The Magic Mailboat

A client waits for his mail. 

Our last day in Picton, we were treated to a trip on "the magic mailboat"  cruise on the Queen Charlotte Sound.  Mail is delivered by boat to folks who live on the water and have no access to roads.  Deliveries are made a couple of times each week and may include groceries and/or other supplies.  This Endeavor Company cruise lasts about 4 1/2 hours and gives the passengers a wonderful view of much of the sound.  The scenery is spectacular, and the narration by the skipper is interesting and humorous.  Highly recommended.

A four-legged mail carrier often greets the boat and is always rewarded with a pat and a biscuit compliments of the skipper.  Most of the houses on the sound are "holiday homes," but about 30 percent belong to full-time residents.  There are a couple of well-known authors among them as well as those who simply value their privacy and  the seclusion. 

A dozen salmon farms on the sound are owned by The NZ King Salmon company.  These raise our favorite salmon meal ranging is size from 1 kilo to 6 kilos.  (k=2 1/2 pounds)  Depending on demand, up to 30,000 fish can be harvested in one day.  There are always workers on the farms 24/7 so fishermen wouldn't stand a chance, and seals are fenced out.  Needless to say, either potential salmon poacher could wreak havoc on the crop.

"Skipper Matt" who doubles as the mailman is an expert at manuvering his craft single-footedly.  In addition, a dolphin researcher on board , a young lady from NY,  has just completed her Master's degree in marine biology in Miami, Fl.  She reported experiencing a bit of culture shock on leaving the big city and coming to Picton, NZ a town of 4000.  She spends almost everyday on the mailboat looking for dolphin and taking notes.  What a drastic change from North Beach for a twenty-something.  No matter how gorgous the scenery, there are not many young people in town except for the back-packers passing through.

As an example of the social life, here's the Picton Yacht Club in the background and kayakers on their way out of the harbor for a late afternoon adventure.  By 6:00 p.m., the weather has turned very cool and windy, a forecast for more fall weather. We spent our last dinner at the "Toot and Whistle" pub next door to the train station with our new friends, Gerry and Dorothy.  We discovered there is an on-going game night there every Tuesday.  In addition, there are sailing lessons for anyone with a ten dollar bill every Thursday afternoon at the Yacht Club.  For our next visit, that's plenty of social life for us.  Who needs North Beach? 

Steadfast Sailing on the Sound

Our sail yesterday afternoon was exciting in 20 knot winds with gusts up to 30 knots our of the South.  It's a little tricky getting consistent winds in the sounds with so many mountains on all sides.  Our captain, Laurence, is from West Australia and built The Steadfast in his backyard, and eventually a dry dock, from plans of a 1913 French cutter, an amazing feat.  He eventually sailed her to east Australia and then across to New Zealand where he and his wife have settled in French Pass close to Nelson but in the outer sounds. 

That's Lana, the first mate, at the wheel.  She's a trained trapeze artist from Lyon, France, but has traveled and lived all over the world.  She's presently studying Chinese medecine and has spent several months in China assisting in hospitals.  Her goal is to return to China after several more months of traveling and working part time jobs in NZ, the Phillipines, Japan, etc. and teach English to Chinese children.  She speaks English very well, but no Chinese, YET.  She will.  A trapeze artist makes a darn good sailor with strong upper body, good balance, and skill at tying knots and handling ropes.  Amazing the people we have met! 

Raising the mainsail took incredible strength and two people.  It's huge, and it takes very strong experienced sailors to hoist it up the mast.  We were so impressed that Bill and I were taken out on such a big boat - the only two passengers for all this work! 

A beautiful day, beautiful ship, and two fascinating people.  The Steadfast carries 34 passengers for a day sail and can sleep 7 plus in her cabin overnight.  If you are interested in more details go to Laurence's website:  http://www.steadfastsail.com/

Tomorrow we are off to LA, a 12 hour trip from Auckland.  We'll be staying at the Sheraton one night, and then home on Saturday evening,  I'll post from the hotel, assuming I have a good internet connection - surely.  This afternoon we have one more trip on the sound in the Magical Mailboat cruise.  More adventures before we leave.  See you all soon. 

