Maple Glen, Eastern Southland

As their website says,  Maple Glen is
"A 25 acre private garden, nursery, aviary, woodland and wetland set in the rolling green countryside of Southland, South Island, New Zealand. Home to a large population of native and exotic birds including handreared parrots and waterfowl."

It is one of those gardens that you like to take visitors to our province to see, so spectacular as it is. It is situated 35 minutes from Invercargill so it was there that Chris, Edith and I went with Ulrika on Wednesday. Each season provides such a different experience and I was keen to tag along when the trip was suggested as I have not ever visited in autumn.  Every visit also seems to see an expansion to this garden as it encroaches further and further into the farm.
Website link for Maple Glen

 Unfortunately the day wasn't the kindest to us and we spent much of our visit dashing from one tree to another to avoid the rain.  The views however weren't compromised and it is as spectacular as ever. The deciduous trees were starting to turn and the autumn crocuses are massed planted and were a blaze of colour.

Next stop on our tour was Fortrose which is a twenty minute drive down on to the south coast.  (This is also the spot where the photo at the top of my blog is taken on a much better day.)
Link for Fortrose information
The wind was at its best and no explanations were needed for why the trees grow so windswept on a day like this.  Lunch was a 'Southland picnic' sitting in the car on the foreshore.  Later we drove up onto the cliffs behind the Golf Course to get a better look at the mouth of the Mataura River. No cobwebs left after a good brisk walk up there!!!   We also went and had a look at Pukeko Alley where local resident and artist Maree Beker works and sells her work. It certainly reflects the ruggedness of the southern coast.
Pukeko Alley  or  PUKEKO-ALLEY-ART-GALLERY

Riverton Harvest Festival

Last Saturday I traveled with Chris and Ulrika out to the Harvest Festival in Riverton. This is an annual event in Riverton (in fact this is their 6th one) and is held to celebrate the home harvest, with workshops, displays and markets. We had enrolled in two workshops - foraging and plants for bees, and our first one started at 9:30am. The hall at Aprima College was a hive of busyness when we arrived as displays and stalls were being set up.

There was plenty for everyone to see, loads of produce for sale and even a festival 'cafe' where we had a yummy lunch.

A yummy lunch.

Display of heritage apples grown in Riverton.

Selection of plants that can be foraged as food.
Some of you may think these are weeds!!!

Our workshops were very informative and although I was familiar with most of the information, it is always good to have it refreshed in your mind.  Since that Saturday I have had my Michael Daly book on foraging in NZ called  "Find it, Eat It' and have tried several new recipes. The latest one is one using elderberries to make panna cotta and chocolate truffles using the left over seeds and skins. Very rich but also very delicious.





The Harvest Festival is spread over two days, with a shared harvest feast. During the evening there is a competition for Champion of the Harvest, the trophy being a beautifully carved wooden apple which I was lucky enough to win it in 2010.  Living a gypsy type life (and not having a real garden)  I have not been able to return to defend my title. Maybe one day.







We completed our day's outing with a walk up to the lookout on More's Reserve and another one around on the Rocks.

A view from the lookout.

The Rocks.

Southland Community Nursery

For over 14 years I have been volunteering at the Southland Community Nursery on a Friday morning. Recently Chris has had a Nature Education Centre built and with this has come a large car park. This makes an excellent spot to park up the bus so it was here when we returned to Invercargill on Thursday that we parked up for our first four nights.

Whenever we are back in town we try to spend at least one Friday morning volunteering in the nursery.  It has become a very popular spot and up to twenty people can be there beavering away on tasks such as weeding and potting up new plants.  It is a great place to meet new people (there is always some new) or to catch up on old friends. Like me, some have been coming on and off for a long time and it is great to hear all their news. Morning teas are becoming 'legendary' for both their range of foods and their camaraderie. In fact some people only turn up for the morning tea!!! It all helps to develop the 'community' part of the nursery.

The new nature education centre is a fantastic addition to the whole project. Not only does it provide a venue for large groups of school children to work in regardless of the weather, it is a very comfortable area for the morning teas.

If you want to learn more about what the 'Nursery' provides, follow this link to the website. It is full of information about How the Nursery Works, Restoring your patch, The Education  as well as the latest news and happenings.

Southland Community Nursery

You shouldn't leave them unattended!!

Jessica always says you shouldn't leave a bloke unattended at home on their own for too long. She once went to a conference for a weekend and when she came home Andrew had a builder all organised to have a wall in the kitchen removed!! With no consultation.
So when I left Stephen down here in TeAnau on his own for two weeks I was taking a risk. I was always a little suspicious when he was very keen to wave me goodbye,  and happily told me that there was no hurry to get back!! My suspicions were further raised when emails starting arriving from Placemakers, telling me we had earned our next $25 voucher, and then the next and so on. (You need to spend $250 to earn this). Nightly phone conversations weren't very helpful either when I quizzed him as what he had been doing for the day. The standard answer seemed to be "just a bit of this and that."

