Whiteqube

Handicraft

2011-04-18T22:15:00.022+10:00

Be it, jewelry-making, woodworking, sculpting, stone carving, panting or tie-dyeing, it is quite easy to see if a Balinese had had his or her hands on it.

delicate silver

chip off the old block

garuda_coloured

Style can be cultivated, but the Balinese seemed to be born with it.

oriental mask

From the grosteque, to the enigmatic, Balinese handicraft displays the attention to detail in their expressive art and intricated patterns.

devil in the details

village scene

the famous couple immortalized

These trinkets makes fantastic souvenirs. However, the Balinese must have felt very passionate about their art, that they proceed to decorate and ornament whatever they could get their hands on, regardless of scale. You can see it in their boundary fences, roofs, houses, etc....

delicate silver

Vishnu & his vehicle

crude_babi guling

And when it comes to Monuments, the artists must have had a field day.

Neptune-like guy at the traffic lights

Look at that, we are talking about a culture that places crazy, dramatic figurines all over the town.

Denpasar_museum cum gallery

This immense structure (badly taken), was like an alien warship that had landed in the bustling town of Denpasar. It looked quite out of place, not just in Bali, but on Earth. Maximalism to the Max?

chariots of fire

But who wouldn't love the idea of living in a city where the council solidifies the local stories in such majestic illustrations?

Balinese handicraft - words do them no justice.

Kuta

2011-04-08T20:43:00.024+10:00

Kuta, Bali's very popular tourist hotspot was at one time, at the risk of being remembered solely for the horrific bombings that happened sometime ago. This was also where we were based during our short stay in Bali. When we were there however, there was no feeling of unrest nor were we at any point feel threathened for our lives.

The Grand Istana Rama

The travel agency arranged for us to stay at a resort named Grand Istana Rama.

manicured lawns

age old tree & her gnarled roots

The resort itself, apart from being incredulously expensive, strategically located and having lovely gardens, is really not worth the time. In other words, don't go there. The building is not maintained, and while everything may look 'grand' at first glance, they are in actual fact very much in need of repairs.

dining

In Kuta, or rather, Bali, everything was carried out in style. We were pleasantly surprised when we were brought to dine out on the beach. Rows & rows of white-linened tables were laid out with black deck chairs beneath the starry sky. Opposite, is the ocean and it was high tide, thus you get the view of cascading white waves upon waves.

entertainment

The restaurants must decide that beach-side dining with the occasional flare of fireworks display is not enough. They have arranged for traditional dances to be carried out on platforms near the dining tables in case the ocean breeze bores you. They have also engaged a quartet of multilingual musicians who performed "Sweet Home Alabama" to the American guests and sang "月亮代表我的心" for the table with Singaporeans.

the man who sells jagung on the beach

Kuta also has a pretty happening nightlife. Unfortunately we did not have much time to venture around the streets except to do some hurried haggling and shopping. And the shopping is of course, fantastic! Bric-a-bracs, Balinese massages, food ~~

intergrated cultures_horse carriage in Kuta

Kuta is very much westernized, compared to the other parts of Bali. Some of the buildings, the food, the beer, the items they sell - they are to cater for our Western counterparts, especially Australians. Aussie brands like Billabong, Ski & Surf, Victoria Bitter, etc are quite prominent. Fortunately we didn't spot Vegemite.

street view

The Balinese while they are probably not born salespersons, are thrust into the whirlwind of tourism and embraced the art of selling and buying the best they could. It takes less than 10 minutes for D to be alone on the beach, before he was almost coerced to purchase various services.

hanging ten

D was walking alone on the beach taking photos when a jovial local approached him: -

Local: Hi Mate! Do you want to buy some surfing lessons?

D: No thanks... : )

--- pause ---

Local: Em...Do you want to buy some marijuana?

D: Uh....No, thanks....

--- pause ---

Local: So, do you want some hookers?

--- pause ---

Hehehe...hehe....D walks away.

Tarian Kecak @ Uluwatu

2011-02-28T21:05:00.029+11:00

While we were queing up at the immigration dept. @ the airport, we were bombarded by brochures & pamphlets describing Bali's must-dos, must-sees, must-eats. Being a dramatic person, I am naturally inclined to the cultural shows Bali has to offer.

One such cultural event is the famous 'Tarian Kecak'. One of the site that offers such an attraction is the Uluwatu Temple (Pura Uluwatu).

paved entry

To enter the temple's holy grounds, you are obliged to cover up all parts of your bodies from the waist down to the ankles (sarongs are provided should you turn up in shorts). Also, an entrance fee is required.

procession

Whilst we were there, the locals were carrying out some sort of annual worship festival. The ladies were a sight in their kebayas with a sash in the middle, balancing some offerings on their heads, further accentuating their hour-glass figures.

offerings

Alas, the offerings seemed to be in symbolic only, as the physical 'attributes' were cast aside, as trash. Makes an interesting eyesore.

track to temple

The dance will be carried out in an ampitheater located on the edge of the cliffs. A beautifully crafted stone retaining fence stands between the pavement leading to the ampitheater and the cliffs below.

precarious

pavilion on the edge

guardians

Corresponding to the Hindu teachings that the path to enlightenment will be full of obstacles, our path to the ampitheater, is littered with Balinese monkeys. While they are a tourist attraction at first glance, they became a menace when they are within 3m away from you.

smart-ass snatchers

The monkeys are suspected to be trained to snatch belongings from tourists, (cameras, hats, food, jewelry, etc.) and a local in charge will usually step up after your item had been snatched and proceed to coax the animal to return your item. Thus, you are then obliged to pay the local person who will look like a good samaritan (and is in fact, a part-time monkey-trainer) some cash, in gratitude. you have been warned.

ampitheater & the pintu gerbang

Finally, we get to the ampitheater, where we will be witnessing the Kecak Dance. This Dance will be depicting a heavily edited verison of the Ramayana. Ramayana is one of the most famous folklore that is being retold countless of times through various mediums. The Kecak Dance is of the many creative ways to bring this tale to life.

chorus speakers

Traditional Balinese theaters are accompanied by an orchestra. The Kecak, however, relies on a group of male dancers cum singers who acts like a pack of chorus speakers. They relay the entire story verbally while providing the required sound effects & musics, using nothing but their vocal prowess and some hand gestures. Think human beatboxing.

Act 1

the moulding of a scene Of course, the play will have greater depth if the main characters makes a physical appearance to help our imaginations along. Sita, the tragic heroine

a monster disguised as the golden deer as Sita's temptation

Garuda, a vehicle of Vishnu

This version of the Ramayana covers the exile of Rama, Sita & Lakshman to the forest, the capturing of Sita and ends with the triumphant rescue of Sita from the clutches of the evil warlord, Ravan. Garuda the mythical bird made a fledgling appearance while Hanuman the White Monkey General stole the show.

the crowd favourite - Hanuman

Ramayana's real ending however, does not end with a rescued princess nor was there a happily-ever-after between Sita and Rama. Despite its rather sexist + racist concept and because of its multi-faceted interpretations, the Ramayana remains one of the most endearing Indian epic of all times.

scene finale - storming of the palace in flames

It was, to me a generally appealing play, an eclectic mix of Balinese culture with Hinduism, acted out with much gusto and talent. Watching a timeless legend from an ampitheather perched precariously over towering cliffs, overlooking the sun setting into the sea. Priceless, no?

Bali : Glimpses

2011-02-20T21:17:00.012+11:00

We had the pleasure to visit Bali sometime in January this year. I am the sort of person who gets apprehensive about my holidays, wondering if I will enjoy / loathe the place of my visit. With Bali, though, it's an entirely different worry.

'pintu gerbangs'

How would you react with a city that offers you architectural delights like this split portal gate, at the freaking airport?!

fearsome

A place with so many carefully detailed depictions of myth ...

gajah

you feel as if you are living in a real-life fairy tale.

guardian

Where agricutural fields nestle comfortably within the bustling metropolitan area: -

paddy fields

A city so stylish and unique, their homes look like this: -

genius loci

The people who lead a balanced life, where the line between tradition and modernity is slightly blurred.

cruisers_father & son?

A land of genteel manners and hospitability, ...

locals

and a land with much stories to tell,

the banyan

I worry I don't want to leave.

Cameron Highlands

2011-02-08T21:03:00.040+11:00

One of Malaysia's tourism highlight for the locals is Cameron Highlands. C.H. is very alluring to Malaysians because it offers a cool respite to the constantly warm and tropical weather elsewhere in Malaysia. Foreigners tend to go to Malaysia to enjoy the sunshine whilst Malaysians tend to flock to the highlands to indulge in the cool climate. We go to CH to eat steamboat.

petai_smelly beans

On the way up to the highlands, you get to pass along little stalls selling the local produce. We saw bunches of petai for sale and we thought they look quite bright and exotic, not because we are 'suaku' but because it has been a while since we last saw a petai. Not that I have ever eaten them, pungent beans...

handicraft

Be sure to stop by the roadside for plenty of souvenir shopping.

Iskandar falls

C.H. has 3 main townships - Ringlet, Tanah Rata and Brinchang, in ascending order. I was surprised the name 'Cameron' stuck on for so long as the local authorities liked to get rid of pre-independence reminders such as places named after British personnels.

Camellia sinensis

green green grass of home

I like how the landscape unfurl itself as far as the eye can see. The boundaries created by the tea bushes are like black crayons etched unto a green canvas.

sungai palas boh tea centre

The new Boh Tea Centre is an unobtrusive piece of steel and glass engineering, cantilevering over the green plains. It comprises of a cafe area, gallery corridor, a museum and retail outlets. The cafe menu features English snacks such as scones, pies, cream puffs, sandwiches - reminiscence of the eating habits during the colonial times. C.H. was after all a getaway for the English during the British occupation, where the Mat Sallehs could take a break from Malaysia's hot weather.

gallery

timber cut facade

Nestled among the hills are what we presume to be the worker's quarters. Inhabited by what appears to be mostly Indians, they look to be constructed with some pretty basic layout albeit having million dollar views.

workers quarters_green huts

Besides tea, C.H. is thriving with vegetables & fruits. The farmers' labours are evident in their abundant crops.

cabbage patch

vegetable terraces

Here we made the mistake of having tea break in a westernized cafe in Brinchang called Desert House or something. They serve strawbery strudels that looked appetizing, yet totally unedible.
Don't Go There. Ever.

don't bother

Next destination - cactus farm. With a RM4 entrance fee, you get to see an array of cactus and some weird + wonderful plants. Some plants look like they come straight off the Avatar movie set.

prickly heads

gaping orchids

flaming wall!

periuk kera _ pitcher plant

While this taman bunga is carefully maintained and well worth the entrance fee, the management could not do away with the most resilient pest hanging around ... Pests being the park patrons. Can you believe how people seem to have an irrepressible urge to leave their marks, that they have to mutiliate cactus with their names. (??!!) Some morons even left their phone numbers, email addresses, etc. It is quite alarming really to know that many people carry penknifes about, even when they are visiting a flower garden.

I'm beyond angry and find this strangely hilarious. In a bad way.

tattoos

cactus vandalism

Finally, some real action! Sorry for droning, but now's the time to tuck in ~

charcoal roasted birdies

This is one fantastic Malaysian culture that we can hardly find in Ozieland. Pasar Malam. Literally, night markets. Walking buffetts. Economical, delicious, exciting. Stalls after stalls of food, trinkets, junk, toys, groceries.

I like the colours of this makcik, her blue apron, black head scarf , her red stall and her golden drumsticks

the man who sold honey, hives and all

Each and every pasar malam in Malaysia is similar yet slightly different from each other. C.H.'s nite market features their local produce, namely fresh mountain vegs, strawberries, fungi and cacti, amongst the usual fares.

malaysian crepes_dessicated coconut / custard

The Pasar Malam is definately a must-try authentic Malaysian experience. I have never come across a stall that sells crappy food. The price is so competitive, there is no place for sucky stuff.

deep fried fatty foodie

All in all, C.H. was not as enjoyable as I would like it to be. C.H. is under the threat of developers without any sense of aesthetics and the old charm is slowly fading away. Commercialization and tourism is both C.H.'s best friend and worst fiend. I hope she have a better future. And I hope more would realise that soon.

Parit Jawa

2011-01-28T23:46:00.025+11:00

It is very strange and daunting to be recording about a place that is very close to home and heart. But that's OK, we will skip the home part and go somewhere not so far from 'home' - Parit Jawa. This sleepy town is approximately 1.5 hours drive away from my hometown of Kluang, depending on who is driving.

fishermen village

Essentially a fishing village, P. Jawa is quiet, unassuming and generally classified crudely as 'dead' to most Malaysians. You do feel as if you have stepped back in a place where time stood still for a while.

shacks

mending fish traps

fisherman

idleness

P.Jawa is a special place for my family and I, as we tend to go there very often. I would not call it an attractive town, but somehow, every holiday sees us pack ourselves in a car and endure the journey just to have a meal there. This is a typical Malaysian syndrome. We do not mind driving far far away for excellent food.

P. Jawa is very famous for its seafood with the main contenders being Ikan Asam Pedas (fish head braised in sour +spicy stock) and Otak-Otak (grilled marinated fish paste, hints of kokonut milk). It is so special, so sour, so tangy, so delicious, so simple, so appetizing and truly unforgetable. Any restaurant in P. Jawa serves these delicacies. Unfortunately we were too engrossed for photos, but you get the 'picture'.

To do the dishes justice with limited resources, the smile of the model below will justify my comments.

one very satisfied customer

Of course, besides food for the tummy, P. Jawa also offers food for the soul.

spiral coils

altar

The majority of the population are Chinese fishermen and the temples reflect their believes, rituals and way of lives. To be in an age-old profession where you are constantly under the mercy of the elements - that would be a big reason to indulge in divinity.

offering

raising red lantern

P. Jawa and Muar have much more to offer for nature lovers / bird watchers / sunset watchers. For me though, the fisherman culture and their living arrangements are quite fascinating. It is interesting to note how the community live, play, work and pray. Again, not much quality images.

from land to sea

They build their concrete houses almost haphazardously on stilts, over the sea. It is more poignant, rather than pretty and the houses look as if they sprout out of necessity. They have residentials, shops, stalls, temples and general communal areas clustered around each other in a maze-like layout, and you seem to get a surprise at each bend.

houses on the edge of earth

Image below shows a 'weird' space. It is an open air corridor that links the houses to each other, and outsiders use it to access the beachside. *Beachside here is not your powdery white sands. Think muddy edges. Walking through these walkways, you probably need a brolly and some discretion. *Privacy is obviously not an issue. Their houses are usually open and their activities exposed to nosy passer-bys. There is a comforting uniformity in all the houses that I stared into. They all have - 1 big telly, 1 low coffee table, 1 giant red altar for the gods among other things.

the semi-public corridor

Now we say goodbye to P. Jawa's famous features with what we hope are postcard shots.

the bakau

sunset

dusk

Travelogue : Home

2011-01-16T01:02:00.005+11:00

"Another aeroplane, another sunny place,

I'm lucky I know,

but I wanna go home" - Buble, M.

