Back to the land of the long grey, wet clouds...

As Carmen has already blogged about our flight home, I won't rehash it here. It was both good, and sad, to be home after two months away.
We got home on a wet, cold Friday night, and took a Super-Shuttle home. It absolutely poured down that weekend, finding a leak in our roof and making its way down the inside of our bedroom window. Welcome home :-(
I was onto the landlord quick-smart, although the repair process wasn't quite so quick. We did eventually get it fixed, though.
The following week was spent unpacking bags, sorting laundry etc, as Carmen has mentioned. (although, she didn't mention it took her more than a week to unpack her luggage....)
The following Friday we drove up to Taupo to attend the annual Sika Show (a hunting industry expo). I was working the HUNTS booth again, trying to sell a brand instead of a product, which is never as easy. It rained there too......gumboots were the dress of the day.
As the School Holidays started the same weekend, I drove to Roto-vegas to pick up Sam. The weather the following week was average, but we managed to take the quad over to the Wairarapa for some 4x4 therapy.

Sam all tooled-up for a ride..

Old habits die hard, even when out without a rifle. We heard a goat bleating while having lunch, so were trying to locate it here.

At the end of the week, we got on the ferry and headed to Christchurch.
Christmas came early for Son number 1 (Sam had already received his gifts), so all was well in the land of gear-head family.
That Saturday, we went for a day-hunt together in the Canterbury foothills. No animals were sighted, but there was enough sign (tracks, droppings, old rubbings) to keep us interested. That wasn't the point really - it was just to reconnect as a family and enjoy the mountains together. Mission successs!
On the Sunday evening I headed home alone, stopping over-night to stay with a good mate and his wife. It was great to catch up with them. Thanks Nick!

On Monday I headed to the Hanmer Springs area for some transcendental meditation. Well, not really, but I did need some time by myself to begin sorting, reflecting, thinking about, making sense (whatever you want to call it), of the past two months. The weather forecast wasn't too flash, but I headed into the mountains alone - something I am very comfortable doing (and with the bonus of not having carnivores around unlike USA!). I should have taken a fishing rod, as the trout were jumping! One to remember for next time.

Lake-front property. My view from campsite.

Happiness is a simple camp. And coffee. Just starting to rain here.

View from head of lake, looking south. Morning, day two. The weather shit itself later on.

The mountains are calling, and I must go. Happy. Happy. Happy.

 
I took my rifle for a walk, but didn't see any animals worth shooting (plenty of Hares, but my .308 wouldn't leave much meat if I did shoot them). Once again, there were plenty of tracks etc to keep me interested (although still up quite high above the snowline, so not worth the risk). And not seeing a soul for two days helped with the peace and quiet.
As the weather packed in on day three, I pulled out early and headed back to Hanmer to dry out. On the way out that morning, I spied some fresh footprints on the road. Human ones. Running shoes. I knew they had to be from that morning, as it had rained all night and these were sharp and very distinct. I acted like a South African tracker and drove along with my head out the window following the tracks....then lo-and-behold, around the next corner I spied the owner of the tracks - a chap called Warren. I don't pick up hitch-hikers, but this was a fellow traveller who was bent over stuffing his toes back into his thread-bare running shoes......this will be interesting, I thought....
I offered him a lift, which he accepted, since he was heading to Hanmer (about 40kms away) and it would take him all day. Warren was very interesting to talk with. He had begun his journey from Motueka, and was heading to Lake Sumner, then returning by the St James cycleway, back to Blenheim then home. His pack for all this was the size of a large school bag, with a bottle of milk bungeed to the outside. As he was down to his last packet of macaroni, I gave him my remaining freeze-dried cuisine and instant noodles, which he greatly appreciated. We had a great chin-wag on the drive to Hanmer, then I dropped him off at the I-Site (tourist info centre) as requested. I then headed to one of the campgrounds for the night.
The drive back to Picton went smoothly. The weather even cooperated, enabling me to park by a beach just north of Kaikoura, to have my lunch.

My lunchtime view...

I managed to get on an earlier ferry sailing, so I arrived home safe and sound that evening.
The following days were spent cleaning, drying, repacking my kit ready for the next adventure!

Well, I am into my last week of smoko as I write this, so will post one more time to complete the blog.