Christmas and New Year

So, 2017 is here and I realise time will fly by now leading to my trip back to Europe in May, this year!

I am sitting in this wonderful shady spot in my gorgeous garden

 

 On my very comfortable new sun lounger cushion, watching the trees swaying violently in the gusty warm wind , and listening to the beautiful ringing of my garden bells. Not quite as loud as the bells in Pfaeffikon 😀. Occasionally the bells  are deafened by planes directly overhead, landing in this fierce norwesterly wind. 

Not such a pleasant welcome to Christchurch and the New Year unless you like heat, 31 degrees, and wind.  Sitting under the tree writing a blog is a good thing to do. Maybe a walk later and as night falls a spa!

It has been very changeable weather leading up to the new year, with lots of warm windy days. Evenings have been quite cold. Rain almost unheard of. The ground is drying out rapidly.

Thankfully there are plenty of beautiful sheltered spots to visit, to gain respite from the heat. I love these huge, rhubarb-like leaves down by the river

 

 

And the magnificent, complex patterns in the reflections of the NZ cabbage tree. 

 

I have had some great walks cloae to home, usually through parks and along rivers. They don't quite match the fabulous Pfaeffikersee but they are still wonderful.

Christmas was a very relaxed affair , starting with a breakfast bbq in the garden with my visitors Jane and Rob, Ollie and Kerstin who are here till February, and David. We had a huge plateful of bacon and egg, and roesti, which was extremely popular. All very relaxed. There was a touch of the Provence thanks to my lovely tablecloth I bought there.

 

After a brief lunchtime walk, it was time to welcome Mark and his lovely girlfriend Emma for long afternoon drinks in the garden followed by roast ham and all the trimmings. Once again, I felt super at ease and just loved having the family here at home. We are still trying to finish the ham. I had never cooked a ham before and was concerned I would not have enough, despite being told by a very sweet shop assistant that the piece I had should feed 20. I did not believe him. I should have!

Mark and Emma showed us up by dressing for the occasion. Luckily for them it was not that warm so their outfits were perfect.

 

Boxing Day was fantastic weather so David and I went out to a nearby wetland area, Travis Swamp, near the coast. I had not been there for years and was delighted to see how it has recovered since the quakes. Christchurch was built on this type of swamp, so no wonder some houses had problems. Many neighbouring residential areas have been cleared and the land is gradually returning to its former glory and the birds and plants returning.. 

 

I loved the patterns of this very attractive weed which was covering some of the more stagnant areas.

 

Christmas by the sea! Fabulous. There were some people swimming, but David and I simply enjoyed the walk along the beach by the sea. We are very lucky here.

 

Then suddenly my house emptied. Mark had gone south to a wedding, David north to Hanmer and my visitors had left. What a strange feeling. I did not like it much so headed out to the botanical gardens, another lovely place to visit.

 

What a restful place to sit, stare and think about the past year and the year to cone, 12 hours away.

 

I faced the prospect of New Year's eve alone for the first time ever, but was invited across the road to an open house. It was great. 

What a great way to start my new year with a cuppa in the garden using my fantastic  new tea set I got for Xmas. Very classy, I think!

 

Christchurch and Akaroa

Yes, I have been very busy in house and garden. I am thrilled at the results and hope now to relax a bit more over Christmas. I am so pleased I am not still working and trying to do things only in evenings and weekends. Am delighted to have the spa for my aching limbs!

This is as Christmasy as it gets. At least we have a real tree with that wonderful scent. 

 

 Christian , an ex student of mine, and his wife, are here for a few days. I worked hard to create a lovely room (in photo below) for them and was very happy with how it looked. I have moved downstairs to less luxurious but still very adequate quarters.  

 

Of course, having guests is a great excuse to travel, so off we went to one of my favourite places Akaroa, only 90 minutes from home. How spectacular it is as you go over a small pass and get your first glimpse of the bays leading to Akaroa. I am hoping to pick up some tour guiding work in 2017 so will be visiting this wonderful place frequently.

 

We had some delicious fish and chips/burgers sitting overlooking this gorgeous view. The gulls were very keen spectators as we ate but pretty well behaved until we scattered the final crumbs for them.

 

The  Norfolk Pines, 'upside down Christmas trees' as Christian called them , look super with the magnificent backdrop of Akaroa bay and the near cloudless sky.