Home_2011

So, we've been 'home' and back again. After only 2 years since our last visit, it was very strange, looking at home with foreigner's eyes.

Stay tuned.

"Another winter day, has come and gone away. In either Paris and Rome, but I wanna go home ..."

Garden of Earthly Delights Revisited

2010-11-01T21:17:00.024+11:00

The Garden and my backyard is teeming with life. A whole community seemed to be thriving on its own. Weird, alien-looking weeds were spreading like wildfire over our backyard, but I'll just show the acceptable ones.

weird moss

daisy rings_where fairies sing

These daisies are considered to be pesty weeds. However, they make a nice, decent golden carpet if you let them grow wild. Which you are probably not allowed to, because by then, they are a potential bushfire hazard.

We introduced hardy, drought-tolerant "eye candy" to jazz up the place a little. They are still adolescent at this stage, but growing nevertheless.

succulent 1_crucifixes

Apologies for not finding out what these succulents are named. These little 'crucifixes' are in actual fact babies still in an 'incubator'. Currently they don't have roots, but eventually they will grow thin, red tendrils on the parts of their bodies which are closest to the ground and slowly establish themselves.

black tree aeonium

I don't know the name of the thingy on the left, it was a gift from the neighbour, and does not look too healthy at this stage.

The thingy on the right is another succulent known as the 'Black Rose' / 'Black Tree' or an 'Aeonium'. I do not know how to multiply these ones either. I suppose you could chop off the head and hope it grows?

succulent rose

Pigface

This is one hell of a creeper, that you could just snip off any part of it, leave it out for weeks & it will not die off. However, as soon as released on the ground, it will somehow revitalizes itself, and if it's happy, it will grow pretty pink flowers.

Cycad / Sago fern

Another hardy, yet good-looking plant - the Cycad. This is planted in front of the house, outside the Master Bedroom. I don't know where the sago is supposed to be produced though I am certain this is just a 'decorative' version.

By the way, notice how we have a 'dragon' surrounding it? looks like a guardian lizard of the house...it would be awesome if it has wings...

Lavender

Last year's Lavender has blossomed pretty well.

purple kerchiefs

bell flower

The crimson-white drooping bells are a house-warming gift. Supposedly drought tolerant. Hopefully they last through summer, if the chooks don't kill them first.

more seeds

Time to reap, and time to sow.

And now, for some edible stuff ...

snow peas

harvest

spring onions

We never knew that spring onions could grow these cottonbud flowers on their heads, like odango atamas. The spring onions sprang forth from old, discarded roots of spring onions bought from the supermarket and their regenerative abilities are quite impressive.

sawi / bak choy

These tastes like...organic veges. Tough and almost tasteless. I don't think I will plant these again. They eentually grew into flowers, and by then, became too hard to chew.

Anyway, spring calls for BBQ with the usual fare. note: goodies are not from garden ... just for the atmosphere ... bon appetit

strawberries & kumquats

antipasto platter

jenny's pavlova

Spring Doujinshi

2010-10-13T19:58:00.019+11:00

Spring is here. My favourite season. Persephone returns to Earth after a harrowing winter! Days are getting longer. Sunlight lingers! Yahoo ~

Crab apple trees_google

The first signs of spring - crab apple tree blossoms, heralding her return! The entire trees are drenched in sugary pink buds ...

Rosalind in bloom

The ground is carpetted in red and gold, stretched to the horizon .... (as much as the local council can spare, hehe..) Persephone shall come back in style.

turkish delights_Conservatory

Ditzy yellow tulips dancing in the wind; waving frilly laces; fragrance of the spring

yellow frilly tulips

After the quiet, solemn cold season, colours shall adorn the earth again. Dazzle dazzle. Celebrations.

magenta wild daisy_size of thumbelina @ Lake Eppalock

"No more pomegranate seeds for you again", says Demeter. "You can have these little golden jewels instead for the time being."

mini powder brushes

And so, the Earth fluorished in striking, festive colours. The grass is green, the skies are blue, crocuses and dandelions in various hues.

glittering moss_mt. franklin

What a feast for the eyes & senses.

yellow mimosa_kangaroo flat

Persephone has a curfew after all, so Mother and Daughter set to work immediately. Plants awoke and send their seeds swirling. Pollen grains akin to stars in the blue galaxy. hay fever chaos ...

spring onion @ my garden_repopulation

Infant flower asks, "Where did I come from?"

"A bee brought you"

A bee brought you indeed

flight of the bumblebee

Spring is also a season of weddings - more coincidence? Spring a blatant reminder for procreation? Discuss.

hallucinogenic orange mushrooms

how do I know they are hallucinogenic? Maybe Persephone takes them when she goes back to see Hades (because he is such a bore).

fairies living in cascading apartments

Regardless, Spring will come and go, as ageless & timeless as Persephone herself.

~ Finito ~

This doujinshi is published, plaigiarising a Greek myth of Persephone. Please take it with a tablespoon of Palladio. This is my first half-hearted attempt at a doujinshi using actual photo images. Especially the bumblebee images - I think they feel like a bit of manga. Actually this was more to protray the Spring.

Invasion of the Furry Kind

2010-09-27T21:45:00.019+10:00

They arrive in great bundles, possibly early March this year. Until now, nobody truly knows why that the visitors came... Some say it was the 'recent' freak storm that drove them here, others suggests the past heat waves. Maybe they are attracted to the abundant Eucalyptus trees in our central park, their main food source. Whatever it is, one night, as if by magic, these furry creatures came & settled into what would be their first-grade accomodation for 6 months, Bendigo's central park - the peaceful Rosalind Park.

Introducing the Grey-Headed Flying Foxes

Rosalind Park is right in the centre of our township, connecting the business & shopping district with the arts & cafe precinct of Bendigo. As a resident here, I must say I am pretty proud of that park. It has a cascading fountain, a secluded pergola, a sweet little rotunda, a fernery, a glass conservatory, a children's playground & marble statues plus many other attractions. It is accesible by neatly paved roads, winding amongst the sentient oak & elm trees towering over the ever-green fields. The park benches beneath dimly-lit lamposts and the clean grounds encourages loiteres & picknickers alike.

Glass Conservatory in front of the law courts

Rosalind on a good day

However, with the arrival of the flying foxes, or bats as we like to call them, they have turned away most of the park users with their constant chattering and most of all with their faeces - the lethal, green, jelly-like guano. It was littered all over the grass and outdoor seatings. A slight, damp stench hung over the park like a bad dream that wouldn't go away for a while.

megabat colony

The colony of bats have turned away many visitors / joggers/ school kids alike. Apart from the most loyal park-users, people tend to avoid hanging around the gardens. Ironically, although the bats have made it near impossible to have a leisurely walk, they became some sort of an icon and a bizarre tourist attraction.

in flight

We became fascinated with these migrant creature, as you can't avoid noticing them in the vicinity. In the mornings, they would surround the city, flying around the park in hordes after endless hordes, almost threatening to block out the sun. In the evenings, they were still doing the 'flying-around' en masse, and this time round, the flights were much, much more eerie ... Imagine thousands of bats circling a gothic, medieval cathedral during twilight ... A vampire wouldn't look out of place if it emerges from the cathedral.

hanging around

And I thought bats were blind during the day, but obviously I didn't do enough research. These little flying creatures generated a lot of mixed emotions amongst Bendigonians. Some people hate them & you can't blame them as there was a period when fear-mongers spread the rumours that humans may catch bat-transmitted diseases (Australian bat lyssavirus) whatever that is ... However, there were plenty of understanding residents who went all out to defend the creatures. Soon, the Council posted up a sign saying the bats are an endangered species.

That seemed to shut up most of us up.

furry silhouttes

As migrant creatures ourselves, I guess I am quite happy with the noble way most Bendigonians accept foreign matter, be it fruit bats or Chinese. They take it with a pinch of salt. Figure of speech of course. Hehehe...

furry 'fruits'

On a closer look, they aren't all that bad (i meant the bats, not chinese). The bats may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they definately look cute, cuddly and adorably furry. I find them rather silly - looking & aloof hanging upside down wrapped in their mafia-like golden neck-muff. Also, they feel like mischevious exhibitionist wrapped in their leather-black wings as if they are going to flash you anytime.

With the changing seasons, these flying foxes looks like they are to be on the move again. Although they are a spectacle, I certainly won't miss them & their BO. But you never know, they may be back next year.

this is how u do it, mr. bale

They do remind me of evil kangaroo-like rats with wings ... But who am I to complain? I came from a town named specifically after a fruit bat Keluang. Coincidence?

Castlemaine

2010-08-29T22:33:00.021+10:00

Just 30 minutes' drive away from the city of Bendigo is a tiny, artistic town called Castlemaine. I do not know much about the history of the town, but we deduced that like many regional Victorian cities it has someting to do with gold.

The reason we love Castlemaine is because of its proximity, and the people that calls Castlemaine home. They are a rather distinct community, in our humble opinions. I do not speak for all of them but they are more likely than not to sport hand-made linen, knitted shawls and colourful woolen caps or socks. They have a general preference for organic stuff. Most of them are vegetarians, if not vegans. This does not mean that they have an aversion to smoking weird & wonderful things.

They are well-versed in arts and crafts, many of them painters or scultptures themselves. Another distinctive feature is that they are quite the environmentalists. Not the Prius-driving type but the bike-riding, jog-to-work kind. But of course, this is all just a generalization on my part.

Recently, the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group organized an 'Open House Day' for visitors & enthusiasts alike to explore houses that features sustainable designs. It was a 1-day event that took place in Castlemaine. A total of 6 houses opened their doors and personal lives for us to scrutinize over their homes. Every house is unique and every stop we make, my wish list expands. Below are a couple of features which I think is worth spending money on / really interesting to have (in Victoria): -

Double Glazing

Have you been in a double glazed / triple glazed home? You would notice the difference immediately! Double glazing, to put it simply, is basically having two panes of glazing with an air space in between. It provides insulation for thermal and acoustic purposes. The winters here are quite chilly, and sometimes, unbearable (for a malaysian). Double glazing is definately a sound investment as at the end of the day, good insulation will help save your electricity + gas bill.

small horizontal double glazed windows in attic bedroom

North-facing glazing

One golden rule with designing homes around this region is maximizing North-facing windows / glazing. This is mainly to fully utilize the winter sun & daylight during the cold months.

Minimizing West-side windows

That was the external elevation of the house that caught our eyes. They have minimal openings on the side that I presume, is facing the West. But the main reason for this image was that D loved this facade, with the simple timber strips outlining the very basic form of a farm barnhouse. Which also brings us to the next point, Deep Overhangs.

rear of house - openings in the overhangs

We missed the deep overhangs / verandahs that tended to appear in tropical houses. Here in Victoria, they seemed to do away with the eaves. However, deep eaves / overhangs are really essential as an effective sun-shading devise, keeping the sun away from the house's internal spaces. Also a deep overhang may create a sort of in-between space, neither inside nor outside, like a verandah, or a shaded corridor.

their spartan kitchen

I think this Kitchen is really cute, small and unpretentious for a family home, although I may disagree with the colour scheme. However, I believe it is very functional and uncompromising despite its size.

rear elevation

I believe this is the North Elevation where they set out their courtyard. This image shows another must-have item (which are already enforced in the local regulations anyway) which is the solar panels. In addition to that, I really like their timber sleepers planter boxes. They look so rustic and I imagine they could be repositioned to suit the weather too. Pretty Nifty.

bathroom overlooking external area

Bathrooms / toilets with transparent walls used to be a trendy addition, and probably still is. Don't really fancy that.

Bedroom overlooking bushland

One of the timber columns looked like it came straight from the bushland itself. And private quarters (except for toilets!) facing a public realm has its own romantic notions, I think.

Laundry in the air

Lastly, this convenient, yet unconventional method of drying your clothes. Some of the houses have the luxury of a high, pitched ceiling. They usually install a laundry horse on a pulley system that utilizes the attic space to dry the clothes. The hot air that gathers round the high ceilings dry the clothes in no time at all. Space saving & convenient, yes, but rather unsightly?

Other features that I didn't have much time to dwell on are thick strawbale walls, mudbrick houses, compost bins, pot-belly heaters, rainwater tanks, etc., etc. are worth having a look. But the shock of the day was discovering one well-meaning greenie who went so far as to install a compost toilet inside his lovely home. Looks good, sounds great, smells like a million dollars ... worth of garbage. (No, I did not take a photo of that.)

Hatchery

2010-08-11T19:44:00.014+10:00

Some time ago, D was seduced by the idea of having free range eggs. And so, he designed and built a chicken coop. It was not to be any ordinary coop for it must satisfy certain BCA (Best Chicken Aviary and Building Code of Australia) requirements.

eksoskeleton

D went on to create a hatching-indusive environment, cosy, fox / snake-free and mobile timber coop. It was framed out of plywood and timber studs.

joints

A right angled triangle was formed by portal frames and this was to protrude an approximate of 3 metres in length, divided into 3 equal parts. It is to remain lightweight as to enable the coop to be a mobile structure.

meals on wheels

Hardy rubber flexible wheels were fixed to the 4 ends of the coop with a timber extension. The mobility was an added on feature so that the occupants could have a different view whenever we feel they deserve it. Everyone gets a little jaded with the same views everyday. D has his own reasons for the wheels, but they are a little too technical for me to be bothered.

enclosure & entry

Of course, it wouldn't just be a skeleton of studs. One third of the coop's main structure is to be enclosed with plywood - for shelter, defence, privacy and the very important task of egg hatching. We have a feeling the chooks may like to lay their eggs away from prying eyes.

elevated apartment

The plywood is laid upon each other with small openings for ventilation and light. The enclosure is totally closed in and elevated from the ground because the chooks deem themselves of upper class society and must therefore not live close to the ground. A small, steep, 1 : 3 graded ramp is provided at the entry for the chooks to come and go from their 'apartment'.