Cruise Ambassador for Picton

We have several cruise ships come into Picton every year, and I was asked to be one of the official greeters to welcome the passengers as they come off the ship, hand out maps of Picton, and give directions to various locations - toilets (most popular), post office, Catholic church, internet sites, boat tours, etc.  It's been great fun "working" in the hospitality industry!  And, it's right up my ally telling people where to go. 
Actually, meeting people from all over the world is interesting, and only about 80% notice the incongruity of an American welcoming them to New Zealand.

The gentleman who organizes the ambassadors is the owner of the aquarium which I have mentioned earlier.  He's quite an interesting person, a retired lawyer, and very enthusiastic about improving tourism in the area.  Just as I land a job, we have to leave!

The wine harvest has just begun in Marlborough for the white varietals.  It's about two weeks late this fall due to the cool drizzly weather this summer.  There are a few bottles left from last years vintage now that we are leaving.  There's also a few salmon still swimming in the sound, although Bill and I have done our best to deplete the supplies. 

Today is my US birthday, and I also celebrated my NZ birthday yesterday with new pearl earrings and a nice lunch out.  This afternoon, Bill and I are sailing on the Steadfast (http://www.steadfastsail.com/) a 60 foot reproduction (1915) of a pilot cutter from France.  Since the weather is picture perfect, it should be a great sail in the sound.  I'll post some pictures tomorrow.  Thank you for all the birthday wishes. 

We met a NZ couple on a recent boat trip across to QCT who are educational consultants in Auckland.  They were very interested in our backgrounds in education in the US and took an email address.  So, there you are, two possible jobs in one week. 

There are also a few plums left in the local farmers' market.  Wish I could bring this basket back for all of you. 

We'll be on the Air NZ flight this Friday night (your Thursday) out of Auckland to LA and back to GSP on Saturday evening.  Plan to come see us and view all the rest of the pictures.  I'll be posting a couple of more blogs, so don't go away. 

Kiwi Humor

Kiwis have a quick sense of humor, particularly if it's at the expense of themselves or especially Australians, but are probably most clever with their marketing and advertising attention-grabbers.  For example, Kelli spoted a sand-blasting company in Wellington whose slogan was, "We take it all off."  I love the car service named "Twinkle Tows and Tyres."  Bill spotted one of the Wicked Van rentals that are air-brushed in a variety of wild designs (obviously they appeal to young people) with the quip, "I'm not called horse because of my teeth."   I also like the ladies' dress shop called, "T' da."  It's even fun to watch the commercials here on the telly.  There are some very clever ones that we still enjoy after multiple viewings such as the one for a senior supplement that states, "we support performance, not miracles.

Here is what might be loosely defined as "folk art."  I don't think it's meant to be funny, but it makes us laugh everytime we pass it.  I'm sure we drove past twenty times before I spotted it, so you may have to look closely. There's a tree in the way, so feel free to zoom - and yes, those are two exclamation points at the end!!  Is Vince bragging or advertising?   

Rarangi Bay Hike Pictures

I gave up on uploading pictures for the last blog.  I had a pretty good connection on the Vodaphone gadget, but had to sit on the apartment balcony to get it.  In a stiff cold southerly wind, it was taking far too long, so I have retreated to the Seabreeze cafe.

This is Monkey Bay, about a ten minute climb up from Rarangi Beach.  And, this is White Bay below.

 White Bay is a nice recreation area with a caravan camping site, mowed picnic grounds, picnic tables, toilets, overnight accomodations for rent, and several NZ families enjoying a warm sunny Saturday.  Imagine our surprise as we came down off the trail to the sound of children screaming and laughing on the beach.  The family on the right are fishing, the youngest one casting expertly out into the surf. The water is very cold, and no one swims without a wet suit.  Around the rocky headland to the west is Monkey Bay.

Here's the pine forest on the trail to and from White Bay.  This track is not in any of the trail information we've read, and we had no idea White Bay was such a popular place.  New Zealand is full of lovely surprises, probably only known to the locals.  They are glad to share, but you have to ask. 

