Easter Saturday

Felt a lot better today compared with yesterday, more positively spirited. Mel & Mike had invited me over to Sumner where they are house-sitting, to join them for breakfast. Going out for breakfast is very popular here and as I don’t really do it at home, Mike had suggested earlier in the week that I join them. I was late getting over to Sumner as I got accosted by some Jeahovers Witnesses when I was trying to leave home. Now I don’t normally mind having a chat with them but I was a bit nervous about driving by myself and they then made me late. Drive over to Sumner was fine, took about 30 minutes. I did feel like I was really concentrating. Drive home was a lot more relaxed, just kept remembering the turning right rule.
The house Mel is house sitting is totally gorgeous and very modern. Is on 3 levels and it set into the hills, there is a small swimming pool which over looks the beach (bit like an infinity pool). The drive up to the house is up a steep wynding road – getting used to them now. We went down into the village to a lovely café called Tart and I had eggs benedict, but I wish that I’d had the French toast which Mike had. We had a good old natter and giggle. I nearly walked out without paying, as Mel and I were talking so much, oopps.
After breakfast we had a wonder over to a lovely little shop, very girly, with lots of soaps and nice bits (Lou you would have loved it). I do like Sumner very much, has a very village feel to it with lots of nice little shops. It’s just too far out of the city for me to think about living there.
Went to Ricciton Mall in the late afternoon, negotiated the multi-storey car park and realised that I hadn’t been out on a weekend in ages and was initially shocked by the number of people out and about. Bought some slippers at K-Mart and did some food shopping in Pak ‘n Save (kind of like Kwik Save), the shop was so busy I just got some basics and came home.

Good Friday

Jen is away this weekend. She is off on a 3 day tramp up north by Nelson Lakes. I was up about 8am and took her over to Michelle’s, there is 6 of them going altogether in 2 cars. By me giving Jen a lift meant I could use her car this weekend. When I woke up I felt totally out of sorts, you know, like you haven’t woken up properly. I managed to get us there and waved them off, before trying to find my way home. I’m glad all my years of driving and trying to find sites has paid off. I managed to find my way back. When I got in, I went back to bed for an hour only to get up and feel exactly the same. Mel & Mike are house sitting over in Sumner (a 20 min drive south east and on the coast). Mel & I nattered and she asked if I was going to come over with them today. I explained how I was feeling and that I might have a day to myself. I’ve just pottered on. I’ve done some washing, sat in the sun, cleaned Jen’s car windows after reading a book about the amazing uses of vinegar, and its true, you can use vinegar on so many different things!!! I’ve rearranged the fridge and just pottered on. It’s nice to have a day like this. Think I am a little down as I would have been spending time with Stella/Folks/Friends. But hey ho. Am really looking forward to pure trashy tv tonight and maybe Templeton (the cat) will decide to keep me company.
Mel did ask if I was a little homesick and I guess not having a job is playing on my mind and making me feel unsettled. I know I have done the right thing moving out to New Zealand, just gonna take time, and as we all know, I am not the most patient of people !!!

Drinks with Jen and Her Friends After Work & Cinema

I stopped in town after my interview as Jen asked if I fancied joining her and her friends for a quick drink. I met them at a pub called Dux Deluxe, it’s quite a wee popular place as next to the University, plus had a micro brewery on site. Jen and I turned up at the same time, which was great as I didn’t realise how many different little parts there where to the pub! I met Amy (originally from Toronto) and Angie (originally from LA), they were really funny and so easy to talk with. We’ve agreed to meet up after the Easter weekend. I also chatted to Leah who used to work with Jen at SKM. I explained what I used to do and her eyes lit up. They really need a contaminated land person, so I am thinking of going into the office and having a chat. I know that I said I didn’t want to do CL again, but I am a little intrigued about what sort of work they do over here, compared with the UK. Leah is into kayaking and has a spare one, I explained that I’d like to give that a go and about being scared of water. So might do that soon, which would be cool. All the people I have met so far have been totally lovely friendly people.
Went to the cinema and saw 'Step Up 2', was totally cheesy but totally good fun.

