Some summer....

Back a few months ago, my friend Gary mentioned that when the Santa Ana winds are giving North Americans a milder than usual climate, that the southern hemisphere can often see the opposite effect.  I wondered at the time if that meant that when visiting New Zealand, it could be a yucky summer and he thought it could.  Hmmmm...

So far, since being here, it has been summer-like weather about a total of 1 day.  And we've been here for 11 days.  It has been cloudy, cool, and often wet (although never pouring rain) or at least damp.  But yesterday was the most interesting.

At breakfast, our host at Shakespeare House B and B in Te Anau asked what our plans were and we mentioned that we were heading for the Glowworm Caves.  He suggested we dress warm because the caves could be quite cool.  Little did we know that it was actually going to be the ride down to the caves on a boat that would be blistering cold.  It felt like being in a snowstorm without the snow.  The wind out on the lake was incredibly strong, to the point where the tour commentator suggested that anyone on the top deck outside (us of course) make sure they hang on to everything that wasn't attached to make sure it didn't blow away.  Yup.  This is summer?  The sunny south?  At least it didn't rain.

The Glowworm caves were amazing, even though I had seen them before.  In many ways, it was even better this time.  I knew what to expect, and I knew that I needed to "fill my eyes" as Linda says, and try to remember everything I see.  There are no cameras of any kind allowed to be used in the caves, so everything we see we will need to try and remember.  So as we see the delicate "fishlines", like incredibly tiny strings of diamonds, and the lights from countless glowworms, including some larger bright ones and some smaller not so bright ones, it really does look like stars in the sky.  It even looks like some constellations at times.  I see Orion, and the Little Dipper, Andromeda, and even my own sign, Cancer.  They glow greenish (to my eyes) and the effect is so magical, it almost brings tears to my eyes.  The thought that passed through my tiny brain is "Thank you God for giving these magical tiny creatures to a people and country that will care for them and protect them".  I imagine that in many countries, they would be exploited until they are extinct.  But here, they are well cared for, and much work is being done to preserve their habitat.

After returning to Te Anau, we opt for lunch, and I'm hopeful that we can find the place that I remember from my last visit to this lovely town.  The name escapes me, until I notice a small alley with a sign that points toward a restaurant.  It looks familiar so we check it out.  As soon as we enter, I recognize the decor, and it seems that the tables have not even moved in 7 years.  This was the place that I first had Pavlova, that lovely dessert that I have pined for ever since.  The weather has finally brightened up, and warmed up, so we sit outside.  Lunch is fabulous, and although we had tried pavlova at the New Years Eve get together at Gary and Bridget's, I insist that we have it here, as I'm convinced it will be different.  Better.  And it was.  Amazing.  Light and fluffy and marshmallow-y on the inside, and slightly crunchy on the outside like a meringue cookie.  With fresh, in season, blueberries to boot.

After lunch, we do a bit of souvenir hunting, and then we are off to Queenstown.  The weather has turned gray and cool again as we drive northward, but we stop occasionally anyway to grab some shots.  The ever-present sheep are everywhere, and the terrain changes as we drive, from mountains to plains and valleys and back again to mountains.  We even see an alpaca farm.

As we get closer to Queenstown, I find myself remembering much of the route, obviously it had made an impression on me.  I even take a couple of the same shots.  Seemingly with the same weather.  Hopefully this time, I can improve them a bit better with the new knowledge I have of photography and the software to use to clean up the photos.

Finally we are in Queenstown, and Google maps has been pointed to our resting place for the next few days.  One thing to note when booking accomodation is that sometimes, it's worth it to pay a bit more.  Just sayin'.  Driving along, and miss google maps telling me to turn right then left then right then left makes sense in a city that is basically built on the side of a mountain range and around a lake.  But when it tells us that we have reached our destination, and there is a 30 degreen hill in front of us, well, it's a bit disconcerting.  Keep in mind, when we arrived in Christchurch, the car rental place had indicated they were all out of Corollas, and wondered if we would be ok with a free upgrade to a Highlander 4x4, which of course we were, we didn't realize WHY.  Both of us believing strongly that everything happens for a reason, we had no idea that a 4x4 would be required just to get to one of our hotels.  Even this huge thing that is meant for climbing is whining at the steep hill we go up.  Then, there's no visible parking.  A kind gentleman who has just arrived as a guest points us toward a second lot, that is in behind the building, but the squeeze is tight, and I have to drive quite slowly to maneuver between the building and the retaining wall to get to that second lot.  We get the very last spot it seems, at least, the last spot that this big beast will fit into.

