Eat, Knit, Love. . .

Monday, February 6, 2012

Road trip the 2nd: Hanmer Springs

When the hot-air balloon flight was cancelled on Sunday morning, we tried to re-book for the Monday (Waitangi Day) but alas, there was no room for us! So we decided to cut our losses and head for Hanmer Springs, the perfect "chill out" destination. We managed to nab a family room in Kakapo Lodge Youth Hostel, which was pretty lucky as most of the accommodation in the village was full. Hanmer Springs is a beautiful area surrounded by mountains, and with bungee jumping and jet-boating at the nearby river, but its biggest claim to fame is its thermal pools.

The hot springs were known about by the Māori long before the European settlers got here, but there is a plaque nearby saying the Europeans didn't discover the hot pools till 1859. At that time the pools were completely natural and freely available, steam rising up from the pools in the fields, but since then they have been developed bit by bit into the thermal pools resort we can access today, at a cost . . . Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa It is a wonderful place to visit when you feel the need to chill out and unwind, and that's exactly what we did!

We even managed to find a geocache while we were in Hanmer, and some "mooning ducks" (as Sonny Jim called them) nearby.

We drove home on Waitangi Day, still not having managed to get airborne, but having had a lovely relaxing stay in Hanmer Springs, and time to mull over the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi to this country of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The Treaty is sometimes referred to as "New Zealand's founding document", but it has been fraught with controversy since the start. There were copies drawn up - one in English and one in the Māori language, but the two versions had many discrepancies. Some of the Māori chiefs signed the document whilst remaining uncertain, and other chiefs refused or weren't even given the chance to sign. Much of the Treaty has been disregarded over the years, and the European settlers have been responsible for some terrible wrong-doing, continuing into the latter part of the 20th century. However, more recently some efforts have been made to try to compensate for some of the wrongs of the past, and I can only hope that the principles of the Treaty are afforded more respect as time goes on. . .

Treaty photo from www.nzhistory.net.nz

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Road trip the 2nd: Akaroa in one day

On Friday 3rd February we set off down south to Christchurch, to try our third attempt at getting airborne in a hot-air balloon on the Saturday morning. It was disappointing to find out at 4am that once again, weather conditions were unsuitable over the Canterbury Plains. However, we re-booked for the next day, and decided to go to Akaroa for the day instead. SJ and I had visited in 2005, when he was only 4 years old, but he couldn't remember it, and Wifie had never been at all. So we headed even further south for the 1.5 hour journey to Akaroa, on a rather grey and dreary day.

Akaroa itself was as beautiful and quirky as ever, despite the foreboding skies and occasional drizzle. The little town has a strong Frwnch influence, and many of the street names are in the Feench style: "Rue Jolie" etc.

We had a lovely few hours meandering around the streets, visiting the French cemetery for a geocache, and doing some bargain-hunting at the flea market and book sale. For lunch, we opted for an impromptu picnic overlooking the sea, feasting on fresh bread, olive oil, dukkah, Whitestone's brie, cherry tomatoes and fresh fruit. Yum! C'était délicieux!

As well as the bronze statue of a French painter, which is designed so that you can put yourself in the picture(!), my favourite find was the quirky cows and goats made of recycled metal, which were on display outside a local shop. Price tags over $500 and made by a company called "ee-i-ee-i-o." Some of these wondrous creatures had a lid on top, and you could open them up to fill with ice and use as a highly decorative and useful outdoor "chilly bin!" Very quirky, which is always a hit with me! So, next time I have a spare $500+ to spend on quirky and functional outdoor artwork, I know exactly where to go! Might take me a few years, but if money were no object I would have bought one on the spot!

Somehow, wandering the streets of Akaroa felt more like being transported to a picturesque French village than a small town just south of Christchurch! Akaroa, c'est très jolie!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Thought for Thursday - I am responsible for my day

Thought for the Day

I am responsible for my day.

I am responsible for how I feel and what I do.

Nobody can make me feel anything.

If I have a rotten day, I am the one who allowed it to be that way.

If I have a great day, I am the one who deserves credit for being positive.

It is not the responsibility of other people to change so that I can feel better.

I am the one who is in charge of my life.

This "Thought for the Day" is stuck on the wall in our bathroom (toilet) as a reminder to us all :) Several years ago I begged a copy from a social worker friend of mine, who had it on her wall too.

Have a great day!!!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Road trip the first: White's Bay, Marlborough

We made a leisurely drive up from Marfell's Beach to White's Bay, and another Department Of Conservation (DOC) campsite. White's Bay will always stick in my memory as the first beach I visited in New Zealand, and for that reason I have a bit of a soft spot for it.

It did not disappoint this time either. The weather was beautiful until it started raining overnight, and we were even treated to the call of the morepork as we fell asleep, and a visit from a weka - one of NZ's big brown flightless birds.

As well as all the usual beachy stuff like sand and sea, White's Bay has a huge rock which almost begs to be climbed.

If you look carefully, you can see SJ lying belly-down on top of the rock!

On the other side of the beach there is an arch in the rocks which you can scramble around, and explore the little rock pools. See view back to beach from the rock arch, in first photo above.

Dad exploring the rock arch at White's Bay

The next morning we did more geocaching at White's Bay and Rarangi, and then home again . . .

One geocache took us to Rarangi's millennium rock, which was a very interesting find. . .

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Road trip the first: Marfell's Beach, Marlborough

On a whim this morning, I decided to go and join my Dad and his partner (C), who are visiting from the UK and touring the South Island in a camper van. They had got near enough to be not too close but not too far, just less than 3 hours' drive away in Marlborough.

Sonny Jim and I set off in the car with our 2-man dome tent, while Wifie stayed home to look after the dog and do an honest day's work (or two!) We stayed at the Marfell's Beach DOC campsite, for the princely sum of $6.50 per adult and $1.50 per child per night, including flushing toilets, cold showers and water unsuitable for drinking. The campsite is right beside the beach and it is a wonderful secluded spot. Highly recommended for a day trip or overnight stop if you are in the area.

On our way to White's Bay the next morning we did a few geocaches, a kind of real life treasure hunt, but linked to the Internet. See www.geocaching.com for more details. One of the geocaches was placed near the old rail and road bridge at Seddon, which was opened in 1902, and continued to be used by both trains and road vehicles until the new road bridge opened in 2007. For more details try this link, and this one for a picture of a steam train crossing the bridge back in the day! I have lasting memories of once driving across the bridge on the lower deck at the same time as the train rumbled overhead - quite an experience, which made me feel like yelling "The sky is falling in! The sky is falling in!"

We started geocaching in 2006 when my dad and C were last in NZ, but haven't done any geocaching for several years. However, my dad and C are heavily into it, and I fear they may have given us the bug again! Watch this space. . .

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Love. . . Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Lake Tekapo, January 2012

I'm going to use the principle of "A picture says 1000 words," and give you a few photos of the country that I love. It's not mine by birth, but it is my country of choice. I am officially a New Zealand citizen (as of February 2007) yet due to my obviously British accent, I still sometimes get asked in shops, cafés etc "Are you here on holiday?" Sonny Jim has been here since he was a toddler and can't recall living in Scotland at all, but even he sounds like a Pommie! There are so many reasons why I love Aotearoa/New Zealand, and our recent road trip has only confirmed how lucky I feel to live in this country! But I want to let the pictures do the talking. . . so please enjoy! There are so many other places I could have used to illustrate New Zealand's scenic splendour and diversity, but here are a few I had to hand. . .