January 14, 2011
We spent the last two days with the most wonderful retired couple! David and Cath are their names. They are neighbors of the family we house sat for in Wellington. They invited us to spend time with them at their vacation home. They have a nice, compact cabin on the property and that’s where we slept. Before arriving at their home, they had all the neighbors hang different flags from the states outside their homes! It was to welcome us.
They prepared delicious meals for us, introduced us to all the neighbors, spent lots of time playing with the kids, and geared us up for the big hike (6 ½ hours) over the Tongariro Crossing. The Tongariro Crossing covers 10 miles of varied and spectacular volcanic terrain and is described as the best one-day walk in New Zealand. It consists of three active volcanic mountains and has a maze of craters, many of which are filled with beautiful mineral tinted emerald water. It was the most awe inspiring place I have ever experienced. A lot of the Lord of the Rings was filmed here and from the top of the crossing, you can see Mt. Doom. Our host, David, dropped us off at the starting point at 8:00 am and Cath picked us up at the end. She greeted us with hot and cold drinks and biscuits! We were the envy of all the other tired, hungry hikers I’m sure!
This morning Cath and I went for an early walk so she could show me all around the village and we stopped at the “Spiral Café” for coffee and muffin. We then went home, got the kids, and went blueberry picking to a local organic blue berry farm.
We’re back on the road now. The change in chemistry was very welcoming. We’re all fulfilled and “full” with blueberries! I’ve decided I “must” have a vacation home in Asheville and surround myself with fun, life loving people like myself!