The room is not luxurious, but it's clean and we find the bar for a quick pizza before heading to bed.

This morning started off partly sunny and fairly warm.  Finally summer!  But we take jackets just in case, and since the forecast is for rain, we opt to take our time and just take a day off to do some shopping.  There is so much to do in Queenstown, but we've been going at it pretty hard, and we need a break.  My friend Ian has recommended a place called Ivy and Lola's for breakfast or lunch, and so far, he has been dead on.  Although the walk seems daunting (if the car whined about coming up the hill to the hotel, we are likely to as well) but since it's reasonable, we can at least walk down, and then bring an Uber or taxi back up if required.  Off we go, Ian is right again, and we revel in a marvelous brunch, one is a brioche french toast, the other is a smoked potato and feta croquette with poached eggs and hollandaise.  Fantastic.

We buy a few treasures, mostly wander about, are entertained at a pub where we stop for a drink by a couple of happy drunks who get cut off and asked to leave, then discover a fellow Canadian working at a liquor store where we stop for a bottle of wine to share later.  By now, the weather has finally cleared (it was raining as we ate brunch), and warmed up quite a bit.  Head back to the hotel, then decide to go to Arrowtown for a bit of supper, not much required after the huge brunch.  The Blue Door was recommended by Ian, and now by us.  Fantastic.  Definitely coming back here on my next visit to NZ!!!

We wander about Arrowtown for a bit, and discover a lovely cottage for sale that was a B and B at one point, but looks to be somewhat abandoned.  If only.  Gotta check those lotto tickets.  Such a beautiful little town, a little bit like Niagara on the Lake, a little St. Jacobs, a little bit Fergus/Elora.  All the shops are closed, but we have nothing planned for tomorrow morning, so we could come up here for a little bit, since there is a yarn shop....(those who know me understand this).

We end the day by discovering a fairly decent spot to shoot the sunset, but unfortunately, the sunset doesn't turn out to be much but cloud.  One shot that's not too bad, but will need to take some more, hopefully tomorrow evening will pan out.

Tomorrow is LOTR tour in the afternoon, and hopefully the gondolas/skyline adventure in the evening.  Perhaps it will be nice out!

How many times in a day can you say "Wow!"?

Ok, so I know haven't written anything in a couple of days, so I'll try to get it all in here, hoping that my internet connection stays strong.

The plan on Thursday was to drive from Dunedin down to some place called "Nugget Point Lighthouse", which I had seen on the "things to do in NZ" website, but didn't really have any sense of what it was like.  Although I had also seen a number of other possible things to do in the area, the lighthouse was pretty high on the list.  Having already learned that the "scenic route" anywhere was worth taking, we were keeping our eyes open.  And we hadn't even gotten onto the highway when we saw one, so off to the left towards the ocean we drove.

Within minutes there was a sign for "Tunnel Beach", one of the things that I had hoped to see, and another thing that I didn't really know much about except that I had seen a photo online and it looked pretty.  When we got to the parking area it was pretty full, only one spot left.  The sign said "Beach, 1 hour return".  Hmmm.  I think I can do that, and we have a fair bit of time.  So off we go.  The first section is gravelly, loose, and fairly steep, and it quickly becomes apparent that the 1 hour return is probably going to be 15 minutes down and 45 minutes back up.  So we keep going.  Down.  Further.  Down some more.  And more.  More steeply, and soon we realize that it''s probably more than 1 hour unless you're an Olympic athlete, which neither of us is.  Uh oh.  But then we get a glimpse of the tunnel.  And the trek back up is definitely going to be worth it.  We hope.

