March 11, 2011
Thriving Business in CHCH; Tsunami Warning for NZ; Bad Luck
We left Jackie and Charlie behind at Archer House in Westport, and headed northwest toward Motueka, a town near Abel Tasman National Park where Matt had suggested that we visit. The distance there is only about 250 km but the roads are very winding, with speed limits between 100 kph on the straight portions to 35 kph at the sharpest turns. Driving in the mountains, with no guardrails and very sharp curves, is wearing. Add in single lane bridges, single lane road in one portion, road construction and mowing the bushes on the steep rockwalls next to a curve in the road, and you’re relieved when you see you have only 11 kms to go. Having gassed up and picked up a newspaper, drinks and sandwich in Murchison (the only town of consequence on our route), Sugar read some of the paper to me. One of the stories was how prostitution was thriving in Christchurch, due to the influx of foreign search and rescue workers, policemen, etc. According to one prostitute, she was having the most prosperous time of her career, earning an average of $700 per night, and $1400 on her best night. She continued, “If they need that release, with all the pressure they are under, then I guess it’s okay.” Two of the men wanted their picture taken with her while they wore their Australian police uniforms, apparently for their buddies back home.
As I write this, we are watching the TV and are learning of the magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan two hours ago. New Zealand and most of the Pacific have been put under a tsunami warning. And of course, we are staying in lowlying country next to the ocean. Sugar wants to go back to Geordie Hill Station where there is no risk of such things and there is no news from TV. I guess this is our welcome back to the real world, a world of tragedy and suffering for so many. If a tsunami hits here, a NZ rep just said it may be another 4-6 hours - in other words in the middle of the night. This fear reminds me of the following: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” When I was a little boy, I kneeled at my bedside and said that prayer every night before I went to bed. And continuing “God bless Nanny, Gammy, Mommy, Daddy...” and so on down to the cats and the dogs. And God bless the Japanese and all those suffering at this time.
“Bad luck,” according to Matt, is what happens in life to people, and no matter how or why it happens, it does not give the injured party the right to sue the party causing the injury in NZ. The Govt will care for the injured party and will prosecute the guilty party, if a crime has been committed, but there is no private remedy. So if an accident occurs, as it did with Sugar, the National Healthcare System will care for the injured party but he or she would have no right to sue the fishing trip operator, for example. It’s just “bad luck.” Obviously, I pushed back pretty hard on that point but there was no give with Matt and Jo. This philosophy is widespread, I think, in NZ and helps to explain the ubiquity of bungy jumping, skydiving, parasailing and other intense physically risky activities, and their attitude of self-independence. One might argue that this system permits a guilty party to evade full responsibility for his acts. And on the other hand, maybe the system works here as it is with Madoff and his victims, with the government having imprisoned him and the government also seeking to recover assets to pay back to those innocently injured by his fraudulent acts. This is what is great about getting away from home. You always get a fresh look at your life in comparison with how others live.
We had a short trip to Kaiteriteri, the “most beautiful beach in New Zealand,” where we had a beer at the Beached Whale Restaurant, and then returned to town for supper at Simply Indian Restaurant. Now, with Sugar switching back and forth between American Idol and CNN, I’m signing off. Good night.
Love, Nat, Dad, Matt, DB
March 12, 2011
Mapua, Pelorus and Queen Charlotte; Miscellany
We survived the night so that’s a relief and it looks like NZ will be spared another disaster, at least at this time. We left our host, Stephen, at White Lodge B & B, another very fine accommodation and the only room at his B & B. His wife is away in Great Britain so he cut $10 off the price as he didn’t think his cooking would be as good as his wife’s. The room is in a separate building and fronts on the backyard flower and vegetable gardens.
We joined Route 6, then took a left to Mapua where, we had been told, there were nice shops next to the wharf (so Bay, I am giving Sugar an opportunity to shop - 15 minutes is more than enough time here). The tide was out - their tide is about 8’, similar to home, and there were a few boats in the small harbor.