Manuka forest along the trail.  There was a cool breeze, bell birds singing, and the nice scent of pine needles as we huffed and puffed up the hill.  It's a real Disney World workout. 

This view is looking down on Rarangi Beach from the top of the trail.  There are a few holiday houses along the beach, mostly built in the sixties and seventies.  There is also a new residential area at the far end of the beach, but a sort of a mish mash of architectural styles with no zoning or restrictions.  This seems to be the rule in NZ. 

Back down on Rarangi after eating our picnic lunch of corned beef sandwiches in honor of St. Patrick.  Here, you can see the black sand and smooth stones that stretch for miles. I have a collection of tumbled shells from the beach for Kayla and Jake to play with next time we see them. 

My wine has run out, Neil Dimond is singing some oldies on the sound system, and Bill is watching basketball at home.  All is right with the world down here until the next great hike.    

Another Hike

This is Rarangi Beach on the Pacific located south of us toward Blenheim.  We found it because Wither Hills Winery has a block of vines in this area from which their premium sauvignon blanc is made, and I saw the road sign on the highway.  We went exploring one afternoon and found this black sand beach on Cloudy Bay and the adjacent tiny Monkey Bay, for those of you who drink the wine of this name.  So, because of two different wines, we found a great hiking track and an amazing deserted beach strewn with little dried sponges, well-worn shells, and round tumbled stones. 
Cloudy Bay is huge, stretching from east of Port Underwood to the chalk cliffs of the Wither Hills which you can see in the distance.  The Marlborough wine district is primarily in the valley below these hills and runs west through the Wairau Valley and south to the Awatere Valley.  As mentioned before, there are 140 wineries in this district. Only about 40 of them have a cellar door where wine may be tasted and purchased.  About 15 have cafes or restaurants.  But, I digress. 

The hiking trail we took Saturday goes up over the "mountain" at the end of the bay and down the other side to White Bay named for Black Jack White, a slave who jumped ship in Port Underwood and made his way to the adjacent bay which bears his name.  He lived the remainder of his life with the local Mauri natives.  It was a steep climb out of both bays with about a 700 foot elevation change on both sides.  White Bay is surrounded by an old pine forest which is beautiful and different from any of the other hiking trails weve used. 

West Coast

We didn't get to see near enough of the West Coast country.  It rained and was misty the first day we drove into Westport and did our walk around Cape Foul Wind (don't you love the name?).  The next morning was still overcast, but we drove down, about thirty miles (which takes about 45 minutes, like driving in our mountains) to Pancake Rocks on the coast.  It's a magnificent coastline with lots of cliffs, forests, and beautiful beaches.  Next trip, it's Nelson down to Haast and across the pass to Lake Wanaka  and Queenstown.  That route takes you through the glacier region where Lord of the Rings was filmed.  The West Coast is wild and isolated - not many tourists, or residents either. 

On the left is Lake Rotoiti on the way over to Murchison.  It is about half-way across the south island to the west coast.  We walked about a mile and back around the lake on an excellent track with native beech trees and lots of bell birds singing.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful walk.  I think the lake is about the size of Lake Glenville. 

"Japanese" room at Maruia Springs Thermal "Resort"     Cape Foul Wind on the coast south of Westport

Here is he seal colony on the walk at the Cape.  If you zoom in you may be able to see the baby seals.  There is one draped over a rock.  There were a dozen or so little ones playing and tumblng off the rocks and swimming in the water. 

This is the longest swing bridge in New Zealand.  It crosses the Buller River, which the road follows half-way across the south island.  This gorge was the site of a 7.8 earthquake in 1929 which created the cliffs along the river.  The river is deep here, and one can take jet boat rides or ride a zip line across the gorge.  We thought the swing bridge was scary enough.  The drive across the south island takes about 4 1/2 hours from coast to coast - Westport to Blenheim.

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone.  Tomorrow is the Graperide, a bicycle race with 2500 riders entereed.  The route starts in Blenheim, then up to Picton, along the Queen Charlotte Drive (challenging in a car) to Havelock, and back to Blenheim.  I think that's about 100 k.  There are bicyclists arriving on the ferry this afternoon.  Put it on your list, Neil. 



