After last week’s massive Fiordland earthquake, New Zealand is now closer to Australia!
Yes, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake was the country's largest shake for nearly 80 years, and caused hundreds of years worth of changes in just seconds. The result? Puysegur Point, at the southwest tip of the South Island, is now 300mm closer to Australia.
Te Anau moved 100mm, Bluff moved 30 millimetres, Alexandra, by 20mm, and Dunedin, by 10mm. Christchurch also has believed to have shifted towards Oz, but only slightly.
I wonder if that means a reduction in airfares are in order?
And finally, here are the photos from our recent sightseeing jaunt:
Waiwera, where a Southern Right Whale and her calf have been frolicking recently. Sadly, they weren't there, but it was beautiful anyway.
North Island scenery
C. cut his leg on some barnacles. Yes, it did hurt!
C. dramatically collapses in agony as a rain squall closes in...
Stepping stones at Goat Island Marine Reserve
Simply breathtaking. Goat Island Marine Reserve
No. 18, Leigh Fish and Chips. We thoroughly recommend it! Friendly service, comfy surroundings, excellent food! They use cholesterol-free oils and use local ingredients wherever possible. The beer batter is made to an old family recipe, and they claim all the food is made with that unique ingredient - love.
Seaside takeaways were never like this...
H. and I shared snapper and chips. Okay, I ate the snapper and she scoffed the chips.
C. loved his fish burger with tartare sauce, washed down with L&P
Meat-lusting Husband chose a classic burger - complete with beef pattie, lettuce, beetroot, gherkin, tomato, onion, sauce and Swiss cheese.
Leigh Wharf. A group of boys showed us a bucket of fish they'd caught and were planning to smoke for dinner. A quirky Kiwi proudly showed us a fish he'd caught right off the wharf, which was almost as big as the boot of his car! Sadly, I wasn't quick enough with the camera!
C. at Matakana waterfall
You never know when there will be a photo opportunity in NZ. Here, the kids are taken by a hand dryer, where you plunge both hands in and they are blasted dry in 10 seconds. It removes 90 per cent of bacteria on the hands too - very Swine Flu Friendly.
Husband treated himself to a practical souvinir at Devonport - gloves made of Possumsilk. Possums may be well-loved in Australia, but in NZ the cute brushtail critters are an introduced pest and cause enormous dmage to native forests and rainforest. Hence, the makers of KORU Possumsilk garments claim that by buying their products, you are also helping to preserve New Zealand's unique and beautiful environment. They are made of 40% Possum, 50 % Merino, and 10% Silk. They are really soft and warm, but I don't know that I could go there. Apparently you can buy Possumsilk hats, gloves, and cardies too.
Brunch at Manuka in Devonport - potato rosti, wilted spinach, poached egg, avocado and tomato. The service was friendly and efficient, and the food was divine.
2 comments:
Hee! hee! I love the way you always include photos of food! Just my kind of post!!
What great pictures - looks like you did an AWFUL lot with your visitors and they managed to get a taste of the beautiful, wild, NZ countryside despite the weather!
by the way, you can also get possum dogfood! :-) Yes, the suppliers of Honey's raw diet also provide possum legs as one of their range of "raw meaty bones" although they charge a lot for them, considering that they're supposed to be a pest! So given the quantities that Honey needs to eat, we're sticking with chicken carcasses & lamb brisket and only giving possum as an occasional treat!
Ouch - that barnacle cut looks nasty! Have to be really careful with shellfish - I remember 2 yrs ago it was big on the news that a girl nearly lost her life after cutting her feet on some shells at the beach...serious bacteria in shellfish - might be worth getting a tetanus shot!
Hsin-Yi
Wow, possum dog food! I wonder why it is so expensive? You can get kangaroo dog food and people food at home. Our dogs used to enjoy smoked kangaroo tails for a snack.
Yes, the cut is a bit nasty and still sore. Luckily, he is up to date with his tetanus shots.
So you like Manuka too! Isn't it a small world?
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