The day of my flight homed to NZ dawned and the skies were ominously snow grey. Heavy snow had been predicted to fall. It snowed on and off all morning and into the late afternoon. I kept a stalker-ish eye on the Heathrow website watching flights land and leave all day, albeit horrendously delayed. Eventually it was time to head to the airport and see if I was going to be lucky. We started boarding the plane. Then we stopped. It seemed there was a problem with the wings. Sometimes there’s too much information shared by the airline. As evidenced by the young boy next to me saying to his father ‘dad I don’t want to have to do an emergency landing, I don’t want to die. Can we go on a different plane?’
Sometime after midnight it turned out our wings were unfixable so we were going nowhere that night, so around 4am we were bundled off to a hotel in London for the night. After a couple hours sleep we were treated to a cooked breakfast at the hotel and then bused back to the airport. We managed to get out mid afternoon the next day after a part was flown in from Singapore overnight and arrived in Singapore around lunchtime where I discovered I was lucky enough to be on the next flight out to Christchurch that evening and in the meantime Singapore Airlines were putting me up in the lush hotel in the Changi Airport for an afternoon of pampering - shower, sleep, buffet lunch and dinner. Ryan would have hated the delay in leaving London and he would have hated the flight again. But he would have loved the hotels, particularly the all-you-can-eat cooked breakfast in the London hotel and the buffet lunch and dinner in Singapore! After more movies, more trashy American soaps, some reading, more movies, a cat nap and more movies I was finally touching down in NZ on Saturday morning, only a day late. After a brief search of my bag by customs where I lost my tulip bulbs from Amsterdam due to having no certification for them (I've seen border patrol, I declared everything!!) I was out the other side being hugged by the in-laws.
From there in I talked nineteen to the dozen (overtired and excited), stopping only to watch out the window and wonder what back road Doug knew from Christchurch to Timaru as this road we were on was one hell of a narrow country lane, single lane and in shit nick. Then it dawned on me that this was State Highway 1. It looked more like an English country lane than a national highway...
Once in Timaru, I unloaded the many breakables I’d stuffed into my hand luggage (3 German steins in my handbag!) and handed out some presents to the surprised in-laws. Will and Bronnie picked me up and wisked me out to the farm for the first of many wonderful catch-ups with friends, a bbq at Nige and Nel's. And so less than 12 hours after stepping off the plane, I had a plate of bbq food in front of me, a glass of wine in hand (may as well start as you mean to go on!) and surrounded by much missed friends. After over 80 hours surviving on cat naps in hotels and on planes, I got an entire nights sleep in the spare bed and it was just what I needed. After indulging only in moderation (surely a sign we are growing up, eh Nelly!?) we were fighting fit for a game of tennis the following morning after a cooked breakkie by the boys. When the weather turned on us we headed into Timaru for some takeaways and a lazy Sunday afternoon movie of the quality that only Willy could pick. And that rounded up possibly the best way to spend my first 24 hours back home, friends, bbq, pav and tennis! Good times.
The next day bought me a hot chocolate date with Nel (marshmellows included for no extra charge - take note UK coffee chains!), shoe shopping for some heels for the wedding with Jude (what a joy to shop with NZ customer service - a greeting, an offer of help and small talk at the till - its the little things) and lunching with Alana and Oscar. And I was lucky enough to dine on fresh blue cod, caught mere days ago at 3 Goulds Road for dinner. Then the next day my mummy arrived and I we had a big bear hug! We threw my oversized suitcase in and we were off, Southland bound, stopping only for some lunchtime pancakes in Capers, or at least it used to be called Capers. Finally we were home, turning into the long drive, bumping our way through potholes and pulling up in front of the house. Ahhhh.
I can't remember what I did the next day, or the day after that even, but then on the Friday, I distinctly remember hearing bellbirds singing in the bush and had blue cod for dinner. I also whipped into Invercargill and saw my fabulous golden gran, more bear hugs all round. It was lovely. Then it was back out to the wedding rehearsal. Wedding Eve was spent with Danny and his best man and groomsman at his place (someone had to be there the next morning to make sure they wore black socks!!)
