The Norfolk Lupus Group is a regional support group for people who are living with and learning to live with Lupus, and is part of LUPUS UK

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MARJORIES HOLIDAY REPORT PDF Print E-mail
I've just arrived back from my second holiday to visit my daughter and family in New Zealand. This year there was a new addition to meet - Sebastian, aged three and a half months, a brother for Alyssa who was two when I was there. I left England on January 31st and after a very long journey was met by my daughter Teresa on February 2nd after about 25 hours of flying.

I was then taken to their new home. Since I was there in 2005 they have bought what the Kiwis call a "life style" a chicken farm which they have named Kentucky Meadows and they have about 1,200 chickens providing eggs to lots of businesses in the vicinity, 7 cows and about 12 sheep. I know all about sorting, grading and packing eggs. They averaged 1000 each day and I got used to helping them washing the worst soiled ones in a special machine. I went on the delivery rounds with my granddaughter Maddie and also the to the Farmers Markets.

Kentucky Meadows is about 10 miles south of Cambridge, which is a small town two hours south of Auckland in North Island. Cambridge is the centre of horse breeding in New Zealand and there are some beautiful horses and foals to be seen everywhere you go. There are not as many sheep as you would expect, but lots of cows, goats, alpacas, and large herds of deer to be seen.

The countryside is not unlike England, except everywhere you look in the distance you can see mountains - north, south, east and west.

I was taken out and about quite a lot. We went over the Kaimai mountain range to the seaside, to Rotorua to see the Maori village and the hot springs - boiling mud bubbling in the ground, and a geyser of hot water going high into the air. The smell of sulphur takes some getting used to. We also watched a Maori show of singing and dancing which was very different. We went out a lot for meals and went to various functions with teresa and Andrew - my son in law - when they had the time.

The scenery and the climate take a lot of beating - it's quite spectacular and I am looking forward to going again. In fact I have booked to go for Christmas with my other daughter and her family for our first family Christmas in about twenty four years.

Marjorie.