Farewell....but not forever......

And so, after 3 of the most wonderful weeks, it was sadly time to bid farewell to our friends and family..... newly found and well known.....it was time to board the plane for the long journey back to Blighty.


I'm never good with goodbyes....I'm the most emotional person there is.....I cry at cartoons...... so saying goodbye to Dad, G, A and New Zealand was the hardest thing on earth.....I was still crying on the plane.....Little Miss didn't really understand, asking after take-off why I was still crying.....she didn't understand the concept of not knowing when we'd be back.....or when we'd see our friends and family again.


It was dull and dreary when we left Auckland......

.....but once we cleared the cloud cover it was gloriously blue and sunny....

How exactly do you say......

T H A N K  Y O U

......for the most amazing holiday ever?

Flying over Australia

We packed so much in......we saw so much.....we did so much....the Angels met members of our family they didn't even know they had....I spent a teeny tiny bit of time with my bestest friend....we did things we could never do here in England....the Angels learnt new skills.....I enjoyed catching up with my first real BF after more than 20 years.....the Angels learnt some of my life history.....we played games.....we laughed.....and cried.....I found I really, really miss "home", even though I thought I didn't.....we all learnt a lot.....about ourselves.....about each other......about NZ .......I discovered how wonderful it is to part of, and surrounded by family....and memories were made.....wonderful, glorious memories etched in our minds to treasure forever.....of fun times, family, friends, and faraway places.

And there are so many people to thank.....for their kindness, thoughtfulness, and going the extra mile......for treating us, taking time for us, and being with us.....

.....to all our friends and family who we met, who went out of your way to see us or do things for us....you all know who you are......and most especially to Grandpa and Grandma G......without whom, our holiday would never have been possible.......we say the biggest, loudest, most gratefullest.......

T H A N K  Y O U !

Flying over Australia

We all saw how brilliant NZ could be for us.....we have vowed we will return......

-xxx-

Rain, games & goodbyes.......

Sadly, not all our days were glorious, blue, sunny affairs.....some were downright miserable .....with temperatures the same as the UK were recording in their winter......10 and 13C....it was supposed to be summer......temperatures should have been in the mid twenties......every day .....but some days, the cloud was so low we couldn't see the top of the surrounding hills......

Low Clouds on the Hills of Whitemans Valley

and rain......some days there was more than enough rain to refill all the water tanks that we were fast using up....7 people to wash clothes for, to shower, to use the toilet.....we sure got through the water quickly......most people in NZ live in towns and cities where they are on mains water supply......however, for the minority who choose a more rural life.....they must provide their own water supply.....be that from a bore sunk deep in the ground if they are lucky enough to have an underground spring on their land, a freshwater spring, or from rain collected in vast water tanks......a particularly long and dry summer can be a source of immense concern and difficulty if water supplies run low........but thankfully there was plenty of rain to avert a water crisis for us.......

Looking towards the hills from Big Lad's Room

Most evenings after Little Lad and Little Miss had gone to bed, us big uns had a cuppa, a piece of yummy cake or scrummy cookies and played a game......monopoly, poker, boat races, squatter ......and something so simple, yet so hilarious.....a real good party game.....you start off with an empty open cereal box placed on the floor, and everyone takes a turn to pick the box up using only their mouth.....no hands or feet to be used....and no hands can touch the ground.... then a small strip is carefully ripped off, or cut from all around the top of the box, thus making the box slightly smaller.....everyone takes a turn to pick up the box again.......if you collapse on the floor, or use your hands and/or feet to assist you in any way, you're out ......and so it goes on.....with the box getting a little smaller each time.....the winner obviously being the last one to pick up the smallest bit of box......it didn't take too long for us older ones to realise our limitations and back out gracefully before we either embarrassed ourselves dreadfully or worse, got stuck, or did ourselves a mischief.....but for Big Lad and Big Miss, the game was on.....neither one of them wishing to let the other win ......with both being incredibly flexible.....and being arch rivals......this was going to be a hard won competition......Grandpa, Grandma G and myself could not believe it possible as the box got whittled down to just a flat piece of card......surely they would not be able to get this off the floor with only their mouth.......

