I just love New Zealand.
People are so friendly here. I cannot leave the house without someone striking up a conversation about my accent, cowboy boots, or general American-ness. And it's always welcoming.
But it goes beyond simple conversation. It goes into business.
For example, the mattress in our University-provided house is not comfortable. I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me, or seem ungrateful. However, both Chris and I had limbs falling asleep because the mattress was too hard.
So, we went to a mattress store in search of something like a Thermapedic topper to soften our mattress. The saleswoman showed us everything she could possibly sell us, but instead of trying to convince us to buy them, she did something weird. She said, "Why don't you go buy a cheap foam mattress topper?" She then directed us to the Target-equivalent store where we could by something for 1/6 the price of anything she had to offer. And it solved our problem.
Can you imagine that service in ANY mattress store in the US?
Then, yesterday afternoon, we drove up to the Waipara wine region. A short 40 minute drive north of Christchurch brings you to the Mudhouse winery. We often buy Mudhouse Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in the US, and it is certainly a favorite. But this outlet of Mudhouse is in Waipara - a smaller region that mostly grows Pinot and Riesling grapes.
We got there 15 minutes before they closed, and the woman who hosted us did not rush us at all. For $5 each, we ended up tasting 16 different wines from both the Mudhouse and Waipara Hills label. Our hostess tried to focus on things we could not get in the US. And it was great. Waipara Hills, as it turns out, only makes winners. Major winners. With a very expensive (for New Zealand) $20 price point. We might have to become importers ourselves, because it usually only goes to Europe.
Our wine-serving hostess stayed open an extra 30 minutes for us to finish tasting. Then she asked where we were going for dinner. Because she was concerned that the brew pub we had picked might not be open on a Monday, she called ahead for us. When we arrived, our table was already set and they had two baskets of toys sitting out for the kids.
Oh, and the food was exceptional. Among other things, a venison carpaccio with shaved beetroot cooked in mulling spices and a chocolate oil garnish that hits a top 10 most memorable dishes.
Does it get much better?
I'm telling you, I love this country!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Sarah Gets Bit By a Kea
Today, we had quite the adventure.
We went to the Willowbank Wildlife Preserve in Christchurch.
Driving there, it seemed like a completely harmless place. We drove through neighborhoods, for goodness sakes. The Willowbank driveway was right next to the driveway of a typical suburban house.
But inside the deceptively calm zoo lurked a wild, dangerous area.
First, there was the eel attack.
Then, there were the scary looking pigs who chased us for food.
But they were relatively harmless compared to the kea.
I had heard of the kea before coming to New Zealand. They are the world's only cold-weather-loving alpine parrot. They live at the Mt. Hutt ski area parking lot where they eat cars. Not like the Blondie song Rapture or anything. They aren't from Mars. They won't eat your head. They're just New Zealand parrots that eat cars.
They begin by eating the rubber off the windshield wipers. They treat it like licorice. If there aren't enough windshield wipers, they will move on to the rubber surrounding a side view mirror and even tires if they are desperate enough.
They had several keas at the Wildlife Preserve, kept carefully behind double-door security at all times. These are smart birds. They can learn to use tools, open doors, and even pick locks if necessary.
We went on a special guided night tour so that we could see kiwi birds, but our guide took us to see the keas on the way.
As our guide was feeding the keas some honey, Sarah began screaming very loudly. "It BIT me!" she screamed. "THAT BIRD BIT ME." She was almost in hysterics.
And it seriously bit her. Despite a thick jacket and two layers of clothing, the bird managed to break skin.
Poor Sarah.
Fortunately for the bird, they're a protected species. Otherwise, I might just have throttled it, at my own peril.
But, Sarah's injury is healing nicely and our tour guide gave her a lollipop at the end. I think she will come to the point where she can tell this story herself with a smile on her face. Someday.
We went to the Willowbank Wildlife Preserve in Christchurch.
Driving there, it seemed like a completely harmless place. We drove through neighborhoods, for goodness sakes. The Willowbank driveway was right next to the driveway of a typical suburban house.
But inside the deceptively calm zoo lurked a wild, dangerous area.
