Monthly Archives: March 2014

Blenheim – Marlborough

After breakfast we checked out and took a shuttle bus to the airport where we picked up the rental car we’d be using for the rest of our adventures at the top of the South Island.

First stop was Brancott Estate Heritage Centre for a wine tasting training class and then a superb lunch overlooking the estate vineyards on the valley floor below. Brancott is part of the Montana group of New Zealand wine brands. Montana was created by a Croatian immigrant, Ivan Yukich (Jukić), who planted his first vines in 1934 in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. The first wine was sold in 1944, and by 1960, 10 hectares were planted.

Serious Stuff – This Wine Tasting

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The Montana Wines company was founded in 1961 and was predominantly a fortified wine producer until Frank Yukich, one of the sons of founder Ivan Yukich, led the company to plant vineyards in Marlborough in the early 1970s. Montana ceased to be New Zealand-owned when it was bought in 2000 by Allied Domecq, the second-largest wine and spirits company in the world, based in Britain. Allied Domecq New Zealand was bought by the French multinational Pernod-Ricard in 2006, and it now trades under the name Pernod Ricard New Zealand Ltd.

Brancott Estate is just one of the New Zealand wine brands owned and operated by Pernod Ricard New Zealand, their brands also include Church Road and Stoneleigh. Pernod Ricard have wineries in Auckland (Tamaki Winery which bottles all wines from their New Zealand vineyards), Church Road (Hawkes Bay), and Brancott Estate (Marlborough).

The heritage centre, including the restaurant, is dug into the brow of a hill overlooking the valley; it was designed to minimise disruption of the natural skyline. The wine tasting lesson surprised me with its mention of kerosene bouquets and tastes – however fleeting – and the reference to underlying taste of tomato stalks – whatever that might be. I abstained but the others seemed to enjoy it.

The lunch that followed was excellent and every table had panoramic views out over the vineyards.

Panoramic Views Indeed

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After lunch the ladies were dropped off at Upton Oaks Garden – a very English recreation in Blenheim.

Upton Oaks Country Garden – The Beginnings

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The gentlemen took themselves off for an hour at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, a short way out of Blenheim. Sir Peter Jackson is a significant contributor to the World War I aircraft and artefacts on show; he also has private collections of WWI aircraft collection in Wellington, Masterton, and Blenheim. The exhibits, ancillary information and artefacts kept my interest and made me very thankful not to have been a WWI aviator.

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

We rejoined the ladies and set off for Hortensia House garden where we met the owner, Hugette Michel, a charming french woman. I’d arrange the visit with her some weeks ago. Hortensia House garden is a spacious, tranquil garden with a cool, languid, spring-sourced stream running through it all year round. A bridge crosses the stream, built in a style reminiscent of Monet’s garden. A relaxing stroll was had by all.

Hortensia House

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The Spring-Fed Stream

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The Bridge In The Style Of Monet

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Refreshed we set off for Nelson then on, over the steep Takaka hill, to Pohara and our accommodation for the next three nights, the wonderful Ratanui Lodge.

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—24℃ 0.2mm rain [?]

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Molesworth Station Express Tour

An earlier morning start today. After breakfast we checked out and boarded our mini tour bus for the day. We took our luggage with us because tonight we’re booked into a hotel in Blenheim.

In stark contrast to yesterday’s waterways, today we explored the dry, inhospitable high country on the Molesworth Station Express Tour.

Molesworth Station Tours

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https://www.marlboroughonline.co.nz/index.mvc?ArticleID=29

https://www.awaterevalley.org.nz/index.mvc?ArticleID=25


https://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/about-doc/concessions-and-permits/conservation-revealed/molesworth-station-lowres.pdf

Molesworth, 130km southwest of Blenheim is New Zealand’s largest farm. Located between the Spencer Mountains and the Kaikoura ranges, Molesworth covers 180,000 hectares and is able to support over 10,000 head of cattle. First discovered as a result of the need for a stock route to Canterbury, Molesworth originally consisted of four separate runs which had been mismanaged, and were surrendered to the Crown between 1938-1949. Overstocking, repeated burning, and plagues of rabbits all contributed to massive erosion. New management techniques were introduced, burning was ended, and mixed sheep-cattle farming replaced sheep alone. As a result of these changes, Molesworth is now self sufficient, and both a conservation and farming success. The climate is difficult, with a short growing season, and frosts 255 days of the year. Rainfall varies from 668mm in the east to 1800mm in the west. Temperature ranges from 30 degrees Celsius in summer to a low of -10. Snowfalls of 100mm occur in winter.”

