Doreen

It was a cooler night last night - much cooler - a  welcome relief after all the duvet and sheet fighting nights I've been having.  I'm not sure if this was a function of being simply a cooler night or whether distance from the coast has something to do with it.  Maybe a geographer can help out here?

Anyway, after a relaxing Sunday morning breakfast - the way Sunday morning breakfasts should be - I headed away but not before asking Doreen, the owner/operator of the campground, if I could take some pictures of her in her wonderfully quirky and totally unique office.  She told me she was originally from Durham (UK) and her clear but soft north-east accent was a joy to listen to.  She's run this campground in Stratford for 14 years but during this time has spent a lot of time back in the UK visiting family and friends.  In fact, she told me, she hasn't had a winter for close to 35 years!  She feels that it's nearing the time when she will return to the UK for good but wasn't sure about how she'd cope with the winters.  Genetic health issues means she has been on dialysis for the past couple of years which makes her achievements at the camp even more admirable.  

Definitely the best gardens I've seen at a campground - beautifully kept, neat, colourful and vibrant and dozens of planted pots around cabins and the office.  A beautiful display all developed by Doreen from nothing when she took the camp over.

Doreen was clearly a Charles and Dianna fan as well as an Elvis fan judging by the collection of memorabilia gathered behind her counter.  There was also an impressive collection of gazunders around the ceiling line as well as an array of other pots, plates, jugs, trinkets, brassware and teddies all of which created a totally unique greeting to new campers.   

Having chatted to Doreen for a while it was time to head away.  Typical stops were welcome interruptions - a fabulous antique shop in Eltham where I bought 2 cameras to add to my collection, the Ratana Church, numerous photo stops for fields, crops, clouds and sunshine, ice-cream (it was another very hot day) and a wee zzz before hitting what I considered to be the 'long run' back (Bulls to Wellington).

So tonight is my last night of this holiday and I'm back at the same spot where it began almost a month ago  (oddly enough, I'm back at exactly the same parking spot!)  It has been a truly full circle indeed.  Whilst I'm looking forward to going home I'm not looking forward to the holiday ending.  My inner hobo has been in it's element :)