Off to the dentist for Tom…Beautiful scenes on a walk…Broadband now working in the house…

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We stopped to visit a few horses in the neighborhood who immediately approached us.

Who would think that the technician from Vodafone would be such a delight? We had a great time with Peter who not only provided the best possible solution for owners Trish and Neil but also for the remainder of our stay.

Horses wear blankets to regulate their body temperature and protect them from the elements.

With 80 gigs available in the monthly plan which is not our expense, it’s a huge relief to have the expensive data plan with Spark behind us. With a few gigs left on our hot spot device, we can take it with us when we go on road trips in order to use the GPS feature on our phones. 

Pink flowers along the road on our walk.

Monitoring our usage to ensure we don’t exceed the 80 gigs included in the 30 day period is vital to our peace of mind that we don’t exceed the limit, incurring additional expenses we’d have to cover.

Throughout the hills, as seen from our veranda, there are groupings of trees in the form of a mini forest, adding to the beauty of the countryside.

With Peter’s excellent help we figured a “workaround” allowing me to check on the IP address for the accumulating data usage. Not only was Peter efficient and conscientious, but he was also friendly, making the installation process pleasant and seamless. Vodafone couldn’t have a better, more qualified, and professional rep.

Agapanthus flowers New Zealand, have been classified as a weed and are considered invasive, although it’s beautiful as it lines roads and highways. For more information, please click here.

We find this friendliness and care for customers prevalent wherever we may go in New Zealand. Today, we can only hope the dental practice we decided on, based on great online reviews, proves to be equally helpful and professional. We’ll report back tomorrow with photos. 

We’re always in awe of the view of Mount Taranaki.

Certainly, this dental appointment will be considerably different than Tom’s almost “free” dental appointment in Fiji a few months ago. At present, he’s not experiencing any pain or sign of infection, an ideal time to get this situation resolved one way or another. 

Peter, our Vodafone rep did a fabulous job to ensure we had a strong connection.

We certainly don’t want him to have to go through the third round of antibiotics while on the two-week cruise beginning on April 16th or during our upcoming two months in Bali, immediately thereafter.

Similar flowers are seen in many areas that grow prolifically in New Zealand’s mild climate.

Having moved our appointment with June to see her historic home on Friday and grocery shopping today after his dental appointment, we’re back on track.

Morning view of the mountains from our veranda.

We’re off for Tom’s appointment and will be back tomorrow with more new photos and the continuation of living a joyful life in the countryside in exquisite New Zealand.  We had no idea how much we’d love this fabulous location.

Back to you soon!

Photo from one year ago today, February 4, 2015:

Tropical climates such as Fiji and Hawaii have ideal conditions for flowers to bloom year-round. For more photos, from our time in Kauai, please click here.

Change in plans…Appointments?…What’s the deal?…New Plymouth city photos…

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Colorful apartment building.

When we arrived in New Plymouth 15 days ago, we’d expected wifi to be available when we arrived. This wasn’t the case and we had no choice but to head to a local phone store, purchase a device and load lots of expensive data.

To date, we’ve spent NZ $593, US $388 in fees in order to have access to the Internet, an expense we hadn’t anticipated. Don’t get me wrong…the owners are very kind, caring people and we’ve greatly appreciated their efforts and attention to detail.

They had no idea it would take so long to get service, assuming only a day or two. They’d tried arranging it over the holidays but couldn’t get a date pinned down. We have no doubt they tried. But, like many areas of the world, not everything happens according to a schedule one would prefer.

Ornate house on a corner.

Actually, we feel bad as to how much pressure we’ve placed on them as the WiFi bill continues to rack up expense day after day. Yesterday, I paid the bill when Spark had set up an account for us to be paid on a monthly basis, not requiring a 12-month contract.

Yesterday, Trish stopped by with an extra fan (without our asking) since we’ve been hauling the one fan we had up and down the stairs every day. Although the air is relatively cool here during these summer months, the roof is metal making the interior of the house very hot on sunny days.

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in downtown New Plymouth, another historic building.

We’ve decided to keep the doors open welcoming the cool breezes most days and deal with the flies. They aren’t biting flies and seem fairly easy to swat with the flyswatter we purchased. They are considerably less prevalent on cooler windy days. By dinner time, we close the doors, kill the flies and have dinner, preferring no flies are buzzing our food. This plan seems to be working. 

After handing me the fan, Trish explained she’d heard from Vodafone who are to arrive today. We had an appointment with June for today and had planned to grocery shop after we were done.  We immediately contacted June apologizing and kindly asking we change the date. She was happy to make a change.

Contemporary houses overlooking the ocean.

In the process, we decided to postpone the grocery shopping until Thursday, after Tom’s 10:15 dentist appointment. We have enough food on hand for Wednesday’s meals. Goodness, we haven’t had “appointments” to speak of other than our medical exams while in Australia.

We’ve loved having a simple life with the avoidance of planning instead, waiting until we “feel like” doing something. Now, we have three dinner reservations looming for Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and our anniversary, Tom’s dental appointments, and the meeting with June. 

Has our free-spirited lifestyle taken a break while we’re here in convenient New Zealand with everything we could possibly need or want at our fingertips? There’s even a movie theatre here playing current US movies at NZ $10, US $6.55 for seniors. Perhaps, we’ll give it a try on a rainy day.

Modern-style houses and apartments.

The last time Tom and I attended a movie together was in the theatres on cruise ships or watching on the huge screen out by the pool. But attending an actual movie theatre?

The last time I attended a movie, Interstellar, was with my son Greg in December 2014 in Hawaii when the family visited us on the Big Island. Both of my sons and I always enjoyed attending movies together, especially back in my popcorn eating days, long since passed.

