The Last Six Months

2020 has been a very long year, and it was August 16 when I had my last blog entry. I started a few times, but never could quite get it together to update friends, family, and anyone else visiting these pages. I have found it an impossible time for making and keeping plans. Three times I was confident enough on returning to the USA that I have booked travel only to have to cancel. As a result, we have been away for coming onto a year now, an unprecedented time. We were scheduled to come home on January 10, 2021, with allowance to include the mandatory two-week quarantine on return to NZ, but that almost certainly is not going to happen now due to the catastrophic COVID-19 situation in CA and the US, certain to have a giant post-holiday surge. Returning now seems especially unwise with several vaccines already being distributed, hopefully in the next 3-6 months. 

COVID-19: Time Magazine's Virus of the Year

Zoom family dinners every Sunday and playing on-line Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing with our two grandkids helps, but as we all know, it is not the same. NZ continues to be the poster-child for pandemic control, and we are staying very vigilant to detect every new case landing on our shores. The numbers remain very low, so testing, tracking, and contact tracing can still work. We can identify each virus genetically to connect cases together one by one. As a result, life here is more normal-seeming than almost anywhere else. There are full sports stadia, concerts, restaurant dining, and domestic tourism. However, the government is stressing that it could all change very quickly, and things won't be "normal" until overseas travel in both directions is restored. The millions of absent tourists and their money are sorely missed. I will described some of our travel and other activities in our lives here further on, but first I need to write the next three paragraphs about what has been occupying so much of my mind and spirit.

My personal lowest point came on September 18, 2020 and the days following Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death. There was never a doubt that the Republicans would renege on their stance not to replace a Supreme Court Justice in an election year. Trump made it very clear what his path to retaining power would be. He fertilized that ground with constant claims that the election would be rigged against him and that mail-in ballots in Blue states would be illegitimate. Even if he didn't win the general election or the Electoral College, he could count on AJ Barr to carry the torch for his multiple lawsuits and eventually get a case to the Supreme Court where the conservative majority would clearly do him right. He said "I need the Supreme Court to count the ballots".

It turned out that by Trump and Barr constantly warning of voter fraud, the officials from both parties were alerted to be extra careful, resulting in the least fraudulent election possible. If any reasonable person had any doubt about his total unfitness for the job, Trump's behavior since the election has sealed the deal. His arguments for cancelling millions of votes against him are patently absurd. Unfortunately, if they had any plausible explanations (a plot by long-dead Venezuelan dictator? Really??), he very well could have had Barr and the Supremes carry out the master plan. Meanwhile, unprecedented death and destruction sweep through the nation with his lack of empathy and leadership underscored, while he continues to host virus-spreading events.

Things are still a giant mess. 74 million people voted for another four years of this, many of whom continue to believe his lies. Worse, a majority of House and Senate Republicans are going along with this nonsense. While Trump will be vacating the White House by January 20, 2021, he and his co-conspirators are busy salting the wells to make a gargantuan task of righting the country even more difficult. Even in the best of times, recovering from what will be over 1/2 million COVID deaths and the ongoing economic recovery will be a huge challenge. By hypnotizing millions of Americans to think the election was fraudulent and continuing to divide instead of uniting us, Mitch McConnell can be expected to maximize his attempts to prevent Biden from succeeding, the country be damned. And based on the Republican perpetuated "voter lack of confidence in elections", they are already plotting to be sure people that they think will not vote for them will have a much harder time. Why should anyone have to wait hours to exercise their right to vote?

Thus ends my soapbox (for now). Now on to the rest. Topics to be covered include (in order):

1. Some domestic travels;
2. Local South Canterbury events including the NZ National Pub Quiz Championships 2020, and
3. Reflections on upcoming milestones.
   

Travel around New Zealand

October

In October we retraced a classic South Island touring loop around the heart of the Southern Alps, from the east side to the West Coast, albeit a bit more leisurely than before. It started with local South Canterbury faves, Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mt. Cook, places familiar to any regular blog-followers. We had time to take in new walks and views of these familiar places.

Lake Tekapo from further around the west side

A peek at the peak of Aoraki

View of Mueller Glacier and Lake at Kea Point

Continuing south to Wanaka to enjoy some local food truck cuisine...

..and some local fauna.