Big Miss picking up last piece of flat card

but get it off the floor, they did......both of them......we had to declare it a tie.....well done to both of them.....and strangely, they both used totally different techniques.....Big Miss used a box split technique, as shown above.....while Big Lad used a front lunge technique .....oh to be that flexible again.....hehehe

Big Lad using a front lunge to pick up cereal box

The evenings spent in this fun and gamely fashion were such a joy.....so pleasurable to spend time and enjoy just being together.....we had laughs.....we had competition.......we had tricksters......we had jokes......we had puzzles.....we simply had good old fashioned fun .......and boy, was it brilliant!

With our time in Wellington drawing to a close, I felt the need to squeeze in a very important little outing for myself and my Angels.....a visit to my most wonderful Nana and Pop's grave ....I have such lovely, happy memories of time spent with Nana and Pop during my childhood .....and I just wish my Angels could've met them......well, Big Lad did meet Nana.....but he was only six months old, and she was quite lost in her own little world of dementia......Nana and Pop were both so kind, loving and caring......I would love for my Angels to have just such a relationship with Grandpa and Grandma G as I had with my Nana and Pop.......well they have ......but the distance between our homes does make it incredibly difficult. Anyways, I had not been to their grave, although I had been lucky enough to attend both their funerals.....so on a damp, drizzly day, with the Angels loaded into the car, I drove to the cemetery on Akatarawa Road in search of their grave......once we'd found it, I placed some flowers I'd bought on the way, introduced my Angels, and talked openly to Nana and Pop while the Angels listened......and Little Miss asked lots of questions......it was a sad little space in time.....I was thankful for the rain that was streaming down my face.......mingling perfectly with my tears, hopeful that my Angels wouldn't notice.....but they were not fooled.......they were in fact, quiet and really quite reverent while they listened to my ramblings, holding my hand or putting their arms around me to comfort me......they were just the sweetest things.

I kicked myself when I got home and realised that, in my emotional state......both filled with sadness and bursting with pride.....I had forgotten to take a photo to keep with me, of their grave......I consoled myself by taking a photo of a photo which is hanging on Grandma G's "wall of fame"......a photo of Nana and Pop on their wedding day.......

Nana & Pop

They both look so handsome, don't you think? I took the time to show my Angels this photo ......and a much more recent one before they died.......when we returned from the grave......so they had some idea of who I had been rambling away to.....to help them piece it all together ......I hope it gave them a little understanding.

After the cemetery, I drove the Angels further up the Akatarawa Road......another long and narrow and twisting road.......to show them where I lived during my teenage years...... throughout our time in NZ we had attempted to show my Angels little glimpses of what, and where my life had been before they came into it to share it with me......to hopefully give them little clues to how and why, I am who I am......and the Akatarawas was another little piece of the puzzle......I really hope it has helped my Angels to get to know me better, despite knowing me all their lives.

Then it was time for packing, packing, packing......we weren't leaving NZ just yet.....but it was time to leave Wellington.....I at least, was thankful that the weather was not at it's best......I would have deeply resented spending time packing......and such a lot of packing was to be done.....if the sun had been shining and begging to be enjoyed.

And so it was, that after a couple of weeks we said goodbye to our home from home.....Grandpa and Grandma G's house......

Grandpa & Grandma G's House

and embarked on a real road trip.

We'd all like to say a H U G E thank you to Grandpa and Grandma G for sharing their home with us.....it was S U P E R B ! ! ! .........we all appreciated the effort you made to give each of us our own space......all the rooms and spaces worked brilliantly for us all .......and the little touches......like photos of ourselves in our rooms......to make us smile, feel loved, and feel at home.

-xx-

Caterton......

My very best friend of all times lives in NZ......we've been friends for more years than I care to remember......but her living there......and me living here......does make for a very long distance friendship these days.....we have long phone calls.....reasonably regularly.....and the occasional Skype......but there's nothing as good as being in each other's company...... chatting, cooking, and catching up......so a trip to NZ was never going to be complete without some special time with SA.


So I left Big Lad and Big Miss in the very lovable hands of Grandpa and Grandma G......and took Little Lad and Little Miss on a road trip of sorts over the Rimutakas......a narrow winding road up and over the Rimutaka Ranges......to Caterton, in the Wairarapa where SA lives with her husband B and two children J and K.....they have the most charming piece of land with a cute little cottage sitting in the middle of beautiful gardens they have created themselves, by clearing all the scrubby bush and loads and loads of river stones which they have incorporated into the garden structure......they have retained lots of native trees and bushes and a quite a few gum trees sprinkled through too.....

and they've made several vegetable patches and orchards, which are scattered around, including this delightful cottagey kitchen garden.......