First, there was the eel attack.
 |
| "Tame" New Zealand freshwater eel jumps out of water to get food from Sarah and Anna. |
 |
| Kumekume (fat-fat in Maori) domesticated feral pigs introduced to New Zealand by Maori. |
But they were relatively harmless compared to the kea.
 |
| The dangerous kea bird. Note the evil, sharp, hooked beak. |
I had heard of the kea before coming to New Zealand. They are the world's only cold-weather-loving alpine parrot. They live at the Mt. Hutt ski area parking lot where they eat cars. Not like the Blondie song Rapture or anything. They aren't from Mars. They won't eat your head. They're just New Zealand parrots that eat cars.
They begin by eating the rubber off the windshield wipers. They treat it like licorice. If there aren't enough windshield wipers, they will move on to the rubber surrounding a side view mirror and even tires if they are desperate enough.
They had several keas at the Wildlife Preserve, kept carefully behind double-door security at all times. These are smart birds. They can learn to use tools, open doors, and even pick locks if necessary.
We went on a special guided night tour so that we could see kiwi birds, but our guide took us to see the keas on the way.
As our guide was feeding the keas some honey, Sarah began screaming very loudly. "It BIT me!" she screamed. "THAT BIRD BIT ME." She was almost in hysterics.
And it seriously bit her. Despite a thick jacket and two layers of clothing, the bird managed to break skin.
Poor Sarah.
Fortunately for the bird, they're a protected species. Otherwise, I might just have throttled it, at my own peril.
But, Sarah's injury is healing nicely and our tour guide gave her a lollipop at the end. I think she will come to the point where she can tell this story herself with a smile on her face. Someday.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Visiting the Epicenter
Today, we were reminded about how unusable guidebooks are for deciding what to do in Christchurch and its environs post-quake.
We decided for our day's excursion to drive over to Lyttleton - which was described in the guidebook as a great place to go check out bars and restaurants.
The good side of going over there. We saw views like this.
But, the guidebook didn't know that Lyttleton was the epicenter of the February earthquake. Unfortunately, Sarah had been taking videos with the camera and we didn't realize we were out of batteries. But these were the online photos we should have looked at before going over to Lyttleton.
Most of the businesses on the main street were open, if they were on the uphill side of the street. Everything downhill was closed and looked something like the photo above.
We decided to drive around the peninsula to Sumner. But, we hadn't seen this photo.
Fortunately, we believed the 'road closed' signs and did exploring in the other direction before driving back to Christchurch and around to Sumner the other way.
Before we came, we had gotten emails from our New Zealand sponsor that some of the East Suburbs had been without power, water, or sewage for some time after the quake. Sumner was one of those suburbs. It's a quaint beachside neighborhood with houses built high on cliffs, and the main beach road below. Think parts of coastal California: Half Moon Bay, Morrow Bay, San Luis Obispo areas.
I had also seen some photos after the June aftershocks of cliffs with massive landslides and houses were hanging halfway off the cliff. (Here is a link to a good video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ3NaRfjR1Q)
We saw these hills today on the way to Sumner. Interestingly enough, we saw how the New Zealanders are managing the landslide potential. They have taken massive shipping containers and placed them as barriers in front of some of these landslide areas or even large buildings that are in danger of falling.
When we got to Sumner, we found a really good restaurant open. It was called Clink. We chose it partly because it reminded me of a friend's Austin-based event planning business. The people were so friendly there, and so thankful for our tourist dollars.
Our suburb -- Riccarton -- is on the west side of the city. Although I definitely see evidence of the earthquake, it really is relatively minor over here. And I'm thankful that the University was able to safely host us after seeing all of the damage to other parts of this city.
We decided for our day's excursion to drive over to Lyttleton - which was described in the guidebook as a great place to go check out bars and restaurants.
The good side of going over there. We saw views like this.
But, the guidebook didn't know that Lyttleton was the epicenter of the February earthquake. Unfortunately, Sarah had been taking videos with the camera and we didn't realize we were out of batteries. But these were the online photos we should have looked at before going over to Lyttleton.
Most of the businesses on the main street were open, if they were on the uphill side of the street. Everything downhill was closed and looked something like the photo above.
We decided to drive around the peninsula to Sumner. But, we hadn't seen this photo.
Fortunately, we believed the 'road closed' signs and did exploring in the other direction before driving back to Christchurch and around to Sumner the other way.
Before we came, we had gotten emails from our New Zealand sponsor that some of the East Suburbs had been without power, water, or sewage for some time after the quake. Sumner was one of those suburbs. It's a quaint beachside neighborhood with houses built high on cliffs, and the main beach road below. Think parts of coastal California: Half Moon Bay, Morrow Bay, San Luis Obispo areas.
