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Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
  • Tamsin Gallie
  • Kate Saxton
  • Tamsin Gallie
  • Kate Saxton

Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

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  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019
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    Going, going, gone..... well nearly

    February 9, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Today started v early with lots of msgs from many people. Who needs a sleep in on a Sunday when u r on “holiday”??!!!
    By 8.30am we were on our way down to the paddock and within 40 mins the tractor cage and spray unit were loaded onto the trailer of a v delightful Dean and Molly- first thing gone.
    10.30am Damien turned up as planned for the massive boat trailer and lambing up pens. Slight problem here, Damo turned up with a small trailer full of sleepers he was due to drop off and a 2 wheeled drive Toyota Celica!! We kindly advised him to leave both on the road and jump in the truck to have a “look” at the size of the items he had come to pick up. Sensibly Damo decided he would leave the pens but would still like the trailer so would come back next Sunday with a car carrier.... D for disappointed.
    11am in the dot Leighton, who couldn’t have been more opposite to Damien turned up for the dog kennels and despite not particularly liking the speed and style of his manual handling, the dog kennels were on the trailer, tied down and they were away with maximum efficiency to their new home to house foster dogs- good result.
    By 11.30am I had managed to persuade K to go to Vanessas for a coffee and a quick read of the paper before the next job whilst waiting for Ron at 2pm for the post hole driver.
    Next on the list was getting our bikes out of their boxes where they have been for 4 years since we left Nelson for PNG. They went together easily but god knows if they will survive being ridden.
    Just before 2pm Ron and his son turned up and were a sight for sore eyes. They had a tip trailer and a winch to remove the 12ft solid post hole driver. They knew exactly what they were doing and didn’t even need at help for the first time today so we watched as they managed to lever this huge piece of equipment into place, secure it and happily drive it away- great job done.
    After this it was time to tidy and clean out of our shed and get rid of all of the packing paper the bloody mice are so fond of.
    A quick stop for a coffee at 3.30pm was
    much welcomed and then it was down to the bottom paddock again. 4 truck loads later and all that was left were the boat trailer snd the lambing pens.... if only Damo had come good we would have had the most successful day.
    Still not finished it was time to top the blood thistles which was actually v satisfying now the place was nearly clear.
    Trmw we were hoping to take the bikes for a spin but somehow I have managed to lose all of my bike gear/ obviously it was all in one box and despite going through every box and case at home/ shed ( which took a precious hour) they were nowhere to be found/ gutted.
    By now it was 9pm and we were too knackered so tmrw mornings plan is to try to find at least a helmet before we hopefully get on the road for a day to Central.    Read more

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    “ Lets go away and stay somewhere nice”

    February 10, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    So K was persuaded we should go away for a couple of days. “ Let’s go away and stay somewhere nice” she says.
    I then have a sleepless night because not only can I not find my bike helmet I can’t find the whole “bike box”. This causes me
    some distress as we think we may have taken it up to Nelson when we returned the car in July 2018 but me leaving myself without bike gear is like people leaving themselves without a phone charger.
    Anyway the errant box was found in the bottom shed and all was well in the world.
    We left Moeraki at 11.30am headed for somewhere in Central Otago so we could stay somewhere nice and then hopefully cycle the new Roxburgh Gorge trail out of Alexandra.
    During a v nice coffee in Kurow we were dismayed to discover not only the price of the NZ accommodation, the shit quality of a lot of it but sadly most we had previously glanced at were now booked out! Seriously who wants to pay $140 for a room with a shared bathroom these days... that’s what hostels r for!
    Not to worry we carried on south over the stunning Lindis Pass, past Cromwell and then stopping in Clyde ( no affordable Accomm there) before heading onto Alexandra.
    We pulled into Mirabel chalets but they were fully booked so K had a great idea ... Alex Top 10 holiday park!!! Let’s stay somewhere nice she said!!
    The ladies at the front desk were scary enough but allowed us to look at their “deluxe cabins”..... and we were then too scared to do anything other than pay to stay!!
    We unpacked the truck, changed into our cycling gear, tightened up the bikes and then drove down to the side of the lake where the Roxburgh Gorge trail starts.
    Sadly it was already 5.30pm but the goal of tonight was just to test ride the bikes and make sure they were safe and the tyres weren’t going to explode etc after 4yrs in their boxes having travelled to PNG and back!!
    The trail was beautiful as we just cycled alongside the river for an hour . It was a perfect temperature at this time of evening as the day had been boiling.
    We were so hungry walking around New World getting our dinner we had to partake in 2 hot cross buns out of the packet of 6 before we reached the check out.
    Back in our “deluxe Accomm” we cracked open the wine, microwaved our fish pies and watched the news +1! Luckily we happened to see the town signs about needing to boil the water after we had each consumed more than 1litre, because the scary ladies at reception had failed to mention this to us.... luckily the security man at the supermarket confirmed current tap water wasn’t safe to drink... brilliant!!
    Anyway after a night of total luxury tmrw we r off to Roxburgh to cycle the bottom half of the trail before heading to Dunedin to catch up with my friend Mascha.    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Alexandra to Roxburgh