Then we headed accross the mountains to the West Coast. A popular place to stretch your legs is at The Blues Pools on the Makarora River. It is a quiet place to relax or take a dip if you brought your togs.

The crossing of the Haast Pass takes you to the West Coast where this monument commemorates the completion of the road in 1965 making it the third trans-alpine option.

Unlike our previous west coast visits, the weather was mostly sunny and clear, so we could finally enjoy the sights.

There are two major glaciers coming off the west side of the Aoraki/Mt. Cook complex: Fox to the south and Franz Josef a bit further north. The whole area was designated a World Heritage Area Te Wahipounamu in 1990. If you are interested in glaciers, see them while you can as they have significantly receded since we first visited in 2010.

Two nights in the tiny village of Fox Glacier was a highlight. In addition to walks to view the glacier and through the rainforest, we were directed to a brand new and surprisingly good restaurant, Betsey Jane Eatery and Bar. 

Trail through the rainforest

A Koru- Unfurling fern frond

Fox Glacier in the afternoon

Another perspective of Fox the next morning

A short drive and hike from the village you will find Lake Matheson and on a clear day be rewarded at the aptly named lookout, The View of Views. It was worth getting up at dawn to capture on of the iconic vistas in NZ.

On a somber note, New Zealand is a land of adventure tourism, and on September 4, 2010 a skydiving expedition from here crashed shortly after take off killing all nine aboard. This is a small local tribute to those who perished.

In the ten years we have had New Zealand as a second home, the people have been through many tragedies, from earthquakes to crashes, to mine explosions to terrorist attacks. We have shared some of that grief with the Kiwis, and are reminded how precious and fragile life can be.

Continuing with the lighter portion of the blog, Franz Josef Glacier was also welcoming to visitors.

The glacier in 1908

Trail to Franz Josef

On to Hokitika, a charming town for artists, tourists, and food (they host an annual Wildfoods Festival in March)..

A bit east of town you can walk through part of the Hokitika Gorge.

A panorama of the Gorge and the milky blue glacial water of the Hokitika River

November

The first part of the month it was back to work for a while with a buildup to two major events at the end of the month. First was Thanksgiving. Friends and colleagues celebrate with a traditional potluck on Saturday November 28th at the Slagle's new house overlooking the ocean. As with most people brave enough to custom-build their own home, this was a labor of love with every detail from the eco-friendly design to the high-tech features to the natural color palette pains-takingly selected. It also took a great deal of patience and perhaps more money than originally planned. The results are truly unique and lovely.

Not the best photo, but you get the idea.

My contribution: pumpkin and pecan pies

The very next day was one for which we had long prepared: the defense of our 2019 NZ National Pub Quiz crown. We were shocked to win last year (for nostalgia, see this article) and with Team URAMIT (Timaru spelled backwards) were keen to prove it was not a fluke. Of course, being 2020 and all, major adjustments to the format were needed. Instead of one mass gathering in Auckland, this year the event would be simulcast to multiple pubs around the country. There were 81 total teams with eight per team spread over five venues. We assembled in Christchurch, eager but not overconfident. It was a difficult quiz, but I am proud to say we rallied at the end and finished up on the virtual podium with a third place bronze. Next year???

URAMIT at the start of the quiz with the trophy (graciously ceded to the 2020 Champs)

The final leader board

The Facebook announcement from Believe It or Not crew

December

Timaru traditionally has a lot of events packed into the holiday season, this year being no exception. Not being a tourist mecca has the advantage that attendance at local activities go on almost as usual. Hopefully my sharing these holiday happenings will cheer my US readers who can't participate now in similar things.

Soap Box Derby (actually on November 15)

Timaru Festival of Roses (December 4-6) in Caroline Bay

Wearable flower-inspired frocks by Jenny Gillies

Timaru Santa Parade (December 6) I always love a parade hearkening back to my Dixon HS band days.

 

Festive Christmas lights

In countries in the Commonwealth, the Annual Christmas Quiz at the hospital in place of the weekly Medical Grand Rounds is a tradition. I presented one for the third time. It is meant to be fun and educational (or at least bizarrely interesting), but since I am drawn to things that are news to me, frankly a bit (too?) hard.

The crowd with a medical student clearly enjoying the experience

Here is a brief sample (answers at the end of the post), but I will not torture you with it all (unless you specifically request it).  

