Birdlings Flat

Birdling's Flat is a tiny town with a few dozen dilapidated houses (but I didn't actually count them) on a gorgeous stretch of coast. The town reminded me of Cameron, LA, if you've ever been there. The coast is actually a spit of land sticking out from some cliffs and cutting off the ocean from Lake Ellesmere which is really a big lagoon. It's an all rock, no sand, beach and you can find both pretty, smooth, grey rocks and really wonderful little gem stones. After a storm it is supposed to have plenty of new rocks that get washed up. But who can wait for a storm? Maggie and I decided it would make a good little trip for us while the older kids were in school. (If a trip turns out to be a bust, Maggie never minds leaving early. The other kids don't like changes in plan so much, this makes Maggie a good little partner on a fact-finding mission.)

Well, it was not a bust and I was really glad I took the carrier back pack. Because it was difficult to walk on the stony beach for Maggie (whose feet are about the same size as most of the stones). She walked a long way but for 3/4 of the trek, she rode in the backpack. She's getting big so it was a nice workout for me too.

The photo above was taken with our new camera that we got in NZ, after I dropped the old one in the Pacific. Oops! It's takes really cool 270 degree panoramas.

The stones were all wonderful and Maggie didn't seem to mind which ones she collected (so we came home with an Easter basket full of these plain ones as well as some pretty colored ones).

After we got home, I put some of the better ones in a dish my sister made me and took them outside to see them in the light. Many of them were translucent to the point where if you held your finger behind one you could see the outline of your finger. Fun and cool! (By this time Maggie was fast asleep from the exhaustion of the day so I was free to sit outside taking photos of rocks. God, you'd think was a geologist! :)

Maggie has such a pretty profile. Lucky for her, she got Erik's nose.

She was very interested in the stones and really enjoyed touching them and feeling them. They tasted too salty after an initial check with her tongue (this one might become a geologist) so she kept them out of her mouth (and nose, and ears).

Again, just a beautiful sunny day. It was chilly but we were plenty warm with what we had on.

That's Maggie's Easter basket. It came in handy.

Self-portrait at arm's length because there was no where to set the camera and no one to ask. But it came out pretty good. Maggie is in the backpack carrier. When she thought I was slowing down, she'd give me a couple little kicks.

You can see the tracks from the ATV guy in the rocks.

The drive to this place is about 25 minutes from our house, in the largest city on the island. So where are all the people? I keep asking that question. There just isn't anyone here to see all this beauty. It's kind of a shame. In the two hours we spent on the beach we saw one person at a distance, one park patrol guy on an ATV, one really old couple literally shuffling down the beach, him in wool trousers and a driving cap and her in a wool skirt, support hose and sensible shoes. There was a couple with a dog too. I think that was everyone. We only spoke to the park ranger because no one else was close enough even to say hello. It was amazing. And then the city girl in me got kind of creeped out and started thinking that this is how some of those scary movies start: Girl on deserted beach, no cell reception, no one to hear you scream! So, Maggie and I called it quits and walked back to the parking lot and playground to have a packed lunch. Have I mentioned how you have to bring whatever you're going to eat and drink with you on trips basically anywhere? Kiwis are not big into restaurants. But this place was so teeny-tiny, there wouldn't have been any where to eat in the States either.

This stuff just kills me. It's WILD ice plant. I can't tell you how much I love ice plant and how amazing and special it is for me to see clumps of it just growing as a weed! I've been finding it at most of the beaches outside Christchurch. In Phoenix, I could only ever grown little clumps of it. (Because it is a succulent and cool to the touch so the neighborhood cats would sleep in it and crush it to death.) I tell you, if Maggie hadn't been in the backpack, I would have laid down the middle of it and taken a nap just like those damn cats!

We actually waited a day after hearing about the beach to visit because the mineral museum that is in the town was supposed to be open on this day. But when we got there, it was closed. Really too bad because I was excited to see what they had. If you click the link and go to the museum's page you can see a photo of it. What you can't tell is that this is actually just a sort of out-building next to someone's house. And you can telephone the residents if you want to be let into the museum. No way was I doing that, it just seemed wrong to disturb them. I will have to go back soon to see the giant agate that was found nearby.