This is unreal.  Wow.  Down some more.  And more.  And more.  Beginning to wonder if these new-fangled leg muscles are actually defective.  But then we're there, and it's amazing.  Wow.

Now that I see the pictures I took, I can't believe I ddn't take more.  But I think I was simply awestruck.  Seeing people on top of the formation as tiny specks, then looking up at where we had come from, and it just put things in a whole new perspective.  I wish I could post all my photos, but you'll just have to keep watching for later posts.  The trek back up is long, arduous, and character-building.  But I think my stamina is starting to return.  I only stop a couple of times for air, and wish mildly for a defibrillator.

Back in the car, we are silent for a while, it was just too much to take in the grandeur.  Too bad the sky was so gray, but the weather doesn't always cooperate with travel plans.  Next stop, Nugget Point Lighthouse.  

Although I have punched in the destination into Google maps on my phone, we don't really need it.  There are signs that make it quite clear where to go.  Sort of.  But of course, the drive there is half the fun, and we find some lovely scenery along the way.  The sun has decided to finally cooperate, and the tide is on it's way out.  

The drive up to the top of the "hill" to see Nugget Point Lighthouse is at times somewhat narrow and not for the faint of heart.  But this pales in comparison to yet another long hike and climb.  A sign warns "beware of cliffs", another "caution, exposed sections".  Ok, so we'll stay to the inside, and to hell with the "keep to the left" shit.  The view is stunning, and we haven't even gotten there yet.

Hiking out to the lighthouse is not as steep, either up or down, as the previous walk of the day at Tunnel Beach.  But once out there, it is much more apparent how incredibly high up we are.  The sign "beware of cliffs" takes on more meaning.  The sea is an amazing shade of blue-green, and we can see a few seals way down on the beach.  The wind is so strong that it feels like it could blow away anything you haven't got a good grip on.  It is mesmerizing.  Wow.

Time to head back.  We have a long drive to Te Anau yet, and we're not sure of what we'll find for supper.  But it's all good.  We roll in about 7 p.m., and the host at Shakespeare House B&B assures us that we should be able to find something to eat, most places are open till 9 (and it is Friday night).

This morning we woke early to make sure we had breakfast (it was awesome, thanks Ray!) and head out to have lots of time to stop on the way to Milford Sound.  The tickets are for the 1:35 cruise, but it's a couple of hours drive time, and I'm pretty sure we'll need an extra couple of hours to stop and gawk at the scenery.  I wasn't wrong. But the wind is strong along Lake Te Anau and quite cold.  So we don't stay anywhere very long.  Even so, by the time we get closer (about 2/3 of the way) to the departure point, we find we are getting pretty low on time.  So it makes sense to keep going, and then stop on the way back at the scenic lookouts.

The drive itself, as my friend Ian had mentioned, was worth it.  Every five minutes, one of us is saying "Wow!".  The mountains, the plains, the clouds, the raw beauty, is simply breathtaking.  And it just keeps getting more amazing the further we go.  Finally, we reach the parking lot and it is packed, but a young lad helps us find a spot.  Then we have to rush to get our boarding pass, and it is only a few minutes till we are safely tucked on the Real Journeys M.V. Sinbad.

It is raining and very chilly, but then, we are in a temperate rain forest.  The advantage to rain here is that there will be many extra waterfalls.  There are five permanent waterfalls, but many narrow (but very long/tall/high?) waterfalls that are mostly just runoff.  For the most part, we don't even take too many pictures, because it's not possible, even with a wide-angle lens, to capture what we're seeing, it's simply too big, and we are too close.  Wow.

More photos to follow.  There are a few, but because of the rain, my lens had some water spotting that was hard to keep up with, so I need to take care of many photos before sharing.

On the way back to Te Anau after the cruise, we do take time to stop at a couple of the places we missed going up to the Sound.  The best was The Chasm.  Or maybe it was the field of lupins.  Or maybe it was the kea (mountain parrot).  Well, anyway, we kept saying "Wow!" every few minutes.

