Tara and I had a very pleasant trip to Dunedin for the Christmas holiday. On day one we walked to the Cadbury factory and took a tour. During the tour we were sprayed by chocolate- specifically a ton of hot liquid chocolate pouring out in front of us in a matter of moments. The tour ends in a gift shop where all manner of chocolate were on sale (at a fraction of retail). We have some on hand- for emergency rations of course! From the factory we went to a nearby chinese garden. It is a beautiful small oasis in the heart of Dunedin. The walk home was long. We stopped briefly by the Speight's brewery. There were no tours on Christmas eve, but we bought one of their well-known cookbooks and a T-shirt for me. We would return later. We walked by St. Joseph's Cathedral (uphill) and then got supper on the way home.
Our room at the Comfort Inn was cozy and had a fine wee kitchenette which was well-stocked with tea, coffee and even a couple of biscuits.
Christmas began with mass at St. Joseph's Cathedral. Children were invited to come up at the homily and show their Christmas presents to the congregation and help illustrate what is essential to Christmas- the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
There were only five restaurants open, but we found The Huntsman open and serving a marvelous Christmas feast. We felt we were at a family home for the holiday. Our dinner needs were met with takeaway from the convenience store by our motel. They had everything we could want in fast food. We drove to the Otaga peninsula and saw albatrosses. Unfortunately, they saw me and I was splattered, but not with chocolate.
Monday we took a train trip over the Taieri Gorge. This was a half-day trip with impressive bridges, tunnels and scenery. The morning was beautiful and cool, but by our return it was quite warm. So off to Speight's brewery for a cool tour, followed by a liberal tasting of their wares.
Our last day included trips to Larnach Castle and gardens, Penguin Place and a pleasant drive home. More details to follow, but I must rest before our trip to Christchurch.
Cheers.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
On the town
I have yet to tire of the food selection in the Southland of New Zealand. Two nights ago, Tara and I went to H.M.S. Kings for supper. This was our first visit to this restaurantwhich features a variety of fish. Tara had Blue Cod- as we often do. I had the special- Monk fish, wrapped in bacon on seasoned potato wedges. I cannot recall if I've ever had Monk fish. It was meaty and quite good. I had a glass of Hawke's Bay Chardonnay. Tara was pleased with her cod. For dessert, we split a three-scoop sorbet (tart lemon, lime and raspberry).
After supper we went to Queen's Park for Christmas carols. This is an annual event, coordinated by the Y.M.C.A. with a band on the rotunda and a group leading several traditional carols. Families bring chairs. Children have balloons and Southland flags and all have candles. We chatted with a man we met at Tara's church and a lady we know from the "Y". It is nice to be able to recognize people in the community after less than two months. The songs put us in the Christmas spirit- even if it stayed light until after ten p.m.
Tonight, Tara was very brave. I noticed that at the Bombay Palace restaurant, all curry dishes are $12 (NZ) on Wednesday. Our last experience with Indian food, years ago in Washington D.C., still burns bright in our memory. Tara must have said no at least three times (I felt compelled to tease her about going). Later, after observing many people going in, she volunteered to try it. We both had a spinach curry- mine lamb and medium heat, hers beef and mild. I liked mine and would probably go with hot next time. I'll be having most of Tara's for lunch- not her favorite.
Tomorrow is movie/date night. Last week I got my movie loyalty card- yay! I also got my library card and am limited to fifty items at a time!
After supper we went to Queen's Park for Christmas carols. This is an annual event, coordinated by the Y.M.C.A. with a band on the rotunda and a group leading several traditional carols. Families bring chairs. Children have balloons and Southland flags and all have candles. We chatted with a man we met at Tara's church and a lady we know from the "Y". It is nice to be able to recognize people in the community after less than two months. The songs put us in the Christmas spirit- even if it stayed light until after ten p.m.
Tonight, Tara was very brave. I noticed that at the Bombay Palace restaurant, all curry dishes are $12 (NZ) on Wednesday. Our last experience with Indian food, years ago in Washington D.C., still burns bright in our memory. Tara must have said no at least three times (I felt compelled to tease her about going). Later, after observing many people going in, she volunteered to try it. We both had a spinach curry- mine lamb and medium heat, hers beef and mild. I liked mine and would probably go with hot next time. I'll be having most of Tara's for lunch- not her favorite.
Tomorrow is movie/date night. Last week I got my movie loyalty card- yay! I also got my library card and am limited to fifty items at a time!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Settling in
In our flat, we were twenty meters from a sheep ranch. Now, having moved to a rental house, we are a block away. Tara prepared two new dishes tonight- lamb and pumpkin. They were both very tasty. I have not reviewed nutritional info on lamb versus other options. The availability of lamb has put some additional variety in our menus. We also have seafood in abundance, so there is more than just red meat.
Three days a week, Tara and I go to the YMCA. This is starting to help with strengthening and aerobic capacity, but it is still early days as we say. We ride bikes once or twice a week- not a lot, but fifty times more often than last year. I also get to walk to work which is only a block away.
I get four-day weekends off for Christmas and New Year's. We try to use the weekends to check out southern New Zealand, but sometimes just rest at home instead. We now have phone, internet and satellite T.V., but willingly leave these behind for outdoor activities.
Three days a week, Tara and I go to the YMCA. This is starting to help with strengthening and aerobic capacity, but it is still early days as we say. We ride bikes once or twice a week- not a lot, but fifty times more often than last year. I also get to walk to work which is only a block away.
I get four-day weekends off for Christmas and New Year's. We try to use the weekends to check out southern New Zealand, but sometimes just rest at home instead. We now have phone, internet and satellite T.V., but willingly leave these behind for outdoor activities.