Trevor Bryant, our driver and guide, began a lively and interesting commentary about the places we passed and the people that lived there, and this continued almost without a break for the entire 6 hours. We drove from Picton to Blenheim and south to the Awatere valley. The Wairau and Awatere valleys form the two main wine growing areas in Marlborough and as we followed the Awatere river upstream he regaled us with the names, owners, and fortunes of almost every vineyard we passed. The winding gravel road was narrow and often rutted and the dust was everywhere. Eventually the endless grape vines petered out and we were in dry grass and tussock country with numerous clumps of Matagouri or wild Irishman (Discaria toumatou) – a very prickly dense scrub bush – and Sweet Briar (Rosa rubiginosa). Early settlers coming through this way from down south would have had a very difficult ride for both horses and men.

After The Vineyards …

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We stopped at a modern woolshed for morning tea and again for lunch at the original Molesworth cob-construction homestead, built in 1866. The cob cottage was just inside the boundary of Molesworth Station; we were now some 130km up the Awatere valley.

The Molesworth Station Boundary

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https://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/historic/by-region/marlborough/south-marlborough/molesworth-cob-homestead/

A feature of the landscape for the last 50km had been the spectacular Inland Kaikoura mountain range including the highest peak, the 2880-metre Tapuae-o-Uenuku the translation from the
Maori of which is the poetic “Footprint of the rainbow”.

The Inland Kaikoura Range

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Moving on from the cob cottage we went to a lookout point overlooking the Acheron Accommodation House, the current homestead and outbuildings. It all looked peaceful and temperate in the late afternoon sun.

The Acheron Accommodation House

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On the return, retracing our steps until we hit the coastal plain, we stopped for afternoon tea at a disused and derelict roadman’s cottage, partially invaded by trees.

Roadman’s Cottage

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We were dropped off at Blenheim’s Scenic Hotel and, after check-in, we wandered round the town looking for a nice place for dinner. The town was almost deserted and very few places were open so we ended up having dinner back at the hotel – very formal but very pleasant.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—26℃ no rain [?]

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Myths & Legends Eco-Tour of the Marlborough Sounds

Today we went on a tour of the Marlborough Sounds with hosts and guides Pete Beech and his wife Takutai. Takutai is Maori, from the Ngaiterangi Iwi, her name means, “One who has an affinity with the sea”. They have four children and one Mokopuna (grandson).

The boat, a 75 year old kauri-planked launch called Tutanekai, is moored at Waikawa, about 20 minutes north of Picton. Tutanekai is a two-masted classic launch named after one of the most famous love stories in Maori folklore. He (not she) is over 70 yrs old and was built by E.R. Lane in Picton in 1930 out of full-length Kauri plank, 42 ft long, 10 ft beam, 3 ft 6 inches draft. Powered by a 471 GM diesel engine rated at 115 hp at 1800rpm. Cruising speed is a comfortable 9 knots. It was built for use as a passenger vessel over summer and as a mother ship towing harpooned whales back into the Whaling Station during the winter season. He (Tutanekai) has spent 30 years as a mail boat, then a fishing boat, then 20 years in the mussel industry pushing barges, where it was run down into a near derelict state. The old owner gifted the ‘Tutanekai’ to Pete who has restored him to his former glory.

Pete and Takutai Beech (From Their Publicity Brochure)

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https://www.eco-tours.co.nz

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Pete spoke of the environmental problems in the Marlborough Sounds: proposals for huge commercial salmon farms, the wash from ships travelling through the sounds eroding the water’s edge, and the spread of wilding pines from nearby commercial forests. We could see large hillsides where he and others had poisoned the wilding pines but still more where the unwanted weed trees were crowding out the native bush. The seeds come from nearby commercial forests and so the control is, as for predator mammals, never-ending.

Pete got so absorbed in his environmental activities that he became ill, had a small stroke, and their business got into trouble through neglect. Things are better now and Pete eats only vegetables, convinced of the value of a vegan diet by non other than Karola’s cousin James Wilson (of whom more anon).

https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8697455/Activist-heeds-health-warnings

Prompted by Geoff, Takutai gave a brief introduction to the pronunciation of Maori language.

Takutai’s Maori Lesson

Takutai and Pete described the early Maori settlements in the sounds, their seasonal and temporary nature, following the food supply and avoiding invaders. They spoke of the waves of Maori war parties from elsewhere in New Zealand, usually just passing through, and of the arrival of European explorers and settlers.

We visited Ships Cove which is a sheltered bay on the edge of the open sea. Ships Cove was Captain James Cook’s New Zealand primary base during his three wide-ranging voyages of exploration between January 1770 and February 1777 providing a central, secure anchorage with wood, water and fishing. During the visits Maori traded for European goods while Cook’s people observed and engaged in Maori cultural life.

