Some months ago we were given notice of my brother (B) and his fiancé's (R) wedding, to be held beach-side in the the Coromandel. After looking at the costs and logistics of flights, rental cars etc just for a weekend trip versus the cost of the ferry, and discovering that there was a quilt show on that we could feasibly visit en-route, the decision was made that we could afford for me to take a week and a half off work, E would be taken out of school (which she could mostly keep up with remotely) and we would make an overdue family holiday of it, visiting places that D hadn't been in years and completely new territory for the other two of us.
[As it happened the lead up to the trip coincided with a major project coming due at work. I did 40-50 hour weeks in the lead up trying to get it close-enough to over the line (which, after some unexpected expenses, was what left us enough funds to afford the pending accommodation expenses) and took my laptop with me prepared to spend an hour here and there fixing things - only to have the line moved. More on that in time.]
Fortunately we had opted to make cancellable-without-penalty-up-to-the-day motel bookings as much as possible, because less than a week out our (daytime) ferry sailing up (as part of an entire fortnight's worth of other bookings on the same individual ferry) was cancelled due to mechanical issues. (NZ'ers reading this will be aware of the overall situation with ferry cancellations recently...)
D's prompt action getting onto the call centre managed to snatch us a space on a nighttime crossing the evening preceding. This meant cancelling our first two accommodation bookings and extending our 3rd night's stay to two nights, as well as trying to find somewhere to crash in Wellington fr a few hours if we weren't able to continue driving up the coast straight off the ferry. Fortunately (as will be detailed later) E's father (A) was able to serve as our crash space of last resort.
Tuesday
Our trip started with the drive from home to Picton. [D & I took turns with the driving throughout the trip.] The only notable stop was in Blenheim, where we serendipitously discovered a fabric shop with a sale on and D's chain of fabric purchases began.
Knowing funds would be tight we had prepared food for the day and packed groceries and tools to be mostly self-sufficient for the trip so after arriving in plenty of time we ate in the ferry queue.
The ferry crossing itself was very rough. Which I wasn't having an issue with, unlike my previous experience where I had been uncomfortably queasy the whole time on a smooth voyage. Until E decided she would like some hot chips, and after buying them for her I made the mistake of eating one. Shortly after that it was white paper bag time.
The crew were very understanding and suggested I move from the front of the boat (where it is the bumpiest) to the centre. Which I duly did and spent the rest of the trip breathing carefully, and at one point discovering that no, in fact not everything had emptied out of my stomach the first time, only the chip and there was a /lot/ more in there.
It may be worth nothing that my personal experience was far from the worst being had on that crossing, and big shout out to the crew of the Aratere who had to deal with us all.
On arrival (around 2am because the crossing had been slowed by the weather) we crashed in A's lounge, being in no condition as a unit to continue on. This meant a few hours sleep and seeing the boys in the morning.
Wednesday
D took the first stretch of driving, I took another nap in the car but not before noting that she drives much more ... confidently ... on North Island roads, even unfamiliar ones. We were bound for Stratford (Whakaahurangi) in Taranaki, and this stretch of the trip was without further incident.
This was all new country to me, and I found that the hills were very different to any others I have seen. It's hard to explain but the angles are different somehow, and the deep gullies between them seem more ... gouged.
After checking into our motel I again napped for a while, while D and E went to an exhibition of weaving at the Percy Thompson Gallery to see how a different branch of fabric artists do their thing.
After waking, a trip to the supermarket (right next to the Amity Court motel where we were staying, and which I have no hesitation recommending) and dinner, I checked into work and spent the next 3 1/2 hours dealing with fixes.
Thursday
We had been planning to travel to Stratford on this day, so instead (after I put in an hour at work) we went over to New Plymouth where we were greeted by a row of transgender flags hanging from the lamp-posts (particularly pleasing given other current events at the time, but I'm not giving that person a link).
We tootled around a bit, found the first fabric shop of the day, took a gentle stroll around some of Pukekura Park (the botanic gardens). I got some excellent close ups of monarch butterflies. (Images link to gallery.)
Lunch for D & E was acquired from "Andres Pies & Patisserie" and consumed in a beachside carpark, before a visit to craft supplies shop number two.
The weather was turning so rather than trying to get closer to a shrouded Mt Taranaki we returned to our motel, where I suspect we crashed out for a while. My timesheet tells me I didn't start working again until about 7:30pm, then did 4 hours.