Interview

I had an interview with a company called Foodstuffs through one of the job agencies that I’m registered with. I made my way into town and then made my way on the bus to the offices on the north side of town. I was told to wear my suit but the people interviewing me where dressed casually. I don’t know why the agency sent me as it was more of a junior role and I don’t think they will offer it to me as they think that I am too qualified. We’ll just wait and see. Was nice to see another side of Chch though and learn my way around.
I was a bit disheartened after the interview, so when I got back into town I went back on the internet and have applied for a few more jobs and been looking at more than admin. Have applied for a Project Management job – at entry level, through a different recruitment agency, will give them a call after the weekend to see what other bits they have.

Theatre That Wasn’t

Mel had seen something in the paper at Chch art gallery and which was described as ‘Contemporary Theatre: The Blue Silk Dress’, from 7-9pm in the foyer. It sounded like an intriguing play, so we both rushed to get ready as was a bit of a last minute decision (Jen was at church).
When we walked into the art gallery we saw a woman sitting on a chase lounge in the middle of the foyer, wearing bloomers and sewing a blue silk dress. We looked at each other a bit perplexed!!
Lucky Mel’s sister Melissa is a friend of the Art Gallery and was there. We wondered over to her and asked when the play was starting. She was like ‘what play’, then clicked about the woman in the foyer and thought it was funny. We genuinely thought that we had gone to see a play. Found out that the woman was supposed to be Jane Burden, the wife of William Morris, whose work is currently showing at the gallery. Apparently, you could ask her questions about Morris and his life, but seeing as I don’t know anything about Morris seemed a bit daft.
What we didn’t realise was that night was also an evening when all the local art galleries where open. We decided to just walk up the road and go to the COCA. The artist on display had carved on wood, and then used that to print the picture onto paper. It was impressive, but does it say something about my taste in art when I got more excited about the children’s section, where lots of paper lanterns made for the Chinese New Year where on display. I am glad to say that Mel and I seemed to be on a similar wavelength when it comes to art.

Few Drinks Out for a Friend of Jen’s Birthday - & St Paddy’s Day

Jen never seems to be sat still. I have no idea how she does it. I know that I can’t be busy all the time and need to schedule in ‘doing nothing’ time. Ok, my ‘doing nothing’ time normal means catching up on washing, housework, grocery shopping, phone calls etc.
Jen came home from work and asked if I fancied going out for a drink or two as it was her friend, Mark from church, birthday drinks. I said yes, so she told me to be ready for 8pm. And with that, she was off out for a surf. I made dinner for us, veggie chilli, not as good as Stella’s but good though none the less.
Jen rushed in, showered, scoffed her dinner and we where off out. I really don’t know what she would have eaten if dinner hadn’t of been prepared for her. Made me feel useful.
So, off we go. My first night out in the big city. Jen was driving and we picked up Michelle, another friend from church. As we drove into town, I asked where we were going. Jen told me to SOL square and to Yellow something. I went ‘Yellow Cross?? I know where that is’!!! I’d been there the previous week with Stella, when we had met up with Alison.
I was dead nervous, these types of things can go both way, good or bad. We arrived, said hello and then went to the bar. Jen order a Radley and I said that I would have one. It’s a larger with a bit of lemon in it. Tasted like a shandy and was rather quite nice, actually too drinkable – I see drunkenness one day on that stuff. Mark, whose birthday it was, was really nice, friendly and very chatty, easy to get on with, as was his wife Hannah. Mark is the guy in charge of the Touch Rugby team which Jen plays for, so I said that I would join next season (starts again in Spring, October). Also spoke to Bree and her hubby, both dead nice, randomly talked about pies! no idea why. Ended up chatting with Michelle, who was very nice and again dead easy to get on with, it’s just such a shame that she is going to Europe in May for a long while. So all in all, Jen’s got some lovely friends and I had a good night and was tucked up in bed by 11pm.
Oh yes it was St Patrick’s Day and there was a lot of people out in green tops, green hats and even shamrocks painted on their faces. Mind you did kind of feel that it was the student sort of age group dressed like this. Tut, students, any excuse to drink !!! he he he

Job Hunting & Bits

Ssssshhhh........ am on the hunt ........ I have my Indiana Jones outfit all sorted ........ have just finished my lassue lessons ....... so now I prowling the savannahs for a ...... job.

