Home is where the hearth is

Arrived.  And it is gorgeous.  After a few days of getting used to our surroundings (this is our cute little stone cottage with the green screen looking backdrop).  We wake up here every day and still can't believe it isn't a rollaway set.  The lodge got a facelift this year and while we have no idea what before was like, NOW looks just lovely. As we make our way around the place and the kitchen, it seems hard to find reasons why we might not like our new life.  Ok, the showerhead pressure in our house isn't grand (and for two of us, it's a little low) so there are adjustments to be made to live in paradise.  Week one we have some people to impress: two charming returning Australians and some special friends from home.  Here goes.

Cedar Lodge

Sending off his just made boat down the river

The river is so clear and so blue

Master wood chopper

Patsy is always enthralled in Crystal's kitchen

Home

Dinner Number One: leg of lamb, roasted spring veg, herb mustard butter, whipped potato, chervil

Headed to our new home

We get up with the desire to just cruise straight to our new home.  We have seen some amazing scenery and have had some lovely little stops in town, but after a few days on the road, the 13 year old in all three of us just wants to get 'home'.  So we head to the supermarket to buy what every country New Zealander will tell you is a must-have wardrobe piece: gum boots. Armed with those and our last big kiwi breakfast in the hippest little diner in the middle of industrial city (the same odd way that the best sushi is always in some horrible, weird stripmall), we hit the road. I will bore you again with the lack of vocabulary I have at my disposal to give proper props to the awe and amazement that took our breath away as dropped into the valley which we will now call home for the next five months.  Unreal. That is all.

Our first clouds

We wake up to the first really dreary, dreary day and this morning we are on a boat to cross the Cook strait, meandering through many, many, many little islands all perfect for beautiful pictures and we are blanketed in fog.  Oh well.  We packed our little car, along with 600 others!!, and enjoyed the ride.  Wouldn't a three hour ferry make you thirsty for wine?  Us too, and we headed straight for Marlborough, by way of some more ridiculously beautiful scenery.  I'm not sure if this country has an ugly spot, anywhere. Fromm-delicious. Syrah that was remarkable and fun cheesy, leesy chardonnay. 4 different wine regions so far and we have been presented one lonely Sauvignon Blanc, almost out of a sense of duty.  SO much more to learn here.  Fantastic lunch at Rock Ferry (and great bubbles.. we could stay here..)

Rivendell is real

We cruised, with full bellies and smiles on our faces straight to Christchurch. Did I mention the delicious bubbles?  Such an easy way to put a smile on my face.  A long afternoon with ridiculously gorgeous views out of our car.  Is this getting old?  It seems repetitive but it isn't.  It is NEW beauty every day, new amazingly breathtaking landscapes that make our jaws drop at every turn. We did stop to take in the view at Rivendell and made plans for Lord of the Rings viewings while we are here just to yell out 'Been there' at every dreamy camera shot.  We then drove along the coast most of the way and stopped at a little beach store that was surprisingly cool, without being hipster.  We arrived in Christchurch and took a short walk to Thai food and crawled into bed. Spent.

We'd come back just for the fish & chips

The farmer's market in Hastings (always a great way to start a weekend morning) had a few fun treats for us: good looking produce, thank heavens, plus a kiwi-style breakfast sandwich and some good farmers' connections.  As we headed for Wellington to eventually catch our ferry, we stopped in Martinborough (who can resist another wine region? Not us).  We missed catching the couple of connections we had made stateside and dropped in on a spot for lunch instead.  Good lunch, meh wines.  No worries, though, we'll be back: the town of Martinborough was sweet and the neighborhood coffee spot just perfect.  We drove into Wellington with enough time to check in and find a wonderful fish & chips spot, our first. We decided gunard was our favorite of the bunch, though we have no idea what kind of fish that might be...

Getting Heart and Soul out of our heads

We headed straight to the coast to clear our heads of the tireless '80's DJ that is my mind (somehow I lost my way looking to see something in your eyes, but love will never compromise..) and found our way to Napier/Hastings. Yippee. Wine country. First stops: Black Barn and Te Mata, some of the older wineries of the region. Both small by NZ standards (5,000 case total production) and delicious big reds.  Apparently, Hawke's Bay is actually Syrah and Chardonnay country.  Who knew?  But the winner of the day was Rod Macdonald wines (even smaller), right by the ocean (an old Crawford site) and super fun one-offs and winemaker-joy driven bottlings. Again, pleasantly surprised by real reds: an awesome 2011 Te Awanga merlot and hunky (but perfectly charming) Syrahs.  Kim, from Seattle, married a Kiwi and gave us lots of insider-scoop. Had a fun, but slightly contrived, 6 course meal at a newbie spot in Napier, Bistronomy. Julian is a dream to dine with, as he took all the pictures, and feels equally miffed when food isn't up to par.

We can't pronounce it, but we like it.

We had a lovely snack/lunch in Rotorua.  While we were fascinated with all the natural springs and geysers, it  seems like it would be hard to live with so much sulfur all the time.  Does one become de-sensitized? The aromas and flavor profile of the house cured beef and the delicious ginger chicken at Atticus Finch distracted from the natural springs (and yes, I ordered a bourbon cocktail called the Calpurnia). The road to Taupo wasn't long but peppered the entire time with a little bit of Heart and Soul (T'Pau anyone?). This is one of those places just too breathtaking to describe. Crystal-blue lake with a snowcapped Alp in its reflection.  Throw in a palm tree, some black swans and sunshine to the ends of the horizon and I promise you will find it hard not to repeat the OH my GOSHes over and over again.  We had a morning with perfect flat whites: we are our most authentic NW (NZ) selves on the other side of the world. Back in the car and headed to wine country.

The journey begins

After many hours on a plane (the nineteen hours in the air were remarkably pleasant compared to the short stint in LA's poor excuse for an airport.  Worst ever.) we fueled up with a classic Kiwi breakfast.  Crystal is in heaven: hashbrowns, roasted tomato, beans, very good sausage, a loin+belly bacon, eggs, fresh squeezed kiwifruit juice, and a flat white. Off we go to buy a car.  Get this: a used car salesman in New Zealand picks you up at the airport, shows you all the best deals (no haggling) sets up insurance for you, and lets you drive away with the steal of the century.  Let me introduce you to Amy, our super great 1997 Nissan Pulsar. We headed straight out of town to begin our journey to the south island.  First stop: Rotorua