Seldom, do we have access to an English-speaking movie theatre. Seldom, do we make appointments, locking ourselves into dates and times for specific events, other than on travel days. 

The main thoroughfare, Eliot St., in downtown New Plymouth heads out to the ocean.

As much as parts of our lives may require an abundance of planning and preparation for the next leg of the journey, the next year and oftentimes, two years out, our daily lives are simple and uncomplicated. Somehow, it all works. 

When all is said and done, we’re blissfully happy. Having accomplished that single feat in life is more than either of us ever expected during these “golden years” of our lives. 

On Valentine’s night, we have a dinner reservation at Table Restaurant as shown on the right of this photo.

Isn’t that our ultimate desire…happiness, seemingly elusive and yet once a decision is made to become happy…we often find the opportunities to do so right at our fingertips? We’re truly blessed and grateful for finding it and will continue to hang on tight for as long as we can.

May your day bring you happiness.

Photo from one year ago today, February 3, 2015:

We attended the Super Bowl party at the Makai Golf Club in Kauai last year having a great time meeting more friendly people and enjoying a Mexican buffet. For more photos and details, please click here.

A historic church comes to an end…

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Memorial to Taranaki Troopers who fell in the South African War located at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Fortunately, we heard about the closing of the Taranaki Cathedral Church of St. Mary from our new friend June whom we met at Pak n Save last Wednesday. If we hadn’t heard about it, we would have missed an opportunity to see inside the church when Sunday was its last day open to the public. It was safari luck! Tomorrow, we’ll be visiting June’s registered historical home in New Plymouth with many photos to share soon.

The edge of the cemetery at the church.

Sunday was the last day the historic church’s doors would be open for public viewing. See detail below on the reasons for closing the beloved church:

The church’s paths and walkways are beautiful.

“Taranaki Daily News

NZ’s oldest stone church shutting its doors to the public                           

New Plymouth’s St Mary’s Cathedral is an earthquake-prone building and will be closing its doors to the public from Monday From left, St Mary’s Dean Jamie Allen and Bishop of Taranaki Archbishop Philip Richardson. New Zealand’s oldest standing stone church will be closed for earthquake strengthening from early next year.  

Sculptures on the grounds.

Following a decision from the Taranaki Anglican Trust Board this week, the Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary will be gradually closed by January 2016.  The church would be closed to the public and parishioners for several years. However, Trustees could not yet determine quite how many years it would be shut. St Mary’s Cathedral was first opened in September 1846 and is now the oldest standing stone church in New Zealand. The church meets only 15 percent of the current New Building Standard (NBS). A building is considered earthquake-prone if it does not meet 34 percent of the NBS.  Archbishop Philip Richardson, Bishop of Taranaki, said the news was expected, but it still brought a sense of sadness. 

Many residents and tourists visited the church on its last day.

Richardson presided of the Anglican Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki and said while the repair process would be lengthy and expensive, it was a better outcome than some parishes which have had to be closed completely. There are 15 buildings within the Diocese that have to be looked for seismic strengthening, he said.  Engineering reports were still being completed and until that information was available the Trustees could not work out the total cost or time it would take until the church doors could be opened again, Richardson said. 

The church had ample room for many parishioners.

The Trustees have agreed to a gradual closure, with the cathedral being closed to the general public from next Monday, and specified services being phased out by the end of January 2016.  Church dean Jamie Allen said it was hoped a final farewell service would be organized to allow the church community to give the space a proper send-off. 

The church was appointed with many artifacts.

Only the cathedral would be closed, so the church’s foyer and upstairs area would still be in use, he said. The church’s work in the community would continue but they would have to be more creative about how and where it would get done, he said.   There are 39 Anglican communities in Taranaki and other denominations in the region had also been forthcoming with offers for St Mary’s parishioners to use their space for larger events, like weddings and funerals, Allen said.”

It appears that each country we visit has a particular style of churches.

After our visit to the Farmers Market Taranaki, we headed to the church, hoping we’d be able to enter and take photos on its final day. As it turned out, the first of two final services were ending with another service commencing shortly afterward. 

A side alter.

Luckily, we were able to enter the church between the two services to see the interior and take a few photos.  As the oldest stone church in all of New Zealand, we were thrilled it worked out the way it did enable us to see the beautiful interior.

The priests/pastors were preparing for the second service.

The church was packed with sad parishioners many of whose families had worshipped in this historic building for generations. Mainly, senior citizens, we could easily detect the sorrow in their faces for the end of an era. 

Unique organ pipes.

Another building across the street will provide services for the displaced parishioners while multiple churches have offered to provide their facilities for funerals and weddings.

We always pay special attention to stained glass windows.

As we wandered the grounds, it was easy to sense the presence of its rich history, especially as we wandered about the cemetery. Although the church wasn’t of our faith, we didn’t stay for the next service but had ample time between services to see everything we wanted to see.

Massive oak tree on the church’s grounds.

A variety of interesting and unusual trees caught our attention inspiring us to share photos. Curious as to the variety of trees, with our pricey wifi at the moment, we can’t spend time searching for their names.

Support posts used to hold up the branches of the protected tree.

After we left the church, we drove to a new area of the countryside for a while, knowing we had to return home with the fresh fish in our insulated bag. New Zealand never disappoints. By following any road, we discover breathtaking scenery and treasures abundant in this land of plenty.

A giant knothole in the trunk of the protected tree.

Interesting tidbit for those in the northern hemisphere: Yesterday, kids went back to school after their summer break.

