Last day in Dunners

Had a lovely sunny day running errands, cleaning up the house, saying goodbye to uni people. Tidied up the house, packed, had a visit with various family on iChat (that's Jim with Erin), and returned all the borrowed bits and pieces to Gill. Had a last walk on St. Clair beach. Jim gassed up the car for drop off in the morning at the airport and a last go at the zip line. So many new friends and a precious reconnection with Gill. Two months have flown by and we've had a wonderful, unique experience in Dunedin; people and places we'll always remember. We've made a lot of the variable weather while we've been here, and most of the locals are complaining, but we have to say it has been brilliant.

One of our favourite things, and a bit of a philosophy we've adopted, is to visit places for long enough to get to know them well. We don't enjoy quick visits as much as extended stays in places, and it has resulted in a level of intimacy with places and people you can't get on a quick trip. Dunedin is the latest on our growing list of places we call home. Another, sadly, was Christchurch, and with the intimacy we gain comes the pain when the places we love are ravaged the way that beautiful city was last week. Please do keep Christchurch in your thoughts and prayers...the media coverage will end long before the recovery and reconstruction has even begun. As a song written for 9-11 but playing constantly for the city pleads -- "Rise Up". We know our Kiwi friends will.

North to Hamilton and Raglan! While we are in the air, the country has requested 3 minutes of silence to mark the moment one week ago and remember the victims of the quake (12:51 pm Tuesday, NZ time). Join us.

Tuesday two minutes

A sunny morning. This is our last day in Dunedin so we have a busy to do list to get through. We want to be all ready to go so we can maybe take fish and chips to the St. Clair beach tonight. There are still plenty of signs around that rescue/recovery is underway. Ian Hall is returning to Chch today, so perhaps we'll get more details from his perspective. We will be flying toward Chch tomorrow morning when two minutes of silence is observed just before 1 p.m.

A sheep shearer, a Ukrainian and a nun walk into a bar...

Well, not really, but we had a great evening tea at Gill's last night. Her friend Gerry, a serial sheep shearer, and his partner Judy, 30 years out of Yorkton, Saskatchewan who speaks with a kiwi accent, and Sister Jan, along with cricket player William, all made for a fun mob. Gerry and Judy even presented us with a coveted All Blacks Apron and sheep-related tea towels. A fun evening, and Lucy was on her best behaviour.

Earlier that day, the three of us went back out to the Otago Peninsula and started the tramp down to Sandfly Bay. When we realized it was uphill towing in sand, we had our picnic, backtracked and drove the car the long way around. Still had some good hills to navigate, but we were treated to a gorgeous and nearly desolate beach save for one sea lion and a few other people.

Leftist driving

On another front, we're quite used to the left side of the road now, and keeping the car on it. This is an important skill. There are a few different conventions, like waiting for the car coming at you to turn first if you're both turning the same direction. There are several handy reminders both inside our car and at intersections. The thing that keeps throwing me (Karin) is this "arrow" painted on the pavement, pointing in the right direction. Wrong! It's actually the Give Way (yield) warning to drivers in the other lane. Rick plunged in to drive as soon as we rented the car; I was a little more hesitant, but on my first driving day (with Kate Hall's stern "Just do it!" advice ringing in my ears), Jim and I headed out toward Port Chalmers and way up into the hills to look for, yes, well, sheep.

And for something else a little scary, look at the size of this bathroom visitor. They like the towels. We thought we had our share of big spiders in Australia!

Tuesday hard to grasp, but today's a sunny day

Here are some photos from the aftermath of the quake. This is the tram we often took when we lived there; the loop went by our front door. Be careful, some pictures in the link are pretty rough. There have been, at last count, 17 aftershocks–some quite substantial–since midnight, though we haven't noticed any more here. Of course, every time a truck rumbles by, our eyes are like saucers for a few seconds. It's a lovely sunny hot day. Jim had a long go on the zip line, and we're joining Gill at uni friends for a wine and cheese tonight. It makes a nice change from the news coverage of the recovery operations. Chch Mayor Bob Parker is absolutely amazing; there are other links to some of his eloquent conversations with the media.

Also on a happy note, Rick's presentation, "Online Learning Commuities" at the University of Otago this afternoon went very well and he had quite a number of people turn up for it.

