in the summer of 2022, my husband suggested that he retire from his work away from home, and return to live permanently in Berkshire. he gave the required six months notice and retired in mid January 2023.
he’d worked away from home in Europe and in the UK for a decade, sometimes accompanied by me, other times on his own, so during his notice period, we worked with a couple of marriage coaches to help us with the transition.
we were encouraged to choose some special things to do to acknowledge the shift that this change would bring to our everyday living.
one of these was to book a month long holiday to New Zealand – which we did.
after booking in November 2022, our holiday of a lifetime is fast approaching.
we are due to leave at the end of January 2024 and return at the end of February 2024.
it’s been a good year – 2023 – and this holiday will take us via Singapore – the place of my early years’ home – to Christchurch, where we connect with a coach tour of the South, then North islands.
we finish in Auckland, where we will meet up with my dear friend Kim and her husband Colin; our friends Janet and Tony and with James’ friend Henry and family
the final leg of our trip will be three days on a Bali beach before the return to wintry weather.
Our itinerary:
Singapore 2 nights
Christchurch 2 nights
Dunedin 2 nights
Te Anau overnight
Milford Sound and Queenstown 3 nights
Franz Joseph 2 nights
Nelson 2 nights
Wellington 2 nights
Napier overnight
Rotorua 2 nights
Bay of Islands 3 nights
Auckland
“Meeting an old friend after several years is like opening up a treasure chest filled with fun, laughter, and memories. Imagine the joy of meeting up with four of them.” Blessings.
We spent the day with Kim and Colin in Silverdale on the Hibiscus coast. Kim and I joined BA within a month of each other back in early 1975 and we ended up sharing a couple of flats. Haven’t seen them in Auckland for around 40 years. Fabulous and precious opportunity to see their home and chat like we’d seen them yesterday.
the four of us visited Janet and Tony in Albany for a delicious BBQ. I met Janet’s brother Paul back in 1984 and met her soon afterwards.
she catered our evening wedding reception in 1992.
we haven’t seen any of them in NZ for around 40 years either.
it was quite surreal and a wonderful end for our NZ adventuring.
unnumbered blessings 