Christmas Wishes for 2021

Christmas Wishes for 2021

Here we are at the end of another year.  I never thought when I wrote my post last Christmas that I would be writing a similar one this year but here we are. It has been a strange year, to say the least. There has been  a great feeling of unease throughout the world never knowing when there will be another lockdown or a surge in illness.  It is hard to plan, it is painful to be missing overseas family and it is difficult to see friends struggling with the uncertainty of their jobs, businesses etc.    I am very grateful to have come through it unscathed although I feel deeply for those who have found it difficult in many different ways.

So for a few days at least let's focus on the joy and message of Christmas.  Let's delight in the excitement of children and their wonder at the magic of it all.  You do not have to be a Christian to share in the joy and the message of hope that Christmas brings. 

Enjoy this beautiful Christmas song sung by Il Divo.

My wish is that everyone has the best Christmas possible, surrounded by family and friends and good cheer. Let's all hope that 2022 brings good health, an end to this ghastly epidemic  and the freedom to travel, to see loved ones especially, but also for pleasure.  Hopefully 2022 will bring me opportunities to blog again and share my pleasure in travel and adventure with you.   

Today I'm setting my table ready for a family lunch tomorrow.  The tree is ready surrounded by gifts and the sun is shining.  Christmas day should be wonderful!

 

100 Days of Lockdown

 Greetings everyone!  It's been a while!  Since we have been in a covid induced lockdown for 100 days now there just hasn't been much to blog about.  I live in Auckland which has had, and continues to have, the most severe lockdown of anywhere in New Zealand.   Throughout this lockdown we have not been permitted to go beyond Auckland city limits making us virtual prisoners in our city.  It hasn't been easy for a lot of people, however I'm of a generally optimistic outlook so in this blog I have decided to focus mainly on the positives of a lockdown. Apologies for repeating some of what I have written in a previous blog, I guess that just shows how uneventful life has been here! -)

Hmmm!  Will it be pasta or rice for dinner tonight.

As I mentioned in a previous post I decided to live off what I had stored in my freezer, fridge and pantry.  Amazingly I got through 12 weeks without going to a supermarket or having any food delivered although my daughter in law kept me in fresh fruit and vegetables.  I enjoyed the challenge and when things get back to normal I will replenish my stocks.  I did get a bit tired of rice and pasta dishes though, and I have to admit,  it surprised me how much food I had stored.

Having lived alone for a number of years was an advantage because  I am used to my own company.  Nevertheless I did miss my friends and my coffee catch ups. This is where the wonderful world of technology came in and regular zoom sessions with my book club and various friends and family were a welcome change from talking to myself out of sheer boredom.

I  enjoyed much more time in my garden.  I started growing vegetables from seeds I had stored and I pruned, and weeded and trimmed edges to my heart's delight. It was a calming, satisfying occupation.  With almost no aeroplanes in the sky the garden was a very peaceful place to be.

Taking  on the role of teacher to my 6 and 9 year old grandchildren four days a week was rewarding, fun and challenging.  I learnt a lot and I think they did too, at least I hope they did!  There is nothing like one on one attention. Now they are happily back at school but only on alternate days so my teaching duties have been halved.

 

  Hard at work at the
school of Grandma

I learnt that as the lockdown went on and on, with no end in sight, a lethargy took hold and I got lazier and lazier - "there's always tomorrow" - I thought.  No house painting this time just the  occasional small tasks, like tidying up my spices, or spring cleaning a room and then only when I felt the urge to do something.

There was more time for reading and I even reread some of my favourites.  Jigsaws?  Well there's only so many you can do, isn't there?

I am not particularly fond of shopping so didn't miss it at all.  Even now that things are slowly opening up and we can go to shops I can't be bothered. I do, however, make a point of buying take away coffee when I'm out walking, mainly to support businesses which are struggling through this difficult time.

I have discovered new places to walk close to home, that's been fun. And I always feel blessed to live in such a lovely area.

The pleasure of taking time to watch the sea and sky

I did miss going to the ballet, plays and the cinema.  I look forward to when they will reopen to audiences again.

I have family in London.  I haven't seen my grandchildren in two and a half years.  It's sad, they are growing up fast. It will be a joyous day when I do get to see them again.

Finally, there is no joy in being imprisoned in your own city.  Even if you are free to travel but don't go anywhere it is just good to know that you can if you want to.  Meanwhile I am trying to make the most of a quieter life and to be honest I'm quite enjoying the slower pace. Nevertheless, let's hope that freedom day is not far away and that this nasty covid decides to disappear as quickly as it arrived. Then I will, hopefully, be able to travel again and start writing things that are a bit more interesting.