[You are correct in thinking that D was/is very unimpressed with the amount of time I spent working rather than relaxing / spending more time on myself or with her on what was supposed to be our big holiday. I'm not exactly happy about it either].
Friday
Friday was the longest day. At least I was finally feeling fully recovered from the ferry crossing.
First up was the reason we were making our trip via the East Coast, the Taranaki Quilt Festival. Here D admired all the quilts on display, met up with people she had only previously encountered on line, got tips from the judges on what they felt made a winning quilt, did the first of several impromptu mini-showings of several quilts she had brought along to show in-the-fabric to some of her equaintances, and of course visited the market.
E spent most of the time sitting in the car playing on one of the devices we brought with us, probably the switch. I also took photos of the exhibition but also spent a frantic few minutes hotspotting into work to fix a bug I had introduced late the previous evening.
About midday we started heading north. Up the coast to Awakino then diagonally across the island to Cooks Beach. We stopped for a break at a scenic spot between Tongapōrutu and Mōhakatino.
I asked if D had anyone she wanted to catch up with in Hamilton on the way past (something we should have though of in our earlier planning) and indeed there was an old school friend. So that led to a break for dinner there. Going into Hamilton was a slight detour, but worth it.
Then the final leg, across to and up the Coromandel coast. It was dark by the time we hit the coast, and I have discovered another road that I never want to do at night again, especially with other traffic. In retrospect I should have found a place to pull over and let the vehicle behind me past a lot sooner than when D needed to get her oodie out of the back and layer up.
Nerves were frayed and exhaustion was setting in by the time we reached the rented beachfront bach which we were sharing with my brother/his wife (to be)/their daughter/her mother (the last having flown all the way from Brazil and not speaking a word of English). It wasn't quite "make the beds and fall into them" territory, I did manage to have a conversation with B and find out the plans, such as they were, for the next day.
We didn't pass through any of the areas particularly badly hit by the recent cyclone Gabrielle, but there was evidence enough of its passing for me in the many 30kph, stop/go one-way sections of the highways where the slope had either come down on or fallen out from under the road, and on the slips which could be seen on facing slopes.
Saturday
The wedding was not until mid afternoon so we got out of bed at a comfortable time, took a short walk along the beach until D's back started to complain, and eventually relocated to the house being occupied for the weekend by the rest of the immediate family for lunch and socialising until the event.
Afterwards we rested back at "our" bach until the reception at Kaizen, a local restaurant. Shout out to these guys for delivering a gluten free version of almost everything on the fixed menu to my plate. D also rated their beef wellington absolutely perfect.
After the formalities I and both mothers returned to the bach with youngest family member who at 1-and-a-bit had had a very big day. She was put to bed and a little later B brought D & E over and took our mum back over to where she was staying.
There was a minor issue communicating with R's mum who thought she had left something in my car, which was resolved when I installed google Translate on my phone, something I should have done earlier (or have been taking DuoLingo lessons in Portugese for the previous few months, which I had considered but time, energy...) ... unfortunately we weren't able to find the item :(
Sunday
We weren't departing until after lunch so in the morning we took the Whitianga ferry over to Whitianga (no decent photos), had a bit of a walk around and returned in time for the BBQ and for D to show off her quilts again (this was time #3 by my count, and the novelty for her was starting to wear off).
We took the wrong turn a couple of times on the way out but eventually ended up crawling towards Waihi in a long string of traffic leaving the annual Whangamatmata Beach Hop car festival. This was in many ways preferable to being in light traffic which is pushing to take the corners in a hurry.
We stopped briefly in Waihi to visit D's sister and then rolled on down to Rotorua, checking in to the Rotorua International Motor Inn. By this time I was very over loading and unloading most of the very full car, especially where there were stairs involved. Not up to food preparation we spent one of our "eating out" slots on dinner at the attached, recently opened, sushi train restaurant.
Monday
We had booked our obligatory "must do once" trip to Hobbiton for Monday morning, it was about an hour drive back north and inland which made for an earlier start then we really wanted. The visit came with sporadic rain, but the light was excellent for photography. (Image links to full gallery.)
Our timetable for the afternoon was undefined, but eventually E stayed in the motel while D and I headed south and inland about half an hour to the Waikite Valley Hot Pools, taking advantage of their book-online special and Soak package. I spent most of the visit wound up about thngs my mind wouldn't let go of, like work, but was eventually distracted enough to relax as we chatted with a visiting British couple. We apparently picked a good day, they were staying in the adjacent campground and told us that the previous day the pools had been crowded but today there were one or two small groups per pool, plenty of space.
