Alex Hallatt 2/24/20 Alex Hallatt 2/24/20

New Zealand Garden Diary: Rampant Rampicante Squash

The cucumbers planted nearby are still tiny, but the rampicante squash is rambling all over. Tastes pretty good (like a courgette/zucchini) when young, but I’m looking to store the big one.

Click to see options for using the image

Alex Hallatt 2/21/20 Alex Hallatt 2/21/20

Living in New Zealand: Wild Swimming Safely Is Hard When There Are Idiots on Jet Skis

In the summer I usually swim loads in Lyttelton Harbour. But it has been an odd summer with too many cool, windy days and the Lyttelton Port Company have been dredging the inner harbour through January and February, our prime swimming months. Plus I have been exceptionally busy in the garden sorting out my new studio. A lot of excuses! But I did swim a lot when I was on Quail Island as volunteer DOC warden. And it reminded me just how much I loathe jet-skis.

Jet-skis are an abomination and I wish they were only ever used by trained lifeguards (not by bevvied-up blokes and their 10 year old kids, neither of whom know the regulations.)

The speed limit near swimmers is 5 knots, but many boaties and jetskiers ignore this in New Zealand

Whenever I'm swimming I and I see jet-skis I think about poor Kirsty MacColl and I have terrible, murderous thoughts.

cull people on jet skis who buzz swimmers

At least (for now) you can find places without jetskiers.

Alex Hallatt 2/18/20 Alex Hallatt 2/18/20

Living in New Zealand: Cruising Around the Harbour Seeing Hectors Dolphins and a Lot of Coal

Really enjoyed seeing Whakaraupo/Lyttelton Harbour from another perspective.

Hectors dolphins in Whakaraupo. Click to see options for using the image

New Zealand's dirty little secret: coal. Shipped via Lyttelton.

Alex Hallatt 2/14/20 Alex Hallatt 2/14/20

Living in New Zealand: Quail Island Was a Place to End Your Days

I’m back from a week on Ōtamahua/Quail Island (as a volunteer DOC warden - see previous post) and enjoyed spending time drawing and writing, when I wasn’t doing warden things (checking for litter, greeting visitors and cleaning the loo!).

There is a lots of interesting history associated with the island, much of it tragic. Antarctic explorers trained their horses and dogs there for ill-fated expeditions to the Antarctic. And there was a leper colony, where at least two of the poor, isolated tenants ended their days on the island.

But by far the most tragic story is that of the two Ward brothers who came from Ireland with the hope of better life and were dead within months.

The Ward brother history is fascinating (the surviving brothers were very active in early Canterbury life and set up the Ward Brewery which made Canterbury Draught and other beers) and if you want to read more, you should head here:

https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-ghosts-of-quail-island/

http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/686/

This was the view from the location of the Ward brothers’ homestead.

You can nearly see our house behind the ridge above the first oil tanks) from there. A sweet valley with a lovely view, but conditions in Lyttelton Harbour can change quickly.

I think the macrocarpas on the island post date the Wards.