I had also seen some photos after the June aftershocks of cliffs with massive landslides and houses were hanging halfway off the cliff. (Here is a link to a good video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ3NaRfjR1Q)
We saw these hills today on the way to Sumner. Interestingly enough, we saw how the New Zealanders are managing the landslide potential. They have taken massive shipping containers and placed them as barriers in front of some of these landslide areas or even large buildings that are in danger of falling.
When we got to Sumner, we found a really good restaurant open. It was called Clink. We chose it partly because it reminded me of a friend's Austin-based event planning business. The people were so friendly there, and so thankful for our tourist dollars.
Our suburb -- Riccarton -- is on the west side of the city. Although I definitely see evidence of the earthquake, it really is relatively minor over here. And I'm thankful that the University was able to safely host us after seeing all of the damage to other parts of this city.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Football. I mean, Rugby.
Today I went to the bank to get my New Zealand debit card. Every single person working there was wearing a rugby shirt -- Canterbury of course.
"Tomorrow, you must wear your red and black," our bank manager told me. "It's mandatory."
And that reminded me that I still haven't posted about going to a rugby match last weekend.
Rugby -- or 'football' here -- is a big deal here. Think Steelers. Or Texas. Red and Black is as popular as black and yellow, or burnt orange, depending on where you come from.
We went to the "Shields match" which is a preseason game between Canterbury and North Otago. It reminded me a bit of the Texas-Rice football game in that the teams were wildly mismatched. The end score of the Sheilds match was 52 (Canterbury) - 8 (North Otago). I've seen the score of the Rice game end with Texas scores in the 90's and Rice scores at 3.
As it was my first rugby match, I had to be educated. Here are some things I learned.
1. In US football, a tackle ends the play. In rugby, a tackle simply means that everyone is after the ball, but if the player holding the ball gets it to his own teammate, the play continues without stopping. This must require serious cardio training to be able to keep the play going as long as it continues.
2. In US football, you must get the ball into the end zone within your teams' control in order to score. This is called a touchdown, although the ball does not have to touch the ground. In rugby, you have to actually touch the ball to the ground in the end zone to score. This is called a 'Try'. If you 'try' you score.
3. Rugby players wear shorts. So you can see that their thighs are approximately the size of 20-year-old tree trunks.
4. Rugby players wear no padding. Several of them look like they had some anyway, simply because they are SO LARGE.
5. At halftime, I took the kids to go play in the park right next to the rugby field. There was one Mom standing on the playground equipment, watching the game over the fence and two teenagers who had climbed trees to watch the game over the fence.
6. Rugby fans in Christchurch don't drink as much beer as I expected them to. They were quite polite and there were a lot of kids there.
Finally, the Canterbury team has a really, really entertaining mascot. Larry the Lamb. The kids love him.
This weekend marks the first match of the season. Canterbury vs. some team I haven't ever heard of. And the Rugby World Cup is coming to NZ this October. Hopefully, I'll be more educated by then.
"Tomorrow, you must wear your red and black," our bank manager told me. "It's mandatory."
And that reminded me that I still haven't posted about going to a rugby match last weekend.
Rugby -- or 'football' here -- is a big deal here. Think Steelers. Or Texas. Red and Black is as popular as black and yellow, or burnt orange, depending on where you come from.
We went to the "Shields match" which is a preseason game between Canterbury and North Otago. It reminded me a bit of the Texas-Rice football game in that the teams were wildly mismatched. The end score of the Sheilds match was 52 (Canterbury) - 8 (North Otago). I've seen the score of the Rice game end with Texas scores in the 90's and Rice scores at 3.
As it was my first rugby match, I had to be educated. Here are some things I learned.
1. In US football, a tackle ends the play. In rugby, a tackle simply means that everyone is after the ball, but if the player holding the ball gets it to his own teammate, the play continues without stopping. This must require serious cardio training to be able to keep the play going as long as it continues.
2. In US football, you must get the ball into the end zone within your teams' control in order to score. This is called a touchdown, although the ball does not have to touch the ground. In rugby, you have to actually touch the ball to the ground in the end zone to score. This is called a 'Try'. If you 'try' you score.
