Patriot Realm

The last holiday I had was before the world went mad. It was to the deep south of New Zealand to places like Queenstown, The Catlins and Bluff. 

The highlight was a day trip to Stewart Island  , right at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand.  

 

I flew out of Brisbane Airport.  Just the old fashioned queue , not a mask in sight, after enjoying a shuttle bus trip  from the Sunshine Coast.   Bags taken through and tickets collected and your seat on the plane all organized.   Then off to  have a coffee and something to eat after the early morning start....  finally called to enter the plane and off I go.

I was collected at the Queenstown Airport  for the trip back to my son's house  and a trip to The Catlins.

A couple of nights to catch up and then the trip to Bluff to catch the ferry which takes the    tourists across to Stewart Island.   

Fortunately a nice calm sea , which was unusual but the many people on board were very happy .   About half way across the ferry stopped and there was a fishing boat feeding fish scraps to the albatross   What a sight, hundreds of big birds flying and landing on the water to get a feed.  out came the cameras  …    what luck.     In the right place at the right time.     Co incidence .. no ..   planned , to get everyone in the mood for an exciting day.

 

I had booked another boat trip to Ulva Island  later on in the morning.  But in between times I had booked a tour around some of the sight seeing areas  .  Lovely  bush and interesting  tour which showed all the beauty spots near the Port.     

The next boat trip included lunch  on board ,   thoroughly enjoyed.    Ulva Island is renowned for its native bird life.   

  

A number of people , back packers and trampers had stayed on the Island to do a Tramping trip around the Island,  takes several days and they camp out at night.     Very popular with the  walking enthusiasts.   

I don't remember very much about the trip back  , but it had been a very rewarding day.   Probably ready for  a  relax and a glass of the best at  Happy hour.   Which no doubt  was waiting for me on my return  after being met at Bluff by my son.  

 

Lots more  trips sight seeing and then finally back to Queenstown where I met up with an ex- daughter in law and her husband , enjoyed a lovely lunch with them  , lovely to stay pals with someone who was married to one of your boys many years ago and has been  happily married for the last nearly 40 years to a lovely chap.     

 

No matter how lovely your holidays are and what lovely sights you have seen it is   the best sight in the world to see Brisbane Airport   and know you are home again.     My late husband had a saying "wouldn't it be nice"    and I repeat that saying .   Wouldn't it be nice to turn the clock back to those happy  free days , of no masks, no restrictions, no jabs,   no bullying, no hostile police, and most of all no mandates. 

 

Will we ever get them again?

 

And will New Zealand ever be as it was?  

 

Footnote:

 

I am very concerned with news items that tell us that vegetables grown in  New Zealand are being  mixed with Chinese grown imported vegetables.   Once upon a time  anything with that distinctive label was  true  .. Made in New Zealand... but they have done themselves no favours  and any label  with the  words      

 

 

Product of New Zealand will be very suspect in the future.  

 

Redhead