Hot Hot Hot!!

The temperature hit 40 degrees on the East coast of New Zealand today, and it was fairly close to that in Wellington.

Marlene, Margaret and I took the opportunity to visit Somes Island which we have been trying to schedule for our last three visits to New Zealand.

Somes Island sits in the middle of Wellington harbour, a 10 minute ferry ride from Days Bay, and after a history as a human (and later animal) quarantine station it is now a department of conservation managed island and is a refuge for native animals and plants.

We had to undergo a bag and boot search before being set loose on the island, but as we had no rats, mice or mud, we were not detained for long.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch and a walk around the island and saw some skinks and native birds, but no Tuataras (a native lizard).

The photo below shows the view from the top of Somes Island, looking over the lighthouse towards Wellington downtown.

Tonight, Marlene, Margaret, Tricia and I went to the movies....the third time in three weeks. This week we saw the Intouchables, which we thoroughly enjoyed, despite being French with English sub-titles. We had lots of laughs throughout the show.

I also enjoyed the the two Rush Munro ice cream cones that caught my eye, one passion fruit and one boysenberry.

Marlene and Margaret have nothing planned for us tomorrow, so maybe I will get to relax and veg, but I somehow doubt that.

 

A Quick Trip To Palmerston North

On Sunday morning we headed up to Palmerston North, the city in which I spent the first 21 years of my life, and a few years since.  Margaret loaned us her car for the trip, so we left her stranded in Koro Koro with enough food to last two days.

We spent an enjoyable few hours visiting with Judy Eden and her family.  Judy and her late husband, Ashley, were our neighbours in Palmerston North back in 1979 / 1980 when we were living in the first house that we owned.  We have kept in touch through the years as our children grew up and had children of their own, and so we try and get together when we are in town.

After our visit Marlene had to have a walk as there was still a few hours of daylight left, so we parked at the bottom of Ruahine Street and walked to the Esplanade and back, a mere hour and a half round trip.  The trail follows the Manawatu River and has some great views.  The photo below is some of the hundreds of wind turbines on the hills above town.  New Zealand certainly takes renewable energy seriously, and if Palmerston North is known for one thing, it is wind!

The Esplanade is a large park area bordering the river, with a children's play area, duck pond, paddling (wading) pool, aviaries, rose gardens and miniature train rides.  It is largely unchanged since I was a kid, and a great asset to the city.  The photo below is one of the palm-lined roadways through the park.




Almost every young boy loves trains, and the miniature train in the Esplanade has pleased several generations of young Palmerstonians.  It was not running while we were there but one of the engines was being serviced.

Today we visited my 91 year old Auntie Bridie (my Mom's sister) who is in a rest home in Palmerston North.  We try and visit a few times when we are in New Zealand, so wanted to make our first visit before we head to Nelson on Friday.  She was in good spirits and happy to see us, so a positive time for us.

On our way out of town we had lunch with Bridie's son, Wayne, and his wife, Sue.  They are in the process of moving North to the Coromandel Peninsula, so we wanted to catch up with them on this visit as they will be gone by the time we return to Palmerston in March.  The time flew by and all too soon we were back on the road.

Our whirlwind trip had us back in Koro Koro in time for zucchini pie and hopefully an early night, for tomorrow is Monday in North America, and so the work demands will return.

 

 

What Is That Buzzing Noise?

On Friday morning I had a lot of work to do so I stayed home while Marlene, Margaret and Shelwyn went for a walk in Lower Hutt / Petone.  Prior to the walk they dropped Margaret's car off at a tyre (that is New Zealand speak for tire) store to have the tyres rotated and the wheels balanced, and picked it up after their walk.

I later walked down the hill and met them for lunch at the cafe in Mitre 10 Mega (New Zealand equivalent of Home Depot), and had another great piece of bacon and egg pie (but I digress).

When we where getting back into the car, a buzzer sounded when Margaret opened the driver's door.  I commented that I had not heard that sound before, but all appeared normal, so off we went.  We stopped to buy tickets at the local movie theatre for the movie Argo for that night and then headed home.

At 5:20 PM we headed out (actually down.....remember all those steps) to the car to go to our 5:40 PM movie.  I was driving and found firstly that the key only opened the driver's door and then when I went to start the car, it was completely dead.  What were we to do?  Twenty minutes until movie time and at least a 30 minute walk to the theatre, but we had bought the tickets so we were going to see the show.

So we set off down the bush track to Petone, hoping that there would be taxis at the railway station (about halfway), but no such luck, so we ended up walking all the way to the movie theatre and only missed a minute or two at the beginning of the show.  We were smart enough to take a taxi home (uphill) and then Margaret called the AA to come and check the car. 

The AA person on the phone suggested that maybe the headlights had been left on, so down I went to check, and sure enough, the headlights were on and we had not noticed in the bright sunshine. 

Now we know what that buzzer means.

