Social isolation activities

So now that I’m recovered from the lurgy (more or less) I am beginning to get more done around the house. I’m not yet in the same league as James, who goes out for a 9 km walk every morning before breakfast and then labours in the garden for six hours. He has sanded and oiled all of the garden benches, sanded and painted my Dad’s sack barrow (which also converts into a trolley), dug the vegetable beds, finished building a new path and seeded it with grass. He has also given the grass its first cut of the year.
Since yesterday I have been tackling the housework again, starting with all three bathrooms. I have never been so delighted to clean them, it’s great to feel well enough. Today I was cleaning floors and dusting, and I popped out for some groceries. The supermarket is almost back to normal for stock, although I couldn’t get any flour for James to do his baking.
I have been listening to another true crime podcast recommended by Jamie’s housemate Louis; this one about a murder in West Cork in 1996. It’s fascinating and very thought-provoking. I have been listening to it while pacing about Cambuslang Park on my one permitted daily walk, usually in the afternoon. And I’m now two thirds of the way through The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. I’m hoping to get into more of a routine over the next few days as I build up my strength.

Quarantined Birthday

Today is Alasdair’s 26th birthday. A year ago we went out for a meal in Glasgow and Cat joined us to give Ally a birthday surprise. This year of course has been very different. An evening at home was de rigueur. Cat baked a delicious chocolate birthday cake with lashings of buttercream icing, and we ordered a curry from our usual Indian restaurant up the road. We actually weren't sure whether it would still be open, due to the virus, but it was doing a booming trade in (currently permitted) takeaway meals. Such a booming trade that Ally and Cat were kept waiting (safely distanced) for more than forty-five minutes. James opened a bottle of champagne and the five of us had a convivial meal. Cat then brought through the birthday cake, candles alight, and after the usual Happy Birthday sing song we all tucked in. It was absolutely yummy. Alasdair then got to work making espresso martinis and we played a lively and fast-moving game of Bohnanza, where bizarrely you trade different types of beans, which was new to me and great fun. Despite the lockdown I think that Ally has a great day.

Home

I have been having a very quiet couple of days at home - even more quiet than necessitated by our mandatory lockdown. This is because I have been suffering from a bad cold, although thankfully I’m on the mend now. Of course it did cross my mind to wonder - bad cold or Covid-19? Having googled the symptoms it’s actually quite hard to tell. In addition to traditional cold symptoms I have been very achey and shivery. If it has been Covid-19 would this actually be a good thing because I might now be immune? I’m not sure. I have kept apart from the rest of the household during the worst of it but that probably won’t have made any difference since until the last couple of days we have all been in close proximity.
Meanwhile Covid-19 has unfortunately continued its inexorable progress. In the last 24 hours another 181 people have died in the UK, bringing the total to 759. And of course there have been many thousands of deaths around the world, more than 25000. It’s terrible. Today the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary both tested positive, as has Prince Charles.
I have started reading The Mirror and The Light, the long-awaited final part of Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell. I have been looking forward to its publication for a long time. I am loving it so far, although of course I know it will have a sad ending for this Cromwell fan girl! Rumour has it that Hilary Mantel took so long over finishing it because she didn’t want to write about Cromwell’s demise. Anyway, as I read it, there are strangely topical references to the Tudor court having to move location or avoid London because of sleeping sickness or plague. Something that we have not had to live with in my lifetime until now.
Finally, on Bryan Burnett’s Get it On radio programme, a favourite at Casa Anderson, the appropriately chosen theme earlier this week was “Home.” And the far and away most requested song was “Caledonia” by Dougie MacLean. I found it very moving.

