The grass is not so green

My sincerest apologies for my complete and utter lack of posting. I am quite busy completing my registration as a pharmacist [I have a law and ethics interview in 3 weeks that I feel somewhat obligated to pass]; I also have gotten hooked on staring at our wood burning stove for hours on end.

Last weekend, we began house hunting, and found our dream home. Sadly, it is a bit out of our price range...even sadder, it's only around $400k (US). It has a mostly separate guest unit (with it's own entrance, bathroom and kitchenette). If you would like a luxurious place to stay while you visit us, please consider purchasing a Lasko NZ Time Share. No contribution is too small or too large.



A short aside on looking for a house in New Zealand: Unlike the US, there are no buyers agents. The seller has a real estate agent (unless selling the house him/herself); while the agent may appear to be your best friend, he/she has a fiduciary duty to the seller to get as much money out of you as possible. It is very common for the listing to not include a price--homes are often sold by auction, or even worse: "tender", which is like a silent auction where you don't know the starting bid. The seller is not obligated to accept your offer, but you are obligated to buy if your offer is accepted. Open homes are popular, but they typically last only 30 minutes. An agent may show all of his/her current listings in a single afternoon (one after another). NZ real estate agents seem to be unfamiliar with staging; showing a freezing cold home is not unusual. Moldy shower curtains are also not out of the norm. PS: Proper Kiwi etiquette requires pointing out all the things wrong with the house (to the agent) as you walk through it. (IE: "There's mold on that shower curtain" or "Every window in this house leaks"). If you don't do this kind of thing, the agent will wonder why you're not buying it.

Back to something slightly more interesting (at least to Nico): Otatara Pa


There are heaps of sheeps walking around Otatara Pa.


You may have noticed that these pictures are far less green than others I have posted (particularly if you look back to one of our 2009 trips). It takes quite a bit of rain to keep the hills green, and we are in the driest part of New Zealand. (Though as I type this post, it is raining a wee bit.)


And for those of you who have been following my beloved automobile's journey on facebook, it is supposed to arrive in Auckland tomorrow. We're planning for a weekend in the big city to pick it up.

Socialized Medicine

After discovering that I could not lift my arm above my shoulder, I decided to head over to the emergency department for an xray. After filling out two forms (one for the hospital, one for ACC), Becky (who like most doctors at Hawke's Bay, looked far to young to be a doctor), led me into an exam room, quickly diagnosed me with AC joint disorder (why yes, we've got a pamphlet for that), and sent me down the hall to radiology. The x-rays came back normal; I then received a tetanus booster (actually a tetanus/diphtheria booster, as that's the only way tetanus vaccines come here), and was sent back to work with a prescription for ibuprofen and paracetamol.

Total time spent in ED/radiology: 40 minutes (which included about 10 minutes for the student radiology tech to adjust the machinery).

Total cost: $6 for the two prescriptions, which is supposed to be refunded by ACC, but I don't know if I'll bother figuring out how to do that.

Tetanus shot pain now hurts more than bicycle accident pain, so I'm taking a well earned sick day today.

Dangerous Country

Roundabouts (Traffic circles to you Americans) are one of the safer places to be on a bicycle, as the cars are forced to slow down to bicycle-like speeds. However, in a few places in and around Havelock, (non-cycling) traffic engineers have tried to make the roundabouts even safer by designing bypasses for cyclists. Yesterday, I made the mistake of riding the tandem on one of these bypasses, and promptly got hit by a van. The bike and Nicole came out of it in good shape; I'll heal; my expensive Santana Jersey is in need of some repair.


Please note: all photos that follow were taken are after the morning collision.

After cleaning up my wounds, and changing to a plain red jersey (to hide the blood), we tagged along on a wine country bicycle tour. The ride included a shortcut through an olive orchard with grazing sheep (just visible between the trees in this photo) running across the road.


I'm usually very good at remembering which wineries we've been to...but due to the pain (which was largely unrelieved by the afternoon sampling), I can't seem to recollect where I took these pictures. At any rate, most wineries in Hawke's Bay have some sort of beautiful picnic ground (or expensive restaurant) in which to rest for a few minutes.

