Southern Rambling

Gentle Blog Followers,

It has been a while since my last blog. Largely that is because these postings have reflected my enthusiasm over visiting new and exciting places, and sharing those with others with similar interests and curiosity. Being based in New Zealand for a while now, nearby Places of Interest have been covered at least broadly before. Our explorations lately have been of the more subtle nature, re-visiting places but going to more off-the-beaten-path attractions. You know what I mean: “We’ve been to ________(San Francisco, New York, Milwaukee) many times but never seen the ________(Asian Art Museum, Tenement Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright designed Greek Church)”, for example. It is tourism at the more refined next level.

Also, I am here to work, which is interesting in its own right, but not particularly appropriate for casual blogging. I try not to be too boring. This entry will have a slightly different structure and tone, so bear with me. I’ll begin with some reflections on mortality and politics, then go to the travelogue section, and end with ramblings on sports and culture. It is like a travel blog sandwich with tasty parts between two slices of deep thoughts (easy enough to skip if not your “cup of tea”).

Mortality

In pharmacology there is a concept of an LD (lethal dose) 50, the amount of a drug that will kill 50% of the people who take it. The Over/Under in gambling is a number designed to have a 50/50 split on bets for the final score, i.e.: over or under 50 points in a football game. I wonder what the Over/Under LD 50 is for my life. That would be the age when 50% of all of the people I have known or known of have passed away. That would include close and dear friends and family, vague acquaintances, character actors (“oh yeah, that guy”), and major cultural/social/political figures.

Mortality is something I encounter daily in my work and something everyone in my generation now faces. To obsess about it in your 20’s or 30’s, WoodyAllen-esque, is macabre and pathological. To ponder it at 65 is inevitable. This year has been globally brutal: Prince, Mohammad Ali, David Bowie, George Martin, Glenn Frey, Alan Rickman, etc, etc. They all added some meaning and/or joy to my life. As Hippocrates said, “Life is short, art is long”. Prince performed in Auckland earlier this year. I found out too late, otherwise would have tried to go. I better see Stevie Wonder next time I have a chance.

I am not morose and I feel fine, but hear the clock faintly ticking. I feel I am in some Science Fiction movie where the people in my cosmos are gradually fading out and the world is getting smaller and smaller.

Politics

I’ll be brief. Everyone around the globe is befuddled and terrified about Trump. I know it dominates the conversation in the US, but if you travel, it will only be a matter of minutes before you as an American are asked to explain the phenomenon. Any suggestions? I knew when Obama was elected it did not mean we were in a post-racial society, but this is ridiculous. I am reminded of the favorite bathroom stall graffiti I saw at age 16: “20 billion flies can’t be wrong- Eat Shit!” Democracy in action.

A Closer Look Around the South Island

Timaru

Timaru as the lovely place I know, not as you may have read

New Zealand is a small country and on slow news days stories from the hinterland go nationwide. Timaru has been featured frequently in headlines in 2016. For instance, Timaru has been searching for a new slogan, and an informal poll favored Timaz Hard! This stirred debate, as no one over 30 had any idea what it meant. The Council rejected it for now, but if you follow this link here, someone has compiled a list of alternatives that would make David Letterman proud.

Other recent less-than-flattering items include:

• Timaru has worst air pollution in Australasia – WHO
• Council baffled as bad smell (AKA: pong) returns to Timaru
• Police say four people and a chilly bin appear to be the culprits in a weird eel-throwing incident in Timaru on Sunday night.
• Locals battle fluoridation of water 
• And last but not least, Human bones found on a beach near Timaru identified

Perhaps the Council needs to beef up the PR Department?

   Macraes Flat

This place has fascinated me since we first wandered through last year. On a narrow side road with no people around you will find these random works of art: billboards, sculptures, animal pelts on fences stretch across a barren rocky landscape. Most of this is sponsored by the largest gold mine in NZ. The bargain Australian-based OceanaGold made with the locals was "if you let us dig this giant pit mine, we promise to restore the land better than we found it. Art will bloom on the plains, and slag heaps will be remodeled into harmonious mesas, and throngs will gather in awe." We shall see, but for now, it is oddly compelling.

The eagle has landed!

Arty Billboards with Sheep in front a a newly-contoured hillock

Rocky field with farm implement

The Enigmatic Pig Fence

Queenstown/Lake Wakatipu/Glenorchy

Lake Wakatipu on the road to Glenorchy

There were always a few things I wished I had made time to do on previous trips to Queenstown, and over Anzac Day weekend, I did them. The 45 minute drive to the top of the lake and the small town of Glenorchy is a famous scenic route. It did not disappoint. The town is tiny, but the air and water are fresh and clean, and there is a boardwalk path through the wetlands.

Anzac Monument

Glenorchy Wetlands boardwalk

The Black Swans of Glenorchy

Local  art: Another Haast Eagle sculpture

On any visit to Queenstown you will see the TSS Earnslaw lakeside, a 100 year old Twin Screw Steamer that invites visitors to  cross the lake to Walter Peak Station for a meal at one of the original sheep ranches in the area. We made sure to schedule a mid-day voyage. The water was calm, the BBQ lunch very good, and the old ship a working museum.

