Wellington and Sydney: a summer of contrasts

Where is summer? In Wellington it has been almost non-existent, like much of the rest New Zealand.  It has been windy, cool and often wet.  The only places that have been relatively nice have been Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay.

On the other side of the Tasman they have had a heat wave.  Record daytime temperatures have been recorded in much of New South Wales through January and February.  Bev was very happy to spend the three weeks over Christmas New Year in a much cooler New Zealand.    However, when she returned she cooked for the following two months.

I was over there for a couple of weekends during this period.  It was hot.  So hot all I wanted to do was find the nearest air-conditioned room.  I have discovered that any temperature over 30 degrees is not pleasant although more bearable than when it is closing in on 40 degrees. 

At the same time Wellington was struggling to get above 20 degrees during the day.  During the weekends there would either be lots of wind or rain or both.  So riding my bike was not a frequent affair.  Of course, when it did stop blowing and raining we had these wonderful but rare days when one would forgive oneself for living in Wellington. 

The weather was a major topic of conversation whether it be the scorching temperatures in Australia or the lack of sun and more than ample rain.  

To give some idea of the temperatures when I was in Sydney for a long weekend at the beginning of February it was scorching, 

I had suggested that before I came over we go for a picnic so Bev was determined that we should.  I made a rather nice salad  and we popped that into a picnic kit and headed off a to a place called Somersby Falls which is about forty minutes north of Asquith – on what they call the Central Coast.  As we drove along the outside temperature got as high as 43 degrees, according to the car.  I have never been in temperatures so high.  The air-conditioner in the car was very good and at least kept us cool.  We thought that we might not get our picnic and certainly by the time we got Somersby Falls it was still hot but a cooler 40 degrees.  Since it was so dry it wasn’t as bad as one might imagine.  The falls had only a little water going through them but they were pleasant enough and we found some shade in the forest where it was probably about 5 degrees cooler – but still hot.  We lasted about an hour before heading back to the relief of the car air-conditioning.  Remarkably there others there as well.  

Nelson and another bike ride

Fifty years ago a homesick little boy went to boarding school at Nelson College.  It was my choice but the tears did not stop for what seemed like months.  Everything I saw and did reminded me of home and for some reason I wanted to be back in the safe haven of my parents home.  This was despite going having been my choice.

So on Thursday I borrowed my mothers car and took road that I had travelled over all that time ago.  We stopped off Pelorus Bridge where we had a coffee and scone.  Fifty years ago it would have been an ice-cream if my parents could afford it.  Otherwise it was just a toilet stop.  Pelorus Bridge has a one-lane bridge which has been there ever since I can remember.  Apart from the new tearooms it is much as I remembered it.  While having a cup of coffee we struck up a conversation with some South African Australians who were tramping on some rather remote trails.  They had a bit of walk to go to the start of their next venture into the bush.  I had thought of giving them a lift but with their packs and the size of our car it was not practical and we would probably have got to Nelson rather late. 

It was day of visiting various places.  Firstly we went through Nelson to Kaiteriteri as Bev had not been there and it had been a place where as a child I had had the happiest of family holidays, which just happened to coincide with the whitebaiting season.  Unfortunately when we got there the crowds had packed the beach and there was not a park to be had within easy walking distance.  We assumed that the crowds were there as it was such a nice day and there had not been many. 

Lunch beckoned so we backtracked to Neudorf Wines (who produce one of the country’s best chardonnays – all there other wines are pretty classy as well).  We had what was a DIY platter with a glass of wine.  The setting is just lovely and it would have been nice to get there earlier and find a nicer place in the shade to while away an hour or so, although I think we did a bit of that anyway. 

Our next stop was  in Mapua (thanks to Veronica the GPS) on our way to our AirBnB in Nelson.  It is another really lovely spot although much more commercial than the little run down village of nearly two decades ago.

