Caitlins to Invercargill

Okay now we're catching up. I am writing from a really funky place in the working man's town of Invercargill. I woke this morning to a lovely breakfast that Joel prepared in that handy skillet: smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and a lovely cup of drip coffee. We were talking about my "merit badge" for driving, and how generous and kind and helpful the Kiwi are, and how we'd begun to forget things. So in order to "brush up" we began a recitation of the Boy Scout Oath. Joel had trouble remembering the very first two tenets: Trustworthy, Loyal (and we had a real, real laugh about that--and that felt good)--he did quite well with the next two, Friendly, Helpful--so we recited the whole thing several times and then went onto the next brain teaser. . ..the Cranial and Cervical Nerves--yes, this I know sounds boring--but it really is quite entertaining. Later, we attempted the Bill of Rights but failed miserably. We packed up and said our goodbye's to a lovely stay and stopped again at Florence Hill to view the spectacular Purakanui Bay to the East and the Tautuka (I think) Beach to the West. We drove onto Porpoise Bay and Curio Bay--home of a family of Hector Dolphins and one of the oldest petrified forests from the Jurassic age. The wind is like a gale force and walking near the cliffs is truly dangerous. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds are big and billowy moving quickly and the clouds nearest to the sea are outlined in indigo blue. We head inland through serene and bucolic scenes, one verdant hill after another with sheep and cattle grazing and grasses of rust waving in the wind. I now understand with real meaning the description of windswept cypress: the southerly winds off the sea bend everything towards the north. The trunks on the wind side are gray and twisted, dry and bereft of foliage--the north side is green with longer arms reaching out into the air, the tops nodding towards the hills. We drove into Invercargill where there are no trees higher than the single story houses. Strange little city. I'm finishing up now so that we can continue on to Tuatepere and points north. Tomorrow we will be on Lake Manapouri and and overnight venture through Doubtful Sound.
I think of you all gathering packages of pecans and ordering turkeys and poring over recipes in anticipation of the holiday and know that we will be missing you all so much at the table. We are thankful now and always for your love and friendship and for the spirit of adventure that dwells within us. Many hugs and kisses, Linny