Made it home after a so-so flight. I had a hard time getting to sleep so ended up watching a few movies – The Woman King, Minari, The Pinkies Are Back (about a group of breast cancer survivors in New Zealand who are dragon boat racers) and Frocks and Divas (about an amazing biannual fashion festival in NZ called Tarnished Frocks…

I’m leaving NZ today, not ready to go yet. Spent the morning packing, barely able to fit everything in 2 bags and my carry on. I had time for a walk up to the war memorial to get a last look at the harbor and mountains then into the Waimapihi Reserve to say goodbye to…

It was a beautiful warm, sunny morning so I soaked in the outdoor bathtub for the last time. I’m going to miss it! Enjoyed my coffee, toast and grapefruit while reading more of the Billy Connolly book. Hopped on the bus to meet Annemarie at a cafe near the beach at Lyall Bay. On the…

Today was my first day out of isolation! I can tell my body is getting back to normal because I woke up before 6 AM and felt ready to get out of bed, which is not how I’ve felt the last week. It was a beautiful morning, so I was able to go to the…

My last two days of Covid isolation were pretty much the same as before, though I did get out for a short walk down the street to post a couple of postcards, it felt good to move my body and be outside. I looked at my pedometer app for the first time in a week…

Not a whole lot to report about what I’ve been doing the last couple of days. I finished one 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and started another one, I have listened to a couple of audiobooks, read some other books and hung out with Alby the cat. That’s about it. I’ve had lots of well wishes…

Well, I spoke too soon about avoiding Covid. After waking up from a 10 hour sleep, something that is pretty much unheard of for me, I took a second Covid test and the line popped up straight away. I was really disappointed because on Tuesday I was supposed to head to Napier to spend a…

I spent another day indoors, trying to kick this cold. I’ve become a big fan of a concentrate drink called simply ‘lemon, ginger & honey’. It feels so good on my throat, and unlike coffee, doesn’t keep me up at night. Annemarie dropped off supplies for me including homemade bagels, yummy! One of the ponga…

It was a rainy, windy day, and I needed a day of rest after our busy trip to the South Island. I also woke up with a slight sore throat and thought it best to take it easy. I did, of course, take a Covid test, which was negative, so hopefully this is just a…

The roosters woke us up at 5:30, so I made coffee and sat by the door to watch the light rain coming down. Annemarie made breakfast from the bread, homemade jam and eggs from the chickens that were provided, then we helped with the morning animal feeding before heading to the train station for the…