Waiting for our ship to come in...

She is called the Hyundai Singapore, a Cyprus-registered container ship, operating under call sign 5BZP3 since 2006. She measures 303 metres by 40 metres and has a dead weight tonnage (DWT) of 85,250. And she is “our ship” – the one that is transporting our stuff from Cape Town to Wellington. “Our stuff”

One never really thinks about shipping routes, vessel speeds or the total time taken by ocean freight, until you are directly involved… like Waiting for your ship to come in… from half-way around the globe!

It is almost disheartening to see from the world shipping routes map that Wellington is actually “off the map”! That’s not a good sign…

31 January – Depart Cape Town

On 28 January, we received the following email. They managed to get my name wrong in the subject line. Let’s hope that’s the only mistake they make in the move!

Allied Pickfords Ref 947887 personal effects shipment for Mr T Andrew

I am pleased to advise your personal effects  for  Mr T Andrews are due into the country soon. At this stage the shipping line have advised it has sailed from Cape Town with an approx date of arrival into Wellington  on the 8 March. Once the shipping line confirm the vessel details and arrival date we can send you out the necessary declaration forms for NZ Customs & Quarantine. These should be completed and returned to us as quickly as possible at which stage we can get the clearance process underway. This may involve a Quarantine inspection - particularly if your shipment includes outdoor furniture, gardening equipment, Xmas decorations, sporting or camping gear, bicycles etc. There is a charge for any inspection but we will confirm this as soon as known.

Hyundai Singapore (to be called by the affectionate abbreviation “the HS”) only left Table Bay somewhere around 31st January, according to the shipping watch website, headed for Las Palmas.

11 February – Depart Las Palmas

I have never been to the Canaries and know even less about the archipelago. The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries, are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 kilometres west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries consist of (largest to smallest): Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Graciosa, Isla de Lobos, Montana Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste.

I am not quite sure where the HS is headed, but she is making her usual progress at 18.1 knots direction 15º (33.5 kph @ 1.852 conversion).

As I am keenly awaiting my scanner, battery charger and a change of socks and underclothes, you will understand that I keep a close watch on shipping progress, just like some folk look at their Facebook pages. With (maybe) another 15,000 km to go – I really don’t know, travelling at 30 kph, the HS should dock in Wellington in … 15000 divided by 30 = 500 hours = 20 days??? That’s barring stopovers in ports along the way…

To be updated on a regular basis.

Timber!

The property belonging to our neighbours across the way borders on the right bank of the Waikanae River, with a long row of extremely tall pines growing along a vertical erosion cliff. Having been planted many years ago, and now in 2014 the trees are clinging to the top edges of the sheer precipice, presenting a possible danger to people, property and the bridge over Kents Road.

I cannot even imagine the cost of felling and removing these giants, but I understand that the lumberjack will do all the work, the cutting and removal of the timber (for sale as firewood), and you may even get some change or firewood out of the deal.

The guy appointed, Richard, will be busy for three to four months. Here are some pics of his activities:

Richard’s office. A beautiful sylvan setting, but running a heavy chain-saw man-alone all day cannot be that much fun!

The “biscuits” (round wheelie sections of tree trunk) are further sliced and diced into fire-place sized pieces and loaded onto the back of the truck by conveyor. Who handles this department? Yes, you guessed – Richard – the fellow in the red overall.

A lumberjack’s (in this case, lumberdick’s) work is never done

Slicing the trunk into biscuits. What a mouthful…

Al la Biscuits! Ready for slicing and dicing into manageable firewood.

Oh yes! Wait a minute, Mr Postman!

(Stop)
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman
(Wait)
Wait Mister Postman

Please Mister Postman, look and see
(Oh yeah)
If there's a letter in your bag for me
(Please, Please Mister Postman)
Why's it takin' such a long time
(Oh yeah)
For me to hear from that boy of mine

After being exposed to a particular procedure of service situation for any length of time, you are inclined to accept such service without question and the whole thing becomes rather blase.

Arriving in a new country, you become exposed to the different ways that people handle similar situations. One such instance is the delivery of post. New Zealand mail operates what is called “Rural Delivery” (that’s the RD1 part of the postal address) in our area. The Postie must be able to place your mail in your box without leaving his/her vehicle: for this purpose there are instructions about size specification requirements.

 

The service is prompt and excellent, even operating on a Saturday afternoon!

One of the differences in aspects of NZ over South African post is that they offer printed postage stamps in addition to the date-franked version. Until now, all mail which we received had come from official sources in franked envelopes. My first stamped letter arrived at the end of January, thus:

 

These stamps sell for 95c each or $4.50 for the set of 5. This is the 2011 collection:

While the 2009 collection covered everyday items, instead of someone’s head or one of the major wild animals, including a push lawn-mower, fish n chips, and a sausage!