Tuesday
First up a visit to the local quilting shop (no website) and then another long day of driving, all the way back to Wellington. We stopped at the Huka Honey Hive where D's family had always stopped, and at a cafe in one of the may small towns along the way for lunch.
I had considered trying to set up a detour and meet-up with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
exiledinpn on the way past, but knowing the day was already going to be very long had decided against it. That proved to be the correct decision, but now that we have a better feel for the trip hopefully next time :)
Just before lunch we got a message about our return ferry booking: the forecast was for extremely rough weather and they were strongly recommending people change their plans. It seemed very likely to us that the crossing would end up being cancelled anyway, and D didn't want me to go through another rough crossing (I was fine with the idea, as long as I didn't repeat the mistake of eating), so we agreed to change our plans.
Luck was not with us for rebooking this time: the earliest we could manage was Sunday, an extra 3 nights in Wellington, and our existing motel booking couldn't be stretched. Fortunately we could leave E at her father's and a combination of the previously cancelled accommodation and hours I had worked the previous week meant we had the money, just, to book a hotel for D and I. (And Mum later sent us a contribution towards groceries/meal costs which took a /lot/ of pressure off, much gratitude).
Accommodation for the next two nights did not need changed and we unloaded into B-K's Premier Motel Esplanade in Petone (blowing/raining a storm, more stairs, very long corridor....) and then continued as planned to dinner with A and the boys.
Wednesday
Wednesday had initially been planned for doing things around Wellington - the quilt shops, spending time with the boys. Given finances (and having already acquired most of the supplies she had been looking for) D opted to forgo the quilt shops, and I stayed in the motel unit and worked while she spent the day with the boys who were home due to school teacher strikes.
The weather outside was terrible.
Thursday
Booked out and spent the day at A's. E spent most of the day on the switch and I had planned to work but there were too many distractions, mainly D getting back into Mass Effect Andromeda on A's PC.
[We don't have a laptop that will run it well and we can't fit a comfortable chair into my hole for D to play on my PC). However A had recently replaced his PC and he handed us the old one, which we managed to fit into the car and is now set up on the dining room table. This also means that E can play her Genshin Impact without taking over my PC.]
D & I left before dinner to check in to Quest Apartments Petone which was very nice, except that parking hand not been included in the booking and we had to pay extra for that. (On-street was not an option). They did have a luggage trolley, which made unloading and loading the car much easier. The apartment itself was very nice, I could happily live there, but the very strong air freshener in the hallways gave D a headache. There was an amazing view over the harbour which I completely failed to take any photos of the next day.
For dinner we caught up with S & H at SomTum Thai (their recommendation, very good), followed by a quick visit to their house and cat :)
Friday
It was a beautiful Wellington day. I pulled the curtains and worked :( D went over to spend time with the boys.
Having only ourselves to look after for the evening we spent our last eating-out slot at Mexico Petone which was down the road a little from our motel and which D had previously experienced as part of a group.
Saturday
My timesheet says I worked in the morning, but D & I finally managed to spend a quiet afternoon and evening together, catching up on the second half of Picard Season 2. [Yes I know. We have actually started on Season 3 since we got home.]
Sunday
It was a very early start to check out, pick up E, and get checked in for the 8:30am ferry crossing. This time it was a beautiful day for sailing and we were on the bigger ferry, Kaiarahi. It was very full, and due to a misunderstanding E & I picked a seating location which was sub-optimal for D, but shortly after departure there was an announcement that there were empty truckies-cabins available for $30. Spending the last of our discretionary on one of these proved to be an excellent decision, providing peace, quiet, a bed for napping and a private bathroom.
Once in the Marlborough Sounds we ventured onto the viewing deck to enjoy the cruise into Picton.
In Picton we had lunch with an old friend of D's family, which left us clear of the ferry traffic as we headed south. There was a final fabric stop at The Quilters Barn, as D had called ahead to check if they had fabric in the last of the colours she was looking for, and another to see youngest sister's new place near Kaikoura.
I think we made it home about 8:30pm, to a cat who has developed mild attachment/abandonment anxiety but seems to be recovering, and expended the very last of our energy getting everything out of the car one last time and getting some food together.