    February 11, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We slept well in our cabin in the tourist park despite it being freezing overnight.
    We checked out and filled up with diesel ( using Gaspy app saved us 35c per litre).
    It was a glorious day as we left Alexandra heading south to Roxburgh.
    The plan was to have a coffee in The Stone House Gardens cafe and cycle from Roxburgh Dam to Shingle peak but as the cafe was closed we ended up in Roxburgh itself.
    We then had the most fabulous brekkie in 103 The Store before getting some local knowledge about the cycle paths and deciding to bike from town up to the down and back.
    TBC...    Read more

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    Roxburgh Dam cycle & dinner with Mascha

    February 11, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    After parking the truck we headed off on the north section of the Clutha Gold cycle trail from Roxburgh to Roxburgh Dam and back.
    It was a totally stunning ride, in the sun without a single other person on the trail. There were some trees down we had to lift our bikes over but other than that it was a v easy, well groomed path.
    After 1h 45 mins we were back in the truck snd on the road to Dunedin.
    The Roxburgh to Lawrence scenery was as beautiful as ever.
    After a flying visit to Val we were off to the airport to pick up Mascha who had flown in from Auckland for a Bio statistics course as part of her Bio-ethics course- totally fascinating and ahead of its time course.
    We had a v lovely night catching up over dinner and wine at The Customhouse at Dunedin wharf.
    I can’t believe M and I have been friends for >20yrs when we both first came to NZ.
    Nice to be home at 10pm as the crib was super warm and comfy and with a better view than last nights cabin!!    Read more

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    Beach trip in the side by side

    February 12, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We had a lovely drive up Moeraki Boulders beach north to K’s old farm where we found some beautiful stones and agates in the beach.
    Back down to our southern end before the tide cut us off, we had a lovely packed lunch in the sun.
    After cleaning more bloody cobwebs off the outside of the house and then cleaning the windows it was time to head into Oamaru.
    We went to the skip hire place for a look at the size of their skip, did a quick grocery shop before heading to the harbour front for the Oamaru Multisport club “fun run”. After discovering it cost $10 for a 5kms run we decided to manage the budget and our time by running ourselves. Sadly my calf went after 1kms so it was a slow 25 min limp before driving home.
    Once home it was dinner and some good tv before bed.    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Nice pm with Donna

    February 13, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    K and I had a relaxed am cleaning the crib and then plodding on with the trip planning going nowhere!
    I rang Qantas to enquire about our flights and was told I was on hold for between “1 hour 39 mins and 2 hours 12 mins” ( read in an automated voice!!)- not helpful.
    Donna arrived from Christchurch at 2pm and off to Fleurs we went for a coffee.
    After a lovely catch up in Fleurs it was back home for wine o’clock and cheese o’clock.
    Dinner was lamb and beetroot salad and more wine- great Thursday!    Read more

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    Fleurs to Fat Sallys- Happy Valentines

    February 14, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    What a great idea to take Donna to Fleurs for breakfast! A cold, grey rainy day meant it wasn’t nice enough for a pre- breakfast beach walk so straight to Fleurs it was.
    The photos speak for themselves- amazing brekkie and v happy people.
    The weather cleared enough for a little walk in Moeraki before Donna and Ruby were packed in the car and drove back to Christchurch- thanks for coming to visit Donna!!    Read more

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    Fleurs to Fat Sallys - part 2

