Te Toroa: the wandering albatross

Petrol Surpasses Yet Another Milestone

2008-06-13T07:53:00.003+12:00

91 octane petrol rose another NZ$0.12 to a new high of NZ$2.129/litre.

NZ$2.129/litre = NZ$8.059/gallon (US).

This marks the first time the price of petrol has exceeded NZ$8.00 per gallon (US).

I filled up the Echo yesterday (34.15L) for NZ$70.67 - the first time a full tank of petrol cost over NZ$70.00.

Petrol Passes NZ$2.00 Per Litre

2008-05-23T06:28:00.002+12:00

Petrol rose yesterday NZ$0.04 to NZ$2.009 per litre for 91 octane. This is the first time petrol has surpassed the $2.00/litre mark.

NZ$2.009/litre = NZ$7.60/US gallon

Petrol Rises NZ$0.03 To NZ$1.969/Liter

2008-05-20T07:19:00.003+12:00

= NZ$7.45/US gallon for 91 octane, the lowest octane fuel available in NZ.

The good is I don't have to buy petrol for another week; the bad is petrol will be more expensive by then (:

Petrol Up NZ$0.05/Litre To NZ$1.939/Litre

2008-05-17T07:22:00.004+12:00

I put a full tank of petrol in the car yesterday, 35.43 litres, at a cost of NZ$68.70. That's NZ$7.34/US gallon for 91 octane, the lowest octane fuel available in New Zealand.

The Cheesecake

2008-04-25T17:59:00.042+12:00

A couple of weeks ago an email was sent around the office offering some cheesecake for anyone who wanted to eat it. This cheesecake, we were told, came courtesy of Tim, founder and director of Dial-A-Chef, located right here in Christchurch.

The only condition for eating the cheesecake, we were told, was that we should send an email back to Tim at Dial-A-Chef and thank him for the cheesecake and let him know what we thought of it.

Cheesecake certainly ranks as one of my favorite desserts and I have found only a few cheesecakes made here in New Zealand which I feel are worthy of a second tasting, so I felt obliged to taste this cheesecake and offer my honest opinion.

My critique follows in a bit, but first I need to give a wee bit of background information.

I should mention that I am not a professionally trained chef; nevertheless, I have been cursed with a discerning palate.

Historically, New Zealand food has its roots in mostly bland English cooking (It's not that all English food is bad - there is actually some great English food to be had, just not typically in NZ.) Having said that, restaurants in New Zealand have come a long way within the last decade.

I believe there is a heap of potential for great food to be had here in New Zealand - if only Kiwis would speak up and demand that chefs cook quality food - especially considering the high cost of a typical restaurant meal.

Changing what chefs cook in the kitchen may take some time - perhaps because many Kiwis have grown used to the bland English "comfort" foods they grew up with and just expect the same when dining out.

Since moving here to NZ I have dined at several great restaurants and have been told by several chefs that in order to improve the quality of the food served, we need to demand that chefs cook better food.

In light of this, I wrote to Tim at Dial-A-Chef in regards to his passion fruit cheesecake with chocolate crust:

Tim from Dial-A-Chef,

Thanks for the cheesecake which you sent over to XXXXX XXXXX at XXXXXXX on 08/04/2008. I ate a piece the day it was brought over and am only just now responding.

I would like to give you an evaluation of this cheesecake, as I am an avid baker and thoroughly enjoy a good cheesecake.

- The passion fruit topping reminded me of a piece of plastic - much too much gelatin. You could easily lift off the entire topping in one rubbery layer. If you are set on serving a passion fruit topping, it would perhaps be better as a [coulis] or simply as fresh slices.

[editor: I must confess I confused passion fruit with star fruit; however, it wasn't the fruit itself that was the issue, it was the presentation]

I much prefer not to have too much of a topping on a cheesecake as it detracts from the rest of the cheesecake. A small amount of [coulis] or even a thin layer of sweetened sour cream suits a cheesecake admirably.

- The chocolate crust - really more of a lolly - was out of place on a cheesecake. A crust such as this (with lollies and coconut) definitely detracts from the creamy richness the cheese filling has to offer.

I would recommend a more formal crumb crust - either plain buttered crumbs or chocolate crumbs, or even a nice sweet pastry rather than a lolly concoction.

- The filling - while better than the average Kiwi cheesecake filling of the gelatinous, no bake variety - while smooth and creamy, nevertheless lacked any real depth of flavour or expected richness.

A much better cheesecake filling would be made with fresh ricotta and mascarpone with the zest from one lemon and one lime.