Our AirBnB was in a new build area on the Port Hills of Nelson  at the southern end of the hills with rather lovely views out over the airport toward the West Coast ranges.  Our host was a born and bred Nelsonian who had moved away from Nelson for a number years but had returned to semi-retirement.  We found that we had a connection through a family I had mown lawns for when I was a pupil at Nelson College.  So I caught up on this family that were really lovely. One of the daughters had been a couple of years older than me and when I was at University in Dunedin she had been very nice to me. 

She provided several restaurant recommendations and we ended up going to a place called Harry’s Bar which had recently taken over the space where an original coffee house called Chez Eelco had been.  Eelco a Dutchman had set it up in the late 50s, as there was no coffee bar like he had at home The Netherlands.  It was very successful for over fifty years. 

It was the go to place for the boarders at Nelson College but there were unwritten rules and that was we were not allowed to go there until we were in the fifth form for some reason. There was even a hierarchy of what parts you could go in depending on your seniority.  It was a place you could smoke and no one cared.  Prefects who were discipline monitors kept away from it.  

The meal at the transformed cafe was good; fusion food with the accent on Asia as opposed to New Zealand or French style food.

The next day after a delicious breakfast we packed and went down to the airport from where our bike hire place was operating.  The sun was still out and it was the perfect temperature for cycling. We were a little late and Bev said that the other couple who were taking this trip to Spooner’s Tunnel as well had got there about 45 minutes before us and were waiting impatiently for our arrival.  So it was a very hurried set-up of the bikes (mine was not the best whereas Bev had a nice one) and we were finally on our way in the van to be dropped up at Spooners Tunnel which is about forty or so kilometres from Nelson.  The driver provided a guided tour which would have been great but we could not hear from our seats very well. 

Tunnel exit

The trail

It was a brief ride to the start of the tunnel which is about 1.3 kilometres long.  There were some lights in it and we had lights as well. Despite the two forms of lighting it was quite difficult to see well as it was so dark and we had lights  coming the other way.  Nonetheless we quickly travelled the length of the tunnel to come out into the warmth on the other side.  It was a slight downhill ride.  At the end of the tunnel our driver took our lights and after the obligatory photos we took off.  The cycle trail continued downhill for another kilometre or so before we were on a cycle track that went alongside the road.  We could see where the old railway line had traversed the main road, but the bridge over the road had clearly long gone.  The old track clearly tracked away from the route we following and it was gong to be a little while before we re-joined it.  Apparently we had been told that a part of the trail had not been completed but not having heard that and following the directions on the trail we followed a very nice trail through a pine forest.  There was a bit that was the main road and fortunately the  drivers were very courteous  despite being the height of the holiday season.

The newly opened part of the trail

On the way to the tunnel a café had been pointed out to us that was reputed to have really nice pies.  As it was close to midday when we got there we thought it was a good place to stop and try one.  The other couple who were in the van with us had arrived before us and were eating a pie and said they were good.  Being the friendly souls that we are we sat and talked with them.  They had not done the part of the ride we did because they had listened to the driver who had said that section was not complete.  They came from Tauranga but had been brought up in the Nelson area and were visiting family.  It was nice to speak with them as they were nice people and the woman by that time  obviously gotten over her irritation. 

A long abandoned 19th century homestead

The next part of the ride was very flat.  In Brightwater we encountered the Lord Rutherford memorial (Brightwater was his birthplace).  It was very interesting and  gave a brief chronicle of his life and works.   Eventually we joined a trail by the Waimea River.  We were followed the left bank for a couple of kilometres then crossed over on a swing bridge to right bank.  We then followed a rough potholed gravelled  road for about six kilometres.  As we proceeded along it we became a bit worried we were not on the right path.  Especially so when we encountered a

The cycle bridge over the Waimea River without the sign

quarry with warnings and when we got to the second quarry we were convinced we were not on the cyclepath.  So we turned around and bounced and juddered our way back to the bridge where we found the cycle path.  It had clearly been set up for people going south  rather than north as cycle path  was hidden from view after exiting the bridge.  It would have been helpful for there to be a sign for turning right as one descended from the bridge. 

