MATARIKI

 Matariki is the Maori new year. In 2022 it became a national holiday in New Zealand. On last Wednesday night the second year students (Iris's class) had a celebration in her pod. The pod contains 3 second year classes with 3 classrooms and a common area. They sang several songs and showed friends and relatives around their classes. Some Maori games were played. We also were served a soup and sausage dinner followed by hot chocolate. Granny Jo (Annie's mom) was up from Dunedin to celebrate Annie's birthday and Iris's class celebration. Phoebe and Malcie were also present but attended reluctantly.

On Friday, Gene and I walked over to Dan and Annie's house and joined Annie and Iris. Iris was not in school as she had a cough and runny nose. We then went to lunch at Pembroke Patisserie. We sampled several of the pastries after a great lunch. Excellent! The best in town!

Saturday was the Matariki celebration at the beach at Lake Wanaka. In the afternoon we visited Puzzling World (www.puzzlingworld.co.nz) for a few hours of illusions and puzzles. Gene and I chose not to do the maze as it was raining but Annie, Malcie and Iris were not so afraid of the rain. Dan picked up Gene and me at sunset and took us down to the lakefront for the festivities. It was very crowded as people milled about waiting for the fireworks at 630pm. There were bonfires, booths with Maori food and activities for kids. As we were huddled around one fire waiting on the fireworks we stuck up a conversation with a couple with a 6 week old baby who were standing near us. The woman was from Scottsdale and went to Chaparral High School. Small world! The fireworks were outstanding but a shorter program this year from the last. The fireworks were set off not even a 100 feet from where we were standing. Something that would never happen in the US.

Malcie came over Sunday morning and spent several hours working on his Lego. The rest of the family came over later in the afternoon with their dog, Molly and we all took a walk around the neighborhood. We came back here for dinner. Gene and I had sampled earlier in the week a pastry when we stopped for a hot drink. It was called Date and Ginger Slice. We both loved it so I made some for dessert. It was a big success. We introduced the kids to the Abbott and Costello comedy routine "who's on first" which Gene and I performed after printing the script. They were laughing uproariously and took the script home to memorize.

A good week...

                                                        Date and ginger slice

Off to Queenstown

June 27, a very gloomy Monday morning in Wanaka.

 

A great but very busy weekend has ended and we’re sitting here this morning with very little to do.  Joan has come down with a cold and has promised to pass it to me in the next few days.  This will end up being a resting and reading day, at least for me while Joan adds “doing the laundry” to her list of activities.  

 

A review of last week:  on Tuesday we finally took our driving trip to Queenstown.  We had been talking about doing it for a while now and drove off around ten in the morning.  There are two ways to get there, one short and one long.  We decided to enhance our viewing pleasure and took both circuits, starting off with the long one to Queenstown and the short route back.  Two completely different landscapes.   It was sunny when we left but unfortunately we ran into some heavy fog that interrupted the scenic views.

  

The sun lasted through the flat farm terrain but when we entered the Kawarau Gorge, which is supposed to be stunning, the fog deprived us of the view. We were able to stop at a turn out and got a nice shot of the Kawarau River running through it (see nearby picture, Roaring Meg) but otherwise we have to take Dan’s word that it is a beautiful drive.  This might have been a good thing as the road was very very twisty and when driving on the left side of the road safety is paramount. This portion of the trip was 70 miles or 112 kilometers.

 

Queenstown is a very picturesque town, known for it’s lake and mountain beauty and its skiing.  But it is actually more than that for the true sportsman.   Skydiving, bungy jumping, canyon swinging, rafting, paragliding, jet boating, heli skiing, snowboarding , mountain biking, hiking and trekking are a few more of the activities if you are so enclined.   We left these outings for the younger people!  The main tourist area consists of walkway after walkway of boutique stores catering to the sporting group and the souvenir collector.   We both enjoy going in and out of these stores but kept the shopping to a bare minimum.   A nice lunch and the obligatory ice cream cone topped off the day.  As we were leaving we couldn’t help but notice the huge number of very nice apartment buildings apparently rented out by the day or week for the visiting skiers. Business was good in Queenstown!!  

 

The ride back was quite a bit shorter.  We chose to ride over the Cardrona pass which is the site of the Cardrona ski resort, the home of one of the two ski areas used by the skiers from Wanaka.  Very mountaineous and very curvy.  As we drove higher and higher we finally hit snow, snow that closed the road 10 days previous. Thankfully the snow removal guys did a great job and it made the drive scenic yet very safe.  I don’t know how safe Joan thought it was but it was a blast to drive.  It reminded me of a few of our Swiss drives.  Pretty much an engineering feat.  Made it back tired but happy. The return trip was 40 miles or 65 kilometers.

 

More to come.

  

Malcie and the Millennium Falcon

                                            About 2/3 complete

 

Matariki Week

Matariki bonfire

Waiting for fireworks to start

Matariki fireworks

Pembroke Patisserie

                         Roaring Meg on the way to Queenstown

                          Summit

                        Queenstown

                         Matariki celebration at Iris' school 
 

Annie's birthday

 

                       Lemon poppy seed cake made by Phoebe. Grandma was her assistant.

It's not summer down under

Fog from the living room window

                                                 Saturday poker game

                                                  Lake Hawea

A local butcher

 

Calm day on the lake

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.

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.

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.

                      Baked Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu

                        Apple Pie Bars

                        Millennium Falcon in process

                      First attempt at Raisin Scones which were very good, just not too attractive

Let it snow

 

          Iris and Molly built a snow rabbit

          Looking out our window

          Sledding 

          Phoebe and her snow man

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! 

 

 

Gloomy day

 

It's raining and overcast. Snow is expected on Saturday. We'll probably spend the day inside making a puzzle and reading. We had planned to drive to Queenstown today but decided to wait for a nicer day. Phoebe will be by after school. Malcie has traffic duty and coding today. Iris wasn't feeling well yesterday and didn't go to school. Don't know if she went today or if she will come by..

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

Double rainbow this morning

Best rainbow we've ever seen

The seats are unusual at the Paradiso Movie Theatre in Wanaka.

Phoebe enjoying her popcorn at TopGun Maverick

 Phoebe and Malcie and Iris (below) showing off their climbing skills

                                                               That Wanaka tree

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Saturday dinner at Dan and Annie's house

Monopoly with Malcie, Jo (Annie"s Mom), Gene and Joan. A cut throat game with Malcie being the obnoxious winner.

Atlantic Beach Pie for dessert

Our shadows at midday. Long because we are so far south.

 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