Kiwis and Fairy Bread

28 December 2023 I keep thinking it is June. Soaking in the sunlight through the open doors of Miranda, I even said to Mike how much I loved this June weather. He reminded me that it is still December. But we certainly have caught, to quote some lyrics by Jonathan Richmond, That Summer Feeling. It was 8:30 when Mike and I woke up: the latest we have ever slept, perhaps. But considering we were star gazing until long past midnight it was not surprising. Mount Sefton was staring down on us in all its glory. The sun was bright. The… Read more

27 December 2023 Waking up on a cold, windy ridge after a frigid night that shook the camper van, I felt we were quite alone. Only two other cars shared this Freedom Camp with us. It was a little disconcerting. Packing up is routine now, so it didn’t take us long to get going. A few minutes down the road were dozens of camper vans parked in a lot. Was that the Freedom Camping spot? Did we camp illegally? Perhaps….. The road took us north around Lake Pukaki. Acres of burned forest stood in parched soil, the grass just starting… Read more