Long trail South
Zepher
Chris & Lyn Darch
Wed 3 Dec 2008 07:45
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Hi Folks,
After saying our goodbyes to Rob and Ruth, a very
emotional moment for myself and Lyn, they have been our trusted friends from
Martinique to New Zealand and have shared many wonderful experience, the ups and
downs of blue water cruising, wind rain and shine , plus the odd cows bladder
sail arrangement , Rob has had to contend with the grey tank phenomena ! this
has dogged his life for the last nine months , Ruth psychiatric study into a Veg
man released from the locker is probably a whole books worth and once she has
written it, and should keep the whole of psychiatry community embroiled in
argument for years ! I must keep chanting the mantra to myself " STOP
CHIMMPING " this keeps me from being stuck back in the locker ..
Its not our final good bye as we will see
them in the next few months as we cross each others paths in New Zealand , there
new life in a camper van is just about to begin thanks to that nice man Mr Brown
!
After packing up all my gear , which included the
kitchen sink , we set off with Eva and Wolfgang on the long trek south , our
Hiace van in touring mode, past Whungara, Auckland ,Hamilton and finally arrived
at Talpo some 600 km south of Opua the town is sitting at the base
of a very large volcano, hot stuff gushing from every hole in the ground, we
have travelled this road a few times before but so much has changed in the last
10 years, the road system has been improved immensely and is still having a lot
of money spent on the infrastructure on these roads south.
I had booked us in to an old favourite of
ours De Brett mineral pools, it now has accommodation to, we pulled up in our
wagon, after celabrating "beer o/c " we put our swim gear on and went straight
to the pools ,wunderbar I heard Wolfgang cry, as Eva and he slipped into the 40
deg mineral pool , bubbling away it soon soaked the journeys aches and pains
away, after an hr of that it was off to the new restaurant,The Terrace ,
first night open as well one of NZ top chefs , eat your heart out Anthony
this guy was good , very good , a meal fit for a king was consumed with plenty
of bubbles ........ the deserts blew our minds to top it of and we then quietly
sauntered off to our cabins for a good nights sleep ... Happy Birthday Wolfgang
... its tmrw ...
A split crew , this half is well
soaked
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