Love in the time of Coronavirus

This has been our first full day of lockdown. Ally and Cat continued to work from home and David continued to study online for his MSc. James and I had plenty to get on with in the garden and the house. I used my exercise bike and later joined Cat in an online yoga class which was really good. But although we were all busy, it was still very strange to realise that we are not allowed to go out anywhere (apart from going out for a walk for exercise or grocery shopping if required). I don’t think that I have ever really appreciated all the places that we have always been able to visit until now - mountains, seaside, cinema and parks, to name but a few.
Amid all the worry about Covid-19 there have been many kindnesses which show the better side of human nature. In our area the pre-schoolers have been painting rainbows to display in their windows and drawing chalk pictures on their driveways. All the neighbours are looking out for each other, especially those who are most vulnerable, and picking up groceries for them. But of course the most difficult work is being done by front line health care workers. We have family and friends who are doctors, nurses and pharmacists, and they are under huge pressure just now. We are so grateful for their hard work and dedication.

Lockdown

So now the UK is in lockdown. In an address to the nation at 8.30 p.m. this evening the Prime Minister has instructed everyone to stay at home apart from work, shopping for essentials, and one outing per day for exercise. There is to be no socialising except for those in the immediate household, no groups outside of more than two (and those must be in the same family). This will be enforced by the police when necessary.
From what I have seen on the news of crowds socialising in parks, I agree that the country needs these stronger measures. When James and I were out for a short walk for exercise yesterday, we noticed half a dozen young people strolling along and chatting, and a few elderly people chatting together outside the newsagent. I’m assuming that the people within these groups were not from the same household, and yet they won’t have felt that they were doing anything dangerous. As I wrote yesterday, I don’t blame anyone for this; this whole coronavirus situation is so hard to believe. However the new rules make it clearer what is safe, which has to be a good thing, although I think it’s all going to be very strange and restrictive.
I’m not a medical or indeed a scientific person but luckily we have Jamie to keep us right. I had a lovely chat with him on the phone this morning and he was telling us that the situation in New Zealand is very similar to here, although they are a bit behind us; their numbers of people with the virus are still lower. I’m concerned that he is working directly with patients in the hospital because he has asthma. But he has absolutely no intention of not going to work. I’m so proud of him but also worried about him.

Social distancing

Yesterday Boris Johnson told all cafés, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres that they must close by the end of the day. I feel that we have taken a necessary step forward because people simply were not socially distancing themselves enough. I’m not blaming anyone; it’s a very difficult concept to get our heads around. Also it’s strange that the new phrases “self-isolation” and “social distancing” have become so commonplace so quickly!
James and I have been going out for walks but keeping our distance from others. The exception to this was popping into our local pharmacy yesterday to pick up a prescription for James’ ear infection. This was all arranged with impressive efficiency. James phoned our doctor at 8.30 a.m. and explained that he needed more antibiotics, we were told to pick them up from the pharmacy the same afternoon, and when we got there the prescription was already all bagged and ready for us. We were in and out in about three minutes, even though it was busy. And upon request we were even allowed to purchase 32 currently rare and highly desirable paracetamol tablets.
That same afternoon I had a couple of pleasant but safe social interactions. I took a deckchair up to the top of the garden where I had a chat with Suzy through the hedge, remaining at least two metres away from each other. It was lovely to be able to have a proper chat and catch up on our news. Coincidentally when we walked past Suzy’s parents’ house later, her Dad happened to be out on their balcony while he was on the phone to Suzy so we exchanged hellos! And then I had a phone call with Heather; we haven’t seen each other since before I set off to New Zealand and so much has happened since then. It was really nice to hear her voice and have a chat.

Working from home

We now have three young people who are working from our house. Ally has been sent home from his office to work since yesterday, and the Universities have all closed so David is having to do all of his studies online. He’s very disappointed because his lab work is his favourite part of the course and that has all been cancelled. And Cat travelled up from London last night; she has been instructed to work from home for at least the next two weeks, so she might as well do that from Scotland, especially as the number of cases of Coronavirus is much higher in London at the moment. Thank goodness for modern technology! All three of them are working hard using their computers - Ally and Cat each seem to be using two screens, which apparently is what is done in offices nowadays. It’s nice to have them around the house.
The Coronavirus crisis continues. So many things been cancelled and closed - theatres, cinemas, sports centres, and now all of the schools. All of the certificated exams have been cancelled all over the UK. Life has changed so much, so quickly. And yet when I popped out today to pick up some essential groceries I was surprised to see how many people were wandering around the shops and sitting in cafés. I’m not sure that people (around here anyway) are taking social distancing seriously enough. Time will tell.
On a completely different subject, James and I heard, and then spotted, a woodpecker in the local park this afternoon! We had gone out for a walk in the sunshine, keeping a responsible distance from other people that we passed of course. It was high up in a tree and we first heard its beak drumming away on the wood. Then James spotted it and pointed out its black and white plumage with a wee flash of red on its head. We were very excited.