Ships Cove Monument

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Ships Cove provided shelter from the storms, food, and above all fresh running water.

Ships Cove Stream – More Trickle Than Torrent

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Then on to Motuara Island, a predator-free native bird sanctuary. We walked quietly up to a small shallow pool, the only permanent water source on the island, and saw up close: robins, bellbirds, saddlebacks, and yellow-crowned parakeets (kakariki).

The Island’s Only Pool With Visitors: Bellbird, Robin, and Kakariki

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Motuara South Island Robin

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Motuara Saddleback

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Motuara Yellow Crowned Parakeet (Kakariki)

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En route we saw seals but didn’t see the rare Hector’s dolphin nor any pods of bottlenose, or dusky dolphins. However everyone had some time steering the launch on our way back to the anchorage after a most inspiring day.

Plump Old Man At Wheel

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A Safe Pair Of Hands

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Snug Against A Keen Wind

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In the evening we returned to Le Cafe and had another most enjoyable dinner.

Le Cafe in Picton

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Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—26℃ 0.1mm rain [?]

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Taking The Ferry To Picton

Check-in time for the ferry to Picton was 2:15pm. In the morning Geoff and Edwina packed up at the Days Bay flat, drove in to Wellington, and returned their rental car at the ferry terminal. Bridget took Karola and me to collect them and their luggage in her large, comfortable new Mazda CX9 SUV. Bridget then drove us to the other end of the city and we all went for lunch at Te Papa, the national museum in Wellington.

Afterwards Bridget ferried us back to the InterIslander ferry terminal, we checked in, went on board the Arahura, and took our places in “The Cove”. The Cove is the Arahura’s club class lounge, with comfortable window seats looking out of large picture windows. The crossing was smooth, a little choppy but without the heaving swell and strong winds I’d experienced in the past, though not everyone would agree about the wind. The views as we left Wellington harbour and again as we sailed into the Marlborough sounds were delightful.

Geoff & Edwina Getting Blown About A Bit As The Ferry Crosses Cook Strait

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The Cove on the Arahura InterIslander Ferry to Picton

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Fellow Travellers En-Route To Picton

Upon disembarking in Picton we took a shuttle to the Park Regis hotel, our accommodation for the two nights in Picton. We had adjacent “superior ocean view” rooms which meant they had recently been refurbished and had a view out over the ferry terminal, marina, and a section of the Sound beyond. After check-in we strolled down town. Picton is quite small and, this late in the season, almost empty of tourists. After passing several restaurants we found a small place to eat, Le Cafe, and the meal was very good, so much so that we decided to return the next night.

Some may have been disturbed by the general quietness of the town, broken only by the all-night thrumming of the ferry engines on standby, but I for one slept well.

View From Our Superior Ocean View Room in Park Regis, Picton

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—22℃ 0.1mm rain [?]

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Holiday Of A Lifetime

We finished packing and then I took Bramble rather rapidly in the Landrover up to Graham and Tracy’s place 40 minutes up the Napier-Taihape road. Bramble was quite happy to stay with the other dogs and her temporary masters.

We checked the sheep one last time, locked doors and windows, and set the burglar alarms for the homestead, cottage and garages before setting off along SH50 towards Wellington.

We went through the Manawatu Gorge, left to Shannon and on down to Pukerua Bay. We had afternoon tea with Cecilia Johnson in Pukerua Bay and while there I installed the latest version of free anti-virus software, AVG, on her computer.

Then on to Bridget’s in Khandallah, turning off the motorway at Johnsonville. After freshening up we walked up to Taste, soon joined by Bridget and Chris. Already seated were Geoff and Edwina Robinson, our long-time friends and my work colleague from England, and Tony Fletcher, an even longer time family friend and fellow computer person. Gill joined us shortly afterwards, without husband Ben as he was off on a field trip to Maude island, talking to frogs and large native parrots. The ambiance was excellent and the food a delight.

Later, but not too late, we went back to Bridget’s for the night while Geoff and Edwina went back to our flat in Days Bay for one more night.

Our Itinerary

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—21℃ no rain [?]

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Getting ready

SwimGym

Then a slow day for me getting ready for the next holiday excursion.

Karola mustered her ewe lambs and attended to some with dirty bottoms. She then syphoned off the two wether lambs from the ram and attended to one of them. The ram was allowed to join the ewes; all the lambs went back to the Front paddock and One Acre; the ewes and ram were corralled in the Long Acre for the night.

I did ring Henare to check he was OK to mind the store, and Cornucopia to cancel the bread for a couple of weeks.

Karola rang the lodge and booked dinner for us on 31st March and 1st April; she then rang the Picton hotel and booked us a shuttle from the ferry to the hotel on Friday evening.

