The last three photos on the right were taken yesterday from the cottage. I have been asked about where we live, so here are some responses. This is farming land, which is gradually being used for oher purposes. The cottage is not newly built, but rather a restoration of an older building. We have one residential neighbour in a smaller cottage (the studio) next door.
From the cottage I can just see an hotel, the Narrows Landing.- so called because the Waikato River is at its narrowest at this point. To the west there is also a glimpse of some farm sheds, where there is some intensive sheep rearing. The excavations in the second photo are for a lane, which will lead to the accomodation block currently being built for the 90 cadets studying with CTC Aviation, where Rupert works. The lane will also link to the hotel. Just down the track from the property are the offices and distribution centre of Caroline Eve, a chain of small cothing shops. To the south there is just sight of some of the airport buildings.
Roads, offices, airports; this all sounds like somewhere one would not choose to live. Perhaps the photos give some idea of the amount of space around all of this. The skies are magnificent. Living in Winchester, I was frustrated that magnificent sunrises and settings were always happening somewhere else; now they are part of every day, as is the ever-changing sky. The air is clean, and the light so bright and clear; despite the car and the plane, nature is still the winner here.
Rupert is able to walk to work, and most of the way is down pleasant lanes, past grazing-land and plant nurseries. The full walk would take about 50minutes, so he usually takes a lift for the short section on the main road. There are no facilities near, other than the hotel, so, unlike in Winchester, I use the car more for everyday needs.
I am no great fan of supermarket shopping, so am having to do some readjusting, as I explore all the different large stores; PacknSave, New World, Countdown, Woolworths. All with the same worldwide products, just different labels. Marmite is Our Mate, good butter very expensive, bread as pappy as anywhere, but lots of goods, i.e. dried fruits, nuts, seeds, grains,cereals etc., available loose and in serve-yourself style. As I am blessed with time, I have been investigating other outlets for food, and am doing pretty well so far. An excellent Chinese store provides us with wonderful fresh produce, as well as other tasty goodies, and feels, for me, a little like being back in Singapore. At the other end of town there is an Indian store, where I serve myself from vats of pickles, chutneys and every sort of spice. The owner also provided the name of the best Indian restaurant in town, which was particularly reassuring for Rupert's cravings! At weekends there are a fair number of farmers' and country markets, good products can be purchased on line, and I have tracked down a good, though somewhat pricey, organic shop.
So the body has what it needs for survival, i.e. shelter and food, but what about mind and spririt? More on that another time.
We have yet to find a source of chocolate which can compete with our favourite Green and Black bars, so there was no temptation to indulge in chocolate eggs this weekend. And, being autumn, spring lambs and Easter bunnies did not really feature either. There was instead a baby blue penguin., and here he is:
We were staying at a home on Whiritoa beach in the Coramandel peninsula, about 90km north-east of Hamilton. Walking along the beach in the evening we had seen more than one penguin washed ashore, having been fatally injured by boat propellers. This little fellow was fine, just needing a bit of a rest before getting back into the water.
Further along the beach was a breeding area for the dottrel, spotted here;
and the next morning a heron came to stand and stare.
Here was a good area to reflect on what appears to be New Zealand’s and man’s dilemna. Are we able, as a species, to live in harmony with the natural environment. Here was a most beautiful stretch of beach along which were dwellings ranging from simple batches (wooden chalets) to architect designed life-style homes. Foraging in the sea and well as in the forests has happened since man walked here (the first Maoris arrived from Polynesia c. 800AD), and, from dawn to dusk, there were people fishing on the shoreline.
The breeding ground for the dottrel is fenced off each year. A proposal for a new marina up the coast has been rejected in order to protect the swamp land.
At this spot, Whangamata, on a warm Easter Monday morning, it was definitely playtime; swimming, kayaking, sailing, yachting, paddling, sand-building; all on a clean sandy beach in blue-green waters with an island-studded backdrop. Most drive there, some cycle, some walk and hitch lifts.
Is the greatest danger, other than man’s ability to destroy that which is desired, the potential power of nature to destroy man? Our host reflected that his property would disappear under a tsunami, and that a fault line lies just off shore; a young British traveller was lost tramping in the bush just a couple of weeks ago ; an erupting volcano on a nearbly island killed a man last month, and a young boy was swept out to sea last week.
There could not be a better place to reflect on one’s personal conection with and relationship to nature. What nature offers is New Zealand’s greatest asset. How will the country and its people move on together?