Reikorangi Big Game Hunters

New Zealand has a reputation as being a “green” pristine country with all the beauties of nature on show. Just as important, there are no territorial (land) snakes, native or imported, no lions, no tigers or any other such nasties which can kill you.

However, there is a small team of big game hunters in the Reikorangi Valley, to hunt down and capture the wild creatures around here: Below, we bring you a scoop preview of the team members and examples of their hauls:

Benny, the hedgehog king. He can hold even the biggest and heaviest of these hardy critters in his mouth, without damaging his cheeks or gums. Benny is probably the Reikorangi hunter king with a large tally of nocturnal hedgehogs to his name.

 
Sophie has recently demonstrated her prowess by capturing and bringing home this bunny, without really harming it. Rumour has it that the bunny died of heart failure. She has only caught one (so far) – on Goat’s Hill.

Cocoa caught this wee mouselet this afternoon. (see yellow arrow and outline). We couldn’t get a decent photo of the agile mite, not even one in focus. But then, again, Cocoa is not much of a hunter – he’s quite good at snoozing.  Sorry, Cocoa.

Chook-coop ideas – pinkprint 1.0

Pinkprint 1.0

The 2.4m regular octagonal outline measured on the grass in the coop section, marked with little stones, represents the proposed outline for a chook-coop. The long diagonals, as indicated on the plan, should measure 6.27m each, with a constant internal angle of 135º, giving a total enclosed floor area of 27.8 square metres. The laying and roosting enclosure will fit comfortably inside the Octagon.

The precise location of the Octagon can still be decided later.

Close Your Eyes

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you

I managed to snap these pictures through the kitchen window pane yesterday morning, after hearing:

“Oh no, Benny, look at you now! You dirty doggy! You’re all covered in sand – that won’t do! We will have to wash your face and your collar immediately!"

A few minutes later, the unfortunate Benny was sitting obediently, subjecting himself to human hygiene methods, without visible protest:

At the end of the routine, Benny was tightly embraced and told what a clean boy he is.

Roof Possum-bilities?

© D.O.C., New Zealand.

The Australian brush tailed possum was introduced into New Zealand in 1837 to establish a fur trade.The possum has a thick, bushy tail, a pointed snout and long, fox-like tapering ears. Size and weight of possums varies greatly across New Zealand. Adult possums are typically between 65 and 95cm in length, and can weigh anywhere between 1.4 and 6.4kg.

There are two general colour forms, grey and black, although each of these varies greatly.

• Grey possums are generally a clear grizzled grey on the body, with the face pale grey, darker around the eyes and on the side of the snout, and white at the base of the ears.
• Black possums are generally a deep, yellowish-brown, tinged with rusty red. The ears have little or no white at the base and the tail is nearly entirely black.

The damage to native forests can be seen all too clearly in many areas. Possums ignore old leaves and select the best new growth. In some areas they have eaten whole canopies of rata, totara, titoki, kowhai and kohekohe.

Possums compete with native birds for habitat and for food such as insects and berries. They also disturb nesting birds, eat their eggs and chicks and may impact on native land snails. Dairy and deer farmers have the added worry of possums spreading bovine tuberculosis. Possums are a nuisance in suburban gardens, and sometimes even indoors.

For a number of consecutive nights around 2:00am, we have heard one (or more?) of these critters somewhere in the darkness outside. (Have I mentioned how dark the darkness can be on a cloudy night in the countryside with no neighbours, no streetlights? The answer… not extremely dark, but very most extremely dark.)

The sounds these creatures make are quite distasteful.

There is a strong possum-bility that we have one or more of these critters living in the roof, and we need to eradicate the problem sooner rather than later. At least one possum has definitely been chomping on the tree just outside the living room, as we can see by the forensic evidence on the lawn every morning -  a bunch of half-eaten leaves and branches.

He’s a Lumberjack!

He's a lumberjack, and he's okay,
He sleeps all night and he works all day.

I cut down trees, I eat my lunch,
I go to the lava-try.
On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
And have buttered scones for tea.

I cut down trees, I skip and jump,
I like to press wild flowers.
I put on women's clothing,
And hang around in bars.

A drawback of having a street-facing property bordered by tall pine trees is that the maintenance of the trees and the safety of passing motorists and pedestrians become your responsibility. Thus, yesterday afternoon, Bianca, Clayton and Tyler together with chainsaw, handsaw, secateurs and long-handled lopper, went down to the southern end of the grounds to attend to some of the overhanging branches and unruly overgrowth along the fence. I remained in the safety of the inside of the paddock and grabbled whatever was sawn off property-side.

It was only after the weary troops were returning to base camp to clean the cutting edges and to nurse the overheated chainsaw that I realised that the camera had not been present. It was therefore after the event that I took these photos.