The Spectacular West Coast

I give up on natural thermal spas!  We've looked at some in several countries in Europe (full of old naked hippies) and one in Chile (full of algae and old Germans), and the one in Maruia Springs was nice enough, empty, sulphorous (not surprising) but the hotel was built in the seventies and never updated.  So much for that romantic notion.  Our "Japanese" dinner was less than authentic and just so-so, a downer for a country with so much good food and wonderful cooking.

Yesterday afternoon, we drove over the mountains to the town of Westport the gateway to the West Country of NZ.  It rained all the way and turned cold in the mountains.  After a good lunch and in the afternoon drizzle, we drove down about 10 k to  Foulwind Cape and adjacent Tauranga Bay.  The clouds began to thin, and we walked all the way around to the light house along the cliff top track,  passing spectacular scenery, friendly horses, and munching sheep.  Actually, we even had patches of sun shine most of the time.  The baby seals rolling around and playing on the rocks were an extra treat.  We took lots of pictures, and I'll post them tomorrow when we get home. 

The Bay House is a new restaurant at the end of the bay with a new chef and owners.  We sat on the patio and watched the surfers in the bay, then ate fresh lemon fish in brown butter sauce over bok choy. Bill keeps saying, "this is the way to live."  Afterall, there was a glorious sunset for which this part of NZ is known.  More coast today, and then we turn back toward Picton.  The sun is predicted to shine all day.  WISH YOU WERE HERE.  NEXT TIME.

Top of the Southern Alps Tomorrow

Clearing this afternoon and hopefully sunny for the next couple of days.  We are driving down through Blenheim to St. Arnaud, a mountain village at the end of an alpine lake in the southern alps.  There should be some gorgeous scenery for pictures if we are lucky and have a bright day or two.  From St. Arnaud, we drive further south and higher into the mountains to Manuia Springs Thermal Resort.  It's a Japanese influenced hotel with lovely thermal pools for soaking, a spa, and restaurant.  (http://www.manuiasprings.co.nz/) 

We hope to do a little hiking in both locations. 

Last week we did a nice hike through the Wither Hills which is above the Marlborough wine valley.  The views of the huge golden grass covered hills contrast with the green acres of vines bellow.

The Classic Car Museum is in Blenheim as well as Peter Jackson's vintage aircraft museum.  All the cars are owned by Ron Stuart who is also the owner of Mud House Wines.  There are hundreds of cars in his collection, but the ones on display were all mint condition and usually brand new 50's through 70's cars.  It's amazing - American, English, Japanese cars all brand new.  Bill said he didn't think cars from these decades qualify as antiques! 

The next morning, this little car was parked in front and across the street from our apartment.  It's advertising Easy Grass, an artificial turf.  Which one of all these would you like to drive around.  The grassy car or the classy car? 

Pictures from the Last Two Days

These are a good representation of the past 24 hours here. Yesterday was one of those sunny days we remember as typical NZ summer.  We ran outside and enjoyed it before the rain began again last night.  When the sun shines, the light and colors are so beautiful, it's hard to remember the rain.

Here's our fillet of fresh butterfish I baked on Friday night for dinner, and the fresh spinach.  I copied a dish we had at Rock Ferry Winery and put pesto and pine nuts on top the fish.  Placed a layer of hollandaised (is that a verb?) warm potaotes on top the fresh spinach, and then the fish on top.  It turned out pretty well and very tasty.  It would have looked better with some sort of red garnish, right Matt?  But, we gobbled it up so fast we didn't notice until I saw the picture. 

Saturday morning we walked up the bush walk to Queen Charlotte College (the local high school) and watched the "seniors" cricket match.  There was a nice cool breeze, so inspite of sitting in the direct sun, we were comfortable.  Thank goodness for sun screen. 

Lunch was home-cooked fresh bluff oysters which have just come in season from the south of the South Island.  We didn't know anything about them until I saw the signs in local restaurants and grocers advertising their availability.  They are worth the price, about $1.75 each.  (Hamburgers on the grill for supper - a pretty simple supper to make up for the "gourmet" selections the night before.)