Rear entrance

The rear panel is a hinged opening that allows us to open up the 'apartment' and do some spring cleaning for the occupants. Of course, it is also to enable the egg-collecting task. Inside, a snug box is prepared and the chooks will naturally know that they have to deposit eggs in the box daily. Fresh straw bale is laid throughout the floor of the 'apartment'.

minnaloushe & morrighan

Of course, the star of today's show are the layer hens themselves. They were given sophisticated names but respond exclusively to 'clucketty clucketty cluck' or to the rattling of their food basket. They eat anything from pre-packaged layer pellets, to (in order of favourite), apples, raisins, corn, vegetable offcuts, breadcrumbs, hash browns and insects. They also eat meat but it is best not to feed them with poultry lest it encourages cannibalism.

Morrighan

They are passionate about the rain, they love sand bathing, and they retire to bed as soon as the sun sets, be it 5pm or 8pm. Fortunately for us, we have a pretty amiciable dog who, although loves his KFC, gets along fine with the chooks, if not grudgingly.

close - up

Anyway, the sole purpose of us inviting the ladies to live with us, is for their eggs. How this works, I am unsure, because each and everyone of our visitor have different opinions in regards to the eggs. Some believe that the eggs should not exist without a cockerel. Some believe that if we don't collect the eggs, they will eventually hatch. Some believe there is a chicken-to-be in that egg.

free-range

We believe that as long as there are 2 beautiful round eggs waiting for us every morning, we'll be very, very happy ...

Catch-up

2010-07-28T20:46:00.011+10:00

The diversity of this supposedly "Building Blog" is starting to be quite annoying. I hope this does not put you off. Travelogue shall now also be......erm...Life in a regional city perhaps? And why not?

Today will be about catch-up. Or more precisely, ketchup. This was an annual even carried out by most people who loved homemade sauces during the autumn. Living in a country with 4 seasons certainly has its perks. Back home in Malaysia, no one bothers to make marmalade, relishes, sauces, unless of course, you are in the culinary business. And why bother since supermarkets (everywhere) magically proffers an endless array of bottled delights be it tomato sauce or marinated anchovies in olives.

Before

Its actually a novelty for us because we have never made sauce before. What does not make sense to us is perfectly sensible to the locals. I will not presume to understand sauce-making for all its worth, but perhaps it is a little about the changing of seasons, the preserving of the harvest, the storing of fresh produce in a bottle, the communal work of cooking & stirring and maybe it's also about giving.

After

Plenty of sauces, plenty of recipes. Ours here this year includes granny-smith apples, brown onions, celery, red apples, soup tomatoes, red chillies, pepper, cumin seeds, grounded cloves, brown sugar, malt vinegar, apple puree, cornstarch, potato thickener, crushed garlic powder, coriander powder, salt and water. I think.

sun-dried recycled bottles

After half a day's work of cutting & gathering materials, you will only need to continuously stir and boil the conconction for another half a day. The rest of the time, you just need to clean out, dry and bake empty recycled bottles. Yes you have to bake the glass bottles because they will crack under pressure when hot sauce is poured straight into it.

alcoholics anonymous

I like the photos. Of repeatitive items. It is quite therapeutic. And very logical.

caps

All in a day's work. Sauce has to be cooled overnight to settle into room temperature prior to capping off. A lot of work for a lot of sauce. Which was...totally worth the trouble. Why? Because the sauce taste almost like a relish!

end product

Day 14

2010-07-05T22:03:00.024+10:00

15 April 2010

Finale. We should go out with a bang and we did. Pity we do not have images to do today justice. All that we did throughout the trip pales in comparison, in my humble opinion, to what we experienced today.

As promised, Kaikoura has lot's more in store than just seals. First and foremost, seafood. Geographically strategic, Kaikoura offers fresh crayfish, scallops, mussels, calamari, etc. We lunched at this roadside shack which served grilled scallops, seafood chowder, fish n chips, the lot... It was a rather romantic notion, a beachside shack. The food, sad to say, was mediocre.

Roadside BBQ

Elsewhere, the local fare is pretty much as shown below. All the tourists we met had not try the crayfish because although they are the region's specialty, crayfish are sold as per the international market prices.

White wine + garlic marinated green-lipped mussels

fish n chips

Coming back to Kaikoura's main attraction. The biggest, most popular tourist establishment in Kaikoura is "Encounter Kaikoura" - providing boat tours to get you up, close and personal to the marine wildlife of the South Isle. Boat tours, that grants you a unique opportunity to be really close to sea animals. Like the mighty seafarer ...

Albatross_albatross encounter kaikoura

Or the legendary Orcas

Killer Whales_whale watch kaikoura

Or how about Sperm Whales ..?!?!

whales_whale watch kaikoura

If you are still not excited by now, I guess it is pointless to read on and revel in the knowledge that Kaikoura Encounters does Dolphin Swims!!! Imagine. Swimming with Dolphins. Completely wild, totally unpredictable, out there in the wide open sea. Not just with one or two. Or even twenties. There are hundreds of them in a pod, most of the time, just swirling around, waiting for you to join them.

http://www.dolphinencounter.co.nz/

Ok, maybe they were not waiting for you to join them. But what a chance of a lifetime! Wouldn't you jump at an oppurtunity to swim with these friendly sea mammals? (or rather, cetaceans). They are very, very amiable, enthusiastic, sociable & intelligent!

The package includes all the necessary gears - (wet suit, face mask, flippers) and an introductionary 'lecture' video. We were advised on what is the best way to approach dolphins and what not to do. They are eager, curious creatures, so the more interesting you are, the more they will be attracted to play with you.

This is the last of a clear image

We were advised to generate noises as the dolphins react to sound. They live in a perpetual soundscape and communicate with each other as frequently as humans do. Also, dolphins will be attracted to those whom they find entertaining, so it is best we dive around, do a little jig, etc, etc.

Ok, brace yourself for an onslaught of blurry images.

Dusky Dolphins

We hoped on a catamaran, and were greeted by an enthusiastic tour guide who reminds me very much of a frisky dolphin herself. She is chirpy, has a twinkle in her eye, and darts around enthusiastically to and fro. We spotted the pod just 15 minutes away from the beach and quickly gathered round at the rear of the catamaran, ready to jump ship into the freezing sea. We slipped our head gear over, waited for the air horn to blast, then plunged into the abyss...

Me Drowning

The first thing that hit me is the cold. That just pumped up the adrenaline, and I found myself gasping for air. Then I found that everyone else has started snorkelling and playing with the dolphins! I'm wasting time! Quickly, I dunked my head into the water in an attempt to see them. It was so cold & I got too excited, I just ended up drinking saltwater. Over and Over and over again.

It was then a disappointing realisation hit me. I could not snorkel. Snorkeling is something so easy & natural, no one can really teach you how to do it. Like many things in life, you have to let the knowledge grasp you. Try as I might, I just ended up gulping mouthful after mouthful of seawater, burning my throat, scorching my lungs and dry retching.

Ever Elusive_so near yet so far

All the while the dolphins were checking me out, then finding out that I could not play with them, they swam away. On the contrary, D had an absolutely blast of a time. He could obviously snorkel properly (just like every one else), and managed to have a dance with one of them curious creatures. If the dolphins like you, they will circle you round and round, playing a game while tipping their bodies to a side, so they can have a glance at you. D managed to maintain constant eye contact with one of them, and he was very, very excited. They shared a watery waltz before D grew tired, and then the dolphin took its exit.

Hello Beautiful

Needless to say I was green with envy. I wanted to waltz with dolphins too! D had another trick up his sleeves. He hummed. While the rest of us were busing making ridiculous noises (because the video told us to!), D tried humming a proper tune. The dolphins obviously ignored our incoherent ramblings and were more attracted to music. In my haste to draw the dolphins to me, I forgot they were intelligent creatures, and that they respond to melodic sounds, not crass noise.

Third time lucky

It was hard work, as the dolphins are constantly on the move (dolphin lifespan - 25 years - u don't wanna live longer than that if you were to be moving all of your waking & sleeping hours). We had to swim back to the boat after every 30 minutes or so, where the boat would then speed ahead of the dolphins' path, drop us off, so we can intercept and intermingle with them as they swam across. They do this for 3 times. And it was on my third swim, that I learnt how to snorkel. Finally.

Ooh, it was beautiful, magnificent and glorious. I see them, families, lovers, friends, darting around in the water gracefully, approaching us, then swerving away at the last minute. I see them showing-off, doing flips in the air - just because they can. I see them frolicking, gliding, and studying us mere mortals with a hint of secret smiles as if they were aware of their divinity.

If you don't believe dolphins smile, check them out here

It was really sad when we were called back to the boat after the third plunge. The dolphins just went on their way, bobbing along, playing with each other, forgettting about us. To them, we were just a minor distraction, probably nothing more significant than a TV ad. To us, they were a lifelong memory, something etched into our braincells, that we hope we may relive someday.

Food for thought; if you had one song to sing to the dolphins, what would it be?

Day 13

2010-06-24T20:55:00.014+10:00

14 April 2010

Today we drove to this beautiful little township called Kaikoura which was a mere 1 hour's drive away from Hanmer's Spring. The journey was wonderfully delightful as there was not a speck of rain in the vicinity.

Nature's swan song during autumn

The journey into Kaikoura from Hanmer's was an amazing transition - we emerged from the paddocks and hills into the coastal highway. One minute it was the hilly, golden fields, and the next - rocky beaches and the great sparkling ocean!! It's really crappy when you don't have photos to show, but Kaikoura was just brilliant!

The route was flanked by green mound and railway tracks on one side, and on the other was the sea. The big, vast, endless ocean - blazing blue and shimmering endlessly, dotted with jagged black basalt-like rocks. It was that magical, a mermaid would not look out of place, if she were to bask on one of those rocks.

Kaikoura Peninsula_google

We checked into a really dodgy caravan park but the weather was so damn good it made the place looked acceptable. We launched into a series of activities involving seals - seal watching, seal teasing, seal photographing & seal kayaking.

snoozing seal

That's because the NZ fur seals are everywhere! They are all over the rocky beaches and they conglomerate around an area dubbed the Seal Colony. While they may look cute & snuggly, harmless they are not. TV tend to portray them as docile or friendly but on land, these seals are quite aggresive and very territorial.

Seal Colony

Seal waving good riddance!

I did not enjoy the Seal Kayak too much as the sea was choppy and the seals stink! Was that close away from throwing up. We wandered into a local souvenir shop and the kindly shopowner directed us to a location unbeknownst to tourists where there were "wee baby seals". Later on we found out "wee" is an NZ slang for tiny.

wee seal_curioser & curioser

water babies

There were dozens of them, frolicking around an inland waterfall, being comically clumsy on land, but really graceful in water.They were similar to puppies, very playful, but because they are not domesticated (duh), constantly wary, yet perpetually curious.

wadya staring at?

Rest assured however, there are more than just seals in Kaikoura.

Day 11 and 12

2010-06-08T22:51:00.017+10:00

12 - 13 April 2010

These last two days of the trip were both monotonous and momentous. Therefore they shall be lumped together as one entry. The reason it was monotonous was because the rain caught up with us. The reason it was momentous was because, it rhymes with monotonous.

We left Wanaka to head towards the West Coast against the advice of everyone we cared to ask. The rains had just arrived and they told us it would be "rains unlike any we have seen before". I promptly replied "We are from Malaysia".Then I smiled a smart-arse smile.

Goodbye poplars

Few hours later, there were to be no more smiles on our faces. The weather was gloomy as! The rain droned on; there was absolutely no respite. And D had to make that detour to Jackson's Bay through Haast, which was a 2-hour journey return. There was a little ramshackle caravan selling Fish 'N' Chips which was the only attraction on the Bay.

The Cray Pot - notice the gloom

Very misleadingly, the cafe called itself "the Craypot". But they don't sell crayfish. Sorely disappointed, we ordered the only fare they serve - no prices for guessing. The food was, ordinary. It was manned, or rather, womanned by a lady who had to wait tables, make coffee, deep fry the fish & chips, make salads, make deserts & clean tables all at once. She had but one helper - a little girl of 9, who had golden, mermaid-like curls that brightened up the gray skies.

Cray Pot Caravan

The landscape along the way was so different, we could have been in another country! Spookily, it was as if we were back in Malaysia. The foliage were similar to what you would see in a tropical rainforest, thick, dense, deep & dark green. Pity we could not see far, as the landscape was shrouded in what would be a perpetual fog.

'Tourists Imprint Shore' - self declared

We passed through this eccentric beach - it looked strangely haphazard, as if there were rubbish strewn along the shore. But there was no garbage! It was merely littered with artificially arranged natural elements. Tourists decorated the shoreline with pebbles, stones, twigs & trunks that they found.

Sculptures showcased by passers-by

It was really interesting to note that the deliberate intervention by man caused the beach to look like it was full of 'litters', although there was really only shells & rocks - perfectly natural. No, it did not look dirty, just oddly artistic, bordering on messy.

Close up - 'eve & georges forever?'

Fast forward & we spent the night in Fox Glacier. No, not on the glacier itself, just the township. We intended to do the "Fox It Up" package the next day with Fox Glacier Guiding - an establishment in the township that offers glacier tours. Come the next day, the rain was still stubbornly present. There goes our dreams of ice climbing (i'm a huge fan of vertical limit). We left disappointed & with NZ$570 intact.

reminiscience of M'sia's great Iskandar falls

We did not stay long in Fox Glacier. We passed through another great glacier attraction - the Franz Josef, and did not even stop for a snap because of the rain. We headed towards Hokitika which was about 2 hours away. The streams & mountains we passed through were an exact copy of Malaysia's landscape. Lush forests, with fast-flowing rivers and boulders carpetted with velvety moss. Quite nostalgic.

