‘Snow, land and sea’ in dying wish for holiday
A terminally ill Timaru woman who was able to fulfil her dying wish to take her grandchildren on an unforgettable holiday says the family had a ‘‘marvellous’’ time.
Gaynor Parkes did ‘‘a lot of smiling’’ over Anzac weekend as she treated her grandchildren – K’dynce Hema-Parkes and Jayden Robinson – to a trip to Christchurch, touring the International Antarctic Centre and Orana Wildlife Park, before hiring a boat in Akaroa to see the dolphins.
‘‘It’s been a marvellous weekend. Fantastic,’’ the 63-year-old grandmother told Stuff. ‘‘I think the three [locations] were good, but Orana Park was the best because I got to see the lions up close.’’
Bex Robinson, a close family friend who accompanied Parkes on the trip, said they wanted to give a ‘‘big thank you to everyone who got her here’’ including the zoo and the Antarctic Centre, which took them on a free, specialised tour of its facilities.
‘‘They offered a brilliant experience, and we’re grateful for everything they have done for us,’’ Robinson said.
‘‘We’ve covered every aspect of nature you possibly can: snow, land, sea. It was absolutely and utterly amazing. We bought lots of souvenirs to support them.’’
Robinson said the highlights of the trip were being ‘‘so close’’ to the lions, feeding the giraffes and gorillas, and watching the dolphins ‘‘jump out of the water’’.
Parkes said the boat trip was so cold she had to be wrapped up in towels, blankets and jackets, but it was worth it because ‘‘the dolphins were beautiful’’.
Parkes had always wanted to take her grandchildren on holiday – but when she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer that had spread into her liver and kidneys about two years ago, her family realised time was running out.
Originally booked to go to Orana Park last year, they were forced to cancel and lost money when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Parkes’ son, Robert, started a Givealittle fundraising webpage to try again this year, and a wave of generosity followed. The page raised $3330 from 65 donors.
In addition, a friend living across the road from Parkes had donated petrol vouchers and her son’s workplace, Alliance Smithfield, had raised $179 with a raffle.
‘‘It’s been mind-blowing,’’ Robinson said. The money raised covered the costs of hiring the boat, accommodation, petrol, and a steak meal for Parkes.
Parkes said the leftover funds would be going into a trip to the West Coast. ‘‘I’ve never been over there,’’ she said. ‘‘We’ll do the trip in about two weeks, so we can catch up on our sleep and all that.’’