Butterflies

First day of autumn - not that you'd really know it.  Cooler evenings, definitely, but still glorious days.  And so it was today.  The long road to the Eagles began.......with just a short drive into St Bathan's for another look at the Lake.  I would have liked to fly my drone to get an aerial view but, being a DoC area, you can't.  

Just out of St Bathan's I stopped again to look at the majestic scenery and was surprised to find myself being drawn into stories Mum used to tell us of when she was a youngster, and how she and Roger would bike into the Bedfordshire countryside, surrounded by fields, wild flowers and space.  They'd bike and play for hours in the fields with no concern for safety, cars or time.  This particular stretch of road somehow reminded me of these stories...........bees and butterflies galore, blue sky, virtually zero traffic.  The sound was stunning - distant birds, bees, the odd grasshopper chirp but otherwise.........nothing........just peace.  I set myself a challenge to capture a butterfly in flight.......great way to spend 30 or 40 minutes.

Along the road then to Naseby, the New Zealand bonspiel capital.  The town felt deserted, just the odd couple of tourists up and down the street.  I guess summer isn't really bonspiel season so I shouldn't have been surprised.  Heading into the dairy I continued my personal quest to find the best ice-cream deal of the trip.  I almost felt guilty for disturbing the proprietors peace and I wasn't sure if he was just pleased to have a customer or whether the servings are always so generous, but this ice-cream was head and shoulders above anything else I've had........two very generous scoops for a mere $2.50.  Ice-cream heaven!

The rest of the journey to Dunedin was pretty uneventful - lovely countryside (howling winds!) and a growing sense of excitement about tomorrow's concert.......