Journey

Happy New Year!  We wish you good health, joy and adventure in 2026.

December is always a full-on month for our family.  Following Sam’s we celebrated Colt’s 15^th birthday and then the birthdays of Sean, Grandad Gardiner and Auntie Teri.  Christmas was celebrated with our traditional family lunch.  This year Rory made wooden heart decorations for the Christmas tree at NP Mens Shed with Peter.  I found personalised wire name Christmas decorations hand crafted in Timaru.  I got a family set made we added our names to the tree, including Poppa (John) who is no longer with us. 

Mid-December to mid-January is always a very quiet time for Rory.  Most of the places where he participates in activities close so he is lost without a purpose.  I try and find other things for him to do which he will enjoy and fill in the time. 

This year we were very fortunate to escape for a mini-family holiday to Taihape where we stayed with Tarata Fishaway Lodge  https://www.tarata.co.nz/  We spent two nights in the River retreat cottage and were able to raft the Rangitikei River with Rory.  It is hard to find good quality outdoors activities which allow Rory to participate given he now has limited mobility.  Transport across the farm was provided by a side-by-side and there is a seat in the front of the raft for those who need support.  River guide Mikayla handled the raft on the grade 1 and 2 rapids like a pro and in between admiring the clear river and spectacular steep sided papa cliffs of the canyons there was easy conversation.  Parts of the river were used for one of the Lord of the Rings films and it feels like you are in another world.  A highlight was a short side walk to a waterfall and a dip in the river.  The picnic provided by her mum Trudi was delicious and her dad Stephen kept us entertained with his stories.  With incredible luck we experienced a fine weather window.  At the lodge we got dog cuddles which we have missed since we lost Fern.  We would highly recommend Tarata Fishaway lodge for an adventure with great hospitality. 

We are filling in our time with day walks.  We take Rory on the Terrain Hopper whenever possible but frustratingly there are often barriers to access i.e. steps, gates, narrowing of the track.  We said Ka kite to Colt’s best friend Arana and his family who have moved to Hong Kong to live for a year.  We rescued a juvenile Oi (Grey-faced petrel) who had blown ashore in the stormy weather at Nga Motu beach carpark and took it to New Plymouth Vet group for assessment and treatment.  Colt is still in a cast for his broken thumb.  I bought a silicon cast cover to keep it dry.  He isn’t allowed to swim but has had a few dips in the water with his arm out like a snorkel.