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—19℃ no rain [83.6]

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Lunchtime Dinner At Burleigh

We set off, karola, me, and Bramble in one car, the Robinson’s in their hire car, at 9:27am precisely along highway 50 towards Bulls and Burleigh Farm. We stopped for coffe and, in the case of the Robinson’s, a muffin, at MacDonalds in Dannevirke. From there we went over the Saddle road onto the west of the divide, stopping to admire Chris More’s (Meridian) wind farm. There’s one turbine you can get out and touch on the brow of the hill.

We arrived on time for lunch at Burleigh and were greeted by Harry, Chloe, Tessa and her two infants, and Laura. Chloe had cooked us a delicious meal and after lunch much enthusiastic discussion ensued – mainly but not exclusively between Harry, Geoff, and me. This went on until 4:00pm when the Robinsons set off for Wellington and three days in our flat in Days Bay.

Burleigh farm was very very dry and the constant strong wind from the west was blowing large clouds of topsoil over the bluff and into the river. The Burleigh driveway oaks were shedding their leaves through water stress; the lawns were brown and dying. They are very much hoping for rain soon.

Bramble’s tummy is still not right.

Plaque On The Wind Turbine On The Saddle Road

The Wind Farm Lookout On The Saddle Road

Public Notice At The Lookout On The Saddle Road

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—24℃ 0.4mm rain [82.9]

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A Day With The Robinsons

SwimGym

We all spent the morning in Napier beginning with the view from the lookout on top of the bluff and then shop gazing in the CBD.

On The Napier Bluff

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Bramble and I read newspapers under a tree in the Presbyterian church grounds out of the hot sun. We had a quick look round the Pilot Shop, allegedly world famous for its online shop with all things for the amateur aeroplane pilot.

Then we drove to Clifton Cafe for lunch followed by a stroll along the bicycle path at Clive. Geoff and I discussed birds we saw along the way, many with the same names as English birds but actually being of different species. We also debated the insect sounds of crickets, cicadas, and grasshoppers.

The Wetlands

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We returned to Karamu for afternoon tea and ice cream which merged into an early supper.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—22℃ 0.1mm rain [?]

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The Robinsons Arrive

I gave the sheep another tranche of pasture and took down a couple of electric fences to tidy the place up a bit.

The Robinsons arrived as planned late afternoon, just as I finished my Sunday tasks – excellent timing.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—21℃ 0.1mm rain [83.6]

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Cross Country – Horse of the Year Show

Overcast and in the late afternoon, drizzle. I worked solidly on computer all day.

Karola went to the Hastings “Horse of the Year” (HOY) show at the show-grounds – to the corporate hospitality enclosure with her VIP badges and taking Rowena. Surprisingly she met several people she knew here; John and Vicki Bostock, and Joannie and Tom Laurie, and Charlie Levine’s son, Peter whose son-in-law’s nephew is the leading rider on the cross-country. And of course Karola watched her favourite rider, Mark Todd, go through the water. The VIP seats were strategically placed with good views of four of the five jumps next to the water.

Bramble’s tummy is still a bit upset and I don’t know quite what to do about that if she’s to go on holiday later this week. She is quite boisterous and cheerful though, not showing ny signs of discomfort except when it is time for me to hose down the rear end with cold water. I can understand that.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—18℃ 23.1mm rain [82.9]

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FBR – Friday Before Robinsons

SwimGym. It had rained a teensy bit in the night and was still drizzling in Hastings as we got to the Gym.

Karola fed her sheep some pea straw and then cooked a huge amount of Bramble’s gourmet rice, steak, and liver – enough to cover her stay with Tracey and Graham while we go south with the Robinsons.

Karola got the short straw today and went off to collect bread etc. However the shop gave her the wrong bread order so I went in later, swapped loaves, and did a bit more shopping.

I pootled around with computer; it was an overcast day and not so warm.

Watering of the cottage lawn is done.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—20℃ no rain [82.8]

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Robinsons Invade New Zealand

I watched flight NZ9449 creep across Indonesia and Australia using an online flight tracker. After lunch Geoff rang from Auckland airport to say they’d arrived safely. Late afternoon I got an email saying they’d made camp in Coromandel at the Pauanui Pines Motel.

Karola booked and went off to have a facial in Hastings late morning. Also her 2 tickets for Saturday for the special hospitality event at the annual Horse of the year Show arrived in the mail; she and Rowena plan to go.
Karola spent much of the day attacking the suckering Ribinia along the drive.

I moved the cottage lawn sprinkler onto the next section of lawn, installed a bolt on the cottage sunporch window, and, grudgingly, mended the handle of an old “coolie bin”.

