A good t-shirt saying spotted on the streets of Dunedin...

To err is human.
To arr is pirate.

Oot and aboot in Dunedin

Spent the day looking around Dunedin. First of all, I walked down to the train station which is a spectacular Edwardian building. Stunning from the outside and inside the main hall is all tile and mosaic floors.


I booked myself for a four-hour return train trip tomorrow afternoon through the Taieri Gorge. Seems like a good thing to do on New Year's day.

Then I went to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. It is a great little municipal gallery. Their regular collection contains some paintings by Monet and Tissot (testament to the wealth of this city in its early days). And they had a special exhibit on of the work of New Zealand artist Rita Angus. Up until a few months ago I had never heard of Rita Angus but when I was reading Fay Weldon's autobiography she talked about having her portrait painted as a child by a family friend, Rita Angus (the portrait was on the jacket of the book). It was a great exhibit and now I want to know much more about Rita Angus. The book in the gallery shop was much too heavy to cart around so I will have to order it online when I return home. I don't even have to make a note to myself as I know you will all remind me. There were also two other exhibits that were very good. One was Peter Stichbury (highly realistic "portraits" culled together from various faces he sees around him on the streets or in the media -- there was a very good one inspired by various google searches of people's photos combined with Sister Wendy Beckett.) The second was Michele Beevors who had constructed what seem to be oversized replicas of Disney figures but they are all slighly macabre -- a group of cute bunnies huddled in the corner look simply cute and cartoonish till you notice the bullet holes in their foreheads and a huge Snow White leers down at you holding her ripped-out heart in one hand and gesturing with her middle finger of the other hand. I had a good laugh at it all but apparently they were getting lots of complaints from unsuspecting gallery patrons.

One of the other delightful things about the gallery was three Brits who amused the heck out of me. They came prancing through the rooms. I know people don't usually prance but they did. The woman was, shall we say, large and in a long black dress holding (I kid you not) a red feather fan. She just kept saying to one of the guys "Oooooooooh, Davie, look at this. Ooooooooooh, Davie, isn't this nice? Oooooooooh, Davie, I like this frame. Oooooooooooh, Dave, do you like this one? Oooooooooo, Davie, look." All the while fanning herself with her big red feather fan. I thought maybe they were one of the exhibits -- a performance piece about strange people. Then they started opening all the drawers of the Regency furniture on exhibit ("Oooooooooh, Davie, look at this piece") and touching all the frames. Although they were intriguing and I had planned to follow them around and eavesdrop. I got away from them at that point figuring they were going to set of an alarm at some point and I didn't want to be part of being kicked out of an art gallery. Hopefully they will turn up at the New Year's festivities tonight.

After the art gallery I found a seat at one of the outdoor cafes that had a tapas menu and ordered a little bowl of chorizo sausage and one of couscous salad with sundried tomatoes and almonds. Oh, and a glass of pinot gris, of course.

Then I went for a walk along George Street, the main shopping street, and wandered in and out of the shops.

After that I headed off to the Otago Museum and had a look around their at their exhibits of area wildlife and Maori history.

I really like the feeling of Dunedin -- very vibrant and doesn't feel overly touristy. The architecture is great. Big old stone buildings and nice storefronts with original features in place. If I get in trouble here all should be well as there seem to be an awful lot of barrister and solicitor offices around. This is my favourite one in an old building that makes me feel like I am in an Alexander McCall Smith "44 Scotland Street" book and I should be able to walk down the steps to Lou's coffee bar...


I am back in my hotel room now to put my feet up and read for a bit before heading back out for this evening's festivities. I can hear the bands practising their sound checks from my balcony. Am having a glass of the "Rabbit Ranch" pinot noir that I bought yesterday -- it is very nice, goes well with the feta and garlic potato chips on which I munch.

When next we "speak" it will be a new year for me (and hopefully a good one).

To end here's the statue of Robbie Burns with some Otago wildlife in place...

It's a new day: the sun rises on Dunnie...

Woke up around 5 this morning and watched the sun rise from my balcony.

