The Traveling Kiwi

I am always late getting the spuds and tomato’s in but finally the garden is starting to look like the plants are growing faster than the weeds. The kowhai tree has been full of tui’s every day. The spuds are big enough to start mounding up and I even have beans and tomatoes on the go, a tiny carrot patch, peppers, courgettes and the obligatory broccoli. My rainbow beet is out of control and will,need to be slaughtered soon but the perpetual spinach is limping along. I have found a Yuzu tree in the citrus collection and it is surprisingly nice in sparkling water, a new favourite. It’s not really a very big space but I have plums and apples and pears, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberry and strawberries, passion fruit, rhubarb and I am trying to figure out where I can put a cape gooseberry. But Christmas I might be ready for the next lockdown 🙃 I get real satisfaction out of gardening, although it would be a hellava lot more fun if I didn’t have to weed. I don’t mind mowing with my tiny battery mower, it’s getting around to it when it stops raining that takes the most time.

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.. most of the time I just go to the supermarket or grab a coffee with friends, there really is not much to see in town. I am sure we have more second hand stores, dollar shops and tattoo places that most small towns. But sometimes there are unexpected delights in exploring your own back yard.

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A wedding in Christchurch and on a wing and a prayer hopefully I will be raising a glass to my “adopted” nephew marrying his sweetheart at a colourful Indian wedding in just four weeks. Time to visit family and catch up with my rapidly growing great niece. The time goes so fast and at almost 6 she is wise and thoughtful and absolutely hilarious, I am so looking forward to seeing her. I wish I could be closer and spend more time with her as she grows.

Her first original poem

Bear may be small but she is clever, and she’s my friend for ever and ever. I may just be a proud great aunt but I think she is pretty awesome.

A

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A bit south of Rotorua, inland toward Waikete Valley and down a road that winds along the Paeroa Ranges you can find a little spot thats just off the beaten track.

The entrance required clambering past an electric fence, then the grass was deep and wet and within moments my shoes and pants were soaked. But this tiny thermal spot is home to the rare endangered “Prostrate Kanuka” and who could miss that. ( row of laughing emoji’s)

After only 5 minutes walk you are greeted with bubbling mud and steam – it doesn’t get any better than that. A wee adventure and then back to plant the tomatoes.

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..to Alice. I feel like I have been down the rabbit hole these past few months. I seem to have just been wrapped up in a cocoon, missed birthdays and contact with friends and got absolutely nothing done.

So nothing else for it than a wee trip to wonderland, well….to the Blue Springs near Putararu. It was supposed to be a nice day out but the day became wetter and wilder the deeper we went into the Waikato. Still well away from the COVID border tho.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when arriving in a muddy car park festooned with signs warning of car thieves and recent horse habitation.

Once you started up the trail of buttercups and gravel you soon forgot the passing rain showers and standing sheltered under massive redwoods looked down at a winding stream of the clearest water filled with lime green weed and blue clay. The walk was a delight, changing views every few meters. No people, just tui’s and pukekos, swallows and fan tails and the occasional trout spotted lurking at the edge of the weeds.

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… it’s been wet wet wet with more wet wet wet so when my ex neighbour suggested Napier for a few days how could I resist. It’s almost tropical there and only 4 hours drive away.

The plan was to hit a few winery’s but… we wandered the antique shops, met up with some of her family and decided we wanted an early night. Love Napier, the Art Deco buildings and the lovely old villas. We had an old house turned into an Airbnb up on Bluff Hill. Except for a few terrifying moments trying to park on the side of a very narrow, very steep road and the owners extremely individual taste in large taxidermy tarantulas (they were covered with a tea towel for the duration) it was a lovely relaxing place.

Next day same plan, hit a couple of winery’s … but we went to Birdwood Sculpture park and sweet shop, a Figgery (ok we did go to the figgery just so we could say “ I got me to a Figgery” but the fig chutney was worth the stop) and explored Havelock North, got a pedicure and … another early night. So a great girls getaway for a couple of tired old birds.

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… in fact the more I procrastinate the surer I am. I keep meaning to post.. but I don’t have any nice photos… I am too tired… not sure what to post about. I could blame my Chronic Fatigue as it wipes out days at a time, but it’s really more because I want to post photos that I think are ok. My camera is on its way to Sony US under warranty as it has never been able to take a clear photo and who knows when it will be back, so I only have my iPhone.

So ‘deep breathe’ I went for a walk. I look out over a park called the Tree Trust. A visionary gentleman planted out these parklands with groves of trees and funded it by having people buy a tree that could be used as a memorial for those who have passed. It was so popular it has expanded to acres of land but you can no longer buy trees. The council uses sheep to keep the grass down and it is one of the nicest places to walk in Rotorua, of course in lockdown there are no cars driving through but lots of people.… and sheep.

With spring just starting the daffodil as are out and the very early blossom, but the show stoppers are the magnificent magnolia’s in three different groves and three different colours.

The dark burgundy, soft pink and white. Huge almost plastic feeling blossoms stand out against the bare trees, almost as if they are floating in space.

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Open day Sunday for the locals to visit. Whakarewarewa village is the oldest continually inhabited Maori village in New Zealand occupied since 1350’s. Interesting walks around and behind the village and then a guided tour through the village itself. Only 44 people still live here but the wider family groups come for the steam cooking in the hot pools and the thermal baths.

Crisp sunny day, chilly but clear and the geysers were active. Fun day out after weeks of rain and then today we are back to fog and freezing temperatures.

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Autumn colour, winter weather and spring growth all in the same place at the same time. I just had to capture it.

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After days of wet wet weather and dull grey days a foggy trip to Hamilton suddenly briefly, brightened up and the ginkgo just glowed. So bright and unexpected and bought a huge smile. however a few minutes later I was regretting not bringing an umbrella, the skies opened and a drowned rat ran for the car that somehow managed to be miles and miles away.

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