Lockdown recipes

 We, in Auckland, are now heading towards our 7th week in lockdown although for the past few days the rules have relaxed slightly.  Auckland is ring fenced from the rest of New Zealand so no one is permitted to enter or leave the city.  This is because all our current covid cases are in Auckland. The concession is that we can now buy takeaways which has comes as a real morale booster and a big help to small businesses judging by the queues outside. 

I am still busy each day taking my grandchildren through their lessons and doing odd little tasks around home.  Although I would dearly love to travel to see my English family I can't say lockdown is too much of a problem for me.  I have been reading a lot and killing a little bit of time doing jigsaw puzzles.  This one was a doozy!  Sent to me by my son and daughter in law in England it certainly was a challenge -1000 pieces with no picture of any kind to follow and lots of very dark patches. It took me quite a while to discover which was up and which was down!  And, yes, there is a piece missing!

Having not done much baking for a number of years, (mainly because if I bake I eat it 😊), I have been baking once a week for my family.  I am quite happy pottering in the kitchen with my favourite music on with nothing else to do and nowhere to go.

This is my Chocolate Cake which everybody loves.  It was a recipe my mother made frequently and I jealously guarded it as my secret recipe for years. So many of my friends begged for the recipe that I finally gave in. Since a lot of people now have it you might as well have it too.

BUSY DAY CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 and 1/3 cups flour,  1 cup sugar,  1/4lb butter,  1 teaspoon baking soda,  6 tablespoons of cocoa, 1 cup sour milk,  1 egg,  1 teaspoon vanilla essence. NB: you can milk sour by adding a teaspoon of vinegar to it

Sift together flour soda and cocoa. Add sugar.  Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients and add egg, sour milk, melted butter and vanilla essence.  Beat well until smooth and sugar is dissolved and turn into an 8 inch square tin.

Bake in a moderate oven around 30 minutes. Test with a skewer. Ice with chocolate butter icing when cold.

Working my way through my pantry store has led me to being a bit inventive.  My daughter in law kindly supplies me with vegetables and a few staples otherwise I have been living on what I have.  It is kind of fun. Here is a surprisingly tasty dish I invented from what I had to hand.

SAVOURY BUTTERNUT

Take a butternut and slice it vertically down the middle. Scoop out the seeds and make the cavity a bit larger. Season  ( I used a smoky bacon salt),  drizzle with oil and roast in the oven until tender. Remove from the oven and fill the cavity with as much baked beans as it will take, or Mexican style beans if you prefer a kick. Sprinkle the top generously with grated tasty cheese and return to the oven.  Bake until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Then it is ready to eat and very yummy.

Greetings from lockdown

 Greetings from lockdown!

Below is a photo of my suitcase all packed and ready for me to fly to New Zealand's South Island. I had a whole lot of adventures booked which would have provided me with plenty to blog about.  Sadly, just 36 hours before my flight the whole country was plunged, once again, into a hard lockdown.  The packed suitcase still sits there looking at me accusingly  every time I walk past. I know it will be weeks, if not months, before I can rebook the trip but I simply don't have the enthusiasm to unpack so there is sits as a sad reminder of what was to be.

I am luckier than many, though.  Although I live alone I have joined a bubble which includes my son, daughter in law and two grandchildren. While my son and daughter in law work I mind the children four days a week, doing their lessons with them, playing games and taking them for walks.  It is a privilege and immensely rewarding, they are a joy to be with. 

Auckland has been in lockdown off and on a few times now and the novelty has well and truly worn off, my motivation to get things done is diminishing. During our first long lockdown I painted the whole exterior of my house.  This time I feel proud of myself if I make some jam, bread or a cake.  In order not to become absolutely idle I have made a plan  to do at least one worthwhile thing a day.  Today it was emptying a drawer in my filing cabinet and dumping screeds of saved and no longer needed documents, invoices and emails.  Very satisfying indeed.

Killing time with jigsaw puzzles and  working my way through my freezer and pantry making tasty meals such as the one below - Snapper with olive oil, lemon, garlic, spinach, tomatoes and potato wedges.  Ready to go in the oven.                        