Thanks,
steven

I then graciously received a reply from Tim:

HI STEVEN

Lets just say that you should keep your job at XXXXXXX, you would only last minutes in my kitchen, if you are the cheese cake king I think you need to make one not just talk about it. Never have I had an email about food some one has eaten for free!!!

TIM

The only way to improve the quality of the food served at restaurants is to demand that chefs prepare quality food.

So, Tim from Dial-A-Chef, I am happy to offer you a recipe for a decent cheesecake. This great recipe is courtesy of Stephanie Jaworski by way of Joyofbaking.com.

The recipe is for a New York style cheesecake - with a sour cream topping; but, I much prefer to substitute ricotta for the cream cheese, and substitute mascarpone for the heavy whipping cream, as in an Italian style cheesecake.

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

Grease, or spray with Pam, a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan. Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.

For Crust:

In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.54 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling:

In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).

Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day.

Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake.

To freeze: Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. Can be frozen for several months. Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

Crust:

2 cups (190 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)

[editor: Graham crackers are not available in New Zealand; however, I have found one box of McVitie's (The Original) Digestives crumbs work quite nicely.]

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

32 ounces (1 kg) (4 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)

[editor: I substituted fresh ricotta for the cream cheese, as I find the ricotta provides a much richer flavor.]

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

3 tablespoons (40 grams) all purpose flour

5 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream

[editor: I substituted mascarpone for heavy whipping cream.]

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup sour cream (not low fat or fat free)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Tips: Sometimes the surface of the cheesecake cracks. To help prevent this from happening do not overbeat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and sugar.

Another reason for cracking is overbaking the cheesecake. Your cheesecake is done when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet.

Also, make sure the springform pan is well greased as cracking can occur if the cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools.

This is a great cheesecake. I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,
steven

ANZAC Day

2008-04-25T17:48:00.003+12:00

A day for rememberance.

Another Increase In Petrol

2008-04-23T06:29:00.002+12:00

Last night we had another increase in the cost of petrol to NZ$1.89/liter (NZ$7.19 per US gallon) for 91 octane.

The Cost Of Petrol Went Up, Again

2008-04-20T07:32:00.002+12:00

Here is Christchurch petrol (gasoline) is now NZ$1.859/liter (NZ$7.09 per US gallon) for 91 octane, the lowest grade unleaded available in New Zealand. I just filled up our little Toyota Echo - 34.61 liters (a bit over nine US gallons) - for NZ$64.34.

Ouch!

I am glad we have an economical car. Our Toyota Echo consistently achieves 5.8 liters/100 km (roughly 40 miles per US gallon.) I can usually drive around 550 km (340 miles) on one tank of petrol and fill up about once every two weeks.

Happy Motoring,
steven

The Washing Machine Repairman Came Today

2008-04-09T16:27:00.006+12:00

A few days ago our washing machine stuffed itself.

This afternoon the repairman came out from Noel's Appliance World to look at our machine.

He looked at the washing machine and concluded, "The timer is stuffed."

He said, "These particular machines (Whirlpool Front Loaders) are known for their particularly bad timers."

He did not have the part with him, informed me he would have the office look up the part, and charged me $70.00 for the visit.

"There may also be other problems; but", he said, "It looks like it is probably the timer that's causing the problems."

I asked him, "How much do you think a replacement timer would cost?"

He estimated, "Somewhere between $170-250, not including labor (another $35)."

He said, "We would not charge an additional $70.00 callout fee for the second visit."

I said," It doesn't sound like it's worth it to fix this machine."

"If it costs anything over $200 total, you would be better off buying a new machine," he suggested.

I asked him, "how old is the machine?"

He looked at the serial number and figured it was made in 1994.

I said, "In that case we paid too much for it as a used washing machine at $600."

"Yep" was his reply.

The repair shop just called to give me a quote for what it would cost to buy and install the part.

She said, "$430.00."

I just laughed.

She said, "You shouldn't laugh like that."

I said, "That must be about 1/3 the original price of the new machine."

And laughed.

She asked me, "Would you like to go ahead and repair the machine?"

I just laughed.

And laughed.

And said, "No, thank you."

Cheers,
steven

Taking a short break

2008-01-28T12:03:00.000+13:00

I am taking the week off in between jobs. Friday was my last day at NIWA and Monday I'll be starting at Alchemy Group Ltd. I will be miss all my coworkers at NIWA, and being in the thick of scientific research, but I was overdue for a change. Alchemy is a small java development shop and I am looking forward to learning all sort of new cutting edge technology.

