A Trans-Tasman Call Of The Night

It's okay to be in the country but it's also good to get away. So when my brother rang wanting some advice about business it only took me a few seconds to decide that in-person was going to be a whole lot better than over the phone. I managed to combine the business trip with my daughter's graduation in Auckland and a weekend with friends and family. Great combo!!!

It was a work trip to Perth. In fact, in the end, my brother was so scared of the 'spreadsheet' word coming out each day that we had to come to an agreement about boundaries. But we did manage to get a little play in there. My Diploma Photography course homework was all about night shooting. Warren didn't need much encouragement at all. We had a blast. Of course we had a couple of little gadgets to make the outing even more exciting - like his electronic remote shutter control. Didn't have a tripod - bit of a restriction when it comes to night shooting - but we did have his Chrysler 300 as a giant tripod and lighting assistant.

Fremantle oozes great night shots. These are just a few that we took - check out the hearts. Done by moving the camera in the reverse to the shape you want. Not all that easy after a few beers. The night was still, the water calm and the lights were everywhere. A combination of old and new - there is a lot of history in this part of the world, and it looks even better by night. If you pass by this way make sure you visit Little Creatures Micro-Brewery (home of the heart lights), Kailis Seafood and the other restaurants on the pier.

THE BEST......definitely playing with the vey sexy Canon 60D. Pity I don't own it!

THE WORST....lack of tripod holding us back on some amazing shots and wasting a lot of time with the bronze fisherman that just wasn't going to make a good subject

I'M LEARNING....to be careful where you put the electronic remote. It has a mind of its own and can take some VERY unflattering photos.

The Quiet Life

Well, when I decided to go rural I knew it was going to be a quieter existence, less complicated, less stressful and more relaxing. But this is ridiculous! It is the onset of winter and I have started that habitual animal tendency - hibernating. Not just staying home more but, actually, moving less.

Most days I wake up early because my body clock is refusing to accept that daylight saving is over. Invariably the sunrises are breathtaking- like this one this morning. It's rare that I would take a photo because my mind is focussed on a hot cup of coffee and the morning paper, online of course. All enjoyed in the warmth and cosiness of my bed. After the mandatory puzzles and horoscopes I fling myself out of bed, throw some clothes on and prepare breakfast. I try to make a list of tasks to do everyday - sometimes they are abysmally pathetic and, to make matters worse, I don't even get through them. Let me give you an example - wash windows, weed garden, empty compost bin. Of course there's other 'office based' tasks but I try to give myself reasons to go outside. So, those three external jobs haven't been completed yet. I did buy myself a ladder so that I could wash the windows but it's still hanging in the garage.

Now that's what I call commitment to hibernation!

Doesn't make matters any easier when the night seems to fall so much earlier these days. All the more reason to draw the curtains and shut out the world. And there's the temptation of the glass of pinot noir within reach.

Honestly - if this is the start of winter I am really going to need some counselling to get through. I think a good dose of winter visits will help - or maybe I should chase the sun. Must find that winning Lotto ticket.

THE BEST.........that glass of quality Hawke's Bay red wine

THE WORST.....those windows are still smudgy and look even worse when the sun shines. Best to keep the curtains drawn.

I'M LEARNING.....winter in the countryside is about nesting and playing like a bear.

Sting - a god and a godsend!

I have never been sooo excited. Well, that's not true. I probably have been more excited but the beauty about growing old is that the immediate future and immediate past is all that matters. And in my immediate scenario Sting was the highlight.

Look at that weather

I was worried about the weather because there were friends coming from Auckland and they can be SO judgmental! But, there was nothing to worry about. Although Friday was a little on the overcast side and there was a sprinkling of rain Saturday perked up and it was a glorious summer day and evening. The group I was with had a late lunch. Late being the operative word. Arrived at my friend's place at 2.00pm. Got fed at 4.00pm. Did we play scrabble in between times - oh no! Only the best Hawke's Bay wine. Yours truly was very responsible as I had the car with the VIP parking.

