More from Oz

Although I am now home, I still want to post this last letter from New Zealand to keep the record going. I doubt I'm going to write anymore about the trip here, but I do want to write something. This is a picture of the Kaikoura coastline--where the mountains meet the sea...



Hello all!

We are in Kaikoura , New Zealand tonight! It is cold and rainy but we are snugged up tight in our little house on wheels. We’ve just finished a meal of soup and salad, both unique in their own way, not your typical American soup and salad but enjoyable none the less. Both of us have gotten some sort of throat thing so we have taken it easy this afternoon. I was tired after driving a STICK SHIFT on the wrong side of wet pavement up and down twisty mountain roads. Gorges and gulches and rolling hills and oceans on the sides. It is beautiful here! And we are getting to see it with clouds hanging on the tops of the hills. The trees and flowers are blooming and it is simply gorgeous. AB notices the plants everywhere we go! She sees them before she sees the mountains which are what my eyes go to first.

Everyone is so friendly and warm, AB says it’s like going back in time. She also says it reminds her of Hawaii . She is a real trooper, showering in open air bathrooms and sleeping up top in the camper. She won’t let me sleep up there…

We had lunch at a quaint little café in a small town called Cheviot, the ladies were wonderful… but they don’t tip here (or in Australia) so when we left a $2 tip on the table, the waitress came after us saying we had forgotten our two dollars. She kept it quick enough when we explained it was a tip, though.

I think we are having a grand adventure. We are going to stay here for a little while and look around. There is a seal colony down the road and whale watching at the local winery. Which we are going to visit tomorrow and maybe taste some NZ wines. The weather is supposed to clear up a bit.

We’ve seen a variety of animals, sheep and cows, but surprisingly, elk as well. Elk! In herds! And llamas! And really cool birds—crows with white t-shirts on, seagulls with red feet... The hills are covered with vineyards, too. It is a lovely, lovely place. I like it better than Australia . Aunt Barbara likes it different, not better.

I have to say a little bit about the campervan here. It is a diesel (which costs $1.03 NZ/liter) truck, about 15 feet long and tall enough that we have to climb into it. It’s bigger than I thought it would be. It’s a stick shift, but the shift is on the left side, so I’m having to change gears with my left hand. That has taken some getting used to, but thankfully the blinker is on the left side so I’m not turning on the windshield wipers with every turn! I have to admit that I’m proud of myself for being able to drive the thing at all! The very first night in Christchurch we checked into the nearest Holiday Park and I had to back the van into the spot between two campervans already parked. I did it on the very first try!! I didn’t give myself a chance to think about it and get scared. I backed it into the spot today, too. It’s got great mirrors! I’ve only run over the curb on the left side when I’ve been turning about 4 times… I think that’s pretty good, myself. Could be worse… It’s got a heater that runs on electric, so we are staying warm, except for when we have to run between the raindrops to the bathroom.

Well, I guess that’s all for now…

Uncle Joe, Aunt Barbara says, “I love you!”. We are doing fine and feel very safe in NZ.

Love!
Lisa and Barbara