Moeraki to Dunedin

It is absolutely astounding how quickly time flies when you're having fun.  And packing the days full of activity, or like Linda says "filling my eyes".  Our eyes have most definitely been filling up.  So today, I will just try to capture what I did today, and will try to catch up on the past week as I go.  Just to make sure I don't lose it however....

Wellington to Picton on the ferry, Gary and Bridget pick us up and we go to Westview for a couple of days.  We spend New Year's Eve day tasting wines and olive oils and generally exploring the Marlborough wine country area.  New Year's Eve is spent with Gary and Bridget, Bridget's sister and brother-in-law, and a couple of friends.  Food is awesome, lots of wine, great conversation.  New Year's Day we pack a picnic lunch and head out to Wairau Beach, then White's Bay where we hike up an enormous hill and then down the other side, have lunch, see a starfish and a tunnel through the rocks, then drive around the top of the Marlborough Sounds seeing some phenomenal scenery.

Late supper, sound asleep, then on a plane to Christchurch.  We pick up the car and start finding our way around, find a sculpture garden, a great beach, marvel at how cold it is in the summer, then go to Linda's friend Ed's house.  Very cool place.  We walk to the nearby pub for supper, laugh and laugh and laugh and have a few drinks.  Out cold very quickly.  Next day we drive into downtown Christchurch and see the damage from the 2010 earthquake.  A lot of buildings are still there, damaged.  Many buildings are now empty lots.  Lunch, then we drive out to Lyttelton and Akaroa.  Fantastic day.  Come back and have supper at a fabulous Indian place, then pass out.

Next day we drive down to Oamaru and past to Hampden.  The hotel we have booked is a lovely old Mill House, right on a river, very historic and beautiful, out in the country, miles from town.  Perfect for our first night "on our own".  We zip into town and find a tavern that serves remarkable fish and chips, and then, because it's still light out, drive slightly further to the Moeraki Boulders.  I've been told they are a "must see", but the light isn't great for photography, so I vow to return at sunrise  Which brings me to today.

I awake at 5 a.m., because the sun will rise at 5:55.  I've already learned that the tide will be fairly low, and the weather is to be slightly cloudy.  You can't get much better than that.  I get to the beach with the Moeraki boulders, which are very round, like huge stone balls, hoping for a shot with the sunrise and the boulders.  The sunrise is a bit disappointing, lovely, but not very colourful.  However, I do manage to catch a few good ones, and it will be fun to work with a couple of them and turn them into pieces of art.  Hopefully I will soon have a strong internet connection and can upload some of the pics.

After getting as many pics of the boulders that I can (there are several other photographers there as well), I decide to try another spot for some wildlife that a friend had told me about.  He said "go down to the township and look for the lighthouse, you won't regret it".  So I drove a bit further south, found the lighthouse road, and a walk down the hill a ways showed me a colony of seals.  There was a penguin blind as well, but no penguins to be seen.  But the surf was up, and the scenery on the way was enough to make me think I should go back to the hotel and get Linda and bring her to see the seals.  So off I went.  We packed up, had breakfast, and headed down the lighthouse road.  

Wow.  We discovered a trail that led off along the side of the hill, and all of a sudden we found ourselves in the midst of some of the most amazing scenery on a wind-swept cliff topped with a few seals.  We had to be careful to heed the signs posted saying to keep 10 meters distance from all wildlife - that was difficult to do as the seals were less than 20 meters apart!  Unbelievable.  They were just sleeping mostly, and didn't seem to mind us walking around.  

After getting our eyes filled here, we opt to keep driving south towards Dunedin, where we have a room booked for this evening.  We find a "scenic route" and a "lookout" and are stunned by the vista.  Although it has taken a bit longer, it is worth every minute, especially since we have lots of time.  Dunedin is only an hour away and we have nothing else planned, although we have a couple of options, such as driving straight through town and going down to the Catlins.