Late afternoon I trimmed the edges of the bay tree planting area in the cottage garden.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—26℃ 0.8mm rain [82.6]

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Warm and Humid

SwimGym

We worked together on Karola’s passport renewal form.

At 10:00am Karola went to a talk at Duart House in Havelock North about “Dr Felkin’s Astral Travel”, part of Duart House’s People and Times Past lecture series.

Karola then dropped in on Peter Offenberger, Charlotte was working all day at the Hohepa shop, and left quinces for Charlotte as promised.

I made a quick trip into town with Bramble:

  • Mitre-10: lawn sprinkler heads, 2 x screwdriver sets for the homestead and homestead garage, more grass/clover seed, a couple of varieties of woody plant poison, and a bolt for the cottage sun porch window
  • Office Max: bottle of white correcting fluid, eraser, and a box of printer paper
  • New World: food and newspapers

Then I cut down the weeping willow Karola planted ten years ago on the edge of the Australian section, in the planting area along the avenue. I has not flourished and as the leaves were turing yellow I thought the sheep might as well enjoy the foliage before it fell off and went brown.

Then I took down one of the dividing electric fences and allowed the ewes into a fresh strip of grazing.

After lunch Karola posted her passport renewal form and some recent blood pressure readings to her doctor – they vary greatly from normal to alarmingly high.

I mowed the cottage lawn. Then, hot and tired, I retired to the cottage for the remainder of the day.

In the evening I took Bramble round the orchard and then set up a sprinkler on one quarter of the cottage lawn – it dries out so quickly.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—24℃ 0.1mm rain [82.9]

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Passport Renewal

Another warm day. Today Karola began her passport renewal in ernest, preparing for her overseas trip in July. That included a photo session at Peter Dunkerly’s, the pharmacist in Stortford Lodge.

Karola also continued her moving of hoses to water her wilting Konano (coprosma grandifolia, closely related to the Karamu, coprosma robusta) under the oaks.

I, on the other hand, spent the day on computer admin.

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—28℃ 1.7mm rain [82.8]

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Hot, Sunny, Breezy

SwimGym

Bramble has a very upset tummy and couldn’t wait till we got back so there was some cleaning up to do when we got back. It might have been the fig that she had yesterday but more likely she ate a very rotten pigeon’s egg she found under the big palm tree last evening. She’s still not right this evening but at least I took her for a decent walk and there was no mess inside – well not so far.

Rest of the day spent pottering about; me doing computer admin and Karola watering and weeding.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—28℃ no rain [82.6]

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Maintenance Sunday

So, Lusi is history as far as we are concerned and the long-range forecast until the end of March is for summer skies and temperatures here, in Wellington, and in Blenheim.

Karola says that even the little bit of rain we had yesterday has perked up some of her more wilting karamus under the oaks.

We switched the ewes and the ram plus wethers, a slightly risky enterprise as, for a few minutes, all that was separating them was un-electrified electric fence. The ram will join the ewes shortly but if they get together early I’m likely to be here alone when the first lambs arrive – Karola will still be in the UK.

New plug put on the big trailer electrics cable. A hoe head fixed back on its handle. Sundays are made of such small tasks of maintenance.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—28℃ no rain [83.3]

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Awaiting Lusi

Sowed some grass seed on the barer spots of the cottage lawn anticipating a decent drop of moisture to encourage growth.

Desultory day as it was windy, but nothing like a gale, and only some soft drizzle before nightfall. However the drizzle did keep us inside most of the time. Bramble took Karola into Hastings briefly mid-day just to top up the food in case the storm was merely delayed rather than bypassing us altogether. We have abundant clean water from the artesian well, tons of firewood, and a stove with a cooking top so we’re unlikely to be cold, wet, thirsty, or hungry.

Rather sweet graphical display of the global winds provided by Ben Bell:

https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-184.92,-34.12,512

Oak Avenue Weather:19℃—21℃ 7mm rain [82.8]

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Outdoor Miscellany

SwimGym

Shane Hay rang to see if we wanted the lawns mown. Given that I’m running out of time before the Robinson’s visit I said yes and he came almost straight away and spent over three hours grooming the “lawns”.

I went off to town while Karola waited for Cynthia Chalmers to come round for some quince fruit and a chat.

Shopping:

  • JayCar to see if they could fix my mini-blowtorch; they couldn’t so I bought another which they discounted 10%.
  • Mitre-10 for replacement trailer electric plug and some clover lawn seed
  • Flight-Centre to pick up Karola’s tickets for her overseas trip in July
  • Cornucopia for weekly GF bread and couple of kilos of unpolished long-grained brown rice for Bramble – who only eats brown rice, prime Angus beef, and lambs fry.
  • New World for weekend food


I returned to find Cynthia and Karola chatting avidly. They had late morning tea and Cynthia finally left.

