From Websters' to Wanaka

Thursday 2 April

A rude awakening at the Webster household - 6am and the concrete team arrived to pour the floor for their new garage/shed! I popped my head out the door around 6.20 and it looked amazing & alien - all floodlights and a massive cantilevered concrete pouring hose machine.

Checked in on progress over the next couple of hours as the light changed - pale & pastel at 7.30am and golden glow at 8.30am - and the team worked on levelling the concrete and then packing away the giant machine.

Banjo was looking fine in the golden sunrise too - as I went down to grab my dirty laundry bag. Debs was at work, Jonny had some chores so we hung out at their place doing laundry and working on our blogs.

Jonny returned and suggested we have lunch at The Orchard, and who were we to argue?! I had passed the avenue of trees from the Otago Central Rail Trail that leads up to The Orchard about a year ago, and Jenny & Warren had recommended it to us recently so it was great to finally get there. The setting was gorgeous with inside and outside space and loads of sculptures, artworks and installations.

Funky decor inside - including lego people, and Fred the Homepride flour guy, and I loved the portrait which says “my mother works at a café and on Sunday she gets paid. Other days she makes food such as pies. By Frankie” ❤️

Had a lovely lunch in the sunshine and strolled round the gardens - it is a gorgeous place and now hosts weddings so I left them a couple of celebrant business cards and asked them to pass them on to prospective couples ❤️

The gardens were very reminiscent of English formal gardens with lovely corridors and archways and vistas; a few beautiful flower beds and more sculptures & installations dotted around.

Back at the ridge, we packed up, said farewell and headed to Wānaka via Cromwell & Lake Dunstan. Jenny & Warren had offered us a spot on a private farm there courtesy of a colleague of theirs and it was all a bit mysterious… we aimed for a pinpoint on the map and were delighted to spot Jenny at the gate, waving us in! We also got an inquisitive welcome from two half dressed sheep and a black faced sheep in the paddock next to us - for some reason the white faced sheep appeared to be shorn a bit in front, but with the loose fleece rolled back jauntily around their shoulders.

Settled in, met most of our fellow campers, caught a few final practice flights for tomorrow’s Warbirds Over Wanaka and watched an incredible golden moonrise before turning in to finish “The Other Bennet Sister” (awesome) and “Last One Laughing” (disappointing) in bed. 🛌