A strolll around the ferry port in the afternoon rewarded us with three antique cars.  It never fails.  I finally discovered from the host at the car museum in Blenhiem that NZ-ders love cars because no one could buy them in the sixties and seventies because they were imported only for those who had international bank accounts and were able to place special orders.  Also, the South Island  is popular for antique car lovers because there is so little traffic here and so many scenic drives  This is a Morris Cowley.  I never heard of them, and don't know the year, but is is beautifully restored and the key was in the ignition!

Here's its partner, also a Morris Cowley.  I think you might call it a touring car.  Aren't they beautiful?  Does anyone know more about these vehicles?  I'm sure you  can Google them; I don't have enough time on the cafe internet I am using.  I suppose by the name they are English.            

 This is the float plane that takes off and lands (waters?) in our harbor several times on a sunny day, and quite often on a rainy one.  It was pretty active yesterday.  At $94.00 NZ each person for a ten minute ride, I think the owner/pilot is doing pretty well.  It circles right over our balcony before putting down. 



You can see how gorgeous the colors are in the sun.  Hope you are having lots of the same. We will miss the great fresh food here as much as the wine.  Now, that's saying something. 

Cyclone, Fire Alarm, and Things that go Bump in the Night

Storm Clouds Over the Cliffs of Kaikoura

We survived the cyclone that blew through the night we came back from Wellington.  That wasn't bad here at all and didn't interfere with Eilene's and Kelli's fights home.  They arrived safely on Sunday, our Monday. 

The next night, I was brushing my teeth and a loud siren sounded through the apartment and a woman's voice said, "Evacuate immediately."  It certainly got our attention.  We went down into the street and met our neighbors from next door who said it was probably just a drill since the fire warden was in town from Auckland.  Well, 5 minutes later two big fire trucks pulled up with about 15 guys who were taking it very seriously.  Even the customers in the downstairs restaurant were outside.  Impressive volunteer firemen, and I guess it was nothing serious because we were soon allowed back in.  In our conversation with our neighbor, he asked if we'd felt the earthquake a couple of nights before.  Well, no........

Last night we were watching TV after dinner, and there was a good bump, like hitting a pot hole with no shock absorbers in your car (like our rental).  Bill and I looked at each other and realized we'd felt this one.  Holy Crabapples!  It was a little scary.  Just what everyone needs, a little excitement in life. 

It's pretty cold here today and still windy.  Temperatures are in the upper 50's. I'm sure you are all warm at home and not bumping around either. 

Charming Motor Launches and a Yacht I'd Like to Know

In the Picton Harbor there are a number of unusual and antique boats that have been lovingly restored.  Being the daughter of a ship's captain makes me especially attracted to these beautiful old boats.  Someone else loves them more than I do, obviously, but it would be fun to take a little spin around the sounds with their owners.  Most motor or sail in and out a couple of times each week, and some are for sale.  Which are your favorites?

This is Faith (left), and we've seen her steaming out to Queen Charlotte Sound almost every weekend. 













And, this is the Pacific Eagle, a lovely 102 foot sailing yacht that may be chartered for your sailing pleasure.  I'm told the owner is Peter Stewart, a New Zealander who lives nearby.  She's absolutely gorgeous.  Does anyone know Petey?  I'd like to be his friend! 

Our Visitors and the Prime MInister

The week before Eilene and Kelli arrived we had a bad Southerly blow in with lots of rain and wind.  The next day was still rainy and stormy, but by evening the sky had cleared and we had this amazing sunset sky.  The bay even turned pink.

The ladies arrived right on time last Sunday at the Blenheim airport.  What fun to see their familiar faces and to load them up in our little creaky Nissan and drive back to Picton.  It is a treat to see NZ through someone else's eyes and to share all the wonderful food, wine, and scenery with such an appreciative audience. 

Today, we are by ourselves again and there are two empty bedrooms, so if any of you decide at the spur of the moment to jump on a plane and come in this direction, we'll be here until March 31. 

