Dolphins, Take Two!

Here are the much anticipated movies from the dolphin swim. This first one shows Kenn (and, ok, some other swimmers) swimming as the whole pod comes up (and under) them. This is when about 8 of them swam right under Kenn (31 seconds long – it may pause sometimes): http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/3397306335/

In this next video, you will see what it was like looking down from the front of the boat as we slowly cruised up the strait. It is awesome! Check out the one dolphin who, several times, seemed to swim sideways so he could look up at us! It’s a minute, 6 seconds long, so if it stops periodically while it buffers, be patient: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/3397335077/

Flipping Out!

This morning started early; we got to the Dolphin place at 7:30 am and took off on the boat at 8:00am. Looking at this photo, can you guess which one of us swam with the dolphins? This experience was AMAZING! The dolphins were bottlenose dolphins. VERY big! Kenn got in and out of the boat four times to swim. The first time, about 6-8 dolphins swam under him. Two swims later, one swam by. Last swim, about 5-6 separately. Each time, he could almost reach out and touch them. AWESOME! Then, everyone got back on the boat with Lynda and the boat glided down the strait and, no kidding, we would entertained by about 60-70 dolphins. Some were right next to or in front of the boat. Some so close that when they blew out their blowholes, the spray hit our faces. Jacques Cousteau never had it so good! See pix at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1 We also hope to upload two short dolphin movies Lynda took when we get home. Stay tuned!

This afternoon, we went tramping on the Victoria Domain tracks for about 2 and a half hours (don’t we sound just like Kiwis?!). And we did all of that without a bottle of water (don’t we sound like stupid tourists!). We then went and soaked our feet in the harbor water because they hurt so damn much! We are light-weights!

After cooling off, we walked around the main street, looked at shops, and treated ourselves to chocolate-dipped, Hokey Pokey ice cream cones. You have not lived until you have tried Hokey Pokey, a NZ candy that tastes somewhat like the top of crème brule (sp?). It has a bit of a honeycomb texture, but not as airy. They make cookies, candy, syrups, and ice creams with this chunkie goodness. Not that we have tried each of those before….several times!

We now just finished dinner. We got a bottle of NZ champagne, cold cuts, cheeses, grapes, hummus, and crackers and ate out on our balcony looking at the harbor, the intercoastal ferry that leaves from Picton (to Wellington) and, a few minutes ago, dolphins jumping out of the water. Ask us again if we want to come home.

Whiners?

Even though it’s our last full weekend in NZ, we’re not whining – though we did just get back from a half-day wine tour (including a yummy, boutique chocolate store where they hand-make their own chocolate). So, I guess we’re winers but not whiners. We’re up in the north part of the south island in a little town called Picton. We took the coastal train all along the gorgeous coast. Our room has a balcony with a view of the harbor. As you can see with one of our pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1 ), it’s a pretty nice view! Tomorrow, we do a harbor cruise and Kenn is hoping to swim with dolphins (yes, he’s trying it one more time). Hope to have more fun pictures tomorrow of Sunday’s adventures.

Wildlife in Christchurch

No, we’re not talking about Kenn and Lynda! We went to the Willowbank Reserve late this afternoon (it was a beautifully, sunny, warm day). Willowbank is sort of like a zoo (but not), and sort of like a nature preserve. It has animals that are native to NZ and others that are transplants to NZ. It’s very natural: lots of trees, ponds, “rivers”…You walk through the different exhibits (well, most of them). They even had eels in the river and now Kenn will have nightmares! Click this link to see some of the animals and a) guess what they are (specific names, if possible) and b) which native animal you are NOT seeing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1

Honey, they shrunk the van!

Every weekday morning (6:20 am!), we walk to the Uni (they always diminuitize words here) gym to work out. On our way back, we see this van and Kenn has been wanting to take a picture of it. We finally did. It reminds us of how certain things are different here in Kiwi land:
1) Most cars are WAY smaller than in the US.
2) They sell alcohol ON campus! In the engineering building Kenn passes through to get to his classroom, there is a beer bar that is open in afternoons.
3) Some people go barefoot out in public: in stores, downtown, at the Uni…….
4) They don’t seem to be as napkin-focused as we are in the US. When you get your food, they give you your utensils wrapped up in this skimpy napkin that is wrapped tightly around the utensils. Definitely one ply. And we don’t see a lot of people putting napkins in their laps.
5) The daily newspaper comes TIGHLY wrapped in a plastic that has to be pealed off carefully. Then, you need to wrap the paper the other way to be able to get it straight to read it. Plus, it is HUGE! Each page is 15 inches wide and almost two feet long.
6) They eat a lot of pumpkin here. But it’s not your Halloween type pumpkin. The outside is white. The inside is orange but not as stringy. Lynda just cut up one into little pieces and roasted it in the oven with some butter (very Kiwi style). YUM!
Cheers, Kenn and Lynda