When they cut it in half it had a huge amethyst crystal geode inside! I love geodes! (Maybe I should have been a geologist.)

Anyway, a good time was had by all and we will certainly be going back with the other kids when it warms up. This was one of the last "warmish" days back in May before Winter set in.

Trip to Oamaru, Otago

They have penguins here. Wild ones. Not in zoos and sea worlds. 

Penguins are my all-time favorite birds (with ostriches coming a close second). So we went to a town called Oamaru a couple hours south of us that has several colonies of penguin. Two of Little Blue Penguins, and one of Yellow Eyed Penguins. If it were legal to own one, I would so own one. But I can't, so we visited. :) 

Maggie was looking very cool in my shades. 

We stopped at a berry farm for a picnic. 

 

Sometimes they pose nicely.

Sometimes they don't!

Maggie got the best view! 

Inside here is a penguin. the grey and white are her feathers! This is probably not the right camera for the job but we were 3 feet away and they looked so soft and cuddly! The boxes are made from wood and set in the hill for the penguins to live. Some of them eschew the boxes and dig their own burrows but most of them have "gone condo" pretty quickly. Who wouldn't? No rent, great view, easy access to the beach! 

In the background is the structure for people to sit and watch the penguins come home at dusk and leave at dawn. (Fishing makes for long days.)

This is a fur seal. Not to be confused with a seal or sea lion. Fur seals look just like the others but they don't eat penguins. This big guy put up with the kids' squeals and screams of joy for a while before heading out to sea. 

Ben really liked the fur seal. He wasn't as into the penguins. Maggie liked it all and I think Caty really enjoyed the penguins. 

The lady who gave us a private tour of the protected colony of Little Blue Penguins took our picture. It was a private tour because no one else was there that day. This country is so small but there are no people. Everything is deserted. Fine with us!

Maggie is jonesing for her milk and a nap!

Happy Caty!

Adding this to my collection of cool road signs. I also have one of an alligator (Louisiana)! Hoping they have kangaroo ones in Australia.

Then we went off to see the Yellow-Eyed Penguin colony. This one is protected by just a sign that says to stay off the beach at certain hours. And people actually do. Go figure.

So, the view was OK. 

Ben was getting tired too but hiked down like a trooper.

Some of the big black lumps on the beach are seaweed and some are fur seals. Some were both!

What a handsome guy! 

Ben, being after my own heart, really LOVES sheep. We could watch them all day.

When the penguins are coming home to roost (is that the right bird expression?), you have to stay up at the viewing areas. 

Yellow-eyed penguin coming home after a long day fishing. 

There were other penguins but this one was the first and then I forgot to take photos. It was the best day ever! 

View of Oamaru from the South.

Pretty church.

Pretty downtown Oamaru.

At a big park in Oamaru, Right before all the king's horses and all the king's men arrived.

Maggie needed a milk-break. Look at all my grey hair! Yikes! 

Pretty rose garden in the park.

Then we went to McDonalds. Yep. The food is similar but the fries always have twice as much salt as in the states. And the burgers have barbeque sauce and weird stuff on some of them. I stick to the Quarter Pounder - it's the same as in the states. The kids konked out on the way home and Erik and I had a nice, quiet drive home.

Not sure where to next. Probably skiing! The mountains around Christchurch have been covered with snow for a while now. I didn't take this one but this is what it looks like around here now. Love it!

Things I miss from the States & things I don't

I had a nice chat with an American friend who's been here a few years and just got back from her first visit home. Some things she said made me miss the states, other things she said made me think I'm starting to adapt. I have been wondering if I will miss the same things as I do now, when I too have been here a couple years. Anyway, since I was thinking along these lines, here is what I have come up with, for what it's worth.

