Anita's Tour de Aotearoa

251105 - 251109 A World of Difference

2009-11-25T00:09:00.000-08:00

Today four years ago I arrived on the airport of Auckland with a Residency Visa, a suitcase full of stuff, lots of dreams, hopes and a wish for adventures and challenges.

The adventures and challenges have come on my way, that's for sure (and still will come). I could not have guessed then that I would be living in a flatting situation and working in a vineyard now.

The big question always is whether your life has improved by emigrating. This is difficult to answer, because of the many changes I have gone through, that not all were related to the emigration itself. Overall I think I have gained a lot of experience and got to know myself (even) better. I definitely have learned to enjoy the small things in life much better and I am able to live under basic conditions and still be happy (at least not less happy than I was with my life back in Holland).

So, yes I am still in New Zealand and planning to stay here for a bit longer, but who knows what else will come on my way.........

Working life... and another trip around....

2009-09-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your input into my decision making about what to do after I have graduated (assuming this is really going to happen in December). No, I have not made a decision yet; I will need a few more weeks for that.

Last time I told a bit about school stuff, but since I am working three days a week in the winery I will try to explain what a working day can look like. I am sure that a lot of you will have some romantic ideas about working in the wine industry. Everyone who has ever done some wine tours/tastings and is shown a winery and vineyard or watched programmes on TV will agree. However, what is life of a cellar hand / laboratory technician in a winery really about – is it romantic…..? Decide for yourself…

. Getting up around 6.30 to be able to leave by car around 7.30 for an 8.00 start in the Awatere Valley (around 20 minutes drive).
· Taking samples from tanks to do analyses on in the laboratory. The temperature there is around 13°C this time of the year (the temperature in the winery is often a little bit colder even).
· Transferring wine from one tank to another to ‘rack off’ the lees. This means that you have to set up a pump with hoses that need to be cleaned and sanitised before use. Then connecting the right hose to the right outlet/inlet on the right tanks until all the wine is transferred and only the lees is left in the empty tank.
· Cleaning the empty tank, which means hosing it out with water, cleaning with cleaning agent, hosing out, then sanitising the tank and fittings and ready…… In the mean time you get wine, lees and water over you when you are not careful.
· Adding fining agents and/or sulphur dioxide (to protect the wine) to tanks and covering tanks that are not totally filled with gas, this is also to protect the wine from oxidation.
· Taking samples from barrels that have Pinot Noir to go through malo-lactic fermentation (second fermentation). To get to the barrels sometimes it is necessary to climb on top of the barrels that are stacked four layers high. Actually you need to be a monkey to do this well!!
· Etc.etc.etc.
· Heading home around 5pm – having a shower and preparing food for dinner and lunch for the next working day.

There must be time to play when working hard – so, before Mauricio heads of to work a vintage in the USA he wanted to see a bit more of the South Island. We planned a roundtrip of four days, which is not long but enough to show him the East and West Coast and the Central part of the northern South Island.

First of all we went to St Arnaud (Nelson Lakes Area) where we made a bush walk along Lake Rotoiti before heading to Westport via Murchison and the beautiful Buller Gorge.

Unfortunately, this day it was pouring down, but the other days were full of bright sunshine, as can be seen on the pictures. After Westport of course the first stop is Punakaiki where the famous pancake rocks and the blowhole need to be seen.

Although we were at the right time (high tide) to see the blowhole, there was not a lot to be seen. But the rocks were nice and we made a good walk along the beach before heading on to Greymouth and going inland from there. Of course we had to stop in Reefton, a town that I always see as a kind of ‘wild-west’ village. Further along the route we came past the Maruia Springs, a place that I had not been before – and we decided to stop and have a look. It was a very great surprise to find it was a Japanese place that had a lot of serenity. It is located on the foot of some mountains and the sun was shining brightly. The pools were small, but there were hardly any other people around. It was so very relaxing – especially the private spa pool……….

It is a place I will definitely go back one day – maybe even to stay, because there is a resort and Japanese restaurant as well.

After that we went to Hanmer Springs to stay for the night. Here we stayed at a backpackers run by a Dutch couple. It was a great place, more like a small hotel than a backpackers hostel. It was not too crowded in Hanmer at this time of the year although it was Saturday. The pubs were busy however since the All Blacks played against the Wallabies (Australia). Everybody was happy at the end of the evening because the ABs destroyed the opponent on the field. The next day we made a long, enjoyable walk through the bush and then it was time to go back to the East Coast.

We ended up in Kaikoura, a place I normally just pass through or stop for a coffee/lunch on the way. It was great to stay here the night and to be able to explore the surroundings. Unfortunately, then it was time to go back to always lovely Blenheim.

Cheers,
Anita

Student Life....

2009-09-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

The last few weekends I have been active with tramping etc. but suddenly real student life started again, although…….

Last week we ended the week on Friday with a trip to Picton and watching and listening to a Jazz duo in one of the café’s there. Not a lot of people attended the performance, but the atmosphere was nice and the singer and guitarist were a pleasure to the ears. It is still a miracle to me why it is so difficult in Blenheim to find gigs like that.

The next day we had a bbq party at one of the classmate’s. It was nice to have a party again after quite a while and we had a nice time chatting, drinking and dancing. On the Sunday unfortunately the weather was really bad and thus not a lot of excitement was to be found outdoors. Luckily there is always homework and study, although after a night partying that is not easy to get your head around at, so it was more like a lazy Sunday.

My regular weeks at the moment consist around a Monday at school, Tuesday/Wednesday work, Thursday school and Friday work. Last Thursday we checked out one of the newly opened restaurants in town. The food was enjoyable but the service was not on an acceptable standard to us, mainly Europeans. Maybe we are too fuzzy? Then it was time to relax a bit on Friday night at home with a movie. Since my injury earlier this year I have seen a huge amount of movies. More than I have seen during the rest of my life, with exception of course of the Film Festivals visited in Rotterdam, where I often watching 4/5 movies a day.

On Saturday we had some people around for dinner and that was another pleasant night with some good wines. And what was on the menu?...Mauricio’s Pizza again!

In the mean time the end of the course comes in sight – only around 2.5 months to go!!! So it is getting time that I decide on what to do next. However, there are a few possibilities and it is hard to figure out what would be best. Basically the choices I have are:

· Working full time at my current work at The Crossings where I have another year’s contract
· Studying full time for my bachelor’s degree in wine production and viticulture, either in Blenheim or Christchurch
· Studying part time for bachelor’s degree – or via distance learning
· Trying to find job in other part of New Zealand
· Going overseas to gain more experience in a different country – choices could be Spain, France, Italy, Chile or Argentina.

Anyone who has an idea about any of these or other options, I am open to anything at the moment. So bring on the ideas, please!

Cheers,
Anita

Passport back and some sunny pictures

2009-08-22T00:57:00.000-07:00

After I dropped off my passport in Wellington I received it back together with a new passport within two weeks, which is pretty quick in my opinion. Luckily I could just send those to the NZ Immigration Office for transfer of my visa, so that was easy. Now I am in the possession of a nice new passport valid for another 5 years. Not that I need it, because I am not planning of travelling anywhere outside of NZ and not even outside of the South Island.

When we woke up this morning the sun was already shining and it looks like it would be a beautiful day. This is quite common in Blenheim, since we have a great micro-climate here, with lots of sun and little rain – especially compared to most of the rest of the country. So, after a good breakfast we decided to go for another tramp again. This time it took us to Rarangi, Whites Bay and Port Underwood which is on the coast in between Blenheim and Picton. The pictures will show some of the nice views we had on the way. It was quite hilly and slippery at times, but it was all worth the effort. After our 3.5 hours tramping we were back at the car and travelled via beautiful Port Underwood Road to Picton. Here we had a well deserved, very late lunch and an even better tasting beer. Sitting in the sunshine on a terrace overlooking the sea…….. life is good!

At home I was lucky – my flatmate was eager to try to bake some pizza himself. Yammmiiieee!!!

Cheers,
Anita

"Cold" tramping

2009-08-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

After last week’s good Sunday afternoon walking we decided to take the walking to the next step: tramping. We headed out of Blenheim south (close to Ward) with the last 12 kms land inwards on a gravel road.

The route we were going to take was for experienced backcountry trampers with above average fitness. Great for us!!! The route was to the Sawcut Gorge and thus went along a river – at least, that’s what we thought. However, it appeared that we had to cross the river several times. The water was not really nice – worse even, it was ice cold and already after the first crossing our feet were soar of the cold. When you do a crossing around 8 times, then you do not feel anything anymore. The route was beautiful, the further we got – the smaller the gorge became. Some of the pictures are below. We were happy to be back at the car after nearly 4 hours and to warm our feet/legs again. We decided we deserved a nice coffee and headed to The Store in Kekerungu – highly recommended!

Cheers,
Anita

A weekend trip, a passport and other stuff

2009-07-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

Weekend holiday
Last time I told about the upcoming trip to Nelson and Golden Bay. It turned out to be a good choice although the weather wasn’t flash all of the time. In and around Nelson the sampling of wine and beer was a good change from the tasting in the Marlborough. I took this trip together with one of my flatmates who is also in de wine industry, so we could discuss the different wines at length.

I will just give an overview of the weekend break (being my winter holiday). After a 40 km drive it is time for coffee and since I know a good place in Havelock that is the place to stretch the legs for the first time. Havelock is the Green Mussel capital of the world. Unfortunately, I am not very fond of green mussels but it is a cute village and since a little shop was closing down also a good place to buy some bargains.

The next stop was Pelorus Bridge where you can make a choice between a few walks through the bush. We walked there for an hour or so because the weather was lovely and Nelson not too far away. In Nelson we visited first of all the Founders Heritage Park. A place I have often passed by but never really seen. Here we tasted some organic beers at the brewery. The quality was reasonable; the weather was great, so we could enjoy the beers while sitting in the sun in the beautiful gardens. We brought some artisan bread and headed to the Japanese gardens. With these gardens I am pretty familiar by now – unfortunately, this time the water was not there since the gardens got renovated.

Walking - Pelorus Bridge

So at the end of the day it was time to check in a motel, that had a spa and sauna and since we lack this in Blenheim we decided to enjoy this. The spa pool that was nicely located next to the ice cold swimming pool was at a temperature that you got easily burned. We tried to put our feet in, but had to give up pretty soon. We should have mixed the water of the pool and the spa ……… So, we headed to the dry sauna and enjoyed this much better. Some wines later it was not too difficult to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Of course, when in Nelson on a Saturday, the Saturday morning market is a ‘must’. Since most of you know I am not much of a ‘shopper’, our trip to the market was not longer than half an hour and we did not buy a lot. It was far more interesting to head on in the direction to Motueka for some visits to wineries. Unfortunately, during winter not all of the cellar doors are open to the public but we were lucky enough to visit both Waimea and Seifried this day. Apart from that we made a nice drive around the Moutere valleys. Amongst others we were on an organic orchard where the sheep looked very healthy – they were clearly very fond of apples.

We also stopped in Mapua where a stop at the new brewery is highly recommended!.

Along the coast in Mapua

Then at the end of the day – it was already dark – we headed over the Takaka hill to Takaka. There was snow along the road, but not anymore on the road luckily, so we had a good drive and checked into our place in Pohara Beach where we made ourselves a healthy dinner.

View from the Abel Tasman Memorial and view to Abel Tasman National Park

When we woke up it was pouring ‘cats and dogs’ but since we wanted to explore the Golden Bay we took our wet weather gear and headed off. We made some nice beach walks in the rain and finally ended in the famous ‘Mussel Inn’. Here we had a healthy soup and some beers to go with it while warming and drying in front of the open fire – a real Sunday afternoon!