Update from “Keenn” and “Leenda”

Saturday, we went to Dunedin, a town fairly to the south part of the island (about 5 hours south of Christchurch). It was a rainy morning, but we walked around the downtown a bit and took a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory (ok, we had a few chocolates. Shoot us.). Then, we headed to the Otaga Peninsula (VERY narrow and windy road along the coast – one slip and you fall into the water! Kenn was driving and needed valium). We went to the Royal Albatross Centre where the winds were so strong that we literally (really, literally) could hardly keep our balance (but perfect conditions for albatrosses). We were able to see a number of albatrosses flying and three chicks, all from an enclosed (thank God) viewing center on top of a bluff. The adolescent/adult albatross has a wing span of 3 meters (that’s about 9 feet for you Yanks). We’re talking huge! Then, we went over to the yellow-eyed penguin colony centre. We saw some penguins in hospital and then went out into the wild in camouflaged bunkers to see some in the wild up close and personal (Jess, Bob…). We also got to see one “peen-gion” waddle in from the ocean. But, the weirdest thing was seeing, in one area, sheep, seals, and penguins all next to one another (see pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1) . Just goes to show you, we can all get along! After spending the night in a Victorian-ish B&B (and trying Vegemite during breakfast ---oh my gosh, beyond disgusting!), we headed home, but saw a) the steepest street in the world (Kenn drove that, too. He REALLY needs drugs!), b) the Moeraki Boulders and c) a few little fruit and/or crafts places along the way. As you will see in the pictures, the Moeraki Boulders are almost perfectly round, jutting out of the sand. They’re big stone spheres (we were going to write “big stone balls” but we know how some of you think!). We’re home now, cold (52 degrees – what can we say, we are still weather wimps!), and ready to work hard this week so we can enjoy our last weekend adventure (next weekend: Picton). Hope you all are doing well. Cheers!

Catching Up

We’ve been a “wee bit” silent the last few days, mostly because we have both been working like crazy to ensure we can enjoy the weekends (only two full weekends left – this weekend and the next). Our week was somewhat non-eventful. Kenn did have his second fire drill of the term WHILE he was teaching class. Can you believe they have fire drills at the university?! We also had the two other US couples who are here teaching over for Happy Hour and sharing of weekend trips. That was helpful to know what to do in future travels. Finally, on Thursday evening, the Vice Chancellor (i.e., the head honcho of the university) put on a cocktail party for all Erskine Fellows and spouses/“partners” (term they use for any kind of relationship). It was held in the University Staff Club and was quite nice. Turns out there are Erskine Fellows here from around the world: US, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Sri Lanka…..

We’re sitting in a cool, old (but nice) hotel room in Oamaru (3 hours south of Christchurch). The ceiling in our room is probably 16 feet high! Last night (Friday night), we first went out to see yellow-eyed penguins. We saw one (we were there early. Plus, they were molting so they hide in bushes). See the attached pictures for the GORGEOUS scenery we sat in as we watched: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1 Then, we went and saw the blue penguins come in from the ocean for the night. Blue penguins are the smallest penguins in the world. Sorry, no pictures (unlike the yellow penguins). You’re not allowed to take any. But it was a blast to see them waddle up out of the water and head to their homes in a hillside. We also ate dinner at an Italian restaurant across the street. Chick, we found your brick (see picture in link above) and added one of ours. We’re now off to Dunedin to see more penguins and Royal Albatrosses. Will write again with more pictures asap.

Nauseatingly Beautiful!

Ok, let us explain that title. While touring the Sir Edmund Hillary museum at the base of Mt. Cook, we saw this description by a female climber in the early 1900’s and decided a) it was an “interesting” descriptor, b) another way to describe the beauty we were seeing, and c) wondered what YOU all thought about it. We made our way back to Christchurch via Mt. Cook. Take a look at the views: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1 Other pictures in that set are along the way: glacier-filled lakes were “excruciatingly spectacular”, mate! We also learned some new terms on the way “home” or earlier this week: 1) gutted, as in “I was gutted me when he cut me off in traffic.” (do you know the meaning?). 2) going flatting, as in: “are you going flatting next year?” (posted in the student center: can you figure that one out?), and 3) pigeon hole, as in the department secretary told people that information was in their pigeon holes (Chick, don’t respond to that one!). Final thoughts as we get back to work: we saw many interesting signs along the road. Here is one of many cautioning people to drive carefully: “The faster you go, the bigger the mess.” Words to live (or drive) by!

