The lady in a van

I am now ‘the lady in the van’.

I am not parked next to Alan  Bennett, but to Alex the handyman. I am not in a driveway in North London but on the edge of Lake Rotorua, Aotearoa , New Zealand. There the comparison must end, as I would hate to turn out like the wonderful character played by Maggie Smith in the recent movie.

Our perfect little caravan will be my pied-a-terre for the next ten weeks, while I work in Rotorua four days a week. The caravan site has a spacious brick paved area, outdoor table, two spa pools nearby, freshly filled each day, and just right at 39degrees.

I have power, water, and new neighbours every day.

This morning, I woke to a red streaked sunrise. There were pukekos striding along the well mown lawn, their red beaks glinting in the low sun. I wandered along a bush path beside a  steaming thermal stream and down to the lake.

Siting my caravan near the house of the aforesaid handyman, Alex, with his confident, burly presence gives me confidence about being a lady on her own in a van. The winter nights in Rotorua can be long and cold, and I would imagine the caravan park will often be empty.

But it seems like a good idea at the moment. Watch this space.