Street view of Taranaki Cathedral Church of St. Mary’s.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 2, 2015:

Even in beautiful known-for-sunny-days Hawaii, we experienced plenty of cloudy days, especially living on the Garden Island of Kauai, known for its almost daily rain. This didn’t keep us from continuing to explore the beaches.  For more details, please click here.

Fresh fish from the fish guy…Cooking in a new land…Sharp knives and gadgets…

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Early morning cloudy view of a mountain with sun peeking through the clouds.

Yesterday morning I was up at 5:000 am busy preparing the day’s post. Our hope was to head out the door in time to make it to the Farmers Market Taranaki before all the fresh-caught fish was sold. 

The prior week, the fish guy explained we’d need to arrive by 9:00 am to ensure we’d be able to purchase fish when it often sold out in the first half-hour. Tom doesn’t care for fish unless it’s fried and thus, the purchase was exclusively for my dinner last night.

Preferring not to freeze any fish, we only purchased 500 grams, 1.1 pounds, of Red Cod, a fleshy fish cut into several boneless fillets, priced at NZ $15, US $9.72. With taco salad for Tom’s dinner for three nights, this portion would last three nights for me, which I’d use in my equivalent of a taco salad.

My salad was made with a few tablespoons of beef mince mixed with chunks of the sautéed fish added to lettuce, red peppers, avocado, celery, feta cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce, and tossed with my homemade sour cream dressing. It was delicious and I’m looking forward to tonight’s “rerun”.

As the clouds quickly moved, seconds later the view changed.

Tom’s taco salad includes the beef mince with taco seasoning (I can’t use the seasoning mix due to gluten and sugar), sliced olives, diced tomatoes, diced onions, lettuce, and grated “Tasty” cheese (NZ’s and AU’s version of cheddar). He also enjoyed his salad immensely.

Usually, when I make a meal requiring a lot of prep, chopping, and dicing, I make enough to last three nights.  In the case of the above meal, I’ll cut fresh tomatoes and lettuce each day with all other ingredients prepped on the first day. This way, I get a two-day break in spending lots of time in the kitchen. 

When we go out and about during these periods, the dinner is ready to go with only a few minutes of prep time.  My days of spending hours in the kitchen are long since passed. As for the above, when I have a good knife (which I borrowed from Trish a few days ago) I can do most of the prep in an hour with another half-hour required for cooking and seasoning all the protein.

Recently, we noticed a food processor tucked away in an upper cabinet.  I hadn’t used such a contemporary kitchen appliance in over three years. Tom pulled it out and we proceeded to hand wash every part in hot soapy water. 

Unfamiliar with all these varieties of fish, the fish guy suggested the Red Cod, which we purchased. He wrapped the fish with a small packet of ice and then in a newspaper. We placed it into our insulated bag to which we added a blue (injury type) ice pack. When we returned hours later, the fish was still ice cold.

In our old lives, I’d often use a Cuisinart food processor when I was cooking big meals when we frequently entertained. Since the onset of our travels, I’ve struggled with cooking never having access to any chopping gadgets of any type, let alone a sharp knife.

Early on in our travels, we carried a few sharp knives in our checked baggage which were later confiscated.  At that point, we decided to ask the property owners for a sharp knife or purchase one to leave behind. 

It’s the same with a cookie sheet and two 13×9 baking pans which we purchase when available leaving them behind, most often able to buy all three for under NZ $23, US $15 with the lower prices in most countries.  Purchasing these few items enables us to make meals with greater ease. 

If the pans aren’t available, we’ll purchase tin foil pans which are easily found in most countries although finding a cookie sheet is another matter (which we use to make sugar, grain, and starch-free coconut macaroons, a frequent evening snack for Tom). When unavailable, I’ll butter the bottom of a baking-sized tinfoil pan to use for baking the cookies.

This is apparently a more contemporary version of this item many of us used decades ago.

In this wonderful house in New Zealand, we’ve been thrilled to have the availability of many modern conveniences and gadgets although we’ve still purchased the three pans, none of which were available. Most tourists staying in vacation homes don’t bake, dining out for most meals. As a result property owners see little reason to include baking pans in their litany of household goods.

As a side dish to the salad, I made our usual mushroom casserole after I’d already washed and dried the food processor. Preferring not to have to wash it all again, I dug into the gadgets drawers to find this old-fashioned hand mixer. I hadn’t used one of these in years. It worked well for beating the eggs and thickened cream for this recipe.

We were thrilled to get this food processor cleaned and working.

After our delicious meal, we watched the second to last episode of Downton Abbey on my laptop. Tonight, we’ll watch the series finale. For some reason, our HDMI cord won’t work on this flat-screen TV.  All the ancillary TV equipment is synced to the satellite and we can’t find a TV remote to set up the use of the cord. Any suggestions out there to avoid un-syncing the TV setup?

After our trip to the farmers market, we explored a historic site in New Plymouth on its final day of public viewing due to the necessity of earthquake-proofing which we’ll share with photos tomorrow. Please check back! Carpe diem!

Photo from one year ago, February 1, 2016:

One year ago, I wrote: “Do I recognize this scowl, similar to Tom’s when driving in traffic?  Just kidding, honey!” For more details, please click here.

Booking new flights…We couldn’t get any closer…

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In the early evening a group of the babies get together to play, running through the paddock, making us laugh over their playful antics.

There are always flights looming in the future.  As much as we’d hoped to sail our way around the world using cruise ships as a means of transportation, it just doesn’t work out that way.

As we’ve become more and more knowledgeable (Tom particularly) about the routes of cruise ships, we’ve come to accept how impossible that is to accomplish.  Were cost no object, it may be a different scenario opening up many more possibilities.

