Mt Olympus Station

Way back in April, before the winter months set in, the Marlborough Camera Club had a day trip to the Mt Olympus Station, way down the Waihopai Valley.   Unfortunately it was set up and only a set number of people could go, due to the availability of four wheel drive access.  So, I wasn't able to go.  However, being a committee member has it perks, and I got to go to the station on the Wednesday beforehand to suss out the area to to find out what was available photographically.  I didn't actually get to go to the top of Mt Olympus, but I did get to see a fair bit of the station and loved it.

The station is run by Lynn Russell singlehandedly.    Yep - a 3000 acre sheep and beef station, run by a single woman.  I'm impressed.  I find it hard to manage my 783 square metres of land, let alone a 3000 acre station!  You know - keeping the lawns mowed.  Having the cat catch rabbits.  Irrigating my vegetable garden....

Anyway, we arrived at the station, and was invited in first for a cuppa in the 100yo farm house.. It was cosy warm and really pretty. 

Beautiful place to be.  After drinking a cuppa, Lynn put us in the truck.  I rode in the back taking photos as I went...I couldn't help but think that if I hadn't moved down to the South Island, I wouldn't be having such wonderful opportunities such as this.


This was the flatbed truck I was on. As we left the farmhouse, the 100yo woolshed and surrounding buildings got smaller...

The road was lined with the trees in their autumn colours...

Just look at those blue skies above the ranges. One of the reasons I love it down here.

We went through lots of different paddocks and gates...

past streams lined with trees with their autumn coats on...

I can just imagine coming down here with a picnic basket full of bacon and egg pie, champagne and strawberries...

The surrounding hills had commercial pine forests, which made an interesting contrast with the autumn colours...

Looking up... a lone tree enjoying the view...

of interesting rock formations...

These rock formations were apparently featured in the NZ National Geographic magazine and the photographers had been out there a few months before...

A quick break to water the dog... he had loads of fun!

And then it was time for us to start heading back to the farmhouse. The late afternoon sun through the trees gave it a silvery glow..

and the sun also gave us an even bigger contrast from the commercial pine forest...

Lynn stopped to show us a bee hive. Rather big, and still alive - I used my long lens to get this, as I didn't want to get to close... Understandably...

And just up from here we met one of station's big male natives..

Then it was back to the 100yo woolshed..

I could fossick around here forever with my camera. It was a photographers paradise inside and outside the shed...

old horseshoes - lots of them...

old tools...

and a very old pack saddle...

The shed was just packed full of history, with branding irons and old machines. I wish I could have stayed longer, and I so wished I had had my tripod on me! I had left it at home in error!

I had a great afternoon, and got home just as the sun was setting. I had to rush and get my camera for this one though..

Perfect end to a perfect day in paradise!

Cappucchino and Chocolate Bliss

My friend from Auckland came down to stay with me the other weekend. She's an avid photographer like myself but it couldn't have been very good for her. Firstly, my camera was up in Auckland getting fixed. Secondly I'm in plaster and couldn't get around much, and thirdly, the weather was very dicey!

However, despite that we drove up to the Nelson Lakes. I took my old Canon Powershot Pro1, and made Evelyn park adjacent to the lake so I could just roll the window down and take photos. Evelyn got out and walked around (lucky thing!). There were only so many of the lake photos I could take, and every time I wound down the window, thousands of sandflies would come inside the car. So my time was spent killing them all. I have lovely black splodges all over the inside windows of the car now!

None of my photos with the Powershot were anything to write home about.  In fact I deleted them all. We drove up to the top of Mt Robert so Evelyn could get the photos of the view down the valley. I got her to park adjacent to the view again while she got out and had a wander.; Again, none of my photos were any good.

Afterwards, we went and had lunch at the cafe at St Arnaud. We shared a plate of hot chips, and a cake.  The chips were the best I've ever had, and the cake was to die for. It was so nice that I googled it and found the recipe.  Fully recommend it and suggest you have a go at making it. I know I will be as soon as I'm out of plaster...

