Memories of Our 2004 New Zealand Tandem Holiday
by Vic Villhard
Would head way South, down to N-Zed
We all signed up fast because everything we read
Sounded so amazing it couldn’t all fit in one head!
We all saw how Chief Mel gets what he seeks
So here we are at the end of three weeks,
Having seen summer-time snow-covered peaks
And a hundred green and blue lakes and glacier-fed creeks.
Maoris, farm hosts, and tour guides who’ve touched all our hearts
As we’ve toured so many of New Zealand ’s magnificent parts
Impressed by the creations at the World of Wearable Arts
In a land where worry relates to a tax on livestock farts.
In the rest of our days on Earth, we may never see so many sheep
Nor (with luck) will we see roads that are quite so steep;
Ones that test our granny gears to see how slow we can creep,
But we’d love to see the “Bungy Boys” take another flying leap!
We’ll recall our tour on many a day
And see in our dreams green shrink-wrapped bales of fresh hay.
We’ll fondly look back on dramatic waterfalls
Quaint little shops instead of big shopping malls.
Southern Alp heights and sand fly bites
And the sheepdog that pissed on the bike,
Bob’s full moon that made Tim and Diane swoon
And the rock-skipping Blue Pools hike.
Volcanoes, geysers, and wonders and hillsides with forests combed
Incredible landscapes, sounds and fjords like nowhere else we’ve roamed.
The whole country seems to be a colossal National Park
And we got to be here in January when it seemed to never get dark.
We’ve all had lots of great fun
And enjoyed lots of beautiful sun,
But now it’s time to end our vacation
To go home and leave this great nation.
So with a special thanks to Tim—
And so you know this isn’t said on a whim,
With every turn of our pedals
We’ll remember with pride our Vegemite medals!
Kia Ora, Aeotearoa – Thanks for a fantastic trip!
Vic and Diane Villhard