Anybody Nose What This Is?

Sunday, March 15: We got to sleep in! Wahoo!! We then left this morning and, after getting Lynda a latte and seeing some arts and crafts in the park (yes, Genevieve, we got you a souvenir), we went on a 1912 steamer boat to a working sheep farm about 35 minutes down the lake. The tour was remarkable. We fed sheep, we saw them herded by a border collie, and we saw a sheep shorn. That was the first hour. Then, we had a very scrumptious tea out on a veranda overlooking an English garden and the lake. We then finished our tour by learning about and meeting Highland cattle (that’s snot a good picture of one), red deer, more sheep, and alpacas. We also saw a wool spinning demonstration. After we got back, we went to Arrowtown, a small, historic gold mining town that now has about two blocks of quaint shops and cafes. THEN, after coming back to Queenstown, we went up on the gondola and got views of the whole valley (lake, mountains, downtown…). Here are a few pictures of today’s events: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1). (btw, we went back and added the link to yesterday’s blog. Sorry!) Tomorrow, we head “home” on a 10 hour bus ride (pray for us!), with some stops on the way. Cheers, Kenn and Lynda

Wingin' It

Ok, we have officially run out of adjectives. Today, we left at 6:30am to go to Milford Sound, which is part of Fjordland (a fjord is a body of water that has been carved out by glaciers). It was a 5.5 hour bus/coach ride. We went through farm land (FYI: there are 4+ million sheep in NZ), forests, scrub land, a hand-dug tunnel, and mountains (with waterfalls). We then went on a 2 hour “cruise” of the sound. The beauty is overwhelming. We can’t describe the immensity of the rock/mountains that jut up from the water (see pix with boat in it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/sets/72157615257085670/ ). Then, well, we splurged….we took a plane back to Queenstown. The plane was a 7 seater, but for our trip, it was the pilot, Lynda and Kenn, and one guy from New Orleans. We frantically passed the camera back and forth between us (we each had a window) to take pictures of mountain peaks, lakes on TOP of mountain peaks, valleys, etc. We only took 128 pictures in 35 minutes! Wow! We probably will never see THAT again! We SO wish you could have been there. Love, Kenn and Lynda

P.S., As we wrote this, there were about 50 (no exaggeration) hang-gliders/para-gliders flying off the mountain behind our hotel and soaring gracefully down to some place not very far from us. Too cool!

On the Road to Queenstown (3/13/09)

We spent the last two days working so that we could enjoy this weekend. Today, we got up early today and headed to Queenstown on the “Atomic Bus”, a 7+ hour bus ride. Sounds horrible? Actually, it was not bad at all. We had the front seat of a very uncrowded, comfortable bus and talked the whole time with a very friendly driver while we admired gorgeous scenery (see pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1). There was such variety in terrain: farmland, cows, sheep, deer, green valleys, brown valleys, lakes with teal-colored water that looked fake because it was so unreal, snow covered mountains….Once we arrived, we walked around the quaint town, bought souvenirs, and then visited the Minus 5 Bar. It is a bar that is completely made of ice (18-23 degrees), including the drinking glasses (see pictures). They serve ONLY vodka drinks. They give you heavy duty parkas, gloves, etc. and allow you to stay for 30 minutes. We made it for 20. Tomorrow, we leave at 6:30 am (no rest for the weary) and go to Milford Sound and will take a boat ride on a fjord. Stay tuned!

Interesting Combinations (3/10/09)

Foods we have seen and/or tasted:
1) Pizza with lamb and pumpkin (just saw)
2) BLT – the B isn’t really bacon, it’s “Canadian bacon”/ham (tasted)
3) Bacon and Cheese “Big Uns” – big huge “cheese-puffs” in the shape of giant Os or triangles. Smell and slightly taste like bacon-flavored dog treats (tasted, unfortunately)
4) Lamb and mint potato chips/crisps (just saw – we’re not that crazy!)
5) Chili and sour cream potato chips/crisps (tasted – kind of like chili con carde, not chili peppers. Pretty good. Btw, we’re not CONSTANTLY eating chips)
6) Diet Coke that you buy at restaurants or even “take aways” are glass bottles, not plastic. And it doesn't REALLY taste like DC. Kenn's bummed :(
7) Mince meat pie: We ate this at the Shantytown. It wasn’t bad. It was the size of a small tart. It was made of potatoes and minced meat. Not bad.
8) As an aside, we have been eating a lot of international/Asian foods which seems very popular here (maybe because it is close by?): Japanese, Indian, Thai, Burmese. Where are the hamburgers!?!

