Mum and dad came to NZ for Christmas this year. We kicked it off in Alexandra then got in the car and headed around the South Island. It was a fabulous time - the photos say much more than words can.
A selection of the photos I took can be seen at the links below. Dad took many many more and they'll complete the picture when they're uploaded and available.
Central Otago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157639982908056/
West Coast: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157639993245873/
East Coast and North Island: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157639994897013/
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 28, 2013
South Island Holiday pics
Have good old gander at pics from our jaunt around the South Island at the start of this year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157632627101033/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157632627101033/
Christmas photos
We had a wonderful kiwi Christmas with the Histens in Christchurch, followed by an excellent new year with Bex and Shane in good old National Park.
Check out the photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157632588218847/
Check out the photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddballproductions/sets/72157632588218847/
Monday, January 07, 2013
Golden Bay
Thank goodness for Gregg's stubbornness. I scoffed at his suggestion to go up and over the (big) hill to Golden Bay at the north of the South Island. We were 'supposed to' be heading south, far south, and this was completely the other way and off the route.
Golden Bay is gorgeous. One of my new favourite places in New Zealand. Because it is more off the beaten track, it is also less packed with tourists, and it has so many hidden treasures.
Number one treasure is Wharariki Beach. It takes quite a while to get there, but by golly is it worth it. Wide open beach; hardly anyone there; limestone formations to die for, including caves and rockpools to explore to your heart's content. To top it all off, multiple seals and seal pups hang out at some of the rock pools while the tide is out, the little black pups frolicking and squealing in the pools. I could have watched them for hours!
We explored the beaches and the cliffs, enjoyed scrummy beer and food at the Mussell Inn (their Monkey Puzzle beer is spectacular, we would have brought home a case if they'd had an off-license), scoffed AMAZING chocolate from Rosy Glow (Collingwood), browsed the many and varied arts and crafts galleries, and generally had a bloody marvellous time!
Golden Bay is gorgeous. One of my new favourite places in New Zealand. Because it is more off the beaten track, it is also less packed with tourists, and it has so many hidden treasures.
Number one treasure is Wharariki Beach. It takes quite a while to get there, but by golly is it worth it. Wide open beach; hardly anyone there; limestone formations to die for, including caves and rockpools to explore to your heart's content. To top it all off, multiple seals and seal pups hang out at some of the rock pools while the tide is out, the little black pups frolicking and squealing in the pools. I could have watched them for hours!
We explored the beaches and the cliffs, enjoyed scrummy beer and food at the Mussell Inn (their Monkey Puzzle beer is spectacular, we would have brought home a case if they'd had an off-license), scoffed AMAZING chocolate from Rosy Glow (Collingwood), browsed the many and varied arts and crafts galleries, and generally had a bloody marvellous time!
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Matthew
When I think of dream jobs, the very last thing I would put on that list would be a geographically isolated, repetitive job cleaning up after tourists and with a less than compassionate boss.
M seems to love it. He manages an isolated campsite, 25 minutes from the nearest pub. His home? A converted fire truck. Yes, seriously, a converted fire truck. And a very nice job he has done of it too. The flashing lights still work (but cannot be used on public roads), but unfortunately the siren was disconnected.
He has diverse and strong opinions about a wide range of (mainly political) topics and so provides fabulous entertainment of a summer's evening, even if he does tend strongly to the pessimistic end of the spectrum. His habit of nattering at length and taking any topic on a tangent as wide as the Pacific is less endearing when you just went over to say thank you and goodbye. Ten minutes later, you find yourself in the midst of a monologue about tax and stupid credit limits.
I wonder where he will end up next in his fire truck?
M seems to love it. He manages an isolated campsite, 25 minutes from the nearest pub. His home? A converted fire truck. Yes, seriously, a converted fire truck. And a very nice job he has done of it too. The flashing lights still work (but cannot be used on public roads), but unfortunately the siren was disconnected.
He has diverse and strong opinions about a wide range of (mainly political) topics and so provides fabulous entertainment of a summer's evening, even if he does tend strongly to the pessimistic end of the spectrum. His habit of nattering at length and taking any topic on a tangent as wide as the Pacific is less endearing when you just went over to say thank you and goodbye. Ten minutes later, you find yourself in the midst of a monologue about tax and stupid credit limits.
I wonder where he will end up next in his fire truck?
Friday, January 04, 2013
Havelock-tastic
My first proper flat ever was on Havelock Street in Glasgow, 2001.
My first proper job in New Zealand was apple-picking in Havelock North in 2007.
2013 and Havelock continues to provide for good things.
On our way down to Wellington for the ferry, we stayed with our lovely friends, C & A, at their gorgeous house on Havelock Road and had a good old catch up.
Today we have randomly ended up spending the night in Havelock on the South Island. What a fantastic fluke! We had booked a table at the amazing Mussel Boys for dinner but gave it up very quickly after the owner of our hostel invited us to join them and a bunch of other guests for a shared dinner of mussels and salmon. Yum! Lots of interesting and chatty people to fill an evening. Completely unexpected. To top it off, we were taken on a late night walk up to a waterfall where we saw the most AMAZING glow worms I have seen yet here.
What next?!
My first proper job in New Zealand was apple-picking in Havelock North in 2007.
2013 and Havelock continues to provide for good things.
On our way down to Wellington for the ferry, we stayed with our lovely friends, C & A, at their gorgeous house on Havelock Road and had a good old catch up.
