Walking Through Wasps

Today we went for a walk at Coopers Creek, in the foothills of the Southern Alps behind Christchurch. Here a path winds its way through native forest, along the slopes of the hills. Across the valley, Mount Oxford stretches endlessly into the sky, rising to scrub and scree at the top.

It is very a pleasant walk but the route is infested with wasps. In some parts there were ten or twenty on the trunk of each tree and more on the ground beneath it. We had to watch quite carefully where we put our hands.

I got stung twice. Once by a bee and once by a wasp. The first one hurt more, but the second was more scary because it was on the ankle and I thought the wasp was flying up my trouser leg. I screamed like a girl.

Cheese Concern Widespread

I am not the only one concerned about the price of cheese. This is an extract from the Selwyn Times:

Pensioner David Hannan is bugged about the price of cheese.

"The price of milk solids is going down and yet the price of cheese and milk isn't. In spite of what the dairy board people say about the price going down by a dollar or so the price of cheese has gone up."

He said he couldn't understand how the price of milk was stil so high considering the prices of milk solids have been going down. He said the public deserved some answers.

Quite.

Earning the View

The MacKenzie Country is best known for Lake Tekapo, a gleaming turquoise reservoir set in the middle of a landscape of brown tussockland, with the Southern Alps as a backdrop. It is quite special, especially if viewed from the handily placed Mount John.

You can drive up to the top which saves a lot of hassle. But I think that half the enjoyment of a mountain view comes from the satisfaction of having climbed up there in the first place. It’s the satisfaction of having earned the view. If good scenery is all you want, you may as well just go to the cinema.

Jo doesn’t agree. We drove up.

Waitangi Weekend

We have been camping in the forest this weekend, with the dogs, down south in the MacKenzie Country.

It was Waitangi Weekend (New Zealand’s national day). Everyone goes away on Waitangi day and the roads were not exactly clogged with cars pulling boats on trailers, but they were certainly quite busy.

The campsite was not anywhere near full but there were other people there. Jake soon decided that we owned about half the site and made a nuisance of himself by barking at anyone who came remotely near.

Milking a Cow

Lily is hoping we can have a day out at the farm. She wants to milk a cow. She has been planning the details carefully.

She will take her green bucket from her bucket and spade set and Mummy will take her blue bucket. The blue bucket doesn’t have a flat bottom so Mummy will have to milk the cow with one hand, but Lily will be able to use both hands as she can put her bucket on the floor.

Daddy can’t come because he doesn’t have a bucket. Unless he can borrow a bucket from the lady that owns the cow. But he doesn’t have any boots so he can’t come even then

Feeling the Isolation

Here in Christchurch , you know you are a long way from anywhere. To the north, the nearest town of any size is Blenheim (population 25,000) which is about five hours drive. To the south, unless you count Ashburton (which I don’t), the nearest place is four hours away (Timaru). To the west, you can forget it until Australia. And to the East, there’s nothing until South America. New Zealand is isolated – but Christchurch is super-isolated!

When Lily Gets Older

Lily has been making a list of all the things she will be able to do when she gets older. The first is drive the car (with mummy as a passenger). The second is the washing up. She is also looking forward to buying a pink bra and having hands big enough to fit inside the oven gloves. And watering the garden with the hose. And being able to put a video tape into the VCR herself, for Mummy to watch. She’s going to choose Dora the Explorer on for her. I am sure Jo can’t wait for that!