Xmas in Queenstown to Milford Sound, New Year, Goodbye to my wee ones, a bientot NZ

Well Xmas dinner was very successful with all my men and a few of us girls and yes they had the place sparkling!  The usual celebrations ensued over the next few days accompanied by inclement weather so a journey planned for the 3 of us had to be revised and only Aisling and I managed to travel to Fiordlamd and Milford Sound, fortunate with the weather due to an avid golfer who is head chef in Gabriel's restaurant the Botswana Butchery, check it out on google!  This was yet another spectacular journey into thousands of acres of protected territory and the respect that we as tourists combined with an innate respect from locals ensured that we never ever saw any destruction to property or any litter anywhere!

Aisling and I returned to Queenstown the day before New Year's Eve and Gabriel and ourselves had our last free night together as he was working all over the New Year so as you can imagine we made the most of it and had a ball.  New Year's day proved challenging for one and all and as I had to start our journey back to Christchurch to bring Aisling to airport next morning and myself the following I was struggling and had to do a few cat naps!  Then I had some of those spectacular scenes now in sundown to engulf me so that rejuvinated me again.  For those of you who have seen Lord of the Rings you can possibly visualise some of the scenes, I actually felt at one stage than instead of witnessing a sunset at Lake Tekapo, we were actually part of it, difficult to explain.

Anyway sadness had happiness leaving my children but at peace in knowing they are both in a good country with good people and where I don't get the feeling that everyone is out for thenselves.

Just when I thought I could not be surprised by anything else I decided after dropping Aisling to airport, saying goodbye to Santa's motorhome Grotto to visit the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch which is beside the airport.  Even my verbosity could not describe this wonderful place or compliment the person or persons who conceived it in the first place.  Again I encourage you all to google it I am not sure how well you will be allowed to travel around it in cyber space but it is an incredible experience to have had and I spent 3 and half hours there and didn't even have enough time, children of all ages would love to see it.  It is just more of what this country is about and unless they hide their politicians misdeeds very well and any misdemeanours this country just seems to have got it right.  They respect and love their land, especially the southern islamders!!  There is no excessive show of wealth, people appear more equal, they are friendly, they love their country and are proud of it and what it has to offer the world as much if not more than being nationalistic, this might be something we could all take on board.

Departing New Zealand as I will be shortly but to return I hope in the future my impressions and memories of this country are how lucky and privliged I am to have visited, what extrordinary beautiful and majestic scenery it has, how welcoming and warm are the locals and how proud and respectful they are of this wonderful land.  A couple of areas of concern I have is that I felt there was a serious lack of children around, the numbers I could really count on two hands that I saw in local areas, the next thing is their insulation, nothing will convince ne that insulated CI sheeting/tim roofs can counter climatic influences so I think I have sorted out my future ventures!!??

Goodbye New Zealand and thank you for inspiring me and enthusing me with so much and to all of you reading this make a promise to yourselves it is one you will never regret.