Amid the doom and gloom of Covid 19, “Flight of the Kereru” felt like an injection of all the goodness that life has to offer. Margaret and Graham were warm, hospitable, generous, down to earth, and sensitive hosts who made me feel instantly and completely at ease and at home. The apartment was spotless and as I settled into a daily routine of typing away on my laptop to complete a book I’m writing, they busied themselves in their beautiful large garden. There were fresh fruits and vegetables to eat every day and beautiful flowers, plants, and trees to gaze at from the comfort of the veranda while watching the sun set over the Waikato hills in the distance. The peaceful silence of the surroundings was broken only by the chirping of birds, or the goat next door, or the sound of a tractor harvesting the potato fields in the distance. I could choose walks in four or five different directions, my favourite of which was the one hour journey down and around the crater at the bottom of the village. The beautiful waterfall at the entrance of Harker’s Reserve was a sight to behold and only about 45 minutes’ walk from Flight of the Kereru. I was surprised to see everyone waving and greeting me, and I felt instantly welcomed into a tightly-knit and friendly community. After weeks spent in isolation and lockdown, this was the best place to escape and recover from the all-consuming drama of the pandemic. I will cherish it for always as I will Margaret’s excellent apple and feijoa slices and her and Graham’s wonderful friendship!
Warm regards
Robert