout for supper – halfway around the world for a Big Mac!!
Anyway, the drive was beautiful – we went through an area that was just like the shire in Lord of the Rings – gently rolling hills, forests and little streams. The mountains here are green right to the top, even the fairly high ones – very unlike our rocky, snowy peaks.
Boys are waiting in the car, so must dash or they will drive off without me!
Have a very Merry Christmas everyone, we will be thinking of you all.
Hello _ I am typing this entry very quickly as I already did one and then inadvertently lost it when I went to post. We are in Kaikoura, on the east coast – a small beach tourist town. We are heading west to Hanmer Springs, a hot pool spot, very much like Banff, according to Scott, then on to the west coast at Greymouth, where we will spend tonight, ansd then head back to Scott and Leigh’s. I will right more details later, but suffice to say, we are having a great time, seeing lots of great sites, seals, wineries etc., and sleeping like the dead every night! Who knows – maybe there will be another Williamson family relocated here soon?!?
We are thinking of all our friends and family and hoping that you are all having a great holiday season, even if it is in the snow and cold!!