    February 14, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    After such a delicious breakfast the weather still wasn’t good enough for outdoor jobs so we tried to crack on with a bit of trip planning for a couple of hours.
    At 3.30pm it was time to head to Oamaru to exchange some gas bottles, go to the post shop, get some printer paper and drop some unwanted gear to the St Johns shop.
    All of this was successfully completed before meeting up with Sue and Gary in Fat Sally’s for a beer ( yep diet is going v well... not!!).
    Sue and Gary were down from Nelson for their nephew’s wedding trmw.
    We had a lovely catch up with a few beers, with a toast to Bill ( sadly died 2yrs ago today- still sorely missed but not forgotten).
    Sue and Gary loved the green truck so much we dropped them home in the back of it- amongst the gas bottles but luckily we had removed the huge pallet we had in situ earlier.
    Sadly our catch up was over far too quickly but getting home at 8.30pm was late enough. We popped in for a cuppa with Mary before heading up the hill home.
    Tmrw it’s a 6am start for our weekly park run and the day in Dunedin.    Read more

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    Park Run 3, PB’s 2, Pole lesson 1

    February 15, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    What a fabulously productive day?!
    When up at 6am it was noticeably darker and cooler than a couple of weeks ago.
    By the time we started the Park Run at the Botanical Gardens the sun was starting to come out. Another good run with 232 runners/ walkers turning out this am.
    By 9.30am we had parked the truck and were ordering our breakfast in Perc.
    Dunedin was buzzing with a great market situated around the Octagon with food, live music and stalls selling everything from vintage furs to organic soaps.
    After breakfast ( and learning we had both got a PB this am- small improvements- I think I just walked up the hill faster!), it was off to Specsavers for K. New lenses needed but K is to use her “ old frames” - basically Brand new ones she has never worn since getting them in Cairns nearly 4 yrs ago!!!
    The rest of the day saw us drop more stuff at the charity shop, before heading to St Clair for a coffee as it was such a beautiful day, grocery shopping in PaknSave ( god help us) before K dropped me off for my first Dunedin pole lesson!
    To cut a long story short I left 1.5hrs later exhausted and in pain.... loved every minute, nailed old moves and learnt a new one.... who named it “ lady garden”??!!!🤣🤣 I could hardly climb into the truck.
    Back home by 6.30pm it was down to Mary’s with a meal of lamb and salad and Mary cooked delicious potatoes and desert of plums and blueberries- yum.
    We ate whilst watching K’s Bhutan photos/ they were great and really showed the colours of the country.
    Now watching the Hurricanes vs Sharks- all in all a v good day.    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Damo comes through and Marie snd Stuart

    February 16, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    At 9.45am Damo turns up with a car carrier and takes away the rusty old boat trailer he came for last week- good man.
    We made a plate of pikelets and took them for morning tea down the hill to Yvonne and David’s. After coffee we went up to see the new house they are building with the best view over Moeraki Boulders beach- it will be amazing when finished later in the year.
    Back up to the crib and it was a clean up and baking of some raisin scones in preparation for Marie and Stuart visiting from Dunedin/ Auckland.
    Next it was down to Mary’s for K to help with some jobs whilst I sorted some flights and then put together 3 travel books from the Find Penguins website. They were a bit pricey but so easy to do and the downloadable versions looked great so fingers crossed the printed ones will be as good when they arrive. The website prints out each days “footprints” and the photos posted so it’s saves so much time and will be a great record of our trip so far.
    We had the most loveliest catch up with Marie and Stuart (Pip’s parents) who are down from Auckland visiting some of the grandkids in Dunedin.
    Mary came up and it was a lovely couple of hours in the sun sharing a platter of Evansdale cheese and fruit.
    It was 7.30pm by the time our catch up was sadly over and so after a bite to eat and some crap TV it was time for planning for
    tmrw- skip day!!!    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    More work, work, work, and a full skip

