From Christmas Day until now…

1. On Christmas Day Eddie and I flew to Wellington.  We had personal video screens, so Eddie watched ‘3.10 to Yuma’ and I watched two episodes of ‘Gossip Girl’ just so I could see what the fuss is all about.  I could watch it again just to be amazed at their decadent Sunday lunches.
2. On Boxing Day we opened the curtains of our motel room in Lyall Bay to a sunny windless view of the surf.  OK, it was flat, but it was still pretty, and Wellington at her best.  Then we flew to Blenheim for breakfast with the family.  Mum served up pancakes, bacon, and bananas with lashings of maple syrup.  Then we opened our pressies!
3. On the 29th Dad took us all to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre Museum.
   

   Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre Museum: contemplation in the face of drama

    
4. On most days Eddie has been filling up on rashuns, cheezels and twisties to last until our next holiday to New Zealand.
5. On some days I have been running…
6. On most days the weather has been perfect for sitting on the swing in Mum and Dad’s backyard with a glass of wine and a book.
7. On one day Eddie and I had surf at Meatworks on the Kaikoura Coast.  There were mushy small but refreshing waves followed by a burger and two delicious battered scallops each.
8. On another day Eddie and I had surf at Westport Breakwater on the West Coast.  There were slightly bigger brown waves and a strong rip for Eddie, but tears of frustration, a walk along the beach and sudoku in the car for me because I left my flippers back in Blenheim in Mum and Dad’s wash house.
9. On the 30th we gave up on waiting for a hire car to become available in Blenheim and drove to Picton to pick up a Datsun Sunny that did very well when we took it off-road between Rarangi and the Wairau Diversion.
   

   NZ beach scene: at the mouth of the Wairau Diversion

10. On a day last week the family minus my brother drove to Picton to catch a boat to Torea Bay and walk part of the Queen Charlotte Bay Track to Mistletoe Bay, but it rained.  So we had coffees in a cafe overlooking Picton Harbour, beers in a bar overlooking Picton Harbour and our packed lunch of ham sandwiches on Shelly Beach along from the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club overlooking Picton Harbour.
11. On Monday and Tuesday Eddie and I had Elevensies at Cruisies in Blenheim.  The perfect place to satisfy a craving and hankering for the unfussy and almost lost Kiwi tea-room that serves up thin white-bread sandwiches, sausage rolls, lolly cake, and a pot of tea.
12. On the morrow we are all driving over the hill to Nelson for the Gargiulo family reunion.