Sick As A Dog

Well now I know what that silly saying means... Not that I really know what a dog is like when it's sick... But I have been sick... As a dog... As the saying goes! I Had been in Takaka Town for a couple of days, done my shopping and been to my yoga classes, had coffee and done my 'town' things and decided to go and park at the Takaka River...

Here I am enjoying the space and green grass. It's an interesting place, only a few km's north of Takaka right by the river... An overnight stopping place that fills up and empties out again each morning as people, vans, buses, cars, go on their way.

I hadn't been there long and suddenly... Whoom... 'Norovirus' descended...

At least I didn't pay a lot of money to be sick like the 200+ people on the luxury cruise ship making it's way round New Zealand who came down with this virus, described in the newspapers as a 'Pukefest'... How horrible!

But horrible it was... I spent the next two days staggering between my bed, the bathroom and eventually made it outside again to my chair in the sun.

After sleeping for what seemed like days I gathered the energy to have a shower and find some clean clothes and decide I was still alive... I think! And eventually went to have a look at the river...

There is a track that goes under the bridge and along to the river mouth, about 45 minutes walk.  It's a very popular white-baiting spot although the season is closed now, also trout and salmon fishing at the right time of the day. A man I met walking back with his rod said he hadn't caught anything. These fresh water fish seem a lot more willy than sea fish.

And back round the loop to my bus to thankfully collapse in my chair in the sun again.

Phew... I didn't move for some days and although it is only overnight parking nobody came to move me on.

Do make a large sign 'No Norovirus Wanted'

Another week has passed. I went back to Pohara and have been back in town again and back to my yoga classes... Still feeling a bit fragile... But definitely alive.