Have registered with 2 job agencies so far (Select & Graham Consulting) and have applied for about 8 jobs I’ve seen advertised in the local paper or on the internet. I have even expressed an interest in working for NZ Antarctic Research (Chch based though). We’ll just wait and see. Everything crossed that something will turn up in the short term for money, but something that I really want in the longer term. My visa expires on 05 Feb 09 but I can extend for 11 months if I’m not in a job where there are sponsoring me.I have applied for my tax number, got a library card and even have a supermarket points collection card!!! All go this end, you know.

Chopping Wood

Now there is something unique to New Zealand. They don’t do central heating, and actually trying to explain ours “the house is heated by hot water in pipes” does sound weird. Homes are heated via open fires, log burners or heat pumps which basically heat the air up in your house, and can be used to cool the house down in the summer. As I had only been here a day or two without Stella and therefore not on holiday anymore, I was asked if I’d like to help Jen and Mel chop wood. Mel’s boyfriend Mike is from a farm and there was a huge pile of dry wood, tree which had fallen down or been cut down (in a field with a herd of cows in). Basically, we pulled bits out of the pile for Mike to chop with his chainsaw. I did originally want a go at using the chainsaw but once I saw it in action, I thought that I would leave Mike alone, well he looked like he knew what he was doing. Once the wood was cut, we throw it in the cage on the back of the truck. The chainsaw became blunt after about an hour so it was decided to call it a day. Probably a good thing as Mel had already fallen over. She was stood on a huge tree trunk and was pulling another substantial bit of tree out of the pile, when the tree she was stood on rolled and she fell off it good style. She did seem too ok – 2 days later after a trip to the doctors she has serverly pulled muscels down the back of her neck. Once home, Mike and I climbed onto the truck and threw the logs down to the ground for a wee while, then waited for Jen and Mel to stack them up. Once they’d finished we’d start throwing again. When there wasn’t that many left, I got down from the truck and Mike continued throwing the logs and managed to hit Mel fully on the back of the head!! Ouch.
We’ll have to go out and get another truck full of wood. This is just replacing the wood that they used last winter in the house I am in. I won’t be here to use it, but I enjoyed leaning a hand and as my new phase is becoming “well I’ve got nothing else to do”.
Note to self. Cow poo stains!!! Got some on my jumper and taken 3 washes for it to nearly come out with the help of a stain remover.

Arthurs Pass

This is one of the main routes through the South Alps Mountains to get from Christchurch in the east to Greymouth on the west coast of the South Island. Stella & I decided that as we hadn’t done this route and we’d been told that the scenery was stunning, we would make the 300km round trip to the town of Arthur’s Pass in Jen's car,

which is New Zealand’s highest-altitude town at 924m. The route is actually an old Maori crossing route, made famous by Arthur Dobson in 1864 when the Westland gold rush created enormous pressure to find a crossing from Christchurch. The drive was a nice one as you start on the flat of the Canterbury Plans. As we left Chch, the weather over the mountains looked not so nice, clouds where hanging around the mountain tops, but we decided to go anyway. Stella rigged up her ipod so we could listen to some of the songs we’d become very accustomed too. The flat straight boring road turned into the very wynding roads that I think of when I think of NZ. It’s not so nice when a lorry is, to coin a phase, ‘up your bum’ at 90-100km/ph. Lots of pulling in to let them passed. The scenery was totally amazing and as I am also learning, you really can have 4 seasons in one day here. The weather turned out to be a very hot, clear, glorious day. It took a good 2 hours if not longer to get to the town of Arthur’s Pass. We went to the tourist information centre and had a look round. This areas were serious walkers come to walk. That’s not us by the way!!

We went one of the 2 café in the town and had pie. I had been craving pie as one of the towns we’d been through had a huge sign advertising pies. I had mince (mouth is watering now thinking about it) and Stella has the peppered steak. All the tables outside on the veranda where full, apart from one which had just one person on, so I asked if we could sit there. She said yes, but warned me about the Kea birds. These are rather large green alpine parrot birds which are only native in NZ, Jen’s told me that if they eat too much human food they become hyper. They are cheeky little buggers!!! The girl that I was sat opposite told me that she had turned her back and the bird had stolen her packet of crisps. Now there is no way a bird is stealing my dinner from me. The pie was nice and the cookies and cream ice cream after was even nicer.

