Little Blue

We went into Oamaru for dinner. We went somewhere I'd never eat in America--McDonalds. They've got a few items on their menu that aren't available in The States.

Oamaru is full of amazing old buildings and monuments. I want to go back there Saturday on our way to Christchurch to photograph them.
There is a large Blue Penguin colony in Oamaru. A visitor center is set up alongside an old quarry on the waterfront. For a fee you can sit in a covered viewing area set up adjacent to the rocky shore where the little darlings hobble up to their nests. There are little wooden homes built into tiny mounds and under trees where the cavity nesters spend the night. It looks like a little penguin Hobbiton! The tiny Shire is fenced in and protected from humans and four-footed predators.
There are several staff members to inform and enforce. No photography is allowed at all! Boo! I snuck a couple of very bad pics on my phone when the strict patrol wasn't looking. Soon after that tour busses began spilling their patrons into the marquee.
Blue Penguins are the smallest species of penguin, standing 30 cm tall (16 in) and weighing 1 kg (2.2 lb). They head into the sea before dawn and spend all day fishing on their own for sprat up to 50 km from shore. They return at dusk in groups called rafts, cool down by releasing the warm air from beneath their feathers, then head to their burrows for the night. Burrows are shared with a mate, and when there are eggs the pair take turns incubating while the other fishes. Chicks stay in the burrows alone for three weeks while the parents fish all day. When the parents return they feed the young by regurgitation. These birds have strong pair bonds and remain very faithful to their nest sites. When food is plentiful they may raise two pairs of chicks in a season, which is unique among penguin species.
This particular colony has about 500 birds and over 250 nest boxes. Since protections have been put in place the population has increased 10% per year. Chicks are banded and returning penguins are counted for an hour each night.

Find out more here: Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

Wikipedia entry

On to Omaru...in Pursuit of Penguins

After a week of weather ranging from chilly and damp to downright soggy, we're moving on to the east coast of South Island. A check of the weather app before leaving Queenstown was discouraging. it's 7C and raining in Dunedin. Bah! Hopefully it clears up by time we get over there this afternoon.

While The Alien drives, I'm taking time to point out more things that are different or interesting in NZ. Ready?

~ we've eaten mostly at cafes, pubs & taverns because that's all there is in the tiny towns & settlements we've visited. You order at the bar or counter and pay up front and they bring your food to you. Water is self-serve from a bottle that you can bring to your table.
~ every little cafe, no matter how remote the location, has an espresso machine. Coffee menu: short black, long white, macchiato, cappuccino.
~ cash registers are referred to as tills
~ "Big Breakfasts" are popular, and available through lunchtime. Generally, they consist of eggs, middle or streaky bacon, sausages, potatoes, toast, and grilled tomatoes. They may also include beans and/or spaghetti. Yes, I said spaghetti.
~ "toasted sandwiches" are available at just about any cafe. They are basically what we call panini, but inside there are many more ingredients than what we are used to. The one I had yesterday was roasted pork, bacon, celery and apple slices, red onion, and something they called cream cheese, but it wasn't good old Philly.
~ they call bell peppers capsicum
~ cheese rolls. A slice of white bread with a slice of white cheese on it, rolled up like a Ding Dong and warmed. Lol. I could have said jelly roll, but they're the size of a Ding Dong. Haha! I just like saying Ding Ding.
~ you know the little packets of flavoring that come in boxes of Mac & cheese or instant noodles? Those are called sachets.
~ potato chips are called crisps and they come in weird flavours, like baked ham, burger, and chicken.

~ sweaters are called jumpers
~ a trendy saying here is "sweet as" (although I haven't actually heard anyone say it)
~ camping is popular. There are small camper van rentals in abundance. Camping anywhere outside of a "holiday park" is called freedom camping. I've seen many signs that say "Freedom Camping restricted to self-contained vehicles"
~ while there are still more sheep than humans in NZ, many farmers, especially in North Island, have switched to dairy cattle because there is a large market for dairy product export, especially to Asia.
~ in the 1950s, when the Alien worked on a huge North Island Sheep Station,introduced red deer were hunted as pests that competed for pasture. Nowadays, red deer are farmed and venison is sold in grocery stores and on the menu in most places.
~ gas stations are few and far between in South Island! We've driven for hours without seeing one. Today we drove 103 miles (166 km) between towns with gas stations, and part of that time I had no phone service. Don't leave anyplace with a low fuel gauge.
~ i read in the newspaper that it's recently been voted to name a peak in the Southern Alps after J.R.R. Tolkien

As soon as we hit the coast in Palmerston, I noticed a turnoff for Shag Point seal and penguin viewing. We took the gravel road out to the reserve and YIPPEEE! We were rewarded with a pair of Yellow-eyed Penguins coming on to the beach from a swim!! We watched them preen a bit on the beach, then waddle and hop into the tall grass and flax where they nest. They are the world's rarest penguin, and I can't believe our luck finding them so easily on our first stop! This is the first time on the trip I regretted not having a real camera with me.
Also at Shag Point were several dozen fur seals, Black-backed and Red-billed Gulls, Spotted and Stewart Island Shags. Two lifers in one stop! ::Lifer Dance::

We stopped in Moeraki at a Tavern for lunch. I had hot tea and vegetable soup, because we got quite a chill on those windy coastal bluffs! Treklet got spaghetti, which was served on toast, and The Alien ate fish.
After we ate, Treklet enjoyed a billiards lesson from The Alien.
I took a few pics on the road from QT to the coast.

