Gates of Bedlam Too

Se we went to New Zealand for Lochac Crown Tourney this last weekend. I'd booked the flights and the accommodation a couple of months ago as the flights were very cheap (but non-tranferable and non-refundable). At the end of March, I suddenly thought that I'd better check my passport. It was expired.

No panic, I thought. There's a bit more than a month until we leave so I'll just get it renewed.So I had the photos taken and filled out the necessary forms and sent them and my old passport in. The British High Commission website said that their current turnaround time was 10 working days from the date of receipt of a complete application. As they got it on the 2nd April and we weren't set to leave until 1st May, it looked like there was plenty of time - even with Easter and other public holidays in there...

Anyway, to cut a long story short, after numerous phone calls (each costing $9.90), I finally got a response on the 30th April, that it had been posted that day and giving me the AusPost tracking number. Fortunately, it had been posted the day before and was already in Sydney by the time I got that information. I went home at lunchtime and 15 minutes later, it was delivered. This even gave me time to go into the Dept. of Immigration and get my Resident's Return Visa changed over to the new passport.

After that, it felt like the rest of the weekend was really a gift. On Friday night we had dinner at the lovely restaurant that we'd found last tie we were there, then drove the rental car up to the B&B that we stayed in last time and which has a wonderful bathroom - with a big spa bath and underfloor heating.

Saturday we made it to the site, caught up with a few people and, of course, there was a tourney.Styvyn didn't do very well ( I blame the lack of tourney practice... actually, the lack of practice generally. :)), but the tourney was very good to watch with a nice mixture of humour added. And the weather was cold, but sunny and dry, so the day was wonderful.

After, I spent a fair while chatting to Bartholomew (Kingdom Seneschal), first about seneschal stuff and then just about stuff. Then court (3rd for the day) and the Feast. We helped clean up after the feast and then watched the dancing for a while before heading back to our lodging.

Another relaxing spa, then falling into bed. Nice lazy start to Sunday. Packed, paid and left our B&B and went into Wellington to pass a bit of time before heading out to the airport. Found a chocolate cafe.

Plane and taxi home. Still tired.

Only a few days now until we head for Tasmania for a week’s holiday. I think the essentials of the trip are organised: flights booked and paid for, accommodation booked for all the nights, and rental car booked. There remain only the details – but that’s where the devil resides.

At least one major problem was solved. We’d lost our digital camera – last seen at an event in September. It took us a while to realise it was missing, but when I’d realised that and convinced myself that it wasn’t just mislaid somewhere around the house, I thought to email the steward of the event. Sure enough, we’d left it there. So at least cost of holiday wasn’t increased by having to buy a new camera.

Have also:
- bought decent walking/hiking shoes,
- bought new jeans (that saga I could make a whole post of it’s own, but won’t because most people have heard that rant), shorts, underwear and socks,
- made lists of all kinds,
- edited the articles for the next issue of Australian Physics.

But still need to:
- decide on what garb I’m taking for the Crown Tourney and feast. Garb is heavy!
- print out info on accommodation and places to see,
- pack (this is a really big detail contained in one small word),
- collect and edit all the other things that have to go into Australian Physics, (although I do have a weekend to finish that after we get back, but I’d really rather not)
- sort out the cat feeding/patting.

This will be the first holiday that Styvyn and I have had together – ok, not counting Festival and staying with my family for Christmas. This is holiday holiday!

And I’ve had so much fun organising it over the internet! I think that’s probably given me as much fun as the holiday. Of course, we’ve yet to find out if it all works. I’m not sure that I’ve allowed enough time to get from place to place and see all that we want to see in the process, but I’m sure we’ll cope.