    February 17, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    My finger tips r so sore from bloody prickles and splinters I can hardly type this!!
    Douglas the skip man rang at 8am and by 8.45am he was pulling in with his vehicle and a 5m squared skip ( much smaller than we were hoping and needing but the biggest they have and the only ones we could find to deliver to Moeraki)
    10 mins later the skip was in situ next to the rubbish pile and the day started.
    The day finished at 5.30pm with the skip packed full to capacity and packed so well we couldn’t fit another item in no matter how small. The chest freezer had been tipped over thanks to the truck and a strop on the second go, after breaking the rope on the first!, and was emptied of the shit inside and this is due to be picked up when the skip is.
    Andrew the new neighbour has a new low profile mower and is loving it so much he helped us mow a huge area which now looks fab ( photos at a later date as too busy snd too tired to take)- thanks Andrew.
    We had a quick stop for lunch and a quick stop to meet Sarah, Hamish’s neighbour at Dunback but the rest of the time it was work, work, work, work, work.... and it was 27 degs boiling!!
    Despite having the skip for 10 days we now need to call them tmrw to come and pick it up as we really can’t fit another thing in, so now we have to get a trailer and load the remaining tin and timber and take it to the dump ourself. Another job for Wednesday.
    K and I r so knackered we r in bed at 9pm watching The Undatesbles!!    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Travel insurance and trip planning

    February 18, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Sadly no photos from today.
    Started the day with a bit of cooking in preparation for dinner tonight.
    I spent the day at the computer sorting travel insurance and then doing some study whilst K was outdoors continuing with the outside jobs which she enjoys.
    We had a lovely dinner at Mary’s before hesding up the hill to the crib for another earth night. Big work day tmrw planned    Read more

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    Skip gone and shed packed to the rafters

    February 19, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After a quick breakfast it was time to head up to the recycle centre with load 1.
    Next we picked up the community trailer and before we could load it Douglas, the skip man turned up to pick up the skip and chest freezer. 30 v efficient mins later they were on their way.
    We then loaded the trailer with load 2 and just managed to unload with 5 mins to go before the recycle centre closed at 12pm.
    Dropping the trailer back, K and I decided to stop for lunch to prepare for an afternoon of shifting all the remaining timber and tin.
    Kate’s quote of “it won’t take all day” was blow out of the water when we finally finished at 4.35pm as I predicted!!
    Job done and v satisfying it was.
    Dinner was a repeat of last night of salmon, baked potatoes and left over cauliflower cheese bake.
    After dinner it was a v enlightening evening with Dugald and Sal in Moeraki where Dug gave us a v interesting interactive talk on climate change and what we need to consider to try to minimise the predicted temp rise in the next 80yrs- we both felt a bit guilty about our upcoming carbon laden travels!!
    Home at 10pm finished a long but pleasurable day.    Read more

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    Packing and dinner at Fleurs

    February 20, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I started the day doing any jobs I could find to put off packing... making dinner for tmrw, watering the coriander, sorting the fridge of expired condiments etc etc!
    Luckily it was soon time to go to Mary’s to print out some more travels docs and have a coffee.
    Next it was off to the post shop to get an envelope for some shoes I managed to sell on Trademe ( adding $15 to the holiday fund!)
    By now it was 1pm and I couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer. It took me ages actually finding places to store the stuff I had out before I could even attack the actual trip packing. Trying to make decisions about 1 vs 2 pairs of trousers that will def be needed for the first 3 weeks but then may not be needed again proved all too difficult so they ended up on the ever increasing “maybe” pile.
    Packing for all climates and temperatures from ice to rainforests for 4 months isn’t the easiest but headway was made after several trips to the shed revealed some forgotten about jumpers and t-shirts. We have also decided to pack items that we won’t be devastated losing in the event of being robbed/ losing luggage etc ( we have both experienced issues in South America before despite being v vigilant).
    To counteract this tedious activity the highlight of the day was dinner at Fleurs to use up a gift voucher we had ( thanks Mascha).
    Sadly “our table” was already booked but the lovely staff had put us on the large table next to it and we had the most delicious and lovely meal as always.
    It was blowing a gale outside, the bay was rough and there was a young seal hauled up just outside the restaurant- fabulous place for dinner.
    We left totally satisfied 1.5 hours later and drove 5 mins home - we r so lucky.
    Tmrw it’s off to Wanaka for the night with som cycling on the way of the weather permits.    Read more

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    Off to Wanaka - part 1

    February 21, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    To be completed later as I’ve just lost a v long post!!!