The proper cycle path was a relief – no bouncing and juddering!  Along the way we came across some fruit for sale on the side road.  Apricots and nectarines!  I was delighted as there is nothing like orchard fresh fruit, all it meant was a kilogramme more on my back.

A beer at The Honest Lawyer

The ride to the airport from that point returned to following the old railway line which was straight until it came to the coast where the trail departed the old line and followed the coast to the airport.  Just prior to the airport was a pub called the The Honest Lawyer.  We stopped for a beer and again encountered the people who had done the trip with us.  They too had missed the turnoff at the bridge but had only got to the first quarry. 

After dropping off the bikes we went to Greenhough Winery.  I had read about their wines but had not seen too many of them around so it was wonderful to be able to try the range.  The winery is small but it is nice because you  get to meet one of the owners.  We were arrived at the end of the day just as they were closing.    Mrs Greenhough was slightly standoffish but the quality of the wines compensated for that.  I had only intended to get one bottle of Pinot Noir but ended up getting half a dozen, as they were so good.  They were well priced as well.

We arrived back in Picton in time to cook a quick meal for my mother. 

It felt like we had packed in a lot during the two days we were in Nelson.  I came back thinking it was one place I think I could retire to.  It is a big enough community to have some culture – there are all the facilities that a big city has (except no international airport) and a very nice climate.  All the elements for a good place to live.

An Australian Christmas

An early morning flight to Sydney on the 23rd of December is not most people's idea of a good idea.  However, I found it it much easier than I thought it would be and the flight was not all that full with quite a few spare seats.  Perhaps the prices deterred people from travelling at that time of the year.

This was to be my first Christmas outside New Zealand.  I had checked with my aged mother whether she was ok about me going and I was given leave to go to the other side of the ditch to have Christmas with Bev and her family.  Twelve people in all which is the most I have had Christmas with.  I was rather anxious about going as it was going to be odd being with an ex-husband and a number of people I don't know that well.

Bev met me at Turramurra and from there we went to a restaurant for breakfast (lunch for me by then) but found that it was only on weekends that they did a proper breakfast so instead we went to a little café opposite a park in Wahroonga which a few minutes from Asquith.

After breakfast we picked up a boned rolled turkey that I was going stuff that would be one of our contributions for dinner then picked up some nice wines to accompany the dinner.  I love choosing wines and I was able to get a mix of Australian and NZ wines that reflected the make-up of the family.

Christmas day dawned warm and dry - apparently a contrast to previous years in Sydney.  We had stuffed the turkey the evening before and we needed to get it to Bev's sister's place in Mosman a bit earlier than everyone else so that long cooking process could commence. I had a precise timetable which was interfered with when Bev noticed that the local café was open and we had to stop for a takeaway coffee.

Thus the turkey was on a bit later than I wanted.  However we were able to get it on before the crowd arrived.  Bubbles were opened and nibbles put out.  Some of sat out on the deck to look out at the wonderful view that Trish's home has of Balmoral beach and the bay beyond.

There was a veritable feast of food available and we began eating around 1:30pm.  It was a very happy day with Bev's two year old granddaughter the centre of attention.  Christmas is definitely made for small people.  The food was delicious.  Lots of variety with a range of favourites of various family members.  We all sat at a table which was really nice.  It was a bit like the Waltons from Little House on the Praire with everyone seeming to like and each other as well as tolerating differences.

The main course got a little held up because the turkey was not cooked when I thought it should be (thank goodness for temperature probes).  By the time we got to eating the main course (around 3:30pm) the bench was a mess of unwashed pots and pans and even plates.  Finally, the meat thermometer showed the right temperature and out of the over came the turkey.  I managed to get the turkey onto a carving surface, had a knife (which could have been sharper) that would cut the meat and was going quite well when suddenly the turkey was in the air plummeting to the ground.  I tried to catch it but without success and it went plop on the floor. I quickly scooped it up this very hot piece of meat and had it back on the carving board immediately.  There exclamations of surprise, expressions of concern as to whether I had burnt myself in my heroic attempts to prevent it hitting the floor.  Fortunately the turkey barely touch my hands and all was well with the turkey pretty much keeping its shape.  The cause of the mishap was that I had the board too close to the edge and an uncooperative piece of skin had cause the board to move to the of the bench and from thereon gravity exerted itself.