After lunch I moved the sawn trunks of two trees felled by the Tree Surgeons last week and, later, filled a small trailer with mulch for Karola before piling some mulch on the path up to the homestead back door, for the Robinsons to avoid mud and/or twisted ankles on the rough ground. The homestead back door area is still rather raw after removing the cottage but we expect a transformation within say a decade – that’s how long it took us to plan and move and refurbish the cottage.

Much talk on the news of the storms to sweep New Zealand over the weekend. The more they talk, the less likely it is to happen, in my experience.

Part Of One Of The Tree Trunks Off To The Stump Dump

Fresh Chippings On The Back Door Path And Newly Mown Lawn

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—24℃ no rain [83.2]

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Ian’s Senior Moment – Lambs Everywhere

About 11:30pm last night Karola saw that the homestead garage proximity lights had come on and in the light she could see a couple of sheep.

We rushed out to see what was happening and found all the lambs were out of their paddock. I had left the gate open while mowing the perimeter yesterday, forgetting that the lambs had free access to the same paddock. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Very luckily for me the lambs were curious more than famished and they wandered through the old wooden gate entrance to the Front paddock, sampling interesting foliage as they went. They browsed heavily on the Karamus on one side of the front 133 gateway up to lamb-height. I found six of them out on the road verge and a couple on their way down the 121 driveway. Most of them were milling around in front of the garage.

Karola took sheep nuts out and soon had all but the six out on the road following her. I cautiously circled round the roadside escapees and shooed them back inside. Half an hour after Karola saw the lights go on everyone was back in their paddock.
Karola’s day today was pretty hectic. She went out for a dental appointment and shopping until mid afternoon.Then she mowed the Front paddock before entertaining Rowena until dinner time while I mowed the One Acre.

Last night and today I had sprinklers on the cottage lawn, hoping for a vibrant green lawn when Geoff & Edwina arrive.

Karola At Full Throttle

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—25℃ no rain [82.9]

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Decided To Top The Front Paddock

SwimGym

Started the tractor so that Karola could finish the mulching – that one last trailer load took less than an hour. Then I wnet with chainsaw and tractor with mulcher and Land-rover with trailer into the Long Acre and made some more firewood, mulching the smaller twigs.

Then switched the mulcher for the orchard mower and I did round the outside of the Front paddock so that Karola can do the main middle section later this week.

Set up two sprinklers on the cottage lawn and began giving the lawn a heavy soak. Each sprinkler covers about a fifth of the lawn and I let it run for abut four hours. All this so that it’s nice and green when Geoff & Edwina arrive.

Took the blades off the mulcher ready for resharpening.

Began mending the large trailer cable; again someone has unhitched the trailer, taken off the safety chain, and driven off with the electrics still attached. I’ve done that before and it doesn’t take long to fix but I need to buy a replacement plug first.

Cut the 30 metre centimetre-thick synthetic rope into three and burned the ends to stop them unravelling.

At Karola’s instigation – she thought briefly that it might rain, briefly, I started mowing the Front paddock, just round the outside near the fence and on the slope of the ha-ha.

Meanwhile Karola mowed round the base of the Feijoa with one of her many lawn mowers, where the newly spread mulch meets the lawn. She then returned to her main hobby, creating and maintaining tree guards.

Front Paddock Perimeter Mowed Ready For Karola

Oak Avenue Weather:__℃—__℃ no rain [83.4]

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Karola Soldiers On

Still exhausted from all the frenetic activity yesterday, I had a very quiet day pottering on computer.

Karola went into town for a few hours and then came back and did another couple of hours stint on mulching. Meanwhile I tackled more of the wysteria and roses overgrowing the homestead verandah.

Only One Trailer-load Left

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—21℃ no rain [83.7]

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Shorn and Magnum’d

SwimGym for me only today. Karola was getting her sheep ready for the shearer due at 9:00am. He and his wife actually arrived at 8:30am so it was just as well Karola got the sheep penned in good time.

Meticulous Maids came to clean the cottage after lunch.

Karola began mulching the remaining Ngaio trimmings. I did some more pruning back of wysteria and roses on the homestead verandah.

Late afternoon we took some ripe quince to Greta’s – she is going to display them in her green grocer shop and see if there’s interest. We also filled up the diesel cans as mulching is thirsty work for the tractor.

Then, in the cool of the evening, we applied Magnum anti-fly-strike liquid to all the sheep – the old ewes, the hogget ewes, the ewe and wether lambs, and the ram. That should see them safely through the danger period. (Magnum – withholding period for meat – nil).

