New Year's Day

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New Years Day and the day after
We were greeted by sunshine but it became showery when we all met up for coffee. However a walk had been planned and we were going up Rob Roy come rain come shine. The journey there was about 1.5 hours but on unmetalled roads which meant a very bumpy ride. Steve and me, Rob and Amanda, Harry and Lea, Gerry and Sarah, took two 4 wheel drive cars and crossed raging flood water across fords travelling along one side of Lake Wanaka. The showers became heavier and waterfalls were cascading down the mountainsides. Eventually we got to the car park but some of us had not prepared for this amount of water. We walked to the swing bridge and it was evident that that was as far as we could go, such a pity as we would not see the glacier and could not walk up the mountain! However the waterfalls gushing down the mountainside and along the river more than made up for a lack of walking. It would have been great to go white water rafting. We returned home and started to prepare for a roasty! Helen and Richard joined the eight of us and we had a very relaxing and enjoyable evening. The next day we had to start packing up then Naomi Skyped us. we talked to her for about half an hour which was lovely she was so happy and they had had a great Christmas. Then I managed to get through to Danny and spoke to Betsy and Danny and saw Joseph who had just woken for his evening feed. It was lovely to see them all and also very happy and relaxed or maybe just exhausted after having a party for their friends and children and being up until 2 in the morning! Happy New Year! We joined the others for coffee then I went back and continued to pack whilst Steve went with the others to the Motor and Aeroplane Museum which he thoroughly enjoyed.I cooked this evening with the help of others it's so nice to be with good friends we all just muck in and it's so relaxed. We are so going to miss them all.

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