Saw this sign when we got off the launch at Picton after the wedding. I'll make sure not to transport my bee collection to the South Island in future!
Makes you realise how important biosecurity is though, even within a country...
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Flowering!
One of my brother's friends gave him an off-shoot of a cactus a few years ago. It was planted at Mum and Dad's place, named Nandor and has now grown to a respectable size (over five foot). It flowers once a year for a couple of days only and this year it flowered on Christmas Day. Beautiful!
Angus has an offshoot of Nandor at his house now in Anakiwa (can't remember this cactus's name) and it flowered while I was there last week. Just as beautful, and as Tiana pointed out, it smelt of naked ladies. Sadly, we neglected to take a photo of it and then it suffered during a fierce northerly. It looked just like its Timaru cousin though!
Angus has an offshoot of Nandor at his house now in Anakiwa (can't remember this cactus's name) and it flowered while I was there last week. Just as beautful, and as Tiana pointed out, it smelt of naked ladies. Sadly, we neglected to take a photo of it and then it suffered during a fierce northerly. It looked just like its Timaru cousin though!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
San Diego – Monday 21 December
Weather was definitely a bit chillier today – but that meant about 16 degrees rather than 22 so I can’t complain! I had some yummy pancakes for breakfast at a café nearby then caught the bus out to San Diego zoo – it’s about 10 minutes by bus from the center of town. Cost was $37 for an adult day pass – that includes a bus tour of the park, and trips on the skyine cable car. I was there for over six hours so it was quite good value!
The bus tour was ok, but I felt a bit happier walking around. The whole zoo is really well laid out and not too huge, and I had my new FitFlops on so my feet were fine. My favourites were the panda bears, flamingos, different monkeys and the giraffes. There was even a baby giraffe who was only 4 weeks old! There were a few animals where they looked really cooped up and unhappy, pacing up and down. One of the polar bears spent the whole time I was watching him doing the same backflip and circle, which initially looked really cool but in retrospect may not be very healthy.
The bus tour was ok, but I felt a bit happier walking around. The whole zoo is really well laid out and not too huge, and I had my new FitFlops on so my feet were fine. My favourites were the panda bears, flamingos, different monkeys and the giraffes. There was even a baby giraffe who was only 4 weeks old! There were a few animals where they looked really cooped up and unhappy, pacing up and down. One of the polar bears spent the whole time I was watching him doing the same backflip and circle, which initially looked really cool but in retrospect may not be very healthy.
San Diego – Sunday 20 December
Another sunny day in San Diego! This morning I went to visit Coronado which is an island in San Diego Bay. You can catch the bus over the bridge but I chose to take the ferry which goes right from the Downtown Pier about five minutes walk from my hotel. It was a nice 30 minute ride across the bay – half of Coronado is a naval base and there’s also a retired aircraft carrier museum on the bay as well, so there’s quite a lot of activity around.
When I got to Coronado, I had some brunch at a restaurant right beside the water. There was a huge group of cyclists who were dressed up in red and green, who were brunching half way though their ride. Always amazing in America how people are keen to dress up – I even saw a car with fuzzy reindeer antlers!
I walked over to he other side of the island – Coronado is quite posh and there were some lovely houses to look at. On the other side of the island is the Hotel Del Coronado which is a huge distinctive complex which was initially built in 1888. It was the location for part of Some Like It Hot and is still very popular. There was even a wedding venue set up on the beach, and an ice-skating rink! Loads of nice cafes and small shops on Orange Ave, the main road across the island.
I took the ferry back to the mainland, then caught the trolley out to Fashion Valley shopping mall – there are three trolley routes around central San Diego – I had to change once, but it was very efficient. Fashion Valley was pretty busy with pre-holiday shopping. It was an outdoor mall, with all the normal mall-type shops as well as a Bloomingdales, Macys, Nieman Marcus and Nordstroom. There were loads of discounts and sales going on – the sale in Banana Republic was pretty good, but a queue at the check-out of at least 30 people so I decided not to indulge. Picked up a few summer tops – most of the stuff in the shops were really wintry and I don’t have any immediate need for that! I also visited the other two malls (Hazard Center and Mission Valley) but they were not as good.
Had dinner in the Gaslamp District in central San Diego – lots of bars, Italian and Indian restaurants!
When I got to Coronado, I had some brunch at a restaurant right beside the water. There was a huge group of cyclists who were dressed up in red and green, who were brunching half way though their ride. Always amazing in America how people are keen to dress up – I even saw a car with fuzzy reindeer antlers!
I walked over to he other side of the island – Coronado is quite posh and there were some lovely houses to look at. On the other side of the island is the Hotel Del Coronado which is a huge distinctive complex which was initially built in 1888. It was the location for part of Some Like It Hot and is still very popular. There was even a wedding venue set up on the beach, and an ice-skating rink! Loads of nice cafes and small shops on Orange Ave, the main road across the island.
