Queenstown with Gabriel

Well it was a wonderful few days in Queenstown with Gabriel, he really knows how to enjoy the good things in life and he introduced me to some of the bst eating establishments not 4star but I have to say the food was very good everywhere I wish I could say the same for the wine, I'm still looking!  The Botswana Butchery where he works is a really nice place with wonderful open fires everywhere not that you need them now but it is house policy!

We went for a few lovely drives and he really knows how to do the tour guide bit and obviously his love of the area helps.  I went off a did my own thing and found a lovely little area with a nice lake where I had my first two swims and a bit of sunbathing the first since I left home believe it or not, Bangladesh not being suitable in the area I was in.

My impressions so far are of beautiful countryside, mountains, lakes, winding roads and a simple lifestyle (well maybe not in the bigger towns).  There is no pretention, no overt show of wealth in that nothing is very flashy yet everyone seems comfortable.  Enjoyment is being with people and doing fun things together, the other day I watched men, women and children standing on surf boards with one paddle and going out into the middle of the lake beside each other and chatting away, this went on for hours even the dog got on board!  Now they do go in for all the bungy jumping, sky diving etc. but that is mainly the tourists.

I left Gabriel on Friday to travel south to Invercargill to visit the inlaws of my niece Jackie, Craig's parents Margaret and Doug.  I travelled down along the Lake that Queenstown is situated on (forget name!) and it was so hot I pulled into the side of the lake took out my wee chair, made a coffee and sat and read my book for an hour it was bliss,  have home will travel it is the only way to do it.  The mountains were majestic and the drive to Invercargill was glorious and again I felt like I was the only one on the road, I did come accross one roadside pub near the end where the whole community seemed to be outside partying, it must have been the end of the working day on the farms but it was reassuring to see ans i am still not convinced that other powers are not working the farms.

Visited Craig's parents today and they gave me a great welcome both looking very well and in good form and have a lovely comfortable home and small farm holding, we had fresh carrots and potatoes form the ground which Doug was very proud of.  The drive from Invercargill through the south east via the Catlins was lovely and not what I expected, it reminded me very much when I got into it of home.  I could have been anywhere through the gap around Raphoe at times and Ramelton and then into the wee north with the drumlins of Monaghan thrown in, maybe a wee bit bigger, it really waas very reminiscent of home.  This was varied for about a half an hour with a rain forest comprising of so many varieties of plants and trees at one stage I felt like a little person in a giant forest as I think I was looking at white heather that was as tall as trees.  To confirm what the area was like I was not disappointed on leaving the Catlins to be showered on so maybe that is par for the course.  It was so different to the grandeur and huge open spaces that I had got used to that it really came as a shock.  I am en route up the east coast to collect Aisling in Christchurch on Monday and I am going to watch the penguins strut their stuff tomorrow so looking forward to that. I'll say goodnight and if someone can please let me know if the photos arrived I would be delighted.