Back home to the Epicentre of the Pandemic

The World Health Organisation called Europe the epicentre of the pandemic in one of its updates this week. Oh dear. Nobody expected this crisis - the scale of it is unprecedented. We have just been awake for about thirty-six hours because our flight left Bali at five minutes past midnight on Sunday / Monday so we had been awake all day before our journey even began. It did mean that we got an extra full day of holiday, but we only managed to snatch a scant few hours of sleep over the two plane journeys so we are absolutely exhausted.
As I am now a vegetarian (since February) I ordered the “Indian vegetarian” option for my plane meals on Emirates, partly because I like Indian food and partly because there wasn’t a European vegetarian option - only a vegan one. I was well pleased with myself when I was served a tasty curry with rice and a chapatti for my dinner. However I was less thrilled when I was given another curry for breakfast, and my tummy wasn’t very happy either. I could soon feel the spices burning my stomach lining which resulted in several prolonged reflux coughing fits. This in turn alarmed the other passengers sitting near me who clearly thought that I was teeming with coronavirus. Lunch on our second flight from Dubai to Glasgow was also curry, but I’m glad to say that it was a lot milder. Apart from that the journey home went smoothly and we were delighted to be reunited with Davie and the cats (Ally and Cat are in Northern Ireland for the weekend.) It has been such a battle to stay awake until now, but James was adamant that we should wait until at least 10 p.m. to go to bed so that we would be back in tune with the Scottish time zone. Goodnight!

Behind the waterfall

Sunday 15th March
I am down at the lower pool at the hotel behind a waterfall, looking out at the jungle. This is our last day here in Bali, however the hotel have given us a late check out free of charge so we won’t have to leave our room until 3 p.m. This means more time at the pool so we are delighted. Mind you James is banned from going into the water. He has an ear infection which came on over the last few days and by yesterday morning it was very painful and felt blocked. So we went along to the hotel’s little medical room and the nurse called a doctor who arrived quickly and gave James many antibiotics and painkillers. Honestly this hotel just couldn’t be any better! James’ ear feels much better already which is just as well because not only do we have a long journey ahead of us, we won’t be able to go to the doctor when we get home. I know this because we have been getting a series of texts from the surgery to say: “Due to corona virus we are not offering routine appointments.  We will only see urgent issues on the day. Please do not attend with cough, fever, flu like symptoms or breathlessness, we will offer you telephone advice for this.” On the subject of the coronavirus, James and I have decided to self-isolate for two weeks when we arrive in Scotland. It’s not officially required by the UK government (so far) - although arrivals to New Zealand from overseas now have to self-isolate. However we have been on quite a few aeroplanes over the last couple of weeks and have passed through busy airports - and will be disembarking for two hours in Dubai tomorrow. Some of our family and friends are in the “vulnerable” category for whom catching Covid-19 could prove to be very serious. So we will be keeping a low profile and have already cancelled all social meet ups until the start of April. Such a strange time we are living in!
Update - I just met James swimming about in the pool. He assured me that he has been careful to keep his sore ear above water!

