Gold!

Feb 17th: A hot sunny day. We spent the morning on the town of Hokitika (pronounced Ho-ker-ticker) which was a gold mining town in the 1860s but is now a craft centre for tourists. It specialises in jade, or pounamu as the Maori call it. We saw some glass-blowing and looked at the carved jade and found a handmade fudge shop – my favourite! We visited the town’s museum and the boys completed a quiz and were each given a small piece of jade as a prize. We had lunch on the beach next to and running parallel with the main street. The first photo shows Steve making a construction from some of the driftwood there. As you can see, the beach is empty again. We spent some time collecting specks of sparkly gold mica from the sand.
After lunch we drove north for about half an hour to Greymouth. The second photo shows a fabulous roadsign that made us chuckle. It was used where the road and railtrack share a single lane bridge, and it certainly explains the danger well!
The campsite in Greymouth is on the beach and also right at the end of the runway so several small aircraft have zoomed in over our head. There is an excellent playground here, see next photo. On the left is a jumping pillow which lots of the good playgrounds in NZ have. The fourth photo shows the boys making sandcastles on the beach after tea, and the final one is of me enjoying a moment’s peace while they do so.

The glaciers

Mon 16th Feb: I’ve tried very hard not to include too many photos today, but failed. There’s just so much to show you and I wouldn’t want you to miss out. You can choose whether you take the time to look at all the images or not, but if you have time then please do. I’ll try to keep the text short.
The day dawned dry but low cloud cover shrouded the hills and the mountains of the Southern Alps all morning. First we drove and then walked to Fox Glacier. Here we walked along a path to about 1km of the terminal face. The photo shows some people for scale, but they are about 1.5km from the front of the glacier. We had thought about a helicopter trip over the glacier but with low cloud level it didn’t seem worth it. From there we drove west of Fox Glacier Township to Lake Matheson. This is on the list of 101 places Kiwis must visit. The still waters reflect the Southern Alps and Mount Cook – but not when there is a breeze and low cloud! However the walk to the lake is through rainforest and the sun was shining. Then we drove 30 minutes north, up and down and very windy to Franz Josef, the second glacier. Here we did a short walk to get a view of the glacier. From back on state highway we had a 2 hour drive north. We passed through a couple of small settlements, one called Hari Hari had a couple of stores and fuel. Here there is a memorial to Guy Menzies who landed his plane here in 1931. It’s a fascinating story so have a search on the internet as I haven’t got time to tell you it, but the photo gives you a clue.
We ended our journey in Hokitika at a campsite next to the beach. As you can see it’s not exactly crowded! Unfortunately if you were hoping for another playground photo, the one at the campsite is poor so I didn’t bother photographing it. However, we found a huge alternative for the boys to play in, and here is a photo of them getting thoroughly wet.
The final photo is of a sunset from the beach – again, a beautiful sight not spoiled by crowds of people.
After dark Steve and I took it in turns to visit some luminous fly bottoms! We certainly know how to enjoy ourselves! If you haven’t worked it out, there is a glowworm dell (outside rather than the deep caves they are usually in) over the road from the campsite. Just take a torch and wander along the path to see them. Had it been the UK or US I’m sure there would have been a turnstile with admission charge, a guide to tell you about it, drinks and souvenirs on the way out, and goodness knows what else.

Moving on...

Sun 15th Feb: Another day, more beautiful views to see. The first photo is the view we awoke to this morning of Lake Hawea from our motorhome. A sunny but breezy morning. We drove north
along Lakes Hawea and Wanaka and through a small settlement called Makarora. This was the last house or animal (except for tourists) we would see for another 2 hours of driving! We drove along the Haast Pass which took 100 years to complete, and the road has only been open since 1964. The road was winding and steep in places with huge hills rising sharply next to you, and steep drops down to the river on the other side. The second and third photos were taken at Thunder Falls, just after we had crossed the river on an iron bridge. The waterfall is 28m, and then you can see our three mountain goats clambering over the rocks. By now we had entered the infamous “West Coast” – infamous because of the sandflies that bite you mercilessly. We had some insect repellant from the UK and more recommended in NZ and Steve had thought of doing a trial to see which worked better – spray one arm with one and the other with the other. When it came down to it we smothered ourselves with both. These tiny things appeared silently whizzing up to us, but soon did a U-turn and headed for another tourist so we didn’t get bitten. We continued driving to Haast which is a tiny place where the Pass reaches the coast, and has the longest single-lane bridge in NZ. It started raining somewhere along this part of the journey. This area is rainforest. The density of the trees and undergrowth is amazing, even up the steep sided hills either side of us. This area has 5 METRES of rain a year. I worked out that’s about 1.5cm every day! If you go to 1500m, which much of the area is, then it is 3 times as much. Now you understand why there are no houses and no animals – it is pretty inhospitable. We stopped for lunch in a layby north of Haast. The photo here isn’t marvellous, but shows you the white sand, some rainforest and the huge hills behind. W carried on driving and it carried on raining, all the way to a tiny touristy place called Fox Glacier. Here we spent the night. No beautiful lake, but another playground to show you. One more thing to amuse you. It is against the law in NZ to kill an indigenous species within a National Park. Steve is expecting to be arrested soon for the murder of two sandflies this afternoon.

