Hugh and I are continuing to travel south, regardless of the weather.
Wednesday, after a night of rain, we set off, to travel south, via Murchison and Lewis Pass . A lot of gear changes, torrential rain, traffic galore, as all the trucks and cars were diverted from the usual highway north. Then a massive hail storm,amid thunder and lightning.The hail piled up on the windscreen, and we saw the lightning, as the hail drowned out the thunder.
Hamner Springs, we had one night there,
and today drove through Culverden, Timaru,
Waimate, and onto Oamaru.All photos courtesy of the Internet.
At each place we looked for a bed, a cottage, anything??? I had to check in at a butcher in Oamaru, for some ham and bacon to go back to the farm.While the 2 lovely young men were trying to find the cured goods,I said “ I really do not care about that.All I want is a bed tonight”!! One young man replied.” You can have one at my home” and a lovely, kind , generous lady behind me said “ No, don’t stay with him, I have a bed, stay with us”,She went along to the Nissan, where Hugh was waiting, and said, “Stay here and wait for me, You are staying with us tonight”.
I could have cried with relief, instead, smiled so much.
Photos tomorrow once I find the photo transfer cable, but we have had a wonderful meal, a lovely evening together,such genuine real dinkum South Island hospitality.
Tomorrow onto Dunedin and a little further south.
Quotation of the day, author unknown
“ Real generosity is sharing your home
with a total stranger,
and expecting nothing in return”
Greetings from Jean.
15 comments:
Isn't the kindness of strangers wonderful? Similar lodging generousities to me have never been forgotten. It leaves us all wanting to 'pay it forward'. Sorry your travelling weather is so adverse! Looking forward to reading more of your adventure.
I expect your new friend can give you some good tips about where to go and what to see that other tourists might never get. Hope your trip continues to have such good luck.
Hello, you were blessed! It is awesome to hear of such generosity. I am glad you were offered a home to spend the night. I wish you continued safe and happy travels . I wish you Have a happy Thursday and weekend ahead!
Oh my goodness, Jean. It does sound like you and Hugh are having quite the adventure. I do hope the weather eases up for you, but most importantly stay safe. Thank goodness for kind strangers with big hearts for welcoming you into their home.
I heard years ago "If you aren't having a good time, at least come home with a good story." You will have lots of stories.
Wow, aren't people wonderful? Yet I don't know anyone who would offer a stranger a place to stay for the night unless it was a raging blizzard or something and they were going to be totally stranded for a while.
You are really having an adventure - don't you just love the kindness of strangers!!! Bless that lady!!!!
Dear Jean, your Island trip intrigues me as I have never really studied geography well enough to know about New Zealand, Cook Straight, and the South Island. I hope to learn a lot from your travels these few days.
The woman who invited you to stay at her home is the epitome of kindness. I met the same kindness when I traveled--back in 1976--in Wales. We see such horrible things on the news that sometimes we/I forgot that the world is mostly made up of people who are kind and good and considerate.
Thanks for sharing your trip and adventures with us. Peace.
How lovely that that stranger helped you and Hugh, Jean. That happened to my sister Barb and I one time when we were traveling in Cape Breton during a gale. Our waitress took us to her home for the night, because there wasn't anything anywhere to spend the night. It turned out that she had a small B&B room, but it was in a remote area well before computers and cell phones. Such kindness reminds you how many good people there are in the world! Take care! Travel safely!
Jean - I have been thinking of you and wondering how you were going on your travels. So good to hear of the wonderful Southern Hospitality. Travel Safe.
Sue
What amazing hospitality you New Zealanders have down there. I would like to think I could get the same here. Sounds like you have had your share of rain and hail. It's still raining here and will for days and flooding everywhere except around me. Carol
Oh dear Jean, you shouldn't really have been driving on Wednesday, the day of Gitas storm, and perhaps you should have been tucked up somewhere safe for the day. So pleased you made it through unscathed, it was a terrible day.
Wow, hail piling up on the windshield sounds super scary! So glad you are okay and wow what a wonderful lady to have invited you into her home! Dunedin...think it's originally a town in Scotland; yep I just looked it up. ;-)
Hearing the weather reports making news in Tokyo, I worried about your travel plans. Now your story warms my heart. The Reader's Digest takes stories from readers and one of the columns is "The Kindness of Strangers". They offer up to $150 FOR 100-500 words, and yours beats them all. Thank you for warming my heart on a clod morning.
What a fun time you have. JB has to plan the littlest detail. He is obsessive!
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