If money were entirely no object, one could easily charter ships to almost any part of the world.  Long ago, we accepted that we have limitations on what we can and can’t do based on cost and practicality, neither of which is a disappointment, just a reality.

Not only do we dislike flying for the vast inconveniences, commotion and baggage fees, we don’t get excited booking a flight as we do when booking a new location, a vacation home or a cruise. 

These two babies sat in this spot staring at us for hours, occasionally napping.

Its not the flying part we mind.  Its everything leading up to it including the laborious process of searching online to find the right flight, at the right time of day, on the right date, on the right airline, at the right place and with the right seats.

Then, there’s the challenge of deciding…do we book early (up to 330 days ahead of schedule as allowed by most airlines) or do we wait and hope for better flight options and prices further down the road?

I wish I could say we have a definitive plan for booking flights.  We don’t.  We’ll mention that we need to book a flight, discussing a possible time frame during which it needs to be done.  Then, on an unexpected day, one of us searches, discusses it and we find a suitable option, getting it booked and out of the way.

This isn’t a quick process completed in five minutes.  We’re often checking and rechecking to verify there are no errors.  We use Expedia on our website, accumulating points we’ve yet to use. 

The alpacas, young and mature all get along well and enjoy staying close to one another. With 30 in this paddock and 60 more in other paddocks, its a pleasure to see how they interact with one another.

We’ve found the jumping around to dozens of websites offering supposed better deals, only to discover that overall prices are not a whole lot different from one “supplier” to another. 

Often, blocks of flights and seats are offered by ancillary websites.  We’ve chosen not to spend hours trying to maneuver through all of these myriad options when in the end, we may pay the same price or at times, a better price.

Plus, we’ve found good customer service with Expedia when on a rare occasion we’ve encounter a booking question.  Their reps are easy to reach with quick and painless resolutions as their imminent objective.  This works for us.

Its hard to believe how these young alpacas have quickly adjusted to our presence.

The flight we needed to book (now completed) is upcoming on April 15th from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia for our fourth visit to the beautiful harbor city. 

Again, we’ll stay overnight one night to ensure there is no risk of missing the cruise.  Staying overnight the night prior to a cruise is a maneuver we long ago decided would best avoid stress. 

If we arranged a flight on the same day as a cruise and its delayed for any reason, we’d be in big trouble.  We’ve heard stories of this occurring and don’t want any part of it. 

As always our motto comes into play as shown in the heading of our homepage. For one reason or another, we simply think of our travels in regard to our motto, “Wafting Through Our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy and Simplicity.”  Its from this premise that we continue on, at times spending a little more to ensure the least amount of stress and frustration.

Napping together.

Finally, we booked the flight with our favorite (to date) airline, Emirates, who’s coach seats are comparable to first class on other airlines.  It cost a little more than a few other options but its safety history, roomier seats and customer service are definitely a consideration. We could have saved a total of NZ $62, US $40 booking on another airline at a less desirable time. 

Instead, we chose our preferred choice of Emirates with which we may ultimately save the difference in baggage fees.  They don’t charge for the first bag per person (see below) and there’s no charge for carry on bags.

Here’s the flight we selected which includes a two hour time difference:

Emirates logo
5:55p – 7:25p
Emirates
3h 30m
AKL – SYD
Nonstop
$188.70 as of 59 minutes ago

5:55p to 7:25p 3h 30m  

Auckland (AKL) to Sydney (SYD)
Auckland Intl. (AKL) to Kingsford Smith Intl. (SYD)
Emirates 413
Economy / Coach (Q)
Airbus Industrie A380-800 Passenger
Seats
Preview availability
Bag fees
Baggage fees when purchased at the airport (Prices may be cheaper if purchased online with Emirates)
Carry on: No fee
1st checked bag: No fee up to 30 kg
2nd checked bag: No info
How to pay: Emirates
 
This airline doesn’t charge fees for this weight of 30 kg, 66 pound which serves us well.  We’ll only have to pay for our third smaller bag online. We’re content we’ve made the right decision in booking this flight.
The babies all hang out together running through the paddock and playing.  All of these cria were born since this past December, growing quickly.

Now, back to matters at hand.  Yesterday, Trish and Neil moved the alpacas moms and babies to the paddock in front of our deck providing us with easier viewing.  We spent most of the day watching them enjoying every moment.  No longer afraid of us, they readily approach making our experience all the more heartwarming.

 
Soon, we’re heading to the Farmers Market Taranaki for more eggs, fish and produce, hopefully arriving early enough to ensure these items are still available.
 
Have a joyful, stress free day!
________________________________________
 

Photo from one year ago today, January 31, 2015:

This was our first photo of “Birdie” whom we came to know and love.  In no time at all, he responded to his name coming when called many times each day, often bringing along his mate, another Red Cardinal with different markings and coloration.  His presence in our lives over the four months in Kauai added to our glorious experience.  For more details, please click here.

Zika Virus…A bearing on our future travels? Photos from a trip to the beach…

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Many signs and names of towns are based on the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand, the Māori whose’s language has had official language status, with the right to use it in legal settings such as in court, since the Maori Language Act 1987. There are around 70,000 native speakers of Maori out of a population of over 500,000 Māori people, with 161,000 of the country’s 4 million residents claiming conversational ability in Māori.”

The Zika virus is rapidly spreading throughout the world with the majority of cases in South America, particularly in Brazil with over one million cases and growing out of control. 

Here’s more information on the Zika virus from the US’s Center for Disease Control (CDC).

