Feeling The Winter Heat!

Maybe it's the post New Zealand downer or the cool winter days or the fact that half our friends are in the early weeks of the bigger summer hols or teaching in Australia is just a bit crap. Whatever the reason this weekend could not come soon enough.
Having been rained off last weekend we made a second attempt to attend "winterheat". The fact that nobody we spoke to had ever heard of it and the proliferation of empty B&Q white plastic chairs when we arrived left us a tad concerned.


But the view from the top of the "hill" and the proliferation of B&Q mosquito candle buckets restored our faith in the event. It was actually a good evening out with live music (Canadian band from Chad...use your atlas)curry tents, coffee tents and beer tents. They even sold mulled wine to give it that authentic winter feel but had the temperatue been 20 degrees colder it would have felt more authentic.

The grand finale (well as much as the children could put up with) is when the "fire dragon" sent the wishes that the children had written high into the sky. We suggested that Alex should wish for the end of the Israel/Lebanon crisis but he decided to go for the "I want the Pokemon Emerald game" option; shallow little toe rag!

Never Smile at a Crocodile.

The Reptile Park.


This incredible Giant Tortoise was great to watch....the speed, yes the speed in which it devoured a carrot .....



The chap doing all the special talks and demonstrations was brilliant! He was funny, sarcastic, informative and rude (which Alex loved!) He generally kissed all his creatures and even licked a Cane Toad, then suddenly remembered it had just been to toilet on his hand...so it tasted gross!
It is worth knowing the difference between an alligator and a crocodile.....basically you've had it if you meet a croc.....so it's true...never smile at one because they are much more aggressive and they will chase you and eat you! Even the baby ones are born snappy!!



Alligators on the other hand are much more laid back....and will only eat you if you are easy!!



A Tazmanian Devil's bottom is the best shot I could get of this strange, unsociable creature. You shouls have heard the noises it made...it really did sound like the cartoon character, Taz. He kissed this too, even though she was really grumpy!



The dilemma was whether to try a Meal-worm or not...lots of the audience tried one and said it tasted like....guess what?...chicken! It freaked Jessica out just holding it...so Daddy ate it for special effect...but he didn't chew it so now he is worried about it growing in his tummy!

Arty!

While exploring and looking at the local restaurants for somewhere to take our kind hosts on our final night, Pete took us to the Craft centre....looking for Balancing Kiwis, because they are apparently made somewhere in Christchurch. We met a very interesting and friendly bone carver who offered to make something of my own design, while I watched.
It was truely fascinating watching the process and hearing his life story while he worked.



He uses cow and whale bone.....but obviously he has a huge supply of cow bone from the butcher...so I didn't feel guilty that the cow was being hurt just for my carving! I actually think it is very resourceful to use the bone too, especially for something so creative!


My fish bone design also has traditonal Maori



We got our Balancing Kiwis. But not in Christchurch. Chantel was very pleased with her design

Hanmer Springs.

Thermal Pools. A great idea after a day on the slopes. Another 90 minute drive through the windy roads of the South Island but worth the trek. Tina and I spent every moment we could with shoulders submerged when it was only about ten degrees. Jessica at least was more hardy.



The water was lovely (between 36 and 41 degrees which is a summers day in Britain these days thanks to global warming ) but the snowy mountains behind reminded us to stay submerged.





Jessica and Alex staked out this spot which we thought made great photo material. In order to get here they had to hover close by until a canoodling couple drifted away annoyed by the close proximity of two small children.




The car hire had been returned but we got to Hanmer courtesy of Pete and Chantel's "honky mobile". we've not heard the word honky since "Love Thy Neighbour" stopped being on the telly but Pete is on a one man crusade to make the word socially acceptable again. Honky was still a bit mucky after the dirt roads of Porter Heights.



More scenery and Bungy jump locations on the way home.



And so it was the final evening and we thought our ever patient hosts deserved a meal out. we ended up at "Dux de lux" where everyone was well catered for despite the lack of dead animals on their menu (well ones with legs anyway). Can't be too sure about why we chose this location for our final shot. I think it was because of the lovely fish tank but as we all stood in front of it, it kind of loses its impact. Well us and the menu look good. Never mind that we could just as easily be by the specials board by the Bold Forester in Marchwood.



So it was goodbye to New Zealand. Like everywhere we go, we never did it justice and the North Island will just have to wait a decade or two but we saw enough and did enough to make it a holiday to remember. They need to invent central heating and semi skimmed milk and perhaps be a little less obsessed with one lane bridges but if you can put up with such "hardships" it's a country well worth a visit.

The ups and down of Skiing

A key sign of getting old is when you live to see what your children are getting up to and so it was the case at Porter heights today. Our day at Cardrona a few days before had been a very pleasant, if expensive, experience. The plan was for two days near Christchurch too but Mt Hutt lived up to its nickname of Mt Shut, with both days cancelled by high winds. Pete very kindly took us to this smaller but closer ski field but we unfortunately joined the rest of the frustrated Mt Hutt Skiers for a packed and congested afternoon on the slopes.
Yet whilst Chris and I floundered Jess and Alex flourished. Pete meanwhile, just happily got a wet backside on his snowboard.

A calm scene but the clouds were rolling in whilst Alex masters the platter lift.


Jessica practises her snowplough and Chris practises his falling over and "I can't believe you took a picture of me" expression. Enlarge that picture it's a wonderfully grumpy face.



Top of the nursery slope and Alex is ready to go off again whilst Jessica was a bit more tentative. A great day but we need to get back to Whistler.



