travel – ~HB ADVENTURE~

March 25, 2016

The Time We Walked to the Beach

A week home and still so much of our month in New Zealand seems like a dream, because reality has a harsh way of making time that’s different, slower maybe, seem like such an exotic way to exist. Watching the work on the farm get done became a very favorite way to spend our time, each of us announcing different things we noticed.

For the first few days that we were there, the farmers were building/replacing a new fence in the pasture next to our campsite and it was utterly fascinating. We watched as they hauled their machinery over creeks and pounded in new stakes.

And when the herds got moved, we rushed to our little lookout to make sure we had a full view of the cattle dogs making sure that not a single animal was left behind. When a cow did get left behind, we gave it a new name, Escape Cow, because it lingered near our campsite for almost an entire day, making noises about trying to get to where his buddies had gone. We named so many different animals Triangle Sheep, Mange Sheep, Spare Cow, etc.

Over a creek and down a dusty road there was a beach that we had all to our own. We layered up, because it was a bit cold, and made the trek. Sadly, our capacity to listen to/carry our children wasn’t extended to more than one walking trip to this beach, so it was our only adventure in that way.

But it was extremely gorgeous and very slow living, which was exactly what we’d hoped and dreamed for our trip to be.

March 22, 2016

Coffee, Beer, Wine & Customer Service

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We’re customer service nerds. We totally and completely geek out over a tiny bit of kindness and a whole lot of thought. That said, we’re also the customer that wants to be left alone and not bothered or questioned too much.

We discovered at each place we stayed, and we stayed in everything (hotel, motel, house, botique apartment, camping site) that they way of the New Zealand is to be accommodating to your guests in a kind and thoughtful way by leaving tea, sugar, coffee, a ‘plunger’ (french press) and a tiny bottle of milk in the fridge.

By the end of our month, we came to expect it and a few times, after long stretches of traveling, it felt nice to wake up to ‘something’ already waiting for us. Little tiny amounts of sweetness.

Not to be forgotten, the beer and wine in lots of places were also in abundance. Once while I had run into the grocery store to get a bottle of wine, while the rest of the family waited in the car, I was stopped by a woman that worked there. She could tell I was trying to decide which bottle to take home and she quickly reached for a few and tried to shepherd me towards a tasting table….in the grocery store.

I politely declined, although I would have typically loved to sample a few wines, my family was waiting. The woman was concerned that I might not be happy with my purchase, without tasting it, but I assured her, we’d be fine. And I thanked her for caring.

Tiny bottles of milk, tea, sugar, and tastings in the grocery store….customer service nerds for life.
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March 13, 2016March 12, 2016

Lebons

Just on the other side of Lavericks Bay was Lebons Bay. Although it was only over the sweeping green hill, it still took us roughly 15 minutes to get there on winding gravel roads. Compared to the locals, we drove like we were 99 years old, slowly taking each corner and waving at everybody. We went back to Lebons Bay many times and not once did we share the beach with anybody that stayed for more than 10 minutes. We, on the other hand, stayed until we’d eaten all our food or our lips turned blue.