The AA man was very friendly, and while he was charging the battery we chatted, and discovered that Margaret had taught one of his children some years ago.  It truly is a small world.

Oh, I almost forgot....we all enjoyed Argo, which is about the 1980 storming of the American embassy in Tehran by radical students, and how 6 of the staff were helped out of the country through the Canadian embassy.  It was very American and downplayed the part played by the Canadian ambassador, but it certainly held our attention, with a lot of suspense.  Siskel and Ebert would give it two thumbs up.

What Am I?

A few days have passed with no blog activity, so today I catch up and inundate you with postings.

On Saturday morning we visited the Lower Hutt farmer's market and then went for a walk with one of Margaret's friends, Trish, in Upper Hutt.  Trish had this somewhat unique sculpture in her garden.  Can you guess what it is? (answer below).

Trish's yard is beautifully cared for, thanks in part to her husband Robin.  The front yard has a gazebo, flowers and lawn, and the back yard has lots of vegetables growing.  I wish that I had a little of their green thumb ability and the time to spend making it look so good.

So what was the sculpture, a snake, some strange fertility symbol?  No it is the head and neck of a moa, a large extinct flightless bird that roamed New Zealand several hundred years ago.

On Saturday night we went to a barbeque at the home of one of Margaret's teaching friends, and got lots of insights into the complexities of rebuilding Christchurch since the earthquakes, as two of the guys at present are involved in projects related to the rebuilding.  All in all a most enjoyable evening.

 

   

 

Culinary Delights

It has been a few days since I provided photos of some of the culinary delights that we have been enjoying, but don't be fooled into thinking that our food has been boring.

The first photo is one of the food cabinets at the local boutique movie theatre. We had a night out to watch Maggie Smith in "Quartet" and I must admit that I did sample their wares. A little different from Famous Players!!

Remember the bush walk we did today? Well, after the walk we went out for coffee and all chose my personal favourite New Zealand treat - Afghan cookies (second photo).

But I wouldn't want you to think that we are always eating out, so I included a photo of the chicken pie that Margaret made for dinner....better than anything found in a cafe.

Bush Track Walk

Today was a little windy but a nice warm day, so after I had done the critical work on my plate, Marlene, Margaret and I headed over to Day's Bay, near Eastbourne, to hike up to a ridge through the bush.

We headed up the Kereru Rd track, along the ridge and back down the Korimoko Rd track, a 2 1/2 hour walk with a short lunch break.

The native bush was great, the track was well signposted, but the track was not in great shape.

A great day out and of course we had the stop at a local cafe for a coffee and a treat to look forward to, but more on that later.

Sunny Day, Chasing The Clouds Away

Today was a beautiful sunny day, so with Noeline's apartment cleared what were we to do?

Margaret and Tricia wanted to check out some furniture stores so Marlene and I went for a walk up the Hutt River. There is a 20 Km trail from the river mouth in Lower Hutt upstream to Upper Hutt. We did not walk it all but I sure that Marlene will get me out there again. I have posted some photos below.

We ended the day by watching the Downton Abbey Christmas special....a cliffhanger that will have us guessing until series 4.

A very pleasant day overall.

A Job Well Done and A Great Night Out

After Thursday's progress, we were motivated to complete the task of clearing out Noeline's apartment, so were there by 9:30 on Friday morning.  Made a trip to Shelwyn's with the dining table, which she will store in the short term for Tricia, and another trip to Margaret's with items still to be sorted or to be given to particular people.

By noon, the apartment was empty, apart from a few specific items to be collected by people in town, cleaned and we were off to Petone for a well-deserved coffee, and lots of mutual praise for a job well done.

Marlene and Margaret went for a bush walk in the afternoon, while Tricia napped and I caught up on some work that I had been neglecting over the past few days. 

We had dinner at a restaurant called Soi, on the waterfront in Wellington Harbour, to celebrate Shelwyn's 65th birthday.  In addition to us 4, Shelwyn and her husband Colin, our cousins Maureen and Denzil Duncan (who visited us in Vancouver in October) were also there.  The food was wonderful, and we had a very pleasant 4 hours laughing and talking about our collective childhood memories.

One thing that I have noticed about New Zealand restaurants is that when you reserve a table for dinner they assume that you will occupy it for the evening, unlike Canadian restaurants who will try and get you in and out as quickly as possible to make room for other people.  So it was much more relaxed.

On the surface, $40 per person for main course and dessert may seem a little high, but sales tax is included in the menu prices, a tip is not expected, and with a 20% advantage from the exchange rate, it would be the equivalent of paying $26 (plus tip and tax) in Canadian dollars.  So good value, considering the location, the quality of the food, and the fact that you can enjoy a relaxing meal.

Siskel and Ebert would give it "two thumbs up".

Moving Day at Noeline's House

Today was moving day for Auntie Noeline's house contents, and Marlene, Margaret, Tricia and I did very well in achieving this monumental task.