Porthole view of Queenstown

A view down into the coal-powered engine

Wherever I go I always try to find time for the gym. My friends at Snap Fitness Queenstown posted this friendly hygiene reminder.

Dunedin Environs/Otago Peninsula

We have been many times south to Dunedin,New Zealand's 5th largest city and home to its first university. On the last two visits, I have made time to explore and "tick some more boxes". On Greek Easter, I drove by one of the two Orthodox Churches, both St. Michael the Archangel, one Coptic and the other Antiochian. Neither were busy. I guess I should have come at Saturday midnight.

St. Michael's, the Antiochian one.

There are plenty of short tramps on the Otago Peninsula with enticing names ("Lovers Leap") and not-so-much ("Sandfly Bay").

On the walk to Lovers Leap

Sunbathing sea lion at Sandfly Bay

Another place I was intrigued by is Tunnel Beach in the south edge of town where you will find a tunnel hand-carved through sandstone in the 1870's for access to the rock formations, cliffs, and arches. I went at high tide, so not much beach to see.

The Tunnel

No beach, high tide

 

We took in the defending Super-Rugby Champion Highlanders game against traditional rivals the Crusaders from Christchurch at their comfortable covered home Forsyth Barr Stadium. The home team won.

The local Highlanders score a try!!

 There are two "must do" tours in Dunedin:

1. Cadbury Chocolate Factory, and
2. Speight's Brewery 

We had done the first before, now for the second.

The open pub at the end was the best part

Near the iconic train station is an authentic Chinese Garden, where you can reflect on life and sip tea with dumplings.

Next door to that is the Toitū-Otago Settlers Museum, housing historical artifacts from all the peoples of the region, like this traditional Maori kite, or manu tukutuku.  

Manu Tukutuku

Oamaru Steampunk NZ 2016

Just one hour south and 150 years in the past is our neighbor Oamaru with the neoclassical white sandstone buildings intact, a perfect place to pretend you are Jules Verne and a natural environment for Steampunk NZ.

St. Patrick's Basilica Exterior

and interior

On the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend June 2-6 (just a day off, with no real connection to the monarch's earthly debut) the town hosted Steampunk NZ 2016 Festival. The activities included an attempt to break the World's Record for the most Steampunks in One Place. They needed 185, but I haven't heard if they got it.

They also held the Splendid Teapot Racing World Championship, wherein they raced.....you guessed it, motorized teapots.

The event sold out, so I had to look through the door.

Sports and Culture

Warriors

Watching the NBA Playoffs from NZ has been interesting. The New Zealand press always refers to “Steven Adams’ Oklahoma City Thunder”, as if Durant and Westbrook are his wingmen. As much as US sports fans have seen replays of Draymond’s kick to Steve’s “kiwis” was played on a seemingly endless loop here. That immediately made Golden State the enemy of this nation. Steven played tremendously well and was engaging throughout. I would love to have him on my team. He is about to become the highest paid Kiwi athlete of all time.

I have no defense for the kick, although for those to say that Mr. Green should have been suspended I will point out it was better for the Thunder that he didn’t. Draymond’s terrible play after the kick in Game 3 and all of Game 4 was a large reason the GSWs were blown out, and why many (me included) felt they had little chance to come back from 3-1 down. But come back they did, and as a fan, I could not be more proud. To those who say the Thunder was the better team and the Warriors only won because of lucky 3-point shots, I say rubbish! They one because they did what they had to do in the last quarters of three consecutive games and OKC did not. 73 wins is not luck or a fluke.

Many people seem reluctant to give the Warriors the credit they deserve, but other teams “misunderestimate” them (a Bush2ism) at their peril. The Finals are still in play, and if Cleveland wins I will feel happy for the long-suffering fans, but I am hoping for another championship banner.

GOT (Game of Thrones)

I am a dedicated Pub Quiz player and both pride myself and am a bit ashamed to stay abreast of popular culture. Our quartet, Team Leon, has built a bit of a reputation around town and at the Sail and Anchor Pub, but no one of a certain age should feel good about being familiar of the work of Fifth Harmony, or their latest hit Work From Home ft. Ty Dolla $ign. The sacrifices I make for art! 

In this spirit, I feel obliged to have a passing knowledge with GOT. It is all over the Internets and is reviewed weekly on line and on TV. I am about through Season 1 of 6, and I have a few observations. I am not sure why it seems to be so popular. Yes, it has high production values, fine actors, and regularly features beautiful naked people, largely of the XX variety.

But:

• The story is incomprehensible without reading a detailed synopsis (or the books, I suppose).
• They English accents sound refined, but add to the confusion without subtitles.
• The frequent violence is remarkably graphic, enough so that when real people see other real people get dismembered or decapitated it is usually enough to emotionally scar them for life.
• Almost no one is worth rooting for or caring about.
• Not to mention sexism, classism, dwarf bigotry, etc.

I am not offended by it, just puzzled as to the popularity. I can't see myself committing the time to watch 6+ seasons, but I will probably check out the synopses for the sake of the team.