It’s easy to expect beaches throughout the world to be sandy, and pristine with blue waters.  Many beaches such as in New Zealand and Australia aren’t blue due to the interaction of light and particles present in the water. When there are mineral sediments lights from the blue spectrum are absorbed by the particles, thus the water appears to be brown.  Also, not all beaches have the soft, fine sand, we found in Belize and Hawaii.

No doubt this virus will spread to other countries in South America and throughout the world unless drastic measures are taken to control it. What those measures may be at this point are unknown and under research in many laboratories worldwide. 

Low tide is more evident on many beaches, but not all.

Will a vaccine, cure or remedy be available by 2017 when we head to South America? At this point, we have no idea, but continue to watch the news for updates. Will we change our plans to spend as much as two years in South America from 2017 to 2019?

As we’ve traveled continents, island nations, and many countries we’ve heard of a variety of viruses that may infect locals and travelers alike. We don’t take any of these illnesses lightly. That’s what precipitated our having as many as 18 vaccinations before we left the US which we’ll update as needed over time.

With many surfers attracted to this area, a lifeguard is on duty, well equipped for rescue.

However, new viruses continue to develop throughout the world and our exposure is no doubt enhanced as we traveled to potentially infected countries. We’ve already visited several of the countries on the currently “infected” list. 

Surfers awaiting an opportunity.

Now, as we’ve begun to book travel to South America, there’s no doubt we’ve given the Vika virus consideration as to the impact it may have on us visiting such countries as Brazil. 

How else might we travel the Amazon River in Brazil and eventually, the top priority on our list…the Pantanal, the most wildlife diverse wetlands areas in the world (talk about mosquitoes!). 

Pretty cloud formation on a very cloudy day.  Note distant airplane and boat in left of photo.

At this point, after considerable discussion and information gathering, we’ve decided to continue with our plans.  It’s not as if we can say, “Oh, let’s wait and go in 10 years?” In twelve years I’ll be 80 years old and Tom will be 75.  Will we have the health and stamina we now have to continue? There’s no way of knowing.

Campgrounds are located at the end of the road at Oakura Beach with an onsite office for booking space.

If we were young, putting off South America would be practical. We’re not. The clock is ticking, whether we like it or not, as it is for everyone. It just so happens we’re closer to the final hour along with all the others our age throughout the world, many of us who have “things to do” and “places to see” before it’s too late.

There are permanent and temporary sites for caravans (motorhomes) and travel trailer type homes.

Continuing with our desire of visiting each continent before it is too late, doesn’t dissipate with news of a virus that based on information to date, is not life threatening for adults who aren’t pregnant. 

If this virus was comparable to the deadly Ebola virus, we’d definitely change our plans. If at any point the virus is considered life threatening to older adults, we’ll certainly reassess our views, changing plans if necessary.

Small sleeping tent sites are available for a fee which includes multiple facilities.

For now, we trek on, with hope in our hearts for a resolution for those living in infected countries and for our ongoing safety as we continue our journey.

Have a lovely weekend.

Photos from one year ago today, January 30, 2015:

The colors in the tunnels at Tunnels Beach were varied when we visited the Napali Coast in Kauai. For more details, please click here.

Its a lot of bull…

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“Ah, I’m so happy they stopped by to see us!”

There’s talk on the local news of a possible upcoming tropical cyclone. High above the town and relatively far from the ocean with the property situated in the hills, we have no concerns over flooding in this area. 

Winds, on the other hand, are another matter as well as the possibility of losing power. We’re not worrying about any of it at this point. We’ll keep our readers updated.  If at any point, we lose power and/or wifi signal, we’ll be back, with updates as soon as possible. 

Soon, two cleaners are coming to work together for an hour and a half. With as tidy as we are, the equivalent of three total hours of cleaning is all we ever need. 

“Hurry, take the darned photo already!  We can’t stand like this forever!” says the four bulls.

Sure, the cost of the two cleaners, Ra and Isabel, is somewhat of a luxury at NZ $60, US $39.14 compared to what we’ve paid in other countries. But it’s something we’d prefer to arrange when house cleaners aren’t included in the rent. Long ago in the US,  we paid almost twice this amount for one cleaner for three hours. We aren’t complaining.

Yesterday, we stopped at multiple markets, including the Kiwi Butcher, Pak & Save, New World, and Countdown (another regular grocery store) where we found everything on our list.

Pak n Save is similar to Costco or Sam’s Club in the US without a required membership. When I looked at our full “trundler” (aka grocery cart in the US or trolley in many other countries) as we approached the register, I’d expected our total bill to be NZ $196, US $300.

We always attempt to refer to items using the popularly used words.  In NZ a grocery cart is referred to as a “trundler.”

When the total was slightly under NZ $153, US $100, I was shocked, causing me to look in the cart wondering if something hadn’t been charged. In reviewing the receipt, I confirmed the total.  

With four packs of toilet paper and paper towels and, two boxes of tissue at NZ $2, US $1.30 each, locally grown organic produce priced at half as much as in the regular market, it’s no wonder our bill was reasonable. 

Once at home I was busy putting everything away for over an hour with all the veggies to wash before putting them in the fridge. As expected I found numerous insects, making me feel at ease that no pesticides had been used on the “locally grown produce.” 

He poses coyly for the camera.

In all, we spent NZ $342, US $223, but that included a trip to the local health food store spending NZ $75, US $49 for a variety of specialty items that are always more costly. Later, we realized we could have purchased many of the same or similar items at the Pak & Save at considerably lower prices. 

Next time we shop, we’ll begin the shopping at the Pak n Save, leaving any items we can’t find for the “regular” market. We expect to easily be able to continue to keep the total under NZ $306, US $200 buying all grass-fed meat, free-range chickens and organic produce. 