 

We took a two-hour cruise out to the Pacific and along the rugged coastline . We were lucky to strike a really calm day after some very blustery ones, so could get out to sea. The cliffs are really breathtakingly beautiful with such vivid colours from the volcanic rock. The blowhole was working very well as it was high tide.

 

Buster, the boat dog, appeared very disinterested in this part of the trip, but went absolutely beserk whenever we spotted the very rare Hectors dolphins, the world's smallest dolphin. We saw quite a lot of them, as they enjoyed swimming alongside the boat, with Buster racing up and down the boat trying to keep up with them.

 

Apparently he has fallen in once - hence the life jacket with a loop so he can easily be hoisted back on board!

We all thoroughly enjoyed this tour, not only for the scenery, but for the wildlife which also included penguins and seals.  In fact, the day was fantastic from start to finish - brilliant barbeque when we got back home. 

Next day was spent around Christchurch, with first stop being Lyttleton. I adore the market there! It is so colourful and so relaxed.

 

There were a number of buskers, but this little girl was a real crowd pleaser. Her voice was not great but she was unbelievably self-assured and cute. She must have made a fortune!

 

Then we headed through the tunnel to Brighton pier, where we were almost blown off by one of the fiercest winds I have experienced for a long time . Still great, though, with fanulous views along the coast.

 

The street art around Lyttleton and Christchurch is still exceptional. I loved this one at the market

 

And this one in New Regent Street in the centre of Christchurch

 

It is a really picturesque street lined  with lovely cafes. Hard to believe that only a street away there are still empty blocks of land. For some unknown reason, this street survived the 2011 quakes almost unscathed.

 

Christchurch is an exciting place to be. History in the making. It is very interesting to see the artists' impression of buildings and the steel structures as building commences.

 

The Avon River projects have virtually been completed and my guess is that this is going to be a stunningly beautiful city when everything is finished.

 

Christchurch life is pretty laid back and there is humour everywhere - even in the supermarket at the end of the wine aisle!

 

It is really good wine too. 

Today I tackled my Christmas cake making. A bit later than usual, bur this mass of dried fruit has turned out very well!

 

Here the finished version after five hours of baking,  still to be iced! 

 

So Christmas is around the corner and at last at 9.30 p.m. we can turn on the lights😀

 

Happy Christmas to everyone wherever you are.

Garden week

So, not a lot to report but the garden is now looking great and very tidy. Still lots to do, especially at the front where new planting is needed, but now time to  sit and enjoy the back garden, which is still secluded even after so many trees and bushes were removed.

My seedlings have coped well with changeable temperatures and lots of dust and debris in the air. 

 This is my favourite seat for as many meals as possible. Luxury.

I went in to catch up with friends in the Polytechnic. Was as if I had never been away. It seems there will not be any relieving till February but that is fine and I am also looking at tour guiding too.

I loved being in the container Restart area. Such a brilliant concept and great to see the beautiful, mostly glass , buildings going up everywhere.

 Watching the window cleaners it was clear this was not a job for me!

Some funky statues too.

 Sadly my Ipad played up so I did not get shots of the fast developing main shopping area. It is incredible how quickly they have progressed. Magnificent architectural masterpieces everywhere. Will get shots of them next time.David has now shown me how to take photos with his smart phone so technologically I should have no excuse!!!

This morning David and I went to one of my favourite nearby places, Riccarton  House and Bush. There is a bustling, high quality farmers' market there on Saturdays and wonderfully tasty food in a tranquil setting with beautiful gardens, the first Cantabrian homestead, river and small area of dense native bush. A perfect setting.

 

The Kahikatea trees in the forest are magnificent giants, hundreds of years old. It is amazing to think that much of Canterbury was once covered with native forest, cut down to create farms. 

There is seating right in the centre of the forest where you can just sit, look up and listen to the melodic song of the NewZealand bellbirds, fairly uninspiring birds to look at but masters of song. 

The forest is now a hive of activity since a predator free forest was created. I cannot believe the increase in bird life in a relatively short time. Everywhere there are twittering fantails searching for food and the loud swishing sound of the huge wings of massive wood pigeons as they fly high above from tree to tree. I just love it there.

Sunday morning the family celebrated David's birthday with a delicious brunch. It was great to have Mark's girlfriend Emma with us too. It is years since I have celebrated one of their birthdays with them both. Sadly, I will miss Mark's next one too as it is just as Zuoz starts. 