An advance party left for the concert around 5.00pm to see the third of the support acts. There was a steady stream of concert goers arriving with us although the General Admission area (otherwise known as the hill) was already packed. Of course I was in the seated area so no concerns about finding an appropriate spot.

The man himself

We decided to get a bottle of wine when we arrived so that we could enjoy the set of the support act - Revival Corporation. Well, that was a good idea and that was about all it amounted to. The alcohol restrictions this year meant that no-one could take alcohol into the venue so everyone was queueing for their refreshments. And when I say queueing, I mean of biblical proportions. Move over the Vatican for numbers. FORTY FIVE minutes later people we finally had our wine in hand. Only one bottle per person and, get this, the red was chilled and the white was warm. Furthermore, they couldn't sell us glasses because they may be needed for wine-by-the-glass sales later in the night. Yeah right! We got to our seats, thinking we were going to have to neck these bottles, and the support act finished. Luckily the last part of the group arrived and had spare glasses with them.

Sting and NZSO

Whinge for the night over - the man did not disappoint. Sting is like a truly, rare, great wine. He just gets better and better with age. Of course, he only had eyes for me. Well that's my story and I am sticking to it. And how about the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - outstanding. I actually think that the conductor out-moved Sting. He jumped, ran, plunged and darted all over the place all night. But back to the man, His voice was in fine form, his story-telling spell binding, and his guitar work as deft as ever. And when he came out in the t-shirt in the second half I nearly slid off my seat. Is it easy to tell that I am infatuated?

I didn't want the concert to end - along with 26,000 others that were apparently there. Four encores and the crowd singing 'Message In A Bottle' as we all shuffled our way to the exits. Phew!!!! Amazing!!!!

THE BEST........duhhh - Sting!

THE WORST........Mission Estate -get your act together with being able to service a crowd of thirsty and hungry people. Fancy telling the punters on the night that we were making the problem worse by not being decisive enough with our orders. Hmm, first rule of customer service - the customer is always right.

I'M LEARNING.....aging can be done gracefully.

You Won't See This on YouTube

Before the redecorating.

Not every experience in the country is limited to rural type stuff. And this was one of those! I've had an idea about tarting up my bedroom and decided that this week it was now or never. I was pretty confident about my ability to wallpaper a feature wall - that was until I talked to my sister about 'just doing it'! Then all the talk about plumb lines, pattern matching and wall preparation really took its toll.

But - I'm not a quitter and so I started. Let me show some of the highlights of this little adventure. The wallpaper - quite expensive but I didn't need much. First off move the furniture and clean the wall. I must have thought this was going to be an all-night affair because I got the bed ready in the spare room for my use.

All my tools of the trade!

Next, tools. Lovely B-I-L lent me his trusty brush, paper smoother and straight line ruler. Had my own stanley knife (two in fact) and bucket. After sleepless nights preparing for this 'simple task' I realised that I didn't need water troughs because the paper was unpasted and the directions said paste the wall not the paper. So - I'm prepared.

Step one - size the walls. Measured the amount of sizing mix in my best cooking measures and expertly applied the gooey stuff to the walls. Apparently it makes the wallpaper move easier when you hanging it - made no bloody difference when the moment came! Googled how long to leave the sized walls and was happy to find that I could continue wallpapering today. Yay!

Pureed paste.

Next - measured the lengths needed and cut to appropriate size (with a small overhang) on my lounge floor taking extra precaution not to cut the carpet by upturning my carpet door mats. Needed six lengths and pattern matched them all, numbered, lay in order for hanging.

Now - the plumb line. Not a string and weight for this inventive DIYer but a beautiful piece of purple ribbon with two batteries tied at the end. Plumb line confirmed that the walls are pretty square anyway. Next came the glue. Again I made the most of my cooking measures to get the right ratio of paste and water. The instructions said to leave for 30 mins after the initial mix and then beat well before using. Mine was pureed using my newly acquired Kambrook wand mixer.