Dunedin: five nights out with Robbie Burns

Well, wee beasties, I have left the very English city of Christchurch and am now in the Edinburgh of the south - Dunedin. I arrived early this afternoon and when I asked the airport shuttle driver to take me to "The Brothers" he said "Oh, nice one. You're gonna like that." And although I have given up the space of my cottage in Christchurch it is nice to be in a small hotel in order to talk to someone except for cats. I have, so far, moved on to dogs and have befriended the resident black Labrador as well as have had a chat with Rod, the owner, over a glass of wine in the lounge. (I have yet to meet the resident black cat, Molly.)

The hotel is quite nice. It used to be the residence of the Christian Brothers (yes, "those" brothers but apparently they didn't get up to the same hijinx here in Dunedin) and Rod showed me some photos of the renovations and said that when they bought the place it was something out of "Father Ted". There is a little lounge area outside of my room where there is a couch and some chairs so I can relax there if I want -- in the pre-renovation photos I see that is where the brothers had their billiards table! I guess they probably had to sink balls in the order of the cross... no doubt the black ball was called the Holy Ghost.

But here is the view from my room overlooking the cathedral next door as well as from the terrace out over the harbour...



As you can probably tell from the great views, this hotel is up on a hill so I am going to get some good exercise in this town!

I arrived early afternoon so walked (down) to the Octagon (the main area) about five minutes away. Lots of shops and cafes. I had a late lunch (seared beef salad) on the patio of one cafe and watched them setting up the stage for tomorrow night's New Years Eve festivities.

I headed back (up) to the hotel stopping at the local "bottle shop". The guy in the shop recommended a central Otago region "Rabbit Ranch" pinot noir.

Going to relax tonight and review all my info on Dunedin to decide what to do over the next few days. Rod gave me some tips as well. The hotel has a laptop that can be used by guests which I thought would be great as I wouldn't have to walk (down) to Starbucks to log in to paid wireless. But as luck would have it I can log in to someone's unlocked wireless network from my computer in my room. Very happy about that. So i can sit on my lovely terrace and admire my lovely view. 9:11 pm here and still completely bright out.

I like the feel of Dunedin so far. It has a nice casual feel to it. Tomorrow will explore some more as well as check out the New Year's Eve concert. The waiter at the cafe I was at for lunch did describe it as "all-out carnage" but we shall see!

Sumner Beach: What's that white stuff all over the ground?

Today is my last day in Christchurch and I took the no. 3 bus out to Sumner Beach to luxuriate in the sand.

Brief digression here about public transit (attention TTC!). The bus drivers here are super pleasant and helpful. Cheery hello to every passenger. And they have to make change for everyone getting on which means they have to work and do math (attention TTC!). When passengers get off it's a 'thank you' called out to the drivers and a hearty 'cheerio' in return. I guess one of the reasons New Zealanders are so nice is that everyone here is so bloody pleasant. A smile and a "how ya goin' there?" from everyone -- waiters, store clerks, the wine shop workers. Even the usually surly teenagers seem bright and chipper and polite. I am sure there is a seething underbelly here somewhere but right now I am happy skimming the smiling surface. Perhaps after six weeks of this I will come back a more pleasant person? ("Well, you couldn't be less pleasant.") Who said that?

Enough of my digression, let's get back to my day and what I ate for lunch.

Sumner Beach is really quite nice. The main road is a few streets away from the main beach area so there are houses (lucky owners) right by the beach instead of shops, as well as houses on the cliffs overlooking the beach (even luckier owners).

I walked along the beach then went up to the road to look in the shops for a bit before finding a place for lunch. I decided on "The Cornerstore Bistro" and settled in for a lovely lunch. Since I was at the beach I decided to have the fried fish (gurnard was the day's fresh fish). It was delicious and I really enjoyed the side salad which had small bits of pickle, caper and shaved fennel in it -- which went very nicely with the fish and tartar sauce. My lunch wine of choice was Waipara Springs "Prema" sauvignon blanc. Described on the wine list as "perfectly bone dry with the finish of a gin and tonic". (Val G. -- if you can find this one at the LCBO Vintages try it out. Perfect for a lunch wine, especially if you can go lie on the beach afterwards.) For dessert (why not push the boat out when at the beach) I had the trio of homemade sorbet: vanilla-nectarine, grapefruit and strawberry. Delicious and cool on a hot day.