So when I got here I was very keen to see what he had been up to. Well as usual he had been beavering away and I had to agree that he had made a good job. He had lined up and the garage and painted it all. He had also put in a mezzanine floor for storage and has plans for further development.

Girls Weekend in Ashburton

Over 40 years ago five very young country girls arrived in Christchurch to start their teacher training. During that first year they boarded in a hostel in Latimer Square and it was there that life time friendships were forged. When they went flatting together everyone said that it would never work. Five friends together!! It just shows how wrong the critics were. Over the years they have lived away from each other but the friendships have endured. In 2005 all met up, with their husbands, on the island of Naxos in Greece for a reunion. Averil still lives there with her family but the others are now all South Island based.

Of course one of those young girls was my very self, and this weekend we decided it was time for us all to catch up. (We would have loved Ave to be there but it is just a bit far for her!) We often catch up with each other but not often as a group so since I was reasonably close by we decided it was a good opportunity. Juliana lives in Ashburton so it was there we met on Friday night. Juliana cooked for us that night, though it was getting rather late by the time we got around to eating. 

We had a great weekend - lots of talking, reminiscing, laughing, a wine or two and  of course talking 'shop' though that doesn't interest me as much these days. Gone are the days of late nights though as we were all tucked up in bed each night well before 11pm (and some of us even earlier than that!)

Nelson Creek

Nelson Creek is signposted on the road from Greymouth to Reefton and it is one of the places I have also wanted to visit. So on Sunday when we were looking for something do it was there that Rami and Shirley took me. From the Domain (which looks a great place to camp) there are several shirt walks that take you around a gold mining site. Like several others similar sites  that we have walked, a strong influence Chinese was present. The water races that had been carved out were incredible - so deep and just wide enough for a small person to stand in to dig it out.

Outside the tunnel entrance to the start of the walks.

Before driving on further up the valley we bought ourselves some takeaways for lunch at the local pub. Rami wanted to go up to the Haupiri River to try his chances at hooking a trout for our tea. It was a beautiful autumnal day and while Rami fished, Shirley and I sunned ourselves and swatted the sand flies.

Spot Rami, hidden by the flax, with rod in hand.

Greymouth

This week I am having a holiday in Greymouth with my friend Shirley and her husband Rami. It is exactly a year ago since I have been over to visit and it was time for a good catchup.

After the wedding anniversary in Geraldine Stephen headed back to TeAnau to work on our rental property(not exactly sure what he is up to but time will tell!) and I spent another couple of days with Mum and Dad. Unfortunately after having such a lovely time over the weekend Mum had very nasty fall when she was out for walk. She must be made of good strong bones as none were broken but she was very badly bruised especially on her face. It has been good that Joy has been there to help out while she recovers her strength.
It is a 4 hour plus drive from Geraldine to Greymouth but last Tuesday it took me a lot longer. There was a series of roadworks that held me up. In fact I waited nearly over 20 minutes at the Rakaia Gorge Bridge only to held up by a slow vehicle that had at least 20 vehicles behind it and was impossible to pass. I am usually pretty patient but ....... Stephen would never have let that happen if he was driving the bus.

The weather over here has been very kind to me. Sunny warm autumnal days with not so much as a hint of rain and it looks like it will stay that way for at least the rest of the week. Not like poor old Christchurch.

As Shirley only works mornings, we have had the afternoons to spend together. We have been shopping, out for lunch, to the local swimming complex for our exercise and another re-organised some of the furniture in their house to make better use of the space. All this as well we enjoying a good old catch up over a glass or two of wines in the evenings.

Shirl with my latest crafty creation - a lovely hot-water bottle cover!!

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60th Wedding Anniversary

Last week we were in Geraldine to celebrate my Mum and Dad's 60 the wedding anniversary. It doesn't seem all that long ago we since we celebrated the 50 year mark but obviously it is ten years on. This time it was a much more low key event. On the actual day, 27 February, we went out to lunch at one of the local cafe and then on Saturday the whole clan arrived, first for the cutting of the cake and afternoon, and later that evening a buffet meal we had prepared.

We had lots of laughs, congratulatory letters to read including one of the Queen and the Governor General, and a toast to the celebrated couple. 60 years is certainly a long time to be married to the same person especially in this day and age. As Keith said friendship really is the basis of a good marriage. That and plenty of humour and Dad certainly has plenty of that!! Every year of their 60 years they have celebrated by having a waltz around the kitchen, in their nightwear. This year We captured it on film, only to have Dad, as quick as say that the first ten years were in their 'all together'!!

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