Sadly my mother’s older brother, Uncle Rich, passed away last week after a brief illness. His death was caught everyone by surprise. Unlike my mother, Dick was still living semi-independently and was relatively high functioning despite the onset of dementia in recent years.
I got wind of his sudden illness while visiting Queenstown. He died the day after I returned to Sydney. After some reflection, I decided to cross the Tasman again for his funeral. In part, I wanted to honour the effort so many relatives made in attending my Mum’s funeral last year. I was also keen to support my Auntie Pam, Mum’s older sister, who’s lost two siblings in a single year.
The decision was easy to make thanks to a super cheap airfare. I cashed in some frequent flyer points and flew to Christchurch for less than $270. I also scored a great hotel deal via Amex, plus a discounted rental car for the weekend. Lo and behold, I found myself back in the Qantas First Class lounge at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning.
I eventually came across a hilltop reserve offering an unrivalled view of Lyttelton. I arrived just in time to watch the hill’s lengthening shadow extinguish the sun’s final rays over the town. Chatteris Bay looked equally stunning in the distance. The view did come at a cost. The wind was bitterly cold. It left me shivering and I all but lost sensation in my hands. I finished the afternoon with an impromptu visit to Pam’s house before finally checking into my hotel shortly after 6:00pm.
I’m so glad stopped at the spit. It’s an incredible formation. Much to my surprise I discovered the broad beach and expansive dunes consist entirely of smooth oval gravel pebbles. Incredibly they’ve all come from the Southern Alps, swept down to the coast by the braided Rakaia River, about 40km down the coast. Their smooth and rounded appearance reflects their origin as rubble ground smooth by glaciers grinding their way through the alps.
On the edge of town I was lucky enough to find its relocated lighthouse open to visitors. Inside a volunteer guide showed me how its light was made to rotated by a falling weight. As the weight dropped it slowly spun a greased turntable. The weight had to be rewound with a hand crank every couple of hours. Apparently the lighthouse keeper did this every night for decades until a diesel generator relieved him of the burden.
I’d climb a knoll next to gondola’s summit station on Saturday without appreciating it proximity. It was a surprise to discover it standing there as I crested the hill. I decided not to venture inside so it was still a new experience when we revisited it on Monday. Although, much like Saturday, the wind was still bitterly cold. Once again Chateris Bay glowed in the sunlight.
We finished our morning with a scenic drive along the coast to Sumner, before returning to my hotel to prepare for Dick’s funeral. The remainder of the day was taken up by the service, and subsequent reception, before returning to cousin Nicki’s home for a light supper. The service bought back fond childhood memories, as well as some sad moments reflecting on my mother’s death 12 months ago.
I took Matt and my cousin, Roanne, to the airport about 6:15pm, then returned to my hotel for an early night. My flight on Tuesday morning departed at the ungodly hour of 6:00am. As a result, my alarm woke me shortly after 3:00am. By 9:00am I was back home in Sydney.
It was lovely catching up with family again. I also enjoyed being outdoors and soaking up some stunning scenery. Despite the sad occasion, my weekend away was a perfect anecdote for this year’s stressful start. Sadly, our business is struggling in the current economic climate. As a result, most days feel like a bit of a slog. A little escapism was just what the doctor ordered.
It was lovely catching up with family again. I also enjoyed being outdoors and soaking up some stunning scenery. Despite the sad occasion, my weekend away was a perfect anecdote for this year’s stressful start. Sadly, our business is struggling in the current economic climate. As a result, most days feel like a bit of a slog. A little escapism was just what the doctor ordered.
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