A bird in the bush

2008-01-28T10:49:00.001+13:00

I must admit, I miss the mammals. Not that I ever wanted to come face to face with a bear or a cougar - seeing their tracks was enough for me - but it was kind of nice to know they were out there. But here in New Zealand the only mammals around are introduced ones, and most of them as now considered to be pests as they decimated the native bird population. So I've gotten into birds. Lately, it seems like our yard has been attracting a bellbird, amongst one of New Zealand's favorite native birds.

Bellbird (korimako)

Actually, I think it was here last year too, but I only heard it once and I was not exactly sure. This is really a cool thing, as these birds are not very common in urban areas. Perhaps my slashing and hacking in an effort to go native is working? Nah, wishful thinking ... for now.

Fantail (piwakawaka)

Another all time favorite is the fantail. We had quite a few in the spring and I'd swear one came to check out the young kowhai tree I recently planted in the front yard.

Starling

Other more common visitors to our garden are starlings (introduced), gray warblers (endemic), goldfinches (introduced) and blackbirds (introduced). Blackbirds have nested on our porch for two springs in a row now.

Gray warbler (riroriro)

In the Heathcote estuary we have all sorts of marine birds, and I could have sworn I even saw a kingfisher while hiking up the Bridle Path a while back. I still can't get used to seeing ducks in sea water, shags (cormorants) perching on trees in Hagley Park and seagulls in alpine lakes. I am trying to get Steven to buy some good bird watching binoculars :-)

Goldfinch

A fledgling Kiwi

2008-01-13T13:12:00.000+13:00

After what seemed an interminable wait Steven has finally received his permanent residency visa. He also gets a return resident visa for multiple re-entries. That's good for 2 years after which he will probably get an indefinite. The nice thing is that now he can vote, qualifies for low student fees, subsidized SAR (search and rescue) advanced courses and all sorts of other neat benefits only available to residents. He's going to sign up for a beginner Italian language course at the local technical institute. Expect some interesting postings :-)

A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree

2007-12-25T14:28:00.000+13:00

Well, here in New Zealand Summer has just come into full swing... BBQ's, long sunny days, Christmas at the beach... I just discovered a Maori version of the traditional "Twelve Days of Christmas" and Gaby thought it would be a good idea to share it with you.

The Maori version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is called "A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree." Here’s the annotated version of "A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree." The Moari definitions are provided at the end of the song.

A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree
(Sing to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas)

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A pukeko in a ponga tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two kumera
And a pukeko in a ponga tree

On the third day of Christmas…

and so on, until…

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve piupius swinging
Eleven haka lessons
Ten juicy fish heads
Nine sacks of pipis
Eight plants of puha
Seven eels a swimming
Six pois a twirling
Five – big – fat – pigs!
Four huhu grubs
Three flax kits
Two kumera
And a pukeko in a ponga tree!

Just in case your Maori is a bit rusty... These definitions come from the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary (however, the educational links are mine :-).

Pukeko = A hen-sized tail-flicking rail, Porphyrio porphyrio, with black and purple plumage and red bill, common throughout New Zealand and found as well in Australia and elsewhere (also called swamp-hen, and this is its usual name overseas.)

Ponga Tree = A New Zealand tree fern, Cyathea dealbata, having fronds with silvery white undersides (also called silver fern, silver tree fern.)

Kumara (also Kumera) = The Polynesian sweet potato. Here's a link to the website for the Kaipara Kumara brand of kumara.

Piupiu (Piuspius in the song, but there is no "s" in Maori) = A traditional Maori skirt (think hula skirt) made of dried flax leaves attached to a waist-band. Piupiu are worn by Maori men and women for traditional ceremonies and dances.

Haka = A traditional warlike Maori posture dance accompanied by dancing.

Pipi (Pipis in the song; however, there is no "s" in Maori) = Any of several edible molluscs, especially the smooth shelled cockle Paphies australis.

Puha = A sowthistle of the genus Sonchus cooked as a vegetable, especially by Maori (also called Maori cabbage, rauriki.)

Poi (Pois in the song) = A small light ball on a long or short string (long poi, short poi) swung and twirled rythmically in Maori songs and dances.

Huhu = The edible larva of a flying beetle, Prionoplus reticularis, found in decayed wood. Some folks have described their flavor as tasting like buttery chicken.

Thumbputation

2007-05-20T15:10:00.000+12:00

Warning - the contents of this post may be a bit graphic for some people.

So, this morning I was chopping wood for kindling. Somehow I managed to place my thumb between the wood and the axe - so, off to the 24 hour clinic we went.