Off on holiday

Feb 14th: St Valentine’s Day and Steve’s 40th birthday. We finished packing the motorhome with everything we own, it seemed, and were finally ready to leave on holiday at midday! Now since we will be travelling through amazing scenery I thought I might treat you to more than one photo. You might want to get a map out to follow our route. There’s only ever one road that goes anywhere so I don’t think you’ll get lost.
From Waimate we drove inland to Kurow and then turned right. We passed through Otematata (this is pronounced oh-tee-ma-tar-ter, and fits in well to the rhythm of ‘Waltzing Matilda’, we have found) and before Omarama (pronounced oh-ma-re-mar) we stopped at a boat ramp and informal campsite to have lunch and first half of birthday cake, a coffee and chocolate layer cake Edward made yesterday. The first photo is of the view here. The place is known as Sailor’s Cutting, you can probably find it on Google maps.
We turned left at Omarama and drove through the Lindis Pass and after about an hour came to the next house/fuel/coffee stop at Tarras (population about 10!). Just after here we turned right and then took a few back roads to Lake Hawea. The campsite is on the southwest of the lake and is peaceful and the view stunning. The second photo is a view up the lake with birthday boy – just look at how clear the water is.
For the younger followers of our blog we have included a photo of the playground at the campsite. The playgrounds in NZ are great and are all different from each other. We’ll try to include some more as we travel.
After tea we went exploring along the bank of the lake, and after the boys went to bed Steve went fishing.
Now you know I have described homes here as being rather shed-like? Well, the final photo is of a holiday “cottage” here on the campsite. This is about $40 for the night and has only a double bed and a fridge in it. But just look at the reflection of the view you get from it! Our motorhome is a few yards (metres for you youngsters) away from it and we have an uninterrupted view of the lake too.

Friday in Waimate

Feb 13th: Today started with a cool wind but soon turned into a sunny day of about 20 degrees. Very pleasant. After finishing off a few things for the end of our school term, Peter and Jonathan went to our neighbours for a couple of hours. Edward and I were covering an hour in the raffle booth in the main street – see photo (looks a bit like Punch and Judy, I think!) Every Friday a local organisation sells raffle tickets and the profits go to their club. All the locals come along with their $2 while they are shopping, after dropping children off at kindy, or in their break from work, and buy a page of tickets. They are all trained to write their own name and number on the ticket page and it is just part of Friday-Waimate life. It makes oodles of money for the clubs, no matter what you are offering as prizes! Today was gym club's day.
At lunchtime the local Lions club was having a sausage sizzle to raise money for the cancer ward in the Children’s Hospital, which is in Auckland, so we had our lunch there. In the afternoon there was cooking to do and seeds to plant in the veggie patch and packing to do. Tomorrow is Steve’s 40th birthday and we are also going away on holiday, travelling in our motorhome, for 2 weeks or so. I’ll be back in blogland early in March to tell you all about it.

Homeschool breaktime

Feb 12th: It rained all night and kept going all day. The garden is very soggy and muddy and so are the chickens so I moved them on to an area of concrete in the back garden.
After schooling this morning we drove into town to get some heavy shopping, go to the library etc. As often happens we came across two of the other homeschool families there. On the way home we took a detour to drive to some of the many fords around the outskirts of town, and most of them were flooded. If we'd been in the truck (what they call a 4wd here) we'd have gone through for the fun of it, but as I was in Steve's work car I decided it wasn't wise.
Tonight the boys are making pizzas for their tea.
The photo is of the boys at our kitchen table. This is a multi-purpose table - meals, homeschooling, Steve's aeroplane building, craft and painting. In fact it's pretty much in use all the time someone is home. Here the boys are finishing cups of hot chocolate at their mid-morning break. The pieces of orange paper are their spelling lists for the week, and the other sheets are to remind me of placces we need to be that we've seen advertised in town.

