All My Bags are Packed, We're Ready to Go…..

All our bags are packed and repacked and packed again and weighed and repacked ------ You get the picture.  We thing we've got it now --- just a few odds and ends to stuff in at the last minute.  And yes we are on the blow up mattress on the floor ----- I believe along with some expletives I might have said "I'm too old for this" as I rolled off the bed and got up this chilly morning.  We are back to camping out in our lovely cottage.

It has been quite a year and we have spent the week saying "good bye" to several friends --- Sue, Chris,  Carolyn, Katie, Steve, Adrienne and all the zumba gang, Barb and Jeff, Eric and Martha, Felix, Flo, Penny, Sylvia, Lola, Graeme.  David had a wonderful send off from the center with an Elton John song reworded for him and his work with the crisis team.  He felt very appreciated.  Now after a flurry of teas and dinners we are gearing up for our day of travel.   We will miss our cottage by the sea and all that came with it!!

A final pictorial farewell to Howick and  Auckland City

All set with our All Blacks scarves (thanks Steve)

We enjoy one last sunrise!

Thanks New Zealand for a wonderful year!!

Saying Goodbye to New Zealand

Just 2 weeks left before we board the plane headed home.  We are trying to wrap our heads around selling furniture and all those things that made our cottage home for the year.  It is like undoing all that we worked so hard to set up.  I have learned how to post items on trade me (the NZ answer to ebay) and now am fielding questions as bidders view our items.  David spent the morning at a car fair trying to sell our shining red Subaru.  Although he made some connections I did add the car to trade me also.

I have looked at the 4 huge suitcases we brought but have not started trying to fit everything back in them ----- UGH ---- I do need to get started.  And the real question "Will it all fit?!!!"

The hardest part is saying "good bye" to all the friends we have made.  

Lola, my kiwi friend originally from South Carolina at her new place in Point Wells

My Zumba buddies who took me out to lunch at the Howick Club

Walking Club

David and his colleagues

Sue (in the bring pinkl) with Jo, a friend visiting from Denver.

Yes, they were looking a bit "happy" after some wine tasting at Mudbrick Winery.  You would never know it was pouring outside….

New Zealand has truly been an experience of a lifetime!

We also leave an orange magic dahlia  in Tricia's garden for Mike.

And Tricia added some more orange dahlias.  So now this particular spot is Mike's  garden.

To help take our mind off all that needs to happen we did get to enjoy a visit from our friend Jo.  Jo particularly loved Devonport so we got to enjoy that again  and did some hiking while Jo frolicked amidst hobbit holes.

Lady Knox Geyser  (I kept referring to it as Lucy --- don't ask)

We revisited Rotorua seeing some more geothermal activity.  Jo really could have done without the "sulfur" smell though.

David and Jo in the red wood forest

                                                   Orange poppy from Hamilton Gardens

We find ourselves saying "goodbye" to some of our favorite spots.  This is David walking along Orewa Beach Saturday afternoon.

                                                       So for now -------- Night Night
                  I'll probably do one more blog before we actually leave this incredible country