The above totals include two cooked free-range organic chickens, and a cooked free-range pork loin roast we’ll continue to purchase each week to cover a few dinners with the addition of a variety of homemade side dishes.  The amazing eggs from the weekly farmer’s market will be an added cost at NZ $24, US $16 which we’ll happily add to the total.

Neil explained that sheep seem less interested in humans than alpacas. Although, these two couldn’t get to the fence fast enough to see us.

In Fiji, we may have spent approximately 25% less on groceries but weren’t able to find many items readily available in NZ. It proved to us how easily we’re able to adapt without many items when other options aren’t available. When items are available we opt on the side of enhancing our dining experience by willingly paying the added costs. 

While in the Pak n Save, a lovely retiree we met, June, had asked Tom to reach a six-pack of bottled beer from a high shelf. A lengthy conversation ensued resulting in her inviting us to visit for tea and to tour her historic home located in the downtown area. 

We exchanged business cards planning to visit her and her husband Simon once the bad weather passes. In our old lives, I can’t recall ever making new friends while shopping at the market. 

“Don’t go,” he says as we begin to walk away.

The warmth and friendliness of the New Zealand people further confirm our perception that most people throughout the world are kind and welcoming to foreigners who visit their homeland.

Today’s photos of bulls are our new local animal friends who welcome us by approaching the fence each time we walk down the road which has been almost every day. That is, if one can make friends with cows and bulls based on their response to us, we have no doubt it’s entirely possible.

No doubt, we’re enjoying our bull friends and other local friends we meet along the way, human and otherwise.

Photo from one year ago today, January 28, 2015:
  It is hard to believe it was one year ago that we took this video of the albatross we followed while spending four months in Kauai. Click here for photos.

The miracle of life unfolds before our eyes…The progression of a tender event…

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The mom, Gypsy Rose, had just given birth when we arrived only minutes later.As shown, she’d yet to pass the afterbirth. She didn’t seem to mind we were there.
A snow-capped mountain view with a fluffy cloud crown, an expanse of calm seas sprinkled with sunlight, or a blazing orange and pink-streaked sky at dusk, all represent jaw-dropping beauty.
Only moments after birth the cria lay in the tall grass coming to life with the aid of its mother.

We’ve captured such scenes throughout the world with my amateurish, albeit enthusiastic, photography skills leaving us reeling with joy over having fallen witness to such pristine visions of nature.

A curly-haired dark brown cria lying in the tall grass shortly after coming into the world.

But, nothing, dear readers, is capable of moving us more in our travels, stirring the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds, than the miracle of Life, in the finite proposition our higher power has made with humanity and wildlife to continue to propagate and perpetuate the species. 

The cria opens its eyes.

Last night, after dinner and dishes, as we hunkered down for a quiet evening, we heard a rambunctious knock at the door. Tom dashed to the door to find Trish excitedly explaining to “hurry and come outside.” An alpaca was about to give birth.

As the minutes passed, the baby struggled to stand.  Trish and Neil explained it’s best if they stand within 20 minutes after birth to get their “muscular neurons working.”

In my knee-length nightshirt, I ran upstairs to grab the bottle of insect repellent, a paper towel to apply the messy liquid, flying back down the steps to slip on my shoes. Tom was ready to go. Within 90 seconds we were racing out the door to the paddock closest to the access road.

With a little help from Neil, the baby stands tentatively.

Running on the gravel driveway as quickly as we could, we saw Trish and Neil attending to the mom. From the time Trish came to our door and we arrived at the scene of the birth, in a matter of two or three minutes the cria was born, lying in the tall grass where the mom had chosen to deliver.

“Hello, world!” Sitting is preferred at this point but I’ll keep trying.”

Missing the exact moment of the “plop” to the ground of the dark brown, curly-haired, disproportionately long-legged cria wasn’t disappointing when we’d arrived so quickly after the big moment as shown in today’s photos.

Mom continues to fuss over the tiny long-legged cria.

I know I said I wouldn’t focus all of our posts on the alpacas, nor will we over the long haul but for now, after here only eight days, the novelty hasn’t worn off. Then again, I doubt it will, when we never grew tired of a visiting zebra, giraffe, or warthog in South Africa or, a little red bird we aptly named “Birdie” in Kauai. 

As we watched the process of the mom tending to her baby, after having lost her first baby last year, a stillborn, we had no doubt her loving devotion would make this precious cria thrive. 

This morning, only minutes ago, mom and baby.

As we watched the seeming helpless spindly creature lying on the ground struggling to “come to life” we couldn’t imagine that in a week or two it will be running up and down the paddock with the other youngsters in the cooler evening as the sun goes down, a common occurrence we giggle over each night.

Standing to feed is a good motivator for the cria, as seen this morning.

So today, we “speak” less and “show” more with our photos which truly speak for themselves. We’re off soon to shop on a cooler, cloudy day always anxious to return “home” to see the latest “adventure of the day.”

Have a glorious day filled with Life’s wonders…

Photo from one year ago today, January 27, 2016:

New Kauai friend Richard had invited us to his and his wife Elaine’s lovely home. A retired attorney, Richard sat behind his impressive magistrate’s desk which he’d set up in his garage, giving us a feel as to how a visit to his office in St. Louis might have been. Meeting him was instrumental in our experiencing a busy social life in Kauai and in making this lifelong friend. For more details and photos of their home, please click here.

Worrisome event at the Alpaca Farm Retreat…Late posting…Too many delightful distractions…

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Although a little tough to see with the long lashes, Mont Blanc has blue eyes and was the “cria’ that escaped the paddock yesterday, leaving us in quite a quandary.