    Attempt 2 after losing a v long descriptive post.
    We left a damp Moeraki at 9.30am with the bikes in the back of the truck hoping to cycle from Lauder to Oturehua over the viaducts.
    Had a lovely drive through the Ida Valley and into Ophir before heading to Clyde and onto Wanaka. We stopped just outside Ophir to pick some wild Thyme and the wind was so strong we could hardly get out of the truck. Sadly due to this we decided not to get on the bikes. If we could cycle one way it would be fine with a tail wind but we have to return to the truck and if that wind was a headwind we would be blown backwards.
    We rolled into Wanaka just before 2pm and went to fill up with fuel. Thanks to the GaspyApp we found diesel 55c per litre cheaper than the service stations in the Main Street!! Whilst filling up a guy from Invercargill pulled in behind us and Kate ended up walking him step by step through the card only payment as he had never used one before. His wife had also used the app!!
    We left as he was finally filling up with fuel and headed to the supermarket and then the op shop to drop off a bag of unwanted items. I had only left K for an instant but it was long enough for some odd stranger to ogle the truck and inform her it was a 2001 model!!
    Next we drove to Wanaka Bakpaka Hostel to check in.
    We had a v nice lakefront room with en-suite bathroom so K was fine!
    It was boiling hot in Wanaka and we discovered that neither of us had packed anything other than warm clothes!! K managed to discover a pair of shorts but didn’t even have her jandals. I had jeans and a merino and was sweltering.
    Having a blinder we walked back to the op shop and retrieved a dress that I said I had dropped off my accident!! 5 mins later I was changed into a v comfy, more appropriate dress!! They can have it back tmrw!
    Whilst walking around town we bumped into our Invers friend who now had a full tank of fuel.
    Wanaka was super busy so we got a snack and a take away coffee and sat on the lake edge in the sun. It was lovely apart from a cheeky duck who proceeded to jump up and peck our legs to try to share our afternoon tea!
    By now we decided it was wine o’clock so we walked back to the accommodation.
    Sitting in the sun with a bubbly with a view of the changing light over the lake was really super. This was followed by a delicious dinner we prepared before we left ( to minimise time K has to spend in shared kitchens!!). Tmrw it’s Wanaka park run    Read more

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    Wanaka

    February 22, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Up at 7am which was an hours sleep in compared to our usual Saturdays as Wanaka park run was only 5 mins away.
    We drove over to Wanaka Station Park for 7.30am to join the other 80+ runners for this morning’s 5kms. It was their 2yr bday of running the park runs in Wanaka.
    We started late at 8.15am but the course was considerably easier than Dunedin as
    we ran through the park and then down onto the path at the lakes edge in an out and back 5kms.
    Sadly I had a calf injury at 1.5kms so I had a long and painful limp for the following 3.5 kms trying to enjoy the scenery.
    Kate had a great run and got in well under her usual time.
    On the way home I spent a bit of time standing in Lake Wanaka hoping the healing cold powers would heal my calf which was now seizing up really badly.
    Whilst this was happening the truck got another admirer!! Some guy who said he also had one but had never seen a green one- he was impressed!!
    We were back at the hostel by 9am, had a shower, packed the truck and checked out at 9.45am.
    Straight to Alchemy cafe for breakfast, a
    Coffee and the paper all with a lake view.
    Next we knew there was our “friend” from the fuel station yesterday ... “Mr Hodges” and his family from Invercargill. They stopped several times for a chat - they were off to Waimate to see Mother Hodges in a home before heading back to Invercargill on Monday. They were really good kiwi folk.

    http://www.alchemywanaka.nz/

    We left Wanaka to head home via the Lindis Pass at 11.30am and managed to avoid the rain until we got to Kurow when it was hosing down.
    The scenery before this however had been stunning.
    It was raining heavily as we completed a few jobs in Oamaru- drop off a library book, get some packing tape, but some pain killers and anti-flame etc etc
    Back at home by 4.30pm we joined Mary for a coffee, went up to the crib to unpack and do a few jobs ( sort paperwork etc) before heading back down to Mary’s as she had v kindly cooked dinner. On the way we packed the truck with the last few items to take to the tip tmrw am.
    The painkillers and anti flamme worked wonders and I could limp barefoot - by tmrw it should be all good ... I hope as we have mowing and spraying to do.... amongst a full page of things to do before leaving on Tuesday.    Read more

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    Mad list of jobs- completed!!!