The doctor commented on how sharp the axe was - it easily and cleanly cleaved through my thumbnail and most of the tip of my thumb. The doctor described the laceration as a "partial amputation." I thought "thumbputation" would be more appropriate. I watched curiously as the doctor poked repeatedly around my thumb, injected drugs to numb the pain, then searched for a large, curved stitching needle and thread. My thumb swelled and blood oozed from the multiple injections, but I was thankful for the quickening numbness. The doctor deftly pushed the needle into the side of my thumb and out through the detatched bit at the end, tying off with what appeared to be a double overhand knot. I mentioned to the doctor this was my first experience with stitches, to which he responded, "Congratulations!" I then mentioned I didn't think I would need a repeat.

When the doctor left a nurse then came by and finished up by cleaning and bandaging my thumb. So, now I need only wait 10 days before I can remove my stitch!

22 May Update: This morning I changed the bandages and thought I would include an image of my thumb. WARNING: This is a graphic image.

Castle Rock

2007-05-13T15:42:00.000+12:00

Last Friday morning a bit of sunlight broke through the cloud cover and illuminated Castle Rock. This is a high dynamic range (HDR) image captured from our driveway. The image was bracketed (-2EV, 0EV, +2 EV) and processed using Photomatix Pro.

"I'm A Vegetarian"

2007-04-28T08:40:00.000+12:00

Ya-Ya: House of Excellent Tea
(from Ya-Ya's website)
I should begin by mentioning that I always seem to attract these sorts of people.

I occasionally help our good friend Diane at Ya-Ya House of Excellant Tea. In addition to selling and serving a good selection of high quality teas from all around the world, Ya-Ya's has a well designed Zen Garden located in front of the teahouse.

I should also mention that for some reason people just cannot seem to resist walking through or writing in or generally molesting the manicured gravel and sand of the Zen Garden.

Last Thursday I noticed a man taking pictures of the Zen garden located in front of Ya-Ya's.

Ya-Ya's Zen Garden
(also from Ya-Ya's website)

I watched this man for a bit and privately mused about how much time would pass before this man too would disturb the Zen Garden. Sure enough, not two minutes passed before he walked over to the garden, reached down, and grabbed a handful of the pristine white sand.

I was moved by the situation and decided to take immediate action: surely some form of penitance (or Karma, in this case :-) was on order. I walked outside and kindly suggested that perhaps he would enjoy the Zen Garden more with a cup of tea in his hands.

I certainly did not expect his response to my suggestion. He said, "I have never drunk tea or coffee: I'm a vegetarian."

The man's response seemed to be such a non-sequitor I was left speechless. I was born and raised in Southern California and the concept of vegetarianism is not entirely foreign to me.

I realize vegetarians generally do not eat meat; however, I am not aware of any vegetarian restrictions on caffeine, but I could certainly be in the wrong. I did perform a cursory search in regards to vegetarianism excluding the intake of caffeine, but did not find anything which supports the man's assertion that he does not drink tea or coffee because he is a vegetarian - It was a new one on me.

Scary Face

2007-04-27T13:13:00.000+12:00

Just One Of The Guys

The Tamaki Brothers, who operate the Maori Village and Realm of Tane Maori cultural experiences around Rotorua in the North Island, have developed their newest cultural attraction right here in our own backyard - Tamaki Heritage Experiences - adjacent to Ferrymead Heritage Park.

Yesterday the Tamaki Brothers were in Cathedral Square here in Christchurch to shoot some video and help advertise Tamaki Heritage Experiences. As part of the shoot, two Maori war parties clashed with one another while a group of concerned Pakeha (Maori for non-Maori, European, Caucasion) huddled in fear and intrepedation.

Maori Warior

After the shoot was completed, the cast handed out pamphlets about the new attraction to curious onlookers. I couldn't resist a photograph of me taken with two of the Maori warriors. As I posed for the photo one of the fierce looking wariors kindly asked me to put on my "scary face" for the camera.

Gaby and I have reservations for this Sunday evening for one of the first public performances at Tamaki Heritage Experiences! Tamaki Heritage Experiences focuses on the first meetings between the Maori and Pakeha and the impact of Pakeha upon the Maori way of life. The experience includes a reconstructed example of a Pa (Maori fortified village), live performances, and a hangi (traditional Maori meal cooked in an "earth oven").

ANZAC Day

2007-04-25T08:11:00.000+12:00

"They shall not grow old as they that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn:
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

-The Fourth Stanza of Lawrence Binyon's poem For the Fallen, also referred to as the Ode of Remembrance.