Aftermath
As you may have inferred I got home feeling just as burnt out if not more so as when I left. I was straight back to work the next day. There were many experiences which I will value, but if we are ever to do something like this trip again we will allow more downtime along the way. And hopefully, will actually be able to make it a break from work.
[As it happened the lead up to the trip coincided with a major project coming due at work. I did 40-50 hour weeks in the lead up trying to get it close-enough to over the line (which, after some unexpected expenses, was what left us enough funds to afford the pending accommodation expenses) and took my laptop with me prepared to spend an hour here and there fixing things - only to have the line moved. More on that in time.]
Fortunately we had opted to make cancellable-without-penalty-up-to-the-day motel bookings as much as possible, because less than a week out our (daytime) ferry sailing up (as part of an entire fortnight's worth of other bookings on the same individual ferry) was cancelled due to mechanical issues. (NZ'ers reading this will be aware of the overall situation with ferry cancellations recently...)
D's prompt action getting onto the call centre managed to snatch us a space on a nighttime crossing the evening preceding. This meant cancelling our first two accommodation bookings and extending our 3rd night's stay to two nights, as well as trying to find somewhere to crash in Wellington fr a few hours if we weren't able to continue driving up the coast straight off the ferry. Fortunately (as will be detailed later) E's father (A) was able to serve as our crash space of last resort.
Tuesday
Our trip started with the drive from home to Picton. [D & I took turns with the driving throughout the trip.] The only notable stop was in Blenheim, where we serendipitously discovered a fabric shop with a sale on and D's chain of fabric purchases began.
Knowing funds would be tight we had prepared food for the day and packed groceries and tools to be mostly self-sufficient for the trip so after arriving in plenty of time we ate in the ferry queue.
The ferry crossing itself was very rough. Which I wasn't having an issue with, unlike my previous experience where I had been uncomfortably queasy the whole time on a smooth voyage. Until E decided she would like some hot chips, and after buying them for her I made the mistake of eating one. Shortly after that it was white paper bag time.
The crew were very understanding and suggested I move from the front of the boat (where it is the bumpiest) to the centre. Which I duly did and spent the rest of the trip breathing carefully, and at one point discovering that no, in fact not everything had emptied out of my stomach the first time, only the chip and there was a /lot/ more in there.
It may be worth nothing that my personal experience was far from the worst being had on that crossing, and big shout out to the crew of the Aratere who had to deal with us all.
On arrival (around 2am because the crossing had been slowed by the weather) we crashed in A's lounge, being in no condition as a unit to continue on. This meant a few hours sleep and seeing the boys in the morning.
Wednesday
D took the first stretch of driving, I took another nap in the car but not before noting that she drives much more ... confidently ... on North Island roads, even unfamiliar ones. We were bound for Stratford (Whakaahurangi) in Taranaki, and this stretch of the trip was without further incident.
This was all new country to me, and I found that the hills were very different to any others I have seen. It's hard to explain but the angles are different somehow, and the deep gullies between them seem more ... gouged.
After checking into our motel I again napped for a while, while D and E went to an exhibition of weaving at the Percy Thompson Gallery to see how a different branch of fabric artists do their thing.
After waking, a trip to the supermarket (right next to the Amity Court motel where we were staying, and which I have no hesitation recommending) and dinner, I checked into work and spent the next 3 1/2 hours dealing with fixes.
Thursday
We had been planning to travel to Stratford on this day, so instead (after I put in an hour at work) we went over to New Plymouth where we were greeted by a row of transgender flags hanging from the lamp-posts (particularly pleasing given other current events at the time, but I'm not giving that person a link).
We tootled around a bit, found the first fabric shop of the day, took a gentle stroll around some of Pukekura Park (the botanic gardens). I got some excellent close ups of monarch butterflies. (Images link to gallery.)
Lunch for D & E was acquired from "Andres Pies & Patisserie" and consumed in a beachside carpark, before a visit to craft supplies shop number two.
The weather was turning so rather than trying to get closer to a shrouded Mt Taranaki we returned to our motel, where I suspect we crashed out for a while. My timesheet tells me I didn't start working again until about 7:30pm, then did 4 hours.
[You are correct in thinking that D was/is very unimpressed with the amount of time I spent working rather than relaxing / spending more time on myself or with her on what was supposed to be our big holiday. I'm not exactly happy about it either].
Friday
Friday was the longest day. At least I was finally feeling fully recovered from the ferry crossing.
