Tuesday 25 November After meeting Helen on the ward at 1am following her second surgery, we staggered home to bed around 2am. Sara was up early and in the ward by 7ish, so we did a few chores and had a bit of a lie in, after news that Helen had slept overnight and was still snoozing 💤 Laundry at the Fernandi’s, coffee run from Green Bay, trip to St Luke’s where we met Amy & Beth, then we rocked up to the hospital to relieve Sara. Helen was definitely more restful but struggl

Monday 24 November Louis and I had a bit of a lie in until our diary reminded us that we were due at 7a Endeavour Street at 9am to return a few things to storage and collect a couple of items to take back to Banjo! Accidentally I picked up more than a couple of things... oops! Swung by Zoom for a coffee and chuffed to see The Nukes on a poster up on the wall - the same show I'd seen up in Kerikeri back in September. After that Louis went off to see Jono on the North Shore to

Sunday 23 November While Louis and Sara took the first two shifts at the hospital with Helen (making slow progress), Nickie, Russ and I joined the throngs heading over the bridge to the Sculpture On-Shore exhibition at Fort Takapuna. This biennial exhibition has long been a favourite of mine and it was lovely to catch it on its last day. Over 120 sculptures along an open air trail around the headland and another 90 or so smaller pieces inside the Fort. This season did not di

Saturday 22 November Helen had not had a great night - restless, in pain and coming down off the morphine she’s been on for a few months now. So we all came in to be with her at her bedside throughout the day. It was a tough day with hallucinations and confusion, and a roller coaster of pain management - but one or two of us were with her all day. Quite by chance we bumped into Mike & Ayesha, as his mum was in the next room to Helen - lovely to see them, as our schedule may

Friday 21 November Quite a change of pace for Friday - up and out early to scoop up the twins from Sandringham while Sara & Michael drove Helen into Auckland Hospital. An 8am check-in at the Transition Lounge before Helen led the parade of surgery patients up to L8 for theatre prep. Louis & Sara were allowed to go through with her, but the twins and I hung out in the corridor playing "I went to Antarctica and I took..." whilst waiting for updates. Eventually it was confirmed

Thursday 20 November Up and out with the dawn - Josh kindly dropped us at the airport around 7.15 and we hopped on our flight to Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland at 8am and Amy collected us on arrival. Swung by the Fernandi to drop off our bags, saying hello to Abby & Harley in the process, then went over to Waterview to see Sarah W’s new place where Amy, Beth and Dilligas all live together. Dilligas seems to have settled in well with his new flatmates (and no dog) though he has yet

Wednesday 19 November Despite the call of race day at Phar Lap, we had things to do and places to be so packed up early and headed out of Timaru heading north… with a detour to the dump station which happened to be one street over from Alpine Energy where Jeremy starts his new job next week! Cruised north under grey skies, shocked by the torrents of water still flooding down the Rangitata, Rakaia & Waimakariri rivers - must have been pouring in the mountains! Obligatory stop

Tuesday 18 November So lovely waking to the sound of thundering hooves as the racehorses were training round the Phar Lap Raceway. We had a leisurely morning, I went off wandering and exploring our POP’s location. Two of the horses were quite friendly and wandered over to say hello (though one did not appreciate the "Why the long face?" joke!!) It was probably a fine racecourse in its day, but is very tired and dated now - sadly there was a race meeting scheduled for Wednesd

Monday 17 November A quieter day as we head slowly back to Ōtautahi Christchurch in a few days. Nothing but bird song and the odd quack of a duck to wake us in the morning. The grey overcast skies had sucked all the vibrant colour out of Lake Tekapo, but it still had a haunting beauty. We packed up in a leisurely fashion and hit the road to the coast shortly after 10am - waving goodbye to our new friends next door who were having an even more laid back morning. First stop al

Sunday 16 November Southern Alps photo spam heading your way… we both woke early and decided to walk up to Pukaki Kettle Hole as the sun was rising. The tranquility of the big Lake was stunning, and the occupants of the 50 or so camper vans around us were all fast asleep as we climbed the wee hill to the waterhole. Cracking views from the top… and perfect timing with the sun climbing over the horizon, above the Kurow Valley. The Pukaki Kettle Hole was created by a huge iceber