Another day

Feb 11th: More schooling this morning, with cool and damp weather but never really raining. After lunch we met other homeschoolers at Victoria Park for sports/games for an hour. We did running, throwing and all sorts of ball games, finishing with 6-a-side football which is when the photo was taken. After nipping home we went back to Victoria Park for Peter to go to Keas (that is what they call Beavers here) from 4 to 5pm. Just after we dropped him off we heard the siren go off in the middle of town. This is how the firemen are called when they are needed. The Fire Service in NZ is voluntary and they get called from their normal jobs, or their sleep, when needed, by a loud siren that is heard all across town. Edward, Jonathan and I ran into the main street in time to see the second fire truck leave.
After the boys had tea our neighbour Jeanette came to babysit so Steve and I could go out for dinner. This is only the second time we have been out in the year since we left the UK. There's one place to eat in Waimate, at the end of the main street. There was one other group of people when we arrived, but soon we were the only ones there. Part way through dessert the staff member brought the signs in from the pavement and switched off some of the lights, so they were ready to shut when we left at 9.30pm! On the 10 minute walk home we didn't meet a single person.

The museum

Feb 10th: A cool (15 degrees) day with drizzle all day. We schooled all morning as usual. This week we are studying India and learnt to count to 10 in Hindi. We also have some plant experiments going on in kitchen cupboards and on windowsills. After lunch we walked to the library and came across another homeschool family there. We (I) staggered home with the usual 30 books or so to add to the dozens of library books we already have in the house. The boys and I visited Waimate Museum. The picture is of the main building, which used to be the Court House here. It's a 5 minute walk from our house, just behind the main street. As well as the main building (which had exhibitions on fishing and hunting, clocks, cameras, military things and telephones) there are also out-buildings which we will visit another day. There is an old police station, school-house and jail, which we all moved to this site when they were replaced. There are also sheds of farm machinery and wagons, fossils and bones, and lots more. It will keep us busy for many more visits, I'm sure.

What's happening with the weather?!

Feb 9th: What bizarre weather we are having. This morning it was already 29 degrees when we started schooling at 9am, with a strong hot north-westerly wind rushing past. But by lunchtime the wind had swung round to a southerly (straight up from the Antarctic) and it was 16 degrees and stayed that way the rest of the day. Too cold for a swimming lesson this afternoon so the boys played more train and car track games and we read some books together. Then later on it was gymnastics for all 3 boys. Edward and Peter went last year but Jonathan has just moved up to join them at 'big boy gym'. All the boys (5 of them; 3 are mine) are being coached this term by a 17 year old Waimate lad who came second in the national championships at the end of last year. They got to do rings, parallel bars and bar today so I expect their shoulders will ache tomorrow. A rush home, quick tea and run to Cubs for Edward. I'll get the younger two ready for bed and then go back for Edward at 7pm. I think Steve's keeping busy in the garage already building his next plane!!
The picture is of Edward in his Cub uniform. The pack has about 10 or 12 children and have a really busy and fun programme of activities.

Scramble the Spitfires! Germans aloft!

Feb 8th: Today was the long-awaited maiden flight of the Fockewulf 50 we bought Steve for Christmas. After Guy had harvested a field, Ralph turned up early this morning to mow a take-off/landing strip and the scene was set. Unfortunately Guy was busy harvesting and so his new Spitfire didn't have its maiden flight today. After some early technical problems all was ready. The flights were successful and the plane came home in one piece.
A hot day, temperatures here reaching 31 degrees, so we went for a swim in the afternoon. Finally at tea-time the breeze picked up and it felt a little more pleasant. At tea we had more potatoes and beans from the garden, and a gorgeous cappuccino cake that uses 4 eggs. I also harvested a kilo or so more rhubarb and the first tomato.

Fighting for space to play....

Feb 7th: Today was unexpectedly cool and drizzly in the morning and brightened a little in the afternoon. In the morning the boys played with their train track and car tracks and Steve got called out to several patients. After lunch we went to Victoria Park and played with a bat and ball and rode our bikes round the velodrome. As you can see from the picture it is a very quiet place here. You can also see how brown the grass has become during the current drought.
For tea we had a large side of mutton given to us by our neighbours from their daughter's sheep farm plus potatoes, carrots, green beans and cabbage all harvested from our garden today. The cabbage was an amazing 4kg / 8lb! Everything was very fresh and very tasty.