Arse to cup coffee

I am blogging by the pool at the Padma Ubud hotel. It is absolutely idyllic; an infinity pool in front of my sun lounger with the jungle beyond. However the news reports from around the world about the Coronavirus - which is now officially a pandemic - are very worrying and we are wondering what lies ahead with our journey homewards. In the hotel lounge yesterday afternoon we overheard a group of Americans discussing cancelled flights and missed connections. So far we have had no word from Emirates about our flights. But much more important is people’s health. Apparently most people who catch the virus will experience cold or flu symptoms, but more important is the amount of vulnerable people who will be in real danger - some of our friends and relatives fall into this group so it’s extremely concerning.
Yesterday we decided that we really should see some more of Bali so we booked a tour in an open topped car - a cute wee vintage Volkswagen convertible. We had a driver and a guide, the friendly and knowledgeable Fiska. It turns out that Fiska is exactly one week younger than our Jamie and so has also just turned 30. It was a great and informative tour. We noticed that nearly every house has a wee temple in its garden, and there are also lots of larger community temples. The first one that we went to Ulun Danu Batur. We had to put on sarongs before we went in, which were thoughtfully provided by the hotel. It was amazing inside; lots of statues and offerings and different temples. The people all brought beautifully prepared offerings of food and flowers and incense sticks. There were banana leaves with little piles of rice on them, exotic fruits, coconuts and much more. When we arrived we were able to observe one of the ceremonies. There was also a separate part that our guide was not permitted to enter, for “higher up” people.
Then we went to a coffee plantation where we sampled many different types of coffee including the disgusting but highly prized Kopi Luwak (aka civet coffee) which is made with partially digested coffee cherries which have been eaten by the civets (they look a bit like weasels) and then defecated. I was horrified but in my polite Scottish way I took a sip. James cared not a jot about the way it was made and quaffed a whole cupful (I called it “arsehole to cup”).
Our final stop was a large temple and holy spring area called the Tirta Empul Temple. This was much more touristy and since we were now in the middle of the day with a lack of breeze it was very hot. It had the most beautiful giant and ancient banyan tree in the centre. Again there were lots of different temples and this one had holy springs in which people (mainly western tourists) were bathing. I was relieved to get a breeze in my face as we zoomed off back to our hotel in our little car. We passed lots of rice paddies on the way back which are very beautiful. Fiska had noticed that I was flagging at the last temple and was worried about me - he didn’t know that I always suffer when overheated! I noticed that he was on the phone as we sped homewards and when we arrived at the hotel there was Pandé waiting for us with cooling damp towels and cups of ginger and lemongrass tea! And when we got to the room there was a flower arrangement waiting for me from Pandé with best wishes and hoping that I would feel better soon! Just after we arrived back the heavens opened - there was a total downpour with much thunder and lightning. We watched it from the club lounge while enjoying our afternoon tea, which segued into pre-dinner drinks. Lovely.

I don’t know where I am but I think it’s Paradise

Tuesday 10th March

Actually I have now found out where Bali is by looking at a map on my phone, so I have a better idea of where I am. It is truly beautiful, and where were are is all jungle from which emanate strange bird and animal noises. We both had a good sleep last night, and feel nicely rested. It was so good to lie horizontally instead of trying to doze on the plane. When we set off from our room for breakfast in the Club Lounge, our “butler” Pandé suddenly appeared out of nowhere and escorted us along the corridor to explain the breakfast routine. Coincidence? Or was he waiting for us? Breakfast was predictably lavish, the menu seemed to cover every Indonesian and European option imaginable. I chose black rice pancakes with jackfruit, berries and caramel sauce. I won’t go on about all the different foods that I try here, I just mention it to demonstrate the exotic choices.

We had already decided what we would do today - relax at the infinity pool. The hotel doesn’t seem to be too busy so we had a great choice of sunloungers and we were soon swimming, reading, chatting, and I started listening to a podcast recommended by Jamie and his crime loving housemate Louis. I mean that Louis enjoys true crime podcasts, not that he commits crimes - he’s a highly respectable doctor. The podcast is called Black Hands and it’s about the murder of a family in Dunedin in the 1990s; it had a huge impact on the community. So far it’s fascinating. 

After lunch we wended our way down the “jogging track” to the river in the valley; we really were deep in the jungle now and it was extremely humid. It was all fine while we descended but of course we then had to make our way up steep steps and meandering paths to get back to the hotel. I felt very clammy, and we had to revive ourselves with cool drinks on the balcony.