After lunch I found a nice spot on the beach and spread out my towel and relaxed and read in the sun. Luckily there was some cloud cover every now and then to cool things down. Plus a great breeze off the sea.

Once I was suitably relaxed I walked along the Promenade for awhile and watched the surfers. Then I caught the bus with pleasant driver (attention TTC!) back into the city.

(Unfortunately I forgot the cord to upload photos from my camera-phone to my computer so I can't make you all jealous with photos of the beach today.)

Going to head back to the cottage now. Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for my dinner tonight to empty out the fridge. Will stop to get a small juice and yogurt for my brekkie tomorrow. Will fire up the Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer and do my laundry tonight before packing up the suitcase. An airport shuttle is coming to pick me up at 9:30 tomorrow to head to the airport and off to Dunedin I go.

Favourite things about Christchurch: Annie's wine bar at the arts centre, Scorpio Books on Hereford Street (a fantastic independent bookstore), the cat population of Chester Street East (especially Pyhrr who I may have graduated to unofficial cat-in-residence), Entwhistle cottage and swimming with the dolphins at Akaroa.

Cheerio!

Akaroa: Hector's Dolphins -- the cats of the sea

Got up early yesterday to get the shuttle to Akaroa. A lovely one and a half hour drive through the countryside. Lots of sheep and cows and horses. Akaroa is a harbour town in an volcanic crater and the views are spectacular as you come down from the hills.


The weather yesterday was perfect -- sunny, blue skies, about 27 degrees with a nice little breeze. Many of the kiwis were complaining of the heat but for me it was just right.


Arriving in Akoroa I walked along the wharf and watched the boats in the harbour and then walked up the hill to the old french cemetary (Akaroa was settled by a small group of French settlers). Came back down to the main beach road and popped into some of the shops before having an early lunch at 11 in a nice little courtyard at one of the restaurants -- bresaola salad (dried cured beef) with arugula and parmesan and a glass of Mt. Rosa "Gammy Rose". Walked around a bit more before reporting to Black Cat cruises for my dolphin swimming trip. They restrict the number of people who can go out so it is a nice small group of 10 people. Got zipped into my black wetsuit (at which point the 27 degree weather became quite noticeable) and after some introductory instructions we all waddled down to the catamaran and headed out to sea. As soon as some dolphins were spotted we waited in the boat to see if they would approach. A few came up to swim by the boat so we all slid over the edge into the water. The dolphins didn't stick around so after about 10 minutes of bobbing around and trying to attract them by making noise underwater by yelling or clicking stones together we all clambered back into the boat and headed further out in search of another pod. We found another pod and once they approached and the guide determined that there were no babies we all once again slid gracefully over the side in our sodden wetsuits. This time the dolphins stuck around and it was amazing. You aren't allowed to touch them but they come quite close and then pop back down and swim underneath you. My prescription goggles (thanks Rapp Optical!!) were just great as I could see them quite clearly and I was glad I had them. Here I am in the water with some little friends ...





The Hector's Dolphins are the world's rarest and smallest breed of dolphins. They are curious and playful. A couple of kayakers came by and the dolphins apparently like the sound of a kayak moving through water so they paddled up to us with dolphins swimming along beside them. So we got to swim with kayakers as well! When you are up so close to the dolphins you can hear their little snorts as they pop out of the water and dive back down. It was truly a tremendous experience and I am so glad I did it. (Thanks, Erica, for telling me about your experience with the dolphins in Kaikoura as that spurred me to try this out.) I hope to do this again later in my trip iin the Bay of Islands area with some bigger dolphins if I have the chance.

After the two-hour swim we came back to the harbour and peeled out of our wetsuits. I went for a walk and had some ice cream in the sun before catching the shuttle back to Christchurch.

I was asleep by 9:30 last night and had one of those beautiful deep and restful sleeps. Seems a bit of getting back to nature is good for one.

A lovely day...

Clear blue skies with some wispy clouds over the outlying hills. Gentle breeze and about 22 degrees. Perfect.

