Nutcracker 2023

 After Duncan had refereed a game of golf, we set off on Saturday 23rd September to the Nutcrackers in Auckland. We had packed the car up on the friday.

We wont be able to get them all in the car next year!

We had to stay the night in Opotiki, but at least it was a start to our trip, and we managed to get the Nuts up to the Cracker, Whynut? out at Bethels beach by about 2.30 in the afternoon.  Sue and John were greatly relieved that they had 3 of the 4 WOOFERS (Workers On Organic Farms) from the previous year. We are  anticipating that the nuts won't be quite as good as last year 
We then headed back to the Heartland, where you can park your car for $8 a day, so long as you stay a night at each end of your trip, and had dinner in the restaurant. We wanted to be away by 6.30am in the morning. The airport was reasonably chaotic.

Jam-packed plane to Melbourne, and we got the bus from the airport to the city centre, then an uber to the Air BnB that Simon had organised. It was once a pretty,  traditional inner city apartment, but I suspect the owner is just waiting for  a good offer  for some inner city development.

The view from our window indicating what the neighbouring buildings are like.

Our doorway is on the left.

There is an upstairs lounge, as well as two bedrooms and the kids were very kind to give up their beds and sleep on a folding out couch.

Melbourne seems to be a city of skyscrapers.

On the way in from the airport we saw a lot of construction. Or this may be an art work?

Home-made Gingernuts

 

The Secret Recipe: Ginger Biscuits

100g butter

1 cup sugar

1 generous tablespoon golden syrup

1 egg

1 ¾ cups plain flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

Glace ginger – sliced thinly

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a medium sized saucepan.

Warm and cream to a nice even consistency.

Take off the heat and beat in egg.

Add sifted flour, ginger and baking soda to make a stiff dough.

Roll a rounded teaspoon at a time into balls.

Flatten with a damp fork and add a slice of glace ginger.

Bake about 15mins at 150˚C.

Makes 30 - 36 biscuits.

Wet and Wild

 When will it stop??? This month we have had 3 months worth of rain, and its only the 22nd of the month.

It is in the valley on the other side that the leak is. You can just see Duncan's head. The birds think it is hilarious and sit and watch him.

This is the easiest way down.

Sadly Duncan has had to revisit his handiwork again this morning between downpours as we have strong winds as well.

After the Golden Wedding Anniversary

 I didn't take many photos of the 12th of May, but here are a few that Jill forwarded to me.

Assembling the program, free gift pen and quiz form.

Ready to Celebrate!

30 bottles of wine were opened for 45guests!!

We can do this! - the double act.

But one notable omission from the guests was Simon. However low fares meant that he could make a flying visit 2 weeks later, and having been given the hurry-up on the decluttering front from Jill I decided to make use of the extra muscle power.

Fortunately we had a young couple wanting the old record player, so I said only if they took the tape deck, records and CD player and radio parts too. All the old tapes were thrown out, and I have packed up the CDs for future sorting (eg if I have another health problem which requires much sitting down).

Duncan helps with the clearing out.

All clear and ready to go!

We picked Simon up  at 8am on Friday morning - he had flown the evening flight from Sydney and managed nearly 5 hours sleep at an airport hotel. We gave him some breakfast before putting him to work. These units were make for us in Stout Street and are sold rimu with laminate lining. They are heavy.

Some strategic planning was necessitated which required a dolly and ramps.

Then onto the trailer and off to Habitat for Humanity.

After a bit of a drive, we went to the Vines for lunch.

In the afternoon, after Simon had had a bit of a sleep it was  out onto the farm for nut harvesting and dehusking.

Simon had requested that the three of us play 9 holes of golf. he just couldn't envisage me playing golf! I had a few good holes to astound him.

Duncan had just won this golf shirt - and Simon has adopted it.

We did more harvesting and dehusking this afternoon, and went to Portofino for an easy Italian meal.

Then it was home for a spot of Mumm with his Mum and Simon left next morning to head back to Newcastle.

Truly a flying visit!

Home via Hawkes Bay

 To be completed

Off to Martinborough 29th March 2023

 Gosh, we had to have the electric blankets on last night! but we got off to a good early start to Martinborough via the Desert Road.

Yes there was a good dusting of snow on the hills and the odd snow flurry brushing the car. It surprised us that there were so many road works and detours on this route. Soon the winds came up, making the driving with a caravan very trying.

We had expected it to take about 5 1/2 hours but it was 7 hours before we made it to Martinborough. Fortunately we know the camping ground well, and had booked a very good site, and were set up in no time, and ready to go out for dinner in the Square. We chose Cool Changes as the restaurant to go to, and the meal and service (a german lass) was very good, but the stand-out was the wine. A great Martinborough Pinot Noir from Dusty Road. The vineyard doesn't have a cellar door, so we had to buy it at the Wine Centre the next Day.

