Well it had to happen eventually. I’ve been doing a bit of work for the last few weeks for a company that does gardening jobs for Christchurch council – mostly clearing walking tracks and cutting long grass around trees in parks. We spent more than anticipated on our last trip overseas so I said I would get some work until we’d replaced the bank balance! Trouble with work is it gets in the way of everything else you want to do.
Our only visitor this year was John my mum’s ex-physio. He was with us for a couple of days around February time. Unfortunately we’d sold the campervan just before Christmas so didn’t have any transport whilst he was here, but we managed to get around a bit by bike (which he didn’t enjoy) and bus. Since we were going to be away for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year and then for 5 months we decided not to buy another till we got back – just as well as some of the money ended up funding our trip.
Donna’s mum’s partner of about 20 years, Noel was in a hospice very ill with cancer so we spent the 2 weeks with them – mostly camped out in the hospice grounds in Donna’s Aunt & Uncle’s campervan. Unfortunately Noel passed away in March just before we left. They hadn’t expected him to make it till Christmas, but her mum enjoyed her precious last months with him although he needed constant care, but he kept his wicked sense of humour till the end. We felt guilty about leaving when we did but plans were already made and tickets paid for. We left less than 2 weeks after the funeral.
We had a great time in Western Australia. There was a big Hash House Harriers event on over Easter weekend, then we hired bikes and cycled about 500 miles down to the south coast, 9 days and a few other bits on purpose built mostly off-road bike tracks. It was great fun and we were local celebrities when we turned up on a campsite with all our gear – until we met the round the world cyclists who’d already cycled from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego! We put the bikes on a bus back to Perth, did some cycling round there, then hired a campervan and spent a month travelling up the west coast visiting national parks and trying to spend as little on camp sites as possible. Highlights included hiking in Karijini National Park, canoeing in Kalbarri NP, watching wild Dolphins being fed at Monkey Mia as they swam around our feet, and to top the lot swimming with whale sharks – just young ones – only about 6 metres long!
After 2 months of almost constant sunshine, we arrived in England at the end of May to a terrible summer. I did my last 2 weeks back at Banco Abbey, and we spent a week at a cottage in Devon with my sister and mum and dad to celebrate his 80th birthday. Weather wasn’t even too bad that week apart from the hail storm we had while walking part of the south west coastal path when we were miles from anywhere. Rest of the time was taken up with visiting friends and relatives and doing jobs around the house with my dad – like pruning trees and repairing 8 foot garage doors.
The last week in July we flew to Fiji to resume holiday mode. After a couple of nights on the main island we took the overnight boat to Vanua Levu – the second largest, where the reunion was to take place. Donna’s dad was one of the youngest of 18 children brought up on the family plantation here. The land is still in family hands, and one of Donna’s cousins has a holiday home here. This is where the event was held – he’d put up various other shelters in the grounds, and some toilets and showers so a few of us camped there for the 3 day event. The rest stayed in the town of Savu Savu, 20 km away. I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but it was around 150 I think. The last reunion had been 28 years ago. It was a great do with snorkeling on the reef and bush/plantation walks and games during the day and feasts at night. Afterwards we went to 2 other smaller islands – one you could walk round in about ½ hour, and did some rainforest walks, snorkeling and relaxing, before going back to the mainland to catch up with relatives again before coming home.
As we flew over NZ on the way back at the end of August there was a lot of snow on the mountains – it had been a long cold wet winter. We had a weekend away at the end of October in the foothills about 2 hours from here and we had another snowfall then, but it soon melted the next day. Since then we’ve had several days with temperatures in the 30’s.
Donna had a job 2 weeks after getting back, temping but due to be made permanent soon. It’s in Christchurch, but she cycles most days, having bought a super duper bike and is loving it even though it’s a 66 km round trip. We have bought another van and we’re kitting it out as a camper – Donna has made curtains & I’m doing the rest – in between my work golf and gardening – we’ve decided to grow some veggies this year, which involves some backbreaking digging up of lawns.
Donnas mum is coming for Christmas. She has sold her house and coming for a trip south before buying another smaller place. She is doing a bit of a tour with a friend. They’re coming next week for a few days then coming back for Christmas. Donna’s Aunt and Uncle are coming for Christmas too with their camper van, so for the first time we’ll be entertaining for the holiday, and spending only our second Christmas in New Zealand at home.
Escaping the English summer at the end of July, this was a typical Fijian day. We had to be there for a family reunion (Donna's dads side) on the island of Vanua Levu. This was taken on a little resort island called Leleuvia between the main island Viti Levu and Ovalau. We spent about a week here in the end with a great couple David & Brigitte from Sydney, most of the time as the only guests bar one other.
Martin with Neil & Kerry at their house in Perth. They moved out here from Northampton about three years ago. Neil used to work at Abbey, though never with Martin. They put us up for a few nights, and looked after some of our kit whilst we were cycle touring.
We decided to take a week off to see a bit of New Zealand for the first time in ages. We headed south and west. This is Lake Tekapo which is about 4 hours drive from home. I was last here in 1992 with Cynthia, and Donna stopped briefly once on her way to Queenstown. We didn't stay here, but carried on to Wanaka and Mount Aspiring National Park, another couple of hours further on, having stayed the night near Twizel and watched the rugby World Cup Final in a pub there first thing Sunday morning.
The second day we travelled up the Matukituki Valley where we stayed for two nights, and biked so far up the valley, left the bikes then hiked for a couple of hours. It was uphill into the wind so the final bike ride back was great fun. This photo is looking back down the valley. We did another day hike out of Wanaka up the Little Griffel - a very windy hill with good views, then spent the night on a DOC camp site by Lake Hawea - our only night we paid to stay - $12.
After a rainy day we drove back up to Twizel, and out to Lake Ohau and the Hopkins valley. We stayed on a free Doc camp near the end of the road which we had to ourselves. Again we took the bikes, cycling an hour and a half up into the wind, then left the bikes and hiked for about 4 hours up the Hopkins then Huxley Valleys to the Huxley Forks hut for the night. We had intended going further but about a half hour further on, an avalanche had blocked the track and the weather was deteriorating so we went back to the hut - which we got to ourselves for the night, and retraced our steps the following day. This is the view from just outside the hut.
Just outside Hanmer Springs, an hour or so from home. Two of Donna's workmates were competing in an adventure race which involved cycling, hiking and rafting down the river. We followed down river on bikes then had to cycle back upstream directly into a howling nor'west wind.
No prizes for guessing where this was taken. It's about 3/4 hour drive from Woodend, out the other side of Rangiora, then it was a two and a half hour walk up to the top, during which time I saw just one other couple, and a very quick hour descent back to the car park, but my legs regretted that for about a week after. In case you can't read it, it's 1023 metres high. The next shot is a view from near the top looking across to Mount Grey which is just a bit smaller.
Martin on the cliffs above Taylors Mistake. Our second visitor John, who used to be my mum's physio before he retired, stayed with us for a couple of days at the end of January, so one day we did this walk of about 3 hours from this Christchurch suburb across Godley Head to Lyttleton Harbour and back.
View from the track.
Donna Claire & Andy with lashings of lemonade and muffins - now this is tramping in style. A well earned elevenses break at Resolution Bay, on our 14km walk from Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge. Claire is an old university friend & they were out here for a few weeks in January but couldn't make it as far south as Christchurch so we spent the weekend with them in Picton, doing this walk and a tour of the Blenheim wineries.
