The NZ diary
24.4.12 - I kept a diary on my NZ trip. Coincidentally, I used the same notebook to diarise my San Francisco trip back in 1998, which made for interesting reading when I'd finished the one book I'd taken with me.
Tues. 10.4.12 - I got to Tullamarine early, which was just as well as they'd stipulated to be at the airport three hours before boarding, rather than the two hours I'd supposed. Anyway, I'd barely slept the night before, so it wasn't difficult getting up. I was about to join the check-in queue when I thought to myself, 'I've got no luggage and an E-ticket, I should be able to just walk in to Customs.' So I did. It wasn't till I got right to the Customs' booths that I was told I actually had an itinerary and I should've got a boarding pass, so I had to go through the whole bloody epic procedure again.
When I finally got to the gate lounge, Jetstar surpised everyone (and no-one) by announcing that food of any sort would be available for neither love nor money on the flight over.
I didn't even think about Smartgate. Well, not until I got to Christchurch and the Customs guy there asked why I hadn't used it. I looked around. There were maybe two other people within cooee. I explained it was new to me and I'd forgotten I had it and apologised. He waved me through wearily.
It was good to see Tony again. He was grumbling about the new pay-before-you-leave system they've just installed at the airport. Things are a bit behind in Christchurch. We bought a couple of pinots at Lincoln's new New World and I chose the Mt Difficulty, which is my current can't-go-wrong pinot. As we arrived at the supermarket we met Jan leaving. Lincoln's a small town.
Wed. 11.4.12 - It rained heavily overnight and the day looked like it was going to be pretty miserable - perfect for checking out the wreckage that is the Christchurch CBD, Sumner and Lyttelton - and on the way we visited the St Andrews' clothing outfitters and I got a St Andrews' track suit, which, for a couple of reasons, tickled Tony no end.
We stopped at the Catholic Basilica, (pic 1) which, unlike the Square's faux neo-gothic Anglican Cathedral, has some claim to actual architectural significance. Very sad it was too. We drove down to Sumner with its rows of containers (pic 2) rather hopefully lined up against the cliffs as some kind of buffer in the event of another major quake and the mood seemed to get progressively more sombre. Lyttelton was a mess too, but somehow a good part of its inherent picturesqueness seems to have survived and after a pleasant lunch our mood had picked up somewhat.
That night I was treated to a dozen Bluff Oysters, (which oddly I'd never tasted before), home-cooked rack o' lamb and my absolute favourite dessert, gooseberry pie!
Thurs. 12.4.12 - Tony and I went out to Eyrewell Forest, about an hour west of Christchurch, and dropped in on an old Art School mate of ours, Bret deThier. (pic 5) Bret lives in a striking home that he designed himself using commercially available Totalspan spec's, rather as if it were an assigned design problem. I'm undecided about its ultra-functional looking interior, but it is certainly a very cosy and comfortable, almost entirely self-sustaining home with a well-lit studio attached - which, of course, fits Bret's own brief perfectly. I finally came face to face with the bust Bret made of me back in 1964 (?) (pic 6) Sad to say, I suspect the corresponding one I made of Bret got turfed after my grandmother died.
Our next stop was less than five minutes away at Trevor Courtney's farmlet and it was great to catch up with Lyndsay and Trevor's (pics 7 & 8) latest adventures. It was in the middle of the saffron 'flush', which means there were hours each day being spent harvesting and then processing the precious crocus stigmas, but we had time for a cuppa and Trevor took me on a guided tour around the farm. Incidentally, he's now added a couple of bee hives to his repertoire of productive beasties.
I had promised to be at the Burns' by 7.00 that evening, but by the time I got there I was at least an hour late. Nevertheless, Teri and Pete (pic 9) made me most welcome and we had aq lovely evening. When I got back to the Brittendens I was surprised to hear Jan arrive back late from her bridge session and lost my footing at the top of the stairs and fell heavily on my back. Fortunately I just copped a graze and bruise (pic 10) but I have been warned to be more circumspect round stairs. And ladders.. (Sigh!)
Fri. 13.4.12 - An exotic breakfast of whitebait fritters sent me on my way to Auckland where I expected to be met by my (amazing) mum in her new pink-champagne runabout. After an hour or so waiting outside the Jetstar terminal (you can see where this is going, can't you?) I finally got through to dear mother on my mobile. She was justifiably irritated that I hadn't been where she thought I should've been (at the Air NZ terminal) and said she wasn't going to be coming all that way again - which I totally understood and found myself a shuttle bus that dropped me at her door just a couple of hours late. I blamed myself for not ringing Mum before I left to confirm my arrival details - and the fact that it was Friday the 13th, of course.
