Marlborough Sounds Break Away

19 Oct

A few weeks back Benny and I had the immense privilege of joining one of my friends and her two year old for a few days in her family bach in the Marlborough sounds. It was the first time I have taken Benny away by ‘myself’. It was the first time I’ve had him totally overnight by myself apart from hospital stays, and I gotta admit I was nervous. It was the furthest Hannah had taken her son and the first time she had done it without her family support, and she was nervous too. But we both said we would be there for each other, and it was an opportunity too good to be missed.

We headed off early in the morning so we could get to Picton on time to make the ferry. The only way to get to the bach is to boat in, or walk three days on the Queen Charlotte track. There was no cell phone coverage there and no internet. It was bliss! On the way up we stopped in Kaikoura to let the boys explore. Honestly every time I’m in Kaikoura I feel like I want to spend more time there exploring!

The ferry ride took maybe two hours to get to the bach. Once we got there we settled in for the next few days. The days were filled with duggies (diggers), shobels (shovels), crab hunting, exploring, paddling, making rock dams, making rock towers, jumping, taking photos, good food, good company, and some screentime to keep the boys happy and the mummas sane. The tui there were AMAZING! At one point there were probably more than twenty in one tree by the kitchen window. I loved seeing Bennys confidence and ability jumping from rock to rock grow while we were there. Seeing him learn about crabs and how they live. Teaching him about making a dam. His excitement to point out the tui in the tree knowing I wanted to get a great photo of them.

The whole trip was magical. It was hard. I would do it again, but possibly with the support of another adult next time so I could have some more time out. I’m realising more and more how much I need it to stay sane. I don’t actually know how much I need yet, but i think its relative to lots of other things, like how much sleep I’m getting, how much i’m nourishing my body, and how much I’m expecting to achieve in a period of time. We’re thinking about homeschooling so that is a major factor in the conversation!

I have a history of struggling to sleep in a new place. The first night I feel like I don’t actually sleep at all. I’m sure i get some snatches here and there but it doesn’t feel like I’ve been asleep at all. The second night is generally a lot better, however this time it was only a little better. Each night of the 5 nights there got a little better but it never felt like I got a solid night sleep. Needless to say by the last few days I was struggling with tiredness and feeling overstimulated by noises in particular. Benny is a noisy player. Its fun, but it can become overstimulating fairly quickly when I’m tired. The final night was a clear night. So once I got Benny into bed, I snuck down to the jetty with my camera and tripod and took some star photos. Getting to sit outside, in the beautiful environment, seeing the light fade from the sky and the stars get brighter, hearing silence except for the occasional bird call, it allowed my body to relax. It allowed my nervous system, and my soul to relax. It was so needed!