Karola Flat Out Mulching

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—22℃ no rain [84.0]

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Peter, Navina, Jazz Return To Wellington

After another enjoyable, relaxed, and lengthy breakfast, Karola accompanied peter and Navina to the Hastings Farmers Market at the Show Grounds. I looked after Bramble and Jazz. A good time was had by all.

Then we went to Clifton Cafe for lunch, a favourite cafe of mine, and afterwards for a walk along the bike trail at Clive – along the estuary south bank and south along the wetlands and then east out across the beach to the Pacific ocean.

Returning to Karamu, Peter, Navina, and Jazz packed an then had afternoon tea before leaving for Wellington.

Henare dropped in just as they left so we had another cup of tea and caught up.

Then Karola and I spent a coupe of hours finishing the last third of the cutting back of the Ngaios along the orchard drive.

The Orchard Drive Neatly Trimmed – West View

The Orchard Drive Neatly Trimmed – East View

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—24℃ no rain [83.6]

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Peter & Navina Clemerson – Wedding Day, Yes and No

After a lengthy breakfast I took Peter and Navina on a tour of the orchard and the homestead grounds in the Landrover.

Then off to Pernels Fruit World for a cafe lunch. After that Peter and Navina got themselves dressed up and ready for Peter’s officiation at a wedding at the Mission in Taradale. Peter is a certified marriage celebrant and is conducting a Hawkes Bay wedding at the Mission winery and restaurant this afternoon.

Karola looked after Jazz and Bramble for the afternoon; I cut back Wysteria on the homestead front verandah; Karola pruned the main Feijoa tree and finished spreading the mulch underneath it.

Peter is 73; he is part-way through a PhD on Cognitive Dissonance from a Behavioural Psychologist’s perspective. He is an atheist, a humanist, and somewhat of a contrarian (“No I’m not!”, he said).

Jazz is a timid 11 year old black miniature poodle that they inherited from a friend who died recently.

Peter and Navina In Their Sunday Best

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—26℃ no rain [83.8]

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Peter & Navina Clemerson and dog Jazz Arrive

SwimGym

We then all went shopping for weekend stuff.

In the afternoon Karola spread the heap of mulch under the Feijoa tree so that the fruit, already beginning to fall, had a soft landing.

Peter and Navina and Jazz arrived as expected around 6:00pm and we went off to meet Peter and Charlotte at the Indian restaurant in Havelock North. Unknown to us before arriving, the restaurant had mis-recorded my reservation as being for 7 people at 6:00pm so when 6 people turned up for a meal at 7:00pm they got us a table but we had quite a wait until the meals arrived. They were however delicious and we had most enjoyable conversation.

Bramble and Jazz seemed to hit it off OK; Bramble was boisterous but not unduly so.

Oak Avenue Weather:8℃—21℃ no rain [83.7]

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Karola’s Overseas Trip Finalised

Steve and the gang spent most of the day on completing their tree pruning, thinning, and balancing of trees in the Island paddock. The Claret Ash and others now are much cleaner limbed and nicely balanced and I won’t be bashing my head on low-hanging branches when mowing around them.

In the morning Karola and I went into Hastings and she finalised her ticketing for her 42-day 2014 overseas trip.

12 Jul 14: NZ5282 NPE-AKL 15:50(16:55)
NZ8 AKL-SFO 19:15(12:15)
VX1354 SFO-BOS 14:45(23:30)

20 Jul 14: VS12 BOS-LHR 21:40(09:10+1)

21 Aug 14: CX254 LHR-HKG 22:20(17:05+1)
22 Aug 14: NZ80 HKG-AKL 19:10(10:00+1)
23 Aug 14: NZ5205 AKL-NPE 12:35(13:35)

So, Karola will be in the USA for 8 days and in the UK for 31 days except that some way within the UK stay she plans to go to Poland for a week.

The flights are all “premium economy” except for the commuter flight to and from Napier. Karola is also now a Koru club member as well which gives her some extra luggage allowance and entry to the NZ airport lounges and lounges of their affiliates. En route there’s really not a lot of time between flights this time, which is good, but use of the lounge before the Auckland flight and the London-Heathrow flight will be good. Also we both will be able to use the lounge on our Blenheim-Wellington flight and our Napier-Auckalnd return flights in April.

I booked the Napier-Auckland return flights for the IDS conference today.

After the tree people had gone I put up a fence across a third of the middle paddock and let the ewes and ewe hoggets into it and the Island paddock. They were delighted with the fresh leaves left by the tree people and the acorns but I doubt the grass will last long.

After dinner Karola and I put up the two new blinds she bought yesterday in the master bedroom in the homestead.