The biggest and oldest Timaru holiday tradition is yet to come: The110th Caroline Bay Carnival December 26-January 10.

And finally, I have excitedly been reading of the Great Conjunction when the planets Jupiter and Saturn nearly "merge" on December 21. Unfortunately that night was cloudy, but on December 16 I looked out my back door and photographed the two planets. When I down loaded it I was amazed to clearly see four moons in a line around Jupiter pointing to Saturn. Maybe you can even imagine a slight oblong "bump" around Saturn at about a 5' angle as the rings? Pretty cool!

Jupiter (LLQ) with four tiny moons pointing toward Saturn (RUQ)

Reflections on Upcoming Milestones

Also very much on my mind are two major events, which are connected. First,  I will turn 70 in January. I wasn't in my consciousness until a few months ago a colleague said "What are you doing for your birthday? It is a BIG one." It got me to thinking, yeah, that's right. I'm not sure how you are to feel entering your 8th decade of life, but like it or not it is milestone. I decided I would take my closest friends here out to dinner, and let Fayne arrange her dream cake. So that will happen. I also had plans to get back to the States and celebrate with friends and family, but that won't happen except virtually via Zoom. Such are our times.

This leads to the second item. I will be resigning from my permanent Medical Staff position here in Timaru as of June 30, 2021. It is a decision I have pondered over the last few years. When is the right time? I still feel competent and valuable in my work, but I don't want to find someone tapping on my shoulder suggesting it is time to move on. In sports they say it is best to trade a player a year too soon rather than a year too late. The legendary physician William Osler once said physicians should stop practicing at age 60. Even the best doctor will have cases "go to custard" as they say here. When that happens, I don't want to be haunted by the idea that only if I had been sharper, more attentive, on the top of my game, things would have turned out better.

I still very much enjoy my work with the students, young doctors, and colleagues, and especially the patients. I really cherish my interactions with them. But truthfully, more and more aspects of the job I have less and less patience for: meetings, office politics, finances, 72 hour weekend call. I won't miss them. I also know it is important for Timaru Hospital to recruit some younger talent, hopefully to carry on for decades to come.

To be clear, my concept is not to retire but to resign my contractual obligations. I hope to still work as a physician for the foreseeable future as a locums here in Timaru and maybe elsewhere in New Zealand. That will give me more freedom to spend longer in the US and to travel when that is once again wise. So we'll see how it works. I will miss many things terribly, some I don't even anticipate. It was a very difficult decision, but it feels right for now.

Last but not least, Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/Holidays to all of you, and sincere hopes for a brighter 2021!

Our Timaru Christmas Yucca

Answers to Holidays Around the World:

1. B Czech Republic
2. G Wales
3. E Mexico
4. J South Africa
5. A Germany
6. I Isle of Man
7. C France
8. D Peru
9. F Slovakia
10. H USA
    

Whales & a Blonde Kiwi

I am coming to the end of a 2½ month stretch of mostly not working , as I was supposed to have been back in the USA for a prolonged stretch. I will return to full-time work today. This is a good time to update developments since my last blog on June 28, 2020. The main global headline continues to be COVID-19. After New Zealand returned to domestic "life as normal" Level 1 on June 9, things abruptly changed Tuesday night August 11 with the announcement that four family members from Auckland had tested positive from no clear known source. For the last month, a very slow trickle of people with the virus had been found in returnees from COVID + areas, but there was no community transmission. As of this moment, a total of 69 active cases associated with this cluster have been identified in the North Island. The Auckland area was put on level 3 restrictions (work from home, no travel out of the area, all but essential services closed, no gatherings, etc.). The rest of the country, including Timaru, went to level 2 (social distancing, masks if unable to stay >3 feet apart, no gatherings of > 100 people). As it is winter here, it is also the cold and flu season, so the testing centres are overwhelmed right now as it will take at least a few days to ramp up. Until there is strong evidence that COVID is not in our community, I will take extra caution.

There have been no new deaths for months here, so the number remains at a total of 22. To date, in New Zealand there has been one COVID death for every 220,000 Kiwis. In the USA it has been one death for every 2,000, or over 100x as many per capita. Somehow, the USA will survive the virus. It will not survive another four years of Trump and his accomplices.