Cappucchino Bread and Butter Pudding....

Ingredients (serves 8)

1 large brioche loaf, thinly sliced
180g unsalted butter, softened
350g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
10 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
100ml strong espresso coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
700ml cream
200ml full-cream milk
Icing sugar, to dust
Warm chocolate sauce, to serve and Plain Yoghurt.

Method
Spread the brioche slices with 150g of butter. Alternate layers of brioche with 200g of the chocolate in a greased 25cm round spring-form pan.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, coffee, vanilla, 600ml of cream and the milk in a bowl until combined. Strain through a sieve over the brioche and chocolate and set aside for 1 hour to allow the liquid to be absorbed
.
Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Place cake pan on a flat baking tray and bake for 1 1/4 hours until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the remaining butter, chocolate and cream in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water until butter and chocolate have melted, then stir gently to combine.

Remove collar from cake pan, dust cake with icing sugar and serve with the chocolate sauce and some plain yoghurt.

What I have to put up with!

Cat:  "Oh God - Leave us ALONE - can't you see we're trying to SLEEP???

Every evening at about 9.30pm at night, my cat Kassia, this tiny thing here, starts yelling at me to go to bed.  When I say yell - I mean yell!  She's so keen to get to bed, she's often already under the covers while I'm trying to actually get under them myself.     Once I'm finally ensconced under covers, she crawls up, puts her head on my arm or pillow, lies exactly like this as you see above, and goes to sleep.  Occasionally she puts her paw on my face.  I try to believe that she's caressing me because she loves me, but the truth of the matter is that she's probably trying to stop me from breathing on her.  

The feeling is mutual.  I hate her breathing on me, but I at least can turn my head so why can't she???  Do I have to have a paw stuck over my nose and mouth?

I wake up in the morning and she is still there in the same position.  I usually have to force her to get up so I can, but heck - it's winter at the moment so a lie in every now and then is okay isn't it?

One thing I have to ask - is - what on earth would happen if I got a partner?  Where would the cat sleep then?

Photo was taken by Evelyn Gauntlett while she was visiting me last week !

Oscillopsia

People often wonder about me.  Why a perfectly 'normal' looking person doesn't work. I do look normal don't I?  However, behind that 'normality' I have a disability.  It's one that is very hard to understand when I tell you about it, so best given  by way of the video below...

The disability is bilateral Oscillopsia.  Basically, when I lost all my balance, I lost my built in 'image stabiliser'.  The video shows you what it is like for me when I walk.  If I bump into someone I know in the street, I will not recognise them until I stop and get everything in focus.  As I'm deaf, I'm not likely to recognise them by sound.

In addition to the up and down movement image stabiliser that I've lost, I also have it from side to side.  When I turn my head  say from desk to computer to type a document, that constant movement would render me seasick quite quickly.  I also have it in a forward and back movement as well, so if someone applies the brakes too often in a car, it can make me carsick.  I also get carsick on long drives even when I drive.

Any movement that is repetitive can render me unwell.  This includes everything, even simple everyday things can make me feel terrible.

I cope by breaking up my day.  I never do the same thing for too long.  I always make sure I sit down half way through and come back later to finish it.  As long as I can keep my head absolutely still, I can do things for long periods of time, but anything where movement is involved - forget it!   I have a stockpile of seasickness pills in my cabinet, but I try not to take them as they make me sleepy.  I prefer to have all my faculties working at all times.  I will only take them if I absolutely have to, at the times it is the worst.

I rarely talk about this.  I don't see it as a illness, but as a weakness.  I know I know, silly, but that's just the way I view it.  However, in my recent hospital stay, after my ankle operation and I was in plaster, and unable to put weight on my foot, the nurse that was looking after me seemed to think I was being 'too cautious' when I refused to have a shower.  The shower was a chub bath and I wouldn't use one even if I didn't have a plaster on for safety reasons.  I realised then that the only way I'm going to make people understand is to show them a little video, and what better way than to send them to my blog.

