Surrounded by mountains and trees it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security that you’re enjoying nature. There is no doubt we are surrounded by some of nature’s best.
We are also surrounded by one of the biggest industries in New Zealand, forestry. This means the trees that flank the hillsides are destined for the chop and ultimately into the wood market. And when this happens it’s not a pretty sight.
None the less there are some amazing views, hills to climb and things to spy on our walks. Today the bassets and I hiked up to the airfield where the local gliding club is based.
Colours screamed at you from all directions at the Martinborough Fair at the weekend. Previously I might have said that there were lots of crafts but now I’m a photographer I was seeing things from a whole different perspective. I decided in an instant that I should snap away to get as many colours as I could.
These knitted toys were such wonderful quality but it was the vibrancy of the colours that really grabbed my attention. Perfect for small people.
Today I feel like I’ve been living in a surreal world. I’m leading a two day strategy and team building event for a Government communications department and whilst I’ve lived and breathed public sector communications most of my working life I feel very detached from the reality of it all.
On one hand it feels like I’ve never been away from this environment but on the other it feels like a whole different world. I’ve only been out of it for just over a year but already it feels like a place I never was. I can’t tell yet whether it’s just that the working world has moved on or whether I have.
This picture taken at Kaitoke Regional Park is where they filmed the Lord of the Rings movies. There are always lots of tours of the key sights. I thought it was representative of another world. Also, it’s a thoroughly nice place to go and we took the dogs there tonight whilst I cleared my head from the chit chat, chit chat of the day!
There are lots of excellent photographic opportunities there but forgive me for shortchanging my blog for today. But work is work so no luxury of blogging in depth today. Sorry about that. I’ll be back tomorrow and then the day after. Watch out for the hobbits in the meantime!
We don’t like to think of our family and friends at home suffering in the snow so we organise an icy southerly blast to come up from the pole. We’ve had some rain, mist and a cold wind to bring me closer to those I love up in the northern hemisphere.
It’s never much fun when this happens and I feel cheated when it happens during the summer. After all it should be all about the sun. Read more
I sometimes feel challenged by my daily blogging habit. Other days it’s sheer delight to be able to share my fun and adventures here in New Zealand. I was starting to think it was time to broaden my scope of reporting when lo and behold some new neighbours moved in.
And here they are. Some beautiful, bright eyed and decidedly four legged neighbours. Read more
It’s been suggested by an avid reader of my blog that my posts are a little inward looking. A bit focused on basset hounds and directed towards life here at Domestic Executive HQ. I’m always keen to get feedback given succinctly, specifically and generously (the mantra for giving feedback as a coach).
Darling you’re blog’s getting a bit dull all about the dogs and the house. Why didn’t you blog about X, or Y, and there was A, B, C you missed. Says nearest and dearest.
Such feedback is not to be dismissed lightly. So I gave some thought to how I should respond. Read more
It seems that New Zealand has not missed out on the global trend for truckies create a convoy and blockage cities. Today was a protest against new Government Road User Charges that truckies say are putting their businesses in jeaopardy and they don’t believe they are fair to the industry.
Protesting in Wellington is a fairly common thing and when I used to work behind the Parliament buildings it was a regular thing to be looking out to see who was getting airiated that day. I think this was much more spectacular and had quite an impact on all the major cities around New Zealand – Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Parmerston North, Invercargill, Dunedin, Rotarua to name a few. Read more
Whilst there is much debate whether we do in fact have a problem it seems word has got out that New Zealand may be moving towards black out as the low rainfall impacts on our ability to generate power. Reported in the Guardian today:
New Zealanders are to be urged to wash dishes by hand and turn off some of their household lights as the country teeters on the brink of a power crisis caused by drought.
After two years of dry weather the low level of water in lakes that drive New Zealand’s hydroelectric power plants is causing concern. The energy minister, David Parker, yesterday denied claims that the country was facing rolling power cuts, but said that unless there was significant rainfall soon households would be asked to cut electricity consumption by up to 15% during the peak early evening time.
Hydroelectric stations usually produce about 75% of New Zealand’s electricity but lack of rainfall has reduced that output in recent weeks to only 50%. Coal, diesel and gas-fired power plants are trying to make up the shortfall, but more strain is expected to be put on the national grid with the arrival of winter in the southern hemisphere.
Backed by the government, the electricity industry is to launch a power-saving campaign on television.
“I think the advice will be that, while it’s not an emergency, it is time for people to be turning off lights in rooms they are not using, certainly not leaving the computer on all night or the heated towel rail on for 24 hours a day,” Helen Clark, New Zealand’s prime minister, said in a radio interview.
The irony is that we should not be wasting energy full stop. For one thing it’s horrendously expensive and it’s not good for the planet. This is another example of the all pure, clean and green NZers not walking the talk.
You’ll be pleased to know our towel rails are on timers and I am becoming increasingly obessed about leaving lights on unnecessarily. I guess our real luxury is having the computer downloading (but not all night I hasten to add) but this is just the alternative to us watching hours of TV. Although we’re not squeaky clean when it comes to power saving I can sleep easy that we’re doing out bit!
Seems that the black caps are off to a reasonable start in their campaign of Cricket in England. It’s good to see the kiwi spirit of endeavour continues.
Back here at home the news is riddled with conspiracy and intrigue with three investigations being launched into the immigration service here. The head of the service resigned last week after allegations of corruption in the pacific division – also that she didn’t have a PhD from LSE after all. I hope our residency application isn’t sitting in her in-tray.
Electioneering is also winding up ahead of the budget this Thursday. Much speculation about whether there will be some tax cuts to sweeten the bitter pill being taken by kiwis with inflationary pressures hitting home. The price of everything seems to be going up – especially food, fuel and energy bills.
Let’s just hope that the Black Caps can start winning and cheers us all up!
Not quite the barmy army!
Hinerakau, the beautiful daughter of a Pakipaki chief, was to be the focal point of a plan. She would get the leader of the Waimarama tribes, a giant named Te Mata, to fall in love with her, turning his thoughts from war into peace. The plan succeeded, but she too fell in love.
The last was to bite his way through the hills between the coast and the plains so that people could come and go with greater ease.
So here’s some professional ones….