We had three main courses, the turkey, smoked trout and a cooked ham.  The food was accompanied by wonderful light salads.  Mind you by that time we were a bit full having had the traditional prawns as one of the starters.  The granddaughter just loved the turkey and that was all she ate from that course, chewing her way through as much as she could.  It was very funny to watch.

The family now have a tradition where they do a Secret Santa with all participants drawing a name.  The process is to name what you want and the giver then decides on what to give.  It is also permissible to give things that are not on the list.  Present opening happened between courses.

The final rites were over dessert which included trifle and a Christmas pudding amongst other sweet things.

It was a very nice day.  Compared to Wellington and Picton it was much warmer getting up to about 28 degrees in Sydney while I gather it was in the mid teens in Wellington and Picton.  Compared Christmas's past it was very different and very enjoyable.  In my family of origin Christmas has at times been a time of conflict which has not made for a pleasant event.

Bev and I headed home in the early evening very full but not having drunk a huge amount - I was driving so it was important not to anyway.  

Five days after the Earthquake

I wrote the blog on Monday shortly after it had occurred.  Since then much has happened.

Throughout the day friends and family contacted each other either by phone, in person or by text.  It was the strangest of days.  The city was eerily quiet with the CBD shut down while engineers visited buildings to determine whether they were safe to reenter.  Roads were cordoned off because of glass or the risk of falling masonery.  Fortunately it was a fine day. 

Throughout the day we continued to feel aftershocks but with decreasing frequency and for the most part decreasing intensity.  Radio New Zealand continued to provide a superb service letting the country know what had happened and providing us with a picture of the effect of the earthquake on the city but also of the devastation that had been wrought on Kaikoura and the hinterland near Culverden in North Canterbury. Kaikoura was cut off by road from both Christchurch and Blenheim due to slips.  The railway line was cut similarly.  The inland route was also a write off. 

The Defence Force slipped into gear, and it was interesting being in that organisation because they were like pigs in muck.  This is the stuff they are trained to do and so they were mobilised and ready to go very quickly.  Helicopters were dispatched and ships including the HMNZS Caterbury the untility ship set sail for Kaikoura.

I was really tired having had a broken sleep so I was pleased that work had been shut for the day.  So I wandered around not sure what to do with myself.  I think I read, finished off my blog on The Gong and talked with people. 

Remarkably the airport was unaffected and flights took off from early morning.  Other parts of the city had been relatively unaffected as well. 

Rain had been forecast and sure enough it arrived as a storm late Monday afternoon and for the next 24 hours we were lashed by rain. Fortunately I had enough work to do over that day and got in full days work.  It was good not to have to go to work in it.  By midafternoon on Tuesday I was suffering from cabin fever so went for a walk up to Kelburn Village and had a coffee.  Then I went back and did some more work before going to the gym for some exercise.

By that stage it became apparent that there was some significant damage to Defence House and that we were not going back there for some time.  The rains had caused severe flooding in the Hutt Valley and on the Kapiti Coast with roads closed and lots of slips. 

The newspapers have full of sensational headlines which keep talking about fearful Wellington residents.  Most of the people I know have just got on with life.  Most of us don't like severe earthquakes, but they happen and there is not much you can do about them.  We live on a plate boundary and one thing most of us can be certain of is that a natural disaster such as a major earthquake might happen in our lifetimes.  For some like my 89 year old she has  been alive for both the Napier and now the Kaikoura earthquakes.

Over the week more buildings have been found at risk.  It appears that those that were tall and on soft ground came off worst.