Pohara Beach

Then it was Monday already and time to head back to lovely Blenheim again. But not after we did a wine tasting at Neudorf (highly recommended) and a tasting at a fruit winery (wine from kiwifruit, feijoa, black currant and boysenberry). The weather this day was gorgeous and thus during the trip back we made a lot of stops and also travelled via pretty Kaiteriteri where we enjoyed the beach and a nice lunch.

View to Upper Takaka from Takaka Hill

School
Then I had another week of work and then back to school! Although school means only one day a week at the moment, since I will be doing two courses on line. Hopefully it will go all via plan so I can graduate at the end of this year. The first results of the first semester are promising!

Work
In the mean time I have also started a programme in the gym with my physiotherapist. The goal is to strengthen my body, and mainly my back, so I will be able to do more physical work again. I tried already one day in the vineyard, but that was not very successful. A little bit more time is needed. In the winery and the laboratory, however, I can do nearly everything that is needed and in the mean time I learn a lot. This cadetship is really a great way of combining study and work, giving me a great advantage when I graduate.

Passport/Wellington
Then I noticed that I should renew my Dutch passport this year. This turns out to be a bit of a challenge when you do not live in one of the main cities. I decided to travel to Wellington for the day to drop off my old passport and apply for a new one. Luckily they can mail it to me when it is finished. However, then I need my NZ residency visa transferred to my new passport, for which I need to travel to Christchurch or Wellington again. It is a time consuming and costly process and this passport is thus going to be one with a golden edge.

A nice advantage of this trip was that I have been able to catch up with a few friends in Wellington. I had a lovely breakfast with two of my American friends; had a coffee with an Irish friend and a long lunch with a Dutch friend who dropped me off at the airport afterwards. It was short but sweet…….Sorry for all of you I missed but it was only a few hours’ stay.

Just a Sunday
Yesterday we headed out of Blenheim to do a great walk along the beach near Cape Campbell (south of Blenheim). The weather was spring like and the day couldn’t last long enough. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera. On the way we visited Yealands Wine Estate, one of the high profile wineries of the area. The buildings are impressive, however, the wines did not meet the same high standards. We tasted a Sauvignon Blanc called Storm Crossings which is made solely for the Dutch market and thus for the Dutch taste. I have to tell, that it was not very positive to my taste, so………. room for improvement!

Cheers,
Anita

Back to work and school….and finish of the first semester….

2009-07-01T02:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time, since I have been writing about my whereabouts here in lovely Blenheim. This has nothing to do with ‘from the eye from the heart’ – at least not from my side.

Let me tell a bit about the last months. A while ago I reached my short term goal of being able to drive to work again and since then I did two or three days a week, every time a bit longer. I did basic, mainly laboratory work, in the winery and could still have a look around and learn from the international, European crew that was in their final stage of the vintage then. It is really disappointing that I have not been able to work more closely and longer together with them, because they have a very valuable amount of knowledge among them. But that’s life…..

From the beginning of May I was back at school and it was great to hear the stories of the class mates on their experiences during the vintage in the different Marlborough wineries. There is a huge difference between the several companies and it seems that I am – although it is a long drive away – at one of the better places.

In the mean time I have experienced a lot of other activities in the winery and laboratory that my classmates haven’t done and I handed in my winery experience assignment, the last bit that needed to be done after the exams. Yes, exams were done last week and I am convinced with a positive result, although it won’t be as good as last year, but who cares…….. After the exams it was time to wind down and that is what I did during the past weekend – just recovered from it actually…..

The last two months it was ‘full on’ for me, juggling around work and study and still not fully recovered. At the moment I will be at around 80% of my physical ability. Today I started a programme in the gym that is lead by my physiotherapist. This way I should get my body and mind strength back, so I will be better prepared for the rest of my career. It was funny to be on a bicycle again in the gym; that has been a few months which is very unusual for me, as you might understand.

At the moment I am very much looking forward to finally heading out of Blenheim. The weekend will be spent in Nelson/Golden Bay area and should be a nice distraction from the walls of my room/house and Blenheim. The weather forecast is not very good unfortunately, but I am not too worried about that at the moment.

Cheers,
Anita

Getting Better...

2009-04-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

To everyone: a big Thank You for sending nice words and positive vibes in my direction. I hope you all had a very good and sunny Easter weekend. At least it was perfect in Blenheim! Good time to make some walks and pictures - as you can see the autumn colors have started to appear.

So, a short update: I am still not very mobile but am better at managing my pain, so hopefully I will be able to fully recover in a few weeks. So, what do I do during the days that I can mainly spend only in and around the house? I cannot sit for longer than 15 minutes so going somewhere or even driving to work is not possible. Don’t I get bored? I have surprised myself after one week that I just found my way around it. I have read a huge amount of books and watched a lot of movies the last few weeks. I also did some study work, but since I cannot sit for a long period, this was not a lot. Hopefully I can pick that up soon.

The big advantage is that we have a nice long summer around here. Nearly all days have been sunny, so I could read in the garden on my sun bed and go for some walks, which is part of my ‘therapy’ as well as some exercises for my back. The annoying thing, however, is that I cannot be part of the harvest/vintage but still hear the harvesting machines and trucks full of grapes going past the house, day and night. Below a picture of some grapes that are still netted to protect from bird damage. These grapes will be harvested soon.

My short term goal is to be able to drive the car to work, which is a 30 minutes drive and be able to look around and do some basic stuff in the laboratory. Another goal is to try to start writing some assignments for school, so that at least I will pass the theoretical part of this semester.

Yesterday I was surprised by a visit from two friends from Wellington to Blenheim. We had lunch together and it was great to catch up. This was a good test for me to sit for a longer period. Although I couldn’t do a lot anymore the rest of the day it was really nice to go somewhere again with friends.

So, I hope you all are well and will write again when something happens around here.

Cheers,
Anita

Bad luck strikes!

2009-03-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

When I started my first day of the work experience ‘vintage’ period last week, I picked up something and felt a ‘snap’ in my back. After two days of pain and painkillers I decided it was wise to go to the doctor (although friends/flatmates had to convince me). He diagnosed a bulge on one of the lower back discs. He prescribed some medication and physiotherapy which I could organise straight away next door. The doctor thought it could take 6 weeks to fully recover; the physiotherapist said maybe 3/6 months when unlucky. I better not listen to those stories!!

Of course I planned to stay at home a few days and then I would be better, but unfortunately that hasn’t happened yet. This morning I could hardly get out of my bed and needed a good dose of painkillers to be able to move and sit. Walking and lying down on my back seem to give me most relieve.

I now only have two problems:
1) Will I be able to get my work experience? This is necessary for my Diploma;
2) How am I going to finance my studies for the rest of this year, since I had planned to make a lot of hours, so I could save some money?

My first goal, however, is to try to sort out my back. Sending some positive vibes this way might help!!!

Anita

What's Up?

2009-03-13T21:15:00.001-07:00

First of all I want to apologise for taking so long to write an update on my whereabouts. However, I do not hear a lot from some of you readers of this blog either. You might all have very boring lives, or your lives are so exciting that it is hard to write about it? I am curious to know which of it would be in your case…….

My planned cycle tour in January unfortunately did not eventuate and in stead I started working in the vineyard where I will be doing my ‘cadetship’ for two years while finishing my studies. At this moment everyone in the wine industry is getting ready for the vintage and so, also me! Next week I will be changing the vineyard for the winery, which will be a new experience again. Everyone was having barbeque parties last weekend, because from this week onwards no one in the wine industry will have time to socialise. On Friday I was too tired and so I even skipped a barbie, but on Saturday I went to some Chilean friends of mine who had only Chileans and Argentineans around. Unfortunately, I noticed that my Spanish had deteriorated quite a bit in the mean time. Even though we have a Chilean living in our house, who is here to work during the vintage; but he only wants to improve his English and thus is not improving my Spanish language skills.

But the best thing that happened lately is that the house in Wellington has been sold and our financial settlement has been done. This has been a very difficult process the last months, but now I can start the next part of my life. In the short term future I will be here in Blenheim, but the longer term is open to a few opportunities. If anyone has some ideas about it, please let me know.

Autumn clearly is on its way, since I even had to wear gloves in the vineyard – keep in mind I start working there at 7 o’clock in the morning. And also first time this year there was some snow on the mountains – beautiful sight! Apart from that it is a bit noisy in the vineyards and it reminds me of the weeks before and after New Year’s Eve in The Netherlands when you hear occasional fireworks. Here these are the bird scaring devices. Although a lot of the rows with vines are covered with nests against the birds (they love to eat the ripening – sweet – berries) it is necessary to get them out of the un-netted vines.

The crew for the vintage has nearly all arrived. It is a great mix of Europeans: two Italians, one French, one Spanish, one Greek. It will be a very interesting time.

I won’t be on line a lot in the upcoming weeks during vintage, since that will mean working 7 days a week for around 12 hours a day – so I am off and looking forward to some ‘gossip’ from your side that I will be able to read when I am resting from the hard work.

Anita

Just a Sign of Life

2009-01-05T21:40:00.000-08:00

Since I have not really been in the mood to write a blog lately, it has been a while you have heard from me. The reason was not that nothing had happened, but more so that only 'bad things' happened that were not really suitable to publish on the internet.

The parts that are interesting to talk about are the results of my exams. I have been able to get all A's for the papers this year and I must say that this made me feel very good. Another good result was that I gained a scholarship for Outward Bound. This scholarship was presented to me on 17 December, when I realised that is was for a three week course! Only problem now is to plan that in my busy upcoming year of work and study.

I have changed to a bigger room in the house I live in Blenheim, since all my stuff didn't fit anymore. At the moment, however, I am staying at the Kapiti Coast for a few days with friends to try to relax and have a different view on life.

In the meantime a lot of time and effort is put into the conclusion of our separation - unfortunately, the house is still not sold so we have had to come up with a financial settlement. It has been a rough time lately and hopefully things will change for the better in 2009.

Wishing you all the best for this New Year!

Anita

Goodbye to my life in Wellington

2008-12-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Once again I was very lucky with crossing Cook Strait from Picton to Wellington. It was a lovely, calm and sunny day and although it is a long trip it went very smoothly. I could relax a little bit although there were a lot of school parties on board – youngsters running around etc.

My first stop in Wellington was one of the bars in Courtenay Place to catch up with friends. After some wodka’s I decided to head back to Karori, to my ‘old home’. And after a nice bottle of Spanish wine it was time to collapse in my bed.
The next day we had organised a gathering with friends to mark the fact that this will be my ‘goodbye’ to Wellington and our splitting up. One of our good friends even brought a nice ‘splitting up’ cake (see pictures). I really enjoyed having a good time with friends in Wellington and enjoyed all the nice food and drinks everyone brought with them (I have to apologise to all the people I forced to drink my own wines, that were of doubtable quality, sorry!).

Then another highlight of the weekend: the concert by Alicia Keys. Marco and I had bought tickets for the concert months ago. We had seen her about 5 years ago during a Jazz Festival in The Netherlands and were impressed by her ability to play the piano and by the quality of her voice. This time the concert was a bit different. More running and screaming, but still a lot of good, quieter moments. Overall it was a very diverse concert and the crowd liked it!
Next day again it was Monday night and so……. Girls Daiquiri Night. This marked the last ‘party’ in Wellington for me for a while now. And after packing my stuff to take with me to Blenheim and sorting out some finances and lawyer’s stuff it is time to get back home. I will jump on the ferry back tomorrow and try to fit everything in my small room.

Cheers,
Anita

Some more changes.......