I know we have been more fortunate than many other countries.  I have a son who lives with his family in London they suffered through a very prolonged hard lockdown although now the country has opened up and they are once again just getting on with life.  New Zealand's blessing and misfortune has been to be geographically isolated. This has led to a lack of planning and complacency which is why we are now in the position we are in.  We are well aware the rest of the world, excluding Australia, is now opening up but that still looks a distant dream for us.

The area I live in is lovely indeed. Every day I go for a walk and it is so uplifting to see the blossoms and flowers of spring breaking through. It speaks to me of good times ahead.  I am also loving the time I get to read or chat to friends on the phone.  I've even broken out another jigsaw puzzle and am not too worried if the house gets a little bit messy, there will be no visitors. 

So lockdown is not all bad and it is up to each of us to make the best of it. Nevertheless I know it is very hard for many people including business owners, families in small flats with children to entertain, lonely people etc.  My heart goes out to them.

A sign of good times ahead

If you want a break from reading, TV or Netflix have a trawl through my previous posts on this blog and do a bit of armchair traveling. 

Meanwhile, stay safe everyone, stay healthy and anyone struggling, please reach out to someone for help.  There is bound to be light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, before too long, this covid 19 will seem like a bad dream and I will once again have some interesting things to blog about.

Update: While Auckland, where I live, remains in a hard lockdown now into the fourth week, the rest of New Zealand is in a light lockdown which means most can go about their business normally.  Also some states in Australia remain in a hard lockdown.

A Rainforest Retreat Near Downtown Auckland

 Friends of my brother decided to give him a special treat to celebrate the significant birthday they couldn't share with him last year due to covid restrictions and I was lucky enough to be invited to join them.  The plan was to surprise him, so with a good deal of subterfuge, and vague promises of lunch at a beach on the west coast of Auckland, he and his friends headed off from downtown.   I was to meet them half way, to surprise my brother who wasn't expecting me.

The Nihotupu Dam and Manukau Harbour from Arataki Visitor Centre

Auckland is a beautiful city ringed by golden sand beaches to the east and framed by a glorious rain forest and wild, black sand beaches to the west. The Scenic Drive, through the bush clad Waitakere Ranges to the west coast, is famous and is reached within 30 minutes of downtown Auckland. I was to meet my brother, sister in law and their friends at the the Arataki Visitor Centre half way along the  drive.  The centre, located at a spectacular vantage point with wide views of the bush, forest and ocean, has as its aim the education of the public about conservation and how best to protect our native bush. You can also get information there about the numerous hiking tracks in the area. It is very interesting, beautifully laid out and well worth a visit.

After exclamations of "What are you doing here?" etc, from my brother,  and a nonchalant "Oh well you might as well join us for lunch", from his friends, we all set off to the  west coast surf beach of Piha for lunch.  It had been quite a few years since I had been there and I was taken, once again, by its wild beauty.  Lion Rock, which really does look like a crouching lion looking out to sea, is the major feature of the beach. A jaunt along the length of the beach and then it was time for a lunch of hearty pumpkin soup and bread fresh from the oven at the very warm and welcoming Piha Cafe.

Piha Beach and Lion Rock

Driving back along Scenic Drive, with my brother thinking that his surprise was completed, we took a detour to The Waitakere Resort and Spa hotel.  Its beautifully maintained, and very long, driveway winds down through native trees, ferns and bush. It is a sublime entry to the hotel and I couldn't stop myself from repeating "Wow", "Wow" out loud.

Waitakere Resort and Spa

The resort has a large hunting lodge type lounge where we enjoyed drinks before surprising my brother with the news that we were all staying the night.  He was thrilled and taken aback, so it was a perfect surprise.

The cosy lounge where a fire is lit every evening

We had a wonderful afternoon and evening.  Our rooms had spectacular views out over the bush and right across to the city in the distance.  We strolled the lovely gardens, had champagne and nibbles in my room and dinner in the restaurant.  The meal and service was faultless.  As if that wasn't enough when we went back to our rooms at the end of the evening we had a panoramic view of a large fireworks display on the outskirts of Auckland. The perfect end to a surprise birthday.

View from my room. Downtown Auckland in the distance, centre right

The next morning we awoke to drizzle so, after a leisurely breakfast, set off for home.  If there is one thing covid has done it has opened our eyes  to what there is to explore close to home.  I had been on the Scenic Drive and to Piha and other west coast beaches countless times but I never knew of the existence of the Waitakere Resort and Spa.  It is such a lovely, peaceful sanctuary in the Auckland rain forest, so close to home, that I have no doubt I will go there again.