When we arrive in Dunedin however, we are quite impressed with the beautiful architecture, and decide to check into the Sahara Hotel, which is a Victorian home on an older street.  Stained glass windows and lots of detailed woodwork make it a lovely choice.  But now what?  There seem to be many choices, but we choose the Larnach Castle.  Awesome.  Although the drive up to the top of the "hill" is pretty intense, driving along the edge of cliffs on very narrow roads in a big car, it is worth the trip.  The castle is New Zealand's only castle, and is really just a very large home built in the style of a castle.  Similar to Casa Loma in Toronto.  But stunning.  The grounds are well kept and the castle itself is gorgeous.  We spend a couple of hours wandering around and taking photos (allowed without flash), and then through the gardens as well.  

Now we're starving though, as we haven't eaten since breakfast.  So we are on our way back into Dunedin and see a sign for "Signal Hill Lookout".  It seems that Lookouts here are worth taking the time for, so up we go, more driving along very narrow roads next to sheer drops, but find the view of Dunedin from a few hundred feet above sea level is stunning.

Finally we find Buddha Stix for supper, a Thai/Asian/Fusion place with great music, lovely decor, great food and wine, and it's across the street from the hotel.  And now it's time for bed.  Tomorrow morning we hope to get down to Nugget Point Lighthouse early enough at least for some golden hour shots.  :)

Getting there is half the fun!

Well, depends on how you look at it.   First, warning, this is a long post, as I'm catching up on three days (really?  It's only been 3 days?) of adventure.  (Note, I am at the posting of this, now about 6 days behind....)

So, Linda (my friend and traveling companion) sent me an email a few days before we left, and said Mercury is in retrograde which means travel delays.  Ever the optimist, I was undeterred, or maybe just not as much of a believer in such portents.  The weather was promising to be quite good, with no snow  in the forecast, and relatively "not cold" temperatures.  We should be fine, right?

We meet at the airport with lots of time to spare to get checked in and through security, and the wait for boarding is much easier with someone to explore and talk with.  We discover Wahlburgers (wonderful, you must try), and then hunt for the boarding gate for the first leg of the journey.  By the time we reach the gate, we discover that it has been changed, pretty much across the hall, so far so good.  When we get to the real gate, however, we learn that the incoming flight has been delayed, and our flight time has been pushed out by 15 minutes.  Not good.  We only have an hour in San Francisco to change planes, so a 15 minute delay could make it pretty tight.  Then the flight gets moved again.  And again.  The plane still has not arrived, and we are already past our original boarding time.  Uh oh.  Doesn't look good at all.

Finally we are able to board, wondering what we will face in San Fran as far as options for connecting flights to Auckland.  The flight attendants and airline staff continue to assure a very full flight that anyone with connections will be taken care of, but that they will wait until we have taken off to make those arrangements.  Settled in for a five hour flight, and it's now after 8 p.m., the original flight time being 7.  We are told that we will first need to de-ice the wings, expected, but a further delay.  Finally taxi out to the runway, and we wait till we are second in line.  The Captain now announces that the weather forecast was slightly less than accurate, and that the previous plane to take off had informed ATC that there was freezing rain on the runway, and we would now need to wait further until the runway was also de-iced.  

Now at about two hours past our original flight time, we know that we won't make our connection.  The plane shuts down to conserve fuel, and we're allowed to get up, move around, although most people are starting to nap, myself included.  Some time later, the cockpit announces that Canadian government regulations state that any flight is not allowed to keep passengers on the plane without moving for more than four hours, and if we reach that time limit, we would need to return to the terminal to refuel etc.  So hopefully the runway would be cleared for use shortly.  However, we would need to probably go back to de-ice the wings again.  Mercury in retrograde, eh?

Finally, we get the word that we will be allowed to take off, and it is now almost midnight, close to five hours after our original takeoff time, and about the time we were supposed to be landing in San Francisco.  Connections, we are told, will be re-arranged by Air Canada staff.  There is no word on what else they will take care of, and all we can do is wait and see what awaits us once we get there.  