We did decide to do a 30 minute walk to help lunch settle. So we drove 6km south (back towards Chch) and pulled off the road at the car park. Headed one way and realised that that was not to right route. So about turned and went back to the car, only to find a map in the shelter by the car. The correct route was the other way from the car, so off we trot and then 2 mins into our walk we couldn’t go any further as there was a rope across the path saying that the bridge was under construction. The only reason that we had decided to do this walk was the description said that it was suitable for blind people and that at the end of the walk there was a rope which could guide you round. We where going to give that a go! So instead we turned around linked arms and tried to walk back to the car with our eyes shut. We actually only managed a few steps as Stella thought I was guiding her, not that I had my eye’s closed too.

Akaroa

Akaroa means long bay, the small waterside town of Akaroa is located on the Banks Peninsula about 80km from Christchurch. We borrowed Jen’s car and it was very very odd driving a car and being so close to the ground. We felt like our bottoms where rubbing the ground, after 4 weeks in a campervan being so high up. Can’t see over fences etc in a car. The scenery and roads to get to Akaroa were impressive with the occasional sheep lazy lying by the side of the road. We stopped half way at a café on the hill before descending back down to the waterside. The café did lush iced coffee for Stella and a iced chocolate for me. It’s a bit like a milkshake and then they put a huge lump of ice cream and then cream on the top, yuuummmm.
This is the view down to Akaroa

Akaroa is billed as New Zealand’s French settlement. The initial settlers did come from France . Some of the street are called rue, but that’s about as French as it gets!
We went to the local museum which told you about the first settlers etc, with a 20 min video which was good. The weather wasn’t so warm, so Stella decided against trying to swim with dolphins. But we did have fish and chips, something I had been asking for for weeks. We had Hoki and chips. That is the most common fish at these places. It was nice, Stella said it was too fishy.

Oamaru & Pengunis

Oamaru is 250km south of Christchurch. We’d stopped here on our way down to Dunedin, but as we knew we’d be coming back we decided to not explore the first time. It’s a good sized town. We went to the cheese factory and had a very nice tasting platter. Now I never used to even entertain the idea of cheese, but on the plane flying out here I decided to try the babybel which was with my meal. I liked it, so in the matter of 4 weeks I am now eating brie! The cheese is a famous one and you can get it in the supermarkets. My favour was the aged farmhouse ardale.

This area is famous for the fact that 2 different types of penguins nest here. There are the larger yellow eyed penguins and the diminutive blue penguins. It’s free to go and watch the yellow eyed penguins but they come to shore singularly. We did go down to the cliff tops and look for them. They are amazing little critters as they nest half way up the cliff!!! We saw on at it’s nest.

Stella & I decided that we wanted to pay and see the blue penguins come ashore. Jen had already done this and decided to stop in the van. We had no idea what to expect. You pay your money and then find a seat in a stand. We even treated ourselves and got a lush hot chocolate while waiting. The blue penguins come ashore in rafts, no not on rafts. They come in in groups of about 20. You had to be totally quiet. They come ashore and then make their way up the ramp and sit at the top. There is a wee path for them to cross before there is a grassey area with nest boxes where their chicks are. But it is so cute as they all make their way up the ramp and then there is a leader who kind of moves forward and then gives the all clear, and they all run forward over the path and to their homes. But if the leader stops then they all stop!!! They are only 1kg in weight and are so small. At one point, we saw 2 penguins running from the nesting boxes and looked like attacking the penguin who’d just returned. We found out that these where just hungry chick and impatiently wanting their dinner!!!

You couldn't take any photos of the penguins but at the place we went to watch them, there is a pier, just totally full of birds.

Moeraki Boulders - Rock Pearls as I Call Them

On our way north from Dunedin, the main road follows the coast and 40km south of Oamaru are the large grey, almost perfectly spherical Moeraki Boulders. Some of the boulders are 2m in diameter. The boulders are originally formed around a central core of carbonate of lime crystals which attracted minerals from their surroundings – a process that started 60 million years ago. The boulders lay deep in the mudstone cliffs behind the beach and as the sea has eroded the cliffs, the boulders have been exposed. I find this all rather fascinating and impressive – so much so I just had to get my photo taken standing on top of one!