Bev commented that from what she was reading it seemed like Wellington was a disaster area. Yes a bit of damage is being uncovered in Wellington but it is not a disaster area.  Some people aren’t reacting too well but most people I have talked with wish the media would stop saying that the Wellington is living on fear. There are some nervous people and I know some who are fearful but it is like being scared of water and people learn to live with it. The control freaks are probably more bothered than people like me who see it as mother nature doing her thing in the same ways storms devastate Australia or the firestorms that take out whole communities.  It is just with some of those events you have more warnings.

I heard a person say on radio Friday morning that the city and its buildings had done what was meant to be done and that was keep people safe and if they did that but were now unsafe then they had done their job; people got out alive. One of the things that has happened is that where there is reclaimed land and there are big buildings on them then they have suffered the most.  Those buildings which were on hard rock seemed to have performed well including buildings that were deemed to be more at risk.  As one engineer said the modern buildings performed well and that people would have got out alive.  While the earthquake was centred near Kaikoura and that is the community that has suffered most – only one person lost their life.  This is one of the biggest earthquakes in NZ in the last 100 years so it is an unusual one.  Also, apparently we have had a fairly dormant time recently with few major earthquakes.  Most people have not felt anything like this earthquake.  I was in Nelson when the Inangahua earthquake struck and that one moved us around similarly but in a straight line it was much closer to Nelson than the Culverden one was to Wellington.

In a testament to resilience I heard on radio another guy who was very laconic about what had happened. He was outside his trashed house cooking on bricks he had used to build an oven and just saw it as something that happened and you kept on living.

So, I think of it as an event that makes life interesting.  Boring is not as good as it is made out to be!!

An earthquake

At two minutes past midnight a few seconds after waking the building started shaking.  It got progressively stronger and I started wondering whether this was the predicted "big one" that Wellington is due to get. 

It is a very strange feeling to have the bed and building being moved around so strongly.  My heart was beating faster and I was trying figure out what to do.  I thought about getting under the bed but that was not promising as I don't think I would have been able to fit under it.  I had the thought that I might head for the table in the dining room but that was not the wisest idea either.  So I took the only rational option which was to stay in bed.  I am not sure how long the shaking was for but it seemed to go on for ages.  Eventually the shaking died down and I got out of bed to check the flat. I was really wired and wide awake by that stage

Despite being on the fifth floor of the building nothing had come out of cupboards and the only thing I saw was one cupboard door that had opened as a result of the shaking. 

My building is a long narrow building but it seemed to rock on its north south axis which is the length of the building.

I rang Bev to let her know I was ok before she, who is on the stable continent of Australia, began worrying.  While speaking to her a number of aftershocks came through.  They were very strong but short and sharp unlike the big one.  She asked how big it was so I looked at the Geonet app which is on my phone and saw that it was magnitude 6.6 and located near Hanmer Springs a good 300 or more kilometres to the south of us.  It was later upgraded to a 7.5 magnitude quake.

I then rang my mother to make sure that the shock of the quake had not caused heart attack and was pleased to hear that she was ok but a bit shaken up.  We chatted for a while and she told me later that she was very grateful that I had rung. 

Shortly after the quake my occasional flatmate arrived home.  She made a cup of tea and related how her car was shaking and she thought that had a puncture but then saw lots of students in the street and stopped to talk with them.  They were a little scared of what had happened.

Radio New Zealand ran a wonderful service telling people what was happening, passing on a Tsunami warning soon after the first shock.  During all this time the aftershocks continued.  I lay in bed and read because I was still "wired".  Finally at around 3am I went to sleep waking again at my usual time of 6am. 

The last time I felt anything that strong was in 1968 when I was student at Nelson College.  I was a boarder and on the third floor  of the hostel and it was in the early morning.  The earthquake was called the Inangahua earthquake.  We shook in the same way and us boys couldn't decide whether to get under our beds or not.  Like this time, the aftershocks kept coming and we did not get a huge amount of sleep. 

I am working at the NZ Defence Force and like many businesses it has been closed today while the building is checked out. I am feeling very tired so I am not too bothered.