Finally from our trip I enjoyed how our friends’ village has lots of quirky letterboxes, community libraries and even an egg distribution point and had to post a few.

Our friend is an enthusiastic bee-keeper and Wor Lass took the opportunity to suit up and get amongst the hive to see how it’s done. She found it eye-opening and fascinating – keeping bees is a more complicated business than you’d imagine – but rewarding, particularly when you’re enjoying some home-made honey.

If NZ’s Southland is known for one local delicacy it’s this – the cheese roll. At first glance it’s just a simple rolled slice of white bread with butter and cheese inside, toasted and served with more butter on top.

In reality there are all sorts of closely-guarded recipes (I’m pretty sure the one I included finely chopped red onion and celery) and they taste AMAZING for second breakfast with a flat white- but perhaps being on holiday in the sunshine might have something to do with that.

Couldn’t go to the heart of the premium Pinot Noir producing region of New Zealand without trying some tastings at a couple of local wineries, could I?!

Our friend gave me a guided tour in his pristine MG Sprite (the license plate will give you a clue as to his favourite band), plus on the Sunday morning we headed down to the Old Town for a sweet little craft market and to get The Duchess’ necklace restrung.

During the height of lockdown we had a virtual holiday and spent an hour watching a YouTube video of someone walking round Wanaka filming the experience on their iPhone. This time we actually made it in person. Strange mix of shops, alternating between bike and wool shops with the occasional gift shop.

Pleasant but felt like a tourist stopping off point between bike trails or heading out skiing.

Just back from a lovely long weekend on the South Island with the parents of our good friend Treats Lady, aka The Bringer of Treacle Sponges, and got a bit snap-happy due to beautiful surroundings, spectacular Autumnal colours and perfect light conditions. (Three unbroken says of blue skies really helped the trip).

Our friends picked us up from Queenstown Airport and en route to their home near Cromwell we stopped off for lunch and a wander round the picturesque historic village of Arrowtown, preserved to give (the many) tourists an idea of what Gold Rush-era Otago looked like.