Happy Birthday!

In my haste to get this blog up-to-date, I quite forgot to mention my birthday celebrations! On 28 December I was sixty-five! I can’t imagine how I can possibly be sixty-five as I am still the same person I ever was and feel an indeterminate age – as long as I don’t look at the exterior me I could still be twenty-five!! Anyway, we had a celebratory lunch and then went to see the French film Priceless. The movie theatre is unique in that one takes one's wine and cheese platter into the theatre to watch the film. This probably enhanced the humour of the film and we came away feeling that we had had a very good evening! Unfortunately, Brian couldn’t be with us as he had to do his ‘postie’ round in Invercargill. (Brian has retired from being a headmaster and is currently cycling around Invercargill delivering the post – and enjoying his change of career!)

When Brian finally joined us again we decided that we just had to have another birthday dinner to include him, so we dined in style at the Postmaster Restaurant in Arrowtown. This is the same restaurant that Bill Gates’ family were seen in the following evening – they had obviously heard that it was the place to be once word got around that we had been there! I had a very happy birthday!

Invercargill, Wanaka and Queenstown, NZ

I had bronchitis all over the Christmas period so everything wasn’t as enjoyable as it might have been. I am on the mend now, thanks to some antibiotics, and intend to enjoy the New Year celebrations! We spent Christmas Day at Avis’ sister Lexie’s house, she, and her husband Dave, cooked us a splendid Christmas lunch (see the photo) and the company was excellent, consisting of Dot (Avis' amazing mother who is still line-dancing in her eighties - seen on the right front of the photo), Lexie (front left), Dave, Oliver, Bron, Liam, Raewyn, David, Bernie (Brian's Dad), Brian, Daniel, Avis and me. Later that evening we visited Wayne and Raewyn who were entertaining their own family for Christmas. The next day we returned to Wanaka where I spent time recovering while David and Avis ran up and down the mountains and spent time in the sauna and spa.

We are now staying at the home of Avis’ daughter, Joelle, and her partner Matt, in Kelvin Heights, Queenstown, overlooking Lake Wakatipu. We have the most stunning view from our bedroom window and tend to sit gazing out over the lake, rather longer than we should, as we drink our early morning cup of tea. (See photo)

Now I am finally on the mend, I fully intend to walk along the lake-side to lose some of the weight that has surreptitiously insinuated itself about my person since I left England last September.

Yesterday, we visited Gary and Bernie on their farm in Dry Bread near Omakau.

We met Garyand Bernie when they visited Avis and Brian in Turkey, three years ago, so it was good to catch up with them again. We had lunch and then Gary took us on a tour of his 570 hectare farm. Gary has 2 600 breeding Ewes which usually give him 3 500 lambs each year to sell for meat; added to this are the 600 replacement Ewes kept to replenish his stock.


 
Gary also raises deer for market and he has 90 hinds and 3 breeding stags.
I tried to take a photo of the deer, but they are very shy creatures and kept running away. We spent a hilarious few minutes chasing after them around the field in the car, but the lead hind wasn’t having any of it and she led them off at a gallop every time we approached. This photo was the best I could do!

The farm is called Rankeillour, after one of the places in Scotland where Gary’s forebears came from near St Andrews. The landscape is beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

We especially liked the duck ponds with their Mai Mais (the hides for the hunters during the duck-hunting season). Unfortunately, this was only a brief visit, so we must definitely return to visit Gary and Bernie in order to experience more of their idyllic life!

Invercargill and Wanaka, New Zealand

We flew from Sydney to Christchurch and then on to Invercargill, where we were met by the friends we made in Turkey, Avis, Brian, Raewyn and Wayne. The next day we drove to Kelvin Heights in Queenstown to visit Brian and Avis’ daughter, Joelle, in her home overlooking Lake Wakatipu, before motoring on over the Crown Range to stay in their time-share by Lake Wanaka. The views over the mountains are stunning and although I expected to see lots of sheep, I was amazed to see just how many there are – they are everywhere! The photo shows the view from our patio - of Mount Alta, part of the Southern Alps range.

Unfortunately I have been laid low by some bug I picked up in Australia, but David has thoroughly enjoyed himself – beginning every day with a run along the side of the lake and relaxing in the sauna and spa afterwards, while I cough and splutter and generally feel sorry for myself!

On Christmas Eve, we returned to Invercargill to join in the celebrations with Avis’ family. We attended a beautifully traditional midnight church service and today, Christmas Day, we will all have a Christmas lunch at Avis’ sister Lexi’s house. So, to you all – as the day progresses and you all get to celebrate Christmas after us – Merry Christmas and may all your dreams come true!

Sydney, Australia

Sydney from the water

In Sydney we didn’t notice anyone waving and there were no flies (is this a co-incidence?) Darling Harbour is full of restaurants and has the Sydney Aquarium, the Sydney Wildlife World, the Maritime Museum and various exhibitions. If one wanted to do just the touristy things then this place has everything! On this our first evening, we contented ourselves with walking around the harbour and seeing all the things that were on offer.

The next day we took a bus to Circular Quay and from there took a ferry to Manly Beach where we had breakfast. David was able to enjoy a full Aussie breakfast, while I, virtuously, had the fresh fruit platter with yoghurt. The fruit was delicious and really fresh, so I didn’t feel in the least deprived! The weather was glorious and we walked along the promenade before catching the return ferry and then a train to Queen Victoria Building – a rather quaint shopping mall – from where we walked back to our hotel.

That evening, we caught the monorail from Paddy’s Market to Pyrman and browsed the restaurant menus on display around Darling Harbour before finally choosing, and dining royally at, the ‘Ice-Cube’.

On our last day in Sydney we walked all the way from our hotel to ‘The Rocks’. This was the
original settlement where 750 convicts and 400 settlers were first landed on Australia’s shores on January 26 1788; the old houses look strange nestled among the very modern buildings of Sydney today. It gave us a fascinating insight into how Australia came into being, and made us wish that our forebears had been rather more adventurous ,or rather less law-abiding!!! It is interesting to note that for some years the convicts outnumbered the settlers!

Next stop New Zealand.