This bilateral Oscillopsia is also the reason I am fairly accident prone.  It's much easier to lose your balance when things are not stable for you, and the lack of a balance mechanism means that sometimes you don't realise you are actually falling, and by the time you do, it's too late to right yourself.

In the last 3 weeks, being on crutches after my tendon reattachment has been really trying.  I've fallen once.  But lost my balance many times, but fortunately been able to right myself by leaning on walls etc...  The biggest frustration is not being able to bend down and pick things up while balancing on one leg.  Many people take for granted that if they drop something, they can just bend down and pick it up.  Picking something up is a mission for me when I have two legs to balance on, but at the moment, to pick something up off the floor is nigh impossible.  One legged with no balance is simply dangerous.

Today, I just smashed a mug and a glass while trying to empty the dishwasher, and broken glass and crockery is all over the kitchen tiles.  I don't DARE try and pick it all up as if I do, I have a high chance of falling over and then cutting myself.  This means I have to have patience until I can jump on the first person that comes to the door, and ask for help!!

Even trying to make health providers understand why you need help is a mission.  Usually I just give up.  But being in plaster for the last 3 weeks, has made me come to realise that I do need people to understand more what it is like, and that I probably do need a bit more help than the average person who has the same operation just for simple safety reasons.

I didn't always have Oscillopsia, but over the years, it has got worse.  Websites with information about this tell me that it gets better over time, but for me it's been the opposite.  It's got worse and continues to do so.  I wonder if it goes hand in hand with the vertigo that I get as well.  But I won't go into that. Let's just understand my bilateral Oscillopsia today.  I would rather bury the rest in a hole and not talk about it ever!

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment and ask in the blog, I'm only too happy to answer them as long as I can!

My New House - The Update..

Everyone has been wanting an update of my new house and what I've been doing. So here it is... This is the outside now complete with driveway and pathways which were put in a few weeks ago. I'm really pleased wit it......

You will also note the fence, done in roofing material, also black to match the joinery of the house.

This is the pathway to the front door.  I' have already placed weedmat down in the garden - in fact, the garden is now planted as well as weedmatted - all that is required now is the riverstones to go down there.  That will now have to come a bit later as I'm now in plaster and on crutches!

Here's the deck round the back.  Party Central.  Once summer comes along anyway.  You can see the vege garden in the distance.

Here's the raised vege garden.  I've so far planted chives, carrot, leek, spinach, broccoli and Cauliflower in it.  By the way Broccoli down here is currently selling at $2.68 a head.  Which is why I've planted it in my vege garden. We pay through the nose for veges down here.

Sitting on my deck, this is the view I get now they've cut the vines ready for pruning.  That snowy mountain range you can see is St Arnaud range by the Lakes.  It's about an hours drive from here, and is where the Rainbow Ski Field is.  Unfortunately I will not be doing any skiing this year because of my ankle!

Just in case you didn't believe me with the view from my deck, I've taken another angle.....

 Did you notice how blue the sky is?  That's very typical of Blenheim.  Blue blue skies, warm sun, cold frosty mornings!  I think it's going to minus 3 C this this morning.  Brrrr.  Don't think I'll be getting out of bed in a hurry!

And finally the pathway from one end of the house to the other (East side from vege garden to letterbox).

Hope you like it as much as I do!

So - riverstones, laying lawn, and some more plants and then I'm finished!  Not long to go!

Harvesting Wine

It's been ages since I updated this blog.  But I've been really busy on the outside of my house - I'll post up photos later for that.  But back in mid April - my uncle and cousin invited me to take photos of the harvest on their vineyard.  I'm not one to turn down any photographic opportunity so duly turned up with my camera. 

Here's the big bright yellow harvester that Richard drives.  The green machine is the tractor that pulls a bin behind it.  It drives down another aisle beside the harvester and the grapes go into it.  Quite a nifty operation.

