Memories

This blip is an old one that I am re-posting. In fact this blip is exactly 10 years old. 

On the 20th of January 2013 Gordon and I arrived in Auckland. It was to be our third trip to New Zealand but a very special one, as we had a stowaway . . . Blipbear.

It was during in my first year of Blip that it was suggested that I could take Blipbear with us to New Zealand. Blipbear had been travelling around the UK for a while, staying in different places and having many adventures so the idea was that he could travel across the world and meet more Blippers. Before this I had already arranged a few Blipmeets with people I knew, but realised that I needed to give more people a chance to meet Blipbear. When I published our itinerary I soon had a few very keen Blippers and we sorted out some dates and locations. When he saw this list, Gordon was  a little concerned that his carefully planned trip had been hijacked, but he’s an easy going guy and said he’d see what happened. 

We had a great week or so on our own in New Plymouth, Wellington and Kaikoura. Then our first Blipmeet was with Philippa (Flying), whom I had got to know through Blip and was really looking forward to meeting. We met with her and her mother (Walking S) at the Railway Station Cafe at Domett and what a good place it turned out to be. A lovely café and a wonderful meeting for the four of us (and Blipbear). We got on so well - lots of talk and laughs - we could have stayed for a lot longer than we did. Excellent! As we drove away Gordon said - if all the people we are meeting are as nice as they were, it’s all going to be fine. And they were, and it was. 

In Christchurch we met with GingerNan and Maureen (mmp26) - a very special meeting with two lovely people who told us all about the impact of the recent earthquakes on themselves and people they knew. (So sad now to think that Maureen died suddenly last year in a boating accident - a lovely lady) 

In Timaru with met with Rainie (and Doug) at the ‘house with no garden’ - hard to believe that that was how Rainie described it then . . . just look at it now! We were made so welcome, with food and chat and of course Gordon was in his element talking about Rugby. 

In Wanaka we met with Roger (Tussock Tales) and Ann (Cycling Granny), both of whom I had known from when I first started Blip. At Roger’s place we had such a great welcoming party -  Paladian  and  Rower from Australia were there, and of course Tussock herself. There was a fine spread courtesy of Mrs TT and so much chat and laughter - what an evening! 

I left Blipbear for Jeanne to pick up later and we made our way up the fantastic West Coast and to Nelson, one of our favourite places - we have stayed each time in the same lovely old house. 

In Nelson I had a brilliant day when Tanya (TMLHereandThere), whilst Gordon hired a bike and set off on his own, took me on a wonderful tour of Nelson, including lunch at the White House. A really lovely day that I will always remember. 

And so our NewZealand trip continued  . . . but with no more Blipmeets. It had been a great adventure, we had met so many lovely people . . . all through Blipbear and Blip. Such great memories, such fine friends. 

How can it possibly be 10 years ago!