Christmas is over and I’m a little sad it is time to say goodbye Southland. I always feel comfortable while I’m in the southern regions. But after more than six weeks away from home, its time to head north. Our very loose plans to tiki tour up the east coast of the South Island have disintegrated. Both hubby and I are keen to get home again. Instead of taking our time and visiting many sights, we’ve decided to “do” the east coast at a later date.
Leaving Southland meant saying goodbye to our son. This is more poignant because of his ill health during our time in Southland. A bad bout of tonsillitis cleared in time for him to develop a stomach bug. Thankfully he was improving by the time we had to leave. After a farewell lunch at Queen’s Park it was time to go.
My sister must be looking forward to her house returning to normal. Hosting us as well as members of her immediate family filled her home for days, or in our case, closer to weeks. I’ve loved sharing time with her and my old school friends. So often in the past my visits to school friends have entailed travelling to their places and sharing a meal. But with time on our hands, we were able to have extended overnight visits which are so much more enjoyable.
As we prepare to travel north, I’m pleased to say that only once did we encounter an obvious foreign driver. Turning a corner to discover a camper van driving toward me on the wrong side of the road, what surprised me was his reaction. No shocked expression or the expected “oh hell, I’m driving on the right” this guy just kept on driving toward me. He didn’t appear to have a worry in the world. It was only when I blasted him on my horn that he decided it might be a good idea to move over to his side of the road.