It's been a little while since I've updated my blog. I'm back at the University of Canterbury Library again this evening, and I've brought some photos of our trip to Castle Hill to post. So read on...
We've been sick; more accurately, we are sick. We have some kind of nasty bug, which I very strongly suspect is a Noro-virus. Aya was up sick in the night last night, and Shelley and I both have been stricken with aches, chills, and lots of abdominal discomfort. Interestingly, Rowan seems fine so far, except for a runny nose. Hopefully it will stay that way!
Beyond that, we haven't done many interesting things. The peaches on our peach tree are slowly growing more ripe, and we are beginning to wonder what we will do with 300+ peaches. Lots of peach crumble, I suspect, will be on order. We'll likely freeze many, as well.
Sadly, we have not been climbing for many weeks now. A week ago we were at Sumner beach to hang out at Cave Rock and eat fish and chips on the beach, and I did a little bouldering. There is climbing chalk sprinkled around on holds here and there, so I know that people climb there, at least occaisonally. I really want to go back with some chalk and climbing shoes, but it'll have to wait until this virus passes...
As for adventures, I think we are going to go to Akaroa next. The harbour at Akaroa was originally settled by the French, and many of the streets retain french names. Apparently, it is a very pretty village, and we are keen to go see it.
It's still Summer here. Not being from New Zealand, I'm not sure when we'll head into Fall and Winter. The winters in ChCh are very mild, though (a bit warmer than Vancouver, certainly MUCH warmer than Edmonton), so I'm not expecting it to be so bad. EXCEPT for our drafty house - tons of single pane windows and no insulation is great for summer, but it'll be grim come winter. Especially when the 'heating' is exactly up to Canadian standards. We (like all NZers) will soon own electric blankets, I suspect.
Lately I've been wishing that our Friends and Family would come visit us here in NZ. There's lots to see, and we have an extra bedroom! It just sits empty, waiting...
One more thought - the produce here is wonderful! Especially the carrots and lettuce. And the cheese - Canada really needs to get its cheese act together. Its not that the cheese here is so much better - its just that good cheese is about half the cost here, and you can buy it everywhere.
This week, we especially miss our Gagnon cousins! And also Danial Gable - there are few people as interesting and fun to have around as Danial.
A few photos. The first picture is of the castle hill basin. This is what much of the high country here looks like. Very different than Canada - mountains without trees! Before the Maori and the Europeans arrived, beech forests covered much of the east coast and interior. But they were burned off first to hunt moa, then to raise sheep. But they're sllooowwwllly coming back.
More soon,
Trent