What they say about the NZ sun is true though. It is quite strong. I loaded up with sunscreen to avoid burning and was glad of the shade from time to time.

Went to the arts centre this morning to check out the weekend outdoor arts market. After looking around there I walked up through Hagley Park. Very nice park.





After coming out the north west end of the park I walked up to Mona Vale -- an Edwardian house on the river now converted to a restaurant. There were some lovely public gardens and I popped in to the front lobby to look at the woodwork. The neighbourhood had some pretty swish houses and from the Mona Vale gardens you could look into the yards of the houses backing on the river (most front yards here have big fences around them so you can't see people's gardens). There were some pretty spectacularly landscaped places -- although I must say that I do prefer my own ramshackle garden.

There was a neat little gazebo in the gardens (with a cat sitting it) and the gatehouse was quite cute.




Then I walked around the northern section of the city for a bit before heading back to the cottage to grab my computer and come down to Starbucks to log in to wireless.

Tonight I will have some leftover lamb vindaloo from last night's dinner out. I have some halloumi cheese in the fridge so I will fry that up with some onion, garlic, lemon and mint and pretend it is paneer and make some raita with some of my yogurt.

Have to be up early tomorrow to catch the shuttle to Akaroa (about an hour and a half drive outside Christchurch) for the day.

No need to ask for extra sour cream in this country...

Feeling a bit peckish this afternoon so popped into a pub for some potato wedges. And, crikey, it's the kind of sour cream you cut with a knife. "Skim" isn't a word associated with dairy here it seems. A glass of "Mt. Difficulty Roaring Meg" pinot noir (central Otago region) helped. Good thing I had walked about 8 miles already.

Boxing Day, or I Get Back to Working on My Sunburn...

Still quite cloudy this morning. The weather gal said it would clear mid-day but I was a bit leary of that and decided not to risk the beach. Went to the Canterbury Museum this morning which was a nice little museum. There was an exhibit on Freemasonry in New Zealand that said it would explain the world of freemasonry but I am just as clued out as ever. They do have some neat robes and jewelry though. And there were some painted "training boards" on display that were used to explain symbolism to the new members. Totally baffling but very cool paintings,

Another favourite thing at the museum was the "Spot the Santa" game where little plastic Santas were placed in various exhibits for the kids to find. The best was a kewpie-style Santa who was fishing in the middle of a Maori hunting scene. You don't notice it at first and then you do. I think I snorted quite loudly.

Also very charming was the display in the Egyptian room done by museum staff who had "mummified" their favourite stuffed animals from childhood.

By the time I left the museum at mid-day the sun had indeed come out and the clouds had dispersed. I went up the street to the Christchurch Art Gallery and looked around there. Museums are free here.

My stomach was grumbling a bit so I found a table in the sun at one of the cafes along the river and had some lunch. Roasted tomato and capiscum (red pepper) soup with curried goat cheese spring rolls plus a glass of local "Pegasus Bay" sauvignon blanc. Yum.

Then I went to walk around the Barbadoes Street cemetary. It's amazing this country actually got underway as everyone seems to have been dead by the time they were twelve years old. There is also a good "Cold Case NZ" episode here somewhere looking into all the "accidental drownings" from 1860 to 1902.

Now I sip a green tea lemonade at the Starbucks in cathedral square to end my afternoon.

I have food for three dinners in my fridge but think I will go out tonight for Indian food and then make dinner at "home" for my next three nights here.

Hope you all enjoyed your wintery Christmas Day on the other side of the world.

More proof that Pyhrr is a sweatheart...

Asleep on the roof of the glassed-in kitchen addition on the cottage.


Curled up on the beanbag next to the couch while I watch British cooking shows on Christmas night. (Kristin, if you are reading this -- Martin from Coronation Street was on "Celebrity Master Chef". So there is now a Corrie Street reference on this blog along with the cat stuff. Don't worry, I am sure somewhere in this country there is a dolphin that is a dead ringer for Victor Newman and, if there is, I will find it.)

Merry Chrissie!

Overcast and showery today so that put the kibosh on my plan to go to the beach. Will see how tomorrow is.

This morning I had three visitors: Gold, Frankincense and Pyrhh...