2008-12-04T00:43:00.000-08:00

It has been a bit longer than normally before this update, but I had to concentrate on other issues for a while. Among which:

· House sale
Of course I am far away here on the Mainland (the South Island of NZ is called the Mainland), but this subject was constantly on my mind. We have had a lot of viewers through the house and finally got one offer in. However, that was a few days later withdrawn which was possible on basis of one of the conditions of the contract. So, we are back to square one now and will just see what happens. The market is now really getting into the Xmas slow down, so we do not expect anything to happen between now and February. Therefore Marco has decided to stay in the house and try to upgrade it a bit and market it again at a later stage unless something is going to happen out of the blue.

· Working at Seresin’s Estate
At the end of October my work experience started. The plan was to do as much different work on the vineyard as possible, but at the biodynamic vineyard one of the big problems is weed control. Since no herbicides are used to control these, there are only mechanical ways of controlling the weeds. One of these is a tractor with blades on each side that can cut the weeds from under the vines. Since my start my main task has been to drive this tractor. I must admit that it is quite boring work, but with some music via the iPod it is bearable. Apart from that I have done a little bit of shoot thinning and some wire lifting. We are in the middle of the growing season and because of the rain early on and the sunny conditions of the last weeks the vines grow like mad. So not to get too much vigour on the vines it is necessary to get rid of some of the shoots, so to be able to get enough energy from the plant to the fruit instead of to the leaves. Furthermore, the grapes need sunlight to ripen and an excess vigour would prevent the sun to get to the grapes.

· Integrating in Blenheim
I have also been busy with trying to make some contacts in and around Blenheim. This is not always very easy, but that is mainly my own problem. I haven’t yet joined a group of any kind via which I could meet people, but on the other hand slowly I start recognising people in town. It all just takes time and I realise that Welly Rocks in Wellington was a perfect opportunity to meet a great bunch of people!

· Final exam results?
We still did not receive our final results back – they were promised for the end of November, but heya this is laidback rural New Zealand. So, I guess it will take until January to get the results to everyone – LOL.

· Outward Bound Scholarship
In the mean time I had applied for a scholarship for a course at Outward Bound, see: http://www.outwardbound.co.nz/. This will be awarded on 17 December and I do not exactly know at this moment what and when it will be, but I am very excited to have won this scholarship. Some people who have done a course at Outward Bound say that it was a life-changing experience! Could even more be changing in my life – sometimes I have the feeling that it has been enough since the last few years, but on the other hand I have never a dull moment and can not easily get bored this way!

· “Cadetship”
Via our school an opportunity was presented to the first year students that had passed all exams and that at least had residency in NZ to apply for a ‘cadetship’ at one of the wineries/vineyards in Marlborough. The place is The Crossings, see: http://www.thecrossings.co.nz/. It meant that they offered a workplace for two years during which a student would work full time and finish the last year of studies online during that two year period. This sounded like a great opportunity for me so I applied and was offered the position!!! However, it turned out that the school can not produce all the papers on line that are needed, so probably I will be working 4 or 3 days a week and attend classes on the other day(s). The details need to be finalised but I will probably start somewhere in January. I plan to have a bit of a cycling holiday first, because I will have very busy times ahead of me.

This was my ‘news’ of the month in brief. Tomorrow I will be travelling to Wellington to finalise my ‘life’ there: packing stuff, having a splitting up gathering at our house, attending a concert, drinking some wines etc. etc.

Never a dull moment!
And most of the time I am able to keep on smiling……..

Cheers,
Anita

Life Goes On

2008-11-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

First of all a big ‘THANK YOU’ for all the kind reactions on the last news – it was heart warming! I will try to send a personal message to everyone, but this might take a while.

Although my private life is in turmoil lately, my day to day life in Blenheim had to go on as well, since a lot was on the horizon. I attended classes and wrote some more reports for two weeks after my return from the last trip to Wellington! It was like the report writing would never end.
One of the big advantages, however, of doing a wine course is that you have to do a lot of tastings – also as part of the curriculum, so often we had an afternoon sensory class, meaning we learn about the wines and that needs tasting the wines!!

Finally we have been able to bottle our white and rose wines (see picture) – and we will be bottling the red wine soon. Faster than planned the study week was there and then the exams even!!! Needless to say that I didn’t get the preparation I had wanted with too many things going on in my mind, but I gave it my best try and in the mean time the first – positive – result was received, yiippiiieee!!! At first I was a bit disappointed that it was ‘only’ a B+, but when I realised I had the 4th highest mark out of 25 students, I was quite proud of myself.

After the exams it was time to go to do some vineyard experience again. Luckily I have been able to get a casual job again at Seresin Estate, the bio-dynamic vineyard/winery where I also did my pruning experience during winter. I started here last week and slowly try to get into the work routine again. I will be trying to work during most of the summer period to be able to go on studying next year.

With regards to the selling of the house, I can only mention that we have had two open homes and that the tender closes this Wednesday. Please keep your fingers crossed!!

Cheers,
Anita

House for Sale

2008-10-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

All Dutchies will remember this song from way back:
'House for Sale' by Lucifer
"The sign went up one rainy morning just a couple of hours after dawn
Mrs. Hanley peeked out through her curtains, wondering what was going on
The neighbors said over coffee cups, that nice young couple is breaking up
In the living room the crystal and the linen sit all packed and set to go
I tell myself once more I won't be here this spring to see my roses grow
And all the things you tried to fix, the roof still leaks, the door still sticks
House for Sale
You can read it on the sign
House for Sale
It was yours and it was mine
And tomorrow some strangers will be climbing up the stairs
To the bedroom filled with memories
The one we used to share I know you always loved that painting
From that funny little shop in Spain
Remember how we found it
When we ducked in from that sudden summer rain
But I think I'll keep the silver tray
My mother gave us on our wedding day
House for Sale..."
To hear the song click here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df_DqGQTKTk&feature=related

Unfortunately, I have to inform all of you, that we are in this situation at the moment. The sign ‘For Sale’ has gone up this week and this and next weekend we will have Open Homes for interested viewers.

We had to decide to put the house on the market since our relationship is not working anymore. Some of you will be surprised, others maybe not. Of course living apart for a while has not helped with preventing this situation, but it is definitely not the (only) reason. We have gone through some rough times lately, as you can imagine while going through separation and will try to settle everything in a friendly way. The first major thing though is to try to sell the house, since this will give both of us more financial flexibility. With the present house market this might cause a problem, but we have a good real estate agent and are confident that it will all work out. It is a shame to have to sell, but on the other hand not a real drama, since it is only about money. Luckily we are both healthy and will have to go on with our lives and as soon as the finances etc. are settled we will be able to do so.

A real final divorce like we know that in The Netherlands will take a while, however, since in New Zealand you have to live separate for two years before you can officially divorce, so the official break up will take much longer. But for NZ law we have separated and will be regarded as ‘singles’.
I hope we haven’t shocked any of you too much with this news.

And I would have a lot more to tell you, like the exams that I just finished and my wines, but I will leave that for next time.

Cheers,
Anita

Holidays?

2008-09-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

School
Life at school is getting a little bit hectic lately. All the assignments need to be handed in at the last moment and a lot of the information needed was only available just in time. So, not able to plan a lot ahead and this has forced me to get into the Kiwi-style of organising – I must admit that I am getting better and better at it. My desk at home, however, looks great these days with some tulips from the landlord's garden.

I have mentioned before that the subjects for this semester are not the easiest, most ‘sexy’ ones and therefore we struggle a bit at times. It will be interesting to see how many of our class of 25 will pass all of the exams and be back for the second year in Feb’09.

Finally, on Friday 19 September we have a break in our schedule and I really feel like holiday, I organise a basic wine tasting at our house. It was again a very enjoyable gathering, but unfortunately we have to send the guests away around midnight to not annoy our landlord too much. For me that wasn’t bad anyhow, since I have to get up early to fly to Wellington

My week in Wellington
Saturday
Since I have the car in Blenheim, Marco rented a car for two days so we could explore the Wellington region. On Saturday he picked me up from the airport (what a luxury in stead of having to go on two buses) and we headed for the Wairarapa. Here we started with some coffee at the Martinborough Hotel and spent the rest of the day tasting wines at different wineries. For me it was very interesting to hear the different philosophies and types of wines. This area is especially famous for its Pinot Noir and – although I am not a real lover of Pinot Noir – I have tasted some really good ones here!

In the evening we had dinner with a Spanish friend of Marco’s who comes from a huge wine growing area and family in the wine industry in Spain. We had a nice meal with good Spanish wine!
Sunday
On the Sunday we went to Eastbourne to let the wind go through the hairs. It was a typical Wellington day: grey, windy and some drizzle. Oh, how lucky I am to live in Sunny Blenheim. We also went for a walk on the beach on the Kapiti Coast before heading back to Wellington and to spend some lazy time at home.

Monday
Then it was time for me to do a bit of housework, not too much though, since I had scheduled some meetings. First met up with a good Dutch friend living in Wellington and later on I had a good time – while having a few Daiquiri’s – with three girl friends. We had good laughs and my belly and jaws were still hurting the next day. But a good start of the week, I must admit!

Tuesday
On the Tuesday I even managed to fit in another catch up with an American girl friend, which I had not seen since a while. Another very enjoyable evening out in town! And very relaxing after all the housework.

Wednesday
On the Wednesday I travel out to the Kapiti Coast on the train. I had never done this train trip before, but unfortunately, it was real Wellington weather again, so I did not get a good look at the Kapiti Island etc. I visited good friends in Paraparaumu, whom I had not seen since a long time either. I spent a very enjoyable afternoon and evening and ate ‘Erwtensoep’ (Pea Soup) for the first time of my life. Lovely!

Thursday
Then on the Thursday it was back to assignment writing, but luckily we had an invite at the Spanish friend’s place, so we enjoyed a nice Tortilla (Spanish omelette) and some more Spanish wine.

Friday
On the Friday I had to finalise my schoolwork (I nearly managed to finish one of the three assignments) and after that I headed to the Police Bar where Marco was already having some beers. We were even able to catch up with friends for a little while in the Belgian pub in town before we went to the Town Hall to see the famous Wellington band “Black Seeds” perform (they are heading to the UK soon), see: http://www.theblackseeds.com/hifi.html

Saturday
On Saturday it was brunch time with our neighbours/friends in town which is becoming a kind of ‘tradition’ in the mean time. After which I had to do some shopping in the big smoke. However, some stuff I wanted wasn’t even available in the capital of NZ.

Sunday
Now it is Sunday and the weather looks nice. We might go to Tulip Sunday in the Botanic Gardens before heading to the pub for another Welly Rocks Meeting. After that it will be time for me to fly back to Blenheim!

I could definitely use a holiday now……….. but back to ‘business’ tomorrow. Another two weeks of classes, a week of study and then it is exam time.

Cheers,
Anita

School trip Nelson/Motueka

2008-09-07T03:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I was on a school trip to the North Western region of the South Island to experience the vineyards and wineries in that area as part of my studies. The approach there is really different. While in Marlborough the vineyards and wineries are very big and a lot are owned by huge foreign companies, in the Nelson region most are still family-owned. Therefore, the approaches are very individual and we have seen a lot of different philosophies about growing grapes and making wines. Of course the biggest part of the trip consisted of tasting wines – and while we got to taste wines at the wineries, we did a lot of wine tasting ourselves in the evening in the backpackers in Motueka where we stayed. And even for serious wine students tasting wine can get boring, so we changed to beer for one evening. One of the classmates organised a 25 litres keg, but it was not enough and we finally drank wine as well (can’t remember a lot of that night, only that I slept for about two hours at the most). Motueka is a nice little town close to the beach – a few of us even managed to get away one afternoon to enjoy Kaiteriteri and surroundings. It was a lovely, sunny afternoon and we walked along the beach and collected sea shells – it was like holiday! It was a shame however that I couldn’t get away from the school group very much apart from that to explore a bit more of the scenery and integrate with the locals. After the classmates left for Blenheim I decided to stay in Nelson and spent two nice, quiet days there. What did I do in this nice town that I often refer to as ‘little Wellington’: hanging around, watching movies, visiting galleries, eating and drinking etc. Just the things you normally do on a small city trip.

