April, 15th
Three days ago we returned our RV. We were ready to move on. New Zealand was beautiful but we were all excited to get back to warmer weather and water.
RV Living in very close proximity to each other.
Not much room to dance.
Aimee especially. It had been a rough month for her. The sand flies, jelly fish stings and bed bugs left bites like the Southern Hemisphere constellations all over her body. She had red rolling hills across her arms and face from the inflammation. The medications took the edge off but never really got the itching under control.
When the Tui rental camper shuttle delivered us to our hotel we all looked a little rough from camping for the past month. We had been using public toilets, showers and laundromats. By week four, we started looking like our clothes – not quite clean, pilled and faded. We were ready to look and feel fresh again. We were ready to return to the warm water and sun of the tropics.
Our hotel in Christchurch was a good start. We all had space to stretch out, go to the bathroom in privacy and dry off with a fluffy clean towel. There was a pool, hot tub, sauna and restaurant that we took full advantage of. Don’t get me wrong, RV living had been fun, but it was camping. We had been in the camper for many hours each day, traveling across windy roads, often rough and dirty. It felt good to get our land legs back and not have to worry about the timed showers stopping while you still had conditioner in your hair or only one leg shaved.
We woke on the morning of April 15th and boarded our plane to Fiji. This time we were prepared. When they asked for our departure itinerary from Fiji, I proudly pulled out our flight confirmation for 4 passengers to Brisbane, Australia. I had successfully avoided a repeat of our experience when trying to leave Tahiti.
It was a quick flight from Christchurch to Auckland and then a 4 hour flight to Nadi, Fiji. My plan was to catch up on some writing and work on the blog, but I indulged in a free movie instead. I reclined, drank my sparkling water, and let myself escape to that wonderful world of cinema. Before I knew it, we were touching down and stepping outside on another island in the South Pacific. The eighth island of our Pacific Tour. We welcomed the warm and humid air. The moisture put a curl in my hair and instantly erased the lines around my eyes and forehead. Within days, we would all have that tropical glow again.
Trying to leave New Zealand.
Leaving New Zealand.