By the way James and I have been keeping up with the news and are well aware of the way that Covid-19 is spreading around the world, with many countries affected as well as China, where it originated. I first blogged about it on 8th February. The whole of Italy is now completely in quarantine, and the people there have been told to stay at home. Worldwide confirmed cases of Coronavirus are at over 114,000 and there have been over 4000 deaths. The UK is still in the “contain” phase of response with 319 confirmed cases (as of yesterday) and sadly five deaths, but the government is preparing to move to “delay” if the spread of the virus becomes wider, which would mean stronger measures such as schools shutting down. Airlines around the world are cancelling flights as more and more people opt not to travel. The WHO are not yet calling it a pandemic but it is having a huge impact. I have felt quite vulnerable because of our recent air travel. Let’s hope that it can be controlled and eradicated soon. 

The most exotic bowl of fruit in the world

Monday 9th March
On Monday morning Jamie gave James and I a lift to Dunedin airport. It was really sad to say goodbye to him, although hopefully we will see him this summer in Scotland. We flew an hour and a half to Auckland and then on to Bali, which took another eight and a half hours. Then we had a two hour car journey from Denpasar airport to our hotel near Ubud. This all added up to a rather long day and by the time we arrived at the Padma Hotel I was absolutely exhausted. It was about 10 pm  by this time in Bali but it was three in the morning in New Zealand time. Our “butler” Pande (I’m not kidding, that’s what it says on his card!) checked us into our luxurious room and gave us lots of information about the hotel, which I was too dazed to take in. Our room is huge, with an equally large bathroom. The shower is so big that James could run around inside it in circles, an image that will stay with me for some time! The balcony overlooks the jungle with volcanoes in the distance, and has a couch on it and a jacuzzi. But James soon homed in on the amazingly exotic fruit bowl! He loves a bit of fruit, and the more unusual the better. So he ate durian, mangosteen and rambutan among others. I tried some too but James went for the lot! We quickly unpacked our cases - a nice change to properly unpack for a week instead of living out of our suitcases and having to delve around to find what we need - and fell unconscious as soon as our heads hit our delightfully soft pillows.

And back to Dunedin

Sunday 8th March
Sunday was our last day in Akaroa and we were due to fly back to Dunedin in the evening. We had a lovely breakfast at the “Sweet As” French bakery whose eggs benedict were described on the menu as “eggs Cumberbatch Benedict!” After a stroll around the town we went to the harbour for a two hour dolphin spotting cruise. We saw big stingrays swimming majestically under the jetty. On our cruise we were rewarded almost immediately with lots of dolphins leaping around and alongside the boat. This was in no way thanks to Albie the dolphin detecting dog. Albie’s role was to listen for the sonic sounds of dolphins and alert the boat’s crew. In fact he spent most of the cruise either curled up fast asleep or begging the passengers for cookies. He was however very sweet - a sort of spaniel with lovely floppy ears. At one point we did see him watching the dolphins at the front of the boat so he was definitely aware of them. We saw lots of seabirds such as cormorants too, and some young fur seals besporting themselves in a naturally formed rock pool at the foot of one of the cliffs; they appeared to be having a great deal of fun! There were big caves in the cliffs which had been formed by bubbles bursting in the lava flow millions of years ago. The whole trip was great fun and complemented our more up close and personal kayak trip yesterday.
Back on dry land we decided to visit the Matuatua Winery on our way to Christchurch and the two Jameses purchased another couple of bottles of wine. We flew with Jamie from Christchurch back to Dunedin for our last evening in New Zealand. We will be very sad to leave this beautiful country.