    February 23, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We knew we had a full on day if we were to get everything that needed doing done and now 13 hours later the list has been completed.... luckily we have another one tmrw!!
    The truck was packed from last night, Molly and Deane were bang on time to pick up the mower and take it away. We bolted up to the recycle centre to offload the last lot, some of these items ultimately went to a great cause and were dropped off at Sal and Dugald’s a bit later when I dropped off my old laptops for use. Down to the shed to try to locate my walking poles whilst Kate dug out and CRC’d the shed doors was next on the list. Kate was successful, I was not!!
    Then she redrilled the bay doors so they could be secured.
    Next it was off home and Kate mowed whilst I packed away surplus bike gear and clothing that had been u packed over the past 5 weeks.
    At 12.05 we got a txt just as we were about to go to Moeraki that the guy to pick up a bike that was sold would be 1-2 hours so we dropped off at the Mactavish property, went to Fleurs for a speedy coffee which was just delightful in the sun- I wanted to mutiny and stay for the afternoon but it was not to be.
    Next it was a quick visit to Mike whose pelvises reportedly healing before we got a txt to say bike Phil was 10 mins away. We bolted home, sold the bike, had a quick lunch and then carried on with weeding and mowing.
    Next it was back to the shed to lay some wood under the chicken wire so it didn’t get swallowed back up by Mother Earth. After this was completed the next job was a bit sad but we had to make sure Fizz’s final resting place didn’t need clearing out - this sad job was made easier by Jess jumping in to prove it was an adequate size for the necessary job when the time comes!! Thanks Jess!!
    Back home it was more ground work and spraying before a lovely fresh dinner at Mary’s enjoying the glorious evening sun.
    At 7.30pm there was still time for another hour for K to finish spraying, laundry, sorting etc. We are now both knackered!!
    Sorry not many photos from today as just too busy!! Xx    Read more

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    Last full day in Moeraki - sad

    February 24, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    We woke to another beautiful day. The morning consisted of finishing the packing and trying to put away the ‘ maybe’ items of clothing that had been moved to the “ maybe not” pile.
    Next on the Monday’s list were admin jobs- confirming flights, adding baggage, online check in, preparation of NZ tax return that is due 1 day before we return, ensuring we have adequate copies of passports etc etc.
    Before we knew it is was 2pm
    After a quick coffee at Vanessas (where we got spotted by Val passing on the bus!!), it was off for a visit to Jan and Ken Wheeler and their mad poodle Zara.
    It was 4.30pm by the time we got back to the crib for sorting of the shed, laundry management etc. By now it was 6pm and time for a delicious dinner in the conservatory with Mary, looking at the trip and boat we r hoping to board.
    Back home at 8.30pm included more sorting and a call to my mum finally getting to bed at 11pm.
    Tmrw it’s crib cleaning and then Auckland here we come.
    Happy Birthday Carol!!    Read more

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    Goodbye Moeraki - part 1

    February 25, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Woke up to a beautiful Moeraki day which always makes it harder to leave.
    Luckily we started the day immediately with cleaning the crib from top to bottom including oven and windows.
    Next it was a sad farewell to our lovely rings as we safely put them away in case we get robbed - already missing them!
    We had a last quick walk on the beach ( after extricating a v coy Jess who had somehow managed to jump in the back of the truck and wouldn’t come out!!) . Realising i had been home for 5 weeks and only had one swim I was appalled at myself so I stripped down to my undies and in I went- it was heaven!!! Sadly time was against us as always but nonetheless it was worth a quick dip.
    The truck was put away in the shed, bags packed into Mary’s car and at 12.30pm we left our little place, nearly thistle free!! A special Goodbye to Fizz who is really slowing down.
    Down to Dunedin it was last minute sandal shopping for K with no success and then it was a sad farewell part 2 as Mary dropped us off for our 4.35pm Jetstar flight.    Read more

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    Goodbye Moeraki - part 2