Brynn had been building a castle with the fir branches and had incarcerated Bennie in the Tower of pines. Obedient Bennie seemed quite happy with the doll-house episode and snoozed without protest.

Along the inner fence, where once was a wilderness of overgrowth, I can see clearly now…

No longer will we run the risk of having our eyes poked out by stuff sticking out of the trunks. Thanks to Bianca, Clayton and Tyler. Not necessarily in that order.

Graduation of the first Tiny Tims

Any achievement is noteworthy, especially in the eyes of the achiever.

This morning, Clayton carefully harvested the first half kilo or so of small bright red tomatoes from his greenhouse after a number of weeks of caring concern and worry that “his little ones” wouldn’t develop from the green bumpkins into shining slickers. Those who were still on the orange side were left for promotion for tomorrow or Sunday.

What I know about gardening is dangerous – almost as much as I know about nuclear physics or women. The fruit collected, therefore, in my book are tomatoes. I have checked the seed packets in the seed-store (shelf in the garage) and discovered that they could be Tiny Tim cherry tomatoes, McGregor’s cocktail tomatoes (unlikely, because the packet is still sealed), or Dwarf Maja tomatoes.

Our policy is to grow vegetables and fruit which will be used: I understand that there is a plan afoot to sow a few of each of the varieties of tomato seed, interspersed with Basil at fortnightly intervals to evaluate the most suitable and desirable variety for us. Keeping you posted.

Next on the harvest list are the bigger tomatoes and sweetcorn.

We got Our Shot

Today we popped down to the Waikanae Healthcare Centre for an appointment with Nurse Lee: Operation Tetanus, or perhaps Anti-Tetanus, if you will.

I always thought that lockjaw was caused by wounds from rusty nails, bites from rabid dogs, and the like. No, no, no, I was advised by the professionals: its a bug in the soil and it is very d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s.

You cannot get tetanus from another person. You can get it through a cut or other wound. Tetanus bacteria are commonly present in soil, dust, water, and manure. The tetanus bacteria can infect you even through a tiny scratch. But you are more likely to get tetanus through deep punctures from wounds created by nails or knives. The bacteria travels via blood or nerves to your central nervous system.

Tetanus symptoms result from a toxin produced by tetanus bacteria. Symptoms often begin around a week after infection. But this may range from three days to three weeks. The most common symptom is a stiff jaw, which can become "locked." This is how the disease came to be called lockjaw.

Jeanette and I each got a shot in the left-hand side deltoid (shoulder) muscle, zap, and that was that. Now, we can safely go tramping on rusty nails, tease the neighbours dogs or be pricked by rose thorns and stuff. Not really, but I trust that we have some protection against this bacteria.

The ugly one.

Waitangi Day : 6 February

“If you and your family are going away on a short little holiday, then you need not go to school on Friday. But if you are not going away, then it is school as usual.”

This is the way that Brynn explained her educational commitments for Friday 7th.

Waitangi is 230km North of the City of Auckland, just under 3 hours by road, according to Google Earth.

Why? Because tomorrow Thursday 6 February is Waitangi Day, an official public holiday, leaving a long weekend for those wanting to take Friday off. It commemorates the first signing of New Zealand’s founding document – the Treaty at Waitangi in 1840. It is a public holiday in New Zealand on February 6 each year.

Māori cultural performances, speeches from Māori and Pakeha (European) dignitaries, and a naval salute are all part of the official Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi, New Zealand. Waitangi Day is also a time when people publicly debate on issues such as national identity and multiculturalism.

Various activities and events are held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It’s a day that bubbles with ceremonies, music, sports and fun. Waitangi Day itself has always involved performances and parades from the Royal New Zealand Navy and local cultural groups.

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are home to 2 national icons:

• 'Te Whare Runanga', a carved Māori meeting house that commemorates the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Carvings in the house were produced by the local Ngapuhi tribe, but the building is represents all Māori tribes.
• Ngatokimatawhaorua, one of the largest Māori waka (war canoe). It can seat a crew of up to 80 paddlers and 55 passengers

Ngatokimatawhaorua at the Treaty Grounds. (Photo: © Jock Phillips)

Ngātokimatawhaorua is housed at the Treaty Grounds, Waitangi. It is named after the original Ngātokimatawhaorua, which was re-adzed from Kupe’s canoe, the Matawhaorua.

School’s In

Schooldays back again. Tyler started Year 12 yesterday and Brynn tackles Year 5 this morning.

“It’s my first day of Science.” (said in a hoarse voice). “Mom bought me a Science book!” Let’s hope the enthusiasm last past Day One!

Time to leave trusty pal Benny at home and go to face the grumpy teachers and bossy classmates:

Have you seen the Damsons?

