In sight of the sea

August 13, 2019Leave a comment

Raglan coast

August 1st was the 200th birthday of Herman Melville, the author of perhaps one of the least-read classics of English literature, Moby-Dick. I admit to never having read it but it has always been on my horizon because of all the references to it, for example, the white whale that shall remain “unpainted to the last”, Starbuck (first mate of Captain Ahab’s doomed ship the Pequod), “damp, drizzly November”, “the sea we swim in”. You know that when you call someone an Ahab, it is not meant as a compliment. Philip Hoare is convinced that Moby-Dick is the novel for our times – see his article here https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/30/subversive-queer-and-terrifyingly-relevant-six-reasons-why-moby-dick-is-the-novel-for-our-times

Hoare says Virginia Woolf read Moby-Dick three times and her work was inspired by the evocative vision of “a fin rising in a wide blank sea”. But it is Hoare’s assertion that Melville was born “in sight of the sea” that transported me from my desk to the west coast of the North Island, where I took a long ramble weekend before last. It was a calm, overcast and not particularly cold day, a rarity in New Zealand’s winter, and perfect for walking. I started out at the top of the ridge overlooking the Tasman Sea and made my way down the track, with a long pause at my favourite Raglan look-out, all the way to the wide black sand beach. I walked along the beach before heading up towards the ridge again and found the bench where I took the photo above. The bench was dedicated to a baby boy who had lived for only one day and reading the inscription added to the greyness of the day. But it was hard to stay melancholy for long – watching the waves rolling in, hearing the sea birds cry and catching the scent of the harakeke on the breeze. I was reminded of Don McGlashan’s song The Waves Would Roll On, in which he describes the unrelenting ebb and flow of the sea that will continue after he’ll no longer be there to watch. There was something so soothing and timeless about the scene that I understood why the baby’s family had chosen it as the spot for their baby’s memorial.

A safe harbour

March 19, 2019March 19, 20192 Comments

Raglan harbour

New Zealand should have been a safe harbour for Khaled Mustafa and his family. They are Syrian refugees who arrived here in 2018 after spending years in a camp in Jordan. Khaled is a farrier and he thought New Zealand would offer a future for him, his wife and three children. Last Friday Khaled and his son Hamza were murdered in a Christchurch mosque where they were saying their Friday prayers. And nothing will ever be the same – for Salwa, Khaled’s wife and Hamza’s mother, their son and brother Zaid, who is recovering from two gunshot wounds to his leg in Christchurch hospital, and their 10-year-old daughter and sister. And nothing will ever be the same again for any New Zealander.

The Magic Flute

March 10, 2019March 12, 2019Leave a comment

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I haven’t posted anything on my blog for a long time, mostly because we’ve returned to New Zealand and taken up our old lives and routines. It seemed that there was nothing that we hadn’t experienced before and hence nothing remarkable to blog about. But that changed over the weekend when we enjoyed a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which was part of the 2019 Auckland arts festival. This was the production from the Komische Oper Berlin co-directed by Barrie Kosky and Suzanne Andrade (British theatre group 1927) with animation by Paul Barritt. In addition to Mozart’s famous music ably played by the Auckland Philharmonia, the performance was remarkable for some fine singing and amazing animation instead of sets. Some of the animation was reminiscent of silent movies – warnings to Tamino and Papageno during their trial of silence, for example, were projected in huge words complete with exclamation points. The animation was inventive and amusing, resulting in laughter from the audience at times. It suited the fantastical plot of this opera though I found it distracting at times and I closed my eyes to concentrate on the singing. I also didn’t take to the Queen of the Night as a giant spider! But overall, it was a wonderful experience and the the applause at the final curtain was long and loud.

Lost duck

October 5, 2018Leave a comment

You have to love New Zealand! I’ve had the radio on in the kitchen while I cook and have just heard a news bulletin on the RNZ channel. The last item in this broadcast was from and for Masterston (a town of about 25,000 people 100kms north-east of Wellington) about an injured duck that was seen flying away from a fire. The community has been asked to keep an eye out for the duck. Some New Zealanders complain about trivial items on the news but I found this refreshing. It is also a welcome break from the news items about devastation from earthquakes and tsunamis, entitled white men insisting that their power not be diminshed, people being poisoned by secret agents from countries they used to live in … to say nothing about the daily outrages committed by the stable genius who lives in a house that is painted white.

