Sunday, June 19, 2022
It's not summer down under
A local butcher
Sunrise from Cardrona Ski Run taken by Phoebe
We are slowly becoming native New Zealanders as it is now almost four weeks since we arrived here in Wanaka. Well, not actually. It’s so beautiful here yet so very cold, especially for we Arizonans who would be experiencing weather in the 100’s at this time of the year. Being the opposite season we are only two days away from the shortest day of the year and the official beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Sunrise was 8:20 this morning with Sunset at 5:08 this afternoon, giving us only a little over 8.5 hours of daylight for the day. The temps have been in the low 30’s to the mid 40’s Very normal for this time of the year.
Here is a little bit of an update on our driving around town. We’ve been using Dan or Annie’s car when we need transportation to the store, etc. I’ve been a little surprised how quickly I have gotten used to driving on the left side of the road. It’s all about paying attention ALL of the time. One rule I follow religiously: no phone, no radio. Joan has been very helpful reminding me to stay to left and so far so good. It has helped that the traffic is very light in Wanaka and no one seems to be in a rush. Interesting enough I have yet to see a cop car at all. Dan says they’re out there and in fact they have the legal right to pull you over for no reason and give you a random breathalyzer test. Can you imagine that in the US? Hopefully it does save lives. I know I must be on the left side 100% of the time, not 99%. This coming Tuesday Joan and I are taking a ride to Queenstown, about 75 miles south of here. We’ll report on this adventure next week.
On Thursday afternoon Annie asked us if we would like to go for about an hour ride to see the surrounding countryside and get a better understanding of the beauty of the landscape. It is hard for me to put into words how beautiful the area is, even though the trees have lost their leaves and the farmland has turned brown. Lake Wanaka has a natural outlet that begins a river, the Clutha. That exact spot has a park designed for picnicking , camping, fishing and swimming. An idyllic spot. We drove on to another lake, this time with a dam built in the 1950’s backing up Lake Hawea. Both of these lakes get their water from massive snow runoff drained from Mount Aspiring National Park. Even though we were only about 15 miles from hilly Wanaka the surrounding area is known as Hawea Flat, encompassing many many acres of farmland and pastures for cattle and sheep. Expansive and very scenic. And, of course, always majestic mountains in the background. A great way to spend a few hours in an afternoon.
Yesterday Dan and the family went snowboarding and skiing for the first time this season. The plan was to arrive back here at 3PM for us to babysit while Dan and Annie went to the movies and dinner. It’s always great to have them here at our rental but this time was the best. After dinner Phoebe, Malcie and I started playing poker and the night became raucous beyond belief. What started out as a quiet game soon became a blood thirsty take no prisoners battle. I have always hated to lose at anything but they moved it to another level. You would have thought the fake hundred dollar bills we were using were the real thing. The laughter and screaming was music to my ears. Phoebe was the big winner for the night but I look forward to a rematch.
More to come next week.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Traffic Guard
We walked down to Malcie's school to see him performing his traffic duties. Gene took some photos of the mountains as we walked down.
Monday, June 13, 2022
Rain and snow
This week it rained most days with some sunny moments. And yesterday it snowed. We haven't gotten out as much as we would have liked but still make several trips to the grocery store, net ball games and library and a few walks. According to Dan, June 1 is considered the first day of the winter season here and we definitely saw winter this last week. Much more rain than usual and snow in Wanaka town itself is very unusual.
We watched the final episode of Legomasters NZ with Malcie and Iris (Phoebe had watched it earlier as had Malcie and Iris but they were up for another viewing) the other night which was quite exciting. This was our 3rd episode so we were really into it. Amazing what two people can do when they have 24 hours to build whatever they want. We will be looking for Legomasters USA when we get home. Malcie has been hard at work on his Millennium Falcon lego set but still has quite a bit to go. We've made a few 500 piece puzzles with the kids. We have to wait for Malcie to finish his lego before we can make a 1000 piece puzzle on the big table
Last night I made dinner for everyone. Baked Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu was on the menu with Apple Pie Bars for dessert. It took me a while to familiarize myself with the kitchen and the grocery store. Food prices are quite high and it seems like we spend $200nz every time we go to the store. I have my New World club card (similar to a Safeway card) so I now get some discounts when we shop.
After dinner Gene had a rousing game of poker with Phoebe, Malcie and Annie. Phoebe and Malcie are new to the game and Grandpa had a great time teaching them the basics. Gene had a big pile of play money they used for betting. It looks like the Sunday night poker game will be a regular thing. As all the family was leaving, they received a text letting them know that Monday was a Snow Day. No School!!
We hope to get out more this week and make it to Queenstown. Wanaka is a small resort town and there is not a lot of the choice you would get in a bigger city such as Queenstown. There is a lot of building going on here. The large supermarket and Home Depot type hardware store opened not long ago.