The beautiful plumb line

And so to the hanging. I took my time hanging one roll at a time and pasting the wall only when each length was ready for hanging. Patience paid off and the whole six rolls were hung without any major errors. Quality control, my sister, gave the thumbs up and the job is finished. What do you think? I'm pleased and even have enough paper left over to do another feature wall. Is this the new career?

THE BEST.........the brilliant job of papering around TWO powerpoints.

THE WORST......could anything else have fallen into the paste bucket? The brush, the stanley knife and the cleaning rag.

I'M LEARNING....it maybe water based but the glue is still sticky when you try to wipe the floor with the cleaning rag. Don't stand still in the laundry for too long would be my advice.

Not a bad job for a DIYer!

Plague, Pestilence and Precipitation

If you want to enjoy some of the best fortified wines Australia has to offer then Rutherglen is where you should be headed. My long time friends Robyn and Neil live just outside Rutherglen on a property where they run their own B & B, Renaissance Farm, and their newly established Renaissance Chocolates factory and shop.

Driving with locusts

That's where I spent Christmas and New Year. Like many people that live in rural areas these guys certainly have to put up with their fair share of Nature's nasties. just prior to my arrival there had been widespread flooding in the area - so much so that the river was out of bounds for Christmas camping. While I was there we were in the midst of a locust plague. They had eaten their way through many acres of crops and it made for some very interesting driving. It was easy to tell those drivers who came from the country! This Christmas if it wasn't the locusts then it was the mosquitoes. These guys were savage and relentless. Multiple repellent techniques couldn't even keep them at bay. As I was leaving it was the turn of the blowflies. And just to really get on your nerves there were the never-ending miniature tumbling weeds that I called Hairy McLairies. Robyn had another name but I can't pronounce it. They blew in on every wind and the only real way of getting rid of them was picking each one up individually. Truly enough to send you mad. Ahh the joy of rural living!!!!!!

Pub in Rutherglen

Rutherglen is very central to many other gorgeous northern Victoria towns. It was a short drive to Beechworth for lunch at a delightful French cafe. This place is very like Bowral in NSW - full of tourists and a shopping haven. All set in a town where the original facades and buildings remain. We visited the famous Milawa Cheese Factory (they now stock Renaissance Chocolates), took in a movie in Albury and visited a fabulous home design store in Wangaratta (Wang to the locals!). This is all within 30 minutes of Renaissance Farm.

All Saints

If it's wine you want - then it's wine you shall have. I thought Hawke's Bay had lots of wineries. This area must be full of as many drinkers as the Bay. Campbells, Bullers, All Saints, Chambers, Rutherglen Estates, Scion - and that's just scraping the surface. What I did find that was a lovely connection with NZ was a building built in the late 1800s that was originally used as a storage facility for Vidal Wines from Hawke's Bay. Go figure! The cellar doors at some of these wineries are stunning. On Boxing Day we went to a concert at Buller's Winery featuring Joe Camallieri & The Black Sorrows and Kate Ceberano. It was a musical masterpiece. These guys were there to enjoy themselves and that is exactly what they did. A crowd of around 1,500 meant a very intimate atmosphere. More like a large party than a concert.



THE BEST......well where do I start. The friends aboslutely!!!! The wine - it never stopped flowing. The food - this area is seething with fine food options both to enjoy cooking with and to dine at. And weather was pretty, bloody good!

Bloody Hairy McLairies

THE WORST....that plague, pestilence stuff. The locusts were annoying although did provide a moment of laughter when we had just driven through a swarm only to see a "cool tourist type" driving towards them in his convertible with the roof down and hair blowing. Would love to have seen the mayhem that swarm caused. And those bloody Hairy McLairies - if there wasn't a fire ban I would have taken to them with a match and dam the consequences.

I'M LEARNING......All all play (eating and drinking) and no work (exercise) means that clothes choices are limited!!!!!!!!

Dieters Need Not Apply!!!!!!