Not sure what to write about in a web log entry today, so I have decided to write about my lunch. This is what I have just eaten:
If, like me, these are an unknown fruit to you, let me introduce you to the feijoa. It clearly grows in abundance in this area. Stopping on the road side to buy grapes on our first weekend, we were shown and then purchased homemade feijoa chutney. Then, on Monday morning, a fellow yogi brought large bags of them, stripped from her tree at home, to give away to the class. They are perfumed, succulent, and best eaten scooped out with a teaspoon. If anyone reading this has recipes, let me know. This cannot be the only place in the world where they grow.
My other photo for today is of this goat.
This was a chance meeting on our walk on Sunday. No prizes, but, in order to stimulate comments on my weblog, (which do seem to be rather sparse), I shall run my own competition. Where is this goat and what is its purpose? Answers (intelligent ones only, please!) on the comments page. Anyone to whom I have spoken or written about this goat is exempt.
Walking around here the chance of meeting an animal is far greater than that of meeting a human. We are mostly going somewhere else far too fast and in our cars. Rupert is walking most of the way to work at the moment, and regularly passes donkeys, chickens, horses, pigs and cows. The size of the herds of cattle is larger than I am used to, and the flatness of the terrain seems to exaggerate their numbers. As they walk in single file along a narrow track between fields in the morning they span the horizon like a never-ending stream.
This wide open plain, with the hills in the far distance, offers the most wonderful skies and cloud formations. This morning just after dawn I saw the first of the autumn mists which creep over the plain from the river and, together with denser fog, are a particular feature of the weather. And we have been treated to plenty of rainbows during the recent more stormy patch. Caught a full one the other morning, which was lovely.
Such are the vague ramblings of a woman in her later middle years experiencing more time and fewer immediate responsibilities than she has ever had in her life. Hmm…….!
Writing letters and emails is an easy process. I know to whom I am writing, and the written word is an extension of that unique relationship. The uncertainty around who might be reading a weblog has seemed a little unnerving and inhibiting. So, in the current climate of letting go, that aside, let’s look at the last week.
And specifically at the making of decisions: On seeing this property towards the end of our first week of house-hunting, we made an almost on the spot decision that this was the answer. Close to Rupert’s work, newly built, freshly decorated, bathroom and kitchen in good condition, lovely views all around, rooms a good size. Two weeks later we move in, and in the first few days all the uncertainty about the decision arises. And, surprise, surprise, it is not perfect! The road is busier than we thought, we had forgotten about night flight training from the airport, the mice came to play, and the oven appeared not to work.
A week later, and all the positive aspects are returning; the skies are stunning, especially with the currently very changeable weather, our young neighbours cheerful and friendly, Rupert’s five minute route to work is along country lanes rather than forty five minutes (or more) on the M27, I can play music as loudly as I like without disturbing anyone, … and it drowns out any traffic noise at ‘peak’ times,… and there are people around who seem to be able to fix anything quickly and always with a cheery ‘ Hi, how you doin’, sure, we can do that, no worries'.
And between those two, a pretty good rollercoaster of emotions and testing times for relationships. Settling into a new environment has the potential to throw up all of one’s vulnerability as a human being. So again, it is thanks to a practice which helps one to experience all of this, to begin to know it for what it is, and to survive with a semblance of equanimity.
PS Just in case there was any uncertainty, I really miss the voices and close contact of all my friends and family. It's good to know you are all still there, and it is lovely to receive emails and letters, whether or not you think you have anything special to write about!
It is now over a month since we left the UK. Folks at home are rejoicing that Spring is on its way, and we are recognising the approach of autumn. There is a prolific amount of berries in the hedgerows, the air is a little cooler in the mornings, and there have been more storms. In between there is plenty of warm sunshine, and Saturday saw us on the beach at Ruapuke (west coast), slapping on the sun cream and slipping on a T-shirt in protection.
After some timidity on my part, we ventured into the breakers. Raglan, just up the coast from here is a popular centre for surfers - we are still at the stage of seeing if we can remain standing in the water! The tide was on its way out, and the energetic pull of the retreating wave was hard to withstand.
Our route to the beach took us past Bridal Veil Falls. An amble through luscious subtropical forest past a gently meandering stream brought us to the top of the waterfall, where the unsuspecting water is hurled headlong into a deep pool directly beneath - not for those with vertigo, but definitely for those with a passion for abseiling. Standing at the base feeling the draught and the spray was energising enough for me.
We have been in our new home for two nights. Like all new homes there are initial teething problems. We hope to move through these as quickly as possible, settle in, and begin to experience more steadily what living in this truly beautiful country is like. Our sea freight should be with us this month; we are especially looking forward to having the bikes to explore the surrounding lanes and the great Waikato river which flows through the city of Hamilton and along this plain.