rin tin tin

classic tin roof but an extraordinary two story house!

typical kiwi suburbia 

fancy ridged tin roof 

tin art

This post is dedicated to my father. I will always remember the first time we ichatted and he immediately got excited by the tin roof he could spot in the background. I am no foreigner to tin roofs as our home in Idaho is stylishly adorned with a perfectly rusted, corrigated tin roof. However, kiwis take tin to a whole new level, bordering on obsession.

This is the first post in what will be an entire series of observations that define the essence of kiwi culture- practicality. This theory developed within the first few days of entering the country. At first we couldn't put a word to it but finally the light bulb went off- practical. New Zealand does not have the materialistic valued, excess filled, appearance oriented culture of America. I believe this is why people say visiting New Zealand is like taking a trip back to the American 1950's. If something is broken, they don't buy a new one- they fix it! A "good" car is not a luxury brand, its a car that will last for decades (Toyota wins the highest regard). Houses are rarely two stories because they don't need all that extra space- its just extra cleaning.
(We are not intending to glorify this lifestyle, as we are Americans at heart, but we do appreciate the simplicity and rationality behind it.)

The examples are endless and not all can be photographically documented but we will try our best.
Here are a few examples to drive the point home!

• there are no mansions (we've been all over the south island looking for our NZ dream home-coming up short still)
• most people compost
• the recycling system here is impressive (and complicated)
• they even recycle bottle caps
• washing machines default to cold to save energy
• most homes don't have a dryer- they air dry
• bike riders, no matter your age, have to wear a helmet
• bike riders wear neon vests to ensure you see them- even during the day.
• toilets have two flush buttons- one for #1 (uses half the water) and one for #2

more to come...

BUNGY TIME

Olivia's epic bungy jumps

Swingers

Olivia's graceful swing

Juraj making the leap

Dio Cane!!!!!!!!

Kyle flying high

rope swing

Making the short 15 minute hike to the rope swing

Not too sketchy....

It is a two man job just getting the rope in position

Rope Swing Karate?

Andrew getting ready to ride the swing

Add caption

Our driveway on the right and bridge on the left. Kyle is loving the easy access

View from the bridge

Boys deciding if it was deep enough to jump. It wasn't because it was low tide but Kyle has been jumping when the river is higher.

So once again we do not have work today....The season is going very slowly and the grapes still are not ripe enough to harvest. Hopefully this week things will start getting busier and we will get to begin 10-12 hour shifts. In the meantime we might as well go for a little bridge jumping and rope swinging! The rope swing is only about a 15 minute walk from our house. We all had fun swinging out over the river and into the not too chilly water. Unfortunately the river was a little low for jumping off the bridge. The bridge is about 30 feet high and safe to do at high tide when the water level rises. At low tide it is probably too shallow to make the plunge. Kyle likes to end his morning jogs by jumping off the bridge and cooling off. Tomorrow we are back to work bright and early at 6am.

P.S. if you check back later you may find some videos...

Farmer's Market

light, bright, and cheerful! 

women in their Sunday best- makes me want to watch Easter Parade with my sister

the most unique jams you could imagine

decadent deserts 

my absolute favorite

chicks for sale

story time

beautiful olive oil

Juraj and Andrew 

perfect day for ice cream (meet molly- our fellow cellar hand) 

REAL peach ice cream. homemade with the skin

(thinking of you mama!)

Easter Sunday wouldn't be complete without a bunny rabbit

Charming is not the first word I would use to describe the town of Blenheim. However, their Sunday market is beyond enchanting. It might not be the biggest market I've ever been to but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm.

Last week we went and I kicked myself all week for not having brought my camera. But luck was on my side because we got granted another Sunday off! Here are just a few of the shots I took on this gorgeous Sunday!

you cannot imagine the devastation this sign caused

we did the impossible- we found beer on Easter Sunday

Ferry Bridge Cottage

Ace in his home

gorgeous day

our land lady built this coy pond by hand!

just one example of the many details that make this property endlessly enchanting

strawberry patch in the vegetable garden

this morning i woke up to their adorable grandbabies laughing on the tire swing (or tyre as they say in NZ)

a real bed and a contrast wall... luxury

sooo nice to have drawers

kitchen

As stated earlier, we fell in love with the cottage the second we arrived. I have been negligent on sharing the beauty of our new home so here is an obnoxious amount of photographic proof that we have the cutest house in Blenheim.

The list of perks that come with this cottage continues to grow. The more we talk with our fellow workers the more grateful we are. We are paying less and getting more than anyone else. Here are a few examples:

• free vegetables and every herb you could want for cooking (but most importantly tons of basil)
• fresh eggs (the yellowest yokes you have ever seen, practically neon!)
• free internet
• hot hot shower
• clean sheets every week
• she also cleans our bathrooms!
• tons of running trails next to the river
• TV
• two kitchens (aka refridgeration and an oven!
• two bathrooms (flush toilets are the ultimate luxury after living in a van)
• bikes
• the sweetest guard dog Misty
• recycling and compost
• BBQ
• patio and picnic tables
• laundry! (although no dryer... fluffy warm towels are missed dearly)
• and best of all- our awesome roommates 

And just to even it out here are the few negatives:

• beautiful garden =  lots of spiders
• no dryer = stiff clothes and sheets
• 20K from town (which means 20K from beer and ice cream)
• TV only has 3 channels
• no dishwasher (luckily Kyle and I both agree that chef should never do dishes- so we take turns)

silver lining

As I had mentioned earlier, my purse was stolen this weekend. It was such an unfortunate experience that was incredibly disheartening. It was taken out of Ace late on Saturday night- the biggest downer of the whole thing was that it ruined our first night out! I of course immediately canceled all of my cards and thanked the lord that my passport wasn't stolen. (Unfortunately Kyle's camera is forever gone but I will try to stay on top of documenting the rest of the trip with mine)

However, this horrible story has a happy ending. Today we were reminded of the goodness that lies in the general public. Some incredible soul found my beloved Kate floating in the river. They not only fished her out of the water but went through the impossible task of tracking me down! They found all of my cards, ID's, and other wallet clutter. I had a bank card for a NZ bank that they brought my entire bag to. The bank tracked down my employer through my account. Drylands then contacted my landlord who left a note for me and went all the way into town to pick up my bag for me! Needless to say, it took a lot of good people  to get my bag back to me and I am eternally grateful.

It only takes one bad person to spoil the whole bunch. We are choosing to focus on all the amazing Kiwis who worked to get Kate back to me instead of the one punk who took her in the first place. The world is full of amazing people!

Kate soaking wet with river water. ALL of my cards (including my fake ID from years ago!)  and a lovely note from the woman who is to be credited with finding my bag

 Some random photos from the week:

taco tuesday

bakery trip. the best carrot cake ever

the other side

view from the Crusher

patio dining

these three trees are the trademark of Drylands

the "house". the main headquarters of Constellation in all of NZ

these trees can be seen on the Drylands label

You now have a pretty good idea of our side of the winery business. The site has about 200 tanks, 5 presses, 2 crushers, and a crew of 40 (more like 40 blue smerfs). Drylands is owned by Constellation which is the largest wine company in the world. They own wineries in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Drylands alone deals with 20,000 tons of grapes. Our labels are Drylands, Nobilo, VNO, and are most popular, Kim Crawford.

But we are more like the man behind the curtain. Here is a look at the other side of the winery (literally). We have a cute cellar door that offers tasting. There is also a delicious restaurant and cafe with a sweet patio overlooking the vines.