Tuesday, 30 November 2010.

To Pukeiti - (say poo-kay-ee-tee)

a 360 hectare rain forest garden including 25 acres of rhododendrons, some 2000 varieties. Many are quite old and grow to be the size of trees.

Wellington is a clean and attractive city, full of modern buildings and well preserved older ones. We were suffering from withdrawal (no French food for a month) and I was just getting over a cold that had laid me low for a week, so we had good omelettes in a bistro where the staff wore T-shirts saying "Allez les Bleus!".

After we spent a pleasant couple of hours at Te Papa, the New Zealand National Museum.

Wandering back to our hotel took us along the sea front past young people swimming in the harbour - jumping in, climbing out..... While we watch, another tourist came along and said "Isn't New Zealand fabulous?" We couldn't agree more.

Leaving Nelson we passed through Havelock and Picton on our way to Wellington and Stratford. I can only think that these were settled around the same time as their Canadian counterparts.

The ferry crossing was smooth but the process took most of the day.

On the recommendation of friends Tim and Janet, we lunched at the Highview Estate who do have a great view, as well as a somewhat faux-Tuscan tower. The meal was very enjoyable.

We couldn't come to New Zealand without visiting the first-famous and most-famous winery - Cloudy Bay. Now owned by France's LVMH luxury conglomerate, through Veuve Cliquot, they produce very sophisticated and expensive wines, in a sleek, modern facility.

Yes Marjorie, there is a lot of broome here! Just before we stopped to take these photos, we passed through a Broome and Gorse Control Area. We weren't certain whether that meant for or against but later read that broome is considered a real problem here. It appears to grow in areas where clear cutting has taken place and there's no indication whether anyone has made a connection.

The Nelson house is in the Port Hills area, i.e. on the hill overlooking the port. The lot is very steep so the garden is squeezed into small terraced spaces, where ever there's room. Judy has planted an astonishing variety of flowers and veggies all around the property.

Bill and Judy's house, where we're staying, is located directly above The Cut, the entrance to Nelson Haven and harbour. so everyday brings a different show: some days large container ships come in, load up, and leave. - other times the local yacht club has a race. - and almost everyday there are kids from the sailing school at the bottom of the hill out in their Lasers or Optimist prams.

Cricket for foreigners, as described by an American while listening to a radio commentary:

“Imagine a form of baseball in which the pitcher, after each delivery, collects the ball from the catcher and walks slowly with it out to center field; and that there, after a minute’s pause to collect himself, he turns and runs full tilt toward the pitcher’s mound before hurling the ball at the ankles of a man who stands before him wearing a riding hat, heavy gloves of the sort used to handle radio-active isotopes, and a mattress strapped to each leg. Imagine moreover that if this batsman fails to hit the ball in a way that heartens him sufficiently to try to waddle forty feet with mattresses strapped to his legs, he is under no formal compunction to run; he may stand there all day, and, as a rule, he does. If, by some miracle he is coaxed into making a misstroke that leads to his being put out, all the fielders throw up their arms in triumph and have a hug. Then tea is called and everyone retires to a distant pavilion to fortify for the next siege. Now imagine all this going on for so long that by the time the match concludes autumn has crept in and all your library books are overdue. There you have cricket.”

“So here comes Stovepipe to bowl on this glorious summer’s afternoon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground”, one of the commentators was saying now. “I wonder if he’ll chance an offside drop scone here or go for the quick legover. Stovepipe has an unusual delivery in that he actually leaves the grounds and starts his run just outside the Carlton & United Brewery at Kooyong.”

“That’s right, Clive. I haven’t known anyone to start his delivery that far back since Stopcock caught his sleeve on the reversing mirror of a number 11 bus during the third test at Brisbane in 1957 and ended up in Goondiwindi four days later owing to some frightful confusion over a changed timetable at Toowoomba Junction.”

Neasden, it appeared, was turning in a solid performance at square bowel, while Packet had been a stalwart in the dribbles, though even these exemplary performances paled when set aside the outstanding play of young Hugo Twain-Buttocks at middle nipple. The commentators were in calm agreement that they had not seen anyone caught behind with such panache since Tandoori took Rogan Josh for a stiffy in Vindaloo in ’61. At last Stovepipe, having found his way over the railway line at Flinders Street – the footbridge was evidently closed for painting – returned to the stadium and bowled to Hasty, who deftly turned the ball away for a corner. This was repeated four times more over the next two hours and then one of the commentators pronounced; “So as we break for a second luncheon, and with 11,200 balls remaining, Australia are 962 for two not half and England are four for a duck and hoping for rain.”

“In a Sunburned Country” Bill Bryson

Snappy slogan of the week!

"It's time to get poo on your shoe"

Advertisement for The Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Show, 20 - 21 November 2010, Richmond Park Showgrounds.

Here we are in Nelson, New Zealand, ( as beautiful as everyone says!), overlooking Tasman Bay with Abel Tasman National Park and the Wakamarama Range in the distance.

The owners are flying a French flag to make us feel at home .... nice try!


click to enlarge the photos.

A visit to Honolulu's Foster Botanical Garden revealed oddities such as the Cannonball tree, the Rainbow eucalyptus and many brilliant orchids.

Our hosts, Dick and Wanda, have a lovely home just steps from the beach at Kailau.

Jean Argue NEAL

5 January 1919 - 7 November 2010

"Do not stand by my grave and weep,

I am not there, I do not sleep,

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,

I am the swift, uplifting rush

Of quiet birds circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep."

Around the World in 120 Days - Day Zero:

Our good friends Roy and Marj dropped us at the Campanile Hotel near Toulouse airport the day before we were scheduled to leave France and her striking workers. That's 'striking' as in not working - none we saw were very good looking.

Our friends hadn't been gone five minutes when the phone rang - Lufthansa to say the first of our fifteen flights had been cancelled. The good news was that they managed to get us on an earlier flight Thursday morning at 7:30 - we needed only to get up at 5 AM and walk to the airport. Visions of having to run a blockade at Blangac kept us awake most of the night but we arrived in time without incident and boarded the plane on time, only to be forced to wait an hour by the traffic controllers who were going slow in sympathy with the rest of the country who weren't working at all.

In spite of all this, we arrived on time in Toronto.