Sounding off about Milford Trip
Tara and I recently visited Milford Sound (see recent pictures) for the weekend. Google maps estimated travel time at three hours and twenty-four minute from Invercargill, but was uncharacteristically off by over half an hour. Tara drove us up through a very pretty part of the country. We saw the ocean, lakes, rivers and mountains, but waited until the return trip to take most of the pictures on the way. Thanks to some good driving and an hour of time for contingencies, we arrived with five to ten minutes until the cruise ship boarded.
Fortunately for us, the weather report was not quite right. It rained fairly little during the day on Saturday and not at all on Sunday. Going into Milford Sound we saw snow on the ground, even though this month marks the beginning of summer as reckoned by most n New Zealand. We had to pass through a one-lane tunnel. The signal is on from nine a.m. until six p.m. (which meant that we had to play chicken in an over one kilometer tunnel to leave early on Sunday). Many parts of the road narrow to one lane including most bridges. Many visitors come to this area and tragically some get disoriented and drive on the wrong side of the road. To lessen this, the lanes are marked with arrows and signs remind people to keep left.
We took an almost three-hour cruise (including a stop at a floating nature center) over lunch. There was a nice buffet on board at the start of the trip. I liked the lamb sausage. We get more lamb here than we did in the USA. Milford Sound gets 700 cm. (seven meters) of rainfall a year, but it had been relatively dry, so there were fewer waterfalls in view. The wind picked up and limited how far we could go. I have yet to see penguins,but two popped up briefly. Most left about a week earlier. The mountains and waterfalls were beautiful- see pictures as words are inadequate.
We stayed overnight at Milford Lodge. We had to book three weeks ahead. It was kind of like camping. There were shared bathrooms with showers at the end of a covered walkway. The rooms were very basic, clean and comfortable. There is a kitchen and small store on site. To get a prepared meal, we went up the road to the Blue Duck pub which serves meals from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. I had the special...wait for it...lamb burger and tomato basil soup with a draft Monteith's original. They even had ESPN via satellite- talk about roughing it. With no T.V., we hit the hay at seven p.m. We were awakened by heavy rains and wind that shook the wooden floors.
Sunday was cool and brisk. The sky was blue. We awoke early and made our way home.
Suggestions if you go to Milford Sound:
Bug repellant- little black bugs bite (bites itch for days)
Jacket and rain gear
Credit card or cash- debit cards do not work
A chilly bin (cooler) to bring some food along
Camera (I like to have a waterproof camera, and carry a disposable for this purpose)
Drive carefully and allow extra time (traffic in some places, photo stops)
Good walking shoes- I love my Keen sandals, waterproof with good grip and comfortable from the get go
Coming home, we stopped to walk a little over an hour on the Kepler Trek. The whole trek is over 60 km. New Zealand has numerous paths to hike on and we are just starting to take advantage of them. I got a book to help me identify native and indigenous birds. It is great to get close enough for a good photo, or even better, video with song. I'm not great at this yet, but it is funny to know a bird's name, sometimes its song and even behavior/personality.
Fortunately for us, the weather report was not quite right. It rained fairly little during the day on Saturday and not at all on Sunday. Going into Milford Sound we saw snow on the ground, even though this month marks the beginning of summer as reckoned by most n New Zealand. We had to pass through a one-lane tunnel. The signal is on from nine a.m. until six p.m. (which meant that we had to play chicken in an over one kilometer tunnel to leave early on Sunday). Many parts of the road narrow to one lane including most bridges. Many visitors come to this area and tragically some get disoriented and drive on the wrong side of the road. To lessen this, the lanes are marked with arrows and signs remind people to keep left.
We took an almost three-hour cruise (including a stop at a floating nature center) over lunch. There was a nice buffet on board at the start of the trip. I liked the lamb sausage. We get more lamb here than we did in the USA. Milford Sound gets 700 cm. (seven meters) of rainfall a year, but it had been relatively dry, so there were fewer waterfalls in view. The wind picked up and limited how far we could go. I have yet to see penguins,but two popped up briefly. Most left about a week earlier. The mountains and waterfalls were beautiful- see pictures as words are inadequate.
We stayed overnight at Milford Lodge. We had to book three weeks ahead. It was kind of like camping. There were shared bathrooms with showers at the end of a covered walkway. The rooms were very basic, clean and comfortable. There is a kitchen and small store on site. To get a prepared meal, we went up the road to the Blue Duck pub which serves meals from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. I had the special...wait for it...lamb burger and tomato basil soup with a draft Monteith's original. They even had ESPN via satellite- talk about roughing it. With no T.V., we hit the hay at seven p.m. We were awakened by heavy rains and wind that shook the wooden floors.
Sunday was cool and brisk. The sky was blue. We awoke early and made our way home.
Suggestions if you go to Milford Sound:
Bug repellant- little black bugs bite (bites itch for days)
Jacket and rain gear
Credit card or cash- debit cards do not work
A chilly bin (cooler) to bring some food along
Camera (I like to have a waterproof camera, and carry a disposable for this purpose)
Drive carefully and allow extra time (traffic in some places, photo stops)
Good walking shoes- I love my Keen sandals, waterproof with good grip and comfortable from the get go
Coming home, we stopped to walk a little over an hour on the Kepler Trek. The whole trek is over 60 km. New Zealand has numerous paths to hike on and we are just starting to take advantage of them. I got a book to help me identify native and indigenous birds. It is great to get close enough for a good photo, or even better, video with song. I'm not great at this yet, but it is funny to know a bird's name, sometimes its song and even behavior/personality.
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