Armed with a Toyota Hiace van, courtesy of the real estate agent, we made one run of stuff to Margaret's house, took one large load to the the landfill and a small load to a local charity shop.

We loaded up the van of a friend of Tricia's with a load to take to her house, and while doing that my cousin Karyn arrived with her husband Ian, grand daughter Siobahn, and coffees for all. A most welcome interlude.

After getting through that much we decided to call it a day and we headed to Buddah Sticks for a well-deserved drink and a curry.

So tomorrow we only have a table to deliver and then some small items to find homes for.

Many hands make light work.

A Marlene Kind Of Day

Today was the type of day that Marlene loves....but I am ready to fall asleep at 6 pm.

We went into Wellington and had a walk with my cousin Shelwyn (16000 steps) followed by coffee at a local cafe.

Shelwyn and her twin, Raewyn, are somewhat unique (as well as being as different as chalk and cheese)....they are twins but were born on different days, so celebrate their birthdays on different days, with today being Shelwyn's 65th birthday.

As in BC, New Zealanders get a gold card at age 65 and become eligible for a series of discounts, especially on public transit and other public services in the larger cities.

During our walk we passed a movie theatre with substantial Hobbit advertising.

Norm - this one's for you

Driving to the grocery store today we went past McDonalds and noticed a poster for my son in laws favourite burger - the Kiwi Burger, back for a limited time.

Note the presence of egg and beetroot.

A sunny day in Wellington

Today we took a drive into Wellington to evaluate the work involved in clearing out Auntie Noeline's apartment, the sale of which should get firmed up tomorrow and then we will have a week until closing to empty the place out. So you know what we will be doing for the next few days.

We had a quick cafe lunch in Petone, where I enjoyed my all-time favourite pie - bacon and egg, and Marlene had a vege frittata (see photos below).

Once fortified with food and trim lattes we had a walk along the Petone waterfront before stocking up on ingredients for tonight's dinner with Adam (my nephew), his wife Colleen, and daughter Hollie.

We will probably still find time tonight to watch the final episode of Downton Abbey series 3.

Vacations are so relaxing!!

Lowry - for Randy

When we were in Berwick upon Tweed last September we walked on the Lowry Trail, which was in memory of L.S. Lowry, a prolific 20th century artist, who despite all of the hype about him by the Town of Berwick, never actually lived in Berwick.

Today we were evaluating the work involved in clearing out Auntie Noeline's apartment and what did we see on the wall but a Lowry print.

Randy, she was probably thinking of getting another one, but in true Lowry style never quite got around to it.

Our First Full Day In Wellington

Last night we didn't feel too bad so watched episodes 4 and 5 of Downton Abbey. Margaret had very kindly bought the series 3 DVD so that we could see the episodes that we missed in England in September. We have to see them all by Sunday as there is a Christmas special on on Sunday night, but I don't think that it will be a huge challenge.

Margaret was baby sitting her grand daughter Hollie today so besides a morning of work we have been entertaining Hollie and vice versa.

Then in the afternoon we visited my Dad's sister Noeline, my 92 year old aunt.

I am very fond of many of the favourite New Zealand foods, so I will try and share some of them with you over the next few months.

My sister Tricia's friend, Cecilia, had sent with Tricia one of her specialities - Ginger Crunch. So we have been enjoying that with our many cups of tea.

A Wet Wellington Day

It was very rainy yesterday when we arrived in Wellington and I was hoping that today would be a better day for photos, but no such luck. It is warm, around 19 degrees Celsius, but very tropically wet - heavy downpours of rain.

My sisters, Margaret and Tricia, were at the airport to meet us despite our late arrival.

There are about 70 steps to get up to my sister Margaret's house, but the view is fantastic even on a dull day - Wellington city is on the right of the photo, with Somes Island visible in the left foreground in the harbour. We are planning a walking day on Somes Island when we get some drier weather.

Flight Delayed

I spoke too soon about the flight being on time and jinxed us.

We had no sooner pulled away from the gate (on time) when they found a rudder control problem. Three hours later it was fixed and we were on our way, which was a good thing or we may have flown around in circles or ended up in Timbuktu.

So we missed our connection to Wellington and will now leave Aukland at 10:45 instead of 7:30 am. At least we arrived safely.

My 2degrees sim was still working so I was immediately receiving emails and sending texts. Isn't technology wonderful.

At The Airport and Ready To Fly

YVR is very quiet today. No line ups at checkin or security, so we are sitting enjoying the free wifi.

The plane is at the gate, the flight shows as on time, and the last 7 days the flight has arrived early into Auckland, so here's hoping for eight in a row.

Duke Point to Tsawwassen

Despite the ominous clouds, we had a beautiful calm crossing from Duke Point to Tsawwassen on Wednesday, as we set off on our New Zealand adventure.

These mountains will be a very welcome sight when we return in 3 months.