Pyrhh came in and curled up on the couch with me, rumbling away for a few hours while I read this morning.

Showers have let up a bit and the sun is trying to break through the clouds. I have come out for a walk and am sitting in Cathedral Square logging in to Telecom wireless. There are lots of people out walking around and a fair number of shops and cafes open.

Hopefully it will keep clear so I can barbecue this evening. Otherwise I will have to grill up inside.

My nose is sunburnt and the cats are plentiful...

The word seems to be out on Chester Street that the renter of Entwhistle Cottage is a certifiable crazy cat lady as I have had a variety of visitors. Little curious faces looking in at me from the patio or the fence.



Today's featured neighbourhood feline is a pretty little orange girl who I like to call Feisty Meisty. She seems hellbent on proving that just because your mom dresses you up in a sweet pink collar doesn't mean a thing.


Last night I watched a very funny Australian movie called "The Castle". Great deadpan humour about a family whose house is being usurped by the local council. Includes humourous reference to Yvonne Goolagong.

After the movie I was further rewarded with an episode of Prime Suspect that I have never seen. Jane Tennison's police career and life is about to combust. Helen Mirren is fantastic.

Today the clouds rolled in and quite a cool breeze was blowing. Good for walking though. Found a butcher this morning to select my Christmas bbq meat and decided on a lovely small Porterhouse steak. Will grill that up tomorrow with green beans.

This afternoon I walked around the city some more and went to the Botanic Gardens. So lovely to see everything blooming. Never seen some many different kinds of dahlias in my life.

Today's featured public sculpture is from a pond in the Botanic Gardens.


And now here are some photos of the cottage to close out today's post. I will head back there now to make some dinner (fresh pasta with pesto sauce) and to settle on to the couch for some reading or some telly watching. I believe there is a Jamie Oliver xmas special to entertain me.

Christmas in Christchurch

It is quite funny to hear Christmas music when the sun is shining and the flowers are in bloom.

Arrived yesterday. On the connecting flight from Auckland the pilot announced "The weather today in Christchurch is simply magical." And it was. I took a shuttle from the airport to Entwhistle Cottage which I am renting for the week. The cottage is just lovely. I couldn't be happier. I had slept on the flight so felt good and had a shower to freshen up and then went for a walk around the town. Sat outside in the warmth at a pub by the river and had Corn and Kumara fritters with smoked salmon and a large glass of "Squawking Magpie" pinot gris. Lovely. Walked around a bit more then went back to the cottage to relax. Picked up a kofta on a pita at the kebab place around the corner. Had a nice chat with the owner over a cup of tea as his wife made my kofta and he told me why they chose New Zealand to settle in after travelling the world to find a place to live.
Fell asleep on the couch watching "Gladiator" so a I guess the long trip had caught up with me.

Woke up around 7 very refreshed and went into the kitchen. Very happy to find a lovely cat sitting on the fence meowing loudly at me. Friendly little fellow. Gave him some good pets and he went on his merry little way. I am sure he will be back as the visitor book in the cottage is full of references to various neighbourhood cats that come to visit.

Started the morning with a leisurely latte and then went to the Christchurch Arts Centre to look around the shops and studios. Had lunch at Annie's Wine Bar in the courtyard at the arts centre -- chicken and bacon pate with crostini and fig relish. Washed down with a glass of "The Decadent Daughter" riesling. Today is lovely and sunny but there is quite a breeze.

Very cool little hanging sculpture in the courtyard -- just like it was floating in the sky.

In the afternoon I went to the children's service with animals at the cathedral. It was quite fun. Lovely to see people bringing sheep, goats, pigs, cats, dogs, rabbits, donkeys, ponies and a chicken into the cathedral -- many dressed up for the holidays with garlands and bows.

And now I will go find a grocery store to get some fixins to make my dinner. Bottle of sauvignon blanc chilling the fridge.

I'm only happy in the sun...

August dreaming...

As summer starts to draw to a close in Toronto (and a miserable one at that with all the rain) my thoughts start dwelling on a glorious six-week trip to New Zealand. The plane ticket is purchased and the planning is underway. That December departure date can't come soon enough.