Things I miss

• Accurate weather forecasts (case in point: today was supposed to be "mainly fine with high clouds", well, it's raining with low clouds)
• Buying 3 gallons of milk at a time (my tiny fridge can only hold 2, 2-liter bottles. (A gallon is 3.79 liters.)
• The price of milk (it's NZ$3.45/2-liters here - That's US$5.19/gallon - I just looked up the US average cost is $3.50/gallon.) 
• Pay at the pump for gas 
• Central heating. No one has it here. Seriously, even new houses. They have large, built in space heaters they call heat pumps but they aren't ducted to any other rooms. 
• Pepperoni!!!!!! And I checked: it's illegal to import. But a good pepperoni might be worth international smuggling charges.... or not.
• Coupons!
• Salad bars. Oh, AJ's Salad Bar, how I miss you! 
• Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
• Hot dogs and bologna (they're the same thing you know, just in different forms!) ;)
  My Bologna has a first name,
  It's O-S-C-A-R.
  My bologna has a second name,
  It's M-A-Y-E-R.
  Oh I love to eat it everyday,
  And if you ask me why say,
  Cause' Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!!
• Light beer 
• My Rx arthralgia medicine! It's not available in NZ and I'm using one of three other kinds that are available but I'm getting stiff joints again. :( 
• The "shopping experience" as my friend put it the other day. I used to take it for granted that the stores would be brightly lit, and inviting. The closest thing to Target here is The Warehouse and it seriously is depressing to walk in there with half the lights out and no ceiling panels, funny smells, no pleasant music, cold spots along the back wall. I see that all of that is really a superficial use of money but I kind of liked it. 
• Cup holders on shopping carts. Sigh... 
• A drive-thru Starbucks on every corner.
• 48 ounce iced teas with lots of ice for 99 cents at the convenience store! With a big ol' straw that is both long enough to reach the bottom of the cup and wide enough to get nice big gulps of the tea! 
• Being able to talk on the phone and drive. It's illegal here and I know you shouldn't do it, but still... :) 
• The news! I miss having multiple 24 hour news networks. I really do. I have actually taken up reading the newspaper here. I never used to because I'd already heard about everything by the time the paper was out. 
• Big cars and pick up trucks. There are cars here that are so small, I wonder if they have lawn mower engines and pedals!
• US$25 pedicures with little flowers and jewels on my big toes. 
• Huge trash cans! We actually got a note saying the next time we "overloaded" the "rubbish bin" they wouldn't collect it! It's half the size of the ones in Phoenix and they only come every other week!! It wasn't "overloaded" either. So, the lid didn't lie flat, there wasn't anything falling out of it for heaven sake. I have no idea what people do with trash after a birthday party, or God help us: after Christmas! Maybe I'll fill up my mini-van (aka  people mover) and drive around to the parks and fill their rubbish bins up! That's actually not a bad idea... 
• Things aren't handicapped accessible the way they are in the states (which is not good because some people are TRULY handicapped and need that - also it helps me when I have Mags in the stroller.)
• Free refills on drinks. How much could it possibly cost to refill my soda (aka fizzy drink). I hate that they serve 10 ounces of Pepsi for NZ$4 and then every refill costs another $4! Even in bars, as the designated driver, I have to pay for refills. 
• My humongous fridge, washing machine, even bigger dryer, dish washer (also totally silent), you get the picture. I have to shop, run the dishwasher, and do laundry every friggin' day just to break even. 