Akaroa

Friday 6th to Sat 7th March
Friday was a big driving day - bigger than we had realised. We packed up and set off from Tekapo and James drove the two and a half hours to Christchurch where we were going to meet Jamie. He had flown up from Dunedin to spend our last weekend in New Zealand with us. After we collected him I drove the last hour and a half to Akaroa, arriving mid afternoon. This pretty seaside town was very hot and sunny, and very French with street signs and many of the shops and cafés en français. We found out that the French and British had been racing to get to this area first, when they were held up by a storm. The cautious French took shelter but the British pressed on, and when the French sailed into the bay the first thing that they saw was the Union Jack flying on a hastily erected flagpole. They must have been very disappointed, after sailing for two years, to have missed claiming the land by just four days. They were offered some land by the British, with the option of returning to New Caledonia if they didn’t want to stay, but clearly they did like it, as can be seen by the French influence in the town.
Jamie had brought something new with him - a big tattoo on his shoulder! He has been planning to get a New Zealand tattoo for a while and had worked with a Maori tattooist to create a design containing a stylised albatross. For the first couple of days he needed to keep it covered with an antiseptic dressing, and it was a bit tender.
We went wine tasting to the Meniscus vineyards up on the hill above the town which was a gorgeous setting. Akaroa is in the middle of an ancient volcano so it is surrounded by mountains. The volcano hasn’t erupted for seven and a half million years so we felt pretty safe! Later we walked along the beach and had dinner in a tiny bar right on the front called “Harbar.” James and Jamie had bought some Meniscus wine and after dinner they quaffed it on our balcony.
Saturday was even warmer but that didn’t stop my two Jameses from planning a walk up into the hills behind the town. I quickly became rather hot and bothered but they both urged me onwards and I was rewarded from a gruelling 200 metres above the town with fantastic views over the whole bay. The walk downhill through fields of dry grass was idyllic; lots of birds sang loudly in the trees and there were lupins blooming beside a stream. I got some unfortunate nettle stings when I was going to the bathroom in the undergrowth; James put some insect bite cream on them which helped. I was so hot when we got back to our apartment that I had to have a shower to cool down. In the afternoon we went kayaking in the bay. It was brilliant. There were only four of us on the trip; the other person was a lovely Israeli dentist called Helen. Our friendly instructor Jake (from America) kept us safe and gave us lots of information on the area as we travelled, about the geology, seabirds, and edible seaweeds. We paddled mostly along the coast, and when we came out into more open water it felt quite choppy. On the way back to the beach James and I managed to steer straight into a wooden post that was sticking out of the water; Jake said he had never seen anyone hit it head on before! Jake and Jamie were comparing their time in New Zealand and talking about Maori words - apparently the Maori word for a fantail is piwakawaka which I think is a great word for my favourite New Zealand bird.
Later on we went for dinner to a favourite restaurant of Jamie’s; The Little Bistro. It is absolutely tiny and the food was truly delicious. As we strolled back along the bay to our apartment we chatted about  our brilliant day.

Dark Skies at Lake Tekapo

Evening of Thursday 5th March
Lake Tekapo is a designated Dark Skies area of New Zealand. James and I signed up for a stargazing and hot pools experience. Oh my goodness this was amazing! It didn’t start until 10.15 p.m. so after a leisurely dinner we went for a walk around the village centre until it was time to check in. It was very dark because there is minimal street lighting and it’s a muted red colour so as not to pollute the darkness. We were taken to Tekapo Springs by minibus and started our star-gazing under the instruction of the enthusiastic young guides. One of the guides gave a commentary while we looked upwards, and then took turns using the telescopes. Although there were about twenty-eight of us we were still able to get plenty of time taking turns at the four telescopes. Hot chocolate and blankets were available to keep us warm. We saw so much! I really felt that I learned a lot. James and I had already figured out earlier that the moon looks upside down when viewed from New Zealand. To be fair, it’s not the moon that is upside down - it’s us! That means that the moon waxes and wanes in the opposite direction from what we are used to. The same goes for the constellation of Orion and his belt. Beetlejuice and Rigel are still at diagonally opposite ends of the constellation but “upside down” as is Orion’s sword. Even more exciting to me were the stars that we cannot see from the northern hemisphere, such as Alpha Centauri (our nearest star at 4.3 light years away) and Beta Centauri. These two star systems point to the Southern Cross. The Southern Hemisphere doesn’t have the equivalent of a “North Star” in the centre of the astronomical south, so to calculate that you need to point at the Southern Cross with one hand and at the bright star Achernar with your other hand, then bring your hands together and then you are roughly pointing at the south celestial pole. So far we could see all this with the naked eye, and also the Milky Way and the far away Magellan clouds which are in fact galaxies. Through the telescopes we were able to see the Tarantula Nebula (yes it does look like one), the Jewel Box Nebula (different colours of ancient stars), and the Sunflower star cluster which is much younger, only a few million years old. It was all so informative and fun, hopefully we can do some star-gazing in Ullapool this summer if we take the telescope up to the cottage.
However the evening was not over. We quickly got changed into our swimming costumes and hopped into the hot pool, where we floated around on cleverly designed “underwater hammocks” (these supported your head and knees so that the rest of your body could stay cosy under the surface of the water). We were able to gaze at the stars we had just learned about, while one of the guides sonorously told us some Maori creation stories, which sounded just as far-fetched as every other culture’s creation stories.