Oak Avenue Weather:4℃—21℃ no rain [83.4]

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Hawkes Bay Tree Surgeons At Work

SwimGym

By the time we got back Steve and his team from Hawkes Bay Tree Surgeons were setting up.

Champion tree climber and arborist Chris, she’s a New Zealander back from three years in the UK where she competed in world competitions, sprang around high up in one of the large oak trees, tidying up a substantial branch torn off and hanging precipitously in mid-air, and rebalanced the remaining crown.

There were fierce wind gusts but at least the rain held off, despite the TV forecast last night.

I had a short dental appointment in Hastings, otherwise it was a stay-at-home day.

Grinding The Stump Of The Old Liquid Amber

Large Pile Of Mulch From The Days Work

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—22℃ 1.3mm rain [83.0]

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Some Lambs Take A Break

Karola went off to town looking for new and more effective treatments for fly strike, and to get us cakes for morning tea.

One of “JB”s men called in to say there were a couple of lambs on the orchard drive and as a precaution he’d shut the gate onto the road. Someone left the gate open and ten of them were out in the driveway munching the long grass. It was like one of those flat plastic puzzles where you shunt square buttons round to try and get them into a desired pattern. I put the unadventurous lambs in the Totara paddock then the ewes into the One Acre just vacated, then the escapees in the Front paddock, now empty. Everyone has water and is safely fenced in again; no harm done.

Mowed the cottage and homestead garage lawns with the new mower using the mulching option which cuts the grass up into very small bits so it falls through the remaining grass and rots down quickly. No catchers to empty.

Karola dosed her fly-struck three lambs with the new mixture.

Picked up a small trailer-load more of the firewood I cut up recently in anticipation of the tree surgeons coming tomorrow and them not wanting to stumble over sawn up logs hidden in the grass.

Put up an electric fence for Karola across the Totara paddock and helped get all the lambs into the Front paddock, out of the way of the ram and of the tree surgeons.

Karola found the missing Land Rover keys in a cupboard in the garage where she put them temporarily while looking for something else a couple of weeks ago. Glad to get my familiar key and its remote Land Rover door opener back.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—21℃ no rain [82.9]

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Karola Mulch Appreciated

SwimGym

I thought the tractor had a leaking radiator and so nipped down to the garage for a bottle of “bars leaks” and coolant. But when I investigated further it seemed that the leak was merly the overflow when, I suspect, the coolant boiled.

Took off the mower and attached the mulcher and set it up for Karola over by the front lawn Feijoa tree. Karola pent a couple of happy hours washing the back ends of three lambs with suspected fly strike. It was light relief after that to mulch the Ngaio branches we cut yesterday.

In the meantime I did Karola’s GST and other computer admin.

Oak Avenue Weather:2℃—25℃ 0.1mm rain [82.7]

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Pruning The Ngaios

Karola decided that today we would cut back the Ngaios along the orchard drive. Last year we cut back the inside of the Ngaio hedge so that our other natives in the planting strip alongside the hedge could have more light. The year before we trimmed the outside of the Ngaios to make it easier for trucks and tractors to pass along the drive. This year we began the outside trim again and did about 2/3rds of the hedge, up to the double farm gates into the Front paddock. Karola plans to mulch up the thinnings and put the mulch under the Feijoa tree on the front lawn.

I took down the electric fence along the ha-ha end of the front lawn and erected another one making a race across the top of the Totara paddock. Karola noticed that one of her lambs had fly strike so wanted to yard them up and treat it. In fact three of them look as if they have fly-strike. Karola gave all the ewe lambs a squirt of Magnum (nil withholding days for meat consumption) and put fly-strike powder on the three afflicted: #304, #308, #318. She left the three in the yards and put the rest back in the One Acre.

Let The Cutbacks Commence

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—22℃ no rain [83.3]

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The Big Mow

Woke at 4:30am, probably due to the shaking of the tractor when mowing yesterday.

Got up in time for breakfast and then off to Nimmon Baling as was (Now P Nelson if I recall correctly) to get 16 bales of pea straw for Karola’s sheep. It is only open from 9:00am – 10:00am but we were there in good time this time. I got to stack the bales on the trailer. On the way back Karola bought raspberries and strawberries from Scott’s.

Karola not only had to empty the big trailer of the load of firewood I’d collected, she also had to stack her pea straw when we got home.

I spent most of the day on the tractor, mowing the Middle and Totara paddocks. Shaken to bits, and now the tractor has a leaking radiator, but I managed to finish the mowing before I noticed.

Some of the Totara Paddock Before The Mow

Some of the Totara Paddock After The Mow

Oak Avenue Weather:5℃—22℃ no rain [83.1]

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