Things I don't miss

• Sweating. I so do not miss the temperatures in Phoenix. 
• Being constantly tempted by the fast food offerings
• Grouchy, mumbly, anxiety-ridden teenagers. Here, the kids call me ma'am and stop on the sidewalk (aka footpath) to let me pass with the stroller. They hold doors, smile, make eye contact - there's an idea! In short, they are polite (even when their parents aren't around). 
• Pumping my own gas - they have full service here - but you still have to walk in to pay (thus leaving three screaming kids in the car)
• Driving everywhere! (Here, I can walk to both kids' schools in 5 and 10 minutes; also to the fish and chip shops, three salons, two pubs, Curves (not that I do), the grocery store, a nice cafe, the post office, the video rental place, the doctor's office, two pharmacies, seriously about 15 parks - and a train park, and church (not that I do - I'm usually late - but still). 
• Medical costs! Rx's have all been between NZ$3 and $7 for 3 month supplies! Some doctor and dentist visits have been free! And I get reimbursed for all costs that I do pay by our private insurance which is NZ$50/week for a family of five! 
• Plastic carrier bags. At The Warehouse it is ten cents per bag and at a grocery called Pack and Save, they don't even have bags. They put your groceries into a new cart all loose and then there is a station, once you've paid where you put them in your own bags. I have been taking reusable bags to the stores for years and sometimes I saw other people doing it too. But here, it's more like a religion. I really like that. 
• Being always afraid to let kids out of my sight. Caty's old enough here that she just walks to a friend's house. Or bikes, or scooters. Then you see them all zooming around the neighborhood. Kids come and ring the doorbell and ask to play. Then they all head out to the park. Like when I was a kid. I read an article here where they called it, "free-ranging" the children. I like that term. 
• TV. We have a few channels here, it's called "FreeView". You pay a one time cost for a little black antenna-box-thingy and it's a DVR too (but with very primitive menus and options). Then you get about 12 channels in digital. We only have the one family TV now and we all watch a lot less of it. There are a few shows I really pine for: House, Fringe, Bones (we have these but are a season behind - or more) In Plain Sight, and maybe one or two others. 
• Everyone talking on the phone everywhere. You go to a store, park, birthday party, playdate, anywhere and NO ONE IS ON THE PHONE. At first it was so weird but now it's kind of cool. You don't have parents ignoring kids at the park, they're playing with them, looking at them, engaged. I have to say I was guilty of this in the states but here I felt like a cad being on the phone or texting or checking FB. (Now I save that more* for when I get in the car before I drive off.)
  And you don't have to listen to other people's shouted conversations. Sadly, I feel that the true reason for this is the exorbitant prices for cell phones and minutes - once they figure this out and make it cheap, NZ will probably become like the US.
  *But I still do it sometimes anyway. :) 
• Rude drivers. I'm the rudest one on the road around here. Awesome! People are so polite. I love it. 
• This one is likely to get me in trouble with some people but: Lazy people on mobility scooters! I've seen precisely one mobility scooter in the last month or so. In fact, right now I can see an elderly man with those metal crutches that clip to your arms taking a slow walk down the street. People walk here. A lot. So it's like they don't lose the habit. They stay more fit. I am usually the fattest person at the playground. And that was certainly NOT the case in the states. This amounts to motivation to lose weight - and I have and I will. But I have to say that since things ARE walkable here, it's easier. In the States half the streets in my neighborhood didn't have sidewalks and I don't know where I would have walked to anyway. Circle K and Juan's restaurant I guess. And I did walk to Juan's sometimes. But here, I can put the car away for days on end. 
• Jelly & Jam. Man, they have perfected jam here. There's a brand called Barker's and it's made in Geraldine, NZ about 90 minutes south of here. It makes Smuckers seem like a lightweight. So, so good! 
• School buses. ALL the kids walk to school and the schools are close enough together that all the kids CAN walk. (But honestly most of them scooter back and forth. I have never, ever seen so many razor scooters IN USE.)
• School photos. No traditional, fake background. This is what Maggie and Ben brought home:

I suppose there are other things too, but I'm not coming up with anything else. And of course, you'll have to allow for the fact that it's lunch time and I'm a bit hungry. I notice there are quite a few food and shopping references. Erik wouldn't come up with these because he doesn't do any shopping but much of my life is made difficult by things that could be easily changed. And I can't help thinking that the other stay-at-home mom's here could benefit from some changes. At the same time, if the annoying stuff changed, then maybe NZ would lose that retro-feel, that unspoiled by capitalist and touristy ventures look. Many times I have thought: Holy mackerel! In the states there would be a 4 star resort there and a housing development with a golf course! It's so beautiful! Where are all the PEOPLE? The NZ government doesn't regulate the hell out of every last thing and no one can sue you for an accident and there just aren't many residents or tourists here so it's natural, pristine. Like I imagine parts of Alaska might still be like.

Interesting things...

Ok, there are some things that are quite different and unexpected here. There are big US sized fridges but the average ones are quite small and the openings in the kitchens of every rental house I looked at were for these little fridges. People who have the big fridges sometimes put them in the dining room! Here we are looking at an average fridge. It was $2199.00!!!! Really?! WTF?! AND it was made in NZ. So they can't say there were import costs. 