First up was the reason we were making our trip via the East Coast, the Taranaki Quilt Festival. Here D admired all the quilts on display, met up with people she had only previously encountered on line, got tips from the judges on what they felt made a winning quilt, did the first of several impromptu mini-showings of several quilts she had brought along to show in-the-fabric to some of her equaintances, and of course visited the market.
E spent most of the time sitting in the car playing on one of the devices we brought with us, probably the switch. I also took photos of the exhibition but also spent a frantic few minutes hotspotting into work to fix a bug I had introduced late the previous evening.
About midday we started heading north. Up the coast to Awakino then diagonally across the island to Cooks Beach. We stopped for a break at a scenic spot between Tongapōrutu and Mōhakatino.
I asked if D had anyone she wanted to catch up with in Hamilton on the way past (something we should have though of in our earlier planning) and indeed there was an old school friend. So that led to a break for dinner there. Going into Hamilton was a slight detour, but worth it.
Then the final leg, across to and up the Coromandel coast. It was dark by the time we hit the coast, and I have discovered another road that I never want to do at night again, especially with other traffic. In retrospect I should have found a place to pull over and let the vehicle behind me past a lot sooner than when D needed to get her oodie out of the back and layer up.
Nerves were frayed and exhaustion was setting in by the time we reached the rented beachfront bach which we were sharing with my brother/his wife (to be)/their daughter/her mother (the last having flown all the way from Brazil and not speaking a word of English). It wasn't quite "make the beds and fall into them" territory, I did manage to have a conversation with B and find out the plans, such as they were, for the next day.
We didn't pass through any of the areas particularly badly hit by the recent cyclone Gabrielle, but there was evidence enough of its passing for me in the many 30kph, stop/go one-way sections of the highways where the slope had either come down on or fallen out from under the road, and on the slips which could be seen on facing slopes.
Saturday
The wedding was not until mid afternoon so we got out of bed at a comfortable time, took a short walk along the beach until D's back started to complain, and eventually relocated to the house being occupied for the weekend by the rest of the immediate family for lunch and socialising until the event.
Afterwards we rested back at "our" bach until the reception at Kaizen, a local restaurant. Shout out to these guys for delivering a gluten free version of almost everything on the fixed menu to my plate. D also rated their beef wellington absolutely perfect.
After the formalities I and both mothers returned to the bach with youngest family member who at 1-and-a-bit had had a very big day. She was put to bed and a little later B brought D & E over and took our mum back over to where she was staying.
There was a minor issue communicating with R's mum who thought she had left something in my car, which was resolved when I installed google Translate on my phone, something I should have done earlier (or have been taking DuoLingo lessons in Portugese for the previous few months, which I had considered but time, energy...) ... unfortunately we weren't able to find the item :(
Sunday
We weren't departing until after lunch so in the morning we took the Whitianga ferry over to Whitianga (no decent photos), had a bit of a walk around and returned in time for the BBQ and for D to show off her quilts again (this was time #3 by my count, and the novelty for her was starting to wear off).
We took the wrong turn a couple of times on the way out but eventually ended up crawling towards Waihi in a long string of traffic leaving the annual Whangamatmata Beach Hop car festival. This was in many ways preferable to being in light traffic which is pushing to take the corners in a hurry.
We stopped briefly in Waihi to visit D's sister and then rolled on down to Rotorua, checking in to the Rotorua International Motor Inn. By this time I was very over loading and unloading most of the very full car, especially where there were stairs involved. Not up to food preparation we spent one of our "eating out" slots on dinner at the attached, recently opened, sushi train restaurant.
Monday
We had booked our obligatory "must do once" trip to Hobbiton for Monday morning, it was about an hour drive back north and inland which made for an earlier start then we really wanted. The visit came with sporadic rain, but the light was excellent for photography. (Image links to full gallery.)
Our timetable for the afternoon was undefined, but eventually E stayed in the motel while D and I headed south and inland about half an hour to the Waikite Valley Hot Pools, taking advantage of their book-online special and Soak package. I spent most of the visit wound up about thngs my mind wouldn't let go of, like work, but was eventually distracted enough to relax as we chatted with a visiting British couple. We apparently picked a good day, they were staying in the adjacent campground and told us that the previous day the pools had been crowded but today there were one or two small groups per pool, plenty of space.
Tuesday
First up a visit to the local quilting shop (no website) and then another long day of driving, all the way back to Wellington. We stopped at the Huka Honey Hive where D's family had always stopped, and at a cafe in one of the may small towns along the way for lunch.
