The Giblings in New Zealand 2013 - 2014 Page 4
The view from our window at the fab Lake Rerewhakaaitu and two youngsters offering this trout they had caught in the lake as a gift to us. So typical of the Kiwis. (There is tradition that the first fish caught is given away)
Rotorua. Just checking to make sure everything is still steaming nicely.
You'd expect the thermally active bits would be well out of town wouldn't you? You'd be wrong!
There are steaming drains and bubbling mud right in the town centre. Not forgetting that most of the town doesn't smell too pleasant either. The locals just don't notice it and enjoy very hot water in their homes simply by sinking a heat-exchanger straight into the garden.
When in town, we often stay at a Club that backs on to a lovely garden, which is actually an arboretum. It has very steep areas that must be very difficult to work on. It's as demanding as the Plantation Garden back home.
There's a whole bank of this stuff that makes fantastic ground cover and the bees love it. I have no idea what it is though, or whether it would grow in the UK.
A day with the Barnetts, rail cruising. Self drive (on rails) scenic trip.
I've completely forgotten what the sculpture is all about but I'd quite like to have that in my garden.
Back to GoVino for another equally delicious meal (see Page 1) The tasting menu is always delicious and fun to see what is going to arrive on the table next. We had 8 courses this time, 3 are my photos below.
Octopus - roasted nectarine, mushroom puree and truffle oil, with tomato and parmesan, then
Lamb Backstrap – with pickled fennel, tomato, parsley, and a cauliflower cous cous
All fab.
Above, a strange globe is delivered to our table and lifted to reveal duck in a bowl of smoke. It smells wonderful and, of course, eats beautifully too. (Duck Breast - smoked at your table with radish, orange, wild roquette and broad bean salad with sherry glaze)
These are dishes for sharing, we had eight courses between 4 of us and we loved them all. Thanks again Ryan and crew.
Chinese New Year. The Lantern festival in Albert Park, Auckland gets very, very busy at night. We could only get there on the bus as there would be no chance of parking the camper, so we went in the daytime. Kind of missed the point quite a bit but we had some very tasty food, were entertained by drummers and singers and, of course, bought some 'tat'.
The clay at Matakana is dug out of a pit and dried. That was news to me; I had assumed that clay was something that was kept wet until fired to make pottery. Not so ...
Here are the stages of preparing the clay. Dried, then crushed to a very fine silt and then mixed with iron sand to give great strength.
Only then is the mix re-wetted and formed into clay.
The pieces made here are mostly very big, and boldly coloured too!
That's always the incredible bit. The plate far left undergoes an amazing colour metamorphosis in the 2nd firing.
Below, the pot in the foregound will emerge the same colours as those in the kiln behind.
I admit that my first impression wasn't enthusiastic but these pieces do grow on you.
Parrots at Kerikeri, rocks at Hikurangi, a horse whisperer class at Waimate and PalmCo garden in Kerikeri