As simple as farm life may seem for us casual observers for which no work on the farm is required or expected, it can have a few challenges from time to time. We’re observant guests here for three months to revel in the panoramic scenery and to be close at hand to the alpacas.

Recently moved to one of the two paddocks closest to the house the adorable alpacas are within 20 feet, 6 meters, from the house. As I sit here now, I can see them standing at the short fence. At the moment, a brown mom and brown baby are looking at me through the glass.

The mom, Gizelle, to the left in this photo is worried along with the aunties that the “cria,” Mont Blanc, had escaped the paddock by crawling under the fence.

Getting up to look outside, more often than one would imagine, we’re able to see the approximately 30 alpacas (out of 90) in this side paddock happily grazing on the thick grass, scrubs, and trees. We couldn’t enjoy this any more than we do.

They’ve become used to us now and don’t move away as we approach. This was a gradual process escalating when they were moved to this closer proximity to the house. 

Baby Mont Blanc worried while standing outside the paddock after he’d escaped under the fence. We don’t think he’ll try that again! Mom is looking on along with all the other moms and babies worried as well.

Early this morning Trish and Neil stopped by to drop off an umbrella for the outdoor table and extra linen, pick up our garbage and let us know that there are alpaca treats in a bin outdoors. Pellets? Sound familiar to our long-time readers? In checking it this morning, it wasn’t pellets but a chopped grass mix. Later, we’ll give this a try.

Although at this point we may not need to entice the alpacas with food when they already seem interested and curious about us. Especially…after yesterday’s unusual event (unusual to us, in any case).

After uploading the post, I couldn’t get outside quickly enough to spend time with them. Tom was wrapped up in the NFL football games which were broadcast live on ESPN at 9:00 am Monday (Sunday afternoon in the US). 

He darted about our patio trying to find a way back inside. the paddock.

As soon as I headed out the door, I spotted a new baby, born less than a week ago, had escaped the paddock by crawling under a wire mesh area of the paddock closest to the house. The baby was running back and forth along the fence line crying in a sound I’d never heard before, as the mother stood helplessly behind the paddock also crying her heart out.

My first instinct was to help. What could I do? The babies are sensitive and emotional. Would lifting it up over the fence be too stressful? Would handling it be detrimental to its relationship with its mother?  I just didn’t know enough to make a good decision.
Tom came running outside as I called out. He’d been wrapped up in the football and although sympathetic he wasn’t particularly interested in getting involved in finding a solution. I was on my own.
I’d hoped the baby would see where it had escaped but good grief, its only a week old today. Could an animal of such a young age be resourceful enough to figure this out? The mom and baby continued to race back and forth along the fence line crying and trying to figure out a solution.
Mom is on the other side of the fence hoping Tom will lift the baby over the fence.  Uncertain as to what to do and concerned over a possible injury, we decided to try to find an alternative plan.

No matter how hard I looked I couldn’t find a way to get the baby back inside the paddock. Everything was entirely secure with no unlocked gate or access point anywhere. Plus, there’s an electric fence in areas that Trish explained may be turned on from time to time. Was it on or off?  How would I check without getting shocked?

I’m fairly resourceful. I knew the backup plan would be to call Trish on the number she’d provided (using Skype). She and Neil both work in town. I didn’t want to disturb them requiring a 45 minute round trip drive if the baby found its way back inside while they were on their way. 

The mom was looking at me as if to ask for help. The other moms also cried out loudly along with the mom and baby. They were all obviously distressed. To see the love and concern of these long-necked somewhat odd-looking animals was heartwarming reminded me of the love the warthogs moms expressed for their young.   

Another week-old baby worried about Mont Blanc when he couldn’t get back inside the paddock.

The baby, although shy, approached me several times as if it too knew I could do something. At halftime, Tom came outdoors to see what he could do. Immediately, he noticed the escaped baby was in fact the one the owners had told us has blue eyes, an oddity in alpacas. Looking more carefully, we confirmed it. Its pale blue eyes looked into our faces asking for help.

Short of trying to corner the baby and pick it up placing it back over the fence there were no other options. Lifting an alpaca may be dangerous when on occasion they’re known to bite with their sharp teeth and  also have very sharp hooves. (Neil had mentioned he’d recently been bitten by one of the alpacas).

The moment they were reunited, hard to see but heartwarming.

There was no way we’d risk an injury as opposed to making a phone call. After about an hour with no remedy in sight, I called Trish. I sighed with relief when she explained they were both already on their way home to check on the farm and would soon arrive.

I was relieved and waited outside keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of the baby in fear it could run off to be gone forever. The mom ran back and forth about the paddock, crying loudly while attempting to stay focused on the baby as well.

While the others were busy dining on the green grasses, Gizelle and Mont Blanc lay together like this for hours after he was returned to the paddock.

Finally, Trish and Neil arrived and within minutes, together they lifted the baby over the fence while we watched him, named Mont Blanc, practically leap through the air toward his mother, Gizelle.  Although they were hidden behind a post during the emotional reunion, I made every effort to take a photo.

Only minutes later, I captured several shots of the two of them huddled together where they stayed for hours as I often checked on their wellbeing. They seemed content and at ease to be reunited.

Hours later, when the others had wandered to another paddock where they sleep at night, Gizelle and Mont Blanc remained close to one another. 

It was a hot day hovering around nearly 90F, 32C with high humidity. With no overhead fans, we decided to open all the doors for cross ventilation. By the end of the day, there were no less than 50 big noisy flies in the house. Before dinner, Tom swatted them with a cruise documents filled envelope killing all of them on the glass of the windows and doors.

