Number 5

So given my list of 39 things that I have done very little about so far I was very very very excited when a sudden change of plan regarding a few days off lead me to Solscape and booking a few nights in a tipi. Solescpe is an eco resort and sounded wonderful offering various options in terms of accomadation. We were to stay in the tipi retreat.

It all started to go wrong with The Big Day Out. Obviously allergic to festivals (really a repeat of Glastonbury), I wake with a puffy blotchy face and feel terrible. Adam drives to Raglan and I sleep so I feel a bit better on arrival. It's a nice 2-3 hour drive. The scenery is great, more mountains than I expected, rolling greens and natives trees and a huge huge beach.

The tipi retreat is a good 5 minute (uphill) walk from the main area and is secluded, lush, quiet, lovely. There are 6 tipis, and ours (of course) is further uphill. We have packed fairly light but I have of course brought plenty of food. Fully equiped kitchen is not quite how I would cover it, the main problem being no cold storage and it is very very hot!

I had booked a shiatsu massage for that afternoon, which was without doubt one of the best preplanning I'd done in a long time. The treatment are is in a secluded area of the site and is a small room built into the landscape and looks out onto the glorious views. So listening to the orchestra of birds and animals I succumb to bliss.
A quick exploration of Raglan and it's back to try out the wood fire oven and make pizza. Much more difficult than Jamie makes out but it tastes great.
We are bitten a few times by the prevelant mozzies - the composting toilets may be eco friendly but they are very mozzie friendly! The next morning after smiling at the thought of actaully sleeping n a tipi, I wake so swollen in the face I don't recognise myself. I have been bitten alive and really reacted well to most of them.

I survive another night and then we move. I tried. It was beautiful. I loved the outdoor kitchen (if only it had a fridge). The main area was more backpackers and the kitchen there was possibly the worst designed and equipped I've yet to come across at a NZ backpackers. The vibe was good though and our last night we were treated to some surreal entertainment and tried our hands at walking on a tightrope - takes muscle as well as balance so I was useless.

We loved loved loved Raglan. I was down and depressed as I felt so terrible but I persevered and played in the sea, managed to get my hair cut and brought a very expensive pair of trousers. We had lazy days and really relaxed. I finished my book in two days. We came away rested, more tanned but we still haven't tried surfing. I was possibly slighty dissappointed by the tipis, nit helped by feeling so ill. I think I need to find the full on live in tipi, these had your bed in and that was it. I want the fire and the whole mallarky. So the search continues, but I can at last cross one item off my list.