After our visit to the Wine Centre - and a VERY chatty shopkeeper we headed off to Luna. The young man at the cellar door thought he knew it all, and we were disappointed with the wines. Later on we came to the realisation that Martinborough had had two very light vintages. I think they were releasing some wines too early, and we were shocked at the prices!!

Then we went to Poppies for lunch.  The Reisling had tartrates, and I asked was this usual. He offered me a new glass, I said, no, there's nothing wrong with tartrates, but we would choose to decant it ."I'll go and ask" he said. He never came to our table again.

Because it is still vintage, not all the cellar doors are open. But we went to Palliser, (liked the Pinot Noir and Riesling) and then to Nga Waka. We talked to the lady there about Mendoza Chardonnay - which we had. Their Chardonnay was a blend of clones, and we told her that when you go to Mendoza (Argentina), there is no chardonnay because of Phylloxera. She said we should try Tiwaiwaka, who still did a Mendoza Chardonnay. We went to Hawthornthwaite, which was an excellent lesson to us about not leaving selling your property too long. The elderly wife came in, and puzzled, says I don't know where my husband has gone. She goes to the toilet, and says "Are you in there???" He still does not appear. We like the gewurtz from there. and very late in the piece, the husband comes in with his sandwich which he has toddled off and made when he was supposed to be minding the shop!

The winds were very cold in the camping ground, and we were pleased we weren't under any of the trees as lots of twigs and leaves came down.

A bit of housework next morning (31st March) before heading off to Colombia for pizza and a tasting.

The pizza oven was just outside, making thick fresh bases, so we just had simple toppings to go with our shared selection of Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir and Syrah. A young french couple where in charge of the cellar door, good jazzy music, and the weather was finer, although still cold. A good start to the day. Schubert was next, where we picked up a very distinctive Rose

 Next stop was Grava, and I got chatting to a group of Australians (who were also in the Motor Camp). They were from Perth "..well up the coast a bit at Mindarie" which is where Andrea, Duncan's cousin lives - in a distinctive round house, which they also knew. (We have stayed there)  So a very enjoyable stop, and the staff gave us a little tasting of local salami on toasted sourdough.

Our last stop was at Tiwaiwaka, where we had a very chatty lady. It was only about 5HA and she and her husband did the lot, vine to bottle. They had worked with Steve Smith who set up our vineyard (now owns Craggy Range).

Next morning Duncan found a wallet in the toilets. He flicked it open and saw it belong to one of the Australia men, but we didn't know which campervan was theirs, and it was too early for the office to be open. I saw them a short time after in the kitchen, and asked if they had found the wallet. "Yes, but it was empty - they'd taken all the cash, but fortunately left the cards" I was aghast to hear this, and was searching around for something sympathetic to say - I'm not sure that it was entirely appropriate "When I went to the toilets this morning, I found a Durex Condom packet.. and it was empty too." Well we all had a bit of a laugh anyway.

March 2023 Highlights of Taupo

 Due to the closure of the road from Wairoa to Napier , we first had to travel North to Taupo, then south to Martinborough.

But first we thought we'd treat ourselves to a few days in Ohiwa - just to unwind after the disarray of the cyclones. The beach had changed quite a bit, and the tide goes out a long way. I was tempted to go in the surf, but then we watched people wading, wading out, and still up to their knees. My tummy would have grounded me as soon as I set off on a wave! We used the camp pool instead.

Duncan did a few runs along the sand, and we read, and played scrabble and just relaxed.

On the 26th of March we set off for Taupo using the Galatea road, stopping for morning tea at Murapara. We are staying in the Top Ten Camping ground in Taupo which Jackie's cousins own. Small world!

Next morning we head off to see the sights of Taupo. There are certainly plenty of photo opportunities - this one looks like it is one of the older ones with Carved po which you can pose between.

Carved panels in stainless steel

See below how these panels were grouped around this imposing statue

A closeup of the workmanship.

Some sort of regatta was going on, and  you can even see a parachute glider being towed by a boat. We watched the Hole in One golf where you try and hit the pool into a hole on a pontoon in the lake. Duncan was not tempted this time. He has met the owner who is doing very well for himself! That night we went to Vine for dinner. We had small plates, and the food was delicious, and the wines by the glass were of very good quality.

Next morning we decided to do some really touristy things, starting with Huka Falls, which is just as breathtaking as always, and then the Craters of the Moon.

We were a bit tempted to take the jet up close, but in the end decided to give it a miss and go to Craters of the Moon. To be fair, they hadn't actually been to the moon when this attraction was set up, so, really, nothing like the moon as  has been subsequently found out. It is a couple of kilometres walk on a well graded track, with various little flumeroles of steam every so often.

This last is what really got me excited. They are club moss, which is a very primitive moss, and the shrubs were kanuka not manuka, just they hadn't grown because the conditions are so hostile.

It seemed compulsory to have a meal in a cafe near the waterfront - so we had a very late lunch before heading back to the camping ground. We want an early start the next morning.