After a week of average weather in Southland the Saturday dawned with those clear blue blue skies that I am sure you can only see in Southland. Being the only girl in the house I nabbed the shower first and primped and preened for some time. Around an hour out from needing to be at the venue the boys, with some prodding, stopped yakking and hit the shower, donned the suits and laced the shoes. We faffed about with their button holes for sometime until deciding that this deceptively difficult buttonhole business needed more experience than I could offer from two school balls. Mum's were needed. So we scooted down the road to the venue to find some of the more organised family and guests already milling about in the gardens. Luckily there were some aunties on hand to sort the buttonholes.
Things were looking rosy, the sunshine was out, it was one of those days that if you described it to an Aucklander they would nod politely and smile, but you know they don't believe you that the sun came out, bright and hot, anywhere south of the Bombay's. It was when things were looking rosy, the groom was waiting calmly, family were catching up, when calamity struck. Nephew one had an untimely soaking in the (thankfully shallow) pond at the gardens. Saviours went dashing, he was plucked from amongst the ducks and from somewhere dry clothes appeared.
Following this moment of calamity the day went much as expected. The bride (looking beautiful) arrived and with bridesmaids proceeding ahead entered the gardens and meet her groom at the alter. The vows were duly made, the rings slipped on the right fingers and the whole deal was sealed with a kiss. Champagne followed before the happy couple left us to an afternoon tea while they went off with the bridal party to record their special day through pictures. The dinner was delicious, the cake was cut and the first dance waltzed around without a hitch. All in all my little brother and new sister-in-law put on a fabulous day and am sure they enjoyed it as much as their guests did.
The following day saw that brilliant post-wedding tradition of a bbq on the back lawn under more fabulous Southland sunshine. After a fabulous weekend we waved goodbye to the family and friends that had travelled down. Monday bought more sunshine, a lunch in Invervegas with Esnes and a long natter with Gran. On Tuesday morning I was off to Auckland, to see the newest nephew. I was greeted with big bear hugs from Kirsty and Arthur and little Ollie. It wasn't long before Kirsty and I had cracked into what was to be the first of a number of wines over the time I was in Auckland. We set to catching up and I dished out some more presents.
Wednesday saw us relax at home in the warm Auckland mugginess and having a bit of a barbie for dinner. Thursday we subject Ollie to some wedding dress shopping before we hit Mission Bay for icecreams at Movenpick. How did I let it take 13 days until I had a hokey pokey icecream?? I'm still not sure what I was thinking letting it take so long! A sudden downpour put paid to Kirsty and I strolling along the beach with Ollie. Friday saw a spot more dress shopping, burger fuel for lunch and some Pol Roger for dinner to celebrate the good news from afar that I been offered more town planning work at my old Council in London.
Come Saturday morning and I was flying back to Southland for mum's 55th birthday party. Maybe I shouldn't have put her age on here... After nursing a hangover on Sunday I popped back into town on Monday for a lunch date at Gran's. The infamous Gainfort pancake recipe was on the menu. So simple with lemon juice and sugar, yet so so good. No one does pancakes like my Gran and her little sister! Also called in to see the middle nephew Seth again which was lovely, what a good little chappie, he loved his little London double decker bus I bought home for the sobrinos (nephews). Monday night I stayed with the newlyweds who had returned from their honeymoon. Tuesday I was off up to Gore to have a catch up with the married Mrs Grant which was fabulous as always.
Wednesday saw mum and I leave the farm, the rolling green fields and blue skies of Southland. We hit Dunedin around lunchtime and proceeded to spend several hours in one of the wedding dress stores there, trying on gown after beautiful gown. I reluctantly tore myself away and we carried onto Timaru where we had a nice dinner with family and friends. Friday morning saw Nel take me wedding dress shopping in Timaru (so Dan and Em's wedding had well and truly infected me with wedding fever!!) and we tried on any style in my size. Following the dress shopping I gave my last hug to Nel and met up with mum to go visit my uncle. The three of us had a lovely lunch out in Geraldine where I saw a metal recreation of the infamous Bayeux tapestry depicting the events leading up and including the Battle of Hastings. Then we whipped down the road to Waimate to see more extended family. Then it was back to Timaru for one last meal with the in-laws before popping around the road to catch up with Errol, Alana and little Oscar who couldn't get enough of my story book reading!
Saturday morning and it was off to the airport in Christchurch with my mum and mum-in-law seeing me safely off from my fabulous three week holiday.
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