We continued on through Richmond, Nelson, Port Nelson, all towns on the coast and looking back we could see the mountains in Abel Tasman National Park, and of course the mountains that were hoving over these towns and through which we would eventually have to get through on our trip today. Shortly, we turned east and up into the mountains and the serpentine road appeared again, back and forth, up and down, over and over again. The drivers here are courteous, pulling over when able to let cars past who have piled up behind them. After 20-30 minutes or so, we entered the beautiful Rai Valley with its farms and flatlands surrounded by the mountains. We stopped at Pelorus Bridge, where there are a cafe, toilets and short walk to the river. We took advantage of all three. It is very warm, probably in the high 70’s, but the walk in the heavily shaded forest was refreshing. And the Totara tree is enormous rising to almost 100 feet high. Back to the serpentine road which led us to Havelock, a small town of 400 and a beautiful town on the ocean with a 50-mile sound, one of many Marlborough Sounds. We stopped to see Chris and Philippa, two people we had met last Friday night at pizza. Chris was shocked to see Sugar and wanted to know how she had been injured. He was gracious. Philippa was out so we didn’t get to see her, but did get to meet Olive and Morrison, two doodles, one black and one golden, and neither as cute as Maggie.
Right outside Havelock, we turned left onto Queen Charlotte Drive, a spectacular 1-hour ride along the bluffs above some of the Marlborough Sounds which are surrounded by forested mountains descending into the sea. It is more beautiful than the Pacific Coast Highway, Sargent Drive, the road along the French Riviera on the way to Monte Carlo - you rise to 1000 feet above sea level, drop down to sea level, and then you do the same all over again. And you better pay attention to your driving for again there are no guard rails to keep you from going over the side if you go off the road. At the end of the drive is Picton, a small town nestled between steep mountainsides and the ocean sound. We take the ferry from here tomorrow, a 3-hour trip to Wellington where we will stay until Tuesday. Hopefully, our room there will have better Internet access and I can go back to sending a few pictures.
I made our reservations on the Interislander Ferry today as I was worried that, with the tsunami warning of today, many people may have put off their plan to take the ferry today and instead take it tomorrow. However, I was able to get the tickets ($55 apiece without the car which we drop off here tomorrow).
The following are several things Sugar and I have noticed about New Zealand:
1. Money system - their unit of money is the dollar, worth about 80 cents; the bills are different colored; the lowest denomination bill is the $5 bill; the silver colored coins are worth less than the copper colored coins; they have a $2 coin.
2. There is no tipping! That’s hard to get used to.
3. Serviettes are napkins!
4. I filled up the car with 1/4 tank left and it cost $94 at about $2.20/liter.
5. When you sit down at a restaurant, the server brings you a large bottle of cold water and glasses, no ice.
6. The towels are situated on racks that heat the towels.
7. They have “roundabouts” rather than stoplights.
8. You can drink in public unless you are in an alcohol ban area (usually the downtown area).
9. There are voracious “midgies” (like no-see-ums at home) at the beaches if there is no wind.
10. Roads are excellent but narrow.
11. The roads are long and winding.
12. The speed limit in rural areas is 100 kph.
13. You can get an excellent room at a B & B for $160 NZ.
14. Flat white, long black are two types of coffee.
15. Waitresses are paid minimum wage.
16. Breakfast cost is very high.
17. Risky behavior is the norm.
18. A “sealed” runway is a paved runway.
19. “Give Way” = Yield sign.
20. NZ is “Down Under” and consider themselves as such.
21. Deceased vets are “Glorious Dead” as opposed to KIA.
22. Wifi is limited.
23. Land tenure review - Govt pays all the expenses for such review, appraisals, surveys, etc.
That’s enough for now. Good night to all. Back to the North Island tomorrow.
Love, Nat, Dad, Matt, DB, etc.
Sorry = No pictures due to slow Internet.
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