The Land Down Under Part Deux

Once again, the time has flown by and although it was only a couple of days here with Mike, it has gone really quicky but we are both really glad that we made the effort to stop in and see him, and surprisingly i think he is too. This morning, we are leaving the Motel and Mike is very kindly taking us to the airport but wants to stop and show as Rakaia Gorge on the way. I'm just hoping that we get to the airport in time and that we don't get a puncture/have an accident/get caught in a traffic jam. any of those wouldnt surprise me, the luck weve had so far!

It's not long before we get to the Gorge and even though, once again, the weather is dull and cloudy and we still didn't get to see Mike's Mountain, it really is a gorgeous Gorge with a lovely blue river winding through and under a rickety old bridge that I'm surprised is still standing and hasn't been replaced by something twice the size and much newer and shinier.


After this, as we're driving along one of those long straight roads, we see a car stopped on the side of the road with a man stood next to it and a traffic cone in the road, at which point we all think 'strange' but Mike carries on and then we realise why, as we are suddenly confronted with a road full of sheep!


We realise soon after that we haven't had breakfast and stop in a nice little town called Darfield and find a good coffee shop for breakfast and pastries. Before we know it, we're back in Christchurch and arrive at the airport where Mike leaves us to get on with our journey, just a short flight to Sydney. It's a very good airport, modern, clean and we get to use our 'smart' passports - we're very impressed. I guess this will be how we'll all be travelling soon! No one to speak to, just look in the eye of the camera and run your passport through a scanner and your history is known to all! Still, it was all very quick and painless and we had a free trial of some liquor on the way through duty free and a look round the shops for last minute souvenirs which decide not to bother with, and a bit of free wifi before boarding for a very pleasant flight.

We were met at Sydney airport by cousin Sue who hasn't changed much since I last saw her in 2006 when I came out with my other daughter to visit my son while he was backpacking around Australia. Abbie came with me to see Adam as it was his birthday while he was away but we had a two week trip, three days of which were spent in Hong Kong and a week with Adam in Coffs Harbour having a proper holiday! We came back to Sydney for the remaining few days and stayed in a city centre hotel, and spent a day with the family but it was a difficult time as my mother had just passed away and she was the sister to my Australian auntie who we came to visit. At that time, my uncle was also quite ill, having recently undergone surgery and unfortunately died later that year. All in all, it wasn't a good year! While Adam had been travelling, he had stayed with Sue and Phil. Now, we're driving back to Sue and Phil's place after going through the weepy reunion and whilst catching up, Becky remarks about how it's her turn to come with me this time as Abbie came last time. Sue seems a little blank and we find out later that she thought 'how rude, coming to Australia and not coming to say hello!' It seems her memory is worse than mine, and I thought mine was bad!

Back to the journey back to their house and Sue wants to stop at the local supermarket to do a quick shop. She works full time and has taken three days off to look after us so we're extremely grateful and offer to pay for the small amount of shopping (I've never done a shop that small, I don't think, even when I've just gone out for milk!), so we argue about who's to pay and Sue wins this time, but I will win and get my purse out before we go! It brings back memories from our previous visits, going to the Australian supermarket. They're so much nicer than ours in England!

Its nice to be back in Sue and Phils home, they have a lovely place (but i think the driveway would put me off as you have to take a run at it with the car - it has a very steep slope at the bottom!). Anyway, we get to settle in and have a bedroom each which we've got used to from the last stop and then Phil gets home from work, and after a quick catch up with him, he takes us out for half an hour to show us the sights arounds the area in which they live and Sue stays to cook dinner.

When we return, we have a nice home cooked meal of fish and vegetables and can relax afterwards, Phil even manages to find a bottle of red wine for Becky and I, which apparently comes from a vineyard that he owns a share of, and fortunately for us, neither Sue or Phil drink so, although he has a small taste, it's all down to us!