Anzac Day Dawn Parade held at the War Memorial on the Bridal Path Road, Heathcote Valley

Why Wear A Poppy?
by Don Crawford

"Please wear a Poppy" the Lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head
Then I stopped and watched to see how she'd fare
Her face was old and lined with care
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street
Bouncing along on carefree feet
His smile was full of joy and fun
"Lady" he said, "may I have one?"

As she pinned it on I heard him say
"Why do we wear a Poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered "This is ANZAC Day
The Poppy there is a symbol for
The gallant men who died in war
And because they did, you and I are free
That's why we wear a Poppy you see.

I had a boy about your size
With golden hair and big blue eyes
He loved to play, and jump and shout
Free as a bird he would race about
As years went on he learned and grew
And became a man, as you will too.

He was fine and strong with a boyish smile
But he seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out he went away
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said 'Goodbye
I'll be back soon so please don't cry.'

But the War went on and he had to stay
All I could do was wait and pray
His letters told of the awful flight
I can see it still in my dreams at night
With tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire
And mines and bullets, and bombs and fire.

Till at last the War was won
And that's why we wear a poppy my son"
The small boy turned as if to go
Then said "Thanks Lady, I'm glad I know"
That did sound like an awful fight
But your son, did he come alright?

A tear rolled down each faded cheek
She shook her head and didn't speak
I slunk away, head bowed in shame
And if you were with me, you'd have done the same
For our thanks in giving, is oft delayed
Though the freedom was bought, and thousands paid.

And so you see when a poppy is worn
Let us relfect on the burden borne
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace may live
Then wear a poppy, remember and give.

Cenotaph Party

Dedicated to those from Heathcote Valley who died in the service of their country: You are not forgotten.

Menacing Mantis

2007-04-10T14:39:00.000+12:00

I found this praying mantis crawling around on the front porch this afternoon. It seems rather large at roughly 6cm in length. I have seen quite a few of these around the house (both inside and outside) and couldn't resist taking a picture of such an awesome insect.

New Zealand praying mantis - Orthodera novaezealandiae

Note the distinctive bright blue patches visible on the inside of the raptorial fore legs. Also, though a bit difficult to see in these images, the pronotum is the same width as the head. These characteristics seem to be evident in the native New Zealand praying mantis, Orthodera novaezealandiae.

Orthodera novaezealandiae

Appearently, there are only two species of mantis in New Zealand: the native Orthodera novaezealandiae and a recently introduced (ca. 1978) Springbok Mantis or South African mantis, Miomantis caffra. According to Landcare Research, Orthodera novaezealandiae occurs only in New Zealand.

According to Landcare Research, the invasive, introduced South African mantis, Miomantis caffra, which mainly occurs in the North Island, continues to spread across the country as shown here (PDF 899KB). According to An Illustrated Guide to some New Zealand Insect Families, by Elizabeth A. Grant (ISBN 0-478-09326-8), "the pronotum [of the South African mantis, Miomantis caffra] is very slender and therefore narrower than the width of the head." (pg.30) Also, according to Landcare Reasearch, the South African mantis, Miomantis caffra lacks the distintive bright blue patches on the raptorial fore legs as evident on the New Zealand mantis, Orthodera novaezealandiae.

Furthermore, according to The Penguin Natural World of New Zealand: An Encyclopedia of Our Natural Heritage by Gerard Hutching (ISBN 0 14 301925 2), even though it appears European mantid copulations frequently result in decapitation of the male by the female, this behaviour does not seem to be the habit of the New Zealand mantis, Orthodera novaezealandiae. (pg. 277)

Mig 21 On Litchfield

2007-04-10T10:21:00.000+12:00

Last week Gaby mentioned to me in passing she had seen a Mig 21 aircraft parked on Litchfield Street in downtown Christchruch, so I grabbed my camera and went to check it out; after all, it's not everyday you get to see a Mig 21 parked on the street - unless, of course, you live in Christchurch ;-).

Typical Rush Hour Traffic

It turns out the presence of the Mig is most likely a publicity stunt advertising a recently developed section of downtown called Sol Square (Sol is a not so very creative acronym for South Of Litchfield).

Dining Al Fresco at His Lordship's Cafe and Bar

The Mig is parked along Litchfield Street at the intersection with the newly developed pedestrian throughfare called His Lordship's Lane. There are several retail stores and restaurants situated in areas that were vehicle access ways or alleyways for the old mills which once occupied the buildings.

Flying Low along Litchfield Street

The wing of the aircraft extended rather close to traffic lanes and someone thoughtfully placed a high visibility vest at the wingtip in hopes of avoiding a collision.

