Last years birthday blog was from the spectacular Blue Mountains in Australia. This years birthday was originally a trip to Sydney booked after the cancelled Europe trip. Who knew then that in June we would be tucked up in our NZ bubble. It’s been a crazy world and theres a lot of water under the bridge and Covid test straws down noses, since my lockdown blog, so I shall add to the ever-changing travel diary blog that is 2020 and continue the travels in this time and space.
With Sydney not an option and mounting AirNZ credits at our disposal the spirit of “cant leave home, so see your country” is where we are at and we book a great deal at the Gibbston Valley lodge/winery.
What a stunning country it is and we are of course grateful that we are here in this time and space. We came to this winery for my 40th birthday, a few years ago now, and they have since built a lodge and spa. It’s a lovely place to stay with great food and of course wine and also one of the best spa therapists I have had. Despite a large list of post lock down maintenance still required such as toes with the remnants of red chilack nail polish clinging desperately to the tips. By the way who knew you can’t get that stuff off, or at least I can’t, I tried the DIY when in lockdown but couldn’t get it to even smudge let alone budge so it slowly retreats to the outer edge of the nail like jelly tips. Then there are the eyebrows that once hid under a way to long lockdown fringe which are now on show naked and exposed after a much anticipated haircut was finally achieved. They have then been even further accentuated by the pulling on of my newly hand knitted Bev beanie crowning my head. I have never been a high maintenance sort of girl so it doesn’t take much to dismiss the maintenance and opt for the relaxation massage. I simply breath and enjoy the peaceful moments in this magical place and count my multiple blessings. Anyway toes go in shoes at this time of year and I can always pull my beanie further down over my eyes life is definitely for breathing.
We get bikes with our unit and use them well, ok I shall admit to upgrading said bikes to E Bikes, which I say was a most excellent idea. We bike along the trail to Arrowtown. It’s cold and brisk and beautiful with the exception of the swing bridges which still terrify me. WH tells me to just focus on the end and bike fast. It doesn’t work and A few metres in I stop and get off the bike and push it across with shakey woolly legs and self affirmations talking me across, reminding me what a brave, courageous woman who can do anything I am. Not a woolly legged scaredy pants.
We pass the bungy jumpers and enjoy the views whilst I ponder how their brain can take that leap of faith and step of the edge with elastic on their legs and mine doesn’t even like crossing a bridge suspended by big fat cables. The mind is a funny thing and the fear is real. Just like low key maintenance, I also know that in terms of adventure adrenaline I am not a “feel the fear and do it anyway” kinda girl. There’s plenty of scary and challenging things in life to keep me occupied.
The next day we wake up to snow low down on the hills around us. We get on our bikes and head the other way. Its cold, its fresh, its stunning and there are no swing bridges. We head down to Peregrine winery and meet some lovely people then on to Kinross who serve the best coffee around.
Gotta go now and catch a plane. Haven’t as yet downloaded the rest of my photos so will tell myself I will do it tomorrow and finish the birthday blog but who knows, so will post now anyway.
Our next adventure is taking five of our mokupuna To Queenstown in the school holidays. So move over Bill and Ted and bring on NaN and Gdad adventures who said I wasn’t brave?