Friday night was the first AUCKLAND Blues game of the super rugby
The team all ready for the first big win….we’ll almost, but we are avid supporters and will continue the loyalty Russ has installed in us for the duration
A warm summers evening, and a 2.5k walk there and back didn’t stop the evening chill setting in-the supporters flags came in very useful.
Another big weekend at Waiwera followed, as we farewelled a dear Riverhaven friend….after which, at 5am Monday Morning, Sue and George headed “down south to the land of the pines!”
The trip to Queenstown and Te Anau to set out on one of NZ great walks – the Hollyford Track!
Not all plans go to plan! The Queenstown landing was aborted at the eleventh hour as we dived at a forty five degree angle skywards! Evidently a sudden southerly gust (on landing – 3 feet from the runway) would have mean’t we overshot. Good piloting and another bumpy 30 minutes in the air (george feeling rather green) and we safely landed from the other direction! A drizzly cool day in the Deep South greeted us!
So the plan was to visit my Queenstown clients then head to Te Anau to catch a helicopter to the track! Our friends, Pam and Guy, meanwhile submerged in bad weather are unable to get out from said track and meet us….probably not until Wednesday!
A great day of client contact as we drove in the other direction…an executive decision!
A damp stop at Arrowtown, followed by winery visits (clients of course) and the headed north through the Kawerau gorge…
A short stop at the gold mining town, to be soon thwarted again by rain, and off to Cromwell for a fantastic pub lunch!
The kawerau river, a view from the bridge! Once dated in Cromwell, and over the other side of the mountain range, sunglasses came out for the last hours drive to Wanaka, where we were greeted by a warm balmy afternoon….one more stop (work related) and off to our lovely mansion, kindly offered by georges friends family!
Our home with a view, mountains in the background, following a short stop at the supermarket for essential supplies…we will stay here tomorrow and catch up on work emails and weather permitting a short half day hike! (After all we are prepared with all the appropriate hiking equipment)
A couple more work visits, like wineries and breweries, ho hum!, and hopefully our friends are back on dry land and we will head south….We do forget how beautiful country is….soaking up the mountains and the lakes and uncrowded roads of the Deep South!
All who wander are not Lost girls 