Bridge over troubled waters

After lunch in Hokitika, we were a little drowsy, but we endeavoured to continue on. Soon, we came to Greymouth. Greymouth was an entirely different city to us. We were used to arriving in beautiful, quaint little towns, with pure, unspoilt, undulating landscape. Greymouth was, to me, the 'engine room' of South Isle, if you like. Truth be told, we found it just a touch too dreary & industrial.

Although it was by the Coast, this was no coastal town to me. Greymouth is synonymous with chugging trains, sombre grey railway lines & containers of charcoal. It was factory, steel and hardened workers. No more cherry tourists sites, breathtaking views nor over-friendly locals.

Greymouth Tourist Attraction - Mining Museum perhaps

One of their attractions - pretty daunting, no? We did not stop.

We left Greymouth in a jiffy, then laboured to make the crossing to the East Coast, through Lewis Pass. The better part of the day has gone and we did not want to stay the night in Reefton, the first major town on the Pass. I suggested we aim for Hanmer Springs - another 2.5 hours away. Once we passed through the mountains range dividing the South Isle, the rain miraculously stopped. It was exactly as if we drove through a diaphanous curtain of water droplets!

It was 7pm when we arrived. I was anxious to get to the Springs itself as they close at 9pm. Ignoring the freezing night, we stripped to a bare minimum then jumped into the pools. It was painfully hot because of the temperature difference. Gradually our bodies adjust and it was heavenly!

Hanmer in Winter - image courtesy of google

Hanmer in Summer - image courtesy of google

Yes, the Hanmer in brochures are picture perfect. You can bathe amidst the snowflakes & frost in the winter, while admiring the heavily snow-capped mountains. By the time we jumped into the pools, it was nightfall. We missed the mountains and views, but soaking under the cloudless, starry skies was pretty amazing too. Imagine dipping in warm water, in great company, with constellations over your head! We were only missing some champers, otherwise, it would have been perfecto.

Day 10

2010-05-27T20:52:00.023+10:00

11 April 2010

Today, we set out to tackle the rather unassuming Rob Roy Glacier track. The track is about an hour's drive away from the township of Wanaka. In actual fact, it would take a big-sized campervan almost 2 hours to reach the track as we had to endure a stretch of gravel road. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

sheppish sheeps

As soon as we enter the gravel paths, things began to look much more interesting. The uneven surfaces forced us to go at a much slower pace and in return, we were treated to some very vernacular sights and sounds.

green green grass of home

Needless to say, we were greeted by livestock. Livestock had never posed as a problem until today.

cows-a-crossing

more cows

The cows were, I don't know, travelling from one side of the road to another. In front of us there was a sedan trying to squeeze through. In the end, we could not move an inch, so we just stopped there while the cows figured out what exactly it is that they want to do.

bottle neck rampage

I will admit to a few moments of uncalled-for panic as the cows are afterall, capable of toppling our van over. The cows did not want to move, or could not decide where to go, because most of them are moms and our vehicles separated them from their young, so the moms are doubling back to fetch their kid.

"I see where you get your good looks from"

The cow fiasco delayed us for a mere 10 minutes before we moved on. We reached the Rapsberry Flat Carpark. It did not look as delicious as it sounded. There were about 5 other cars there when we set off. The weather was not very encouraging and I had half a mind to call it off.

know a 'Nazgul' when you see one

For the first leg of the walk,the wind was very much in our faces, sweeping sand bits into our eyes. I had to keep my hood way over my head and since I misplaced my gloves, tuck my hands way into my sleeves. Except for my legs, I do look like a walking void. The best way to walk was to slant towards the wind.

rob roy suspension bridge

The bent walking would end as soon as we crossed this slim, hanging bridge because we will be entering the birch forest and shall be sheltered from the winds.

the first incline

Because we have had a workout yesterday, mentally, we found the trek ahead less daunting. Physically, I was in no better shape. The view was gorgeous though, as the path we travelled was parallel to a rocky river.

cantilevered human-pancake maker

HAHA! Yes, a very scary protrusion indeed. Along the way. we encountered evidence of past erosions - uprooted trees, fiords, and chunks of the route tumbling down the edge of the treks.

Glacier river

D took a lot of the river photos as we all know now of his morbid obsession with the icy, glowing, pure blue waters. I dipped my hands into the river and found it excruciatingly painful, one minute later. It was pretty cold. It's a wonder it's still flowing.

"v" on air

Regardless of how tired I was, there was still a "V" jump to execute. The jump is not so different from the travelling garden gnome concept. We will try to do a "V" jump at any major landmark. Also, even though the temperature was probably 10 or so degrees, you can see that I have gotten rid of my jacket.

rob roy glacier

Finally, we arrived at the, em, well, end of the trail. There isn't really a summit to this trek and the images are disappointingly bad, but this is apparently where we should turn back. Yes, 3 hours of sweating and toiling in the chilly autumn afternoon to see some blardy ice. I suppose, if you are in a hurry, it would be alright to give this trek a miss. Unless, of course you are a nature walk enthusiast.

ice that is pretty far away

Proof that we were there

Munched on some snack bars before we began the descent, this time with a German in tow. If there is anything about NZ, it's the Germans. They are everywhere in NZ. Nothing against them of course, but it must have been all young German's rite of passage to come to NZ for a trip.

Someone was there

Packed on the jacket, and off we go. The weather does not look like it will hold, as dark clouds are gathering, slowly but surely. Surprisingly, we did not get caught up in any rain or storm. The journey back was pleasant and much faster, as we were declining. Also, when you are with company, time seemed to fly.

There and back again

It would have seemed that we completed the trek in less than an hour, by the way I am documenting, but in actual fact, we probably spent about 4 hours to and fro.

Rapsberry Flat

It was approximately 2.30pm when we got back to the car. We bade goodbye top German No.2 and decided to stop for lunch, again, at the roadside. Lunch at the roadside is usually instant cup noodles.

shadowplay

We have had many sunny days and balmy weather while we were in NZ up till now. Today, the sun has toned down a bit and we get to see the gloomy, heavy clouds surrounding the valley we were in. Witnessed some light and shadow play with the mountains as backdrop. Unassuming. But nice : )

Day 9 Afternoon

2010-05-20T22:34:00.025+10:00

10 April 2010 PM

After a very satisfying breakfast, we went on our way to Wanaka. There are 2 different routes you can take to Wanaka from QT. We took the shorter way through the hills. I can't remember what was the hill route called, but it was a pleasant enough drive.

rolling hills

It was uphill for the first half of the journey and there are plenty of lookout points along the route. We took our time as the campervan isn't much of a climber. Arrowtown looked gracious & lovely, from afar, dressed in its Autumn attire.

a poor image but this is the best i've got.

It is moments like this that makes you wish you own an SLR or a semi-pro. Cost unfortunately is an issue right now, but it is not hard to commit such a scene to memory.

more 'sony' moments

I don't normally enjoy lengthy car rides, but driving in NZ is quite therapeutic after all. (Note: - Therapeutic is not the synonym for hypnotizing, ok!) I do agree the images don't do NZ justice, but most of these shots are taken while zooming by at 100km/h with a crappy Sony Cyber-shot.

downhill

It was probably because we were driving down a windy downhill road, that the hills looked very much alive to us as we approached at different angles. Also the sun was vivid and it brought out the layers of the hills by casting shadows in the valleys. Again, you shall have to take my word for it.

The names 'tussocks' suits these plants well. They look like a 'tussock' & feel like a 'tussock'.

We reached Wanaka in an hour's time, minus the stopping & gaping. Wanaka is another of NZ's picturesque lakeside town. Pity we did not bother with photos. Was in a hurry to visit the loo. Ate too much, the both of us.

We did however, stopped at a nearby i-centre and was advised that there are plenty of tracks we could explore. We decided to hike a 45-mins walk around the Diamond Lake trek, which was just 40 mins' drive away.

Hiking isn't much fun to read about and even less fun to execute (for someone who has forsaken exercise anyway). What started out as a 45-min trek turned out into a 3-hour trek as we advanced from the Daimond Lake trek to the Rocky Mountain trail. We did not have much up our sleeves anyway.

Rickety stairs

We trudged through sandy paths, muddy walkways, bushland and some rickety stairs. It has been a couple of years since my last trek and I was sweating more than a pig 30 minutes into the trail. Not to mention I can hardly breathe. I felt like a woozy, doozy ashmatic. Going uphill reminds me of how age is catching up...

But of course, we soldiered on. Climb every mountain, cross every stream eh? The thing about stamina is if you don't give up and keep going, it will somehow come back to you. I was feeling much better 2 hours into the trek. Besides, the the view was getting better.

Lake Wanaka

We had to pass through a ledge that hugs the edge of the mountains. The trail was tiny, rocky and steep. It was a long way to fall. The adrenaline we get walking along that narrow ledge fuels us on. We were almost near the summit.

dizzying heights

And finally, we arrived, just like that. It was as if stumbling upon a plateu, out of the blue. Where I was used to arriving at summits that announced itself with signs, banners or monoliths, there was nothing man-made / artificial on Rocky Mountains to suggest that we have arrived on a checkpoint at all.

as above so below

blue & gold horizons

"summit"

Rocky Mountain expresses its summit in the quiet beauty of its surroundings, and the astonishing colours of the lake, trees and meadows. And of course, thoughtful visitors would leave those trademark piles of stones to mark their presence.

me napping beside stone pyramid

Climbers collect stones & pile them up to resemble a pyramid as an environmental & sculptural way of saying, "we were here". I'm not sure if we were suppose to add to it, or make another one, but we didn't bother. These stone pyramids are quite a common occurence in NZ's hot spots.

Some other climbers

Of course, there were other climbers as well, besides us. This was a funny sight. D had to do the trademark "V in air" with a family sunning themselves in the background. We eventually ended up having a chat with them later on. It is food for thought, that we meet so many people on the trip & shared so many snippets of our lives, but we never exchanged names.

enya ~on my way home, i remember, only good days ~

After resting and chatting for some time, we finally got up and make our way downhill. There were more than 1 track so naturally, we took the other track.

4pm wheatfields

Going downhill was of course, less taxing, but more burdensome to the ankles and thighs. The track this way was more rocks, than views.

rocky paths on Rocky Mountains

more embedded stairs

Indeed, its one of those 'boring' entry, for the lack of a better word. Trekking is, I surmise not fun at all. It is in itself, slow, steady and highly rewarding. It is, free entertainment after all, and no 2 treks are ever alike. NZ offers memorable and challenging treks good for beginners and professionals. Try it. You may resent it. Or you may make it a lifelong hobby.

Day 9 Morning

2010-05-17T22:52:00.016+10:00

10 April 2010 AM

We slept in this morning. Usually we would be up & about at 0800 hours, but today, we didn't start moving till 0900. It was a bright morning, the sun was all cherry & welcoming. Though it was pleasant enough, this morning was quite cold.

bye bye Queenstown!

Regretfully, we bade farewell to the mesmerizing QT. QT has given us so much and we'll always have a special place for her in our minds.
All good things will come to an end, so we didn't linger and we headed out towards a little hamlet situated just outside QT - the pristine Arrowtown. I did not know much about Arrowtown's yesteryears or its present stories, but I presume it's history would have something to do with the mining industry.

Main street_looking in

The town was still quiet and looked like it was just about to wake up when we arrive. Our first stop was a souvenir shop - called the "Gold Nugget". Guess where I got the notion that it was a mining town ...

Main street_looking out

Not unlike a 'cowboy' town with one main high street, Arrowtown has all the vintage charm you could ever ask of such a young country. Like any rural townships in Australia, Arrowtown is a conglomeration of old and the new buildings, with more new than old. There are new structures that strive to appear aged but they usually ended up looking neither here nor there.

clever little spaces

But in the rare occasion when new areas are successfully grafted within existing spaces, the results are often satisfying & pleasing. It would feel so right, so matched, so pretty, and it would make you wonder how such different elements could look so well together. Arrowtown unfortunately presents no such a space although there surely is potential for some.

The reason we stopped in Arrowtown was of course, also to procure breakfast. Although it was my first time here, I already knew where we should grab some food. There is a little cafe, named "bonjour" and all we have to do is to find it. Because none other will do.

Bonjour's street facade_summer

The cafe was on the other side of the main street, facing the park. Its street frontage was nothing spectacular although the al fresco caught my eye. There are plenty of attractive outdoor dining in OZ, but I have never seen one that lays warm fleece blankets draped over their al fresco chairs. How thoughtful.

Foyer

I have nothing but utmost respect (& desire) for French cuisine. Forget their superior complex or French attitudes, but you have got to hand it to them when it comes to cooking & eating. This is our very first experience dining in a French cafe and the menu + decor excites me! A cafe that uses starched cotton tablecloth should get an extra tick, especially a red & white checkered one. It was as if I have stepped into a Mayle novel!

fleece blankets

I do not know much about ordering food, but for me, less is a bore. I usually go for the item that has the longest description or anything that looks like you would be getting a whole heap of stuff. That is also how I used to complete my objective questionaires.

red & white squares

We ordered set menu A & B. There was a sweet crepe with nutella spread, a scrambled omelette with parsley, a fresh seasonal fruit salad (rockmelon + apple + orange in syrup), baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, poached eggs on toast, thick slices of cheddar, smoked ham along with condiments (apricot jam + honey) and hot drinks (hot choc + latte). All for NZ$37.

bounty

It was magnifique albeit being such a simple fare! The honey had a wild-flower scent. The drinks were strong. The eggs were fresh. The crepe was sublime. The croissants were crispy yet soft. The ham was memorable. I do wonder what they serve for tea?

The toilets left quite a good impression although French plumbing is known to be atrocious. Nothing wrong with NZ plumbing, but instead of crass paper towels or noisy electric handryer, they laid out thick wads of towels & a laundry basket. Not very environmental, but a luxury nonetheless.

Cafe Bonjour has left us pining for more and has got everything right, but they had to include French arrogance in their setting. Waiters in the cafe wears their own special uniform - a pastel blue T-shirt with a caption at the back. There are only two different captions and each waiter is assigned one based on their nationality. The shirts proclaimed "I'm French" or "I'm not French".

France versus the world eh?

Day 8 Afternoon

2010-05-11T21:18:00.041+10:00

9 April 2010 PM

Our rafting expedition did not end until it was well over 12pm. We headed back to QT and had a small lunch of Subway's while waiting for our next assignment. We were quite drowsy and sleepy as we had had a great workout in the morning, but the day is not over yet.

