Category Archives: Uncategorized

Aoraki/Mt. Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand (a tad over 3700 meters, or 12,200 feet). One of the first people to climb Mt. Cook was Jack Clarke…but sadly, no relation (I think). Its more (most?) famous climber was Sir Edmund Hillary, who climbed the mountain in 1948 as a young teenager, and ofContinue reading “Sizzling on Mt. Cook….”

I think it was Mart Twain who said the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. He could have been talking about Dunedin! Except, not today, nor yesterday when the temperature reached 30C on TWO consecutive days (86F, for you in America). But don’t worry; it’s forecasted to be raining andContinue reading “Summertime!”

I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last post! Crazy busy…and yet in some ways so chill. I left you, a month ago, in a field of lupin. Don’t worry, there will be heaps more of that in this post. In August, I had arranged my work schedule so that I could visitContinue reading “A remarkable(s) loop, California, and quarantined (again!)”

With only a few days off work for the last few weeks, my excursions outside Dunedin have been constrained a bit. Last weekend, I was determined to make the most of a whole day off. After all, it’s Spring…and the lupin is in bloom. I have been obsessed with finding a field full of lupinContinue reading “It’s Spring! And there’s lupin!”

Should America ever get its act together (it’s not looking good) it might be possible someday to travel to the amazing country of New Zealand. And should you ever have the opportunity to travel here, being the altruistic guy I am, I’d like to prepare you for your arrival. Yes, they speak English here…but it’sContinue reading “The Weather is Warming, Grab you Togs and Jandals!”

It is Spring in New Zealand, and whilst thankfully there is no Covid in the air, there is change. The cadence of nature is all around you. Springtime ushers in brilliant green grasses and budding tree leaves. These vibrant greens burst into full color (or, colour) display when the sun shines, as it did duringContinue reading “A Birthday wish and a Birthday fish.”

Original words are exceedingly rare. So, I will borrow one to describe my ‘backyard’….Magical. Since my trip to Wanaka two weeks ago, I’ve worked a weekend day in each of the last two weekends. That makes trips out of town a little more challenging, and backyard exploring is all the more intriguing. I am fortunateContinue reading “In my backyard…”

In 1972 Lou Reed released his second album (you know, the vinyl kind) which included the song, “Walk on the Wild Side”. It would be his biggest hit, and interestingly the album was co-produced by David Bowie. Also on the album was the song, “Perfect Day”, and so my weekend in Wanaka encompassed two songsContinue reading “A Walk on the Wild Side…of Wanaka”

Last week, as I drove along the Southern Coastal Highway (a two lane road) towards a favorite local fishing spot, I began to feel…well….comfortable. I noticed I’m no longer freaked out by seeing the steering wheel on right hand side of the car. I rarely have to remind myself to stay on the left handContinue reading “It’s like I live here….”

Neil and Tim Flynn, of Crowded House, wrote a song with this title in 1992 (I was very young at the time..) about the weather in Melbourne..which, apparently, can change very rapidly. This may be a Southern Hemisphere thing…since in Dunedin we experience the same thing. A lot. For example, just this week we wentContinue reading “Four Seasons in One Day”