Christchurch - Finally arrived

Dunedin & Around

Dunedin is located about 360km south of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island. It’s called New Zealand’s Scottish city, due to the fact that in the early 1840’s Scot’s came to settle. Dunedin is the Gaelic for Edinburgh. A great number of the street names are the same as in Edinburgh and Stella had great delight going “there’s Princes Street” etc. I can even tell you that Dunedin is some 18,000km from Edinburgh (they had a sign).

Before we went into Dunedin, Stella and I went onto the Otago Peninsula, which is a 35km long crooked finger of land running northeast from Dunedin. It’s a totally amazing area as is the only place in the world where the Royal Albatross breeds on the mainland. We paid our $30 each and went to a viewing hut and saw a 5 week old albatross and even saw it being fed (which is quite rare), we where also entertained to an amazing fly pass for about 10 minutes of an adult bird. They are so huge. A 4 month old baby weights 9kg (that’s the weight of a fire extinguisher as I told Stella) and their adult weight is not much more. They have a wing span of 3m !!!!

We then went to New Zealand’s only castle – Larnach Castle, completed in 1871. I would say that in the UK it more of a Manor House. It has been lovingly restored and the gardens are gorgeous. I nearly had haggis in the café which is located in the ballroom, but settled for a cup of tea instead.

The following day Stella & I made our way into Dunedin, had a nosey round and decided that it is a rather cute place, then we went to the rugby – yeah!!! Got amazing tickets on the half way line and right by the tunnel, and as it was a much smaller stadium than Wellington (but bigger than Newcastle), we could almost touch the player. Stella very much wanted to touch No 18, she even waved at him (a Ben Fogel moment again, Mam you’ll know what I mean!!). The game was the local Highlanders playing the Hurricanes. We supported the Hurricanes, only because we’d seen them play and supported them in Wellington. Jen was arriving that night and managed to sneak in for the last 10 minutes of the game. This mean that we didn’t need to rush off and Stella got No 18’s autograph.

The next day we went on the Taieri Gorge Railway. Our train went all the way to up the valley to Pukerangi. We where in the refurbished 1920s wooden cars, which rattled all the way but was really good fun. The railway is just a tourist run now but used to be the only way to access the high country of Otago. The scenery was stunning but hasn’t come out as well on the photos. The whole thing had to be constructed by hand and they could not blast as there was the fear of landslips/landslides and even rock avalanches. It was amazing and the trains where only inches away from the walls as we went through numerous tunnels.

We even managed to squeeze in a wee trip to Cadbury’s World. Unfortunately to us but not our hips, the factory part was closed so we couldn’t see & smell the chocolate bars being made :o(

Able Tasman

The Able Tasman is located on the north of the South Island, about 60km north of Nelson. The guidebooks describe this area which is a National Park as “a stunning beautiful area with an international reputation, and packs in some real beauty: golden sandy beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters and lush green bushland, all interspersed with grantite outcrops and inhabited by abundant wildlife”. I would agree with this on the late afternoon when we arrived, the beach was gorgeous and the weather was lovely and hot. So sunbathed we did, would have been rude not too. But, behind us where dark clouds and the wind had a wee bit of chill in it.

Woke up the next day for our day trip - sailing on a catamaran, and the sky was grey and overcast. We thought that we’re on holiday so shorts it was and that the sun would burn the clouds away. Luckily, we did pack for all eventualities. And wore ALL the clothes which we had taken. It was the wind that was from the northeast and had the chill in it.
We sailed from Kaiteriteri, north, on the way we saw the famous Split Apple rock, a boulder which has split and fallen into two halves.

At Anchorage Bay, we stopped for lunch, went we got off the boat, we had to put our feet in the water and to our amazement, the water was far warmer than the air temp. We where just on land for an hour to have a packed lunch and a nosey around the bay. One the way back, the weather had picked up. Even though it was overcast and grey, I am finding that it is still bright here and I definitely need to get some prescription sunglasses. The water was quite choppy and some of the kayakers we passed didn’t seem to be enjoying it too much.