Despite being in virtually the safest place in the world, I have slowly come to realize the anxiety and stress that I am feeling preconsciously. This comes out in my nightly dreams populated by friends, family, acquaintances from my past, people from all the periods of my life. Many of these people have never populated my nocturnal musings before. In general, the scenes are fairly "realistic" and not frightening. I am worried that some people I know and care about won't be around when it is safe for me to return home. Also, I enjoy planning my future, but right now I have no clear idea of what lies ahead. Things are not going to return to a pre-2020 "normal" anytime in the foreseeable future. 

I fear losing touch with my grandchildren, ages 10 and seven, ages in which they can change so much each month. One desperate yet highly successful ploy was for me to commit to the Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a lock-down gaming hit. We can play together one line, and it really has been a joy for me, justifying the hours "wasted" in tedious chores around my island: weeding, chopping wood, paying my mortgage, etc. (If this is nonsense to you, good on you for avoiding this gargantuan time-sink.) They both patiently teach me how to best navigate subtleties of the game, and one of my proudest moments was when I landed this whale shark.

That's my avatar in the middle, Isaiah on the left, Kimarra on the right.

Speaking of whales, what follows is some more of our NZ domestic touring since my last post.

Kaikoura 

View of Cathedral Gully/Gore Bay en route to Kaikours

Kaikoura is a classic small town on a peninsula wedged between the mountains and the sea half-way between Christchurch and the ferry to the North Island. The deep water canyon just off the coast provides a unique opportunity to see juvenile male sperm whales, dolphins, fur seals, rock lobsters (kai=food, koura=lobster),and aquatic bird-life. We have visited several times in the past, but not since a major 7.8 earthquake November 13, 2016 closed down the ribbon-thin road to the north and south (think Pacific Coast Highway around Big Sur). In places the seabed was raised over 19 feet (6 m.). It took over a year for the road north and south to be reopened and the final repairs are just now wrapping up.

The tourist industry is struggling to recover from the tremor and then was hit with the COVID lockdown. I was lucky to nab a seat on the first whale watching tour in 103 days. The mayor and a Maori choir were there to celebrate the resumption of this economically vital service. We were treated to several sightings of sperm and humpback whales and flocks of seabirds.

Photo courtesy of Megan, a fellow tourist

Buller's albatross aka Buller's Mollymawk

A pied shag

A coastal trail reveals the "dots" below...

...are on closer inspection...

....more fur seals.

 

A bower in the park made of 100 year old whale ribs

There are also some nice places to eat in Kaikoura, such as the Old Kaikoura Winery. No longer a winery, the restaurant describes itself thusly:

"Chef Rob, recently the Private Royal Chef for King Abdullah II, has established a unique dining experience.   Taking you through a journey of local fare and table theatre with rustic yet sophisticated cuisine. 

Offering 3 course, 7 course and a 5 course local seafood tasting menu, all showcase Kaikoura and the East Coast wilderness.  From the sea to the mountain ranges native herbs and local ingredients are foraged to present a stunning array of dishes.  Local wines are paired to compliment the menu." 

Clockwise from upper right-hand corner (with Course Number): Seaweed Tapenade (1), Cream cheese pot (6), Smoked Hare/ Remulade of Celeriac (3), Kawakawa Baked Salmon (2), Deconstructed Bacon and Eggs (4), an empty plate of too-good-not-to-eat-right-away Cider Braised Pork with Spiced Parsnip (5), Deconstructed Chocolate Tart (7)

Since qwe last visited there is a new museum located in the distictive "craypot" building, with an exterior inspired by the shape of Maori lobster traps.

Part of the museum is understandable devoted to the earthquake, which came five days after the US election. The caption under this photo reads:

"There have been many theories bandied about regarding the reason for the earthquake, these being full moon or blood moon, king tide, sonic-boom testing, but probably the most innocent conclusion was a little girl asking her dad if 'Donald Trump had done it'"

You can also find this POTUS-inspired toilet brush for sale in town.

Next we were off to Picton to take the ferry across to the North island.

Picton Harbor morning

Our friend Kate was traveling with two mates from Uni days, Liberty and Beth, and we rendezvoused with them for dinner in Greytown.

That’s Kate 2^nd from the right next to Fayne

The Pukaha National Wildlife Centre North of Greytown en route to Palmerston North is well worth the stop if for no other reason than to see Manukuru. She is a rare white or "blonde" version of the brown kiwi, born with two recessive white genes, not an albino that lacks melanin.