Mount Cook

James and I went on a fantastic 10 km hike today. Again this suggestion came from Jamie; to walk the Hooker Valley trail to get great views of Mount Cook from Hooker lake at the end of it. And that’s exactly what we did. After leaving beautiful Wanaka - oh how I would love to return there one day! - we drove towards Tekapo, turning off down a 65 km detour to the trail. It was a long drive in but the views were stunning. For a long time we drove along the side of turquoise opaque Lake Pukaki. When we arrived at the car park from where quite a few trails commenced, we were surprised at how busy it was; lots of campervans as well as cars. It is clearly a very popular place and no wonder. We set off along the trail. It wasn’t hard going, but it was a bit too hot for me. The slight breeze was blowing from behind us so only my rucksack was cooled by it! When we arrived at the lake it was so worth it! This lake was also opaque but it was grey in colour and had small icebergs floating in it. Above and beyond it was mighty Mount Cook, hanging glaciers clinging to her upper slopes. In fact the valley that we walked up had once been covered with a glacier but it has retreated. We had a great time paddling in the icy water, it cooled me right down. It was so beautiful that I didn’t want to leave. However there was a bonus on the way back; the gentle cooling breeze was on our faces this time and it made for a much more pleasant walk. Our next stop was the small town of Tekapo, set on a lake and with a very special designation - Dark Skies.

Wonderful Wanaka

Wednesday 4th March
I am loving Wanaka! It’s a bit like Queenstown, set beside a beautiful lake, but much smaller and less busy. Our hotel (The Moorings) has its balconies overlooking the lake with incredible views. This morning we drove to the trailhead for the Blue Pools at Makarora, and went on an easy 5 km hike. Jamie had recommended the walk so we knew that it would be good, and sure enough the pools (which are actually just wide bends in the river) are spectacular. There were lots of birds darting around in the foliage including fantails and wee white-breasted robins.
Then we drove back past Wanaka and had a late lunch in the garden of the characterful Cardrona Hotel, then paid a visit to the Cardrona Distillery, another favourite of Jamie’s, a modern and elegant stone building where they make The Reid vodka, Source gin and also “Just Hatched” single malt whisky which will be properly bottled at ten years old (they only started four years ago) - currently they sell small bottles of it to demonstrate how well it is ageing. James gamely tasted all of their products and declared them to be “very drinkable.”
Back at Wanaka we spent the last part of the afternoon sitting on the balcony of our hotel room, soaking up a few rays and watching the sun sparkling on the lake. It was so relaxing. We had dinner at the excellent Relishes Café which I would highly recommend.