We are staying 2 nights at Glen Dendron Farmstay. It's off the beaten track, about 20 km south of Omaru, up a hill, and down a narrow one-lane gravel road. The view is lovely, the garden is spectacular, the room is comfy and the hosts are nice.

Queenstown to Oamaru and Penguins

Toward Lothórien

When we went to bed it was pouring hard. When we woke up the sun was out! Here's what it looked like outside.

Treklet and I went for a walk along the lake on the QT Trail and then we all headed south to Glenorchy. We had plenty of time to eat a hearty lunch and then wander over to the waterfront and learn a little of the area's history.

Glenorchy sits at the top of Lake Wakapitu, on the shores of the Dart River. It had its roots in sheep, cattle, gold, sawmilling and scheelite mining dating back to the late 1800s, but the road from Queenstown wasn't built until 1962. Until then the only way in and out was by steamboat.

Several local spots were used in the filming of The Lord of the Rings (I swear it was filmed EVERYWHERE in NZ!) Mt Earnslaw can be seen over the Tower of Orthanc, and it is also part of the Misty Mountains. Nearby areas are used as the edge of Lothórian, Amon Hen, and Isengard.

We checked in at Dart Stables and were given gumboots, helmets and Driza-bone oilskin coats. Soon we were mounted and on our way. Because it had been raining a lot for several days, the river had peaked, and there were many new streams and puddles. Many parts of the trails were either squishy mud or shallow rivulets.

Our river crossing was exciting...the water came up to the horses' chests! We crossed about a dozen small streams and the second river crossing was impassible. Our guide took her horse in and he swam!

Treklet was very happy to be on a horse. I tolerated it and it hurt my knees. The scenery was amazing, and our Irish guide, Deanna, was full of interesting information. She even took us off the trail a bit to see a pair of Black Swans with their two cygnets.

Here's a little video of our adventure. I didn't record much or snap many pics from horseback, because I was afraid to lose my phone in the water!

Riding to Isengard

Pics

Keep calm and carry an umbrella

Still raining!
We didn't do much today. I went for a run this morning in the rain on the Queenstown Trail. I made lunch, then we went into Queenstown for a couple of hours of shopping. We didn't buy much, because prices are high :-(

The news on the TV is showing rivers peaking, road closures and flooding all down the west coast and in the mountain passes. On the Milford Track, 120 people were stranded for 2 days because of the rain, and at least one woman is being treated for hypothermia. The weather on the upper east coast looks fine. We will be there last. I'm just hoping it starts to clear up by tomorrow afternoon's horse ride.

I've thought of some more NZ differences...

* Our bacon in the US is called "streaky bacon". NZ bacon is called 'middle bacon' and has little fat on it. I love it! I bought some & made a proper Bilbo-approved bacon sandwich for breakfast.

* I've yet to see central heating or air conditioning here, but there are space heaters and wall heaters. Our family in Taranaki had room air conditioning units.

* you don't pay before you pump gas here. They still trust people here.

* remember those Internet Cafes we used to have in the 1990s? Yeah, they still have them. Usual fees are around $4/hour to use their computers.

* I have yet to see a blow dryer

* it is not unusual to still see separate hot and cold water faucets on sinks & tubs, although most places we've stayed have only showers, no bathtubs.

Speaking of showers, look at this weird setup we have this week. The shower door only covers half of the tub, and it's a long step down to get out. I almost wiped out the first time.

Pirates of The Caribbean is on Sky 2, so there you have our big plans for this evening! Here's hoping we can ride horses tomorrow and not have to paddle our way out of here.

Rainy Day pics

Once a Ranger and a Uruk-Hai, Now a Guide

New Years Eve I stayed up til midnight uploading videos (YouTube Channel starfleetmom1) and enjoyed the multitudes of fireworks all around the neighborhood and Lake Wakatipu. The neighbors were setting them off in the street out front, and there was a big professional display across the lake in Queenstown.

Really crappy fireworks vid

When we woke up it was pouring rain, and it continued the entire day. I did some laundry, The Alien watched darts on Sky Sport (yes, darts, really) and we walked to the pub next door for lunch. Since Treklet is a vegetarian, she didn't order from this kids menu, but I had to snap a pic of it.

After lunch, our Lord of the Rings tour guide, Dean, picked us up. We were joining the full-day group for the afternoon portion of the tour. We climbed in the van with a couple from Germany and two young men from Switzerland.

