We flew to New Zealand for two of these ceremonies. James and Sarah were first. A scorcher Sumner day, my blessings were as much for the beach as the wedded couple.
35 degrees Celsius. Champagne bubbles on the beach blew straight to our brains. Swims and paddles refreshed, and the chill nature of the day kept everyone relaxed. Beaming smiles were shared around.
Back on Maritanga Station, Sarah got friendly with the natives, and learned how to ride a motorbike. We dosed up on Speight's and farm style barbeques and chilled with the family.
We slipped through Arthur's Pass to the West Coast, staying with Matt Bridge at Noah's Ark Backpackers in Greymouth, and spending a night in Franz Josef with Dunc.
We ambled about the glacier that evening. Next day, Dunc took us out across Lake Mapourika to the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary.
With antenna and receiver in hand, Dunc the Conservator led us through the forest, searching for a kiwi. Distorted bleeps and blips, interpreted by the wise ear of Dunc, directed us to a burrow beneath the roots of a decomposing tree. There lay the kiwi, quivering before our inquisition.
The sneaky little rowi, out for a rare diurnal forage.
We left Dunc and travelled south to Fantail Falls, on the west side of Haast Pass. We ascended through beech forest to Brewster Hut, with views of Mt. Brewster, and its companion glacier, and Mt. Armstrong. Keas circled in the sky.
After skiing Lake Wanaka and drinking wine in the Gibbston Valley, Sarah returned to Vancouver Island. I stayed, hitting up Rippon with an old school crew of kids. We had a smashing day, with highlights including Kora and Connan & The Mockasins and Rippon's vino blanc.
And then Heather and Nick were married. We funked out to Koile's brand of Pacifika reggae, and lost it to one of the funniest series of one-liners ever composed by a best man. The bride was a blossom...
...the bride's friends had a ball...
...and the kids were gorgeous.
With the spin of turbines, and a whiff of jet fuel, the end came. The River City materialised on the horizon and I joined Sarah again on Vancouver Island.