From the Old Geezers!

Today, we had some extra time in the morning in Greymouth before returning on the train, so we went to Shantytown. Good news: Instead of $25NZ per person to get in, it was only $20NZ. Bad news: TURNS OUT THAT IS THE SENIOR CITIZEN RATE! And the person just told us $20/person, without asking our ages!!! Ok, now that we got that out of the way, Shantytown was actually kind of cool. It was a historic recreation of the “Old West” for the west coast of NZ. Lots of buildings of how it used to be: school, church, post office, jail, hospital…..Sylvia, we thought you’d like the picture for today – it is a display of old bed pans at the Shantytown hospital! While at Shantytown, we also panned for gold the old-fashioned way. Took us about 20 minutes to get about 3 flecks of gold. We would have starved in the old days. We returned to Greymouth; unfortunately, most shops are closed on Sundays, but we still saw a few and had lunch before getting on the train “home.” We're now home and will be working hard this week so we can enjoy next weekend: Queenstown.

Love, the Geriatrics

Westward Ho!

Saturday (3/7/09), we headed out to the west side of the island on the Tranzalpine Railroad. It was a 4.5 hour trip across the NZ Alps, but the accommodations were very comfortable. The scenery was varied and spectacular. We saw farm lands, plains, ice-fed rivers, mountains, and rainbows! We arrived in Greymouth, and once we got our car (yes, Kenn braved driving on the LEFT side of the road), we headed to Punakaiki to see the coastline and the pancake rocks. As you will see in our small set of pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27117889@N08/?saved=1), the coastline was breathtaking and the pancake rocks were very unusual. We then “tramped” down Truman trail through a “subterranean forest.” Pictures can’t capture the lushness of it. When we came to the end of the trail, we were on the coast again at Truman Beach, and Kenn fell in love! There was a waterfall, unusual rock formations, caves, and beautiful breakwater. We felt we had not seen so many different gorgeous natural types of scenery in one day. We sure wish you were all here to share it with us.

P.S. Joan K., if you are reading this, we are sitting in the same hotel you stayed in.

Saturday Morning

Last night (Friday night), we went with some fellow US and NZ faculty to the university Staff Club. It is an old, beautiful house that they turned into a place to eat and drink. We sat out on the veranda, drinking beer or wine, and looked out over the beautiful garden. We then headed to a GREAT Indian restaurant for dinner. It's now 6:45 am Saturday morning and Lynda and I are getting ready to head out for the weekend. We will be going to Greymouth, which is on the west coast. We will be taking the Tranzalpine railroad to get there. It's supposed to be a cool train. Will post more this weekend. K

Thursday, March 5th

Yesterday (Wednesday), we went tramping through the bush! (For you non-Kiwis, that means we walked/hiked through a densely-forested wilderness area). It actually is only a 5 minute bus ride from our place. It is on acreage by the beautiful house you see here (Riccarton House). They also had a “twilight farmer’s market” where we bought fresh, yummy strawberries and tasted a little local wine (they had to twist our arms for that one!). Lynda went on walk with other spouses/partners of Erskine and Canterbury Fellows, touring the Botanical Gardens and an exhibit for the upcoming flower show (more on that next week). Kenn just worked. New language terms we learned: “I’m shouting this meal” means I’m paying for it. “Up to scratch” means up to snuff. Tomorrow is Friday. We both will work hard so we can enjoy our trip this weekend to the West Coast.

More Random Observations (3/3/09)

We've been working hard this week (Monday and Tuesday) so we can enjoy our weekends. So, we thought we'd post some general observations:

1) All the houses in Christchurch are different; different ages, styles, materials....It's nice not to see cookie-cutter type neighborhoods.
2) Kiwi sayings: "give way" vs yield, "no worries" vs. no problem, "I'll ring you" vs call you; "section" or "garden" vs yard.
3) Nobody (or very few) have central heating. At the most, they have floor heating. Mostly, they use space heaters (attached or unattached). We think everyone has electric blankets.
4) Food: We had "kiwi-berries" which are miniature kiwis without the fuzz. About the size of a large grape. VERY good. We also tried blue-lip mussels (in our seafood chowder). They are very popular here and are tasty (but a bit chewy).

Tomorrow, we're taking off about 3:30pm or so to go to a local house and bush (wild/natural area). Will report on that next.