I took the ferry back to the mainland, then caught the trolley out to Fashion Valley shopping mall – there are three trolley routes around central San Diego – I had to change once, but it was very efficient. Fashion Valley was pretty busy with pre-holiday shopping. It was an outdoor mall, with all the normal mall-type shops as well as a Bloomingdales, Macys, Nieman Marcus and Nordstroom. There were loads of discounts and sales going on – the sale in Banana Republic was pretty good, but a queue at the check-out of at least 30 people so I decided not to indulge. Picked up a few summer tops – most of the stuff in the shops were really wintry and I don’t have any immediate need for that! I also visited the other two malls (Hazard Center and Mission Valley) but they were not as good.
Had dinner in the Gaslamp District in central San Diego – lots of bars, Italian and Indian restaurants!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
San Diego - Saturday 19 December
I'm staying at the W Hotel in San Diego which is a bit of a splash for my trip home, and also because it was a bargain on hotels.com. W Hotels are highly branded experiences - the pool area is called Wet, the gym is called Sweat etc., etc. I've got a Wonderful room which has an enormous king size bed, and a HD TV. The design of the whole hotel is quite beach inspired and one of my pillows is the shape of a beach ball. There's even an outdoor bar area called Beach where all the young people are congregating of an evening! There is a complimentary car that will take you anywhere you want to go but I haven't tried it just yet. The hotel is in downtown San Diego which is pretty anonymous really, but it's walkable to the train station, and the bus and trolley links, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The lifts have welcome mats in them - depending on what time of the day it is, they say 'Good Morning', 'Good Afternoon' etc, so someone must be appointed to change them at a certain time!
After a very nice long sleep, I went for a quick swim in Wet, then caught a bus from downtown out to La Jolla, one of the coastal towns north of San Diego. It took about an hour on the bus, which was a little longer than I'd thought, but it was an entertaining journey with some nice coastal bits. La Jolla has a couple of interesting little beaches and a marine reserve - lots of sea lions and seals, plus huge cormorants swooping overhead! There were a few surfers, snorkellers and sea kayakers, but even though it was lovely and sunny and about 20 degrees, it wasn't warm enough to get me in the water! I had some lunch at a bistro, and ignored the 'Fondue Forever' place, then had a walk along the beach and browsed in a couple of shops.
Got back to the hotel in time for my massage (lovely) in the spa and then a quiet dinner in the brewhouse next door.
After a very nice long sleep, I went for a quick swim in Wet, then caught a bus from downtown out to La Jolla, one of the coastal towns north of San Diego. It took about an hour on the bus, which was a little longer than I'd thought, but it was an entertaining journey with some nice coastal bits. La Jolla has a couple of interesting little beaches and a marine reserve - lots of sea lions and seals, plus huge cormorants swooping overhead! There were a few surfers, snorkellers and sea kayakers, but even though it was lovely and sunny and about 20 degrees, it wasn't warm enough to get me in the water! I had some lunch at a bistro, and ignored the 'Fondue Forever' place, then had a walk along the beach and browsed in a couple of shops.
Got back to the hotel in time for my massage (lovely) in the spa and then a quiet dinner in the brewhouse next door.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Los Angeles – 18 December 2009
Had a fairly uneventful flight from London to Los Angeles – a slow check-in meant that I only had about 20 mins once I got through security which did mean that I only had a brief chance to get some food (I hadn’t actually eaten all day, apart from some chocotofs!), grab a couple of magazines and get Mum her requested Clinique. Air NZ is departing from Terminal 1 now so it’s all a lot quieter there, shopping-wise.
I was dreading the long immigration line at LAX but they really seem to have sorted themselves out since my last visit – it only took about 5 mins and my luggage came in about 5 mins as well! But I was picked up as a person of interest by customs, and so my luggage was searched – I’ve been watching Nothing to Declare (Australian customs and immigration programme) so of course I immediately felt guilty with no cause! Was I carrying $10,000 in cash and had forgotten about it? My luggage was pretty packed in though, and had some odd bits and pieces in it (I am moving countries!!) but he must have thought I was pretty strange with a pair of scissors in my luggage! So that was a little traumatic, but thankfully I hadn’t packed anything absent mindedly that might have been a problem!!
Got a cab to my hotel, the Miyako, in Little Tokyo, really close to Union Station and went almost straight to bed! It had been a loooong day.
After a interesting but filling Japanese/American combo breakfast (salmon pieces as well as bacon) I proceeded on my walking tour of Los Angeles – I walked up to Union Station which is gorgeous, and has been kept really well – there are lovely leather comfy chairs to sit in, tiled waiting gardens, a couple of little bars and old signage. Everything was very Spanish-inspired with tiling and terracotta colouring. Next stop on the tour was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – the guide on the podcast walking tour just gave the street location, and I was wandering around looking for a traditional old cathedral which it’s not at all – very modern with no right angels at all. Huge mural inside with pictures of 150 saints, including controversially Mother Theresa! Walked along to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which I was absolutely dazzled by! It was really sunny and hot by this stage so I was sweltering in my autumnal wardrobe! The concert hall was designed by Frank Gehry around the same time as the art gallery in Bilbao and is quite similar – all curves and bright stainless steel. There is a garden at the back, which has a lovely fountain based on roses and Delft pottery (Walt Disney’s wife’s two passions). Sadly there were no tours running when I was there as the amphitheatre was in use, but I had a wander around in the foyer. Apparently the acoustics are phenomenal so it would be good to return!