We've had some good takeout food. We had Sal's pizza at Dan and Annie's house the other night when Jo was visiting and we also tried Red Star Burgers. Both were both very good. We also tried sausage rolls and a mince and cheese pie from the supermarket which were just ok. Next time we'll go to a recommended place for better pastry. Sorry to write so much about food but the differences in local cuisine is what I find so very interesting about foreign travel.
Let it snow
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Rain, rain go away
Here it is already Saturday June 11 and Joan and I continue to enjoy our New Zealand adventure. It has been raining and snowing all week which is a little annoying but it is clearly offset by the spectacular views that it is creating. The nearby photos attest to the scenery. Dan, Annie and Malcie took us for a fairly short ride towards the ski area and we were stunned by the beauty the whole way. We drove to the base of the ski runs, an area known as Treble Cone. The paved road is not very wide and in fact has a few short bridges that are one way, telling us that the road was built many, many years ago and other than re-paving has never been worked on again. Annie said this is very typical in New Zealand. Other than ski season I would image the road is only used by the occasional farmer and tourist although apparently there are also lot of campers during the summer. A beautiful river runs by the road with many beaches for sunning and swimming. The quaintness of the road had a lot of charm. This also gave us our first look at sheep, a lot of sheep! An interesting tidbit about sheep. In 1982 there was approximately 70 million sheep in the country and now in 2022 about 25 million. Is this a problem? Not at all. The country was overrun in the 1980s but the profits of the sheep farmers was falling precipitously and it was decided to scale way back, farm other products and return to profitability. Apparently, the numbers work in all commodities now. Smart businessmen.
Last night we headed out to watch Phoebe’s weekly game of “net ball” and left as it was starting to snow here at our level. Our first snow! It was quite exciting but within 15 minutes it turned back into rain. Joan and I want to see the town covered with snow and we keep waiting but we better be careful what we wish for. Driving on the left side of the road AND having snow on the road may be a bit much. I guess we will just take what nature gives us. Net ball is a game slightly similar to basketball. I don’t think it is ever played in the US. I guess you could go on line and see the rules if you’re up to it. A quick game and fun to watch. Phoebe’s team is undefeated and has been running up the score against their opponent. They certainly seem to be having fun.
We are all aware of the water shortages in the western area of the US and the cautionary measures taken but down here water isn’t even on the radar. An unlimited amount everywhere and with the rain totals each year the homeowners don’t even get a water bill. Dan thinks it’s built into the homeowner’s tax. Very good tasting too. It just adds to the wonder that New Zealand is.
One last thought: I have been hungry the whole time we’ve been here. Eating a lot!!! No changes on my belt notches, a good thing, but we’re still here for another 11 weeks so we shall see. I may be fooling myself but I’m enjoying every minute!
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Gloomy day
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Going to the movies
Today is day 12 of our adventure to New Zealand and it has been nothing short of spectactular. If we’re not sleeping it seems as if we’re on the go. I say this but we have had a little time to consume some books {me one, Joan, more than 10) but other than that Dan and Annie’s kids have keep us very busy. We like it lot like this and anticipate this will continue. Having missed the last two years of their lives has been difficult and we have a lot of catching up to do.
As I mentioned Dan and Annie have lent us one of their cars and it has come in very handy. Of course driving is a full time attention grabber since we drive on the left side of the road but we’re getting better and better each day. Joan has been a big help keeping me from a bone head move. However I got a major insult today from her when she mentioned that I drive like an old man. I quickly retorted “no problem, I’ll pull over right here and you can take over the driving”. In a nanosecond she said “no thanks”. I should be OK for a while.
Yesterday Joan, Phoebe and I went to the local theater and saw the new “Top Gun” movie. We all enjoyed it very much but the real highlight was the funky theater itself. Totally sold out so Joan I sat in the front row with Phoebe right behind us. There is no symmetry to the seats. An eclectic conglomeration of seats here and there. Held maybe 100 patrons. Very cool. The owners came up with a great idea to produce more revenue. They have an intermission in the middle of the movie, something you wouldn’t see in the US. When you buy your ticket going in you order what you want as a snack half way thru. Here is the amazing part: at least 90% ordered a snack, snacks that cost at least $4 each. Most of us would have gone without if they didn’t have the intermission. Great business sense. One last curious item: at the intermission the owner of the theater has some historical tidbits in a short speech. Turns out Tom Cruise himself attended the theater once while filming close by!!
Near by you will see some pictures of “That tree in Wanaka” growing in the lake. Supposedly the most photographed tree ever. A Willow. We certainly took our share. Apparently it is extremely shallow around the tree but it is very impressive to see it standing there by itself. Dan told us that the lake was down a bit last summer and the tree was actually on dry land. We walked along the shore for about a mile and it was beautiful in every direction although gloomy and a little rainy.