Pirate Pete

Feb 6th: Today is a public holiday in NZ. Waitangi Day marks the signing on 6th February 1840 of a peace treaty between the Pakeha (white settlers) and the Maori. It seems there was some misunderstanding about what was being signed and so the treaty is disputed to this day. Anyway, we still schooled in the morning. We finished studying Japan by making origami samurai warrior hats, got a bit carried away and now have an army of samurai teddies and other soft toys! Steve is on-call today and all weekend, but by lunchtime it was getting hot so I took the boys to the pool to play for a couple of hours. Steve is introducing his friend Gordon to flying model aeroplanes (this morning) and helicopters (now) and has taken the boys with him while I'm cooking dinner.
You might like to know that in NZ on a public holiday cafes and restaurants can charge a "public holiday surcharge" of 15%! We bought ice-creams on New Year's Day and had 15% added on the normal price. We avoided buying anything today!
The picture is of Peter seemingly standing on water, but if you look carefully you can see the blue floating mat under his feet. He was pretending to be a pirate and kept raiding the mats the boys and I were playing on.

Health and Safety? What's that??

Feb 5th: The warm sunny weather was back today. We managed a couple of hours' schooling then the boys had a swimming lesson before lunch. After lunch we started making a Japanese koi fish out of coloured card, paper and crepe paper. I'll try to take a picture when they're finished. We went to Victoria Park for the boys to play in the playground. Just as we were about to leave the boys disturbed a wasps' nest and Edward and Peter got several stings each. We ended up at the doctor's surgery and they saw their dad as he's the only doctor that works on Thursday. A dose of antihistamine for both and some steroids for Edward and they were much more comfortable.
The photo is of Jonathan on the tractor at the playground. This is a real tractor. Health and Safety doens't seem to have arrived here yet. I think they might have removed the engine but otherwise all the sharp edges and finger-trapping gaps are still there! I don't know if someone decided to put a tractor there or if it just broke down one day and was left where it was!

Harvesting the poppy seeds

Feb 4th: A good morning of schooling with a cool drizzly day outside. After lunch we went to Victoria Park, a 5 minute walk away, for Homeschoolers' Sports. We meet once a week and 19 children aged 4 to 11 play sports and do athletics together. I co-ordinate it with another mum. We've taken to timing the children running 60m and 400m on the velodrome track and today we did some ball skills too. After this the boys helped me do some gardening. A huge flax plant had grown stems over 8 feet long with seed pods on the end, and the weight of them had made the stems droop right across the pavement so we wanted to cut them back. We then discovered all our poppy flowers had finished flowering and made these beautiful seed heads. We picked some and sprinkled hundreds of seeds out of each. We're going to put some of these down the side of the house where not much else grows. Unless we find out they are the "wrong type of poppy" by the boys in blue, that is!

It's all coming up roses

Feb 3rd: Schooling went very well today and then the boys had a swimming lesson after lunch. We went to the library and then went to a cafe for a drink and a cake - the first time we have done this since we arrived. However we were celebrating that our permits to stay have been extended and so we can look forward to some more time here, some more exploring and some more adventures. For tea we had the fish we caught yesterday.
The photo is of one of the roses in our garden. There are rose bushes everywhere and they don't seem bothered by the hot weather and the fact that I rarely remember to put the sprinklers on them. Despite all this they bloom brightly. Speaking of putting the sprinklers on - did you notice the problem with the arrangements for watering during restrictions? As we live in an odd-numbered house we got to water the garden on 31st Jan AND 1st Feb while the houses opposite could not water all weekend!

Our nearest coast

Feb 2nd: A dry day but the temperature swung from nice and warm to a little cool, 28 degrees in the morning, 15 degrees by teatime. All the schools in New Zealand started their new school year today, but we started week 5 of our schooling. We dragged ourselves through some english, maths and science but were glad to be finished at lunchtime. Steve doesn't work Mondays so he's been to the supermarket and postshop for us. In the afternoon we all went fishing at Waihao (pronounced why-ho, and means short fin eel water) Box, where the Waihao River meets the ocean. This is 14kms from Waimate, going east. This is my first time fishing. Those of you that know me well are probably laughing out loud at the idea of me going fishing. I did think of taking my knitting to pass the time! Anyway I had a go, and we all caught a few pan-sized yellow-eyed mullet without any difficulty at all. Steve is gutting them while I type this and we'll have them for tea tomorrow.
The photo is of the coast at Waihao. It's a long coast of steeply-shelving shingle that is constantly shifting and the sea is too rough to be able to swim in it. The photo doesn't really show how steeply the shingle drops, but it does show you just how empty New Zealand is! If you want to look on google maps for where this is taken, put in Byrnes Road, Studholme and find at the end of this road where the river breaks through to the sea. We always collect flat stones on the beach to paint and often find skeletons. Today we found two fish skeletons and the dessicated head of a shark! Nice! The boys thought maybe they could put them under their bed with all the other things they "womble" when we're out and about. Can you imagine the smell???