There are lots of tall, new, shiny office blocks in the area, but a couple of blocks east, the buildings are older, more run-down and taken over as cheap shops and food courts – not very attractive and much grittier! Even the Jewellery Quarter (which is huge) is a bit grim – not as nice as somewhere like Hatton Garden in London, or the diamond shops in Antwerp. There were quite a few people coming up asking me for money (I must have really looked like a tourist!) so that wasn’t that enjoyable!
Other highlights of the tour included the Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, but the best bit for me was the Bradbury Building which was gorgeous on the inside, although you’d never know from the exterior! The building was built in 1893 and is about six stories high - the foyer has loads of natural light and there are wrought iron staircases and lifts, all beautifully restored. It’s been used in loads of films, including extensively in Bladerunner (pre-renovation).
I also had the excitement of seeing about six unmarked police cars racing by, followed by a SWAT team truck!
Before I caught my train, I went to MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) to check out their permanent exhibition – a really good selection of 1939-79 modern art.
Caught my train nice and easily – I decided to spend the extra $14 (the standard one way fare from LA to San Diego is $29) for a business class seat – so it means there is a bit more room, power points for laptops free drinks and snacks, newspapers etc. Groovy! The sun has set at 5pm so no sea views for me sadly – will make that a priority next time!
I was dreading the long immigration line at LAX but they really seem to have sorted themselves out since my last visit – it only took about 5 mins and my luggage came in about 5 mins as well! But I was picked up as a person of interest by customs, and so my luggage was searched – I’ve been watching Nothing to Declare (Australian customs and immigration programme) so of course I immediately felt guilty with no cause! Was I carrying $10,000 in cash and had forgotten about it? My luggage was pretty packed in though, and had some odd bits and pieces in it (I am moving countries!!) but he must have thought I was pretty strange with a pair of scissors in my luggage! So that was a little traumatic, but thankfully I hadn’t packed anything absent mindedly that might have been a problem!!
Got a cab to my hotel, the Miyako, in Little Tokyo, really close to Union Station and went almost straight to bed! It had been a loooong day.
After a interesting but filling Japanese/American combo breakfast (salmon pieces as well as bacon) I proceeded on my walking tour of Los Angeles – I walked up to Union Station which is gorgeous, and has been kept really well – there are lovely leather comfy chairs to sit in, tiled waiting gardens, a couple of little bars and old signage. Everything was very Spanish-inspired with tiling and terracotta colouring. Next stop on the tour was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – the guide on the podcast walking tour just gave the street location, and I was wandering around looking for a traditional old cathedral which it’s not at all – very modern with no right angels at all. Huge mural inside with pictures of 150 saints, including controversially Mother Theresa! Walked along to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which I was absolutely dazzled by! It was really sunny and hot by this stage so I was sweltering in my autumnal wardrobe! The concert hall was designed by Frank Gehry around the same time as the art gallery in Bilbao and is quite similar – all curves and bright stainless steel. There is a garden at the back, which has a lovely fountain based on roses and Delft pottery (Walt Disney’s wife’s two passions). Sadly there were no tours running when I was there as the amphitheatre was in use, but I had a wander around in the foyer. Apparently the acoustics are phenomenal so it would be good to return!
There are lots of tall, new, shiny office blocks in the area, but a couple of blocks east, the buildings are older, more run-down and taken over as cheap shops and food courts – not very attractive and much grittier! Even the Jewellery Quarter (which is huge) is a bit grim – not as nice as somewhere like Hatton Garden in London, or the diamond shops in Antwerp. There were quite a few people coming up asking me for money (I must have really looked like a tourist!) so that wasn’t that enjoyable!
Other highlights of the tour included the Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, but the best bit for me was the Bradbury Building which was gorgeous on the inside, although you’d never know from the exterior! The building was built in 1893 and is about six stories high - the foyer has loads of natural light and there are wrought iron staircases and lifts, all beautifully restored. It’s been used in loads of films, including extensively in Bladerunner (pre-renovation).
I also had the excitement of seeing about six unmarked police cars racing by, followed by a SWAT team truck!
Before I caught my train, I went to MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) to check out their permanent exhibition – a really good selection of 1939-79 modern art.
Caught my train nice and easily – I decided to spend the extra $14 (the standard one way fare from LA to San Diego is $29) for a business class seat – so it means there is a bit more room, power points for laptops free drinks and snacks, newspapers etc. Groovy! The sun has set at 5pm so no sea views for me sadly – will make that a priority next time!
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