Back in Blenheim it is time to write a few reports, two of which are very important but very difficult as well. Not really looking forward to the upcoming busy weeks, but heya that’s life of a student. You can’t have fun every day! (although it should be possible).

And of course I also have to work in the library again.

So, that’s it for now – two weeks and then I am spending one very long week in Wellington!

Cheers,
Anita

Just a wee update

2008-08-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

School
The subjects that we have to study during this semester are completely different in several aspects than the ones in the first semester and I have huge trouble to get my head around them! The subjects are: Plant Science, Soils and Weeds, Pests & Diseases. These subjects are of course very important and interlinked. Since my focus is on Bio Dynamics I try to take this perspective, which doesn’t make it any easier – not for me and not for the tutors!

One of the tests for Plant Science was around herbicides. In practice this meant that we had to prepare several herbicides and spray them in a certain part of the school garden. As some of you may guess, I did not want to do this and needed to have a talk with the tutor. He, luckily, was very understandable and thus I could pull out of this (in my opinion unnecessary) experiment.

A same approach I wanted to take in the assignment for Weeds, Pests & Diseases where we have to write a spray management programme for a vineyard. I have tried to change this into a Bio Dynamic approach but have troubles finding the necessary information and I will possibly not be able to get enough marks by doing it this ‘alternative’ way. So, I had to go back to Plan A, just do what the tutor asks you to do (not easy for Anita).

Some of you have asked me about the wines we were making. These are about finished but we would need to filter these wines before we are able to bottle our top quality products. However, the filter machine in the school vineyard is broken and so we have to wait, and wait and wait a bit more………to be continued.

Weather
A few weeks ago it was suddenly like an ‘upside down’ world in the Marlborough (the area where Blenheim is located). It rained very heavily for a few days, resulting in extreme flooding in and around town. Not a usual sight in this mainly dry area. Roads were blocked and it caused damage to houses. However, we were very lucky in comparison with other areas of the country where damage was more severe.

Sports
Lately I have not been sporting very much. I have tried playing badminton, which was great but caused me a calf injury, keeping me from playing soccer. Then I started playing soccer again and I injured my foot, so now I am totally out of action, although I try to go to the gym whenever I have some ‘spare time’.

Marco in Blenheim & house sitting
This weekend I have been asked to housesit for friends who have a cat that needs to be looked after. The house is located in between the vineyards, sheep and looks out on the snow capped mountains. In short, a real holiday destination.

I picked up Marco from the airport in the morning (missing part of my lectures) and we drove to Picton to enjoy this village, which mainly exists because of the ferry terminal to/from Wellington. It is lovely located on the sea and the Marlborough sounds. Here we walked and sat around a bit – watching the (very slowly paced) life go by.

We also watched a rugby match in Blenheim – unfortunately, the regional team “Tasman” lost pretty badly from the visiting Hawke’s Bay side.

Now, we have another week at school and then we are out on a 4 day school trip to the Nelson and Motueka area (the western side of the top of the South Island). This will be filled with visiting vineyards and wineries; a lot of wine tasting will be part of the trip. Needless to say, that I am very much looking forward to spend some time out of the Marlborough region and experience other places where grapes are grown and wine is made in different ways.

Cheers,
Anita

The Life of a Viticulture Student

2008-07-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Pirate Party
To get rid of the exam stress, some classmates organised a pirate party. Since this was in the middle of Euro 2008 where at that stage Holland was very successful, I decided to add a bit of orange to the party.

The party was a huge success and it lasted until the next day and was still going on when I finished my casual Sunday afternoon job in the library at 16.00 hours.

Work on the vineyard
After the release of the stress, it was time to start doing the real work. In this case we had to do two weeks of pruning experience in a vineyard. I chose to go to the Biodynamic vineyard where I had been before. Since it is middle of winter I was prepared for some very cold starts. I had to get up around 6 am to be able to start work at 7:30 am. A few of those mornings the car was frozen, so it took a while before I could drive away. As a real kiwi I do not use a scraper to de-ice my windows, but just turn on the motor and switch the airco on full warmth. After five minutes the windows are clear. This is not the most environmental friendly way of dealing with the problem, however. The cold however was more of a problem first thing in the morning. Waking up in a room/house that has the same temperature as the air outside (a few degrees minus) is not very comfortable. However, as soon as you are in the car and get warm, it’s okay and while working on the vineyard I have hardly been cold at all.

Apart from the pruning work I was able to do some other things as well, like there were: making of compost, adding the bio-dynamic preparations to these compost heaps, extensive morning teas, attending staff meetings and…… Tai Chi sessions! The latter was a great intensive at this vineyard.
The support from the colleagues was very good as well. They are all very friendly people with a great approach to everything living. It was very refreshing to be able to be part of their team for a few weeks.

For pictures, see: http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Blenheim/Pruning%20Experience/?start=20

Wellington
Just before the end of the full four weeks I decided that I deserved a trip to Wellington, before the start of the next semester. Here I started with a Girls’ Night Out in town: having some drinks and dinner, seeing Mamma Mia (the movie), having some more drinks and dance the night away. It was a fantastic night out and we, girls, are already looking forward to the next one.

Back to school
And then, suddenly it was 14 July – back to school day. We started with a day of First Aid Course, which is part of the curriculum. The rest of the week was filled with trying to get back into the routine and see what the papers of this semester are about. They do not sound very interesting: Soils – Weeds, Pest and Diseases - Plant Science, but luckily we also still have the production of our own wine to do. Our rosé is ready to bottle, but we have to wait for the right equipment to arrive. We are doing trials with our red wine, that is partly spoiled by bad bacteria, but hopefully we can still make something ‘drinkable’ out of the 150 litres. And then there is my own Sauvignon Blanc which is not too bad at all. This is also very close to bottling.

By the way, the first exam results were above expectation – so it seems that I am on the right track.

As you can all read from the above I have not been bored the last weeks and will not easily get bored the upcoming months with the subjects that I have to study.

Cheers,
Anita

Getting High and Low

2008-06-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Exam time
The last two weeks I spent a lot of my time with preparations for school. The first week was ‘study week’, which meant that we had a few revision lectures and apart from that a lot of time to study. I spent a lot of time in the gym and studied in between. I found it pretty hard this time to get motivated. The main reason for this was, that my assignments had all been very good, so I did not have the urge to score high marks in the exams.

The results of the four exams will be a bit mixed but I am convinced I passed them all and was quite relieved when it was all over. Life got a bit boring with only studying and exams. Since I have only got the gym and am not working outside of school I do not have a social network in Blenheim which makes it sometimes a bit ‘lonely’ and boring. And to top this up I do not have time and/ore money to travel to Wellington to taste a bit of the real life. I have some ideas for the upcoming months though.

Working
But first of all I will be working on the biodynamic vineyard for four weeks, being two weeks of pruning experience and two weeks of holiday work. Yes, I have been so stupid as to commit myself to a full holiday of working as to earn some money. Looking back I should have taken some time off as well, since the next semester will start full on straight after that. And it would have been quite nice to spend some time in Wellington again – this might have to wait until September now, when we will have the first break

Integration
As mentioned before I think it is getting a bit boring here in Blenheim for me – not a lot to do and I finally understand a bit more about the drinking problems in NZ and this region in particular. I just try to integrate better and better and whether this makes me a better person is to be seen. Every Friday evening after the indoor soccer match we head to someone’s place to have some drinks and most of the time it ends in a big mesh with people being drunk and too drunk. Not a nice sight but a very familiar one in NZ. And the end of the exams is of course a very good reason to get ‘pissed’; we need to get rid of a bit of exam stress after all.

Euro 2008
The people in Holland will have had a very good week with two good games and wins of the Dutch soccer team. The commentator on the TV here is already predicting the team as the European Champion. My way of watching the games is very different from yours and what I was used to in The Netherlands. In The Netherlands I would be in the pub with friends or at a friend’s place to watch the game and drink some beers. Since the games here start at 06:45 in the morning and I do not know any Dutch people around here, I watch the games on the couch in my sleeping bag. It would be nice to be able to just spend one day in a Dutch pub now. I see all the movies and pictures on the internet about what is happening in both The Netherlands and Switzerland and it seems like one big party. I came along a nice one, see: http://www.sportwereld.nl/voetbal/nederlandselftal/2353585/Fotos_30000_Oranjefans_in_Bern.html

This is it for now – tonight we have our End of Exam Pirate Party! So, time to get dressed up.

Cheers,
Anita

Study time!

2008-06-02T03:05:00.000-07:00

The weather has been great for a few weeks and I took some time to explore another part of the Wither Hills walkway on a Saturday (this is next to Blenheim). Since it was a bit chilly in the morning I went dressed in jeans and jumper, but I seemed to be the odd one out (as usual). The kiwis were all dressed in shorts and shirts and were walking/running on the paths. What a sportive bunch of people they are! I was jealous and will think of this next time I head to the hills. Up to now the only place I run a bit is in the gym; I am getting into some kind of a routine by now and the condition is absolutely improving.

The week was spent with the usual school attendance and assignment writing and finally I finished them all and am ready for the last bit of study before the exams.

But first Marco had planned another trip to sunny Blenheim. Unfortunately, the sky was overcast when he arrived (but still much better weather here than where he left 15 minutes earlier!). He had a big surprise for me – being a Hurricanes Jersey.

The jersey worn by the Wellington Region Rugby team, that I cheered to the semi-finals earlier in Wellington. They had to play their biggest rivals this weekend. So, I wore the new jersey and we went to the pub, but it turned out to be a bad evening. The Hurricanes lost with high numbers. It was like the indoor soccer match with the classmates earlier on. We do our best, but it just is not good enough.

We have spent the rest of the weekend touring around the wineries for a bit again and driving the Queen Charlotte Drive. This is a beautiful road along the Queen Charlotte Sound on the northern tip of the South Island between Havelock and Picton.

The weekend flew by and before I knew Marco was on the plane back home and school started again. Back into the routine (last week of this semester).

Unfortunately, we are experiencing some problems with one of the lots of our Pinot Noir. This has developed a growth of bacteria, that is spoiling the taste of the wine and we are with help of the tutors trying to solve the problem and figuring out what has happened.

I also managed to find myself a job again. I am supervising the school library a view hours in the week, so the library can be open longer hours for the students. It does not bring in a lot of money, but it is easy work and most of the time I can do some reading and studying, so not bad at all.

Back to study now – catch you later,

Anita

Back and Forth

2008-05-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

Welly to Blenheim
My trip on the ferry back ‘home’ was great again, although cold. When I finally arrived back in Blenheim after my ‘holiday’ in Wellington, luckily I had some nice ‘events’ to look forward to.

Blenheim
The same evening I played indoor soccer with the classmates (most of them half my age), but fortunately I scored a goal, yes, grandma is still a little bit in shape. But I did not play a lot during the game, because I thought it would be better to leave most of the time to the youngsters.

I had a nice meeting with a journalist from The Netherlands and his girlfriend who are having a trip of half a year around New Zealand while they try to work a bit at the same time as well. They met me in the school winery and from there we went into town and out to a winery to do some wine tasting. After some pictures they headed back to their hostel at the end of the afternoon. It was a very pleasant – nearly day long - meeting and I will let you know about the details of the publication as soon as I know this myself.

The next Sunday I decided to go to the gym in the early morning. So, at 8 am I was not even the first one in, but later we were with 10 enthusiasts – all of us women – is that a coincidence, or does this mean something? Whoever knows, please tell me.