More photos of the city to follow in next blog. It is certainly an exciting time of change.

Quietish week

Well, it has been a mixed week of wonderful calm and great weather, upset by a large 5.7 which shook us up just as we stupidly thought it was quietening down. No problem here though but more headaches for rural communities. There is positive news. The whales, dolphins, seals and albatross seem unaffected by all the events and dolphin, penguin and seal young seem fine. This is fantastic. Residents are now being allowed through the inland road to Kaikoura with convoy of military vehicles, so my guess is that if the earth stays calm and weather not too wild, the road will be open to others. Cafes, shops, farmers markets, etc, also opening up. 

My neighbour visited a cafe in Cheviot, the epicentre of many quakes, and found people in good spirits despite losing so much trade. The owner apologised for the wait, explaining he was cooking on a bbq. Apparently food was amazing. 

As the 5.7 struck, I was sitting with friends and their 15 year old dog. No reaction from him, though Liz said he used to alert them to any quake over 4.0. Either he is now too old, or it has all got a bit boring for him! Nice story.

My garden currently looks as if disaster has struck!

 

I have had 7 trees removed to let in more light and unfortunately the tree cutter had forgotten he was busy till Tuesday and so took off leaving the lawn covered with branches. Luckily he is back to finish off tomorrow. Very nice guy but very laid back!

I was delighted to take delivery of my new spa on Friday. It is smaller than the last one but absolutely perfect. I love it. Please come and try it!

During the day it has the stunning view of my white roses and eventually my gorgeous garden and at night the southern skies full of stars.

 

Kerstin and I went in for the first time Saturday. Heavenly! No flash on ipad camera so not a great photo. We had a fabulous time.

 

It has been extremely windy for several days, with warm, strong norwesterly winds, like the Foehn in Switzerland. When this blows the planes fly very low over the house . You sometimes feel they will land in the garden. The airport is only about one kilometre away. Fortunately the norwest winds do not blow too often, usually in spring!

 

Have just ordered two more heatpumps to keep me and visitors warm in cooler times. We only had one before and it was chilly in much of the house. Should be great now.

Akso have a new pc. David was horrified to see my, what I thought was relatively new computer, was in fact 14 years old! Most things do not function any more, so David chose a good new one for me. Should keep me going till I am 80 😀

Still lots to do. Knees and shoulder coming right so hope for the tennis courts soon.

Big hugs from afar. Looking forward to dinner with Mark  and Emma , and David who is staying for the week. Fantastic to have them near again.

One week on

A week has flown by since we all woke very shaken, literally, after the massivedestructive  7.8 quake in neighbouring Kaikoura. They are still cut off there due to risk of landslides after torrential rains. However, the great news today is that the whales are back and dolphins and seals are also fine. This is very important for this lovely little place dependent on its marvelous marine life.

So here I am writing this in my garden. Beautiful morning, birds singing, sun shining. 

 

My roses which did not look too healthy before I left in 2012 seem to be thriving on neglect! Just gorgeous. Tomorrow the peace will be shattered as I get someone in to start to sort out my front garden. One side looks great, the other awful. I want to clear it and plant native trees and bushes. Will be bare till it gets established!

I have lots to sort out, like NZ pension, leak in the roof of the garage and endless boxes! Still, I have time!

Have enjoyed meeting up with close friends this week. I spent the day visiting two friends on the hills of Christchurch, in two very different, both very beautiful homes. The first is brand new , spacious, with an incredible, uninterrupted view of Christchurch . What a place to sit on the terrace. It was magic!it was great too to get back to speaking German with Andrea my Swiss friend.

 Great for animals too! You can see Christchurch centre to the right. 

My second visit was five minutes away to a fabulous wooden home nestled in to native forest. Sadly it has been earthquake damaged, from 2011, and Maureen , who I worked with for about 18 years, will be moving out at some time. Once again sitting on the terrace was a wonderful experience for different reasons

 

 

Inside the house is a mass of small rooms at different levels, all looking out on the native bush and forest. 

How lucky we are here in NZ to have such space. I had forgotten how huge our homes are. Until you have been away, you don't fully appreciate this. 

Yesterday, I took my little car , Ken - due to its number plate ken911- down to see David in Timaru. A two-hour drive  on a straight road with expansive views over endless fields of cattle ( I was surprised how many there are mow!) and sheep to the Southern Alps, with its snowy peaks. Believe it or not, more snow has fallen there since the ski season ended in October than during the season, the last being a few days ago!