That is because, we had some more important thing to do this noon. We are going to take the plunge.

A NZ entrepreneur with a couple of loose screws in his head decided to commercialize an activity inspired by an ancient rite-of-passage performed by Vanuatuans. He offered what was thought to be insane plus ridiculous, and had to hire a special team of solicitors to apply for ultra-special permits to carry out activities that challenged boundaries.

Today, we were introduced to Alan John Hackett, businessman and adrenaline junkie and the brainchild of his - the commercialization of bungy jumping.

Think Altitude
Think Momentum

Think Zero Gravity

D had wanted to do the bungy jump before we embarked on the trip, before we even hop on the plane. It was in his bucket list, his item-to-do-b4-he-dies, his dream adventure.
Me on the other hand had avoided the thought of bungy altogether because frankly speaking, I do not want to do it. Why would anyone want to do something like that? Why would anyone want to jump off into voids, throw themselves into oblivion, and risk their lives and limbs? The answer still eludes me.
I was grumpy and apprehensive, but in the end, against my better judgement I signed up too. Reason being, I could not not do it. No, I'm no adrenaline junkie, nor am I a lunatic, but I don't want to look back and regret. And, I do not want D to exclusively own the bragging rights : )

Bungy Centre

At 2pm, we found ourselves queuing up to register for the event. We have previously booked & paid, but we needed to sign more disclaimer forms and had our weights taken. The correct measurement of your weight is a matter of life & death when it comes to bungy. It took about 10 minutes of paper work and 30 minutes of waiting. The waiting was not fun.

Similar to the rafting, we were taken on a bus journey to the jumpsite about 45 mins away. The journey was pretty mundane which was good, because I do not think my nerves could handle anything more than normal-grade tar road.

Cantilevered Cabin

All too soon, we reached the jumpsite. Obediently, I got off the bus, although I'm quite happy to sit there and wait. The first sight that greeted us was the rack of bungy harnesses located at the entrance of the jump site building.

safety harnesses

The personnels came out and handed us the body harnesses whilst explaining how to wear it. I had lost the ability to absorb instructions, so I just stood there dumbly. When the friendly staff sees you standing dumbly, they will help you into the harnesses. I suppose that's the safest option, seeing that you might not strap yourself properly and may end up slipping, then falling, crashing into the mountains, breaking into a million little pieces, suffering a painful death, looking ugly in your funeral, dontinkaboutit, dontinkaboutit, dontinkaboutit, why r u still tinking abt it?

wearing a body harness & a nervous smile

After stuffing our stuff in lockers provided, we were led to the outside of the building where we were briefed on a pedestal overlooking the gorge. The personnel was droning on and on but I was not & could not listen, so I don't know what she was saying. I was just looking at the minuscule little cabin hanging on steel cables stretching from one end of the mountains to another. It did not look real.

Little faraway cabin & cable-car suspended in the air

Next thing we knew, we were locked into a tiny cable-car sort of device and were being transported into the little cabin hanging in the middle of nowhere. The car, a metal-grille box was enclosed by metal rails and while we were travelling on it, we were hooked to the wires above which was supporting the cable-car and the cabin. I never doubted their safety measures, not for a minute. I just doubted myself.

Locked in the car with a personnel & other jumpers

river below_don't even know what river that was.

Metal grate floor of the cable-car

I could not look down as it was an alarming sight. I could not look at the surroundings as the valleys remind you how deep they are. I could not close my eyes as it would be embarassing. It was a horrible position to be in. Almost like a caged animal, perhaps.

Not so far now

All too soon, we arrived at the cabin. There was an electronic sliding door that opens when we bumped into the side of the tiny structure. We were unhooked, and stepped into the tiny space. I've already advanced from sweating profusely to the next phase - buckling knees.

entrance to the suspended cabin

The Cabin is a tiny room, approx. 3 x 4m wide area. It is flanked by 3 sides of steel cladding and windows while one side was completely open - the side where jumpers take off. A section of the floor has been sliced away & replaced with a piece of tampered glass for you to witness the jumpers' fall. It would not take much for me to throw up by now.

Someone being hauled up

There were 3 personnels in the room, along with about, 10 other jumpers (maximum) at one time. It was horribly constricting and my throat was closing in everytime I look over at the open side. 2 staff members were administering the jumps and the hauls. They worked speedily as if processing people in a factory. There were so many jumpers, they just strapped people on, say goodbye, wait for them to finish the jumps, then haul them up. Over & over routinely. I hope they know what they were doing.

The open elevation

This is the side where the 2 personnels were working on. One is the jumpmaster and the other, someone to haul you up. Both are clipped to a safety rope in the cabin. This side of the room is cordoned off from where we were waiting by a 1.2m high vertical metal fence. The little metal platform protruding out is the jumper's last terra firma. The cabin was blaring with loud techno music. One of the staff had "Butterfingers" clipped to his shirt. They must have thought of everything to make the jumpers at ease.

i dare you

I had to witness a lot of jumps before it was my turn. We are allocated the jumps according to our weights. I was comparatively light so I had to suffer a long wait. Jumpers are called out by their names and led into the cordoned-off area. Once there, you will be strapped to the safety cords above with your carabina. Then you will be led to a chair not unlike an electric chair.

the electric chair

You make yourself at ease while Jumpmaster strapped ankle cuffs to your legs. A very important note is to wear secure shoes. Tightly-laced fitted boots or sneakers highly recommended. I think if your shoes are loose fitting & slipped during your jump, the ankle cuffs may slip as well. After that, make absolute sure that the Jumpmaster hooked the bungy cord to your left leg, right leg AND your body harness.

the specially engineered elastic cord

For the next short moments, your life shall be literally hanging off this cord, depending on your weight. After you are strapped in carefully, Jumpmaster will lead you to the platform of death. Just kidding. He will hold your body harness and make the count 3-2-1!

3-2-JUMP!

When the Jumpmaster finished counting, do yourself a favour and jump! Because if you hesitate, it will be very difficult to continue.And for pete's sakes, don't hug the jumpmaster. Do not weigh your options, do not speculate and do not think at all. Remember what nike used to say?

JUST DO IT!

8.5 seconds of freefalling

D executed an adventurous lunge into the void with an excited yell. He embraced the jump and came up loving every second of it. He was flushed with adrenaline and looked as if he won a million dollars. Then it was my turn.

My expression bares it all

Needless to say, I was scared shitless. My knees were seriously buckling and it was an awfully tense moment.

Video below should explain all of it. In a blink of an eye I felt myself being led to the platform. I was gripping the Jumpmaster's arms really tightly & I could not walk properly with the cord between my ankles. Standing on the tiny platform was the last thing I wanted to do. I forced myself not to look down but ahead. Then I waited for the dreaded countdown. I had already stopped thinking at this point and I had set my body on autopilot to jump at the count of 3. That was because, you should not bring your brains with you whilst standing on the platform.

Apologies for sideway video

At the Count of 3, I dived ... into nothingness. And immediately regretted it. Sure, it felt brave to depart from the platform but after that it was pure, blinding fear. I could not handle zero-gravity and I made the mistake of trying to brake. Yes, brake. Do you know how futile it is to be falling at 100km/h and trying desperately to defy gravity?

Instead of diving gracefully, my arms are flailing, my eyes are bulging and there is a painful grimace on my face. I can't scream because there is so much air in my lungs. I can't shut my eyes because I have paid for this jump and I'm not going to miss any second of it! you can't take the shrewdness out of me even in the face of death. I suppose my shit would have turned green with fear.

Finally I have stretched the length of my cord and I felt myself being tugged up for the rebound. It felt sooo good to stop falling. But once the rebound reaches it's maximum length, its the dreaded freefall again.

I wasn't prepared for it. It was as if my breath was rudely snatched away & I thought I was going to pass out in a massive heart attack. Quite frankly, by now I was extremely angry at Gravity. Totally pissed off. Again, I was trying to brake. I was like a drowning woman clutching at straws, literally! How dumb could I get? Suffered mid-air bimbo moment.

The view down below

My brain was functioning again after the second rebound. I was still hanging upside down, bouncing away like a ragdoll when I remembered then I needed to pull off my left leg strap. This was tricky because physically I had trouble heaving myself up to reach my legs in a topsy-turvy position. Mentally I don't feel like pulling anything, lest I pulled the wrong thing & plunge to my death.

Of course I managed to pull the strap resulting in me returning to an upright position. A magnet-like thing plunked from the top and I was pulled up towards the cabin again. The mountains & valleys don't look so murderous now.

Home again

Butterfingers hauled me in & I'm happy to say his name did not do him justice. Jumpmaster said, "Please to meet you!" but no, I don't feel like a new person. I didn't feel like I have conquered some sort of obscure inner fear or obtain some sort of inner strength, that was just pure bullshit. I just felt ... extremely relieved.

The conclusion is, D deduced that he loves adrenaline and will do it over & over again. I swore off bungy jumps from then. Also, please do not google bungy jump fatalities before you do your jump because there are a lot of freak accidents out there.

Most importantly, I know now more than ever, there are some journeys you can only take alone. Nobody will not shove you, push you or any of the sort. You and you alone have to make the dive. That is to me, the essence of Bungy Jumping.

And once you have made the jump, no one can take that away from you.

Day 8 Morning

2010-05-07T23:36:00.025+10:00

9 April 2010 AM

Today shall be broken into 2 parts. As I probably mentioned before, QT offers various entertainments and they lump up some extreme activities together and offered it as a bundled package at a discounted price. We signed up for one of those, and this morning, we shall be doing white-water rafting.

I haven't got many images to post, as we went without the camera (because you would expect yourself to get wet in extreme water sports), so I'm going to have to pull images from the ever-reliable google, to get my message across.

Aerial view_Shotover River & Skippers Canyon (google)

QT provides rafting on two of their main rivers - the Kawarau and the Shotover. While the Kawarau probably has more scenic views to offer, we chose the Shotover for the grades of the rapids. The Shotover River has Grade 3 - 5 rapids and its suitable for beginners.

Cavell's Rafting Base

We gathered at one of the i-sites in QT before being herded into a bus that will bring us to Cavell's Rafting Base where we exchanged our normal clothes into wet suites, life jackets & rubber sneakers. It was awfully cold and the wetsuits are not necessarily dry, when we put them on. They were rather damp, and together with the morning chill, wearing the wetsuits turned out to be an adventure itself.

Rubberizing

We gathered around the decking area where we were given a safety briefing on white-water rafting. There were basic tips, how to wear the equipments properly, etc. etc. Next minute, we hopped back on the bus where it will take us through the Skipper's Canyon to begin our rafting. I have to say, the journey itself, was mind-numbingly exciting.

Edith Cavell Bridge

Steady hands required (google)

This is what we have to drive through. We were faced with tight, windy, 1-way gravel paths hugging the granite mountain on our right and steep, vertical drops on our left. Neat! Our excellent driver, an enthusiastic lady with a mob of hot pink hair, maneuvers the dangerous curves like a mountain goat. A trailer filled with our rafts is attached to the back of the van. Of course, if you have the extra dough, you can always hitch a ride with the heli and skip all the torment the gravel path has to offer.

Heliraft (google)

Joining us on the bus is one of our rafting guides - Marcio the Brazillian with arrestingly huge eyes and an equally impressive, indecipherable accent. We were briefed on arising situations, more safety talk and signed disclaimer forms saying we will not sue the company should we drown and die. We shall have to float on our backs should we fall into the river. We shall not attempt to stand on the river if we fell. We shall direct our legs parallel to the flowing current.

Part of Shotover River

17km of the dangerous track ends at the starting point of our rafting tour - Deep Creek. The glacial blue of the river excites D, as he has never seen rivers so brilliant before. We trooped down from the bus and gathered around each other and waited for further instructions.

Leading the rafting adventure, is the main guide, a commanding figure of Maori descendant, I think. He has a stout body, shoulder-length curls and a perpetual frown. He scanned us, pouted & began his speech. "Good Morning everyone! My name is Chief!" And his sentences seemed to always end with an exclamation mark. He cracks racist jokes, pokes fun at fat people, humiliates Australians and gets away from it all. He is arrogant, proud, and wickedly hilarious. The crowd loved him.

With 20 years of rafting experience, you could almost get away with anything. Introducing, the exorbitant, CHIEF. I don't think that's his real name either.

We were divided into groups of 6 to a guide, depending on our size and weight (Minimum weight 40kg). It was quite unnerving as we have to sit with our bums hanging right over the edges of the inflatable rafts. One leg is slipped under an inflated divider over the inside of the raft to balance yourself. It's a very precarious position to be in.

Smile

Our voyage started off relatively smooth and easy. This was the chance for all of us to grasp Whitewater Rafting 101 : Summarized Version. In the beginning, we learnt how to paddle, and how you must never let go of your grip on the top paddle lest you hit the person next to you.
Next, we were taught basic commands namely "left over right", "right over left", "hold & down", "paddle forward", "paddle backward" which pretty much explains itself.

Easy waters @ Deep Creek

After approx. 20 minutes of being carried by the current, we finally get a taste of our first rapid, a Grade 3, the Red Rocks. It was....over before we knew it. But it managed to bring the colour back to our cheeks, as it was freezing cold. We passed through a couple of Grade 3s and it could best be described as being flushed through a toilet bowl. The rush of waters, the splashes, the bobbing of the raft was something entirely new & exciting to us.

But this was not just all about speed and rapids. We have many long, slow moments of floating about, and this is the chance to admire the sheer cliffs, crystal clear waters and of course, mountain goats. There were also obvious evidence of past mining activities in the form of rusted machineries left by the river bank, an eyesore nevertheless, yet a poignant reminder of NZ's mining history.

Shotover edge (google)

Soon, we reached the "Mother Rapids", a succession of 6 numbers of Grade 4 rapids with interesting names like "The Squeeze", "Toilet" and "Oh-Shit", just to name a few. We had to "hold & down!!" a couple of times, and just so you know, everytime the Guide yells that one out, he meant that the rapids may be out of control and capsizing is possible. "Hold & down" means you hold down your paddle at the edge of the raft with your right hand, and grab the security lines on the raft with your left hand, and sit inside the raft while you bob along the rushing waters and pray you don't get washed out.