We woke up this morning to dark clouds and then the most full beautiful rainbow we have ever seen. Extremely bright. Looking a bit closer we discovered a second full rainbow right behind it albiet a lot lighter. You can seem them in the posted photo. It seems that every scene down here is stunning.
That’s it for now, more coming later.
Beautiful days
Best rainbow we've ever seen
Phoebe and Malcie and Iris (below) showing off their climbing skills
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Saturday, June 4, 2022
Saturday dinner at Dan and Annie's house
From a window in our house zoomed 12x
We discovered today my new scale is weighing things incorrectly. That explains the problems with my cookies and the pie I made today. The scale was $58nz so it is going back very soon.
Joan
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Baking a bit
Gene and I walked to an area not far from our house that had a kitchen store and a kind of organic produce and spice store. We bought a kitchen scale, some spices, and vanilla. Also bought a baking sheet. It was a nice walk and I was ready to start baking. I had a few problems with the beater and measurements but some cookies were baked. Not too pretty but taste good.
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Rainy Days
Good evening.
It's 7pm here in Wanaka. Just finished dinner and cleaning up. I made Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto tonight. We attended a block party of sorts in Dan and Annie's neighborhood on Sunday and I won a basket with a butternut squash grown by Annie, a jar of honey and 6 eggs from Cervelli hens. Annie was the one who provided that prize and I was lucky enough to win it. The risotto turned out well and we enjoyed it. Cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen is not fun but I'm learning the nuances of the stove and oven, etc. No garbage disposal, and I will have to make a few purchases until I am comfortable in it.
Yesterday rain was predicted but fell mostly during the night and the day turned out warm (68") and we walked down to the town center to check out ebike rentals and to visit the library. It is .8 mile from our house to downtown. It is a gradual downhill with steps at the bottom and is not a bad walk back to the house. We also had lunch and I ordered an egg and bacon pie. The choices of pies were numerous but I played it safe the first time. I'm looking forward to sampling them all.
Today it did rain most of the day and we spent most of it indoors reading and working on a puzzle. Phoebe has been coming by most mornings. She leaves her bike here and walks across the street to school. She comes by after school for a snack and usually then goes to an after school activity such as netball or Jiu Jitsiu. Malcie also has been coming in the mornings to work on his Lego and gets to school barely on time. He's also been by after school. Annie and Dan do a lot of driving ferrying the kids to school and all their activities. Iris has gymnastics and swimming. We have borrowed Dan's car to do some shopping and Gene seems to have conquered his fear of driving on the "wrong" side of the road. I think we will be renting a car later this week to have for the remainder of our stay.
We are not yet over our jet lag. We are doing better as we are not going to bed by 6pm but we are both still waking far too early in the morning. I have never been a morning person so I can't wait to sleep past 630am.
Wanaka is a beautiful place and is a ski destination in the winter. A lot of shops have changed over to ski shops and the population will increase as ski season starts. There are few traffic jams and only 1 stoplight in the city. We find it to be a lovely place.
Joan
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Around and about Wanaka
Good morning from New Zealand, May 31, 9am
We can’t believe we have been here five days already but the good news is that we have 86 still to go. We are enjoying ourselves so so much. To be able to hug and hold the grandkids is very, very special.
As most of you know it is late fall here and is quite cold, somewhere between 45 and 55 degrees each day. The good news is each day here is a day away from the blistering heat of Arizona. Lots of rain last night but just partly cloudy today. We plan to walk to town a little later to check out the library where we have already received our library cards, go to a bicycle store to see the cost of renting some electric bikes, and what will probably become a daily ritual stop at the Patagonia Ice Cream store for a delicious ice cream cone. You’ll all like to know that eating in New Zealand is unique given there are NO calories in any of the food, especially the ice cream, bread, butter, candy, pasta, muffins, scones, etc. A true miracle! I’m a little concerned about losing too much weight but we all need to make sacrifices.
I finally worked up the nerve yesterday to drive Dan’s car. It definitely takes concentration to drive on the left side of the roads, especially the roundabouts. I told Dan if he allowed us to drive his car Joan and I would make it a team effort shouting out directions to each other to stay in the correct lane. Although we only went to the grocery store we did quite well. A little nerve racking but I’m sure it will get easier as we get more miles (kilometers) under our belt. The problem is that you can’t even make one mistake. No texting while driving and not even the radio on. Total concentration. Also while walking you MUST look right when crossing the street. Wanaka is a small town so there really isn’t a lot of traffic. In London for example you could easily get killed while here probably just severely injured!
One last note for this writing: as you readers know in the US we are one day ahead of you time wise and thus know the results of the stock market for the day. Please don’t ask me to tell you the results of the day before the opening of the markets. That’s called inside trading and I don’t want to be found guilty of that. Yes, I will take advantage of it and probably quintuple my holdings but it is legal for those of us who have relatives in NZ. The only exception to the rule is made for politicians in the States.
Gene
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