Not too far from home, a wave crash the side of the catamaran, and soaked both Stella and I. I was sat with a towel over me, for extra warmth, but where I had got wet, I looked like I had wet myself !!! A shower was very welcome at the end of the day. I have already decided that I am going to go back to the Abel Tasman area, when the weather is more guaranteed.

Ferry Crossing to the South Island

We crossed the Cook Strait on an evening crossing. I drove onto the ferry. It was one of the most calm crossings I have experienced. The ferry wasn't at all busy, which was cool. Stella and I had dinner on the ferry and just sat in the lounge with about 40 other people watching Grand Designs !!!!
Now on the South Island, made our way to Able Tasman and it's raining :o(

Wellington and the Rugby

Wellington is a really nice city, shame we didn't have more time to explore it. Am defo thinking of planning a long weekend trip there in the future.
Spent a day in the Te Papa musuem in the city centre. Was really cool and it was all free, there was parts you could pay to go in and see.
As I was starting to suffer from Rugby withdrawl symptoms and was very thankful Stella had managed to book us tickets to see the Hurrican's (Wellington team) play the Cheif's as part of the Super 14. Like normal, I would like to appologise to Stella for making her deaf in one ear with all my shouting - I managed not to swear as there was young children around me.

Whakapapa

Stella and I drove here after Taupo. Whakapapa is within Tongariro National Park, and right in the middle of this park are 3 rather large volcano's - Mount Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro & Mt Ngauruhoe. Mt Ruapehu was active during 1995-96. I kept asking Stella about what we would do if the Mt erupted again, she humoured me for a wee while.
We went for a 2 hour walk to the Silca Rapids and was nice to be out of the van. We where sat having lunch, enjoying the piece and quite when a school group turned up, but we ended up talking to on of the guides for 30 minutes, which was interested. The scenery was awesome and Ruapehu was used as Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings.

Drive to Wellington

Nothing really exciting here, so we thought, only 200 km to do - take about 2-3 hrs in our speedy campervan. Stella saw a way to cut the corner off - oh no !!! The road was clearly marked on the map and yeap it had tarmac, but was the most twisty, wyndy, bendy SINGLE lane road I have ever driven on. There was a sheer drop on one side and we did occasionally meet cars, not campervans coming the other way. I managed to drive at the breakneck speed of 20kmph for 25km !!! Glad when it was over and was certainly an adreniline rush - ok not like Stella's skydive thou. Wanted to kiss the SH when we got back onto it.

Kayaking and Skydiving (not at the same time!)

We started our day nice and early (no change there then) and met Nell our Kayaking guide and then the 2 other people who where kayaking too - Rhi and Stuart (nice couple from the UK, travelling round the world while waiting for their working visa's for Oz). Rhi hadn't kayaked before and was a wee bit nervous. We where in tantam canoes, which was great as I am not totally confident on the water meant that I could sit in the front and just concentrate on paddling and poor Stella had to stear (with her feet) and also paddle.
In the bay was nice and easy to begin with, calm water. Once everyone was ok, we went further out onto Lake Taupo. The Lake is huge and here is an amazing fact - The lake is the same size as Singapore !!!
As we made our way out more onto the lake, it was a wee bit windy and was certainly creating some waves. Was cool and good fun as the kayak was being lifted at the front, then smacking down onto the water in the troth of the wave. Only had one hariy moment when a wave hit us size on, that is the easiest way to capsize and we don't want that now !!! Also sometimes we had to deal with wakes from boats zooming past us.
The reason we did the kayaking trip was to see some Maori cavings on the face of a cliff, was really impressive. But found out that the carvings are only 30 years olds, still impressive as completely done by hand over 4 summers.
Once back on dry land (thank you). Stella and Rhia got chatting and realised that they both wanted to do a Sky Dive. Was a totally perfect day to do it too, clear blue skies. So from them deciding to do that, within the hour Rhia was falling out of a plane at 12,000 feet and Stella was falling from 15,000 feet. I am really proud of Stella, but someone had to be on the ground to take photos !!!!