Emergence

We were quite fascinated with the tensile structure of the raft, because while it is soft and pliable, you would expect it to tear and leak, especially when we kept bumping into sharp boulders. Many times, we were shoved right up to the edge of the cliffs and we were squeezed along the jagged rocks. They remain as taut as anything.

We finally met a tough, tight and dangerous Grade 5 rapid named the Mother-in-law. She's pretty cool to tackle. To go through her, you have to pass through something similar to a bottle-neck situation, where the valley narrows ahead and you have to squeeze through, only to find a blade-like boulder sticking out in the middle of your path. Still, whoever that named the rapids, must have survived with their sense of humour intact.

Although, Mom-in-law was a shocker, she did not have the last say.

Oxenbridge Tunnel (google: gradientandwater.blogspot.com)

This was the finale. To enter into the unknown, the tunnel, the body of the cliffs. We had to queue up to enter the tunnel as it was naturally confined, and can only fit one raft at a time. Soon, it was our turn. We paddled forward, eased ourselves into the black hole and held our breaths. We had to tuck our paddles into the raft as we might scratch them against the rocky walls.

It wasn't as thrilling as expected but it was still, momentarily roaring to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and anticipate being flushed out of it. And a-whoosh we go!

Cascade Rapids

It was crazy-fun! Truth be told, there were some stretches of the River that was long, slow and relaxing. We find those really boring, but it would have been fantastic, if the weather was not this cold and your bladder was not filled to the brim, you get what I mean?
All in all, it was definately a rewarding and physically demanding experience. I suppose, to be able to fully grasp the thrill, one would need the skills and technique to do a solo rafting, and comprehend the strength of waters on their own.

Day 7

2010-05-04T18:20:00.032+10:00

8th April 2010

Today we have signed ourselves up for a horse-riding expedition. This trip sees us driving to another little hamlet near Queestown, a charming town called Glenorchy.

From QT to Glenorchy

Glenorchy is on the other end of Lake Wakatipu, in the opposite direction of Frankton. The journey took approx. 1 hour but the breathtaking view made it all worthwhile. I find this end of Wakatipu absolutely incredible, especially on this cold morning.

D and I have done some horse riding before, but we thought we should do it again as the landscape here is so enchanting. It would be like a dream come true. One of my childhood fantasies is to ride horses over steppes or prairies like they do in the movies. Although I can't recall a single horse-riding movie, it doesn't matter. As long as there are horses, lot's of green grass, some billowing landscape and me in the picture, it will do.

farm accesories_snow white ducks

Glenorchy's High Country Horses seemed to be the gateway for me to fulfill my galloping dream. They have 1 hour, 2 hours (NZ$150 pp), half-day, full-day and 2-day riding packages targetting both novice & proffesional riders. If you are not a hard core rider, then for the sake of your thighs and, or groins, do not choose any package longer than 2 hours.

Breathtaking vistas

Horses over the prairies

With settings like these, what more can I ask for? I can feel it in my bones. Forget about imagining it. Now's the time to live the dream!

Meet Douggle_my ride

Too much anticipation, of course sometimes, kills the fun. I was assigned a sturdy chap named Douggle and my dream shattered. It was all Douggle's fault. He was too tall. As soon as I heaved myself over him, I began to have doubts about being so far away from the ground.

High Horse, indeed

I never noticed it, but it could be quite daunting sitting on a tall creature. I don't want to sound like a chicken, but I was really afraid of falling over, afraid of pulling the reigns too tight and finally afraid of being thrown off Douggle's back and being trampled to a mangled mess by his feet.

vertigo ...

Of course, those are the things you should think about, before you sign up for a horse-riding expedition that will last for 2 hours.

Moving along

Mark our tour guide started pacing ahead, so all the other horses followed suit. We were in a group of 5, and it was clear that the horses are familiar with the routine of following the guide. As we moved along, the feeling of vertigo slowly fades away and I stopped hanging on to dear life and started to enjoy the slow trudge of the horses.

Cattle track

We passed through some of the cattle who bellowed loudly at us in what I hoped to be morning greetings.

River Crossing

Soon, we approached a river where we will make a crossing. The thought of crossing a river on a horse is more exciting than actually doing it. The river was pretty shallow, albeit having a strong & steady current.

Splashing our way over

Clips Clops

D & I was thinking of Liv Tyler with Frodo watszisname doing that river crossing in that movie. Mark probably got the vibe and started to explain to us that one of their horses was a movie star (in other words, an extra) for the movie LOTR and confided to us that Liv Tyler is actually terrified of horses. We should give credit to Mark in trying to make small talk, as having conversations on horseback is quite difficult.

Into the poplars

We got unto dryland, and the horses walked into the grassy area where we were at once, surrounded by shimmering poplar trees. It was quite nice really, after being in the open, to be enclosed by trees, staring at the brilliant yellows leaves & the morning dew glistening on spider webs.

Hollywood set

Mark informed us that some scenes in the recent movie 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' starring Hugh Jackman was filmed near this bridge. We can't tell, really.

Another Hollywood set

This is where they reputedly filmed Isengard of LOTR

We were also told that the image above was where 'Isengard' was filmed. Again, we can't tell, really. (They all looked the same to us). Mark went on to explain that the South Island is a hot spot for films and commercials set. Building regulations actually constricts the height of new structures just so that they can continue to cater for the filming of commercials. which doesn't really make sense to me anyhow, but I don't care.

Throughout our ride, we were given the opportunity to try out the different 'gears' (or rather, gait) of the horse. We started off by walking, and when Mark sees that we are fairly confident, allowed us to do a trot. Then, finally a canter. And that was the fastest we went. There is of course, the gallop, but I would have been paralysed if I tried that.

on the way back

And my dream is definately shattered, as I realised that, I can't really ride a horse after all. As soon as we started cantering, it was hell. Our bums started banging on the bloody saddle as the horse picked up speed and while it was exhilarating it was also very, very scary. I could not control the horse, I could not see where I was going, my helmet was covering my eyes, my bum was sore, and I had to hang on to the reigns, the mane, the whatever I could grab. I tried to act like a jockey and squeezed the horse with my legs, but to no avail. It was terribly funny and painful.

Finally we made it back to base again in one piece and I was grateful for the ride to be over. As much as I disliked the bumpy ride and the aching thighs, the view is definately to-die-for and what better way to enjoy it than by doing on a horse's back.

Not a Hollywood set

We said our goodbyes, patted the horses and went on our way. Since we had a whole afternoon up our sleeves, we decided to have lunch in the wilderness.

Paradise "No Exit"

It's not hard to find a place to stop for lunch when the road sign tells you there is a Paradise nearby. Even better, this 'Paradise' has 'No Exit'. After approx. 15 minutes of weaving over windy roads, in and out of the shadows cast by a medium density birch forest, we found ourselves heading towards a clearing, overlooking a crystal clear lake. To add icing on the cake, a flock of snowy white fluffy sheeps were grazing around peacefully.

startled sheeps

As we rumbled across the clearing, all the startled sheeps looked up from their snack and began to run. Geez, I had wanted to pet them. I have never seen sheeps this clean and wool this white. Not to mention, they are pretty fat too.

bye bye sheeps

If you ever were near Glenorchy, remember to picnic by this particular lake - Diamond Lake. There's nothing special here, just a vast golden plain, serene mountains, shimmering lake and a quiet peace that is occasionally shattered by flocks of wild birds.

time to set up lunch

For lunch, D made scrambled eggs sandwiches & hot water for coffee with the little kitchenette we have at the back of the van. Anything you eat while facing a million-dollar view will not taste like a million-dollar meal, but will definately feel wholesome and delicious. But don't take my word for it.

The van is sorry it blocked the view

Day 6

2010-04-30T22:36:00.011+10:00

7th April 2010

After much physical exertion yesterday, we had planned for a slow day today. We shall be journeying from Milford Sound, back out to Te Anau and our final destination will be Queenstown. The weather still held its cherry exterior and it was a pleasure to drive through the countryside under the bright balmy sun. We are pretty much covering our previous tracks, so we didn't bother with the photos.

The road into Queenstown from Frankton was lovely. After many hours sheep / lake gazing, it was quite refreshing to see some stone retaining walls and houses stacked upon the landscape almost haphazardly.

Frankton - Queenstown

Incoming

Repetitive accomodation units nestled among the hills

Entering Queenstown was like stumbling upon civilization after so many days in the 'wilderness'. We have seen our fair share of cars in the congested city of Kuala Lumpur, but upon arriving in QT, it was as if we have never seen so many cars in our entire lives.

Hello civilization!

I have to say, we were a little overwhelmed by the traffic & it was the first time that we felt that the Jucy Chaser is huge & fat. At first glance QT is a pretty little town. It is lovely, clean and very, very young. QT is easy to like, but hard to love. Don't get me wrong, we adore QT but we felt that QT lacks character and it will always be pretty but hard to be beautiful. All the buildings are new & funky but they don't relate to each other, much less to the environment.

More minimalistic repititive accomodation units

So, I suppose it is safe to say that nothing and everything is vernacular around here. Nothing & everything will fit nicely! In saying that though, QT's geographical location and natural landscape is astounding. Facing the spectacular Lake Wakatipu and backed by The Remarkables, it is definately prime location.

a gem of a town

QT is NZ's self-proclaimed Adventure Capital and we wholeheartedly agree. Previously I had just wanted to spend an entire week in QT to carry out all the activities QT provides. After closer investigation, I deduce that QT is a tourist town, run BY the tourists FOR the tourists. Mostly everyone is a tourist there. From the peds walking around the streets, to the bar man, waitress, paraglider, tour guides, skydiver, pilot, street cleaner & shop owner.

There are plenty of 'i-sites' around the town and besides functioning as the normal Information centres, they mainly provide bookings for activities around the town. You don't even need to do price-scouting as every one of them offers the same deal for the same activities. Convenience at its very best.

We booked our activities for the following days, then looked for accomodation for 3 nights. I made the desicion to have Korean for the night because I have a weakness for Korean.

Korean side dishes. We did not take any photos_image courtesy of Google

So, if you were ever in doubt, choose Korean. Because they never fail to disappoint. Sumptous meals, delicate side dishes, and the waitresses are usually petite, fair & lovely to behold. Between the 2 of us, we had a beef + tofu stew, seafood stew, little gyoza dumplings plus the additional side dishes including but not limited to, kimchi, honey wedged potatoes, beansprouts, sesame jelly slice, parsnip salad, mashed potatoes, jellyfish salad, etc.

Yes, it was a night to remember.

Day 5

2010-04-26T00:19:00.028+10:00

6th April 2010

We passed the night in Milford Sound Lodge - the only campervan site available there. It was fully booked - thankfully we have made a previous reservation.

Milford Sound Lodge_our accomodation

We had previously signed up for a Kayak expedition yesterday & it wasn't due until 1430 hours. After brekkie, we drove back out to explore some of the attractions we missed yesterday. First stop - The Chasm.

Fallingwater

Moulded rocks

gotta be really hardworking spider to live in the Chasm

There are suspended footbridges & disabled-friendly footpaths to access the area where you get to enjoy the waterfall and wonder at the marvel of air and water at play. Don't use your camera if your equipment is sensitive to moisture as the falling water creates a dense mist curtain around you & might wreck the equipment.

D's "artistic" shot

More artistic shot

We left the roaring waters and headed to an old bridge for some shots. Then head back to the Lodge to kill some time. We had 1 hour to spare so we hung out at the Lounge area and chatted to a German backpacker who had 4 hours to spare.

killing some time amongst pebbles

Finally at 1430 hours, a van painted in yellow & black rocked up at the parking lot and deposited a couple of people wearing strange leggings who came straight into the Lounge area and yelled out for "all those who are going with the Rosco's Kayak team" to "please gather round". We had a briefing, cracked some jokes, took some instructions, then we all hopped into the van to a deserted beach approx. 10 minutes away.

Transformation shed

Once we arrived, we were herded into a shed and handed stripped leggings + thermals and wooly jumpers. We were divided into two groups - males & females, and then had to strip & change into our new uniforms.

After that , we were handed these items which we wore in the following order - rubber spray-skirts, bright yellow PVC overalls & purple life-jackets. It is the first time I am wearing 6 items at once. Minus the cap & sunnies & bikini.

Full kayak regalia

More briefing before we hit the water at Deepwater Basin. We were divided into groups and there were the 6 of us under one guide - a Brit named...Vin (i think). Although I did some sea kayaking like decades ago, it was a struggle for the both of us to get very far, initially. We had to paddle really hard & fast to catch up with our older counterparts. For our first checkpoint, Vin brought us to a tiny enclosure accesible only during high-tide.

Vin pointing out some rare woodpecker which we didnt snap

The enclosure & one of our group mates

Vin was yakking on & on about the diverse wildlife was I was really jumpy & could not wait to get going. I don't like the peace / quiet / the tiny enclosure. I just want to get out there into the ocean. The real Sound! My kayak was going to start to tremble soon, until Vin finally tore himself away from the "wonderful birch trees, bla bla bla" and led us along into the wider, wilder waters.

into the open

We were probably the youngest group here and also were the most eager, energetic and not to mention inexperienced. The other 2 teams were taking it slow & easy but they just cruised along, while we had to spitter & spatter just to get somewhere.

the amazing view

In my haste to stay within our group, I had almost forgotten to look up at the amazing views, as I was actually Looking at my paddle dipping in and out of the water. It was very therapeutic & hypnotizing, my paddle was.

Vin admiring his workstation

Vin must have known how hypnotizing kayaking is, so he stopped & launched himself into yet another ode to nature. And that's the thing we love about Vin. Although he got a bit carried away at Deepwater Basin, his enthusiasm and utmost respect + awareness for this surroundings made us appreciate Milford Sound all the more.

Imagine working here, day after day

Bowen Falls

Vin pointed to that waterfall falling furiously, not so far away and told us that we could paddle there. How exciting!

Up, close & personal

We did get pretty close, about a few hundred metres away from the roaring falls and it was exhilirating to be so close to the waterfall and literally inches away from the rainbow it formed. We did not take much photos as the water was splatering all over us.

snoozing seal

After paying homage to the waterfall, we paddled on & Vin's sharp eyes discovered something shining & snoozing, basking itself in the evening light. It was a male adolescent NZ fur seal.

