reflections on NZ

Well, I'm back home in Minnesota now. What a trip! As I sit and decompress today, I am having thoughts about the adventure. These are some of the things that are going through my mind:

- it's nice to tee off at 4:00 pm and still get in 18 holes (ah, summer)
- it's nice to wear shorts and a tee shirt on Christmas day
- it's fun to see the flowers and trees in bloom in December
- it's great to fire up the bbq on new year's eve
- it's nice to have tan lines in January
- it's strange not seeing chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, etc.
- it's a pleasure to not have to deal with our presidential election process 24/7
- it's nice to see that there are places in the world where the top story on the news isn't the war in Iraq
- it's fun to go for a bike ride on new year's day
- it's invigorating to have the windows open and hear the birds sing
- it's interesting to read the sports page and not have a clue what any of it means
- it's fun gazing at the Southern Cross and all the other stars
- it's interesting to talk with people halfway across the world who also think our president is an embarrassment
- New Zealand is the most beautiful place I've ever been, but it's a very long plane ride away
- the Kiwis are very friendly people

on returning home
- it's very cold here
- it's nice to use an electric razor again
- it's good to sleep in my own bed
- it's good to hear Minnesota Public Radio
- it's great to be with the one's I love
- for as much as I enjoyed it, it's good to be home!

Thanks to all of you for listening to me ramble. It was nice knowing someone was out there!
Regards to all. Scott

farewell Nelson

It is January 23rd and I am ready to come home. I will be leaving Nelson this afternoon. It has been a fantastic trip and a beautiful place.
Even though it is not yet the 23rd at home, since it is here, I can wish Chris a happy birthday. Happy birthday Chris!

kite contest

A kite flying contest was held on Sunday. Unfortunately, the winds were relatively mild and not great for the kite folks. It's too bad because it was really windy Saturday. Oh well. In any event, it was a beautiful day otherwise and people seemed to have plenty of fun. The color of the kites and expertise of the kite flyers was impressive.
Today was the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary. It was quite a big deal here. I heard one commentator say he is probably the most famous kiwi of all time. Apparently he was a very humble man and a true national hero. Here's to you Sir Ed!

bowls

This is another new game for me. They call it lawn bowling or bowls. I am told it was originally a men's game and croquet was developed as a counterpart for women. Lawn bowling is played on a grass surface much like a golf putting green. The object, it appears, is to get the large balls as close to the small white ball as possible (similar to bocce ball or petanque.) While I was watching, there were 8 games occuring simultaneously, each played on a narrow section of the lawn called a rink (like a bowling alley). Each team would alternate bowling a ball toward the small ball. I have seen many lawn bowling clubs around town. This may be the counterpart to our beer soft ball leagues.

no junk mail

What a great place! All you need to do is put a notice on your mailbox and, voila, no more junk mail. This is a very common site in NZ. By the way, clear blue skies, sunny and 80 today.

cricket: and I don't mean Jim'ny

On Sunday, a cricket game was held at the local stadium. It was a regional team playing their counterparts from Auckland. I must say I was lost for the 1st hour or so. I got some insight from a fellow observer. In the end, I think I understand the basics. However, I'm not sure I'd rush to the next game. The game started at noon. After about an hour or so, I left to play croquet with my croquet friends. I returned about 2 hours later and it was just half-time! I went home, got the grill going, called Brenda and Chris, cooked my dinner, ate my dinner, returned to the stadium about 6:15, and the game was still going. It didn't end until about 7:20. How is that for a way to spend your Sunday?! I don't need another sport to follow anyway!
Just in case you've been wondering about my tomato plants, I'll have you know they are full of tomatoes and some are beginning to ripen. I bet you thought I was daffy when I planted those.

lemons

There are many things about NZ that are fascinating and intriguing. One is the many different varieties of birds and plants that I have seen and/or heard. Many I am unfamiliar with. I suspect that we have some in the US, just not in Minnesota. One tree that fits that category is a lemon tree just off our deck. It has been a pleasure to look at and enjoy. I have never picked a fresh lemon before until now.

"one ring to rule them all"

As you can tell, I am catching up on some of the things Chris and I did before he left for home.

If you didn't know, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed here in NZ. The director, Peter Jackson, is from Wellington. The scenes from throughout the movie were filmed throughout the country. The film company was required to return the landscape back to its original condition once they had completed filming. Unfortunately, there were no scenes filmed in Nelson or its immediate surrounding area. However, the ring(s) were made by a jeweler here in Nelson. They are proudly on display there. Apparently, there were approximately 40 rings made for various scenes, wearers, etc. The jeweler gets plenty of foot traffic as a result of this.

The natural beauty of the scenery depicted is one of the reasons I wanted to come here. If you haven't seen these films, I highly recommend them.

the sounds of sheep

Sheep are plentiful in NZ. Apparently about 40 million of them (down from 60 million a few years back). In the hills just behind the house I am renting a flock grazes. Every morning as I sip my coffee on the deck, I am serenaded by a chorus of bleating. It's a fun thing that even growing up in the midwest I haven't experienced before.

Before I packed Chris off for home, we took a bike ride through some of the surrounding hills. We didn't have any trouble finding sheep.

Happy birthday Gary!

sunscreen

In the paper each day they have a scale of what the UV index is. The scale goes from 1 to 11, with 11 being high. Most days they list the UV risk at 12 or 13. It reminds me of the Spinal Tap bit and the volume knob. Anyway, apparently the hole in the ozone is near the Antarctic. New Zealand's proximity makes the sun's burning rays even more intense. The cancer society frequents the beaches and populous spots with booths providing sunscreen and sun awareness info. Skin cancer is a real risk and they take it seriously.

Chis and I took a stroll along the beach last evening. It was beautiful.

around the barbie

I played golf with a couple of fellas the other day. After we were done, one of the guys invited me over to have dinner with his wife and his friend. It seems this is a weekly event for these 2. They play golf, then go back and have dinner. This night they invited me to fill out their dinner foursome. What a nice thing to do! Then, this past Sunday, he invited Brenda, Chris and me over for a bbq. Unfortunately, Brenda returned home on Saturday and they were disappointed not to get to meet her. Chris and I enjoyed it though! While there, we arranged another game of golf for today including Chris and another who was at the bbq. Then, today, he invited Chris and me over for lunch after golf. His wife must like to cook; at least I hope so. So this post is in honor of John Haynes, my best friend in NZ.

Nelson Jazz Fest

Nelson has a jazz festival every summer. It started last Wednesday and runs through Sunday. We went to see one of the bands the Thursday night. They were a 4 person band and were pretty entertaining. They even played a little Steely Dan, so that made us happy! The population level is low enough that clubs are not crowded. The entire south island has only about 1 million people. No indoor smoking rules make it a little more enjoyable for us non-smokers.

We packed Brenda off on her way home yesterday. She was only here 10 non-travel days and her stay went by quickly as we were pretty busy taking day trips and seeing the sights. Chris stays on for another week.

Abel Tasman National Park

We drove out to a town called Kaiteriteri, the launching off point for Abel Tasman National Park. The park is along the coastline and inland across the bay from Nelson. The beaches are pristine and the scenery is, once again, spectacular. We took a cruise on the “Aqua Taxi” for about 3 hours. Since there are no roads in the park, the only way to get to these areas is via water or on foot. It was a beautiful day and all I can say is New Zealand is breathtaking. The color of the ocean is like nothing I’ve ever seen; a translucent, blue-green/aqua color. The water is so clear, you can see down many meters to the bottom.

As a touch of home, New Zealand public radio aired Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion’s Christmas show the other day. It seemed funny hearing the news from Lake Wobegone halfway across the world.