No worries.  We arrive in San Francisco, tired, a bit frustrated, concerned but not worried, and follow the yellow brick road to the airline service counter along with about 50 other people who have missed their connections, probably half of whom were also headed to NZ it seems.  We are told that our flights have all been taken care of, and we will be in San Fran until 10 p.m. that night - flights to Auckland happen only every 24 hours - so they set us up in a room at the Hyatt, with some money for food, and shuttle us off for a chance at a shower and a brief nap.

We decide that if we have to miss our day in Wellington, we should try to see some of San Francisco.  I've never been there, actually never been in California, and Linda has been there but not for many years.  So after a bit of a nap and a shower we pick out a Ho-on-hop-off city tour, grab an Uber to the first stop and off we go.  First stop is close to the Fisherman's Wharf, and we find some fabulous and famous sights, some wonderful lunch at what we find out later is an excellent and well-established restaurant, watch a seal playing in the marina, ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, see Alcatraz from a distance, experience an exquisite performance of a hanging drum musician in Golden Gate Park, get a great history of the city from a very good tour guide, and manage to get back to the airport in time for our 11 p.m. flight.

And off we go to New Zealand, a day late and a dollar poorer, but richer for having had a surprise tour of San Francisco.  How cool is that?

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Where in the world is Su the Discoverer?

One more sleep....

When my daughter was a young girl, she enjoyed a TV show called "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?"  Carmen was a young lady who traveled the world, and shared what she learned about the geography, culture and climate of each country she visited.

These days, it seems "Dora the Explorer" is a popular TV character, albeit for a younger crowd.

It seems that there is a great deal of interest in learning more about our world, at least amongst young people.

Me?  I'm just a wanderer, adventurer, discoverer.  "Just".  To some that's a big deal, because not many (I guess) are interested in stepping outside their small, comfortable world and into the world of unknown.  Why I wonder?  Is it fear?  Lack of confidence?  Or lack of curiosity?  So often I hear people say "I will live vicariously through you!"  to which I am sometimes (rarely, actually, depends on the person) tempted to say "You chicken shit!".  Because I know for some people it's fear.  They're afraid of what they don't know, and their fear overcomes their willingness to act.

A few years ago, I took a little online quiz from Career Management called "Kingdomality", and confirmed what I already knew - that my personality type is "Discoverer".  I thought it would be fun to take it again, and what do you know?  The same result.  So I guess it's true.  I'm a Discoverer.  Mostly for myself though I think, I don't anticipate finding any new stars or planets any time soon.

This next trip to New Zealand will most definitely be another journey of Discovery.  Of Exploration.  I will be visiting places that I didn't before, and with a new and more experienced perspective.  A whole different perspective.  The whole reason that I'm going is to discover and explore, and with a few more years of travel experience under my belt.

But mostly what I'm hoping to explore is a new perspective.  I'm going with a friend who has never been before, and interestingly, we weren't really close friends before we started planning for this trip.  But we've discovered (there's that word again) how similar we are, and I am so looking forward to spending time with her, and seeing the country through her eyes.  Even more than that, I've learned which way is up on a decent camera, and a little bit about how to take a half decent picture.  So I'm really hoping that I'll be able to come back with more than a couple of really good photos.  Mind you, New Zealand is probably one of the more photogenic areas of the world, and you'd have to probably really have no clue how to use a camera to not get good pictures.  But I'm looking for the stunning ones.   The ones that people say "Wow!" when they look at them.

I'm hoping to discover the inner artist in me.  I know, I know, I shouldn't have to travel to the other side of the world to find this.  But it will definitely help.  If there's no one around that I know (for the most part, except for my travel companion), then I can really feel free, no inhibitions, no expectations.

So, where in the world is Su the Discoverer?  Inside her head.  Outside her norm.  On the other side of the planet.  Behind her camera.  Looking around, up, down, behind, beside, from someone else's eyes, from below, from above.  Discovering.  Playing, Learning.  Stretching and growing.  And hopefully everyone who lives vicariously through me enjoys the ride.

Four more sleeps, and feeling so grateful

This may be a bit of a sappy post, but since it's my blog, and I don't really care if anyone ever reads it except for me a few years down the road, I'm going to indulge and blurt.