    February 25, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Good old Jetstar....All was going well for our 4.35pm flight until we were informed at the gate that the plane had encountered a bird strike on landing and now couldn’t leave until an engineer had cleared it safe to fly.
    Not a major problem except..... there were no engineers in Dunedin!! They provided an update half an hour later at departure time to say they were flying an engineer down ... from Christchurch..... and he would arrive at 7.10pm for the inspection and then a call would be made whether we flew or not!! Bugger it!!
    We then spent time trying to work out what to do if it didn’t go, would they put another plane on tonight ( no), would they fly out tmrw ( yes but too late for our international flight, is Airnz flying ? Yes... how much?..... $534 each!! Etc etc
    In the end we bought a fully refundable ticket each for tmrw am to guarantee a seat out to catch our international flight whatever the outcome with Jetstar.
    At 7pm the engineer had landed and by 7.30pm we were being boarded.... yippee!!!
    The Airnz flight was immediately cancelled as refunded.
    Arriving in Auckland at 9.20pm Pip came to the rescue with an airport pick up and several lovely glasses of wine in the new house she and Shaun moved into on Friday!! We were the first house guests!
    Sorry Pip for the late night... 1am by the time we had finished chatting.
    1 flight down 3 more to go!!    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Hello Auckland,Buenos Aires here we come

    February 26, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Up early to see Pip and Shaun before they left for work and to admire their new place in Freeman’s Bay, in the daylight- v v nice.
    What was also nice was the fact there was a great coffee shop across the road so off we went for a coffee and the newspaper and to watch the morning city business happen.
    Next it was a 15 min walk down to Auckland Viaduct admiring the beautiful boats in the marina and enjoying the sunshine.
    We were just crossing Wynyard bridge when we were asked to move over by 2 x police on electric bikes... they stop.... because K knows Leah!! Leah has been up in PNG and we had had drinks with her before we left in June..... it’s a small country!!
    We had a great catch up including about their trial of ebikes before they cycled off.
    Back to Pips place we picked up our gear and got a Minishuttle service out to the airport- a great service for only $5 more than the bus.
    We actually got dropped off at the shopping centre and got some last minute toiletries, a cask of wine for the boat trip, a new singlet each from the icebreaker outlet store and what happens..... we bump into another old police friend of K’s!! This time Andrew Wong who had also worked a stint in Bougainville- seriously!!
    Before we met half of Auckland’s police force we left and walked ourselves to the international terminal.
    Check in with LATAM was pretty slow but uneventful and the security screening in the new area was seem less.
    It’s now 30 mins until boarding for our flight to Buenos Aires via Santiago.
    For people who we haven’t caught up with we have managed to score the most unbelievable deal (75% discount) on a 19 day boat trip to Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula ( I know we r total wankers but it was too good not to go!!)
    Due to this we have started Part 2 of our travels 3 weeks early but still plan to be back in July for K’s oncology review...,, we may just not be able to afford to eat for the last month!!
    Due to the boat trip we will not have WiFi for the whole time we r on the boat but i will just save as draft our v annoying posts and then post them once we get back to land and get WiFi..... please don’t read them if u r going to hate us!!    Read more

  • Kate and Tamsin Trip 2019

    Buenos Aires and the A Hotel

    February 26, 2020 in Argentina ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    We arrived into Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport at 5pm, right on time. LATAM Air proved more than good with their dream liners and semi decent food.
    In the queue for immigration we met Judy and David who initially looked us up and down and then couldn’t quite believe after “backpacking” we were on the same boat as them to the Falklands etc! They also couldn’t believe it when we told them the actual price of a taxi to the city ($40) because their travel agent had made them a booking.... for $120!!! They kindly offered to share their v expensive car but we headed off as planned and passed them waiting for theirs as we got into our Taxi Ezeiza.
    We had a v efficient 40 min run into the city and were outside our hotel by 6.20pm.
    The A Hotel was actually better than expected seeing it was $50 per night so we were pleasantly surprised.

    https://ahotel.com.ar/?lang=en

    After a quick unpack we headed 2 blocks down, found an ATM for some local pesos and then found a cafe for a coffee and a pastry before heading back to our room.
    Uber is illegal in BA, the local taxis can be scammers so we downloaded “Cabify” and ordered a car for 02.10am.
    We couldn’t find any paperwork that indicated we had paid for 2x 15kgs luggage on tmrws flight to Ushuaia so I called the Auckland office who kindly confirmed our booking was showing the luggage but we must have it in 2 x bags under 15kgs and not just one bag of 20kgs which we both had- shit!
    Now it was a frantic repack into our hand luggage bags so they could be checked in with as much weight as possible to get our main bags under weight.... without compromising the wine!!!
    We finally got into bed at 10.30pm with the alarms set for 1.40am!!    Read more

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