The Sabbaticus Line: Up and over

Up and over. That’s how I remember the drive to Tekapo from Fairlie. Up and over Burkes Pass, and in my mind it always seemed like a long trip, but it wasn’t. We Left Geraldine and wound our way to Fairlie; a very rural farming community which boasts a great ‘bake house’ according to my nephew Cameron; and he was right. It was a busy little café that was doing a roaring trade when we arrived at 11.30am. Being the week before Easter, hot cross buns were on offered. The warm smell of cinnamon and spices tickling my nose. Wayne indulged, and confessed …best hot cross bun ever.
We arrived in Tekapo early afternoon, and they found a spot suitable for a longer stay and bigger van. As the camping ground was terraced, we had some height where we could savour the view. Our view only obscured by a couple of cabins, but a lake view, nonetheless. It didn’t take me long to indulge myself in the enjoyable pastime of just sitting… being…. and watching. Again, this tranquil place afforded us time to stop, to breathe deeply and relax.

Our routine for packing and unpacking has become a team effort. With us both complementing each other by remembering particular things that need to be done and doing them. I am reminded of the idea of a shopping list in the lines written by Susanna Gretz’s in her excellent children’s book called, Teddy’s Bear Go Shopping …. ice cream and peas, soap and cheese, cereal buns and bubble bath! We have a similar check list that we are refining each time; petrol and power, hatches and hoses, bikes, bags and caravan movers…In our case trial and error has prompted… motivated… even demanded that we learn from our mistakes…. remembering to take the wheel lock off before moving the van being one of them.

Tekapo is a place that holds special memories for me. In my late teens I worked for the Antarctic Division of the DSIR and I joined other staff at Tekapo Army Camp to assist with the training of the new seasons recruits that would work in the Antarctic. It was usually August, and it was cold; but the days were clear, the sun hot, the air crisp, the hills around snow-capped and the day’s activities were so full that you fell into bed with that wonderful feeling of well-earned exhaustion.
Without hesitation I can say this place never disappointed us in the five days we resided here. Everyday a lovely sunrise, assuming you were up early enough to see it. Blue skies, warm sun, and the changing mood and atmosphere of the lake and hills fascinated and delighted me… the colours changing by the minute, by the hour. My camera always at the ready so I could capture it.
We allowed ourselves to be tourists and indulged in some of the attractions on offer. Tekapo Springs was certainly a great place to start with an afternoon soaking in the hot pools. Certainly a treat.

Another attraction was the Mt John Observatory. We walked up to the Observatory and cafe by day and took an ‘earth and sky’ tour by night. I highly recommend the night tour. For someone who just ‘tagged along’, I have become a convert. It was an informal, informative tour that included a tour of the observatory, and information about the research that’s being done by Canterbury University. We got to see the stars and moon and planets through large and small telescopes and was treated to a brownie and hot chocolate to sustain us against the cold. The wind up there that night was extremely strong and with a drop in temperature I was grateful for the extra jacket, on top of my own, offered by the tour group. The jackets were ex NZ Antarctic jackets, similar to the one I had worn on the ice in the 1978/79 season, except mine was orange; these were red. They are surely the most luxurious jackets, not glamorous by any means, but definitely does the job of keeping you warm. You feel like you are stepping inside a room, protected from the wind and cold. I was reluctant to return it at the end of the tour. Tekapo’s Mt John Observatory is world renowned as a Dark Sky Reserve and its accolades are well deserved.

Tekapo not only offered us great views and long summer days, it also offer us moments of quiet sanctuary for spiritual reflection. Sunday 29^th March was Palm Sunday and we joined a small congregation at 7pm in the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of the lake.

To finish off our week, Wayne cycled from Tekapo A power station to Tekapo B power station along the Tekapo canal. He chose a brilliant day to cycle the 50km return journey which he completed in about 4 hours.

As we were leaving on our final morning we stopped down by the lake to build a cairn.
Stacking stones is an old business. The Scots may be best known for it; after all, the word cairn originates from a Gaelic term for “heap of stones.” But the rather prosaic definition does little justice to a tradition stretching back millennia and across continents. Erected for navigation, as monuments of remembrance… as burial sites.

This morning my cairn was built for remembrance…. Remembrance not only of the wonderful memories and moments of the last week, but remembrance of my family and friends, and for those whom I have lost in this last year. It was the most perfect place to participate in this historical and spiritual ritual as I stood on the shores of that beautiful lake remembering each of you as I stacked the stones: one on top of another, sending my love and thanks to you all for being who you are in my life.

In the next blog, I will catch up on who we have been reading and a high tea in the high country.