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.