Tuesday, June 5

Trying to Stay Grounded.

This is a pic of SG, small grandson, taken yesterday morning. He decided he would like a photo taken with the cactus, so here is the result. He has a scratch on his right cheek which is the accidental result of boisterous play with his dog, whose claws perhaps need a clip.



After writing yesterday's post about our travels in Thailand, it got me thinking about other holidays & trips we have taken.

When we first moved to Australia to live, I used to take trips back to visit my mother, who lived in Auckland, approximately once a year. I often went alone, leaving GOM to hold the fort, & I loved to travel alone. Sometimes we had trips back to the South Island, to Christchurch to visit GOM's family & our friends who live there.

A couple of times we met up with our son & his partner, who were travelling in NZ at the same time. Our son B, was keen to show his partner where he grew up, & memories of his childhood years. They spent a lovely time in Kaikoura, which has always held a special charm for our son. It can be very cold, & when the snow is on the mountains it is freezing. There is a flourishing Whale Watching business there now, but in our day, it was just a rather bleak seaside town, which could be guaranteed to have Crayfish available almost all year round.

There is a rough rocky beach with very little sand, it is mostly pebbles. There is a seal colony lives on some huge rocky outcrops & we sometimes took walks to view the seals. Well rugged up, usually, because of the cold winds coming from the mountains on one side, & the Antarctic from the sea.

We would often stay there on our trips up to see my stepdaughter, & of course our children remember those trips, - now rather vaguely. But SB has always retained a fondness for Kaikoura, in spite of once having a dreadful asthma attack while we were staying there, & because he hadnt exhibited any symptoms for about a year, we had no relief available, & no Doctor could be found at night in a small seaside town. Our remedy to was to give him a little brandy in warm water with sugar to relax him, & he went off to sleep quite comfortably, & in the morning all signs of asthma had gone. Our GP later told me I had done just the right thing.

And how, you may ask, did we happen to have brandy with us, & not asthma treatments?? Terrible parents! Publicans, though.

We always called in to visit with friends who lived just outside of Kaikoura, & usually took some bottles of alcohol as gifts or to have a drink with our friends.



This next photo is of the Port of Lyttleton, taken from a lookout accessable by Gondola. The Gondola had never been there, when we lived in Christchurch, so it was as real tourists we rode for the view.
I see I took this photo in November 95.
And here is GOM, with son B, & his partner M, taken looking down at Lyttleton Harbour. You can see the harbour is formed by a crater, & there are many bays round this Harbour.

We used to have quite a few visitors from overseas come to visit us when we lived in the city Hotel, in Christchurch, & we used to try to take them to as many places of interest as we could. It seemed strange visiting as tourists, & perhaps seeing things through new eyes. There are so many wonderful places to visit, & interesting historical towns, I would love to go back & do it all again as a tourist.


I do get itchy feet from time to time!

And here is the view looking East last evening. I loved to rolling fluffy clouds highlighted by the setting sun.

And this was the view about 30 minutes later, looking to the West, over the hills.
And there is that lone pine again! Still waiting ...

I had better go & get busy so I dont fret too much about being stationary, with no immediate prospect of travel in sight!!



10 comments:

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Well, I share your son's fondness for Kaikoura. Only been there once for just two nights but apart from the fact the whole South Island is amazing, would certainly like to return to kaikoura. Mussels and crayfish to eat, seals and whales to see, mountains and sea and friendly people. :)

nutmeg said...

The fact that NZ is so mountainous where steep cliffs abound is always a source of awe for an Australian more used to relative flatness! I have bouts of the travel bug that have been reignited of late. I have a hankering for Scotland at the moment - it must be my ancestors calling.

fifi said...

It is nice travelling on the internet, though, and you never have to pick up your bags ONCE.

This week I have been to Norway, Ireland, and now New Zealand. How good is that? Thanks!


Well I have wanderlust most of the time.
I hope to go away this year, much against the wishes of some very influential folks. But HECK, ya gotta do it!!!
Especialyl if there are people to visit.

In the meantime, its nice to visit virtually!

cheers!

Joyce said...

NZ has long been on my ToDo list. Hopefully, next time we go to Astralia we can manage a stop over.

Lee said...

Thank you for that. Now I'm getting itchy feet too.

Jeanette said...

Hi Meggie, thanks for the imformation on N.Z I cant see myself going there, but oh your got my mouth watering thinking of fresh crayfish. Yummy, Take Care.

smilnsigh said...

More fun ramblings with you. :-)

Mari-Nanci

Pam said...

You do write interesting blogs, and indeed have had a very interesting life. I've spent most of my life picking things off the floor, marking students' work and reading books. It's been interesting in its way but not so varied as yours.

Your grandson is really lovely. What a charmer!

fifi said...

Hi Meggie, just thought you might ike to "see" this picture.
I just finished off marking a last essay which was submitted online, sitting here at the table. I put your blog on, to listen to the music while I did it, and I looked up and there was a huge currawong sitting on the windowsill, with the sun blindingly shining on the ocean behind him. He was looking in at me...I think he was listening to the guitar!
How cinematic!
anyway, off to the day now. have a good one.

meggie said...

LGS, so glad you liked you visit to NZ. We try to make everyone welcome.
Nutmeg, I have Scottish ancestors too. Would like to visit Scotland.
Fifi, I am always wishing I could be travelling off somewhere. When I used to organise tickets for people where I worked, I always wished I could stow away with them.
I love the image of that bird, listening to the music! Cows love music, & always give more milk, if they have music to milk by!
Joyce, it would be nice if you could manage both.
Lee, can you scratch your itch?
Jeanette, I think crayfish are my absolute favourite seafood.
Mari Nanci, nice to see you enjoyed your visit.
Isabelle, Have just visited your blog, & love that wonderful blue flower!