12 years of dreaming had come down to this one moment...driving down our street in the Plaxton bus with a grand toot toot and a cheery wave goodbye.  (Did I mention the wave was to a neighbor who had only so much as said boo to us over the last 8 years of living there.  They so enthusiastically waved back I fleetingly wondered just how glad were they to see us go!)  At any rate, a slow smile turned into a beaming grin as I drove on down our street.  After 8 years of living in our house and 4 kids later I had slogged through the packing up of our house and was very glad to be finally getting on the road, tainted only with sadness for all the wonderful family and friends that we were leaving behind of course!

The plan was to head south, Oamaru to be exact.  Nice easy drive, not too far and a solid park up on arrival.  After a very pleasant two days and nights with our good friends the Francis's (thanks guys!!) we trundled on to All Day Bay where heaven met earth!  Only metres from the beach and the sound of waves lullying us, sunsets and sunrises so vivid and beautiful I had reached my Eureka* moment!  This was it, this was what I had dreamed of, what I had known I wanted to do and here I was doing it.  The boys leapt out of the bus and ran to the beach filling their pockets with all the treasure stones they could find.  They bought them back to the bus to wash them clean and to marvel over their finds.

Then I checked my cell phone.....yes there has purposefully been no mention of Hamish to this point....he was still back at the dump station in Oamaru with our youngest....without any keys for the car which he was suppose to be following us to the beach in.  There is many a name I could insert at this point, but really what would be the point, I was in my happy place, I turned off the phone and headed to the beach.

We settled into life unplugged, playing in the little river that flowed from the lagoon to the sea.  On the fire that we made by the sea we cooked gluten free (yip!) damper and ate it, (even heard requests for more), popcorn and spaghetti.  The boys then joyfully extinguished it with their newly acquired water pumpers.  In the days to come I hand washed some clothes and hung them to dry on the washing line from car to bus, we began our journeys journals, we read, ate outdoors, and smiled, a lot.

I would like to say it was total bliss.  But really where's the realism and interesting reading in that.  For the most part it was, but there is the reality of needing ones solo hut far away from menfolk but instead being surrounded in a very small space by far too many y chromosomes, ladies I know you're hearing me on this one!   Really doesn't bring out the best side in me.  Then there's the first morning where I woke up amped to try out the shower, cook breakfast etc only to find the fridge was connected to the wrong hudackywhatzit (Hamish continues to try and educate me on the technicalities of electrical systems to which I sadly yawn, glaze over and state, "Just make it work!").  This resulted in seriously depleted batteries and really no possibility of well...anything, no water, no cooking, no nothing.  Joy.  So I gave up my aspirations and headed for the beach willing with every breath for the cloud to lift and the sun to shine and charge the batteries.  It didn't.  You won't believe how much you start to bargain with the sun when you are so reliant on it to run your home.  With the sun denying my best sun dance offerings, I gave up and drove the boys into Oamaru to find some kai and a park.  We then headed back to the bus, wound the clock forward two hours, (to trick our very earnest clock watching children) and trundled four very, very tired boys off to bed.  (worked a treat!).

Finally I did get some sun, some fully charged batteries, and a chance to try out our shower.  I was pleasantly surprised at its effectiveness even if I had to change my showering style to that, which I have been told, is somewhat resemblant of Japanese style bathing.  Quick wet down, water off, lather, water on, quick wash off, done! 

No more lingering, hot, long, blissful, awakening showers.....ahhhhh (face slap! And there, I'm back, ahh realism!)

*"Eureka" comes from the Ancient Greek word εὕρηκα heúrēka, meaning "I have found (it)",(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_(word)

Posted by Ang