On Monday it was back into the classroom again and it was easy to get back into the ‘routine’. We will have a few busy weeks ahead of us with a lot of assignments – an exam week and after that some time out in the field to do pruning. This seems to be one of the most physically hard jobs in the vineyard and not at the least because the work needs to be done in the middle of winter. We have to be prepared and started to do exercises (we are supposed to do the exercises).

Bio-dynamic vineyard

I also went to Seresin again, this time to spray one of the Bio Dynamic preparations on the vineyard. First of all the BD Preparation 500 (this preparation – horn manure – is made from cow manure (fermented in a cow horn that is buried in the soil for six months through autumn and winter) and is used as a soil spray to stimulate root growth and humus formation) needed to be dynamised, which mainly means stirring. After that I went with Wendy, the bio-dynamic ‘guru’ on the vineyard, on the ‘mule’ to spray the diluted BD 500 on a few hectares of the vineyard. So, I got the opportunity to see the different vines, pruning systems and layout of the vineyard. All in all again very educational and the knowledge I gain here I could not gain during the course. The course only focuses on the conservative way of grape growing, being the use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides etc.

Wellington
Since the Hurricanes (the Wellington region Rugby team) had an important game to play in the competition I treated myself on a surprise trip to Wellington again to cheer them to a victory!! Marco and I did that together with John & Mickey (the journalists) with great result. Go the Canes!! They won with 21 – 10 and are still in the race for the final, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTLYdIknFGQ., time for a few beers in the pub to celebrate this victory together with Marco’s flatmates. The next Hurricanes’ game is in Auckland – very tempting, but since I am a poor student, I have to stay in Blenheim this time.

Apart from the great rugby match, I could help ‘warm’ a friends’ house where we had another few beers and wines. With regards to the alcohol consumption I start to get integrated very well(?).

Blenheim
The wind and rain in Wellington was a great experience as well! So good to be back in sunny Blenheim! On the Monday it was a day of assignment writing again and I finished three of these. Now we are really gearing up for the last ‘full on’ weeks before we are going to play outside in the vineyard.

Cheers,
Anita

Cow's poo and Wellington

2008-05-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

I still need to tell you about my experience at the vineyard before I left for Wellington. I had been on a bio-dynamic farm to look at some of the great work that they are doing and to share in this fun. So, I hopped in the car and took my gumboots with me, since the only thing I knew was that we were going to ‘stir cow’s poo’. I did not exactly know what to expect. When you want to have a look there is a nice explanation with pictures on the weblog of the vineyard where I have been: Seresin's Fourth Estate and you just scroll to 20 January 2008. We did exactly what is mentioned and showed there.

After a short introduction by Wendy, the Biodynamic Practitioner we started with preparing the cow’s dung for the cow pat pit, also called the manure concentrate or barrel compost. There was a trailer with cow dung – coming from cows from an organic farm in the neighbourhood. The task was to shovel the dung from one side of the trailer to the other, so to keep it in movement and add our energy into this manure and to aerate it at the same time. This needed to be done for an hour, but at least until the moment that the right texture was achieved. Halfway the texture became more evenly/balanced and at the end it was like it really wanted to stay together – didn’t want to be broken up. And this happened after around an hour.

Another task was the stirring in a bucket of water with valerian concentrate. The task was to stir it with a stick in one direction from the outside to the inside and thus to create a hole in the water and so to ‘dynamise’ it. This was nearly as physical a job as the stirring of the cow dung.

We had to fill three cow pad pits this afternoon and with a wheelbarrow the three pits were filled until 1.5 brick height. The pits are made of bricks and measure 90 x 60 cm. With our hands we made 5 holes in the dung where the preparations 502 to 506 will be put. These preparations are each made by adding the preparation to a bit of the earlier and ready prepared manure. This is then put in one of the holes in the cow pad pit and covered up again. When all the five holes are filled, the valerian mixture (preparation 207) is sprinkled over the manure and the bricks. The manure is then covered with a sack filled with wool (this can also be straw) and sprinkled with valerian again.

After this very interesting afternoon we got a taste of the biodynamic wine. The Chardonnay made by Seresin is really a good quality wine that is distinctive from other Marlborough Chardonnays. I left smelling of cow’s poo but with a great experience and promises to repeat these visits in future. Unfortunately, because I went to Wellington I missed two other experiences at this vineyard – but you can’t always have it all in life!

My short break in Wellington became a rather long break after all. When I planned the trip, I thought about staying for three days, but it has been more than a week before I returned to Blenheim. And yes, what about the wines then? Luckily one ‘colleague’ was back in Blenheim, but only for a short time and we decided that the wines could look after themselves. Hopefully, they didn’t have a party.

What have I been doing in Wellington? Not a lot apart from catching up with several people, which is always really great; I have been hanging around in the house, making walks, doing some gardening, writing assignments, having some drinks and some more. It was great to have a longer stay home, especially because it can take a long time before I will have this opportunity again. Maybe at the end of this year during the summer break.

Luckily I was able to attend the Queen’s Birthday in the city – so well organised every year by the Dutch Embassy. It is the same thing every year, with the beer, wine, jenever, cheese, herring and bitterballen, but a great way to meet a few ‘Dutchies’ again, some of them I had not seen since a while. Of course when everything is free…… you can imagine (or when you are not Dutch you might not). We had a nice evening and after that we spent some more time in the pub in town with Marco’s flatmates. He is renting out two rooms in our house at the moment, so I am able to live in Blenheim. For me that was about the end of my stay and I decided to head back on the ferry where I had a lot of time to write this blog. Now, I really want to get back in touch with my wines – I also have an indoor soccer game to play with my classmates – a Dutch journalist is in town who wants to meet me – and on Monday classes start again. So, I will be busy!

Catch you all later,
Anita

Holidays and so....

2008-04-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

For the first time during our studies here in Blenheim, we are able to enjoy a bit of a holiday. However, when you work in the wine industry 'holiday' is close to non-existent, especially during vintage. The planning of this break could therefore have been better. Since my 'partners in crime' were out of town/country for a while, I was on my own monitoring our two drums of red wine - our rose and our three individual whites. So, every day I go to school around 10am to check the levels of sugar in the whites, that are in the middle of fermentation (in short: that's the conversion of sugars into alcohol with the help of yeast).When the sugar level is at the desired level you have to stop the fermentation or when fermentation get stuck, you have to take action and get the process going again. Our red juice/wine is in malo-lactic fermentation at the moment, meaning that malic acid is 'turned into' lactic acid. Halfway we checked the several acid levels and had to conclude that the acidity was not at high enough level to produce a good wine. So, here comes the (future) winemaker in view to 'fix' problems in time to make an agreeable product in the bottle.

Earlier this week the student association had raised the issue of the lack of living allowances for all students and were running a 'soup kitchen' at the campus. This attracted interest from the media and led to an article in the Marlborough Express under the heading: "Students say grades suffer from debt". Following is part from this article:
"Anita Van Hofwegen said she wanted to do a further year of study, but was unsure whether she could because of the impact it would have on her loan. "I can't life off the student loan and can't get the student allowance so I have to work as well as doing my course. Having to work has definitely affected my grades," she said".
Until now - apart from the scholarship from the Marlborough Wine Growers - I have not received any further sponsorships.

Since I am around Blenheim a bit during holiday and work has slowed down, I take the time to work on some of my assignments and do some catch-up reading for the upcoming weeks and on my special subject: "Organics and Bio-Dynamics". Furthermore, we have to start pruning in a few weeks time and this is supposed to be physically pretty hard work. We have been warned to start with some stretching excercises and to be sure we are fit. Since my body is already a bit older than 20-25 years it really is necessary to get my body in good condition and therefore I started going to the gym. I will only be able to do this for a short time (budget) and then I have to keep fit with the vineyard work itself.

As you will probably understand, I am a bit busy and today I have even been working with my hands in the cow poo!!......... but more about that next time when I have some pictures to go with that. Now, I am heading to Wellington for a short break.

Cheers,

Anita

Life between the grapes

2008-04-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

Since a few weeks the vintage here in Marlborough is in 'full swing'. This means that nearly everyone is involved with something in the wine industry at the moment. The grapes are being picked and processed and with the rain of the last week the picking has become an urgent matter for most vineyards. The grapes were nearly ripe and the rain is causing all kind of problems with diseases at this stage and loss of flavours. So everyone wants to harvest at the same moment and the region is bustling and the roads are full of machine harvesters and trucks that are passing through town.

Last Sunday Blenheim even made it to the National Radio News with the following message: "In Blenheim the roads are dangerous because of the grapes that fall of the trucks at roundabouts and corners. Everyone who notices a truck that loses grapes needs to report the registration number to the police."

At school the excitement around the grapes isn't anything less. We have started making our own wines in small groups. I am very lucky to be making the wine with two great people: Hiro, a Japanese guy from Tokyo and Anya, a Russian lady from Moscow. We have picked Pinot Noir grapes and are processing these into a nice full-bodied flavoured red wine and a lighter and easy drinkable Pinot Noir Rose. Apart from that we have picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes which we are processing individually into a typical Marlborough white wine. We are convinced that our products will be drinkable (but upto now only we are convinced) and are thinking about our brand and marketing strategy already while we are busy with the winemaking processes. Unfortunately, everyone has to wait for a few more months before our product will be bottled and ready for the market.

To give you a glimpse of what we are doing, I have attached two picture. In the first picture you see Anya and Hiro who are inoculating our red grapes with yeast. The yeast is needed to convert the sugars in the juice into alcohol and thus making the wine out of the grape juice. This process needs to be monitored daily. In the second picture you see them with busy doing 'whole bunch pressing' of our Sauvignon Blanc harvest.

In between our work in the school winery processing our wines, we also had to do our first progress assessment (Computing) and a test (Viticulture) while we had to prepare some written reports (Science) as well. Needless to say that we are busy students.

Last week Marco visited me in Blenheim and joined me during the presentation of the scholarship. This was a pretty straight forward ceremony with hardly any attention from the outside world, which was a bit disappointing. But I received a nice certificate from Wine Marlborough the sponsor of this scholarship. To celebrate my scholarship we have had lunch at one of the wineries and did a small wine tasting tour in the afternoon.

The next day we have been doing a bit more of winetasting together with a few of my classmates, which also was a very enjoyable afternoon. Below you can see the view from the tower of Highfield Estate.

Unfortunately, on Saturday I had to work but overall we had an enjoyable weekend and I even think that Marco liked it better over here than in Wellington. On Sunday I brought him back to the airport and went to school to monitor our wines.

Cheers,

Anita

Moving again!

2008-03-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

So after the good news of last time a lot has happened again. It is like life is everchanging the last months. This is great, because for me a life without change is like not living at all.

First of all I have spent the Easter Days in Wellington, where for a change, the weather was marvellous for nearly all of the weekend. Unfortunately, I had to write two assignments during my stay and therefore I did not have enough time to meet the people I would like to meet and to do everything that I had liked to do, but maybe next time ........ When I came back in Blenheim again there were visitors from Wellington. Blenheim is in a convenient position to the Picton Ferry so I have been meeting a lot of people from Wellington in the meantime (or are they just checking what I am doing here?) and it is great to go out with them and have a good time. A good break from school and the grapes.

The grape growing season here in the Marlborough area has come into its final stages. A lot of the grapes have been picked in the mean time. Last week we started monitoring the grapes in the school vineyard to decide when to pick. We have to make a red wine from Pinot Noir grapes in groups. I am working together on this project with a Russian girl and a Japanese guy and I think our group is very special, because of the different backgrounds and views on wine. From the start we agreed that we wanted to go the extra mile and so we have taken the extraordinary approach to try to make a Pinot Noir, but at the same time a Rose from these grapes. Therefore, we have to follow two separate procedures and although it will be extra work it will be far more interesting and a challenge! The test of the juice at the moment is perfect and we are confident that we are producing something that will be drinkable. From now on we have to monitor our product daily to be sure the process is going well.