Jeanette has often related the story of the Latkes. Here it is again, if you haven’t heard it yet:  A Jewish friend invited us to an outdoor event associated with one of the Jewish religious festivals (I cannot recall  the correct name). This friend was bubbling over with excitement, as we had not been to such an event before, and we would meet a number of her Jewish friends, and get to savour some of their typical foods and snacks which would be on sale at the stalls.

One such promise was, “Jeanette, you must remind me to introduce you to the Latkes.” (pronounced ‘Lutt- kahs’). And so it came to pass that we moved around the site and were introduced to the Cohens and Rabinowitz’s and others. When it came to getting something to eat, you can imagine our surprise when her friend, tra-la-la-la-la, introduced… the Latkes… not a family from Sea Point, but a traditional Jewish snack, being a shallow-fried pancake of grated potato, flour and egg, flavoured with grated onion and seasoning!

Now, I need to ask: Have I introduced you to the Damsons?

Yes, you guessed – they are not a family living in the Reikorangi valley. No, they are part of the 2014 Chartwell Summer Harvest. I’ve shown the lemons and the plums: Yesterday, Tyler harvested the crop of Damson Plums for further treatment. I am not sure whether the blackbirds scavenged most of the crop, or whether this is merely a late harvest, but the haul was not overly large, by any stretch of the imagination.

Above: Part of the small harvest. Damsons are not all that big, scarcely bigger than very large grapes, with a purplish skin and greenish-yellow flesh – As they are extremely sharp to the taste, they are not really a fruit for eating off the tree.

The main characteristic of the Damson is its distinctive rich flavour; unlike other plums it is both high in sugars and highly astringent (see below). The fruit of the damson can also be identified by its shape, which is usually ovoid and slightly pointed at one end; its smooth-textured yellow-green flesh; Most damsons are of the "clingstone" type, where the flesh adheres to the stone.

 Astringent:
The taste of foodstuffs can broadly be categorised into 6 groups: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Pungent, and Astringent. While the first four tastes are probably recognizable, the last two may not seem familiar. Pungent taste is hot and spicy as found in a chilli pepper, while Astringent taste is dry and light as found in popcorn.

Good Vibrations on a Summer Beach

Sunday certainly lived up to its name – plenty of Sun. So, an ideal opportunity to take the kids down to the beach for a cool-off.

Waikanae Beach. As long as you behave in a decent fashion and drive sociably, there is no reason why you should not drive on the beach.

Fisherman returning from the sea at the Boating/Angling Club.

Kapiti Island which provides much of the shelter to this protected stretch of the coast. The sea is perfectly calm.

Brynn collected sea-water to mix with sand to make her sand-cat. Running, because her bucket has a hole in it.

Tyler did plenty swimming. Then he decided to climb this stump. Why? Because it was there, naturally.

The green green grass of home

It’s all good and well that the grass is greener on the other side. Just remember that you must cut it yourself! Really sweaty work during such a hot spell of the year. Thank you for the stallion effort, Dad. We really appreciate the much improved appearance of the lawns. Yay!

Clearing the perimeter along the Goat Hill fence.

When a plan comes together

Can you remember John Hannibal Smith, B.A. Baracus, Templeton Faceman Peck and H.M. Howlin Mad Murdoch? Sure you do. The A-Team. And can you remember what was Hannibal’s favourite saying?

“I love it when a plan comes together!  Nice.”

At the end of this week, Sir Barry delivered our concept plan for the extension. In the greater scheme of things, the extension is but a tiny part, but when it comes down to checking over the broad details, there are suddenly a heap of questions on stuff that needs to be decided.

(Above): Sorry, there are a few scratchings on the plan. Look, you can even see me lying on the bed! Well, not quite me, but a stickman representation of me…

There is stuff such as outer wall cladding. In SA, there is no question: of course it will either be face-brick or painted cement plaster. In NZ the walls are much thinner and made of wood. The outer skin can be covered with brick veneer or with timber weather board. So, we spent the larger part of Saturday at various hardware merchants such as PlaceMakers (‘Know how. Can do.”) and Mitre 10 Mega, looking at all sorts of brick veneer, none of which match the bricks which are currently on the walls of the house. One of the problems.

Then there is the little problem of where to use pine weatherboard and where it is more appropriate to use Cedar (imported from Canada). Time will tell.

The main talking point is the shape of the roof, which must blend in with the existing roof of the house. It will be virtually flat, with the side bits at the same slope as the house. Confused? Well, to be perfectly honest, I guess we are just a weeny bit uncertain as well. But, to use the words of Sir Barry:

I have attached a couple of basic sketches that show the outline shape of the extension and how it all fits with the existing building.  I hope this is enough to convey how it all goes together.  As I said, the need for fall on the flat section of roof results in it not being a 'regular' rectangle.  Interesting geometry!

Just not too sure about the suspect lurking at the corner of the bedroom like that.