The General Store: Objects for Home, Presents with Attitude, Accessories for Play

When I saw the sign for The General Store I wondered what sorts of intersting things were on offer there and wandered along the lane for a closer look. Unfortunately, it didn't appear the Mig was for sale...

Mig on Litchfield Street

There did seem to be quite a few folks interested in the Mig. Maybe a few folks were actually attracted enough to walk through the newly revamped back alleys! There are several downtown areas in Christchurch which have attracted development of the old industrial areas. Unfortunately, it seems most often these interesting areas lack sufficient advertisement/attraction to draw folks into these gems. I would encourage the City of Christchurch to spend some money to make these areas more attractive to folks on the street. Many of these pedestrian alleyways have great retail potential, but sometimes people walking along the street can be a bit leery of entering these back alleys - perhaps because some of them seem reminiscent of derilect intercity areas - not exactly the sorts of places folks seek out.

Lyttelton Tug vs. Queen Elizabeth 2

2007-03-26T07:26:00.000+12:00

Cruise ships regularly come to call at the port of Lyttelton. Often when these large cruise ships arrive and depart, boats from the port meet the ships near the mouth of the harbour and escort them as they are piloted along the harbour. On 14 February, the stately Cunard oceanliner the Queen Elizabeth 2 was set to sail from the port. A couple of weeks prior to this we were wandering around the port and noticed a sign near the famous old steam tug the Lyttelton which advertised for a late afternoon cruise aboard the tug to escort the great ship out of the harbour. We also thought the cruise would make a great date in celebration of Valentine's Day.

The Lyttelton Tug , first put into use around 1907, is maintained and preserved by a group of devoted volunteers. We boarded the old tug around 4:30 P.M. Our first objective was to make our way over to where the QE2 was berthed - outsite the inner harbour, due to the size of the ship.

The wheelhouse was in immaculate condition, as were the the instruments and telegraphs.

Prior to departure everything seemed to need a bit of grease - everything! All the machinery is original and a little bit of tender loving care keeps it all running smooth.

From the inner harbour the Lyttelton Time Ball can be seen high on the hill. At noon, the ball would drop from the top of a long mast and a cannon would fire to signal to ships in the harbour Greenwhich Time for ships so they could adjust their chronometers and get a fix on their longitude before setting out to sea again. The Lyttelton Time Ball is the last remaining operational time ball left in New Zealand. At noon the ball still drops and a cannon is fired!

We slowly made our way to where the grand ship was berthed and waited for her lines to be cast off.

I was more intrigued with the steam engines on the Lyttelton than the more modern QE2, so I headed down to the engine room for a wee visit. The ship has two sets of steam engines which drive two shafts. Each shaft has a high pressure piston and a low pressure piston.

It was impressive to watch the big engines turn the crankshaft. One of the guys in the engine room was Scottish and reminded my of Mr. Scott from Star Trek.

I watched the engine room crew at work for a while and finally realized how the telegraphs from the wheelhouse operate.

Just forward of the engine room is the boiler room. It was neat to see the huge fireboxes blazing.

I spent at least half an hour talking to the fireman in the boiler room about how the whole thing works.

I came back up on deck to see where we were in the harbour.

The QE2 lumbered slowly along as it was piloted through the harbour. However, once the pilot left the ship it gained steam and easily overtook us!

The Lyttelton Tug has steam assisted power steering - not bad for a 100 year old ship.

At the headlands we left the QE2 as she sailed on towards Sydney. Goodbye QE2!

Eventually we made it back to port.

We thought we would complete the evening with a great Italian meal at Freeman's Dining Room in Lyttelton What a great day!

Auckland Adventure

2007-03-24T09:00:00.000+12:00

My birthday, 06 February, falls on Waitangi Day - a national holiday here in New Zealand. What better excuse to head out of town and go explore? I had not yet visited Auckland (aside from the airport) so we flew up to Auckland to explore a bit of New Zealand's largest city.

Foremost on my list of things to see was the Auckland Museum. The Auckland Museum contains a large collection of Polynesian artifiacts - a must see for anyone who has time to visit the Big Smoke.

Our first stop was a private guided tour of the recently finished Grand Atrium, an interesting structure which actually hangs down from four large pillars and is not connected to the main building - impressive.

At the time of our visit the museum had a display called Vaka Moana, which told the story of the seafaring peoples of Polynesia. The exhibit was well done and informative.

Part of the permanent collection at the Auckland Museum is this diorama of Wandering Albatross. I just had to include an image of our namesake!

