A sad morning on two fronts today. We were leaving friends in Queenstown and having become very settled over the week it was hard to let go. The other sad thing is that the Mills cat Mia who has been very sick for a time died a couple of hours before we were due to go. Ruby was the one to deliver the news to me through big tears. We had been packing up and knew that her time was coming and yet it was still a surprise on some level. A great experience for the kids. They all went and picked flowers to surround her with and patted and talked as she lay in the lounge. The first death they will remember and although it is sad for those who loved her over a long period of time, to see death as the part of life it is, makes for growth and understanding for all.
After grateful and tough goodbyes we were back in the Honda for a long day on the road. Friends thought we were mad going via Roxborough to Invercargill. But, I have childhood memories of picking cherries till I popped and I wanted it for them too. Luckily we had been recommended to go and see The Packhouse Cafe which is just before Roxborough and we had a legitimate reason for our round about route.
After popping in to Cromwell and Clyde and finding pretty but not particularly good cafes we kept on going to our cherry destination. On arriving at the Packhouse we instantly knew we were in the right place. Kerry and Richard Groters aquired the place five years ago having come from a stint in Queenstown. They swapped their 3bdrm unit for a 4bdrm house, 20 acres and the packhouse. Not a bad deal I say.
The kids made themselves at home playing minigolf, jumping on the big pillow and eating pizza (thanks Kerry). The food was great as was the coffee and the hospitality was what you might expect from the south and was the beginning of a great people experience.
I was disappointed as the cherry picking looked to be off the agenda, all the orchards were not quite ready, another week I am told. Luckily for us Richard is a friendly type and he happily took us up to his orchard and the kids got to eat cherries from the tree. They are converted and are now trying to work out how they can be adventure tourists with a cherry orchard.
On to Invercargill with me in the drivers seat. It was nice as the whanau dozed to check out the towns I had spent time in as a child and the scenery of the south.
On arriving in Invercargill we checked into our Motel. The Monarch motel in Tay St. The owners were fantastic and friendly and gave us a unit with much room so we could spread out. The kids were keen on the in house spa but I had to do some work so Matthew took them all out for dinner so they could choose their takeaway of choice. Very happy campers.
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