Today we have randomly ended up spending the night in Havelock on the South Island. What a fantastic fluke! We had booked a table at the amazing Mussel Boys for dinner but gave it up very quickly after the owner of our hostel invited us to join them and a bunch of other guests for a shared dinner of mussels and salmon. Yum! Lots of interesting and chatty people to fill an evening. Completely unexpected. To top it off, we were taken on a late night walk up to a waterfall where we saw the most AMAZING glow worms I have seen yet here.
What next?!
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Time to graduate again
Two and a half weeks to go to the end of this school year. I made it! Term 4 is just mental, with report writing, swimming, Waterwise, children and teachers knackered, and let's do a musical production in the middle of it all. For the heck of it. Never again...
On Tuesday the kids will perform Around the World to students, teachers and parents. It's pretty stressful pulling it all together, but it will be well worth it.
And then on Thursday, down to Rotorua to graduate officially from my teaching degree. Hurrah!! It will be lovely to see some of the other distance students again, and it's always nice to tick off a year of study with the formal walk across the stage. I wonder how it will feel in comparison to the last time I did it. Unfortunately mum and dad can't join me this time, but Gregg will be there cheering me on.
On Tuesday the kids will perform Around the World to students, teachers and parents. It's pretty stressful pulling it all together, but it will be well worth it.
And then on Thursday, down to Rotorua to graduate officially from my teaching degree. Hurrah!! It will be lovely to see some of the other distance students again, and it's always nice to tick off a year of study with the formal walk across the stage. I wonder how it will feel in comparison to the last time I did it. Unfortunately mum and dad can't join me this time, but Gregg will be there cheering me on.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Hang up the phone
I don't make a habit of posting about school stuff here for a number of reasons, but I just have to share this one.
This term I've introduced a new (mini) programme for half an hour every Tuesday: Science of Sound. It is my one bit of the week that I really get to indulge in teaching my two passions: music and science. Last week we explored all the different sounds you can make just with your body. Yes, we're talking 12 year olds, and so it did include the most spectacular belch and a mini-fart, but they weren't expecting me to then challenge them to do it again without any movement whatsoever. Needless to say, this added to their conclusion that SOMETHING has to move in order for a sound to be made.
Today each group of three was given 2 tin cans, a hammer, a nail and a piece of string. I simply asked them to use hammer and nail to put a hole in the bottom of each can and tie the string through the hole. Would you believe it, within minutes, they had finished this and spontaneously, naturally started exploring all the possibilities of their string telephones, full of natural curiosity. I had not told them what they were making or what they were to do with it, but they came up with sounds and ideas with them I hadn't considered.
This, to me, is what teaching is all about. Authentic, innate curiosity. Children exploring in their own directions. My main job then was to toss in some questions and challenges (How might the sound be getting from one end to the other? If you twang the string, how can you make the sound louder or softer, higher or lower? Are there any circumstances in which the sound will not travel along the string?). They bounce off this, solving problems, asking new questions, and truly experiencing and learning about how sounds are made, transmitted and changed. I have never been so happy as in my noisy classroom this afternoon.
This term I've introduced a new (mini) programme for half an hour every Tuesday: Science of Sound. It is my one bit of the week that I really get to indulge in teaching my two passions: music and science. Last week we explored all the different sounds you can make just with your body. Yes, we're talking 12 year olds, and so it did include the most spectacular belch and a mini-fart, but they weren't expecting me to then challenge them to do it again without any movement whatsoever. Needless to say, this added to their conclusion that SOMETHING has to move in order for a sound to be made.
Today each group of three was given 2 tin cans, a hammer, a nail and a piece of string. I simply asked them to use hammer and nail to put a hole in the bottom of each can and tie the string through the hole. Would you believe it, within minutes, they had finished this and spontaneously, naturally started exploring all the possibilities of their string telephones, full of natural curiosity. I had not told them what they were making or what they were to do with it, but they came up with sounds and ideas with them I hadn't considered.
This, to me, is what teaching is all about. Authentic, innate curiosity. Children exploring in their own directions. My main job then was to toss in some questions and challenges (How might the sound be getting from one end to the other? If you twang the string, how can you make the sound louder or softer, higher or lower? Are there any circumstances in which the sound will not travel along the string?). They bounce off this, solving problems, asking new questions, and truly experiencing and learning about how sounds are made, transmitted and changed. I have never been so happy as in my noisy classroom this afternoon.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Topsy turvy baking
For most of my life I have been known for being less than successful in my home baking endeavours. Or maybe less than reliable is more accurate, especially when it comes to cakes. Burnt on the outside, sloppy in the middle. Badly risen. Many cake ailments have troubled me over the years, so much so, that my opinion of myself as a baker of cakes is not very high.
Today I have proven myself wrong. I have baked a peach and butterscotch upside down cake and it is spectacular! Light, fluffy sponge, sticky gooey butterscotch, all holding together nicely. Hurrah! You've got to love the Be-Ro cookbook...
Today I have proven myself wrong. I have baked a peach and butterscotch upside down cake and it is spectacular! Light, fluffy sponge, sticky gooey butterscotch, all holding together nicely. Hurrah! You've got to love the Be-Ro cookbook...
Monday, October 08, 2012
New Blog: In Our Four Walls
We have recently purchased our own little bit of New Zealand - a section of land on which we will be building (or having built) a house of our own. It's simultaneously very exciting and exceedingly daunting, and feels very grown up.
I've decided to start a separate blog - http://inour4walls.blogspot.co.nz/ - specifically dedicated to the project. I'll keep posting here about everything else, as I will still have a life outside of the Big Build. I hope...
I've decided to start a separate blog - http://inour4walls.blogspot.co.nz/ - specifically dedicated to the project. I'll keep posting here about everything else, as I will still have a life outside of the Big Build. I hope...
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