Winter is Here, or Ramblings of an Island “Batchelor” The last couple of days have been savage. We have a really nasty weather system sweeping across Southern New Zealand. Yesterday was steady rain from a very low cloud base, and gale westerly. This morning after a night of heavy rain and occasional thunder I was startled…
DetailsTours to Ulva Island Staying at Sails Ashore on Stewart Island includes a guided discovery tour of Ulva Island with Peter … your host. The changing seasons and attendant flowers, ferns and birds is the focus of many of my posts. Orchid Season draws to a close Yesterday I found a clump of Autumn (Easter)…
DetailsSpring is Busy Busy for Kaikoura and Surrounds…….. So much activity….. The Hop Our region starts off with the Kaikoura Hop usually around the 24th September. This is great for car enthusiasts and the event attract approximately 700 car entries. The town just buzzes. Entries are from all over New Zealand and already I understand…
DetailsWild Food Event for Southern Region Early Ford V8 Club On the 10th August 2013 Ray and I held a ‘Wild Food Competition’ for the Southern Regional Early Ford V8 club of America. We created our own gourmet sausages from Wild Duck, Rabbit, Hare and Venison which Ray had personally shot and prepared. We served…
DetailsJust Winter Things Winter can be a depressing time of year, short days, colder, and often extended grey bleak periods. But we do also get those wonderful clear calm sunny days that make such a difference. And one of the really neat things winter gives us is marvellous sunrises. Well we get great sunrises throughout…
DetailsClearview Lodge Autumn Harvest The Grapes Autumn has been a busy time at Clearview Lodge this season. In April, after a marvellous sunny warm summer, we harvested our Pinot Noir. We are currently drinking our 2011 and 2012 Pinot Noirs and for something a little special, our 2010 Pinot Noir Port which has proven very…
DetailsCabin fever was starting to set in and thankfully we had the Olympic Games to enjoy over the past 2 weeks of downpours. The ground so soggy and small lakes everywhere. Alas… we woke to the pristine snow capped mountain vista of Kaikoura. It was absolutely idyllic. We drove our Russian guests to the water…
DetailsI wish I could state that it has been a beautiful crisp winter here in Whitianga but…I would be lying. After almost seventeen years here, these last couple of weeks have been the wettest wintry fortnight I can remember….. even the local golf club is closed! Fortunately the feminine side of the family – my…
DetailsWe are half way through the winter and here in Dunedin for the last several weeks we have had wonderfully warm and sunny weather during the day just cooling down a bit at nights. Unbelievably national TV admitted a couple times that Dunedin was the warmest spot in the whole of NZ. Unbelievably, because temperatures…
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