Holiday Souvenirs

 One thing I love about holidays is looking for and finding a souvenir or three to bring home to forever remind me of the trip away. I like to choose things that will continue to hold my interest and that are a bit different but are significant to that place - even if it is just a significance for me.

Our holiday destination these last few days is a place full of natural beauty but it is also steeped in human history - especially of the Maori and also miners seeking their fortune in the gold fields. It is a place considered to be a bit more remote from the rest of the country as you have to go through mountain passes to get there. It is also a place that experiences wild weather but it is where the people who come from there often remain or return due to the pull this place has over them. They are known colloquially as "coasters". 

We have been here before but not for over 20 years and considering how relatively close it is from home (a 3.5 hour drive) it seems a shame we haven't made the effort to come more often. We have enjoyed the naturally beauty on the mountains and glaciers, rivers and bush. We have also enjoyed fantastic hospitality and a touch of history - along with some wild weather thrown in!

I have come away with the souvenirs in the picture which to me sum up the coast well. The gin from the distillery is named after a 4 foot tall woman who came to NZ from Ireland and worked as a gold miner - she also drank and smoked a pipe so was quite radical for her time! The clay pipes are Victorian era and have been dug up - obviously a throwaway item when they broke. The old portable gold scales were a bit more expensive but felt so much a part of the history of the area that I felt privileged to be able to buy them. It felt like I had been to a local museum and been allowed to purchase some exhibits!

Equally as special is the piece of glacial rock that I picked up on a walk to see one of the local glaciers. I have a thing for rocks from the different places we go and have quite a collection now so this was a great souvenir and one that cost me nothing - a gift from Mother Nature.

Although there was some money spent on these souvenirs I like to think they are enriching our lives and feeding our memories. This is the reason I like to be frugal with our money in other areas - so we can spend it on the treasures of life!