This is what they told me was an automatic ice maker. You have to pour your own water in and then flick the knob to get the ice to come out! Another WTF moment for me. For $2000 I want a flippin' LCD TV in the front of the fridge, not a built in ice tray!

Note the price on this slow cooker (aka crock pot)! Sticker shock was the theme for appliance shopping. (for any shopping for that matter!)

At the grocery I was so happy to see these. Even if I never made hard tacos in the states, it made me feel better to see them in the store. No luck finding corn tortillas though. Lucky for me, my MOPS group gave me a tortilla press as a going away gift! I only have to drive 25 minutes to buy masa. Don't even ask what that costs!

  

Another shocker: unrefrigerated eggs. And they sell them not just in 6's, 12's, and 18's, but also in 5's, and 10's and 15's. so comparing price is nearly impossible. They are all brown (hooray!) and one of Erik's friends was surprised to hear that white chicken eggs even existed. But none of them are as big as the jumbo US eggs  - probably because they aren't stuffing the NZ chickens with antibiotics, chemicals, sheep brains for food... So I just use 2 eggs when there is one called for in a recipe.

Below is an awesome, big playground at Bunnings. It's like Home Depot - even has orange signs and logo. Parents leave their barefoot kids here (despite a sign saying not to) and go shopping. Adults and kids walk around inside stores barefoot. Being a tiny bit on the germ-a-phobe and paranoid about accidents (cut feet), I am still freaked out about it when I see it. 

I took these two photos for Mom. She grows these in Colorado as ground cover but they must be a slightly different variety because these kind were on their way to being a bush - not ground cover at all. 

They are so pretty!

It's not a "trash can", it's a "rubbish bin". ;)

this is what they use to keep the kids in some of the shopping carts (some stores do have proper plastic clips). These might be Kiwi-kid-proof but they are not Maggie proof. She figured out how to get this off in half a shopping trip. It's velcro! (And yep, they make Huggies here but they are "nappies" not diapers and they measure the kids in kilograms! So it took me a minute to figure out Maggie's size. The first time, I just chose diapers with a picture of a kid that looked about her age on them! lol!)

This is the road to a beach/cliff town called Sumner. It's a gorgeous little town and I go there every chance I get. But there is a creepy road that goes right between the Pacific and these big cliffs. The cliffs started to fall down in the earthquakes and some of the houses fell off the cliffs and some are half up there and half at the bottom of the cliff! So the roadway people are protecting the road from falling rocks (and houses) with these shipping containers. The only place I have ever seen more of these things sitting around was at the port in Marseilles! 

A teetering house. 

Nope, I did not buy these. They were pretty amusing though. 

This is a flat-white. They are awesome! You can get lattes and cappuccinos here too, but these are my new fave. 

This is the beer selection at the movie theater. And they have assigned seating at the theater. They always try to give us seats in the back row! Somehow that is where they keep telling me are the best seats?! They think I'm crazy when I ask for smack in the middle of the theater - but here's the good part - now that I know to ask, I always get the middle because no one else wants it! So, now I think assigned seating is a good thing - as long as no other Americans get there first! :) 

Yet another wonderful Kiwi custom! There are parking spots at many stores for parents. My grocery in the states had ONE space for pregnant women but nothing for parents. Here, there are 5 or 6 of them at my grocery and I ALWAYS get to use one. There is always at least one available. I will be bummed when I feel like Maggie is too big to be a reason for one of these! :)  

Can you say lawsuit?! Yep, there would NEVER be one of these zip lines (they call them flying foxes) at a public park in the states. Unattended, no helmets, just a fabulously loooong rope going down a steep hill with a deck at the top. Even Erik and I went on it a few times. (We needed to make sure it was safe for Caty.) ;) It was like flying! They don't worry about accidents here much. And never about law suits. If you get hurt in an accident, the government pays for your medical treatment and then you can't sue. This could be a good thing, or a bad thing. No one seems to worry about making things safe, then again - this zip line is AWESOME! So I guess it's buyer beware. :)

The deck at the top of the hill. 

We decided Ben was too small to go alone so Erik went with. Good thing too because Ben let go at one point.  

Giant tree stump at Hagley Park. Being from AZ, I am just loving the huge, green trees. I can only imagine how big this monster was! 

