It is the shortest day and longest night, and it is quite the coldest, wettest, windiest that it has ever been here. Snow blankets the South Island, severe gale-force winds rock Wellington city, and here, well it just rains. Biting, cold rain whipped by the southerly wind. The Wellington airport has been closed for most of the day, ferries are not sailing - waves are 8m apparently - and even trains have been stopped in and out of the city. Coastal roads are swept by huge waves and this storm has been likened to Wahine Day, that fateful storm when the ferry foundered on the rocks in Wellington harbour and 51 lives were lost. A friend who was flying to Melbourne early this morning, sent me a text at 8.30pm to say she was still waiting at the airport.
We fly out in three days' time and I hope the weather will have improved by then, surely. It's an evening flight which allows us plenty of time to drive to Auckland if the weather is still disruptive. We're flying with Emirates which only departs Auckland, so the connecting flights are our responsibility.
Thin summer clothes are all laid out on the spare bed; almost impossible to believe we will be sweltering in the Dubai heat. The donkeys have winter coats on, but still they are cold. I hope the poodle survives life in a kennel. The house is relatively tidy; ready for daughter no.1 and tiny son who arrive the day we get home. Passports, tickets, money, conference papers, suntan lotion, back-up USB plug. sunglasses, gifts, plug converters. Pack, repack, clean the fridge, check the donkeys again, sweat the small stuff. Going away is such a pain. And still it rains.
Just think, you'll be leaving the winter behind for a couple of weeks!! Enjoy!
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