SA's Cottage Kitchen Garden

The day we arrived was quite warm and muggy so J and K couldn't wait to take Little Lad and Little Miss to the water hole.....and then J and Little Lad bogey boarded down the water race......

J and Little Lad Bogey Boarding down the Water Race

Once Little Lad and Little Miss had acclimatised to the quite chilly water and the "wild swimming" adventure, it was a great way to cool down......heaps of fun was had by all participants.

While we were there, we also caught up with my friends from years gone by......R and M, and their children M and K.....we've been out of touch for quite some time now, so it was nice to see them and catch up again.

We all feasted together......all 11 of us......on the most delicious handmade pizzas that SA whipped up while I stood chatting with her......no, I'm not lazy not helping.....her kitchen is very small, and she wouldn't hear of me standing on her toes getting in the way.....so I was content to stand, chit chatting away, sipping on my scrummy cider followed by a delectable glass of bubbles......it was a most enjoyable way to spend an afternoon which slid easily into evening.

The following day the weather forecast threatened rain, but it was still rather warm......the children hadn't had their fill of water play from the day before, and were delighted to be able to get the waterslides out....after some initial re-manoeuvring to find just the right spot.... to get just the perfect slope......for just the best forward momentum.....the four of them were off.......slip sliding away......

Little Lad, Little Miss J & K

Little Lad & Little Miss

Little Lad Slip Sliding Away

Once the excitement of slipping down wet sheets of plastic wore off, the children took themselves and a water sprinkler to the trampoline........and happily bounced themselves silly in and out of the water shower making up all sorts of mysterious games with special rules only they knew......SA and I spent some brief quality time sipping on coffee and chatting......again .....while SA whipped up a couple of Easy Peasy loaves of bread......yum yum.

All too quickly it was sadly time to round up the Angels.....their clothes and things that had been scattered everywhere.....our lovely Christmas presents we had received......and make the return journey over the Rimutakas back to Grandpa's.....it had been the most wonderful thing to have this very precious time with SA......it was so very short......but felt like we'd never been away, separated by 12,000 miles and many years.....may the time come quickly when we can enjoy more happy and comfortable time together in each other's company again.

Before we departed Carterton, we stopped at Harman & Harman.......a most delightful little shop that SA had recently found......she rang the shop in advance to see if they were open...... being a public holiday......and was surprised to be told they were......upon our arrival we were greeted by a young lad.....who had obviously answered the phone......he told us his Mum and Dad......whose shop it was.......had taken themselves and their family to the beach for the day......leaving him at home because there wasn't enough room for him.....poor him.....but he had happily opened the shop just for us, as we were passing and would be returning to the UK .....how nice was that? And what a fabulous little shop it was.......

Harman & Harman

Inside Harman & Harman

Inside Harman & Harman

After a lovely little peruse at all the gorgeous goodies......and a far amount of hmmming and haaaing......a small amount of money changed hands.....and I was the proud new owner of a prettily embossed pink and white heart hanging from a pretty pink ribbon.....

well, I couldn't leave without a little something......for the young lad's troubles, of course.....opening the shop just for us.....so sweet and accommodating.......it now has pride of place hanging above my bed.

Then it was one last stop at Pinehaven Orchards for a most delicious tub of fresh fruit ice-cream made to your very own fresh fruit combination......yummy, yummy, yummy.

And while we were away, Big Lad and Big Miss didn't just sit around twiddling their thumbs .....they went ten-pin bowling and out for an Indian....nice......although it wasn't actually .....the food and service were terrible......at least we had yummy pizzas.....hehehe ......and there were driving lessons to be had in the little truck, the tractor, and the quad bikes...... Big Miss decided the No. 8 wire stock fences were in need of a little rearranging, so took out a little section with the quad bike.....a case of a bit too much power and too tight turning and the fence being just a big closer than she anticipated......not to worry.....Grandpa will fix it.....he likes to keep busy and always needs new jobs to occupy him.....haha.....and then just as it started drizzling, a magic carpet ride was enjoyed......Big Lad zooming round the paddock on the quad bike......Big Miss sitting demurely......or rather clinging on for dear life.......to a piece of sacking.......being dragged along behind .....with just the right amount of drizzled rain droplets to provide the perfect lubricity for a most adventurous riding experience......shame I haven't got any photos of that!

We all had a brill couple of days.....and once again, we'd like to convey our most gracious thanks to all those special people that made it possible.

-xx-