Another exhibit at the museum was on volcanoes. New Zealand has quite a fair share of volcanoes, and Auckland itself contains no less than 28 of them!

The Auckland Museum has a beautiful collection of Maori artifacts, including complete maraes dating from the mid 1800s

Our next stop was to the New Zealand National Maritime Museum. This museum has a great collection of old boat stuff and interesting historical artifacts. One of the interesting displays is Ms Chippy, the ship's cat aboard Shackelton's epic Antarctic expedition.

The museum's collection includes several boats docked at the wharf. One such boat is a neat old steam engine sea crane. We saw a similar crane docked in the Wellington harbour.

One day we took a ferry across to Davenport, located on the North Shore. The weather was wonderfully warm and semi-tropical.

We walked around Davenport for a bit then scaled the mighty Mt. Victoria (yes, another volcanoe). Mt. Victoria still retains some old fortifications from WWII, such as this disappearing gun emplacement.

Above the bunkers (which, unfortunately, were off limits), the vents were all painted like big toadstools.

From the top of Mt. Victoria there is a great view of Rangitoto (yet another volcanoe).

Our next stop was the Sky Tower. Tickets for the elevator ride up to the observation deck are a bit steep at NZ$25.00 per person, but it is worth doing once for the high vantage point of the city. We were thinking of dining at the restaurant at the top, but I guess that's a whole different elevator ride from the observation deck - oh well.

During our entire 5 day trip to Auckland we had no rain, even though at times the skies appeared threatening.

The next day we walked over to the Auckland Art Gallery. The collection at the museum includes some of the great early portraits of Maori around New Zealand.

After our tour of the Auckland Art Gallery, we bussed on over to Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World.

The acquarium stands as a testimont to Kelly Tarlton's devotion to the sea, and includes what was the first underwater viewing tunnel ever built into an aquarium. On display was a preserved giant squid, a huge animal, which pales in comparison to the recently recovered complete collosal squid now at Te Papa museum in Wellington, waiting to be thawed out.

Gaby and I enjoyed just walking around Downtown Auckland, especially at the harbour, watching the ferries come and go.

Our last stop was a brief visit to Mt. Eden (also a volcano). It was interesting to note the Maori believe the summit crater to be sacred. As such, people are asked not to defile the crater by walking into it. Ironically, cows are allowed to tramp around the crater at will.

We had a great time in Auckland! On our next visit we hope to explore some of the not so touristy areas of the city.

This parting shot is for all the Italians out there. We were walking around downtown Auckland and passed by this restaurant. I just had to take a picture of it! We suspect the owners are Italians with a sense of humour :-)

Shocking Price for Toyota Seatbelts

2007-03-08T10:52:00.000+13:00

Yesterday I took my 2005 Toyota Echo to the Ilam Toyota dealer here in Christchurch for a Warrant of Fitness inspection. After the inspection I was informed our car had failed its WOF due to two damaged rear passenger seatbelts (our dog Kuri had a go at them). I was then informed by the Toyota dealer the rear seatbelts could not be repaired because of the proprietary endings on the belts and the belts would have to be replaced with factory units. He then informed me these units were not currently in inventory in Toyota New Zealand, and, in fact, one of the rear seatbelt units had never before been in the Toyota New Zealand inventory. Consequently, I was informed these two rear seatbelt units would have to be imported from Toyota Japan. It was his next sentence that made me do a double-take. He informed me that these two rear seatbelt units would cost NZ$1530 plus GST and installation, which works out to around NZ$1700!

That's right, NZ$1700.00! I was shocked! How can it possibly be that two rear seatbelts for a 2005 Toyota Echo (the least expensive vehicle sold by Toyota at the time of its manufacture, BTW) could amount to a full 10% of the entire purchase price of this vehicle? Even the insurance inspector was shocked by the price of these parts.

Then, to add insult to injury, the Ilam Toyota dealer informed me it would take 14 WORKING DAYS to receive the product - That's three weeks!

Recall that this is a late model Toyota vehicle we are referring to here, not something long out of production. I don't uderstand how it could possibly take so long to get this product? When I asked this question to the Service Manager I was told that's how Ilam Toyota's contract with Toyota of Japan works. Boy, if that doesn't sound like a run-around I don't know what is.

I find this situation more than a little annoying. Every vehicle which I have ever owned has been a Toyota. I have previously owned a 1979 Celica, a 1984 3/4 ton pickup, a 1992 FJ88 Landcruiser Wagon, and I currently own a 2005 Echo. My past experience with Toyota in the States has been very good - parts and service are available and the work has been up to Toyota quality.