Very cool idea that we should start using in the States. These are yogurt containers but this is tomato paste in them. Lightweight, recyclable. Pretty cool.

On the anniversary of the biggest earthquake every construction cone in town had flowers in it. And there is no shortage of construction cones. Even cooler: days later, the construction workers would move the cones around but never touched the flowers. 

Flowers in cones as far as you can see. 

Pumpkin season is in March/April! And the pumpkins are greenish-grey. (They are orange inside and taste pretty close to ours.) The orange ones aren't round. They're all bumpy and shaped like a yam. 

Flash-back! At first I thought it was a one-off but I have seen these towel dispensers all around. Erik and I can't remember the last time we saw one in the US. Maybe some gas station out on some lonely road in NM or somewhere! They are alive and well here! Germ-a-phobes beware!

They have lawn mowers here but they are double what they cost in the states. So we went green with a reel mower. I used to have one in Lake Charles and this one works fine. Erik hates it. But I just love it. The neighbor guy, Grahame, comes over to ask if I would like to borrow his motor-powered mower when I'm out with this one. I just smile and decline and explain it's good exercise. My lawn looks kind of natural and pastoral. His looks like a golf green. I'm sure it's hard for him to watch me walking behind this little guy. He's awfully nice (oh hell! I did it - I have let Kiwi-ese creep into my blog!) Before we moved here, I would NEVER have typed or said "awfully nice"!) Anyway, he's pretty nice but you can see that he wishes I would take him up on his kind offer. Erik says I should have! But Ben does a great job with this one and I don't worry nearly as much as I would with a gas mower (or electric).

Maggie loves Vegemite. It's like Marmite only less sweet - and for those of you who are still mystified here are some informative links:
What it is
Marmite shortage 
Ad campaign - these are pretty funny, they are all around town.
Maggie is less discerning and will eat Marmite or Vegemite. No one else in the family will touch it. :)

I really wish I could get Bud Light but this is nearly as good. There are lots of fancy-pants beers here but nothing that tastes good to a girl who likes Bud Light. So, I pay waaaay too much for these ($20 for a 12 pack) but once a week I sit down and really savor one of these. Erik has to get his own beer - these are mine!

I have learned to make flour tortillas. They cost a lot at the grocery and Ben lives on quesadillas. The grocery ones are not great - they are like the Old El Paso brand in the states: doughy with a funny after taste. Anyway, my tortillas ROCK! And yes, I use lard. Lard is what makes them fabulous - sorry Jilly, my vegan sister - it's true. This was my first batch. I am getting better at making them thinner and more round. Now, if I could just get my hands on Monterrey Jack... Funny story: in the grocery Caty asked me if we could get Colby-Jack cheese. I said, a bit louder than I meant to, "They don't have Jack in New Zealand!" Oops! that sounded wrong. I looked around and was getting some stares. Too funny!

Ben has been getting into the kitchen with me a lot. He has a gardening apron he never used and wears that to cook. He climbs up on the step-stool and muscles in on whatever I'm doing and says, "I'm a cooking-man!" and insists on helping me. It's tiresome sometimes but I went through it with Caty and now she can make her own grilled cheeses, scrambled eggs, and read and follow a recipe. (Plus it helps with fractions homework when they get to that in school.) Ben made this hot cross bun at preschool. He was very proud of it, so we took a picture of it. :)

This thing is what heats our house. We have an electric "heat pump" but it is really just a wall mounted space heater. It heats the living, dining, and kitchen but costs a fortune to run. (Electricity is about twice what it was in Phoenix.) So, wood is cheaper. Still, it only heats the same living space. BUT it also heats the water in the electric water heater. So if it's on, the water from the water heater in the closet behind this wall is routed through the wood stove and is heated. How cool is that?! Plus, it's fun to watch the fire. But, being from Phoenix, we started using it in Feb (like August in the Northern Hemisphere). It's not warm here compared to Phoenix. Erik has friends who haven't started using their heat. We bought oil-filled electric radiators for the kids' rooms and an electric forced air space heater for our bedroom.

Ok, there are a million other cool, weird, and annoying things to post but that's it for this post. More soon!