We've been in touch with the family on the North Island; Paula's bringing the car all the way from Whitianga for us. We just learned Glen and Donna had a baby girl on the day of the earthquake, so that's happy news. We've got a motel for 3 days in Hamilton before we can get in to our house in Raglan. With typical kiwi generosity, when landlords Jed and Kay heard we had to abandon plans to stay at the Halls in Christchurch, they offered for us to come stay with them at their dairy farm in Otorohanga. Karin figures she could still pull a shift or two!

Humbling and warming

We're humbled by the courage and determination we're seeing in media coverage. Difficult to see everything that is unfolding, of course. We find ourselves in the midst of events that shake us to the core. We have friends we care deeply about who have survived local horrors, and on television we see places we know intimately that have been reduced to dust.

All of this sounds so adolescent. But if you know this wonderful country, you understand.

Canterbury, we weep. We really do.

Devastation

The news just gets worse. We've been in better touch with Kate and Ian Hall in Christchurch, and also heard from McCallas, Rick's U of S colleague. He and his wife are on sabbatical there and they're leaving the city. All okay. Scary, Ian was at his office in the Central Business District which is in the heart of the city and where the worst damage occured. The Halls have had electricity restored at home but no water. They report the aftershocks are significant and are cause for sleepless nights. They are "shaken and greatly upset by the dreadful tragedy that has befallen our lovely city."

We finally got through to Air New Zealand after hours of attempts today. We have changed our flights so we will be flying out of Dunedin on March 1–our lovely landlords here, Glenn and Sarah, are allowing us to stay on until we leave– and we'll have only a half hour at Christchurch, then off again to Hamilton. We'll probably be staying at a Hamilton hotel for the 1st and 2nd. We've been in touch with the family on the North Island (the people Karin once lived with on the farm at Ohinewai and from whom we're borrowing a car). We are sad to not be able to get to the Halls, but travel into Christchurch obviously is not advised and certainly not wise.

Friends in Chch okay

Rick did an update tonight for family, and we thought getting it to the wider community who have been contacting us would be helpful. For us, everything is fine. Dunedin was not harmed in any way.

But the earthquake was much worse than we initially thought. We have cancelled our plan to go to Christchurch -- we were going next week to visit friends and spend a few days in the city revisiting old haunts, most of which are now in rubble. It's not just a bad time to visit, but not a good idea to be in the area right now. It is still geologically unsafe, and we have even felt a couple of their aftershocks here.

We just heard from our friends Ian and Kate Hall, and thank God they are unharmed. Haven't heard from others yet, but we have our feelers out. The devastation is amazing, but it reminds us to pay a different kind of attention when we hear reports of serious disasters in Peru or India. It's so easy to think of those as remote places and people, but we're reminded that we are all connected.

The generosity of the Kiwi people and the response from around the world has been impressive. I'm guessing that your news outlets will be reporting on the gruesome events and statistics -- death tolls and the like. I think we're mostly feeling blessed to have missed being in the middle of the disaster, and grateful for the opportunity to watch a strong, resilient nation dig itself out of this awful experience.

This has been an extraordinary experience. Not one I recommend.

Earthquake in Christchurch

You may have heard that Christchurch was hit with another earthquake today (over the noon hour). Police have confirmed some fatalities. Lots of damage, including to the iconic cathedral in Chch square. We don't know too many details yet other than what's on the news. We're contacting Ian and Kate Hall there. In the meantime, we just didn't want you to worry if you saw reports. We're fine--no problems down here. There was a small tremour in Dunedin. Jim and Karin were at a store in housewares when the dishes did a little rattling, but they were the only ones who seemed to notice anything.

UPDATE 7:20 p.m.: Jim and Karin were back home about 3 p.m., watching the news coverage and got a little shake in our house, enough to make the curtains sway. Nylla and Jim went out tonight to dance class, and we watched some of the coverage before they left. She is heading up to Chch tomorrow. She's from there and hasn't heard from her family. Just heard there are 65 fatalities and more expected. Still nothing from the Halls. Posted are some photos from news coverage.

