Un-named side creek, Buller Gorge

When I originally planned this weekend I intended to go to Canterbury and I was going to buy my groceries there before coming home. Because I didn't go, my cupboards have become somewhat bare of essentials. I decided that I therefore must go to a supermarket today. My usual supermarket is in Richmond (Nelson) but I thought I'd go in the other direction and shop in Westport.

Richmond and Westport are about equidistant from here - roughly 75 minutes drive. Richmond is North and Westport is Southwest. On my way southwest this morning I had to keep reminding myself that I didn't have to be there in any particular time frame and that I had all the time I wanted to stop and take photos. Of course about then was when it started raining!

I did make a few stops for photos and was about two thirds of the way to Westport when I remembered that I'm away in Nelson for meetings from Wednesday to Friday and then away for the weekend until Monday. Therefore I didn't actually need anything much in the way of groceries! Duh me!

Still, a nice drive. I stopped for groceries then drove out to visit my friends who have recently bought a hotel a few km's north of Westport. A coffee and a couple of hours chat was enjoyed, and then I began my way home.

I made a stop at a cafe about half way for a coffee, just because I could. I walked in to find yesterday's paper open on the counter and the owner reading the article about Blaze. That threw me a little. When I ordered my coffee the owner chatted to me and pointed out the photo. He said that his son had phoned him and told him to read the article as it was about someone he knew. That was when I told him it was my son - it turned out Blaze and his son were friends at University.

New Zealand is so small! There are connections everywhere.

I didn't do so well on the rest of the trip home. Had to stop for a while in the middle of nowhere to wallow in self pity for a bit. Finally got myself back on the road, then stopped again - in a different middle of nowhere - to chat to my parents who were passing in the opposite direction.

Work tomorrow - probably just the focus I need!