I'm not looking for a New England

Alternative title: Quoth the Raven

Yesterday marked the official end of summer (at least according to the Napier Sailing Club). The final race of the season included a delayed start (due to lack of wind); several very strong gusts; a few 180 degree wind shifts (twice causing an upwind and a downwind leg on the same leg). The local sailors all remarked that the conditions were very unusual, but many seem to have a short memory for such things.


Today (Sunday), Nicole's only instructions for afternoon tea were: "Don't overdo it".



A little chilly tonight, so I was thinking about starting up a fire. Upon opening the fireplace (read wood burning stove) door, I noticed the ash moving around a little. With a puff of smoke (read ash) out flew a bird. It chased me around the house for a while as I tried to open doors and windows, then disappeared down the hall. A couple of umbrellas eventually convinced our new avian friend that he would be more comfortable outside.

Linux photo editing

My first attempt at a panorama--view from Te Mata Peak. With a little practice, I might be able to smooth out the colour...

Te Mata Peak II

At least I think this is my second Te Mata Peak entry. Last time, we drove most of the way up; on Sunday, we walked from our house to the top. It's about 6.5 km (each way) by car; I'm guessing the walk was a bit longer. There was supposed to be afternoon tea near the top, but this place was closed.

Here's a photo from the top...which might look exactly like a photo I posted last time.


And would you believe we have redwoods right here in Havelock North?


Yesterday, I finally got around to hanging up our Coke lamp.


I just wanted to add that our New Zealand dining room looks nothing like our Newport Beach dining room. (The bookshelf in the photo above was in the bedroom.)

Hastings Market

Alternative title: I don't want to think about what the other 10% might be

Hawke's Bay has some incredible farmers' markets; the best of them is in Hastings. We've been stopping by most Sunday mornings to sample the local wares...and Nico cannot seem to pass up anyone trying to sell her: 1) grapes 2) herbs 3) avocados.


I'm mostly certain this is Kiwi humour:


And I believe this one is serious marketing:


Can somebody tell me why Kiwis don't have accents when they sing? If I sing something, will they think I don't have an accent?

Napier Sailing Club

I had not been putting much effort into finding my way onto a boat, but as it's starting to get cold, I figured I'd better get around to it. A single email later, and the sailing club manager had said he'd put me on a "trailer sailor". I was not sure what to expect.

I ended up crewing (rather poorly) on a Noelex 25.

At the helm, 16 year old Mathew:

His grandfather, Alan was calling tactics; Alan (like most Kiwis) did not seem amused by my camera, so I don't have a picture of him.

Here's another Noelex 25, and the only boat we finished ahead of:


Some pictures around Napier that made me start thinking we're living too far from the water.








Sorry for all the pictures. I was having trouble finding a single one that captured the beauty of the marina; probably because I was steering on the way in, and I could not figure out how to turn the throttle down.

PS: The answer to both of your questions is "Yes". [The boat is named Big Bird, and that is a tractor.]

And now for the important stuff

Last weekend (while taking a break from tandeming), we stopped at Beach House Wines, where the charming owner invited us over to his other (apparently more profitable) business: Roosters Brew House. Sorry, there is no link (or photos--I had a camera, I'm not sure it was the sort of place where I'd be snapping pictures). Very Kiwi bar; full of men in coveralls, just off work...and possibly carrying their own beer mugs. Unlike any US brewery I've been to (which are really just restaurants that happen to make beer), Roosters is more like a winery that makes beer (they also serve Beach House wine). Although a sign on the door made reference to "lunches", I saw no other evidence that food is served. The best part about Roosters: Free beer from the Irish bartender--or maybe that's the best part of drinking with Irish friends...

In other news, there is good Indian food in Hawke's Bay: Master of India in Hastings (there's apparently another in Ahuriri) was considerably better than typical Orange County Indian cuisine. Now, if only I could track down a Mexican restaurant.

Not quite paradise

Alternative title: Fair and balanced journalism

Everything you always wanted to know about the sand fly.

I believe I made it through white water rafting without too many bites (the provided wetsuit was pretty good protection). Afterwards we stopped for lunch (was that at the River Valley Cafe in Esk Valley?), and made the mistake of sitting at an outdoor picnic table on the grass. I am covered with bug bites. I am never going outside again.