Faraway snow-capped peaks

The day is fading fast and it was an utterly humbling experience to observe the day's swan song in the vast Sound. Colours change dramatically and the nearby peaks are silhoutted by the sun's dying rays.

setting sun in the valleys

In the blink of an eye, Twilight is upon us. One minute we were bathed in golden glorius sunlight, the next, we were ensconced in semi-darkness. By now, we were quite exhausted and I was dying to empty my bladder.
We had to go through a patch of rough seas & high winds and we witnessed tree erosions on the way back. We were informed that the granite mountains around us is submerged another further 200m below sea level and I really do not want to know about how deep the mountains go because it is a very unsettling thought.

shadow & light

All in all, Milford Sound was absolutely gorgeous, & we got to know later, that we were extremely lucky to catch that sunny weather because with an annual rainfall of almost 7m high (almost 200 days a year, it's raining there), Milford Sound is considered to be one of the wettest area on Earth.

Vin told us of expeditions in the rain or kayaking miles away from a mini cyclone. Milford Sound is more often than not shrouded in a mysterious mist, drizzling incessantly, but whatever weather you get, the Sound is sure to astound its visitors and guarantee a memorable time within its sanctuary.

Day 4

2010-04-24T01:18:00.029+10:00

5th April 2010

Day 5. Weather took a turn for the better. Breakfast was butter & Easter spice buns on a jetty overlooking the gorgeous Lake Wakatipu and the remarkable mountain range, aptly named The Remarkables.

Jetty in front of caravan park

The Remarkables looked their best at approx. 5pm when the dusk light hits on their granite faces and highlights every crevices. This morning though, they looked muted & flat. Before we had a chance to dig in, a flock of wild mandarin ducks made a beeline for us.

Led by this chap

Followed by his alpha female

After letting them squabble for our food, it was interesting to note that they had quite a distinctive social hierarchy. The alpha male & female are clearly notable with their positions in the lake - right in front of us where the immediate food source is. Another distinctive feature is that the no other male looked as handsome as Mr. Alpha and no other females, as regal as Mrs. Alpha. And finally, they are all in pairs.

Of course, they are mandarin ducks after all! If they were not so romantic, I may be inclined to roast them for tea.

After brekkie, we started on to a place called Te Anau from Frankton and this short drive is a fine example of how the journey is usually more of an adventure than the destination itself. Took the highway that hugs the edge of the mountain range on our left side and we have the shimmering Wakatipu on our right.

From highway looking towards lake and more mountain range opposite

Devil's Staircase

Scenic route

This beautiful stretch of road ran on for about 40km. From a junction called Five Rivers, we made a turn and passed Mossburn. Another hour later, we arrived in the quaint little town of Te Anau.

I have, unfortunately no photos of Te Anau. It's a little lakeside town dotted with cafes, your everyday-retail shops and it is the last civilised area before Milford Sound - one of NZ's top attractions, which is where we are headed. We lunched & re-fueled before booking in for our activity in Milford Sound. Te Anau is also the place for you to arrange transport to & fro Milford Sound, as well as cruises or kayak expeditions.

Moving through green corridors

The scenery is much greener during this part of the journey as we are entering the heart of the Fiordland where rainfall is recorded to be up 250mm (or more) in 24 hours. But today, it was all sunny and balmy.

A jetty by Lake Te Anau - the largest lake in South Island

As we drove on, we were constantly in search of snow-capped precipices. We did not see any and were frankly quite disappointed. It was early autumn, & perhaps too early for snow peaks.

Could not resist a signature jump in the deserted road

There are plenty of little attractive spots to stop by on the way to Milford Sound.

Like this place called Mirror Lakes

This is a small patch of lake situated amidst the august mountains, and on a calm day, it will act as a large mirror & reflect the surrounding mountains so that you are looking at an awe-inspiring parallel image. D could not capture the awe-inspiring mirror because some ducks were splashing about, creating unsightly ripples. (or so he says)

Same freaking Mirror Lake taken by some other freaking photographer on July 2008. Without splattering ducks around I bet.

We also stopped by a 45 min-return loop walk around Lake Gunn. Had to pass through a mossy forest where it was cold, quiet and very very green!

mossy tree

Lichen and moss covered every inch of the tree trunks, boulders & formed a velvety green carpet along the track. The area had a perpetual moist-ness to it and I felt quite sticky & uncomfortable. Not to mention, unbearably cold.

Amidst green covers

River leading to Lake Gunn

As we got closer to Milford Sound, the scenery altered slightly with more exciting sights around the corners.

Mini-waterfall somewhere along the journey.

Cascading whitewater

The road is now gradually winding downwards and every corner seemed to store some surprises. And it was to our utmost delight that we finally chanced upon snow-capped peaks! It was pretty cool to drive along, and witness the landscape unfurl into something dramatic.

yay!

The theatrical black granite backdrop.

To get into Milford Sound, you would have to go through Homer Tunnel. It appears to us that it is a 1-way crossing as there was a set of traffic lights & we have to wait for the green light to pass. While waiting, we explored this gigantic chunk of white mass next to the road leading into the tunnel.

suspected glacier

I couldn't remember but I think this is a glacier. Apart from a sign saying, "Do not climb ice. Ice may break" I couldn't recall any other descriptions - how it was formed, what is its age, etc. A bunch of mainland chinese people were clambering all over it anyway. I was more interested with this little creature that is poking its nose around us.

Introducing the Kea

This is our very first sighting of the highly intelligent & sociable NZ wildlife, the very rare & very curious Kea. It is an alpine parrot, and therefore exhibits parrot-like behavior. The Kea is fearless around humans and this one here, like many others are foraging around for human food. We were forbidden to feed them of course. Like many wild animals, they are discouraged to be dependant on humans.

At first glance, I thought the Kea unattractive & funny in an eccentric way. At a closer look, its feathers are actually olive-gold and gives off a subtle metallic sheen. How strange. Too close the proximity causes it to fly off and displays striking orange-vermillion feathers beneath its wings.

image courtesy of Ian McHenry

Isn't it gorgeous? Looks like the Kea is full of surprises.

Day 3

2010-04-22T22:13:00.020+10:00

4th April 2010

Because we lost a day on our planned itinery, today was spent catching up on all the lost hours. Which pretty much means endless driving. And we picked a good day to do so, as it was raining throughout. Our aim was to reach Queenstown by nightfall. Queenstown is 480km away. A lot of driving indeed.

Christchurch to Queenstown. Approx time 6:25

The first major town we shall pass through is Ashburton. The journey departing from Christchurch is unassuming and long. The views we passed by resembled much of Aussie pastures, except that it is a little greener and one particular characteristic stood out - the boundary lines between pastures are more often than not, lined with neat, tall hedges, several stories high.

Hedges created out of evergreen perhaps

The journey although relaxing, is just a little monotonous.

Cows

Passing Darfield, we reached a place called Mt. Hutt and something caught our eyes that perked us up immediately.
It was a huge patch of fluorescent blue that was almost pulsating. I do not know why it seemed to be pulsing to me. Maybe because it was a gloomy day and there was minimal sunlight. Don't know how to explain it. Photos doesn't do it justice. So, use your imagination.

The River Rakaia

It had looked unearthly. If it wasn't NZ, I would have assumed a chemical spill.

River looking naturally fake

We were informed that it was glacial waters that caused the colour, although I didn't think we were near any ice.

We have a long journey to complete, so we tore ourselves away & moved on. Had brunch in Ashburton and we were lucky to find a place that operates on Easter Sunday. Next stop - Geraldine for some ice-cream. Maybe it's just me, but NZ ice-cream seemed to double their dose of dairy, so one scoop is more than enough.

The next fluorescent thing that caught our eye is the beautiful Lake Tekapo.

One end

The other end (Photos would look better on a sunny day)

Stopped for some snaps. There is an astronomy centre cum cafe located atop a lookout point nearby the Lake. Worth having a look.

It would be another hour before we arrived & stopped at another big-ass lake - the admirable Lake Pukaki. The real reason for stopping there was because some insurance company decided to provide free coffee and sausage sizzles to drowsy drivers. Talk about being generous. Here we are in a foreign land, being handed warm food & travel tips from friendly Kiwis (who happened to look good too). One hand holding coffee & the other a sausage sandwich leaves no hand for photos.

We passed through little towns like Twizel, Omarama & Cromwell before arriving to our destination for the night - Frankton - just 20 minutes' drive away from Queenstown. Found ourselves a low budget caravan park ($18 per head per night).

Tea tonight was more rewarding. We had beautifully sauteed scallops with chickpeas for entree, pork roast & salmon for mains. It was dressy, satisfying and value for money.

http://www.hamills.co.nz/

Day 2

2010-04-20T19:45:00.016+10:00

3 April 2010

We have booked a campervan / motorhome that will be our sole mode of transportation + accomodation for the entire duration of our trip. D has researched and found the perfect company for us. And so, on this sunny afternoon, we found ourselves looking for a stunning, curvy redhead in the airport parking lot.

Introducing Lucy

Lucy is dismally, only a mascot for the renowned campervan hire in New Zealand and Australia - called Jucy Rentals. They have a range of campervans to choose from, starting from your basic MPVs to vamped-up truck that doubles up as your mobile home. The full range of the availability and specifications are available here: - http://www.jucy.co.nz/campervan-hire-listing.asp. I don't mind the free advertising as Jucy treated us well and there were no major mishaps.

We rented a 2-person motorhome dubbed the JucyChaser and it includes a small stove, sink, bar fridge, WC and shower area. No, it is not an engineering marvel, just heavily cramped spaces. The idea of living in such compromised quarters for a forthnight is a little daunting.

Floor plans

We began what was to be our routine for the next 2 weeks, the checking in of any available powered sites. All you have to do is drive into a Holiday Park, locate a reception, pay your fees (average $18 - 16 per head per night), and park your van onto your dedicated parking lot. Plug in your electrical cables and water supply lines, and presto, your van has just turned into a cosy cabin.

Because we were green and inexperienced, we checked into the Top10 Holiday Park. These are the NZ equivalent of Aussie's Big4 Holiday Parks. There is one of them in almost every town and they provide the best facilities: - regularly-cleaned washrooms, spacious kitchens and miscellanous resources such as TV rooms, children's playground, mini pool etc. Some might even have a mini-golf lawn.

Which makes them the most expensive holiday parks around. Avoid them if you are on a budget.

even though they look really neat & tidy

you know you may need to pay extra when the reception looks like this

Apologies for sounding miserly. Trying to keep a realistic budget here.

Not so when it comes to tea. Being avid food-lovers, (a.k.a. gluttons), we decided to splurge a little for dinner. We found the wrong place to do so. Do not go to the Palazzo de Marinaio when in Christchurch. Firstly because they are the first Italians to disappoint us. Secondly, they could not deliver even with the abundant seafood available in NZ. Thirdly, the ingredients were used haphazardly and there is always a fourth and a fifth, but I shall spare you the whole inefficacy.

Do not know why we fell for such a corny promo

Day 1 Evening

2010-04-18T17:25:00.011+10:00

2 April 2010

A very unfortunate circumstance of the recent times is that all overseas vacation has to involve being in an airport. Unless, of course you are one of those who own their own private jet and have their own hangar, you will have to be subjected to the perils of commercial airplanes.

I consider myself an occasional flyer, and even so, I wish I do not have to fly as often as I do (which is not very often). I don't have problems flying, I just dislike long waiting times, queues, sterile airport conditions, baggage scans and cramped economy class.

Melbourne International Airport

Day 1 of vacation is quite un-happening. Our plans only include touring around the South Island of New Zealand. The journey inevitably begins with the boarding of a Jetstar plane. We were supposed to land in Christchurch 4 hours later, at 1200 hours NZ time. We did not.

We ended up in Wellington airport, all the way in the North island due to bad weather conditions and low visibility caused by the fog. Pilot has attempted 2 unsuccesful landings. It was then 0100 hours and we were quite tired.

Had a bit of delay in the immigration department as our arrival was unexpected and D had to share the same name as one of NZ's wanted fugitives. Thankfully, he was cleared and released 15 minutes later.

It was 3 hours later before they finally allocated a room for most of the passengers, including us, to spend the night. Apparently our plane was not the only one that was 'stranded'.

some had to resort to sleeping in airport

We had a measly 3 hours' sleep, then went to board the 0940 plane. Was told to unboard plane at 1030. Legal problems. Christchurch continues to evade us. ~ groans ~

Finally get to board the plane again at 1500. It was not unlike a bad deja vu.

Wellington Airport

It was of great relief when the plane finally did leave Wellington soil. It was of even greater relief when we felt the plane bumped to its landing on Christchurch Airport. The passengers were ecstatic and we broke into a cheerful (or rather, grateful) applause. Most of the Kiwis retained their sense of humour even after loosing a full day off their schedule.

Take off!

Christchurch - the garden city

Hello and welcome to our vacation!

Travelogue

2010-04-17T19:43:00.005+10:00

Blog Reopening

Apologies for the long absence.

The Garden is growing well, thank you very much. Hope they survive the winter.

Absence is due to completion of all current building projects and shortage of funds for construction and landscaping until further notice. In addition to that, blog owners were involved with a minor wedding ceremony. To each other, just in case you are wondering.

Meanwhile, some remaining funds were allocated to another assignment - Project Honeymoon.

The next couple of entries shall be dedicated to the documentation of our 'exploitation' and exploration of Australia's understated neighbour - the KIWIS ...

Again, apologies for the inconsistency. What started out as a building blog is now potentially changing direction to be a travelogue. Please be advised that the only constant for the blog content and intent shall be changes. Also, frequency of blog entry will be project-based as all of the expeditions are self-funded, unless indicated otherwise.

Do stay tune though. Official opening shall be posted through the ever-reliable Facebook.

Aotearoa

Garden of Earthly Delights

2009-12-08T22:01:00.017+11:00

3rd December 2009

No, it has nothing to do with Bosch whatsoever.

It's just that something is growing. There are finally some results to our land cultivation: - you could see how excited we are by the ridiculous photos we took.

budding bud

and welcome to the world

chilly in toddler stage

You get enthusiastic about sowing, growth, development and hopefully fruition. It was almost like parenthood, in a perverted and bizzare sort of way. Except you do not need to worry about tuition fees, and the main priority is to nurture the plants to an edible stage.

dwarf beans - week old photos

But, they involve some basic 'upbringing' fees anyhow. Firstly, you need to enrol them into the best possible potting mix you can afford. You can choose from the basic mushroom compost, or something premium like the blood-&-bone mix, but different plants need different nutrients, so it is best to consult Google what sort of mix your plant needs.

okras / ladies fingers / bendi

Enrolling a child to a prestigious school may have its benefits, but it would not do the child much good if he / she hangs out with a rambunctious crowd. This is probably a bad example, but your plants should avoid bad company by all means too. Do not let them near weeds. (not the TV series).