Dean was in the trilogy, as a Ranger and a Uruk-Hai, and was on transport crew for The Hobbit, so he had first-hand knowledge of the sites, scripts, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

We visited the site in the Kawarau Gorge, above the bungee bridge, where the Argonath scene was filmed. We were actually at a point behind the scene, looking toward where the cameras were set up. We learned that the statues were actually "bigatures" filmed at a quarry in Wellington and superimposed on the scene. We learned that the boat Orlando Bloom was in capsized and the Bungee retrieval boat downriver fished him out of the river.

We saw sites in Arrowtown where scenes from the Prologue and Arwen's rescue of Frodo were filmed. We stopped on the shores of Lake Hayes where our guide brought out replica weapons and costume pieces for us to take pictures with.

I asked Dean how he got to be in the productions. He said there were ads in the newspaper calling for extras, with height requirements. He went for the tall men audition, 40 guys were called back, and 20 were cast.

It was interesting, but I'm not a big enough LOTR nerd to recognize weapon names or keep minor character names straight. Those Swiss kids were, though!

LOTR Tour

BUNGEE!!

Well she did it!
I can't believe Treklet jumped off the Kawarau Bridge! I can't believe we let her!!

You can watch the video here: Bungee

 Bungy Pics

added: Professional video

Wine and Swine

Wow! We woke up to a chilly 11C and fresh snow on the Remarkables peaks. Yes, this is summer in QT!

We left our flat at 8:15, headed back through the amazing Kawarau Gorge toward Two Paddocks Winery, following Jacqui's explicit directions.
...............l
While we're motoring, I thought I'd make a fun list of differences between US & NZ:
* It's hard to find "filter coffee" here. Espresso coffee is everywhere, though, and in homes most people use a French press.
* electrical outlets here all have on-off switches
* light switches go up for off & down for on. (Because we're upside down here?)
* toilets here have 2 flush buttons instead of handles. One for a light flush one for a "heavier load" -- if you catch my drift.
* dishwashers are drawers instead of racks that slide out. They're cool.
* I found it interesting that many people mount their clothes dryers on a wall upside-down above their washers to save space.
* they drive on the left side of the road, and driver's seat is on the right.
* they don't have screens on the windows
* the windows usually open out, and usually from the bottom, cantilever-style, instead of sliding up or to the side.
* measurement is all metric, which totally makes sense to me, except for temperature being in Celsius, which is less precise than Fahrenheit. Pounds, ounces, miles and feet are kinda dumb, IMO
* gas is sold by the litre and called Petrol
* wifi is is not as widely available as at home, and IF it's free, it's often limited to 30 minutes or 50MB
* When dining out:
fries are called chips and come with nearly everything.
Entrees are called mains and appetizers are called entrees.
They put just about anything in pies and have several more choices of pies than sandwiches for lunch.
They put fried eggs and beets on hamburgers.
They reuse bottles as water pitchers that you serve yourself from at the bars.
When salad comes with a meal it is served on the same plate, not as a first course.
Sausages are short and very fat.
.……………

We found our way to Two Paddocks easily, and quite early. Jacqui was a lovely hostess and took us for a walk to see the vineyards, orchards and critters.

Treklet thought she was in for a boring morning at the winery, but soon discovered piggies, ducks, frogs and chickens! The views from the winery are spectacular. Central Otago is a bit like inland central California, with drier hillsides, wide plains, and loads of vineyards and orchards. The temperatures here get very cold in winter, though, and while Jacqui wore short sleeves and a skirt, I was chilly with a fleece jacket on in summer!

The property was once a government agricultural research facility, and there are old fruit trees on the property still producing. We tasted a few succulent apricots. There were also plum, olive and pear trees, and a fallow saffron patch. Loads of lavender is grown on the property, too, and unfortunately for me, they were sold out of their lavender oil.

We headed back to the cellar after our stroll and Jacqui poured me a taste of each of three wines: Picnic Reisling, Picnic Pinot Noir and Two Paddocks Pinot Noir. They were all quite nice so I bought a mixed case and had them shipped home! We learned a bit about the viticulture of the area, and the differences between Marlborough and Central Otago grapes and their requirements.

We took our obligatory photos and said our goodbyes and Happy New Years and were on our way. I was much happier for our adventure.

Two Paddocks critters

We lunched in the adorable little town of Clyde, at the old Post Office Cafe. We stopped at the Roaring Meg power plant overlook where we watched some rafters float by. Then I insisted on a stop in Gibbston at the Cheesery. I tasted about a dozen cheeses from cow, goat and sheep milk and got a cheeseboard for us to munch on. I purchased cheese and a cooler bag to take home! Silly, yes, but I felt the cheese was superior.

Finally, we stopped to watch the bungee jumpers at the Kawarau Bridge and Treklet begged and pleaded until the Alien finally gave in and bought her a turn. We had three hours until her booking, so we came back to the flat to rest a while. Stay tuned for bungee news....

More Pictures