Lunch in Queenstown

Tuesday 3rd March
I had a pleasant stroll around Queenstown yesterday evening and enjoyed its holiday vibe! It felt strange and slightly surreal to be wandering about on my own on the other side of the world. Even when it was completely dark there were lots of people sitting around outside on the grass, someone rather hauntingly playing the Harry Potter theme tune on a piano on the quayside, music spilling out from the bars. After such a hot evening there was an absolute downpour during the night. I could hear the rain battering down outside as I lay cosy in my bed. This morning I went for a walk along the side of the lake and then had a late lunch sitting outside a café at the harbour while finishing my French assessment which I needed to email to my tutor. It was not easy to concentrate as I was distracted by the beautiful surroundings and also the wee birds hopping around the tables. I was just finishing my coffee when I got a message from James to say that he and Jamie were just arriving from Glenorchy. They came to join me and recounted their many adventures; they have had a brilliant time and told me some very amusing stories. It was great to see them and after some packing and repacking of luggage so that James could return Jamie’s rucksack, we set off to Arrowtown to the picturesque Fork and Tap restaurant, a favourite of Jamie’s to which he also took us in 2017. The last time we were there we sat inside because it was winter but this time we luxuriated in the leafy green and pleasant beer garden at the back. All too soon we had to part ways; Jamie had a three and a half hour drive ahead of him back to Dunedin, and James and I headed about an hour to Wanaka for the next couple of days of our holiday.

The Routeburn Track

Sunday 1st March - Monday 2nd March
I’m back in Queenstown and eagle-eyed readers may notice that I’m back a day early. I have had so many adventures that I hardly know where to start. So yesterday morning James, Jamie and I set off on foot to the Ultimate Hikes office with our rucksacks at the ready (our cases were safely locked into the boot of Jamie’s car). There were twenty-six happy hikers - the maximum is forty so we were lucky to be in a relatively small group. After a picturesque hour’s drive by bus along the side of Lake Wakatipu we arrived at the tiny village of Glenorchy. Normally the group walks in from the Routeburn flats but part of the trail has been washed away by bad storms at the start of February, so rather excitingly we were taken up to the Mackenzie hut by helicopter! Neither James nor I have ever been in a helicopter before and it was brilliant. The weather was beautiful and the views were amazing as we rose up to the mountains and through a narrow pass to a lush green valley. We landed on a little platform behind the hut and set off on our day walk to the waterfall, about 10 km return trip. It was very warm and steep; the path was very uneven due to the recent rains (in fact we were the first group back on the Routeburn track for three weeks) and at one point we had to climb up a vertiginous and muddy patch of hill to bypass a small landslide. This finished me off. I was extremely hot and bothered and chose to turn back to the hut. I was now in a dilemma. I knew that the Tuesday walk over the hill to the Falls Hut would be more strenuous than Monday and I was quite shocked at how steep and difficult I had found the path. Also I’m not as fit as I should be and history has shown that I just can’t cope with heat.
Anyway, the Mackenzie Hut (which is a private hut owned by Ultimate Hikes) is fantastic. It’s simply but beautifully decorated and food and drink was plentifully provided by the young and keen leaders. Some of us went down to paddle in the lake which was a stunning green colour. After dinner we all relaxed in the lounge as Jason ran through the details of the next day’s hike. My blood ran cold. I could tell that it would be too much for me at my current level of fitness or lack thereof! Any pleasure that I would derive from the beautiful surroundings would be ruined by despair and stress. So I persuaded the leaders to let me hitch a ride on the helicopter back down the valley on Tuesday morning. I knew that it would be possible because another hiking group would be arriving and the helicopter would be bringing them up in groups of six. James and Jamie were both disappointed but I know that they will be having a great time and I will see them tomorrow afternoon. The decision having been made, I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the evening with the very friendly and interesting group. They came from all over the world and there was a great atmosphere. One American guy spent the whole evening strumming on a guitar and James commented that it would have to be surgically removed before the next days hike! However I was aware that at least half of the group were noticeably older than me and all of the group except me were very fit. None of them were carrying a spare ounce of fat. I will have to make some hard decisions about my fitness if I want to be anywhere near their league going forward.
My plans went smoothly and it was very nice to get a second helicopter ride! And here I am on a gorgeously warm and sunny afternoon in Queenstown. I have just had an ice lolly from Patagonia and am sitting outside at a café drinking coffee, blogging and looking at the lake and the mountains.