Raglan coconut yoghurt

August 20, 2018Leave a comment

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Readers of this blog will know that Raglan is our favourite place in New Zealand. At present we live just 40 minutes away and can visit often. We also love the coconut yoghurt (http://raglancoconutyoghurt.co.nz/) that is made there. In this country dominated by dairy farming, it was difficult for people to access non-dairy yoghurt and this product fills that gap. We eat it most mornings with our fruit and muesli and it is delicious! In addition, it comes in glass jars from which the labels are easily removed. You can then wash out the jar, take it to your favourite refillery and use it for whatever dry goods you need. In the photo above I’ve used the jar for shredded coconut – very appropriate.

Otorohanga

July 25, 2018Leave a comment

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I have not spent much time in Otorohanga, which according this billboard outside the town’s quaint railway station (where, by the way, you can get an impressive espresso), is New Zealand’s Kiwiana town. There are colourful hanging baskets along the main street, which is lined with the usual shops, banks, supermarket and pharmacy. I met my beloved at the Thirsty Weta (http://www.theweta.co.nz/) for lunch last week. With its fantastic name, this eatery has a great atmosphere and was cosy on a winter’s afternoon. The menu is not extraordinary but our chowder and salad were perfectly adequate and the coffee was good. After lunch I went on a little wander and came across the House of Deco (https://www.facebook.com/houseofdecovintageclothing/), which sells vintage and steampunk clothing. It is well worth a visit – the wares are interestingly displayed and the owner, Jan, is charming. We had a chat about where her customers come from – all over the world it seems!

Coffee culture

July 7, 2018Leave a comment

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It hasn’t taken us long to get back into New Zealand’s coffee culture. It was one of the things we missed most when living in Malaysia. This morning we went to Empire Cafe in Te Awamutu (https://www.facebook.com/empireespressobar/+). In addition to good coffee, which you could smell as you approached the door, there was cool music playing. When asked one of the young staff told us she puts together her own playlists and this was one of her favourite Saturday mixes. It was obviously aimed at clientele our age – rock favourites from the 60s and 70s – and one wall is covered in chalk drawings of album covers. Our delicious Hummingbird cake was accompanied by Raglan coconut yoghurt – yum! They are reluctant to serve take-away coffees in disposable cups and there are signs encouraging you to sit down for a coffee or use a keep cup. They also do not use straws. Empire Cafe runs a pay-it-forward lunch programme – you pay double for your order and they provide a lunch for a hungry school student. What a great place!

The view from my window

July 3, 2018Leave a comment

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This was the view from our kitchen window this morning as the sun made its reluctant appearance over the eastern horizon. When I woke, the icy temperature anticipated clear skies but it was still pitch dark. The time was edging towards eight o’clock when the sky turned the splendid deep blue that precedes the glow of sunrise. It is a thrilling sight particularly after rain yesterday.

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However, the sun played its part yesterday too, creating this beautiful rainbow. I spend most of my time at home now, recovering from a broken shoulder and unable to drive, so I am fortunate to have these views as compensation.

Walking along a beach …

June 6, 2018June 6, 2018Leave a comment

… has always been one of my favourite things. Here I am on a beach in Awhitu with its characteristic black volcanic sand. Just over six weeks ago, I was walking on a Cronulla beach when I fell and hit my right shoulder on a rock, fracturing the humerus in the process. It’s amazing how one wrong step taken in a split second can have such far-reaching implications. Having one’s right arm immobilised in a sling means that it’s very difficult to wash and dress oneself and washing one’s hair is impossible. I can feed myself provided someone else gets the food to the table for me and gives me a spoon to use in my far-from-dexterous left hand. I’ve discovered that I can load and unload the dishwasher with said left hand and wield the vacuum cleaner, though the corners remain dusty. The worst aspect of my present day-to-day life is that I am unable to lie down and have to sleep in a reclining chair. However, the excellent medical care that I have received both in Australia and at home, the wonderful help from Jim and our daughters, the good wishes from family and friends mitigate all the pain and frustration. And I am slowly getting better and look forward to starting physiotherapy at the end of the week.

Maungarei

April 8, 2018April 8, 2018Leave a comment

One of the advantages of living in a volcanic zone is the existence of high green spaces for walking and enjoying views of the city. Despite having lived in Auckland off and on for over 20 years, I have never climbed Maungarei (Mount Wellington). That changed yesterday and it was glorious – late summer sunshine, bright blue sky and 360º views. There is a path around the perimeter of the crater and views from every point along the way. It is an extremely pleasant walk and I highly recommend it.

Travels from New Zealand

Two olds explore the world