My favourite things ....

Kaitorete Spit and Birdlings Flat

After our quick trip to Nelson to store what is left of our 'stuff', the next weekend (last weekend) we went to Dunedin to visit Nigel's Mum and daughter and his oldest friend from primary school.
Our recent road trips have re-awakened my appreciation for our lovely country, and I started thinking of the things I'll miss, so here's a little list, in no particular order .....
cabbage trees; bellbirds feeding on flax flowers; our snow-capped mountains; rugged West Coast beaches; turquoise lakes; native forests; rata and pohutakawa blooms; the Nina valley; slurping water from wild rivers; the whoop-whoop sound of a wood pigeon flying; the song of the bellbird; Birdlings Flat; the variety of our seasons; Cave Stream.  I've no doubt this is a list I'll keep adding to. I'm hoping that 'up over' they grow feijoas, gold kiwi and tamarillos, and that Marlborough Savignon Blanc is available at reasonable prices!  Do they have chocolate?  ;-)

And, most importantly, family and friends.  We'll keep in touch via phone and Skype, but they haven't yet developed a replacement for a well-shared hug.

This coming weekend is our last in New Zealand for a while and my parents and sister are coming down from Nelson for the weekend. Nigel and I depart next Tuesday evening - six sleeps to go!

If you've left NZ, or can imagine doing so, what did/would you miss?  Please let us know by adding a comment here.