Larnach Castle

Up and just off Highcliff Road on the Otago Peninsula spine is Larnach Castle. We visited years ago when the family was doing a lot of restoration. It's quite fascinating, and nothing is roped off like it is in most museums or, say, the Hearst Castle in California. Photography is not allowed inside, but here's one of Rick and Jim in the cafe after lunch. This used to be the stables. When we arrived, it was clear but as a storm moved in, the clouds were blowing right through the grounds. Rick said being up on the turret was Hamlet Act 1, Scene 1. He expected to see Hamlet's father walk out of the mist. Spooky!

Sandymount Track

If you want a little exhileration in your afternoon hike, try the Sandymount Track on the Otago Peninsula. We weren't sure if we'd do the tramp; the wind was so strong and gusty, Rick had a hard time standing against it. Breathtaking scenery and fantastic steep cliffs to the sea below. We are reminded that New Zealanders are much like Italians when it comes to public safety and whose problem it is. I think it falls under the category of "You fell off the unmarked, unfenced cliff? Well, you're a bit thick then, aren't you?" The challenge of this tramp was definitely Jim's complete trust in us, his guides. The tramp was more difficult than we figured, but it was well worth it, and we made it back in a couple of hours. Jim was an absolute gamer the entire time. He was knackered by the end, but still willing to go for another walk around Larnach Castle. We're hoping for a fine day this week so we can do the Sandfly Beach track.

Loving the pipes

One of the best parts of travel, and certainly southern New Zealand, happened today. It was a relatively dreary morning, after a week or two of really nice weather, so we were feeling a little glum but decided to make our way downtown to the Saturday morning Farmer's Market. Always good for a pick-me-up.

We couldn't have imagined what happened next. As we approached the Octagon, the central hub of Dunedin, we heard pipes. Bagpipes to be more exact. Then we noticed the street was blocked off. We shuffled our way through crowds of people as the music swelled. By the time we reached the Octagon, we were in full Scottish glory.

A bagpipe band contest was underway. Good ones. No, great ones! It was a southern New Zealand contest to see who would advance to the national championships. For hours--yes, hours--bands paraded through the town. It was brilliant. Turned out to be one of those amazing things that only happens if you stay in a place long enough, and you're lucky enough, to trip across something wonderfully local. We found an outdoor table on the Octagon at "The Craic" and sipped long blacks and bathed in the cacophonous beauty of pipe bands. Part of Rick's family (mother's side) evidently has some Scottish blood (and Irish and Dutch, imagine that). We don't know how much--that side of the family line is a little more murky than the Schwier side, but it must be there. We could listen to this stuff all day long and still want more. Karin's part is a little more legitimate. Her heritage has some Scot, and Dad Melberg loves the pipes and has regaled us with his recordings when we visit.

Here's a wee sample of what we saw today. Wish you could have been there.

Up and over to Purakaunui

Jim and Karin convinced Rick to break away from the book late on a fine afternoon yesterday so we could take a little tour. We headed up to the Orokonui ecosanctuary high above Port Chalmers, stopping to visit the free range chickens. We had a pricey pot of tea and decided to take the road least traveled on the way back. Spectacular views and a few heart-stopping cliff edges to navigate. We ended up in the little community of Purakaunui with not a person in sight, only some boat sheds and sheer quiet. The village is the end of the road, so we had to turn around and retrace our steps. Rick even pulled over for sheep photos, except where there was no shoulder or steep dropoffs or places we were likely to die.

Nylla and Jim have been getting together twice a week to throw the rugby ball around and do stuff. Here she is entering the house in her unconventional manner. He's going to her Jolt dance class Tuesday night and will get together with her Thursday night while Rick and Karin do a uni-people farewell wine and cheese with Gill and a few others. Nylla said, "Jim, would you rather put on a suit and be polite or come play netball in your gym gear?" We are taking her home.

Aramoana

Gill gave us a great Department of Conservation website so we could chart out a couple of tramps around the area to do before we leave. We took an afternoon drive out to Aramoana, a tiny village way out at the inland tip of the harbour almost directly across from Taiaroa Head. Nylla let us know this little community hasn't always been so peaceful. A boardwalk takes you out through flax groves to the salt marshes. Afterwards, we walked on the beach and though there are warning signs posted, we only saw seal and sea lion tracks and wallow holes. You're supposed to give them a wide berth because if they decide to go after you, they can really run! The road out to Aramoana is a thrill ride in itself, almost one lane for both sides that hugs the coastline with hairpin turns, no shoulders, and a steep drop off on ocean side.