1.5 °C , very low cloud and miserable! Filled up in Alexandra yesterday (278398, 66L) and now JD, Roxie and Marielle are off to Otematata Station for Silver's Memorial Weekend. Mike is following in a little while in the truck. Won't be a "normal" Maggie trip, as she is essentially there as a bedroom. There is 28 people coming, so we need Maggie for us and the dogs to sleep on, and we need the truck to transport us up the station.
Got to Otematata Station at 14:28 after a couple of stops along the way. 1.5°C but at least it's sunny. Although, there is a bitterly cold breeze blowing. Walked around trying to find a flattish spot and then drove around looking for same for about 20 minutes. Finally found perfect spot, and after shovelling the horse shit away from the door we settled in. Mike arrived exactly 1 hour after me, so we unloaded all the groceries from the truck into the kitchen and sat down to allow JD (and Roxie, but mainly JD as he's still not at all well) to find their bearings. 
Peter and Jo arrived at 19:00, sat and talked and drank 'til I cooked up a mixture of chicken and beef sausages with a honey soy stir fry sauce and noodles for tea - after which Jo and I went to bed (at 22:30). The boys ate later and then came to bed even later - about 01:30. I slept "downstairs" with the dogs so I could keep an eye on JD. He needed to get up numerous times during the night.
4 June 2010
Up at 08:00 for JD's injection. Minus 1.5°C but not a cloud in the sky. Had one of Mike's fry ups for breakfast and then I decided to rearrange the cushions that form my mattress - only to discover that, despite getting up often during the night, JD had had an accident and "wet the bed". So did a load of washing (sheets) and fortunately the arctic fleece one had dried enough before the sun went down to remake the bed. Everyone else started to arrive from about 13:00 onwards, and by 14:30 we were well into the beers and the party mood. Had a great evening - celebrated Canter's 73rd birthday. Lots of laughs and great to catch up with everybody. Had fish and chips for tea, and I hit the pit at 22:20, not sure what time Mike came in, but he was drunk enough to whack his nose against where the TV normally sits and cracked his skin!
5 June 2010
Up at 7:30, thanks to Chris banging on the door demanding "drugs"! seems that Chris knows exactly where to come for paracetamol and berocca!! Minus 1°C and it look like it's going to be another good day. No wet bed this morning, but JD really not happy and just walking around looking depressed for a few minutes and then all he wants to do is lie down - in the truck. Left the quarters at about 09:30 and despite looking, didn't see any birds all the way up to Chimney. Stopped at Fork's on the way, and got to Chimney hut with a bit of time to spare.
Hugh was going to be there at midday to take Jessie, Trudie, Peter and Murray to the Lanes to spread Silver's ashes. In the meantime, the rest of us got stuck into laying the plaque. In one small way or another, I honestly think everyone had a hand in it - which is really cool. Had lunch at Chimney (bacon and egg pies - never seen so many, nor seen so many different varieties of the same thing! Good though!) and then started to head back - looking for signs of birds and deer and pigs along the way. Stopped at Skunks Gully so the lads could go and have a look there - nothing - and then carried on home. We got to the gates at the bottom and as it was our turn to open the gate, we stood there waiting, and waiting, and waiting for everyone else to follow. Chris and Matt and Jo were with us, but no-one else. Eventually Murray turns up and says there's a problem, and we all need to go back up. But not a problem at all - just eagle eyed Kylie had spotted a deer, and thankfully Mark and Deb were behind them, so they stopped Mark and he shot it. so we all stood and watched while they gutted it and then dragged it up a fairly steep slope back to the cars. Then a bit of clever backing down the single track 'til we could turn around, and off back to the quarters. Had roast merino for tea, and because JD really wasn't well, Mike and I took turns to keep an eye on him and eventually we went back to the camper - at around 23:00.
6 June 2010
Up with the alarm clock again (08:00). Much warmer this morning, but it's also raining. Had spaghetti/baked beans/scrambled eggs for breakfast. Seeing as JD had wet the bed again I decided I needed to get him home. So left Mike with Maggie and he's going off for a shoot while I got the truck ready to transport me and the dogs home. I left at 10:37 and got home exactly 2 hours later.
7 June 2010
Lindis closed, snow and ice everywhere - so Mike bought Maggie home via Oamaru and arrived 5 hours after leaving Otematata. Heavy rain and snow in places, and he was lucky to get home, really. 278880kms on the clock, and Mike filled up with 34 litres of diesel in Oamaru.