In between the picking and crushing of the grapes I had to move houses again. Although, I did not have to, but I decided on moving somewhere where I had internet access and more space, so I have a real desk to do some work for school. The house itself is bigger as well, but here we live with four people in total, being the landlord, a classmate and a guy who works in a pub and two dogs. So, this weekend I am trying to settle down a bit and preparing for some tests that are upcoming this week.

There was a multicultural event in Blenheim organised by Migrant Support Marlborough this weekend where a lot of cultural groups performed. With my former flatmate I spent some time watching the different shows on stage - and for the first time the sun was not shining. It seems that autumn really is coming now. It feels already like a very long summer to me and I am enjoying that very much.

This week Marco will be travelling down to Blenheim for the first time, so he will be there during the official presentation of the Scholarship Award during a ceremony at the Institute on Thursday.

Cheers,
Anita

Good news!

2008-03-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hi all

Just a quick message from Blenheim this time after a very successful week at the NMIT (Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology). First of all on Wednesday we went on a field trip to one of the wineries where they just started up the vintage for their sparkling wines. We have been on this winery all day and doing things like emptying grates with grapes, cleaning grates, cleaning presses and listening to explanations of the whole process from grape receival to wine. Of course the best part of this day was the wine tasting itself. We tasted their first and second tier products and got to recognise the differences.

The next day we went on a tour on a vineyard that is owned by a French family. It was very interesting to see the compromises that are made here between the French and NZ philosophy of grape growing and wine making.

But the highlight of this week was that I have won a scholarship for part of my fees this year!! A few weeks ago I applied for this on basis of my particular situation here and my interest in the biodynamic way of grapegrowing. My ideas were good enough to grant me the scholarship and in a few weeks time there will be an official presentation of this. Of course I have to do some work for it as well. I will have to write progress reports and publications for a magazine. To me it is only an extra bonus! And hopefully after Easter I can start working on a biodynamic vineyard, so I can start learning more about this way of doing things. The biodynamics are not teached at the Institute, but I become more and more convinced of the fact that this is the way of the future (and should have been of the past!).

Sorry, this is a short message, but I am so excited and wanted to share it!!

Have a great weekend,
Anita

First vineyard experience

2008-02-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

For the first time during the viticulture & wine making course we have been in the school vineyard. First of all we had to put nets on the vines to protect the grapes against the birds, who start eating the grapes when they get their color. Putting on nets is a very labour intensive job, which for us was a great change after the lessons in the class room. After this we had to collect different type of leaves to start learning about the shapes etc. and how the recognise the grape variety by the leaves.

During one of the classes in wine production we started with sensory tests. We got several glasses filled with water to which all kind of flavour was added that we had to recognise. We also had to taste wine with additions to it. I have noticed that it is very difficult to recognise certain tastes and to describe them. And to try to taste differences in sugar levels etc. And after an hour of tasting the taste buds actually do get tired!! (or drunk?) If you do not believe it, please give it a try yourself.

We all really enjoy these classes, but after all these hands on classes are the reason we all came to Blenheim; not for the computer or chemistry classes, which unfortunately need to be taken as well.

Then it was time to head home, to Wellington. So, I drove to Picton and took the plane to Wellington. The flight was quite bumpy and a few of the other 10 passengers were very shaky when we landed after 20 minutes. My first goal in Wellington was Courtenay Place, where I met Marco over a beer and later we were joined by some friends for some other beers and to watch the Rugby match on a big screen. So, on this Friday, after 3 bars, I have had my taste of Wellington again! It was great to catch up with friends.

Adapting to life in Blenheim

2008-02-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

19 February 2008
‘Time flies when you’re having fun’ and it certainly flies in Blenheim. Though the pace of life is a lot slower here than in Wellington. And some of you might be surprised, but I am even loving this slower pace right now (could that be the age?)

Last weekend I have been working in the hotel that employed me on a casual basis. So, for the first time in my life I have been a waitress in a restaurant. This was during a wedding dinner with 100 guests and was a bit of a challenge, but everything went perfectly fine (I think!). However, I could not carry those 6 plates with food in one go and I was not that fast in clearing the tables, I was surprised of how easy the rest was. What was of great help, was that the people attending the dinner were great. Moreover, I have been doing two days of housekeeping in the hotel which was not too bad either. The equipment and the rooms were easier than the ones I was used to in the Coromandel. It is a very nice 5 star hotel close to Renwick, for anyone who is interested: http://www.mvh.co.nz/photos.html

And since I am now in the biggest wine growing area of New Zealand I had to change my picture on this blog (as you have seen) with thanks to the creator of this image: Hanneke Broekema, who is the first person together with her family who we met in The Netherlands during our emigration process to New Zealand. That was way back in April 2005. She is now living in Auckland and we have been in contact ever since. She knows much more about creative imaging, so I needed her help and I hope you all like it too.

In the meantime I have booked my first two trips back to Wellington After that Marco will come to Blenheim for a long weekend, so he can get a glimpse of my life here. Of course life in Blenheim is not as vibrant as life in Wellington, but I can imagine he will love this lifestyle as well.

20 February 2008
At school we are all still trying to get into the routine, but since the schedules are changing by the day and every day is a surprise again. Our Programme Leader started just two weeks before us, so she has to get into the routine as well. So, we never have a dull moment, or have we? We spend a lot of time waiting and hanging around at the campus which not a lot of us can enjoy.

We have visited the biggest winery of New Zealand this week. It was like being at one of the huge tank storage facilities for chemicals/oils that I was used to back in The Netherlands; the products in the tanks here, are however much better to drink!! If you are interested: http://www.montana.co.nz/index2.html

And we also really started this week with getting to know a bit more about the vines and grapes, so finally it is like we are at the right course. Apart from this we have classes in Science, Maths, Computing, which are all necessary to be able to work at a vineyard and/or winery. It actually is a nice combination of several subjects which most of us enjoy. However, already one person has withdrawn from the course, because it did not meet the expectations – although that had mainly to do with Blenheim. It is a bit of a culture shock when you are used to a big city.

Cheers
Anita

My start in Blenheim

2008-02-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

9 February 2008
The last two weeks in Wellington I have been preparing for my move to Blenheim and today I did the packing. It is very strange to leave this city after living here for exactly two years; and it still is one of the best places to live in New Zealand - in my opinion. I might change my view after a while in Blenheim. Often it is also a lot about the people you meet and here in Wellington I have been lucky to get to know a lot of great people and thus making some valuable friendships. The last few weeks I was able to meet up with most of my friends over coffee or lunch and I have enjoyed every second of it.

Going to live in another town means I have to start all over again. Not only with meeting people, but this time my life will be totally different because I will be living without Marco and will lead a student life. It won’t be easy, but for me it is part of trying to settle into the NZ way of living.

11 February 2008
Yesterday I arrived in Blenheim in my new home. Luckily my flatmate was around so we have been around town already and could get to know each other a bit. She is a lovely girl/lady from India and I am sure we will have a good time. My landlady is great as well but she is not around that often.

Then I had my first day in school. The best thing about the class already is that we have the most amazing mix of people. We come from every continent in the world and from various backgrounds. A lot of the students have worked in other professions for years already (like me) and want to make a career change. It will be very interesting to get to know all these people. Of course a first day is a bit strange and not a lot is happening, but overall the first impression was a good one.

15 February 2008
It’s the end of the week and a lot has happened in the mean time. On Tuesday I had friends from Wellington visiting Blenheim. Unfortunately, I was only able to meet them in the evening, but we had a nice time in the (only) pub in town.

During the school days not a lot actually happens but we have to get used to a certain routine although at the moment there doesn’t seem to be any set scheme. Our daily/weekly plans change constantly, so we never know what to expect, so we just expect the unexpected and that’s good in a way. Although by now a few people start to complain about the institute not being organised properly. I don’t care yet, because I have expected it to be like this and will see what happens in the upcoming weeks. At least I know some very nice people already.

Apart from school I also need to find a job that brings a bit of money in. So, on Monday I started looking around and talking with people. In a hotel I was lucky. They were short of staff in housekeeping (in which I am very experienced in the mean time) and later on maybe also in front of house staff. So, although I mentioned I do not really like it, I took a cleaning job for this upcoming weekend and hoped that something else might come up as well. So, yesterday the manager phoned me and I have a waitress job tonight during a wedding at the hotel.

Apart from that I have a volunteer job this afternoon at the museum where a launch of the Wine Heritage Exhibition is held. This was organised by my landlady so I would be able to get to know the people in the field. That is great of course, because also here it is very important ‘who you know’ and ‘who knows you’.

So, at this moment I look back at a good start of my new life in Blenheim and I am confident that it is going to be a very interesting time.

Cheers
Anita

Wellington --> Blenheim

2008-02-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all

Yes, I returned back home in Wellington last week, but will be moving soon again. No, not for another cycling trip (however, I would have liked that as well!). After my experiences on the job market in Wellington I had to decide on what to do next. So, I have decided to learn a totally different skills set and start a two year Diploma in Viticulture and Wine Production in Blenheim starting next Monday. This is a very hands-on course where I will learn a lot about the soils, vines, grapes, harvest, production of wine and marketing. The only thing about wine I know at the moment is whether I like the taste of it or not.

In the mean time I have found a small room to rent in Blenheim. I will share the house with the landlady and another flatmate. This will be a huge change for me; I will have a real 'student life' for the next two years. Apart from that, Marco and I will live separated for most of the time, since we can't afford to travel every weekend. In a way decisions like this are more difficult than deciding to move to the other side of the world. On the other hand, I never planned to live in New Zealand and do the same stuff as I did in The Netherlands, so this is at least a step into a new life and only time can tell.........

Since this will again be some kind of an adventure, I will try to write about my whereabouts in Blenheim between the vines. Maybe it will be as successful as Chris Stewart's "Driving over Lemons"? (http://www.sortof.co.uk/Lemons/)

Cheers

Anita

Greymouth to Wellington

2008-01-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

When I arrive in Greymouth, the weather is very nice and I even spend the afternoon along the beach - is this really the We(s)t Coast? But the weather forecast is not very flash for the upcoming days, because the remnant of a cyclone is expected over the country later on. So, I decide to move on especially since the wind direction might be in my favour at this moment. On a dark, cloudy morning I pack my tent and other stuff on my bicycle again. It is cloudy but warm and humid on my way to Reefton. The first part of the trip follows the Grey River inland and I pass some tiny villages. The sticky warmth and the sound of the cicadas give me the feeling of cycling in the tropics. During the second part of this trip, the scenic hills make place for more cattle and farm land, but around Reefton there are only green hills around. The first sight of Reefton is nice; it has history from the gold mining days and has a western style street. Reefton is 'famous' for being the town with the world's first street lighting, connected in 1888. When I arrive at the campground I get the advice to pitch my tent straight away before the nasty weather is going to strike: that sounds encouraging. Luckily it is not getting very nasty - only a bit of rain and no wind at all. I stroll around town a bit, having afternoon tea and a beer and prepare myself a dinner at the campground before heading to the tent to have a good night's rest.

The forecast for the next day is pretty ugly, but I do not want to stay in Reefton. And after all it is better to be 'en route' when it's raining than just hanging around a campground. So at 07:30am I am already cycling to try to get as far as possible without any rain. This takes only 45 minutes and then it starts pouring and blowing. There is only one small town between Reefton and my final destination of today: Murchison. This town is called Inangahua and there is something that is called a shop/post office/cafe etc. but not a lot there. It is very disappointing and the people there basically tell me that I am a 'stupid foreigner' to cycle in this area - 'no Kiwi would do this'. Fair enough! I move on... another 55 km to cover.

