Queenstown 7th - 9th Feb
A very social three days after the nature of Rakiura. The girls liked the spa pool at the Glebe Apartments where we stayed.
The rest of us were invited to join them. Lachie, Dan and me joined. Bill declined, and took the photo. He is not a spa / pool / swimming kinda guy.
First day was free. Bill wanted to work. I breakfasted with the youngies, Bill joined us a bit later. Here am I and my two bearded sons.
I thought I could look better in this photo and besides, another opportunity to be with my boys.
Lachie was too focussed on something else. I am not sure I look much better. A mother never misses an opportunity to be with her boys.
The youngies went off to consider tandem diving from the top of the gondola. Bill went back to work. I went for a walk to swim at Sunshine Beach. The sun was shining and it was very hot.
I had walked for 30 minutes and by this time it was 4.00pm. Suddenly it got cold and I still had another 30 minutes to get to the Sunshine Beach. I chose to turn back to go to the hotel, it was now too cold to swim. and I could be cold walking back. There also had been no-one else on the track. Then I met Fernanda and we started chatting. We walked and talked. She was from Germany. She had been here 9 months and was boarding with a very nice Indian family. She worked in a hotel and was loving Queenstown. She also tutored Italian to English speaking people online. She was fun, and it was great to have some company.
I asked if she would like a photo and if I could put it in my blog? I said I don't put the blog on Instagram or Facebook, I only send it to people interested. She did better than just being in a photo, I loved her energy. Bill will be relieved because getting him in photos is like getting him to stop biting his finger nails! I can sometimes get him in a photo if I say the photo is for Polly, or just one more for the blog. This is the wonderfully spirited Fernanda and me.
This is another shot of Lake Wakatipu, the lake Queenstown is on.
Lachie and Chiara prepared salads and roast kumara chips. Bill cooked vegetarian sausages on the barbecue. Then we eat.
And then we had the spa which is at the top of the post. Another photo of Anna and Chiara.
Next day we all had breakfast together in town and then we did our own thing. Lachie and Chiara offered to make one salad for lunch, and offered to make another from Hello Fresh which Chiara has introduced me to. I caught up with writing more for the blog.
Clare and Murray are friends from our Wellington days (the 1980's). With Lachie and Chiara about to commit to more study in the US, we asked Murray and Clare to give us their work histories. They did not go to university. Both were working in the National Bank where they met. Then there was opportunity after opportunity which they seized. Clare was Bill's first boss trading foreign exchange at DFC. For me I got there are lots of different ways to skin the rabbit, and anything is possible. Murray and Clare now spend their time between Sydney, London and Queenstown. If you read my blog, we had also caught up with them in London. They are great fun. Both grew up in or near Palmerston North. I grew up in Whanganui. And we always tell stories about our years in the provinces, and our Wellington days when we get together - and horses and family stuff.
I loved Clare's analysis of some people we know in common. So Clare says there are authentic Wellingtonians. I find out an authentic Wellingtonian is grounded, keeps in contact with old mates and is not flashy with stuff. So apparently Tolly and Bill are a little bit Auckland and mostly still Wellington. We are mostly grounded. I did get any which way is a compliment. I can certainly laugh with Clare. It is just the way she says things, and her view of the world which I can identify with. Maybe it is a Whanganui / Palmerston North sense of humour.
Here we are going for a walk to see The Apple, one of their lovely sculptures. This was the site they were going to build their house on, but they could not get resource consent so put an apple on it instead. It is magnificent I think. It took the sculptor nine months to build. For those who know me I am not really into art. We went to Naoshima Island in Japan which is an art island. This piece of work, the way the stones have been put together, and where Murray and Clare have put it is the best I have seen. Maybe I am arty after all!
The view that could have been, and now the apple gets.
We are all having a good look.
I loved the lavender too.
Here is (part of) their beautiful house.
And here we are all having a choice of salmon, steak, and salads, then delicious meringues - which Clare is renowned for in our family.
This is our children with Mahkaila and Chiara.
Then we went for dinner in Arrowtown at La Rambla. We had dinner with Lisa and Dean, Ali and Alastair, Murray and Clare. These are the shots that turned out. It was a very fun night.
The boys spoofing for the bill.
Cheers to that says Murray! Dean being the clear winner = loser!
The next day we met up with Lisa and Dean at their place. Anna had headed back to Dunedin the night before, and I had forgotten to give her the tent which we had hired for the walk from Ousa. I had been talking to Lisa at our very fun dinner the night before, and she had said they had a trailer load ready to go to take their daughter to start at Selwyn College in Dunedin. I called her and we took the tent round to give them to return to Anna for us.
And we had a look at another beautiful Queenstown property. There is something about the mountains for sure that attracts people to Queenstown. Happily they were all agreeable to coming to Waiheke for a weekend in Sep/Oct too, and it would be a pleasure to host them.
Maybe I do love art. I loved this painting on the wall inside their house.
Beautiful Lisa in her vegetable garden. Clare is apparently her tutor. They both have great vegetable gardens and glass houses.
We flew out of Queenstown at 6.15pm. Thanks Clare and Murray, Ali and Alastair, and Lisa and Dean. It was so much fun catching up.
On arriving in Auckland we taxied to Waiheke ferry terminal, racing to get the 8.45 pm ferry. We just made it. It was Sunday night. The taxi was the most I have ever seen - $90. It was worth it though, as the next ferry was 10.15pm.