Sat. 14.4.12 - Mum dropped me off at Susie's after lunch while she attended a get-together of her late friend Norma's friends thrown by her tearaway shearer daughter. (Only in NZ). I thought Mum looked rather splendid. (pic 11)
That night Mum took me to Windross House for a slap-up meal. There was a large family contingent on the next table who all had the same nose - and the same cackle. I've decided that laughter can be an identifiable family trait - I noticed that Chris and Jeremy have the same chuckle as their father for instance.
When we got home Mum and I watched the DVD that Tony had bought for me - When a City Falls, obviously about the Christchurch earthquakes and a very sobering account it is. By the time it's finished you wonder that there's anybody living there still.
Sun. 15.4.12 - Picked up my rental car and then followed mum's car on a cross-country route to Chris and Wendy's (new to me) place. (pic 12) It's a big, rambling house that's ideal for them, with their three girls, a host of Asian student boarders, two large dogs and two identical tabbies. After showing me the view of the city from the top balcony, (pic 13) they very kindly invited us to stay for tea. Lovely!
Mon. 16.4.12 - Drove down to Rotorua to spend the night with my (amazing) father, David. He'd prepared a deicious rack o' lamb and a bottle of McGuigans Shiraz, so the evening was redolent with the smacking of lips and a bevy of tall tales, some of which I could swear I'd heard before. We watched a doco on the repatriation of some Klimt portraits by the Austrian state to a Jewish woman living in the States, which might've been tedious but for the fact that I'd just been reading The Hare with Amber Eyes. If you haven't read it, you should. (David had).
The next morning I headed back to Auckland after a fine brekkie with David in down-town Rotorua. (pic 14) I made it back in two and a half hours, not quite as quick as David's two hours and eight minutes in the E-type back in the '60s, but respectable.
Wed. 18.4.12 - Visited my friend Jeff Smith in the morning then popped in to see the aunts who'd assembled in Bev's place in Remuera. (pic 15) We're all on aspirin these days and consequently bruise easily, so there was a display of bruises followed by a nice cup of tea. I really do love them all. They used to read adventures from the William books to Dick and me before we went to sleep when used to stay with our grandparents in the August holidays.
For something completely different, that night I drove into town to an inner city pub called the Kings Arms where a legendary '60s band, The Sonics, (from Tecoma Washington) was playing. It had been mooted that The Chants might re-boot for this very show, and although that never eventuated, it had something to do with the timing of my visit. I stayed for the entire show, although about two thirds of the way through I retired to the beer garden for reasons of health and safety. The Sonics were pretty loud. They were contemporaries of The Chants, so they were my age and I must say they were enthusiastic. I'd not heard of them before so I can't vouch for the line-up's authenticity, but it would've been slightly unusual for the time with sax and keyboards augmenting the standard guitar, bass and drums.
They stuck to the script, (as with The Chants, mostly covers) and their new songs (originals) slotted into the mix seamlessly. They had a penchant for semi-tones, but that wouldn't be enough to constitute a recognisable Sonics' style and there really weren't any musical highlights to speak of. Not that it mattered to the punters - they enjoyed the night hugely and John Baker (pic 16) would've been pleased with the reception and the turnout.
There was a lovely moment at the end of the night when The Sonics had retired to the street and found themselves locked out of the pub. John Baker managed to save the day. (pic 17)
Thurs. 19.4.12 - Mum and I got our dose of culture at the Auckland Gallery (pic 18) at the Degas to Dali exhibition, on loan from the National Galleries of Scotland. By necessity it was pretty thinly spread - there were only a coupleof Dali's for instance - but it was a good selection overall with a few more samples from the Scottish Colourists than you might normally expect. We had a light lunch at the Gallery café that featured a special Impressionist menu. (pic 19) I had the Broccoli soup with Stilton cheese.
That night we had a very special dining experience at the Pyrenees Restaurant (French) in Remuera with Susie and Jeremy. (pic 20) The room temperature did become a little excessive but fortunately somebody opened the doors before we all melted. (I should mention for the benefit of Land-of-the-Long-White-Cloud detractors, that, with the exception of my first day in Christchurch, the weather was consistently perfect wherever I went).
I could say that my trip home the next day was uneventful, only there was one incident on the plane that scarred my fragile mind and that will probably be the subject of my next Pith & Wind. I did eventually master the Smartgate thing and, had I not missed my connecting train, would've been home in record time. Thankfully, I won't mention being constipated for the last three days..