Friday 14 March 2008 - New Zealand Blog – Mission Accomplished

Well, it has been a busy time at home since getting back yesterday morning, what with unpacking, sorting through mounds of post, mending wind damage to a shed and our fences, etc, etc.

…But the blog must continue: this will be the last ‘New Zealand’ entry for the time being, but we will let anyone interested know when we have improved the pictures (poor resolution images from a separate memory card were used during the trip) and made minor edits to the text. We will also summarise some statistics – itinerary, cost, recommendations, etc, possibly on a web page within http://www.topwalks.com/, or on the ‘Statistics and Useful Information’ page that will follow this one.

The reason for today’s heading is encapsulated in the following message received tonight:

“Hi Martin & Sue,
Just wanted to let you know how much I'd enjoyed reading your NZ blog. This is the first time I've ever actively followed a single blog for an extended period -- it's obviously more interesting because I know you, and that I'm particularly interested in where you were going -- but I'm going to miss your regular updates from afar. Your last entry took me straight back to when I flew out of Auckland 4 and a half years ago. I remember craning my neck back at the window of the plane, trying to catch a last glimpse of the coast (somewhere near Raglan I think), mulling over the incredible year I'd had there, and wondering if I'd get to return one day. Sigh...
Cheers,
Paul.”

And that was the purpose of the blog. We know others, in particular our parents, have also ‘been with us’ over the past seven weeks, and we do hope it has taken our readers briefly away from the rigours of winter, even though some were peeved not to be alongside us in the Silver Bullet.

On return, yesterday, we kept ourselves going by embarking on an afternoon’s stroll, mainly along the Bridgewater Canal. It was great to see the daffodils in flower, the blackthorn in blossom and a good solid tinge of green in the hawthorn hedges.

But the litter by the canal was quite distressing. We are back in a highly populated area where not everyone cares.

However, it was a nice day and the Dunham Massey tea shop was well up to standard.

As was the beer, later, in the The King’s Ransom, where we enjoyed meeting up with Jenny and Richard. And that is the nicest thing about being back home – we are amongst friends – and whilst we met some very nice people whilst we were away, it’s good to be amongst those who understand our eccentricities.

A text message from Weird Darren (blogger extraordinaire) whilst out walking yesterday offered a ticket to this weekend’s Outdoors Show at the NEC in Birmingham. It was a difficult call, as there is a TGO Challenge reunion this weekend, but we decided on the Show, where it will be good to see Darren again and also to meet some of the other ‘UK Outdoor Bloggers’ who will be congregating there tomorrow.

The blog will continue, and Nallo Lady will also be contributing in her inimitable style, but we are afraid it may be a little mundane for a few weeks…