I had considered trying to set up a detour and meet-up with
exiledinpn on the way past, but knowing the day was already going to be very long had decided against it. That proved to be the correct decision, but now that we have a better feel for the trip hopefully next time :) Just before lunch we got a message about our return ferry booking: the forecast was for extremely rough weather and they were strongly recommending people change their plans. It seemed very likely to us that the crossing would end up being cancelled anyway, and D didn't want me to go through another rough crossing (I was fine with the idea, as long as I didn't repeat the mistake of eating), so we agreed to change our plans.
Luck was not with us for rebooking this time: the earliest we could manage was Sunday, an extra 3 nights in Wellington, and our existing motel booking couldn't be stretched. Fortunately we could leave E at her father's and a combination of the previously cancelled accommodation and hours I had worked the previous week meant we had the money, just, to book a hotel for D and I. (And Mum later sent us a contribution towards groceries/meal costs which took a /lot/ of pressure off, much gratitude).
Accommodation for the next two nights did not need changed and we unloaded into B-K's Premier Motel Esplanade in Petone (blowing/raining a storm, more stairs, very long corridor....) and then continued as planned to dinner with A and the boys.
Wednesday
Wednesday had initially been planned for doing things around Wellington - the quilt shops, spending time with the boys. Given finances (and having already acquired most of the supplies she had been looking for) D opted to forgo the quilt shops, and I stayed in the motel unit and worked while she spent the day with the boys who were home due to school teacher strikes.
The weather outside was terrible.
Thursday
Booked out and spent the day at A's. E spent most of the day on the switch and I had planned to work but there were too many distractions, mainly D getting back into Mass Effect Andromeda on A's PC.
[We don't have a laptop that will run it well and we can't fit a comfortable chair into my hole for D to play on my PC). However A had recently replaced his PC and he handed us the old one, which we managed to fit into the car and is now set up on the dining room table. This also means that E can play her Genshin Impact without taking over my PC.]
D & I left before dinner to check in to Quest Apartments Petone which was very nice, except that parking hand not been included in the booking and we had to pay extra for that. (On-street was not an option). They did have a luggage trolley, which made unloading and loading the car much easier. The apartment itself was very nice, I could happily live there, but the very strong air freshener in the hallways gave D a headache. There was an amazing view over the harbour which I completely failed to take any photos of the next day.
For dinner we caught up with S & H at SomTum Thai (their recommendation, very good), followed by a quick visit to their house and cat :)
Friday
It was a beautiful Wellington day. I pulled the curtains and worked :( D went over to spend time with the boys.
Having only ourselves to look after for the evening we spent our last eating-out slot at Mexico Petone which was down the road a little from our motel and which D had previously experienced as part of a group.
Saturday
My timesheet says I worked in the morning, but D & I finally managed to spend a quiet afternoon and evening together, catching up on the second half of Picard Season 2. [Yes I know. We have actually started on Season 3 since we got home.]
Sunday
It was a very early start to check out, pick up E, and get checked in for the 8:30am ferry crossing. This time it was a beautiful day for sailing and we were on the bigger ferry, Kaiarahi. It was very full, and due to a misunderstanding E & I picked a seating location which was sub-optimal for D, but shortly after departure there was an announcement that there were empty truckies-cabins available for $30. Spending the last of our discretionary on one of these proved to be an excellent decision, providing peace, quiet, a bed for napping and a private bathroom.
Once in the Marlborough Sounds we ventured onto the viewing deck to enjoy the cruise into Picton.
In Picton we had lunch with an old friend of D's family, which left us clear of the ferry traffic as we headed south. There was a final fabric stop at The Quilters Barn, as D had called ahead to check if they had fabric in the last of the colours she was looking for, and another to see youngest sister's new place near Kaikoura.
I think we made it home about 8:30pm, to a cat who has developed mild attachment/abandonment anxiety but seems to be recovering, and expended the very last of our energy getting everything out of the car one last time and getting some food together.
Aftermath
As you may have inferred I got home feeling just as burnt out if not more so as when I left. I was straight back to work the next day. There were many experiences which I will value, but if we are ever to do something like this trip again we will allow more downtime along the way. And hopefully, will actually be able to make it a break from work.
Tags:
no subject
Date: 2023-04-10 12:13 pm (UTC)From:Mexico Petone is a good choice - we got dinner from there the lst few times I larped (which would be... July 2021. Bloody pandemic)