We went to Wellington by ferry on Friday, leaving at 6:25 a.m. on the Interislander.  Since the port is only 5 minutes from our apartment, we ONLY had to get up at 5:00 a.m.  However, we were rewarded with an elegant sunrise going out through the Tory Channel to cross the Cook Straits to Welly.  We had previously scheduled the trip for Saturday, but saw a cyclone was headed in our direction, so sailed a day early.  It was a good choice because we were on the last ferry coming back from the north island on Friday evening.  All the later ones were cancelled due to the storm which caused a great deal of damage on the north island on Saturday.  We had heavy winds and rain, but were snug in bed by the time it hit. 

We also went on a wine tour of Marlborough wineries, lots of hikes and drove to Kaikoura to see the seals.  Havelock and green lipped mussels was a hit with Kelli, and both enjoyed the shops in Picton, Wellington, and Blemheim.  We found Jake's birthday All Blacks tee-shirt in Welly and spent most of the morning in Te Papa Museum.  Great day. 

Here's Spy Valley winery sculpture and garden.  I think we hit four wineries and had lunch in a fifth.  We were delayed because John Key, the Prime Minister of NZ was having lunch in Drylands Winery and we hung around to meet him, which we did!  What a lucky break.  He came right over and shook our hands and said how happy he was that we were in NZ.  Now, where else are you allowed to walk right up and speak to the leader of a country?  Of course, we assured Eilene and Kelli that we had set it all up just for them. 

Here's one of the maganificent seals at Kaikoura.  They were all over the rocks and beach.  He postured more than the prime minister and was much less friendly.   

More tomorrow.  The sun is still shining, so it's walking time in Picton.  We need more sun and warm weather.  Maybe there is still time for a late summer.



Nelson

Here is one of the beautiful coves on the Abel Tasman Track.  The cave goes all the way through to the beach on the other side.  At high tide, one would have to swim through. 

This is the very old post box in Nelson.  It has been in service since 1864, and Kayla has already received her card which was mailed last Friday.  That's pretty good service for an antique.  Hope we all can do as well. 

Nelson is a small city surrounded by hills and has a large port for container ships.  It also has a wonderful historic district, a large botanical park, and the Queen's Gardens which is a one square block wonderland of fountains, roses, lily ponds, Chinese pogodas, and native shrubs, most of which were in bloom.  We walked to the top of the hill where a tower marks the "center of New Zealand." 

On the sports field in the botanical park, we found a class of four-year-olds beginning their first lesson in rugby.  In a nation as small as New Zealand, they start young to achieve a world champion team in their national sport.  (Notice the hats, which all schools require children to wear.)  Go All Blacks! 

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the terrible earthquake in Christchurch, February 22, 2011.  There was a huge memorial service that reminded everyone of the loss in that city, not just 185 lives, but 80 percent of the building in the central business district.  Seven thousand homes were "red-zoned" and demoliation has now been scheduled on the first 5000.  This alone will take five years.  It is very sad and still frightening for the citizens of the second largest city in New Zealand.  Imagine if 80% of the landmarks in your locale were gone.  It was announced that it will take 37 billion dollars to rebuild the city, which the Cantabrians (Canterbury citizens) are determined to do.  It is a story of great bravery and faith in the future.   

The Best Walking Track

Abel Tasman, the best walking track for scenery in New Zealand - at least as far as we have discovered.  I'm sure there are gorgeous mountain tracks in the NZ alps, and even a glacier or two, but the coastal track of Abel Tasman beats all for aqua clear water, golden sand beaches, and sub-tropical ferns and trees. 

These are the tidal flats at the very beginning of the track.  There is no track fee, so we simply drove to Marahau and began walking.  It was low tide and late in the afternoon.  There were lots of sea birds including Canada geese.  It's a long way to fly even on NZ Air. 
I've been trying to upload additional photos, but it takes about 10 - 15 minutes for each one, so I'm not patient enough.  Sorry about that.  NZ broadband is not fast, and I am told that at the end of the month privately owned internet services (as in cafes and hotels) begin to run out of megabites.  Does that make sense?  I was advised to upload pictures at the first of each month.  Something is strange, because earlier in our stay, the internet was much faster.

I'll try again tomorrow, and hopefully I won't have to wait until March 1 to send more photos.