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No one seemed in a hurry to get away
Flaxmere Garden
Linda Butler
The beauty of belonging to a camping group is occasionally we get to camp at some venues not opened to the general public for camping.
This was the case at Flaxmere Garden, in Canterbury.
We settled in on a Friday afternoon. In the distance we could see a stunning cloud which was scattering a hail storm around nearby Christchurch.Â
The backlash of this, though, was that it was bitterly cold. We quickly put up a shelter and tried to fend off the cold from the wind. The Kool Grill was soon lit, offering some warmth, on which we enjoyed nibbling on toasted marshmallows as we chatted the evening away.
Saturday after morning coffee, our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. We were given maps, then followed her to her front lawn where she shared some interesting information about her property. She built the stone fence herself!
We loved following the paths, crossing bridges, scanning over ponds and admiring the mountains in the distance. The garden was divided into hot areas and cold shaded areas. My favourite was the native bush walk, but then I also enjoyed the autumn colours that seemed to be scattered everywhere. We were followed on our walk by fantails. They seemed friendlier than others I’ve seen.
That night we enjoyed a feast of rhubarb and feijoa crumble thanks to a team effort. It was yum. No one seemed in a hurry to get away. It was 3.45 in the afternoon before we got away. Yet again, another successful camp.Â
Images ©2024 Linda Butler
8 Winter 2024
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