Saturday 15 November Woke to a dryer, less windy morning; though it was a chilly 1 degree Celsius outside, we were quite sad to leave our lovely DOC camp at Aoraki, Mt Cook. Though the dawn skies were grey, there were small chinks of sunshine on the mountain range behind the camp by 8am and hints of blue skies as we pulled out, through the rather tricky ford/dip at around 10am. Driving past these epic landscapes and valleys took me back to O'Level Geography with Mr Steadman

Friday 14 November With wild weather on the cards yet again, morning was the time to go exploring! I was up and climbing up the track to Kea Point in my PJs by 7.15am while Louis slept. It was chilly and bracing but glorious - the sunlight gradually bringing the colours of the stunning landscape to life as it climbed higher over the peaks. Blue skies overhead, the glacier lake looked amazing, Aoraki kept peeking out behind a sausage of cloud and there was the odd thunder of a

Thursday 13 November We were first in and almost last out at the Ahuriri Bridge DOC camp - even though we were on the road by 9.30 and in Twizel by 10am so I could stock up with more salmon at the High Country Salmon Farm (and a coffee for Louis), fill up on diesel and buy one more bottle of milk in town. But before we proceed - let us marvel at the simplicity of the toilet lock in the long drop at Ahuriri Bridge - pictured below. There was a sprung bolt on the outside which

Wednesday 12 November Sad to say haere ra to Hāwea, and on such a stunning morning. After watching the golden sunrise turn into a clear blue skies day with wispy clouds and the odd vapour trail. We packed up, made use of the jaunty dump station, then hit the road at 10.01am - just 1 minute after official check out time! Heading for the Lindis Pass, it was our duty to stop at Tarras for morning tea and to get lunch and a snack for Louis! An easy and scenic drive through the Pa

Tuesday 11 November Such a perfect day! Sunshine from start to finish - making spring colours & glacier-fed lakes pop! This is so my happy place... if we could afford it, I'd be keen to buy land or a property here, but prices have rocketed over the last year or two as Wānaka fills up. Louis decided to cycle into Wānaka, 20km to the pool, swim 2km then cycle back! That's a lot of exercise! I took the easy option of meeting him there with his togs and stuff then collecting them

Monday 10 November Waking in one of our favourite places to the sound of birdsong, we made plans for a wet morning and a sunny afternoon. It turned out not to be as rainy as forecast, but we headed into town for coffee & a treat at Pembroke Patisserie (I did not succumb, though my enthusiasm for the keto diet is waning as the weight refuses to drop significantly). Then, despite not finding a BookMe deal, we visited Puzzling World for a morning of illusions and tricks and gett

Sunday 9 November From one favourite place to camp to another - we packed up under attack from some particularly attentive sandflies and after a 7 point turn to get out of our space without clipping a camper van, we hit SH6 heading south to Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea. The road tracks down the eastern edge of the top of Lake Wānaka, then crosses at a small pass to the western edge of Lake Hāwea - stunning! Too early for check-in so we parked up in Wānaka out on the back roads and

Saturday 8 November Grey and wet much of the morning - not a problem for us as we can come back here again and again, but I did feel sorry for the tourists who are on a strict itinerary as they whizz round all the tourist spots. There were a few dots of blue through the grey, but it took most of the day to break through. After lunch there were hints of brightness and more sun promised by the weather apps so we wrapped up warm and headed back over the Pass. First stop was at

Friday 7 November Misty morning on the lake at Paringa - fascinating watching the light and the cloudscape change as the morning progressed. The sun tried to break through a couple of times, but the low misty clouds fought back, settling in layers across the lake and revealing the peaks behind them. Fewer tuis were out - maybe they like the sunshine as much as me. Had a lovely long chat with two couples who had turned up to do some fishing & were tiki touring from Hokitika &

Thursday 6 November Woke to a West Coast morning - drumming rain on Banjo’s roof and no sign of yesterday’s mountain views. Walked into FJ for a toilet stop & a coffee; sat out by the warming fire at Full of Beans with a coffee for Louis and a tea for me - had a video call with my sister Caroline from London, and mid call realised that the wind had blown the flames my way and set fire to the napkin under my teacup - yikes!!! Strolled back to the NZMCA to pack up Banjo and se