The boys overdid it a bit on the mountain yesterday so we’re going for a drive down the coast to check out some of the scenery.  One of the strangest things I saw when I was in New Zealand in 2005 with my family was the Moeraki Boulders so we thought we’d head off down that way.  Stopped in Geraldine to start the great possum hunt…

On my last trip I bought a shawl made out of merino wool and possum fur and it is the most wonderfully soft and warm and of course I’ve been asked to bring some home for my Mum and sister.  Saw one today in Geraldine and nearly fell over at the price.   Will have to keep looking…

Anyway we went down to the Moeraki Boulders and the boys were suitably impressed and we also popped around the corner to peninsula to have a look at the lighthouse which was fun in an alarming kinda way – we were right out on the edge of a rather steep descent and the wind was so strong you could lean into it without falling over.  In my book that is quite alarming at the top of a cliff.

We tried to go to have lunch at Fleur’s Place in Moeraki but they were closed on Tuesdays though we know not why.  We ended up having lunch at the small information/gift shop at Moeraki which I only mention because they had the BEST seafood chowder ever which was a nice surprise in what is effectively a tourist trap where they have captive diners.
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Grrrr… hardly slept at all last night.  Was loaded up with enough sedatives, painkillers and endep to sedate a small horse but woke up again in so much pain.  I can’t express how sick and tired (absolutely bone tired exhausted) of this constant pain I am at this stage.  🙁

I was going to go up the mountain with the boys to take some photos of them and to have a poke around in the snow a bit but I am in really bad pain I didn’t feel up to going. So the guys went snowboarding for the day and I got to spend the day stuck on the couch trying to do a bit of study with my hotwater bottle and a packet of Digesics for company

Woke up this morning in soooo much pain.  I hope it settles back to normal or this isn’t going to be much of a holiday.  Yale went back to Christchuch to pick up Narc and I pottered around here for the day getting things squared away and just getting oriented.  First item on the agenda for the guys was to arrange their lift passes and snowboard hire equipment.  First (and only) item on my agenda was to obtain a heat pack as soon as humanly possible… will have to make do with port until a hot water bottle can be acquired postee hastee.

Get to Christchurch in the middle of the night and ‘low and behold discover that I can’t hardly walk without lots of pain and wanting to spew and not looking forward to what I assumed would be crappy hotel beds.  On this point I was unfortunately not disappointed and the bed I found myself spending the night in was indeed soft, soggy and in no way conducive to sleep for one such as myself who needs a decent firm bed for any sort of sleep let alone good sleep.

We discover once we turn our phones back on that one of our party who was supposed to be meeting us at Christchurch airport as he was flying in from Sydney had missed his flight… apparently poor Narc had undertaken the two hours of public transport required to get  from his place to the Sydney International Airport only to discover he had left his passport at home!  So he had to go all the way back and try to get on a flight the next day instead.  I left my pre-purchased duty free shopping at home once back in the old days and Mum drove home and back in the mandatory 2 hour before your flight check in time bullshit.. but never my passport – touch wood.

Woke up much as expected…. that is, feeling like a wrung out dish rag and very stiff from the flight and crap bed.  Went and did some grocery shopping and headed out to Methven to get settled into the little cottage we have rented No 52 (link).  It is a gorgeous private little place and had a lovely kitchen which is important cos I hate eating out all the time.  And… this is the most important bit… the place is new enough that the mattresses aren’t total crap – thank Christ for that!