This Christmas one of the great experiences I had was working in a chocolate factory. Not just any old chocolate factory but a BOUTIQUE ARTISAN chocolate factory. I went to Rutherglen in Northern Victoria for my Christmas and New Year to stay with my dear friends Robyn and Neil.

On the packing line

They have been making chocolates for the past few years and in the last year they set up a chocolate factory and shop at their Renaissance B & B. Called Renaissance Chocolates, it's just a great example of passion and ingenuity coming together. During the time I stayed with them I got to help out in the chocolate factory. How lucky was that!!!!! I became the Chocolate Maker's Apprentice. And, from feedback from The Boss, I wasn't too bad at it either. Of course, Neil being a food engineer I got the science lesson behind how good chocolate was made - my fault for asking questions really - and then I was put to work. Intially it was on the packing line - packing orders for a local winery but then I was promoted to putting the backs on truffles and dipping them.

I did this display

I eventually ended up in the shop setting up the chocolate displays and, fear of all fears, serving the odd customer. Honestly the crap that came out of my mouth even surprised me!!!! I burbled away until the chocolate makers could take over and then I scurried back to the factory.

Robyn and Neil have developed their own recipes for fillings that can only be described as truly authentic and intense. If the product description says Tahitian lime then that is exactly what you will taste. The truffles are made from Rutherglen fortified wines and are mouth-wateringly decadent. The couverture used to make the chocolates in Belgium's finest and the inventiveness of some of the ganahces reflect both Neil and Robyn's love of fine food.

Truffles to be backed

Funnily enough - I didn't eat that many chocolates. When you are surrounded by the stuff you are more intent on getting the finished product looking right than you are about tasting the goodies. I did try a few though and so my comments here are all based on good, old fashioned research. My hips are testimony to that.

THE BEST.....seeing a customer buy the very first chocolate bar I made. Being the modest person that I am they clearly got the message how privileged they were.

THE WORST....knowing that every mouthful of tantalizing chocolate was probably going straight to the hips.

I'M LEARNING.......lots really. Tempering chocolate, seed chocolate, dipping, NIPs, ganache. It's all chocolate talk you know - can't divulge too much as I was only the Apprentice.

Maternity Ward - Maraekakaho Style

There I was chatting on the phone while sitting on my back steps and, through the garden trellis and the row of pines beyond, I could see a cow and what looked like a calf on the ground. I finished my call and went closer. Sure enough there on the other side of the wire fence was a newly born calf with its mother clicking it dry. Couldn't believe my eyes. And, funnily enough, I recalled hearing a very strange noise a few minutes prior to answering the phone. Being the country girl I am turning into I didn't take that much notice. I have learned that these cows, big brown ones, make really weird noises. But, in retrospect, it was mum in the throes of calf-birth.

Made me realize how capable animals are compared to use humans. She separated herself from the herd, under a shady tree, and went about the business of becoming a parent. I stood transfixed for some moments quietly reassuring mum that I wasn't going to come any closer. Mum was giving off low, protective grunts and the baby was desperately trying to stand up.

After some time on her own, with baby wobbling around trying to stand, the rest of the herd gathered around her. It was like the aunts visiting the maternity ward after word got around that the baby had arrived. Amongst the 'aunts' there was either a dad or an uncle. He came on over but he made a beeline for me. I checked out his size, his "package", his stare and the relatively frail fence between us and made a wise decision to back off. He was HUGE. I watched from inside the house and noticed that, once the calf looked like it was going to make it in the standing stakes, that herd moved away again.

With relief and sense of bravado I went back out again to watch the baby's progress. He finally got onto all four wobbly legs and then tried, in vain, to have a suckle. He had the theory down pat but the practice and sense of direction left a lot to be desired. You could not miss her udder - bursting it was. I could see and hear the calf suckling at her underbelly. He got an A for effort but, in the time I stood there, no cigar for success.

THE BEST......Just being there.

THE WORST.......No matter what species gives birth it is NOT a dignified experience for the mother. I continue to tell myself it's Nature but where was the midwife with the clean up gang?

I'M LEARNING.....when you get stared down from a boy cow take evasive action.