A very Hobbit-y Holiday

My first ever Christmas away from family, I decided to hole up in a little corner of Central Otago to spend time reflecting on and grounding myself for the upcoming year

One a previous execusion through Central, I stumbled upon a delightfully forgotten settlement named St. Bathans. A historic gold mining community of the mid-1800s, it is now filled with only a few dozen homes, a man-made lake (Blue Lake), and a beautiful hotel restaurant

At the northern border of town, we freedom camped at the domain. Domains are common across NZ and usually simple grass fields. A number of other campers were parked throughout, but we had our own quiet little corner to ourselves

Mornings were greeted with spectacular sunrises around the surrounding hills. Most have no major vegetation to speak of

One morning we strolled into town for the hike around Blue Lake. Numerous plagues adorned the trail conveying history of the gold mining activities. Some expalined how Blue Lake was formed from the gold-sluicing activities while others detailed the European folks that were drawn by tales of riches

Expansive views of town are visible from many locations

While walking across the short scree path, i was pleasantly reminded of my alpine home

On the way into town, a small plot of land was listed for sale which i fantisized about building a hobbit hole upon. Wouldn’t that be a lovely bach (Kiwi holiday home) to get away to?

Another morning we checked out a local graveyard and paid our respects (doggos on leash in the graveyard!). There were generations of ancient tombstones from local families (not pictured out of respect).

On Christmas day, I watched Lord of the Rings and cooked up some mean hogget (i.e. lamb). Seasoned healthly with salt, pepper, and a local bbq rub, I added some Central honey to a few pieces to experiment. Both ways turned out fantastic and what a simple roast to prepare in the camper!

I was joined this trip by a traveling Christmas flower I picked up at the Dunedin farmers market

The morning of Christmas Eve I awake from a vivid dream: through an alpine forest, RGB fairy lights dance, weaving through the trees. nestled deep in the dark, a cabin appears. drifting into the kitchen, one is greeted by a purple source of energy. a sense of deep belonging

Hopefully a vision of what’s to come! Until then, Trish envisions me as a Mini-Aussie Space Cadet