Closure :)

Sep 15

Or perhaps 'All Change 2' - we were pottering down the Blaton-Ath en route to Brugge when we got another boat enquiry and to cut a shortish story shorter, 10 days later we had sold 'Kotare'. Of course the moment we sold we got two more queries! Not the price we wanted, but converted to NZ$ at the present rates survivable. We should slot into rural NZ perfectly driving an old Toyota ute and in bargee clothes.  Peter reckons Angie certainly won't need any smart new designer clothes in NZ (repeat after me ....).

So at a rather faster rate we carried on along the River Dendre to Dendermonde. Up the tidal Sea Scheldt to Gent, not used to 6 hour days any more. A day to recuperate in the Ketelvest in central Gent, then another longish day into Brugge.

Dendermonde - onto the tidal Scheldt at low tide

Peter was busy doing admin most of the way as all our carefully made plans were overturned by the sale.  Kes turned into the biggest problem as the only way to get him to NZ before Christmas is to ship from UK, rather than using a German shipper as previously planned. Our son came to the rescue as a temporary hotelier, supported in case of need by Roger from 'Phoenix' - thanks to both.

Then a quick trip to UK with Kes - Angie doesn't really miss him (the daily call to UK to check he is OK is just normal follow  up - Yeah Right!!

Kes heard about the NZ quarantine (only 10 days - honest)

A half days instruction with the new owner (running up towards Ostend).no new scratches .

Thinning our personal possessions down to 60 kgs was easy for Peter as most of his clothes are scruffy and have paint or grease streaks everywhere, but a bit more traumatic for Angie.

2 Oct is handover - then off to Germany for 10 days before flying out - we are looking forward to the next adventure but we will be surprised if we don't miss both 'Kotare' and the friends we have met in the past 6 years. So thanks to all and best wishes for the future. See you in NZ.

Peter and Angela (and Kes)