While he did the dishes, I scrapped the fly guts off the windows and doors, spraying with window cleaner and picking up the dead flies from the slider grooves below,  gagging all the while. 

Another mom kissing her baby.

Afterward, we both agreed that leaving the doors open all day wasn’t a good option. We’d bring down the bedroom table fan for use during hot days, only opening the doors for a few minutes on windy days to cool down the inside air which always seems hotter than outside. After all, it’s midsummer here now and New Zealand isn’t exempt from high temps and humidity.

After hanging clothes on the line this morning, many of the alpacas approached me, now realizing that we mean no harm and that they and their babies are safe in our presence. Baby Mont Blanc approached me as did mom Gizelle, making eye contact with that adorable little smirk they appear to have on their funny little faces. Gee…


Photo from one year ago today, January 26, 2015:

Cloudy skies are not unusual in Kauai, known as the “garden island” where it can rain daily, clearing later. This view was from our veranda.  For more details, please click here.

A walk on the road like none other…Well, almost…A story of new life…More meaningful friend/reader comments…

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The pregnant alpaca with this adorable unusual white marking on her face, the day prior to giving birth.

The only other country where a walk in the neighborhood bestowed such magical wonders upon us was in South Africa, when on one of our first walks we encountered “Clive,” the ostrich who later proved to be “Clove” when she had chicks after we’d left. Here’s the link for that post and the photo below:

 We couldn’t have been more thrilled to see this site on our first walk in the neighborhood. Click here for that post. Click here to see the photos of Clive/Clove in front of our house a month later when she made a personal visit.

After that experience never made an assumption that a walk in the neighborhood would make us smile to the point of returning home with a glow far beyond the benefit of the much-needed exercise. 

Tom is still at a loss as to why he’s “walking” in retirement, but one can hardly travel the world and not walk on a consistent basis. He always says with a grin from ear to ear, “I never imagined walking much in retirement, other than from the sofa to the cupboard for more candy.” Ha!  Look at him now!  I’m impressed to say to least!
The next day, the “cria” was born. (A cria (pronounced /kriː.ə/) is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning “baby)”. The baby lay listlessly on the ground for a day or two. We watched with a sense of worry, wondering if it was OK.
In this glorious area with so much to see, we can’t help but get outside many times each day, let alone jump into the car for a drive. Then again, sitting in my comfy rocking recliner as I write here today, I need only lift my head to look out the window to see alpacas on one hill and cows on another. 
The blue skies, the bordering forests, and greenery on the rolling hills take our breath away. As a load of laundry is finishing in the washer, I anticipate its completion for the pleasure of hanging it on the clothesline outdoors when the crisp clean air stimulates our senses and the views leave us reeling with an indescribable high.
The next day, we were excited to see it had picked up its head and was more lively.  Note the cute pink nose.  The mother, dark brown, had a pure white baby.

Each morning, I slather on the insect repellent with an additional reapplication six hours later, which so far has prevented me from one more sand fly bite. The original batch of bites from our first day finally subsided and I’ve learned my lesson.

We’ve also learned that we can open the screen-less heavy sliding doors for a few hours each day as long as we do it before 4:00 pm when zillions of flies will come inside. Why this time of day? We haven’t figured that out yet.
Soon, the cria was on its feet walking about the paddock checking out the other pregnant moms and other crias.

Anyway, back to the walks. We’ve found ourselves walking to the “pregnant mom’s” paddock a short distance from the house to see if any babies have been born. Trish and Neil explained they are usually born between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, nature’s way of ensuring moms are awake and alert to care for them.

When, a few days ago, we noticed a newborn lying on the ground near the mom for hours, we were worried until finally, we saw it move. It appears this is a normal part of the process, the newborn lying on the ground for a few days until it’s strong enough to get up and walk about with its mom, nursing and beginning to interact with the others. What a joy to see!
Now, they wander about the paddock together and sometimes apart. Neil explained that at times the mothers may be less attentive than some other species.
And yesterday, on a walk slightly further down the road, we encountered a pregnant cow who saw us from a distance and ambled bulkly toward the fence to greet us appearing engaged and happy to see us. Taking photos and talking to the cow, when we began to walk away, it started mooing loudly at us. We laughed out loud, surprised the cow was so disappointed to see us go.
This pregnant cow couldn’t waddle over to the fence quickly enough when she saw us walking down the road.
The ability of animals to interact with humans never ceases to amaze us. It’s that level of communication, curiosity, and interest we show one another that makes the observation of their daily lives so fascinating to us as we travel the world.
Whether it’s an ostrich, a cow, an elephant, a lion, or a bird, they all are a part of this magical world in which we live, and blissfully, we continue to explore as we travel from country to country, from continent to continent. We are in awe and eternally grateful.
She wildly mooed at us when we began to wander away, making us laugh.
Another email comment arrived in my inbox this morning from a friend/reader, that inspires us and leaves us reeling with an appreciation for every one of YOU taking the time to read our daily posts. Here’s Thelma’s comment:
“I have been so excited for you to arrive at the Alpaca Farm. I look forward to hearing about them and New Zealand.  Since I cannot travel to all the places you have,  I love hearing about your experiences. I know you writing a blog each and every day is a lot of work. I really appreciate that you take the time to share your adventures with us.  Know that each morning in Ohio a lady is sitting at her computer with her cup of tea and sharing in your travels. Have a great day! Can’t wait till the alpacas will come up to you! Safe travels.”
Thank you, Thelma!  Thank you to all of our readers! 
 
 Photo from one year ago, January 24, 2015:
We walked along the pier in Hanalei Bay on a beautiful day. Tom has some nice color from being outdoors in Kauai. For more details, please click here.