The road becomes more winding and undulating, so I am changing gears constantly. It is a beautiful route, but I must say I can not really enjoy it to the full. When the rain eases a bit, I am finally able to make some pictures and luckily I am at a nice spot at that moment (although every part of the South Island is beautiful in my opinion). During this part of my trip a lot of the car drivers wave to me or blow their horn - is this to encourage me, or are they telling me that I am crazy?! I will never know. What I do know, however, is that some of those logging truck and cattle truck drivers really are crazy and try to drive me off the road. Pretty bad behaviour, I should say.

When I finally arrive in Murchision, I am soaking wet, but my first goal is a cafe for some drinks and food, because I am starving by now and want to get a bit dry as well. I get a few strange looks from the people there and when I sit down (in the outside area) an American tourist asks me whether I have been kayaking on the river? That's how I look! Later on I have a nice chat with them and they want some information from me for the remainder of their travels on the South Island. Then I go to the campground but decide to take a cabin this time.

The next day there are still clouds, but it doesn't look very bad. I know there is a nice camping place around 40 kms from Murchison and the next stop would be Motueka - around 80 kms further from there. I have one huge advantage: the wind is southwest and my direction is north. I leave Murchison on the cycle lane, that runs along the SH6 in this town and very easily I am on my way enjoying the scenery. Around 10:30am I arrive at the first possible stop; it doesn't make sense to stop here, because the weather is improving and it is great to cycle. So I go on, but already realise that it is going to be a long trip, longer than the 120 km I had anticipated. There is only a minor climb of 3 km to around 600 metres ahead of me and the rest is mainly undulating and back to sea level in Motueka. It is getting hot and sunny, that's what I need. The last part of the trip through the Motueka Valley (along the Motueka River) is very scenic and with the assistance of some tailwind I manage to arrive in Motueka with 140 km on the teller today. I know what I deserve now: a nice beer (Mac's Gold of course).

During the very enjoyable trip to Motueka I spend some time reflecting my cycling tour and decide that it is time to head home. I left Wellington nearly six weeks ago and have spend a great time on the South Island. I have seen a lot of beautiful things and have experienced this Island in the best way there is! Also I have met a lot of nice people, learned a lot about different countries and about New Zealand and learned a lot about myself as well.

The two days in Motueka I spend lazy - although I also make a cycle trip to Kaiteriteri - a beautiful beach closeby - but am surprised about the number of people around. Moreover, there is the friendly rugby match between the Crusaders (Christchurch) against the Hurricanes (Wellington) in Motueka. The town was already dressed in black/red and black/yellow, because they never had such a big match before. Of course I am going to watch the game. Unfortunately, the Crusaders win the match, but it is still good fun and all of Motueka loved it!

On Saturday I arrive on the ferry in Wellington and Marco is there - thinking he has to pick up a friend of mine. Surprise, surprise!

Now I am back in Wellington...................

Cheers,
Anita

For pictures : http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Greymouth%20to%20Wellington/

Wanaka to Greymouth

2008-01-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

On 15 January I take a shuttle from Wanaka to Twizel, since my knee is not completely okay yet. Most of the scenery around here I have enjoyed before, but it is always very impressive. Close to Twizel I get the first glimpse of Mt Cook in the distance. In the evening I get 'kicked of' the shuttle in Twizel that is deserted at that time, but luckily I have seen a sign to the campground. This seems to be a huge area, where I can choose a quiet spot under the pine trees.

The next day I wake up under a clear blue sky and there is not even a bit of wind - great! I am going to cycle in the direction of Mt Cook and most of the way along Lake Pukaki, that is very blue because of the sedements at the lake floor. There are a lot of very amazing views along the way - sorry, very hard to get on the picture - you have to experience it yourself! At one of these great spots I just sit for a while and let everything soak in, when a huge MPV comes along, two guys get out with their far too expensive camera equipment, in a few seconds they make some pictures, while the ladies stay in the back of the very comfortable car and off they go again. Okay, that's also a way to experience NZ.

I stop at Glentanner Park - about 25 km from Mt Cook Village - to have a coffee and decide that I will stay the night here, but go on without my luggage to Mt Cook. The weather can't get better than today (which will be proved the next day), so I need to make the most of it. The ride to Mt Cook Village is magical and I take a lot of pictures. I visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre that just opened last month. It is a very special place to be at this moment. The place is a small museum with a lot of the information about the history of climbing in the Mt Cook region. I also see a nice 3D feature on this area. All pretty well done!

During dinner at Glentanner Park that evening we see a fire across from Lake Pukaki. A strong wind is blowing so the fire spreads very fast. A lot of helicopters arrive with water buckets but the fire just gets bigger. Very scary! When night falls the helicopters can't fly anymore and when I get up the next morning it is sad to see the area of trees that has been destroyed in the mean time. The helicopters are already very busy again. Later I read in the newspaper that it has taken 3 days to get the fire under control and by then around 700 ha had been burnt.

One of the results of the fire was that there was no power anymore at Glentanner and surroundings, so without food I could not stay there anymore. The next morning, however, the weather was pretty bad, mainly strong winds. (I was very glad I did the trip to Mt Cook the day before.) I did not want to cycle in this weather which would have been pretty dangerous and had to think of another solution: ask a campervanner for a lift to somewhere. At the first campervan I am already lucky. It is a UK family living in Australia since some years and enjoying NZ for the first time. They are very helpful and friendly and I have a good chat with them on the way to Fairlie where they drop me off. Since the brake of my bicycle is causing a problem I have to find a bike shop. According to my booklet there should be one in Fairlie, however, that one has gone a few years ago. In the post office I speak to a lady who assists me to find someone who might be able to help me. I go there and this seems to be the guy who owned the bike shop before - small place! He easily fixes the problem and that is that. I head to the camp ground in Fairlie where I meet another female cyclist. This Canadian lady just started her trip around NZ and was happy to meet another female cyclist, since she thought she was the only one. During my trip I sometimes do not see cyclists for days and on other days I see around 10. It is always nice to exchange ideas, routes, plans etc.

My next goal is Geraldine, but the day is pretty bad with a lot of rain and when I arrive in Geraldine I do not feel very happy and I recognize the place and do not like it at all. So, after lunch I decide to ride on, mainly because the weather improved as well. I go to Mt Somers and when I arrive there I have the smell of lily's in my nose (there is a huge lily nursery here) and 100 km on my teller. I do not do a lot that evening, apart from pitching my tent, cooking, eating, writing and then sleeping.

Now I have to decide whether to go to the West Coast, via Arthur's Pass, or go along the East Coast, of which I have seen most already. I decide on the West Coast and head to Springfield. The first part of the route is easy, but then I get to Rakaia Gorge. It is beautiful, but I have hardly time to enjoy it, since twice my chain runs off and after I have fixed that, I have a flat rear tyre, ggrrrhhh! It is around 30 degrees Celsius and I start to fix the problems. I do not have a lot of luck and soon I look like a chimney sweeper. I even try to catch a ride but there is hardly any traffic, so I have to fix the bicycle. After around 1.5 hours I finally manage to get the bicycle ready again and move on.
When I pass a town I decide to call a shuttle service for tomorrow to bring me from Springfield to Greymouth - luckily this is possible, because I do not see myself cycling over Arthur's Pass with an only 90% okay bicycle. I am very glad when I arrive in Springfield where I can have some food and a long, warm shower!

The next day I have to get up early to catch the shuttle. This is a great way to go over longer or difficult distances, making a cycling trip around NZ an opportunity for nearly everyone. The first part to Porter's Pass I realise that I would not have liked to do this on the bike. It is very steep and narrow. I have met a few guys who have done it, however, and did not mind it at all. I enjoy the scenery from behind the window and love it this way for a change. The surroundings of Arthur's Pass Village is really great and I see some nice campgrounds, but more suitable when you travel around by car. Amazingly I am the only one awake in the shuttle during this trip. All other tourists are too tired to see the beautiful scenery.

Then I arrive in Greymouth where the fight with the sandflies starts. These animals just eat you alive!
Later on I find a revenge - just open your mouth while cycling and I can eat them alive in stead of the other way around.

For pictures see: http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Wanaka%20to%20Greymouth/

To be continued......

Dunedin to Wanaka

2008-01-14T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

First of all I want to apologise for not responding to all the e-mails that I have got. Since it is sometimes quite difficult to find a good internetcafe, my priority is to keep this weblog up to date, but if I have a chance I will reply to your messages.

I left you all in Dunedin, where I explored the city, that was a bit quiet at the moment because of the students being away on holiday, but still it was vibrant enough. A lot of nice cafe's and restaurants, a beautiful Art Gallery, some cinemas (haven't watched a movie because the weather was too nice), the Sports Hall of Fame in the beautiful railway station etc.etc. Here I decide to take the train for a touristy ride. This is called the Taieri Gorge Railway; the carriages are very old and beautiful; the scenery was amazing. Absolutely something to do when you are in the neighbourhoud. For me it was a good way to avoid some of the high hills outside Dunedin and I am glad I made this beautiful trainride. This brought me in Pukerangi, where I was left with my bicycle in what seemed to me 'the middle of nowhere'. There was really nothing around, only dry hills. There was one gravel road which I took to the highway, expecting to be 5km away. However, after 10km cycling I still did not see a turn off to the highway and was doubting whether I went the right direction. Going back at this stage, however, was not really an option either. Luckily after 2km I reached the highway and went on to Middlemarch, where the popular Rail Trail starts/ends. The Rail Trail is a 150 km long stretch of former railway that was turned into a cyclist/walker trail in 1990. I am not very keen to cycling this trail because of the gravel and the heavy load on my bicycle. However, after some advise from other cyclists I decide to take the trail for a small part - and it is beautiful!! There are no cars, only a few cyclists. The scenery is beautiful, what else do you want?

The following day a strong wind is blowing and I go on with my trip via the road, but because of the strong side winds, I head back to the Rail Trail, since I do not want to be blown under a car. This morning I even have to walk at times, because of the strong winds - very unusual and I see another cyclist fall of her bike. The conditions are really difficult this day, which I really am remembered of when I hit a strong sidewind myself and fall off my bicycle. Aaauuwwww, that hurts! It is not a good idea to try to kiss a gravel road, because I have a hole in me knee with stones in it. Luckily soon I see someone who can give me some assistance and my bicycle is still fine and so I can still go on.
It takes me about 20 km before I find a real town, but not with a doctor who I would really need to see. Luckily I meet some very nice people at a campground who bring me to Alexandra, where another very friendly lady at the I-Site organises a doctor and a place to stay. The lady who runs the backpackers where I am going to stay, picks me up and brings me to the doctor (wound cleaned, got some other small stones out of the hole in my knee) and serves me a meal in the evening. I met a lot of great people today!

The next day I decide to take a rest in Alexandra. I have to clean my bike, because dust is all over and my chain makes a strange noise. Luckily my accident was without any big consequences, so I walk to the town and visit a great exhibition of a NZ artist. The subject is the cultural diversity in this country and acceptance - a subject that I, as an immigrant, very much can relate to. I am lucky to be able to speak with the artist and he was glad as well, because he will be in Holland in April.

Then I head on the shuttle bus to Wanaka, to meet a friend of mine from Dordrecht. We tried a few times to meet up, but finally after three weeks we manage to do so. It is great to see a familiar face again. I enjoy a very nice evening and morning with Truus and her sisters and friend in Wanaka. Ladies, thanks again for the great Thai Dinner and big breakfast!!! And hopefully I can be your host next time you are in NZ.

