The Drew Family Vacation is nearly here….

As the title suggests, it is coming up to that time of year again. The Drew family vacation.

It is not usually for the faint hearted of course, our holidays of late have been punctuated with drama, tension and unforeseen circumstances.

For those recent subscribers, you should know I am referring to the last Drew family vacation to the shaky Isle.

We resolved, as we left the land of the great white cloud in 2010, that we would be back. And back we are going.

Getting there a week after their first major earthquake was not actually what we had planned, but in true Drew style, we soldiered on.

Getting caught in snow drifts and having roads closed behind us was an experience to behold for a family of city slickers.

After the first few days I was wishing I could actually ‘sail’ a motor-home because knowing how to tack and jibe with the breeze would have been a distinct advantage.

It was so cold the metal door lock contracted and fell out of the door. A windscreen wiper snapped under the pressure of the wind, and we learned quickly how to spot a wind squall from 100 feet.

We saw the high toll that lambs paid with snow storms during lambing season, and we experienced first hand how sparks can fly from a towel on wet skin when you hop out of a shower in the middle of what can only be described as a mini blizzard.So, we are making the trek again, hoping that the weather will be kinder. Hearing that the north island experienced an earthquake and a volcano eruption this last week doesn’t bode well though. But, who knows, I’m sure it couldn’t get any worse than last time…. could it?

So, please mark in your diary that we will be basically closed from September 13 to September 29 on our holiday break. Someone will check the phone messages every day, and we do have colleagues in the industry that will step in and help out for any emergencies, but it would be good if we can work around these dates if possible.

And in september, while you relax in the knowledge that your bed will be within the confines of a secure foundation, your days will be just like any other, spare a thought for the Drew family as they holiday in a motor-home in the ‘wilds’ of the south island. A little prayer might also be a nice thought if you are so inclined.

Yours sincerely

Shane (the great adventurer) Drew