The Skeleton Coast, Shipwrecks, Seals and Spitzkoppe - Namibia

 Another browse through my diary of the trip I took to Africa a few years ago.

A late start out of Swakopmund today as we wait for a spare part for the truck.  At last, repairs done, we are on our way travelling through vast, flat and featureless golden sands. There's not much to see so we spend the time chatting, dozing and joking. We are a happy, companiable bunch.

We travelled across this sand for hours

We stop at the lower reaches of the Skeleton Coast and walk across the sand to view a shipwrecked trawler.  It is a recent wreck and looks eerie wallowing on its side at the edge of the breakers.  The Skeleton Coast is named for the bleached whale and seal bones scattered along its length but it is also infamous for the number of ship wrecks that have occurred there over the years.  The combination of an inhospitable climate, constant rolling surf and regular sea fogs have made the coast fearsome for sailors and the subject of myth and legend.

An abandoned, shipwrecked trawler wallowing in the waves makes an eerie sight

We can smell our next stop before we can see it.  This is the Cape Cross seal colony, home to approximately 80,000 seals.  At first it is hard to discern them but as we get closer they become a seething mass crammed together on the rocks. A walkway takes us over and around them.  It is quite a sight but the smell is putrid and I am pleased I have a perfumed wipe to hold over my nose.

Cape Cross was named by Diego Cao, a Portuguese explorer who landed there in 1486 and planted a cross on his landing spot.

We are happy to leave the seal colony and have a picnic lunch further up the coast beside great crashing waves. Several of us run into the icy water to refresh ourselves and have a paddle, at least, in the Atlantic.

Hientjes Bay

After lunch we head inland again, passing through the strange little settlement of Hientjes Bay, built entirely on sand, we wonder who lives there and why. Our guide tells us it is a fishing village, After a while the scenery begins to change.  There is now some vegetation and in the distance we can see large red mountain peaks rising out of the Namib desert.  We are heading to Spitzkoppe, at 1728 metres it is the highest in the range.  We will camp overnight there. Spitzkoppe, like all the mountains in this area is more than 120 million years old, solid granite and is referred to as the Matterhorn of Namibia because of its similar shape to the Swiss mountain. 

As we arrive at the entrance to the camp site our truck becomes bogged down in the deep sand. We all climb out and the men in our group start digging the truck out.  After several attempts and with a good push from everyone the truck is finally free and we continue on to the camp.

Uh oh!  Our bogged truck, a fact of life in Africa

We  drive between the giant red mountains and into a canyon to our stunning camp site.  There are no facilities here, no water or showers and just a long drop toilet but we are awe struck by the setting and after pitching our tents set out to explore.

We entertain ourselves making photographed rock drawings

We clamber about over the rocks and pose to photograph our own version of rock drawings.  We sit on the warm red rock and watch the sun go down behind the mountains.  The sun is always a bright red ball as it goes down in this part of Africa but we have noticed the colour doesn't really spread across the sky.

Our truck in the stunning granite Spitzkoppe mountains

We spend the most magical evening sitting around the camp fire, chatting, singing and telling stories under a spectacular starry sky. 

We are way out in the wilderness and it is absolutely wonderful. 

Sand Dune Surfing and a Drive along 90 Mile Beach, Northern New Zealand

 Our route to the northernmost tip of New Zealand followed the east coast and our trip back followed the west.  Having enjoyed the thrill of visiting Cape Reinga our return trip took us first to the quiet, secluded Tapotupotu Bay where we dined on  packed lunches beside the rolling surf.  Back on the bus and off again we made our way along the Te Paki stream to the giant Te Paki sand dunes.  Luckily the stream was low making our trip along the stream bed bumpy but possible, it can become impassable after heavy rain .  The sand dunes stretch along the coast for 10 kilometres and reach up to 150 metres (feet) in height, they are a spectacular sight.

The bus drove along the stream bed to reach the Te Paki Dunes

Me on Dune 45 Namibia.
Dots at the top are people

We were there to do some sand surfing and I was determined to have a go.  Armed with sand surfing boards, provided by the tour company, those keen to give it a try climbed a dune looking forward to a thrilling ride down.  I don't know if you have ever climbed a gigantic sand dune but it is very hard work. Your feet sink down into the soft sand and each step is a major effort. It doesn't take long to feel pretty exhausted.  The last time I climbed one was in Namibia where I went right to the top of the 170 metre high Dune 45 at Sossusvlei to watch the sunrise.  I remember what a tough climb that was and I was 10 years younger then, but as the saying goes "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" so climb I did.