With Christmas only a couple of days away, and the only plan in the works for that blessed day to pack for my upcoming adventure, I have to think about how many people are stressed about the holidays.  In fact, I almost allowed myself to be stressed about spending Christmas Day alone, yet again.  So many times over the years I have spent the bulk of the holiday season at home alone.  It's a difficult time for so many people, and in past years, I have allowed it to be difficult for me, too.  But this year, I have opted to approach it a bit differently.

Many times over the years I have envied those blessed with monetary wealth and their ability to celebrate the Christmas season in the style that I would so have loved to celebrate.  With lots of decorations in a big fancy house with lots of people around all the time, food and wine overflowing, lots of parties, plenty of gifts for everyone and maybe even a few for me.  The past few years Christmas has been spent largely on my own, with only a couple of gifts for my closest family, and simple meals with modest decorations.  Mostly what I saw was what others had that I didn't, instead of seeing what I had that others didn't.

Perhaps it is the reason that in the past few years I have chosen to travel at Christmas time, to avoid feeling "left out" by choosing to leave others out.  Perhaps it has been my own way of celebrating the season and giving myself the ultimate gift of freedom.  Perhaps by cherishing the ability to travel, the willingness to explore the world on my own, and sharing my experiences in my photos and my writing, I am giving others something that they don't have.

So this year, as I prepare to embark on another journey, I am reminded of how many people look at me quite differently than I see myself.  How many people might actually envy me for being able to go somewhere new and different, for not having to spend days shopping and wrapping and decorating and baking and entertaining and the stress of trying to visit all the relatives and the exhaustion that follows.

This year, I'm reminded to feel grateful for all the gifts that I've been given, not just this year, and not just for Christmas.  For all the gifts that I haven't ever had to unwrap, that were never put under a tree or in a stocking, they have just been there all along, but I didn't choose any of them so they are gifts all the same.  I am ever so grateful for:

           Wonderful and loving parents that are still fairly healthy and independent, and still married after more than 60 years.
            An amazing, beautiful, very intelligent and caring daughter who has been blessed with a loving husband and two adorable, bright children
            A large family of very good people
            Countless supportive friends that are good and decent people
            Citizenship by birth of a free and respectable country
            The ability to earn a good living
            The health to enjoy the benefits that a decent job affords me, like travel
           
There.  Maybe some year I will also be blessed with a special someone to lovingly share Christmas Day, but for now, I'm feeling like packing for a trip to New Zealand isn't such a bad way to spend it.

The countdown has begun - T minus 12 days

There are so many things I should be doing right now.   It's only 13 12 10 days till I leave for New Zealand.  That's less time than I will actually be there.  Oh boy, which will go faster, the days leading up to it, or the time there?

Make sure all finances are taken care of.  Make all packing decisions - which clothes do I take?  Still haven't finalized travel to Toronto airport.  Finish Christmas shopping.  Clean the house.  Plan the first couple of weeks back at work.

It has often come to mind that there should be an app that helps plan travel.  A really good one that's flexible and not just one person's idea of how to plan for one kind of travel.  Maybe I'll work on that.

At least all (most) accommodation has been booked, and all (most) tourist-y type of events (i.e. cruise in the fjords) has been booked.  Sometimes I really think I should have been a travel agent.  Or maybe a travel planner/escort.

I'm especially looking forward to seeing the things I missed the last time I was there.  Like....

The Maori experience in Christchurch
The Catlins and Nugget Point Lighthouse
Milford Sound (last time I saw Doubtful Sound)
Penguins - I really need to see penguins

...and so much more.  A side benefit is that now I have a little bit more confidence in the photos that I take, how to take them, how to work with them afterwards to ensure that my viewers see the same thing I saw, even if the camera isn't able to capture exactly that.

But the best part will be in seeing old friends that I really don't get to see very often, making new friends, and meeting new friends that I've only met online till now.  This is what traveling is all about, connecting with the rest of the world, understanding what is different and what is the same, experiencing new culture, new food, new vistas, and reveling in the wonderment of what is possible.

This is going to be so friggin' awesome, and LIFE IS GOOD!!!