Since me knee is improving I decide to move on by shuttle to Twizel, from where I hope that I can cycle to Mt Cook in a day or so. However, I also noticed a problem with my bicycle which is at the repair shop at the moment - so I have a bit of time to write this blog.
I will keep you up to date, but now have to rush off to do shopping etc.
Apologies for any strange grammar and typos, but hopefully you can enjoy the pictures, see:

http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Christchurch%20to%20Wanaka/?start=0

Catch you later,
Anita from a sunny Wanaka

Akaroa to Dunedin

2008-01-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Since it is not always easy to find fast internet, if any, it took me a while to send some pictures of the trip so far. Here is a link to the pictures from the part Wellington to Akaroa.

http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Welly%20to%20Akaroa/

In Akaroa we spent some lovely days - sunny and warm weather and we just enjoyed this nice village and drank and ate a bit and were very lazy. The only way back to Christchurch from here was via the same route as we came, so we decide to take a bus back. Yes, lazy, I know! In Christchurch the first thing I have to do is looking for a bicycle shop that has my 28" tyres, since it seems a good idea to replace the outer tyres before moving on. The first shop we check is run by a Dutch immigrant (can't be a coincidence) and he has the required tyres, so that is easily fixed. The next day we explore the surroundings of Christchurch in the rain and cold; we cycle via Cashmere, Sign of the Kiwi, Governor's Bay, Lyttleton, Sumner back to town. Especially the bays, Lyttleton and Cashmere are very nice parts of Christchurch.

Then it's Saturday morning and the alarm clock rings at 5:45am, since Marco has to catch the train to Picton. I join him to the train station and wave him goodbye. He will go on the ferry and be back in Wellington that same afternoon. (maybe he will write something about his whereabouts on http://www.anitamarco.waarbenjij.nu/ ?). I am off to Ashburton via a very boring route, but with some excitment, being a few shoulderless bridges, one of which is 2km long. I must say I was very relieved when I finally crossed that one and was still alive and kicking. The large cattle trucks and campervans nearly drive you off the bridge. When there is one big danger with cycling in NZ, then it is these bridges and the big trucks, but there is not a way to avoid these. I arrive in Ashburton after 85km but it's only 11:30am. I have an early lunch and decide to move on, since there is still a tailwind and I want to make the most of it. This brings me in Temuka, there are 150km on the teller now and here I am lucky to find a bar with Guinness on the tap - I decide I deserve 1 pint. The next day the wind has turned and it is going to be a hard day. After 20km I already stop in Timaru to have my second breakfast of the day - hot cakes at McDo (no comments please!). The landscape after Timaru is still evenly boring as the day before: grassland, sheep, cows. I am heading for Moeraki Village but soon I realise that I am not going to make it this far today with the headwind, but stop in Oamaru. This is a pleasant small town and I find a neat small campground. The biggest attraction of this area are the penguins and I book a trip to have a look at these funny creatures. First of all we are going to view the Yellow-Eyed Penguins, one of the world's rarest penquins, which is said to be endangered. A lot of effort is being done by DOC (Department of Conservation) to secure the protection of the areas where these penguins breed. We see a few coming on shore in the distance and closer by, but hard to get them on the picture. They are around 70cm high and they have a band of bright yellow around the back of the head which passes through the line of the eyes. The next stop is the Blue Penguin colony close to the Oamaru harbour. Here a huge grandstand is built where this evening around 150 people are waiting for the penguins to come ashore. These penguins gather off shore in a group known as a raft and come ashore as it gets dark. We see one small and one big raft coming ashore. It is great to see them wobbling over the rocks and to the nest buildings. They exactly know where to go. I can recommend this trip to anyone who ever passes through Oamaru. After this long and exciting day I easily fall asleep.

The next morning I still have not decided whether to move on or the stay for a day in Oamaru. At 10:30am I move on further to the south because it seems to be a good cycling day. For the first time since leaving Christchurch I make pictures again, because the scenery now changes dramatically. I now go through rolling green hills and although it is hard at times, this is compensated by the views. This day I come as far as Waikouaiti (no clue how I have to pronounce this). Then it is time for the last stage to Dunedin on Tuesday 8 January. Soon after leaving I come on a cycle route to Dunedin which leads me along the coast via a spectacular route. Unfortunately, my gears are causing me trouble today and it takes me a long time to cross all the hills. At one stage I even wonder why I am not just sitting somewhere in an office at a desk (?!). At the same time, however, I realise that I am very lucky to be able to enjoy the beauty of this country by bicycle. The last part brings me over Mt Cargill (400mtr) and I am very relieved when I see Dunedin in the distance and go downhill again. I pass Baldwin Street where a few tourists are making pictures, of course I join them. Baldwin Street is the steepest street of NZ, with a gradient of around 38%. It will be impossible to cycle up this street (Hanneke, you win!), but there is a competition every year where people try to get up and down this street as fast as possible - this must be good fun!

From the city I have to go up hill again to the campground. I did not realise that Dunedin is at least as hilly as Wellington. For the first time during this cycling trip I have to get off the bike and walk for about 1km during which I have to stop every 100 mt or so, to catch my breath and find a bit of shade. It is about 24 degrees and that's hot in NZ! I book the camping for two nights, because I am sure I do not want to cycle one metre for at least a day.......

Greetings from very sunny and warm Dunedin, that I am going to explore right now.

Anita

Happy New Year!!!!

2007-12-30T23:49:00.000-08:00

The start of a new year - the start of new beginnings! I wish all of you a very healthy and prosperous 2008 and that all your plans may come true!!

As far as my (and Marco's) trip is going since Christmas Day:

In Kaikoura we knew the following day would be a tough one so we set the alarm clock early. But in the night my self-inflatable mattress broke down, so not a good night's rest this time and moreover, a strong storm starts blowing - time to use the earplugs! In the morning however on the positive side: the bakery next door is open, so we can have a coffee and take some extra supplies for the long trip. We have to cycle with a headwind and then we start climbing into the hills and it starts raining - no fun! And when we have cycled to one of the tops where we know there will be a restaurant, unfortunately this one is closed for Boxing Day. We take a rest anyhow, but get very cold with the southerly that is coming up and the rain that goes with it. We cannot stay here and move one. It is getting very cold with the strong wind and rain in our faces - we wear our sunglasses to protect the eyes from the rain. When we finally - after 6.5 hours effective time on the bicycle - arrive at our destination, Waiau, we are lucky the shop/takeaway (only shop of the village)is open, so we can enjoy some good fast food. At the campground there is even a cabin available so we decide to have a luxury night after a hard and cold day. Adding to this a nice, hot shower and the day is good again!

In general campgrounds in NZ are very good. We always enjoy clean facilities, hot showers, equipped kitchens and full laundry facilities.

The next day we go to Hanmer Springs to relax our muscles in the hot pools. We spend an extra night here, to fully enjoy this luxury. At night we make a real Nasi Goreng (the Dutch national dish that actually is Indonesian) that Marco had brought with him from Welly as a surprise.

After that we enjoy a very easy ride (downhill) to Waipara, one of the wine regions of the South Island. The Backpackers/Campground here consists of old railway wagons and is a nice and quiet location. We decide on some wine tasting (a nice holiday pastime) but unfortunately after one winery I have a flat tyre and head back to the campground to fix it. This takes a bit of time, because it is the rear tyre (why does it always seem to be the rear!?). But surprise: the next morning there is freshly baked bread in the kitchen (Esther/Steven: what a terrible smell early in the morning, isn't it?!) and freshly laid eggs. A real treat.

Then we head to Christchurch where we see the first traffic lights since leaving Wellington. We do not spend a lot of time in this city, since we have been around here quite a bit last year and head on to Akaroa on the last day of the year 2007. This will be a great day in the end and to give you a better idea of live on a bicycle in Aotearoa I give a more detailed report of this day:

alarm clock at 6:15 am

breakfast (bread with jam / tea) at 6:45 am

break down tent - packing bags

leave campground at 7:30 am

12 km touring in Christchurch to get to the highway out to Akaroa

another 35 km without any cafe/restaurant open

all the time head wind

fruit shop open at 10:30 - buy an ice cream and some potato chips (good combination of suger and salt)

first open cafe: 11:40 am (60 km on the teller)

lunch and coffee

13:00 am leave for the next stage

after 2 km first climb - 6.5 km from 0 to 476 metres (around 7% gradients on average)

magnificent views over the harbour and the settlements including Akaroa (a great reward)

5 km downhill

another 4 climbs - each of 600 metres to 1 km but with gradients of around 8%

finally a sign for the camping - 90 km on the teller

3:00 pm pitching the tent - nice hot shower
a cold beer in town
fish&chips
a bottle of wine
10:00pm sleeping - vaguely we hear some fireworks in the distance, but we slide into the New Year without even really noticing

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of you.
Below is a short outline of my whereabouts during the last days.

18 December:
On Sunday 16 December I left Wellington on the ferry to Picton. The weather was great and the crossing of Cook Strait went very smoothly. From Picton I cycled with a tail wind to Blenheim; as easy as it could be a mere 30 km that passed by very fast. The sun came out and sunblock was needed straight away. Although there were cars and trucks on the road, the difference with traffic on the North Island was enormous and soon I was in a very laidback holiday mood - wooow!

The first week of my stay on the South Island was not spent on the bicycle a lot, because I was staying in Blenheim to relax a bit and to soak in the atmosphere here (explanation to follow later). On Monday the weather was gorgeous and I was able to explore this little town, that is far bigger than I had remembered it. Unfortunately, on Tuesday it rained in the morning and it still rained on Wednesday afternoon (that's why I am at the internet cafe to write a small story). Luckily I have some nice books with me, so I could unwind a bit although I rather have the sun. The locals here however are very happy with the rain, since everything started to dry out and the risk of fires had become huge. So, I just need to survive this weather in the tent on the campground and hopefully soon it will improve.

21 December:
The weather has improved and I have been exploring the town a little bit more. It seems not too dull - there even is a real cinema around here! where I have been twice already. Only a handful of other people at the movie - how relaxed. Since I had a broken tooth, I also visited a dentist; yes, also that was available here, however, less luxurious than the one in Wellington but also far less expensive. A lot of things seem to be cheaper here, but food and coffees are about the same price as in Wellington and house prices seem to be on going upwards still as well.

The temperature is still not great, but over the weekend it looks promising. Today and tomorrow I want to explore a bit more of the surroundings on the bicycle until Marco arrives on Sunday afternoon from Wellington.

25 December:
On Sunday Marco arrived in Blenheim from Wellington and the day after we started our cycling trip (Marco will be joining me for the first two weeks during his Xmas Holiday). We went to Ward with a great tail wind and some clouds, around 20 degrees, so perfect cycling weather. We stayed on a large farm with the sheep around the tent (pictures will follow as soon as I have another internet/computer). Today we arrived in Kaikoura via an amazing road along the Ocean. We saw heaps of fur seals, ate crayfish, made a lot of stops to enjoy to scenery. Luckily two shops were open in Kaikoura on this day, so we could buy some extra food and even have a beer on a terrace. So, this was another perfect day.

We will be heading to Hanmer Springs in two days from tomorrow onwards. The weather prediction is quite bad, but that is all in the game. I will try to keep this up to date - so get back to you soon!

Anita (and Marco)

Cycling around

2007-12-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to all readers of this weblog!

This weblog will be about my adventures on the bicycle on the South Island of New Zealand starting in December 2007. I will try to keep you up to date via this weblog at regular intervals, but I will be limited by the number of internet locations, so it can be quiet for a while.

Why do I want to cycle around? New Zealand is such a beautiful country; the scenery is spectacular, especially on the South Island; there are hardly any flat roads - so it is hard to get bored; while cycling I experience the nature intensely at a pleasant speed. The only drawback are the cars that want to use the road as well :-(

Anita