Fun on the Te Paki sand dunes

And I was pleased I did, it was well worth it.  At the top, and after some instruction from our guide, we lay stomach down on our boards and careered down the steep sandy slope one after the other, finding it was easy to brake, just by digging your toes into the sand. What an absolute buzz. I enjoyed it so much I went back for a second go but couldn't face climbing the dune a third time so just enjoyed watching from below the more youthful among us having fun.

At the start of our beach drive.  Speed limit on the beach - 100kph

Exhilarated, and still buzzing, we boarded the bus again for a drive along 90 mile beach.  90 mile beach is a bit of a misnomer, it is actually 55 miles or 88 kilometres long but you get the picture, it is really, really long, stretching as far as the eye can see.   The compacted golden sand makes it easy for buses to drive along the beach with foaming surf on one side and undulating sand dunes on the other, a truly unique experience. Interestingly, Ripiro Beach slightly further south is longer at 107 kms but far less famous. Herds of wild horses live in the dunes and the Aupouri forest behind the beach and we were hoping to see them.  Our guide warned us it would be unlikely but as luck would have it we spotted a small group of them right at the edge of the beach, a beautiful sight. The whole area is wild, isolated and absolutely wonderful.

The wild horses

 

Australia is out there somewhere

As far as the eye can see

We stopped for afternoon tea  in the lovingly refurbished pub at the tiny village of Awapuni before making the final trip back to Paihia.  What a fantastic day I'd had, it was everything I'd hoped for. 

 I highly recommend taking a GreatSights Fullers tour to Cape Reinga. Just sit back, enjoy the scenery and feel confident in the knowledge of the driver/tour guide.  You won't be disappointed. 

NB: I was not hosted by Fullers, I was a paying customer and this is purely my opinion.

Excuse the poor quality of some of the photos.  They were taken from the bus.

Cape Reinga -Trip to the northernmost tip of New Zealand

 To my shame, having lived in the North Island of New Zealand all my life, I had never been right up to the very northernmost tip of the country.  I had been to the southernmost tip on a couple of occasions and had come within a whisker of the very top a few times but never quite got there.  I had a few clear days in April so it was a case of now or never.

Firstly I made the four hour trip north and checked into my accommodation at Paihia in the Bay of Islands.  The next day I joined a Fullers bus tour to Cape Reinga.  I am so pleased I joined a tour, It really is the way to go.  Our driver/tour guide was fantastic, his interesting commentary covering all topics from the history of the north, the geography of the landscape, the local Maori lifestyle, the agriculture of the area, all peppered with friendly banter.  I was very fortunate to share the bus with a large group of local Maori celebrating a 50th birthday.  They were wonderful company with their laughter, humour and general good fun.

The beauty of a bus tour is you can sit back and enjoy the scenery which is open and beautiful. It is a long drive but worth it.

After picking up final passengers at the small town of Kerikeri, and being surprised at how much it had grown since my last visit, we headed north, stopping at the little village of Taipa for morning tea.  As we drove north I was astonished to see the massive avocado orchards stretching for miles.  They are a new development and are controversial for their prolific use of water, a scarce commodity in Northland. 

The pristine, isolated north of New Zealand

I was thrilled to bits to finally get to Cape Reinga, an ambition fulfilled! 

It is about a 15 minute walk downhill from the parking area to the lighthouse right at the tip of the country.  The walk is beautifully paved and maintained with plaques along the way explaining points of interest including an excellent view over Piwhane/Spirits Bay.  Spirits Bay is sacred in Maori culture as it is reputed to be the place where the spirits of the dead gather before passing into the afterlife. It is a very beautiful place to depart this world.

Elated!  I made it!

Where two oceans meet - the waves come from different directions

Down at the lighthouse you can see where two oceans meet, the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it is fascinating to see the swirling waves and currents coming towards each other from different directions. I spent about 40 minutes at the light house drinking it all in, gazing north into the vast, blue, Pacific Ocean, dreaming of what lay beyond and not really wanting to leave, despite the overcast windy conditions. Having wanted to get there for so long I was elated and moved by the experience. 

As I walked back up the path to the waiting bus the sun came out for a moment and bathed the lighthouse in a golden glow - it was a magic moment.  Then it was back onto the bus and onwards for further adventures.

Right: That magic moment and, beyond, the vast Pacific Ocean