Meet Munukuru

It is worth contemplating what the mama kiwi goes through as it attempts to lay an egg up to 22% of its total body weight, the most of any bird.

Having met the star attraction, and despite a steady cold rain, we enjoyed seeing other residents in this protected environment.

Rough Gecko

Korimako/Bellbird

Takahe

Whio/Blue Duck

They even had a large metal sculpture of a weta, the giant New Zealand insect, in front of the Weta House, that was made for Burning Man.

Palmy...

...as Palmerston North is known here. The but of many jokes (as is Timaru), we had passed through briefly before but felt it was a good time for a more leisurely visit. This is one of the few larger cities in NZ not on the coast. It is home to one of New Zealand's eight universities, Massey, and has a handsome central square and public art works, parks, and museums.

Pacific Monarch (1992), by Paul Dibble

Central Square and Clocktower at night

Who's Afraid (2011), by Paul Dibble

The New Zealand Rugby Museum is inside the larger Te Manawa regional museum

The Manuatu River cleaves the town and the Victoria Esplanade is a large multi-purpose public park along its banks. Here you can access a walking path that leads all the way to Massey University main campus.

The pedestrian bridge spanning the Manuatu in the park

Whanganui

About an hour's drive northwest from Palmy is Whanganui, another relatively overlooked town, and like Palmy, it actually has a lot to offer. It sits at the mouth of the Whanganui River where it joins the Tasman Sea. As a visitor, you are encouraged to take the historic Durie Hill Elevator (1919), "New Zealand's only public underground elevator", to where else but the top of Durie Hill. There you can enjoy a majestic view of the region, especially if you scale the 176 steps of the Durie Hill War Memorial (1925).

The tunnel to the elevator

The tower

The view from atop the tower

On top of a small hill in the center of the city sits the impressive neoclassical Sarjeant Gallery (1919), which is currently closed for renovation and earthquake strengthening.

The town has a strong artistic heritage, particularly with glass and ceramics.

A vessel by local noted potter Rick Rudd

Tasmanian tiger

Animal feces from around the world

The local museum is the place to go for taxidermied now-extinct Tasmanian tiger, or a collection of poos from different animals.

Before leaving, we enjoyed the festive Saturday market.

Keruru (2010), by Paul Dibble in front of the Saturday market

On our way back to the ferry to the South Island we stopped by the Zany Zeus cafe in Lower Hutt for its famous halloumi cheese and chocolate cake touted by Scarlett Johansson, as I have mentioned in prior blogs.

A pretty darned good chocolate cake

Nelson

Nelson's iconic Anglican Christ Church Cathedral

 

It was two nights in Nelson, where we had time to make first-time visits to:

1) Founders' Heritage Park- a surprisingly fun and entertaining collection of relocated historical buildings reflecting Nelson through the years.

2) Queen's Park- a jewel of a garden in the heart of the city.

3) The Suter Art Gallery overlooking the Park- a smallbut impressive collection of famous New Zealand artists, such as Rita Angus (below).

The Apple Pickers (1944) by Rita Angus

Dunedin

Our last brief excursion before my returning to work was down to Dunedin again, where we revisited the Otago Museum, and again were delighted and exhausted by the variety of exhibits on the three floors.

A fin whale skeleton

A sunfish and me

In 2019 a swimmer noticed several large footprints in a water, which turned out to be those of the extinct giant moa. These have previously been found in 11 other sites, all on the North Island.

A moa foot with a footprint in the mud.

I had a chance to take Fayne to a lovely seafront neighborhood she had not visited before, St. Clair.

A beachside walk takes you by a statue dedicated to "Mum", a New Zealand sea lion (whakahao), the rarest of the world's sea lions. She migrated up from the subantarctic islands to give birth to the first cub recorded on mainland New Zealand in over 150 years,  staring a new colony here.

Finally, driving out past Port Chalmers, we reached the mouth of Otago Harbor at Aramoana

The remnants of the Aramoana mole

It is finally time for a stretch of prolonged work, but things are not so bad here in Timaru. Here was the view from my walk here today to Tuhawaiki Point (Jack's Lighthouse)

Stay safe and healthy, y'all!