2 months later ...

Anyway, we hoped to reap the rewards soon! Here, we have dwarf beans and snow peas fluorishing slowly over the vines. We scrutinize them daily and are thrilled to see their frilly fingers grasping on the wires D has set up, to reach new heights.

we hope they are what we think they are (beans)

sun-gazers

The sunflowers are just teasing us with their continuous growth. They tower over the rest of the vegetables, they grow steadily, they follow the sun, but they just refuse to flower. Not even a bud has surfaced. Oh well, we'll wait it out. It will be worth it.

we think they are what they are (tomato)

first harvests!

D was absolutely bowled over with the first cuttings of the chillies. To be honest, I'm not really sure if they are green chillies or they just happen to be unripe. Being an ex-city-dweller, D would probably frame them on the walls, if they were not bio-degradable.

family portrait

This is the overall patch. It really is very small and the close-up shots I had earlier were a little deceiving.

Gate How-To

2009-11-16T21:00:00.015+11:00

23 November 2009

Gate installation includes but not limited to: - gate transportation to desired location, gate balancing, and making ready of gravelled area for gate installation.

Figure 1

First, set out pathway for gate to manouver. Draw a half circle in ground with the diameter of circle being the full width of the door. Use leftover bricks to pave the radial pathway. Set bricks into ground accordingly.

Diagram 2

Locate gate next to existing timber post. Ensure that gate is upright and the external face of the gate is aligned with the external face of the post. Hold post-end of gate so that it is not tilted to begin screwing holes for hinges. Drill holes all the way through the post and timber. Ensure no one is on the other side of door during drilling process to avoid unneccesary holes in un-needed places.

Image 3

Bolt selected hinges into place through door panel and post, approximately 600mm apart from each other starting from the centreline of the gate. Use 2 no.s of mild-steel, 300mm long, fixed-butt hinges. Cap bolts with matching nuts on the other end. Tighten to secure.

Photo 4

Next, give door a heave to test if door and castor wheel works. If door falls down, repeat the whole process again. If wall falls down, tearing post and fence along the way, engage a professional gate builder and check to see if home+content insurance covers moronic behaviours. Proceed.

Picture 5

Finally, clean all exposed surfaces of gate with clean water. Ensure surfaces are dry and free of dirt or smudges before commencing painting. Apply 2 coats of clear polyurethane finish to panels and louvers generously. Second coat should be painted a minimum of 1 hour after first coat has been applied. Use spray-gun to coat the louvered and other hard-to-reach areas. Use chinese paint brush as a cheaper alternative for spray-gun. Do not paint if weather is muggy or rain is forecasted. Leave to dry.

Install child-proof, vandal-resistant, dog-safe latch if required.

Gate

2009-11-10T22:08:00.014+11:00

6 November 2009

The job to make the house complete seems like a never-ending journey. Not that we would want this journey to end anytime soon. Today it's about the gate. The side gate leading to our backyard on the Northern side of the site.

Gate base frame

D had a vision of a timber-strip gate. Timber was used because that is the only thing he could manipulate freely and it matches our deck. The gate design incorporates some see-through element that does not compromise on privacy.

Louvers

The gate will be made up of 3 sections, 2 parts solid, and 1 part semi-solid. The semi-solid area will be made up of repetitive timber louvers that is detailed as per the image above and below.

Washer - Bolt - Washer

First, D made 2 separate frames which would eventually be the 'solid' component. Then he started working on the louvered zone by stacking the pre-cut timber louvers (approx. 50mm wide) consecutively on top of one of the frames. The louvered part is anchored to the frame with a galvanised bracket - sponsored by our neighbour.

The anchor bracket

Clearer picture

This sums up the description above. D used four of M10 galvanized steel rods at 1.2m long as the louver supports. The pre-cut louvers were also pre-drilled at intervals similar as the distance between the rods, so they could be slide in, as indicated.

Gate skeleton

2 weekends later, the gate was approaching completion. At this stage, due to the amount of materials we used, this gate was heavy as! Still, there's more to come... After conducting a little bit of measuring, D realised that the dimensions is slightly off the mark. It was a teeny bit shorter than anticipated. Thus a frame along the perimeter was added to the structure.

Extra framing

Next, - the 'solid' part. For that, D screwed 2 pieces of 7mm thick plywood on each side, 4 pieces, for both sides. I'm starting to get worried as the structure continuously piles on more and more weight ...

Solid & See-thru

And lastly, for this entry, how is the gate going to work? It is way too heavy to just rely on the hinge itself. It cannot be lifted off the ground, but definately has to rest on something and yet remain mobile. So, we shall have a little wheel at the other edge of the door.

Castrol Wheel

This little castrol wheel is going to support half the weight of the massive door. It's rubber based, pretty cheap and we hope that it could withstand the elements and does not need replacement in the near future. To see how it all comes together, stay tuned ...

Edible Garden

2009-10-28T21:28:00.020+11:00

28 October 2009

It all started with a harmless exchange of gift from our neighbour, B.C. We gave them some pumpkin cake and they returned the favour with gorgeous free range eggs which were humongous, substantial and possessed the sunniest yolks. And as they were consumed, there is that feel-good sense when you are eating anything natural that has not been hormone-injected nor steriod-induced.

No, we are not going to rear our own chooks yet although that may be another topic for another day. Today though, we shall dabble in the art of Gardening.

Vegie patch

Initially the little patch of space allocated next to our deck was for a herb garden. But a recent trip down to Bunnings changed our minds with their impressive array of vegetables. So, vegie patch it is!

Starters

Since neither of us are endowed with green thumbs, we decided to start small. Tomatoes, chillies and rosemary. Not what you would call a satisfying meal, I know.

From little things big things grow - Australian super theme song

We threw in some onions and dwarf bean seeds too. After burying them into the soil, we never saw them again. Somehow a re-emergence seemed doubtful.

Plant food

On the journey to set up this little patch, we learnt a thing or two about horticulture. We learnt that, there is a lot to learn and, there is a lot we don't know.

In the meantime, we also bought two pots of lavender (not sure what is it's exact genus, there are so many of them!) and two packets of sunflower seedlings. The lavender is to landscape the front yard while the sunflower is just because, well, they are my favourite.
Coincidently, they are both edible.

Sunflower-growing kit

Kit breakdown

Day 3 - Pod emergence

Day 6 - Germination

Our sunflower journey looks to be progressive, compared to the others. We bought the kit from a local budget shop. I love these kits as they are living proof that even idiots can sow a seed : )

For our front yard, lavender was chosen due to its resilience, drought-tolerance and of course, its heady aroma and romantic little buds.

Lavandula bud

We hope that we would have a hedge of it someday. Eventually. Whenever you feel like it. Take your time.

"Flowers"

A potful into the potting mix

go forth and multiply!

Right. All in the ground now. What with austere water restrictions and the impending, scorching summer, I can only hope that all the plants survive and thrive. Besides, summer is not the only immediate adversary. We have cute little furry friends to look out for ...

cute little furry friends awaiting

this entry is specially dedicated to the someone who is currently living in the city and yet, insane over gardening, botany and plant cultivation.

Driveway Part II

2009-10-20T21:23:00.015+11:00

9 October 2009

Works on the front yard & driveway continues. After the initial setting out, we ventured to deliver some mulch & stones on site. Hence another visit to D's favorite landscape establishment, a local dealer called dirtbark & bits.

dirtbark & bits

We ordered 3 cubic metres of red-gum mulch & 3 cubic metres of stones for our floor covers. As D and I could not agree on which stones to use, we went with a mixture that consists of both our preference - Tuscan & Cream pebbles for the driveway.

mulch & stones

Scattered

Firstly, it was the entry platform - we shoveled some stones to fill in the gaps between the timber sleepers. They were then, packed tightly in place. By the time we finished spreading the stones around, our wheelbarrow, imported all the way from the PRC, has suffered some casualty. It was slightly disabled, and may very likely not wheel again as it used to.

Couple of steps

Later on, D got ambitious, (the weather was close to perfection) and hastily started extending the frontal area. He added a couple of steps to the platform using some red-gum sleepers in order to further articulate the entrance.

Planter box?

Also, a planter-box like arrangement was constructed at the Southern side of the front elevation. Future plans include rock + Cycad palm features. The planter box was promptly dusted and stained to achieve a continuous 'merbau' look, if you like.

Next, the sleepers were hosed down with water to clean away the muddy stain left from the day's work. Finally D spread the mulch evenly across the exposed areas.

The result

In due time, we have got something worth calling an entrance. D played with the use of different materials, contrasting elements that maintained an overall consistency and my personal favorite ...

From the main road

Levels! I find the idea of various platforms cum steps converging to the portico delighful and all the more interesting for what would have been a mundane front elevation. Levels, though, are quite the common treatment to front lawns in the neighbourhood but I bet we won't find a sleeper driveway anywhere near us anytime soon.

Levels

Now, all we need is some greenery ... Lavender perhaps?

Driveway Part I

2009-10-08T21:57:00.021+11:00

3 October 2009

It's high time to start on a long-awaited project of ours. Le driveway. Believe it or not, after all these months that we have been residing here, we irresponsibly parked our car on the nature strip.

Please do not tell the council.

Red gum sleepers

8 out of 10 spec home owners have concrete driveways. I have to agree that concrete driveways are by far the most convenient of all, as they are needless to say, durable, neat and low-maintanence. Here however, we have decided to go unconventional with the driveway.

Weather worn grains

Having alternatives usually bump up the prices. We planned to use railway sleepers, not because we are driving a bloody train okay, but just because we like the characteristics of well-worn aesthetics. Believe it or not ~

goodbye, cliches ...

Anyway, the sleepers were ordered, delivered and D set to work about them because I could not move those darned sleepers a single inch. Yes, they probably weigh about a tonne each, to me at least.

hello, backaches ...

We shall 'sleeper' our driveway and our entry platform. For the platform, D made a shallow indent to the grounds, before positioning the sleepers accordingly.

In position

6 steps to the house

Now, just moving 1 of these hefty things is enough to make me call it quits, so I do not know where D summoned the strength to continue working on the driveway ...

One by one

Before the laying of the sleepers, we had some levelling to do. Our house, you see, was ever so slightly lower than the road, and there was a gradual slope from footpath to Garage. We have previously filled it up with gravel but now, we found out that it was too high. So we laboured to remove all excessive land, before D dragged the sleepers into place.

Levelling

Ingeniously, D conceived of the idea to use fishing lines as a levelling device. Its a hazard to the workplace though, as the line is semi-transparent and I almost tripped over it a couple of times. Eating gravel is not fun.

21 down, 9 more to go ...

I do acknowledge the fact that it looks a little messy at the moment.

Steel anchors courtesy of B.

Our dear neighbour came over one noon and asked us a very good question, "How are you going to stop the sleepers from moving when you drive over it?" to which he answered himself, "Use the steel offcuts that I've in my shed got as an anchor. You'll need my awesome jackhammer!" ok, he did not exaclty said 'awesome'

It was then we decided that B is the best sort of neighbour anyone could wish for. The beautiful thing is, he always comes with two stubbies in his hands ... And if you ever need any of his superawesome special power tools, all you need to do, is to appear on his doorstop, with two stubbies in your hands ...

Two weekend's worth of work

*** superawesome ***

Finally Fencing

2009-09-23T19:39:00.020+10:00

23 September 2003

It has been exactly 4 months and 1 day since we moved into the new place. While we have got ourselves a new vacuum cleaner, a big fat couch, a sizable deck and a new lifestyle, we have yet to have proper fencing. Correction, we got no fence at all.

That is, until now ...

Site prep for fencing

Professional hole - digger

Yes, this is how proper hole digging is done.

Our fencer is a most elusive man. Does not answer nor return calls. After some prompting in the form of us almost engaging another fencer, we gratefully found the first holes being dug around the boundary - signs of work commencing.

Posts

Further down the track, steel posts & support channels are erected in place. We have quite a huge area to cover, considering.

Progress

The fencer's progress was seriously snail-paced. Please do NOT use him if you happen to be in the region. Contact me for more details.

C - Channel

We specified for timber plinths below our fence for fear of having unruly dogs digging their way into our compound.

Fence Frames

In 4 days' time, the fencer has erected frames all over the title and the sheets throughout except for the Southern boundary.

Colourbond Sheets

We thought that was progress ... until, it stopped. Literally. So now, we are half-fenced. We were left high & dry ...

North boundary - missing board!

For the first time, I'm speechless.

Neighbours

As appaling as it is, deep down, I really couldn't care less. With a great neighbour next door, it just means that we could traipse down his lawn anytime to grab a cold beer, have a chat or ultimately, to borrow some tools when the time comes ... hehehe

Finishing touches

2009-09-06T01:39:00.018+10:00

09 August 2009

It has been a while. The final installment is on its way.

90 x 19 merbau decking @ $5 per piece

The deck will be completed with the laying of the merbau strips. This is by far the easiest part of the entire deck-making operation. (besides the painting, of course). By the way, we still could not get over the fact that Aussies like to pronounce merbau as mer-boo. Strangeness..

Nailing

We have put off this last part of the construction for some time. D took the time to source some good, local timber. We went to small businesses around the region but in the end succumbed to buying the materials from Bunnings as no other establishments could match their price.

Two nails per strip

Slow progress

Slowly but surely, D painstakingly measured and spaced each strip accordingly before pre-drilling the holes for the nails. All that is left for me to do was to nail in as required.

Front decking complete

Next, we started on the rear decking. Similar story, triple in size.

Alternate joints

Fill in the gaps

Overcuts

Trimming of overcuts

The whole afternoon was spent with D aligning, drilling, sawing and me nailing. D installed panels to the sides, so that the whole package exudes a 'neater' look. And so, we worked till the cows come home.

Literally!

After this, D can of course commision himself as an outdoor additions builder. As for me, I'd be happy with a diploma in hammering.

The last nail soon