“The Topp of the Pops”
Spending a weekend at a humble abode tucked away in the mountains in the Puhi Valley outside of the town of Kaikoura was quite nice to say the least. Kevin and Sandy Topp, two fireplugs with hearts of gold, or should I say wool, run a sheep and cattle farm covering 4000 acres, with more than 3,000 sheep on it!!! And get this. There are no buxom, young lads there on the farm to do the nitty-gritty, backbreaking work – its just Kev and Sandy and that’s the way they have being doing it for the past 23 years.
Having the privilege of being able to see how these two live away from busy town life was quite refreshing. We (Kayla and Ashley – two lovely female fellow CCSP students, and I) arrived at the Topp household in Sandy’s sky-blue compact SUV (equipped with mints and treats on the dash, and stocked with plenty of tissues to wipe away the winter nose drippies). And as soon as we were in the door, Kevin and Sandy did everything they could to make us feel welcome and a part of their home. There was always a kettle waiting incase we got the hankering for tea or Milo, and the pantry was densely packed with treats of all sorts: Tim-Tams and butterscotch suckers were my personal favourite. Throughout the whole weekend my sluggish body gleamed with complete satiation on the verge of food induced coma. Sandy Topp sure knows how to feed people, and just when you think the meal is over, magically; all the plates are full again! - Inviting you for seconds. This was so wonderful because at meal times everyone was able to have a laugh and enjoy the abundance of food that God had provided.
Food aside, what I liked best about my weekend at the Topps was that it was real. It was not an adventure, fantasy camp get-away; it was a humble weekend spent in the one place where time loves to be spent: a home. From walking with Sandy and listening to how her and Kevin met as young schoolies, to watching Rugby with Kevin, followed by simultaneous recliner naps haha, I enjoyed every minute of my stay. In the land of New Zealand, money can buy you a lot of adventure and wild times, but no matter where in the world, it cannot buy genuine love and care. That is what I was lucky enough to have experienced this past weekend. So my hat is off to the Topps and their ten dogs (TJ, Chrissy, Patience, Jara, Ant, Sky, Nell, Joe, Tess, and …) for the best weekend yet in New Zealand.
Much love and respect,
Adam Daniel Arditi
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