NZ : more

NZ continued
My time in Naseby seemed all to short but C and I had a wonderful time and I am very glad I came as it was the first Christmas for dad with mum in the rest home. Mum come to lunch and tea on the day and to share in the flat pavlova ( make sure you get the oven hot enough before putting the mix on the oven tray as ours spread like a big white pizza base and stayed that way.

We acquired a Christmas tree from the side of the road amid much giggling and sneaking and then made decorations for it.
Lots of visits to mum who recognised me most of the time.

She is very well looked after by caring people in a lovely sunny building with big rooms and lots of plants and colour. If you had to live in a home this would have to be the pick of them.
The sun shone off and on, C and I did some watercolour paining and generally had a great break.
All to soon the time was over and Claire’s boyfriend came to collect us and we headed back to Dunedin.( dad, C and I all managing not to cry well not so anyone could notice)

( nice photo of Claire I took while in Naseby )

I have now caught up with all the people on my list the last was cycling past the car as we were loading it to go to the airport, how lucky was that.

In Christchurch I headed out to Wayne and Riannes’ and caught up with Paul and Heather from Auckland and Tania from Christchurch ( shame P missed seeing all his friends) and my cousin and his wife made up the numbers for a good night.
Must add that the motels look great.

Next morning off to the airport with W, my ma in law and P’s brother, wife and child all came to see me off ( what lovely people).
On to plane no trouble a nice window seat ( so nice to have chosen where to sit over the internet) Then settled in to watch movies, eat quite nice airplane meals and read my book. Then after 10 hours or so into Singapore where I had a 5 hour break . I walked about for 4 hours of it trying to tire myself out to sleep on the next flight. I went to visit the other terminals and generally pottered about.
On to the next flight a really big new plane with two levels of economy class one upstairs. A nice old Chinese couple beside that spoke no English so I helped when there were announcements and set up their movies etc. Really good sound on the headsets for a change.
Then after 13 hours in which I managed about 5 asleep I got to Heathrow, a train to terminal 5 and then finally off to Edinburgh.
No trouble at immigration or customs.
Himself was at the airport all dressed up in his wedding suit and a luxury bunch of flowers ( so the label said) he had even cut his own hair ( with interesting results at the back)
Aw he did miss me…….
Now to catchup on sleep and unpack then look forward to Hogmanay . The fire street parade with metre high flaming torches was on tonight but we did not realise until we heard the fireworks and looked it up on the internet.
Tired now… thank you everyone for a great 3 weeks in NZ.