I would hope Ilam Toyota would do their best at obtaining replacement parts for a valued Toyota customer.

23 March Update: The price Ilam Toyota quoted me for two replacement seatbelts was so absurdly expensive we searched for alternative sources. We eventually found a Toyota dealer in Sydney, Australia, that listed the exact same part numbers - also ordered directly from Japan - for one third the price! I ordered the replacement parts and contacted the insurance company to notify them I would like to withdraw my insurance claim. Once the parts arrived, I contacted Ilam Toyota and they installed the replacement seatbelts. The total cost including the parts and service ended up being less than half of Ilam Toyota's original quote! So, we now have five functional seatbelts in the car and can breath easy for another year - when our Warrant Of Fitness inspection is due once again.

10 April Update: Late last week I decided to move the car a short distance down the driveway. Later, when I decided to move the car back it would not start. Actually, at first the engine started, but emitted such a terrible noise (like only one or two cylinders were firing) I quickly shut the engine off again. After that, the engine would turn over, but not start up. I called Ilam Toyota. They graciously offered to tow my car to the dealership. The next day I received a call from the dealership. They very kindly informed me the engine was flooded, nothing more. It turns out, as the mechanic informed me, these engines can rarely be subject to engine flooding if the engine is started and then stopped after a short period of time, for example, when a car is moved out of a garage and into the driveway for a wash. I was very satisfied with the mechanic's response. I have regained my faith there are at least a few honest mechanics still around - Kudos to Ilam Toyota!

Nelda Goes to Hokitika

2007-02-13T10:02:00.000+13:00

Gaby and I wanted to take Nelda to the West Coast before she left for home at the end of January, so, on the third weekend of January we packed our bags and traveled west over Arthur's Pass to Hokitika. Of course the weather forecast was for rain - lots of rain, but we didn't let the weather dampen our spirits!

As we headed west on State Highway 73 out of Christchurch, we stopped before heading into the mountains to enjoy the scenery.

I gained an audience gathered from a nearby paddock. Cows always seem to be quite curious. I have to admit, it's sometimes a bit nerve wracking to have all these critters just looking at you, as though they can read your mind... Or, they may just think that you might feed them.

From Hokitika we took a drive around nearby Lake Kaniere and stopped to see the picturesque Dorothy Falls, just off the road. The waters which drain off the valleys acquire a reddish tint from the plant material.

Just opposite the road from the short walking track to Dorothy Falls is a track which leads to the shore of Lake Kaniere. We decided to take Nelda to the lakeshore for a look. The bush was thick and shady along the track.

Large tree ferns made me think of remnant forest of a distant past. I half expected to see therapods wandering through the bush.

After about half a kilometer of easy walking track we reached the scenic shore of Lake Kaniere.

Nelda took her colorful purse with her wherever we went. She was seldom seen without it. She made up for the dull and dreary West Coast weather.

One last destination on our wee driving tour was to see the Hokitika Gorge and Swingbridge. The waters which course through the gorge have a wonderful greenish blue cast.

We enjoyed the swingbridge for a while, then continued on down to the river to take a look.

The scenery is great. We would have spent more time there except the biting flies found us.

We had to do a bit of scrambling to reach the scenic spots.

We stayed overnight in Hokitika and the next day drove north along the West Coast to Charleston and back over Arthur's Pass. It rained just about the entire time, but we had heaps of fun.

The constant rain made it a bit difficult to get out and walk, but we did manage a cook's driving tour along a fair bit of the West Coast. We enjoy visiting the West Coast and look forward to our next trip there.

Kaikura Day Trip

2007-02-13T09:12:00.000+13:00

On 13 January, we took Gaby's mother Nelda with us to Kaikura for a day trip.

On this trip we decided to try something new for lunch, and stumbled upon a Malaysian Restaurant located on the main road at the north end of town. This restaurant (at the moment I forget the name) serves some of the best Indian/Malaysian food I have ever had. When we were finished with our meal, Nelda went to the kitchen to complement the chef of the small, family run restaurant. It was then that we learned we were dining on the last day this restaurant would be open before being shut down for a year while undergoing a move and renovation! Supposedly they will open back up in the new main shopping center at the north end of town near the New World.

The weather was once again great and we had a great view looking south from the Kaikura peninsula.

The small downtown section of Kaikura.

This is a cryptic sign warning visitors to keep away from the animals - at leat 10 meters. I think the picture shows a person holding a pair of binoculars?

Looking north from Kaikura you see the Kaikura Ranges.

The birds enjoyed the sunshine while relaxing on the parked vehicles.