After Pete bravely negotiated the thirty minute drive down the mountain we stopped here for warm drinks. No Hot Chocolate but Chris told me that black Thermos coffee never tasted so good.

The Antarctic Centre and Christchurch Centre.

The Antartic Centre told the story of the animals and the mad people who work there.....doing lots of important research in nightmare conditions.
The children met lots of different penguins...stuffed and cuddly ones! (although, apparently they are due to get some live ones shortly!)
J & A in the 'kids only' penguin room!



The children particularly enjoyed playing in the 'Antartic Storm' room...(you can't see the 12 kids that Pete beat off to get on to the Skidoo.) Every 30 minutes the storm went off....to show you how influential the wind is in causing temperatures to plummet to -25 degrees! Jessica hid in the igloo but the rest of us braved the storm!
Chris got a wet bottom on the ice slide!



So, after a jolly morning in one centre, we arrived in the centre of Christchurch for a tour of the sights. The Cathedral was an obvious must see.....(but we confess....we didn't go up it!)



Tram photo......but ....we didn't go on it!



Cool Art Gallery...but we didn't go in it!!

Canyon Swing

Thanks to Ian's technological know how...you to can share our amazing rope swing experience...well nearly.....I waited ages to summon up the courage to jump/step off the edge ...and then you get to hear me scream! Cool eh? ..it's higher than it looks...honest!

Ok...enough of mountains already!

Travelling back to Christchurch seemed to take forever...so we needed silly little things to entertain us....like the Puke Pub...advertising possum pies! (luckily Alex didn't 'puke' at the mention of this.....I forgot to tell the school last term that Alex gets 'grossed out' by things like this...so he was ill when he saw another child squeeze a bug...so its insides came out... yes, that is gross!)




Driving through Arthur's Pass, Chris dared me to go inside the old church, where the Lonely Planet guide informed us we would find a surprise.......well, peeping through the wooden door, they were in the middle of a service, being led by a white haired vicar, with a long white beard... like the ones in Harry Potter! I decided I didn't want my surprise and got back in the car quick!



Have you ever had the feeling that no matter how long you drive...the mountain just doesn't seem to get any nearer? And then, just when you think you have got there...another mountain looms!
The scenery was truly amazing...but it took so long to get anywhere that we ended up seeing/or not seeing some of the best bits in the dark!!So, after another hour of driving in the dark we were sooooo over those mountains!

Franz Josef Glacier.

"The glacier looks well rather as one would expect a wall of dirty ice to look. But to be there, to stare at it, to feel it radiating coldness, to watch an ancient chunk crash from its face and shatter on the rocks validates a day of holiday. Today I saw the glacier and now I can go eat and drink with a sense of duty done."
Well once again we feel inclined to quote Joe Bennett, who puts it rather eloquently and partly sums up our feelings.



Jessica and I were lucky enough to go on the glacier tour but unfortunately, due to the harsh conditions they didn't feel Alex would manage the climb, especially as the special spikes wouldn't fit on to his boots properly. I must confess it was a hard hike and everyone was very impressed with Jessica. It was quite scary in places.







Chris and Alex did, however, join us later and were given a private guide to meet us at the ice face, which was a good 45 mins walk from the car park!



Weather conditions did deteriorate so it probably was the right decision for Alex not to do the whole tour; he seemed happy with what he had seen, but I owe Chris big time, although I probably appreciated the dirty and blue ice patterns more than he would have!

A "Beautiful Day" in Wanaka

The "Land of Two Halves" book had this to say about Wanaka:
"To get some idea of the place take the English Lake district, heighten the mountains, file their edges, fold them more tightly, cover most of them with snow, iron that snow, enlarge the lakes, intensify the brightness of the light by a factor of ten, banish all drizzle and shoot fourteen out of every fifteen people."

The words say a lot more for the place than our photos can but you get the idea.


We only had one night here, following a successful day's skiing (not for the woman in our lesson who had to be stretchered off the slopes). The morning was free to potter around and we found the information centre not only provided information but the best views for hot chocolate drinking (or in Tina and Alex's case, slurping). A newspaper article I had read about the place prior to arrival was an interview with a resident who said the track they associated with Wanaka was beautiful day by U2. So guess what they were playing in the coffee shop, yes you got it

Gina G "ooh aah a just little bit". Oh well she is Australian I suppose

The following 24 hours was spattered with incongrous musical intervals. In the rain sodden rain forest wilderness of Makarora we supped soup whilst listening to reggae.Our restaurant meal in the ice glacier township of Franz Josef came with a chilled Ibiza soundtrack. Then on the road back to Christchurch we all sang along to the Vengaboys




Hot drink and Gina G needs fulfilled there was time for a play before getting on the road.



The beautiful day did not last and the Haast pass was a collection of spectacular views shrouded in heavy mist.

A Cool way to spend an evening.

We found out after deer feeding that the luge was open but got there just too late. The indoor crazy golf looked like fun but we got there just too late. The lake's underwater aquarium sounded great if only it was open. So how we thought shall we entertain the children. A visit to the Vodka bar was the solution.
It was 60 dollars for thirty minutes in minus 5 you get a cocktail, a coat, gloves (dried snot on the gloves seemed to come as a free extra) and a sticky floor.
30 minutes was just long enough for Tina to make a decision.


Alex was probably sitting on the mother and father of one of the deer he had fed earlier in the day but did not seem to mind.


Jessica had fun sitting on the sheep after giving up with her mocktail. A cunning way to get youngsters and non alcoholics involved except that of course without the alcohol you have about ten seconds to drink your drink before it turns to ice. In your glass which is of course ..



also made of ice.