I would have loved to have stopped to photograph some of the spectacular riverbeds I crossed, but narrow bridges and nowhere good to stop. The braided rivers meander across the wide river beds which are a mass of yellow with bushes of broom, a weed, and lupins. It looks gorgeous.

I didn't realise how beautiful Timaru was until David took me on a tour. First though, brunch at a fabulous cafe just outside

 

Where we feasted on the 'big breakfast'. It was massive and fed us for the day! Fantastic setting with farm animals everywhere and chickens running around everywhere. Super friendly service. Perfect, in fact.

After watching NZ playing Ireland at rugby, our next stop was the sea.

 Not a spectacular shot but on clear days you can see the Alps clearly and as far as Kaikoura, 4 .5 hours away. It was brilliant to be on the beach again.

Then we went to an amazing reserve area with cycle and walking tracks and heaps of native trees and bush alive with native birds. Brilliant!

 

So, that was lots of fun and it was great to have a decent run with the car to see David. I must admit to having been exhausted when I got home. Not used to concentrating behind a wheel! Luckily not much traffic and everyone seems to be patient and waits for the passing lanes to pass. The main road south is otherwise only one lane each way, but every five kilometres there is about one kilometre of passing lane. Seems to work very well. 

Arrived safely

I started this blog on my second day back. A lot has happened since then, but I will keep this part anyway. 

What a wonderful garden. Thanks to Mark and others I can simply sit and enjoy it. It looks great. The cherry tree in the middle lost most of its blossom in the strong norwest wind yesterday, but it still looks pretty.

 Lots of things to organise . 

I had some fantastic experiences everywhere I went this morning. I had forgotten just how friendly and helpful people are. I am sure a result of such a small population. First, the doctor's surgery. I was welcomed back like a long lost friend. I was pleased to learn that I have probably simply damaged my knee ligaments in my fall and with time they should be fine. My shoulder may need more treatment, but luckily it is not my tennis arm! No tennis for a few weeks sadly to rest the knees, but I will go to the pool instead.

From the doctor I wanted to go to the bank. I arrived to find it had closed. A really lovely young man was also wanting to visit the bank and asked if he could drive me to another. So kind. He even asked if he should wait for me and take me back afterwards! Thanks Harry. 

From here I had to renew my driver's licence. The queue was long but the girls at the counter made everyone feel special and welcome. My young lady was hilarious. She told me all about her hay fever, shrieked as she saw someone spitting on the pavement, and chatted as if chatting to a good friend. All this, whilst working away very efficiently on the computer. Brilliant.

Next stop a shop with 40 percent discount on everything. I have never had such personal and helpful people. It was a delight to shop.

My final nice person of the day was the bus driver. I was delighted to find I had money on my bus card, but he joked with me, asking if I had read the message on the card machine. Oh, he said laughing, it said you need to give the driver 25 dollars! 😃

I hope that people here will always be this way. All the smiles and laughter really brighten up the day - though it is already a bright, beautiful sunny day as well!

So now it is a week since I arrived and as most will know, the land has been moving big time since Sunday! Here we were woken at midnight by the longest quake I have ever experienced. It did not seem to want to stop. Thankfully I had Kerstin and Ollie here and we could sit together in the lounge whilst the house continued to shake sporadically. At about 3.30 we were able to get a few hours sleep. We , in Christchurch, were the lucky ones this ime, with no damage, except to nerves, but Hanmer and Kaikoura, two favourite places were badly hit and two people died. It is chaotic there but people are being amazing, as always. Today the last of those stranded due to roads being destroyed should be rescued by helicopter and ship and at the weekend an inland road should open. 

Of course, this time we had a tsunami threat to most of the east coast. The evacuation of homes by the sea went well. As my cousin said, even the cattle are smart and moved to higher ground ( I am sure you all saw the picture of the poor cows on quake island!)

It is a timely reminder to everyone to keep their emergency supplies fresh. We have now updated ours. 

Is it safe here? Yes, absolutely, especially so I think  inChristchurch. Wellington must continue to upgrade buildings and of course there is always the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

I am now the proud owner of a beautiful blue Mazda Axela - colour very important - and a smart phone! Eeeeeeee! Scary! So I now have Whats App if you want to call.

 

Look forward to hearing. Will leave you with an artistic creation - a hot chocolate nz style