3. Rugby players wear shorts. So you can see that their thighs are approximately the size of 20-year-old tree trunks.
4. Rugby players wear no padding. Several of them look like they had some anyway, simply because they are SO LARGE.
5. At halftime, I took the kids to go play in the park right next to the rugby field. There was one Mom standing on the playground equipment, watching the game over the fence and two teenagers who had climbed trees to watch the game over the fence.
6. Rugby fans in Christchurch don't drink as much beer as I expected them to. They were quite polite and there were a lot of kids there.
Finally, the Canterbury team has a really, really entertaining mascot. Larry the Lamb. The kids love him.
This weekend marks the first match of the season. Canterbury vs. some team I haven't ever heard of. And the Rugby World Cup is coming to NZ this October. Hopefully, I'll be more educated by then.
 |
| Larry the Lamb |
 |
| Canterbury vs. Otago in the lineup |
 |
| Kicking off |
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Earthquake
I have been waiting until I took more photos to write something about Christchurch post earthquake.
But I have to say, we really have no picture in the US about how devastating the earthquake and aftershocks have been. After all, within a week of the devastating earthquake, Japan's earthquake and nuclear disaster happened. And New Zealanders were hesitant to ask for help from the greater world when their need was so comparatively low.
But you come to this city and you first notice that it seems like a city of chain link fences. There are chain link fences in front of empty buildings and lots full of rubble. There are chain link fences blocking off all streets in the Central Business District. These are new.
If you look at a map of Christchurch or read a guidebook, virtually interesting is blocked off or closed.
The woman who was running a science program at a suburban library today (this is how you take kids to the science museum now) told us that she's moved house three times now because of earthquake damage.
Brick chimneys all over the city have fallen down, or are cordoned off and slated for reconstruction. This is a big deal for a city that relies on stoves and space heaters for slot of their winter heating.
But people are still friendly, despite many of them living in uncertainty. They talk quite openly and make earthquake jokes.
Although much of the city is a disaster zone, the people are not disasters. I hope to see the city come out of it.
Photos to follow later.
But I have to say, we really have no picture in the US about how devastating the earthquake and aftershocks have been. After all, within a week of the devastating earthquake, Japan's earthquake and nuclear disaster happened. And New Zealanders were hesitant to ask for help from the greater world when their need was so comparatively low.
But you come to this city and you first notice that it seems like a city of chain link fences. There are chain link fences in front of empty buildings and lots full of rubble. There are chain link fences blocking off all streets in the Central Business District. These are new.
If you look at a map of Christchurch or read a guidebook, virtually interesting is blocked off or closed.
The woman who was running a science program at a suburban library today (this is how you take kids to the science museum now) told us that she's moved house three times now because of earthquake damage.
Brick chimneys all over the city have fallen down, or are cordoned off and slated for reconstruction. This is a big deal for a city that relies on stoves and space heaters for slot of their winter heating.
But people are still friendly, despite many of them living in uncertainty. They talk quite openly and make earthquake jokes.
Although much of the city is a disaster zone, the people are not disasters. I hope to see the city come out of it.
Photos to follow later.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Banks Peninsula
It is a very good sign when life starts happening so fast that you can't keep up with it on your blog.
So bear with me as I make up for missing a couple of days posting and try to play catch up with several small posts.
First -- The Banks Peninsula.
To get to the Banks Peninsula, you drive south out of Christchurch, past Lake Elesmere - a giant freshwater lake that looks like part of the ocean.
It is a great place for birdwatching and fly fishing. We did neither. We drove quickly past it without even stopping to take photos. After all, we were on a mission to get lunch in Ataroa. And with three hungry girls in the car, it was an important mission.
We also had to stop to take multiple photos of the view. From various angles.
It was verdant, but also so british with defined farms and communities built into the volcanic hillsides. If the mist weren't out that day, I'm sure we would have had incredible postcard shots.
This is the view as you drive into Akaroa harbor from the Hilltop cafe. The photo cannot do it justice.
So bear with me as I make up for missing a couple of days posting and try to play catch up with several small posts.
First -- The Banks Peninsula.
 |
| Map of Banks Peninsula |
To get to the Banks Peninsula, you drive south out of Christchurch, past Lake Elesmere - a giant freshwater lake that looks like part of the ocean.
