Our only very wet day of course had to be the day we drove through the Grampians to Halls Gap. It wasn’t even worth stopping at any of the lookouts since visibility was so poor. Kangaroos and Emus were noticeable from the roadside and the many trampers, walkers and bikers would certainly have had a miserable day. Coffee shops and a lunch stop were hardly inspiring in places like Halls Gap and Ararat.

Our 4 nights in Daylesford had been busy and our travel day today to Dunkeld in the Grampians was sunny and warm.

After visiting Daylesford 3 years ago there were 3 must do visits that I absolutely had to include:

1. Visit the stunningly gorgeous Mt Macedon and walk in Vicki Hawken’s garden – Viewfield.

2. Dine at the Lake House restaurant owned by Ella Wolf Tasker.

3. Eat at Annie Smithers – Du Fermier in Trentham.

For the next 4 days we immersed ourselves in the towns and villages of Central Victoria. Heading to Daylesford where we are to spend the next four nights.

Somehow the arrival of my tour bus and getting on the road also comes with a sense of relief. Even if there was a surprise both for me and my bus driver Trevor: He was driving a large 48-seater bus. I thought I was getting a small bus with a luggage trailer. He thought he was getting 40 people not 14. I think we can both say it was a win win. It always feels good to gather my tour group in one place, they can chat endlessly in the huge big seats and its easier for me to talk. 

The 3 years between tours has almost been surreal. At first the relief of being safe in NZ while worldwide we grappled with a Pandemic, then the safety of leaving NZ with a group became enormous. Finally, by the end of year three, I was missing my tours, along with the wonderful people that travel with me and the many overseas contacts I have made over the years.

Like many New Zealanders we were privileged and lucky to have all our children and grandchildren over Christmas and New Year. 7 Adults and 4 children under 4 made for busy and sometimes chaotic days. Daily activities varied. For Matthew and Kara from Melbourne it was also a chance for catching up with old friends. Asher and Holly had birthdays between Christmas and New Year and Hannah enjoyed Rhythm and Vines VIP style over New Year. 

Where do I start. I feel I have been very slack with blogs and yet I don’t know where the days have disappeared to over the past few months.

I’ve recently spent a week in Dunedin and I just love the Spring there. It is so different from Tarras and after two years of planting our garden it is looking lush. I did return with a bucket of Tulips and filled the house with colour! We were thrilled to make the best seasonal plant sale at the Botanical gardens on Sunday the 16th and a chance to walk in the Rhododendron dell which always looks stunning at this time of the year.

I hope you are all enjoying winter. Seasonality obviously varies in New Zealand and after my recent week with family and little grandchildren in Auckland, where I found it did rain indiscriminately during my 5 days. But then the sun – with warmth made forest walks with Asher possible, a beach walk with Holly and Emme and time to pot up the last of the Spring bulbs for the children to enjoy.

I am back in Dunedin after writing most of this blog sitting at my long- time friends Rhonda and Johns house in Balwyn – Melbourne. ( almost two weeks ago now ) Rhonda and I flatted together back in the early 70’s with 4 other girls and it was like going back in time.  

When I look back on the photos of meals over the past week we certainly haven’t starved and in fact made good use of leftovers and plentiful vegetables. Living in the country requires a little more thought into what is in your pantry and I have learnt to have an extra bag of flour and sugar or a packet of butter and stores of onion, garlic, potatoes and eggs.

After the beautiful snow in the mountains when we first went into lockdown we are now experiencing day after day of clear sunny days here in Tarras Central Otago. So…. goodness knows what has happened to the ski field snow now. The first blossom on our new apricot trees shows definite signs of the season changing. When I first arrived in Tarras in July I couldn’t even dig because the ground was so frozen.