And here it is going into the aisle of the vineyard.  I thought all my images would be from the ground but see that guy on the back of the Harvester.  That's Richard, my cousin.  He got down and encouraged me to climb on board.  I did.  I have to say - the view was amazing!!!!

Another stunning day in Blenheim.  The weather is lovely down here.  Did I tell you the view was amazing?

That's looking over to the wither hills.  Remember this is April, the beginning of Autumn.  We're now in Winter and those hills are actually showing signs of greening up.  Small signs.  I'm not sure if they ever turn green properly. 

Here are those lovely grapes going into the bin.  That's future Sauvignon Blanc people.   Good high quality Marlborough grapes.  There's nothing else like it!

Here's another view to the Wither Hills.  I never get tired of this view.  It's a beautiful spot.  When my ankle is finally better I'll be going walking in these hills.

For those petrol heads out there, here's the image of the wine going in the bin with more of the harvester showing.  I'm not entirely clued up how it works.  Richard did tell me but hey - I'm a girl.  These sorts of things go in one ear and out the other quite rapidly.  I did understand at the time - but that was back in April!  It's now July and that information has long departed from my brain.

I added this image for no other reason than because I like it.  I love the sun hitting those grapes as they are falling into the bin. 

Meet my cousin Richard.  Apparently you have to pull faces like this to make the harvester work.  This one means to go forward.  Either that or the madness gene that runs through the family is showing.

Thought I better upload image to prove that we do have normal genes sometimes!

Did I mention the view was spectacular?  Just in case I didn't I'll mention it now.  The view up on the harvester is absolutely amazing!

One full bin and it's ready to go on the truck.  Note that the vines in the background have already started turning the autumn colours.  Autumn is beautiful down here.

Everything is done the modern way these days.  Hydraulics.  There's no stamping on the grapes with your feet any more.  Shame really - I've always wanted to try it that way.

Anyway - that's how the wine is harvested.

Gorgeous view though!  I want a harvester to drive around Blenheim to get these views with my camera all the time!

Costa Rica Volunteer Aid with Raleigh International

I don't usually plug for donations, but I'm making an exception this time.  A very good friend of mine, David Roos, has been accepted as a volunteer for a project in Costa Rica, starting in September for three months.  His role is one close to my heart, as Photographer for the project.  In fact, if I was younger, fitter, wasn't deaf, didn't get vertigo, I would be signing up myself, so I'll be living my youth through David's travels this time.

David is an exceptional photographer.  You can view his work on DeviantArt.  His photos he took in Japan are incredible.  You can view some of his galleries by clicking on the following links.

Japan

China

WRC 2010

The role in Costa Rica as copied from David's webpage.....

What will I doing there?
I will be undertaking a 13 week volunteer manager role with Raleigh International in Costa Rica in September this year. My primary role will be as a photographer, capturing the essence of the expedition and projects in my photos. These images are an invaluable resource to recruit new venturers and volunteer managers, attract funders and sponsors, publicise Raleigh and its work and enhance memories and experiences of the volunteers. Every moment I am not taking photos will be spent either contributing to the smooth running of the expedition or mucking in on the project sites.

This role is hugely important to me as it is a chance to contribute to projects that will hugely benefit people's lives, help create experiences that will positively shape young people's futures, for my own personal growth opportunities and finally, a chance to volunteer my talents for something greater than myself.

This is an unpaid role - I will be covering all my own costs besides in country transport, food and accommodation (Note - accommodation is very basic, usually camping) and my position on the expedition depends on the raising of at least £2000 before September.

Donations.

Please donate to this great cause.  Every little bit helps and it doesn't matter how small, it all goes to help  the projects outlined on the website and to get David accepted into the role.  To donate just click on the word 'Donations' below..

Donations

then click on the 'Donate Now' green button on the website and follow instructions,.  It's really easy.

Thank you in advance from both myself and David.