It is a great place for birdwatching and fly fishing. We did neither. We drove quickly past it without even stopping to take photos. After all, we were on a mission to get lunch in Ataroa. And with three hungry girls in the car, it was an important mission.
 |
| A typical New Zealand view. |
We did, however, stop to take photos of sheep. It is virtually impossible to find a countryside view without sheep in it. Or cows. Or possibly deer. If there is grass, there will be livestock grazing somewhere on it, even if that grass is growing on a vertical cliff. So, if you are looking for grass-fed lamb, beef, or venison, New Zealand is a good place to look.  |
| En Route to Akaroa |
We also had to stop to take multiple photos of the view. From various angles.
It was verdant, but also so british with defined farms and communities built into the volcanic hillsides. If the mist weren't out that day, I'm sure we would have had incredible postcard shots.
 |
| Akaroa Harbor - First View |
This is the view as you drive into Akaroa harbor from the Hilltop cafe. The photo cannot do it justice.
Our host - Richard Blaikie - told us that he thinks this view is possibly the best view in New Zealand. And that's saying quite a lot.
We tried to stop at the Hilltop Cafe for lunch, but the owners were off on winter holiday, returning the next day. The woman was there explained that in their absence, nothing at the restaurant was really worth eating. So, she let us use the bathroom that was only for customers and recommended a fine place in Akaroa.
Did I mention that I appreciate the service I've gotten in New Zealand so far?
Akaroa itself was also amazing. It is a very popular summer holiday destination. It is an incredibly cute village that was one of the earliest settlements on the South Island. It was originally settled by the French, and kept up as the British took over. There is great boating, hiking, a Maori museum further out the peninsula, and multiple whale and dolphin watching cruises. Including a 'swim with the dolphins' cruise. With winter weather - that didn't sound too appealing.
We also had heard horror stories about food in New Zealand. Something about the tastes being mostly set before the English had discovered curries. I can see where this criticism came from -- the English breakfast is prevalent and there are many take-away roast or fish-and-chips shops -- but there is definitely good food to be had. We found some at a pub in Akaroa that specialized in local seafood. I had mussels. Chris had some dish that was in a 'who can serve the wildest meal' contest focusing on local ingredients. It was excellent.
Our time in Akaroa was cut a little short because the clouds kept coming lower and lower. We figured it would be better to drive back before the cloud cover caught up with us on the twisty-windy roads. Particularly since we are still trying to get used to the wrong-sided driving.
 |
| On the Pier in Akaroa |
We also had heard horror stories about food in New Zealand. Something about the tastes being mostly set before the English had discovered curries. I can see where this criticism came from -- the English breakfast is prevalent and there are many take-away roast or fish-and-chips shops -- but there is definitely good food to be had. We found some at a pub in Akaroa that specialized in local seafood. I had mussels. Chris had some dish that was in a 'who can serve the wildest meal' contest focusing on local ingredients. It was excellent.
 |
| Akaroa City, With Cloud Cover |
So, we stopped at a cheese manufacturer and tasted their cheeses. Then, we headed back over the hill and got home in time to rest for the next day's rugby match.
But that is a whole 'nother post in and of itself.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Driving
Today, I need to write about something that is quite an adventure.
But, the first time I got in the car I immediately turned the wrong way into traffic. After turning around got so turned around that I ended up going the wrong way for two blocks until I figured out my error. I've been good ever since.
Driving on the wrong side of the road is not easy.
It has been hard enough walking with traffic on the opposite side. You look for cars to be coming in the lane near you, you think it's clear, then you realize you looked the wrong way. ACK.
I have to be extra careful with the kids.
But that's a piece of cake compared to getting in the car. That has all kinds of problems.
First, the steering wheel is on the wrong side. So you have to get over your lifetime of training on where the drivers side is supposed to be. This is not easy. Even when you're just a passenger.
Then after opening the wrong door, you walk around to the other side and you get in the driver's seat. And you reach for your seatbelt over your left shoulder. It's not there.
You go to put the car in gear with your right hand. There's nothing there but the door handle. So, you reach with your left hand and put the car in gear. (Thank goodness that I got an automatic hire car and not a standard transmission!).
Then, you go to turn your blinker on, and the windshield wipers start.
And you have yet to get on the road.
Once on the road, you have to let go of all your driving instincts. Because if you try to think through them applied to the opposite side of the road, you will be confused and make mistakes every time. Instead, you must rely on a different native instinct. The HERD instinct. If you just follow all the other cars and try not to think too much about it, you will be good.
But, the first time I got in the car I immediately turned the wrong way into traffic. After turning around got so turned around that I ended up going the wrong way for two blocks until I figured out my error. I've been good ever since.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)