A Final Shoutout...

to Buz Graham, a friend since 1973. Buz has started a blog of his trip to southern India and Laos, in part inspired by me, as I was inspired by my niece Laura Fayne. Nice work Buz!
Here is a link to the first entry if you would like to check it out:

https://buzpam.wordpress.com/2016/05/26/first-blog-post/

Mamba Out (mike drop sound)

Showing Off (the South island)

Back in New Zealand after the holidays in the States for work and play. If you have followed this blog, you know we have traveled the country rather extensively. Now was a good time for some fine tuning: going back to places for a second or third time, taking a few side trips or lingering a bit longer. In Fort Bragg, we would drive through Ukiah or the Anderson Valley on our way to elsewhere, so it took me 25 years to actually stop at the Mendocino County Fair in Booneville, for example.
When you drive the Inland Scenic Route to Christchurch, you cross the Rangitata River Gorge with some Grade 5 rapids. One of the other American doctors here arranged a day rafting excursion. It was not quite the Colorado, but it was a fun group outing.

A photo from the Internet. I was too scared to take my camera and too cheap to buy their CD.

The next river north as you skirt Mt. Hutt and the Southern Alps is the Rataia. The view of the valley is stunning and I always wanted to linger longer.
We spent Waitangi Day weekend nearby in Methven, a town in the news in 2014 when actor Chris Pine was arrested for "drink driving", as they call it here. Methven is the gateway to the ski area at Mt. Hutt, and a center for skydiving, hot air ballooning, and other extreme sports. There were several weddings going on, one with a reception at the Blue Pub featuring celebrants wearing animal-themed onesies doing activities like sheep racing and frozen chicken curling. They also love their plows in Methven, with not one but two monuments to the farm implement.. They even hosted the World Ploughing Championship in 2010!

Kiwis are also fond of statues of dogs (you will see another one later).

Rajah, the Wonder Dog

 There is a walking trail up the Rakaia River Gorge, with lovely views.

 If you have time, you can take a jet boat trip upstream too.

Another intriguing nearby spot is Castle Hill, a dramatic outcropping of  limestone you pass on your way across Arthur's Pass to the West Coast. This time I made sure we could stop and explore some, not just motor past.

Castle Hill

At work, I had been procrastinating and feeling a bit guilty in not doing my fair share when it came to being a speaker for our Tuesday Medical Grand Rounds, so I signed up months ago for a February date. As it has a tendency to do, time marched forward, so I spent a fair amount of time preparing. I decided to share everything of importance I had learned, in 50 minutes (with a little padding). I struggled at first with PowerPoint, but then learned a few tricks, and in the end I was quite happy with the results. I will not attach it all here, but below is the Title page, and another from the body of my talk.

Without a doubt, the biggest event in the last two months was the arrival of our esteemed visitor from the East, one Terry Kemp; friend, co-worker, and all-round good people. We were excited as she was our first visitor from Stateside in two years.

Ms. Kemp deplanes in Timaru

The challenge was to show here as much of the South Island as wee could in two weeks. After two nights in Timaru enjoying the sights and a bit of local rugby, we hit the road. First stop was Lake Tekapo, with the sheep dog statue and the Church of the Good Shepherd overlooking the milky blue lake.

Further south it was on to the regal Mt. Cook across Lake Pukaki.

Our previous visits here were in the winter and the trail overlooking Lake Tasman was closed, but this time we climbed up the ridge to see the glacier which regularly calves ice bergs into the lake.

At the visitors center I posed with a stuffed Himalayan tahr, a long-haired goat imported for hunting. Although I was ignorant of its existence before, little did I know that I would be dining on it later that evening in the Panorama Room of Hermitage Hotel. It was delicious: lean, a bit like venison.

The Tahr and I

No time to waste, on to Christchurch and a stop at the Bluff House in the Canterbury Museum for a dive into classic kiwiana, pub quiz, and a walk about the town.

Terry in the Paua Shell House

North from there we stopped in Kaikoura for the crayfish lunch, AKA: rock lobster. Deeeelicious!! (Some might say "nmummy".)

I had already made plans to attend the Autumn IMSANZ (Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand) Conference, held this year in Blenheim at the northern tip of the South Island. It is the heart of the Marlborough Region famous for white wines. It is also close to Picton and the ferry across Cook Straight to Wellington. While I was conferencing, I thought Terry's time would be better spent with two nights in the capital. She had a grand time, and on the way back briefly connected with former Fort Bragg surgeon Jonathon Pace (no photos, sorry).
Blenheim is also home to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, featuring Sir Peter Jackson's amazing collection of WWI aircraft and artifacts, and where IMSANZ had a gala dinner. If you ever have the chance it is well worth a visit. If you were a kid who loved model planes and military paraphernalia and you grew up to be unbelievable rich and could make your dreams come true, this might be what you would do. Some of the planes are antiques, other reconstructions, all incredible, and displayed in tableau with the help of the talent from Wingnut Films and the Weta Workshop.

German Etrich Taube, or the Dove

French Nieuport 27 in a tree

Sir Peter has also collected many artifacts of the WWI aces, including The Red Baron, as well as relics from infamous Nazi Hermann Göring.

Diorama of the crash and death of Manfred von Richthoven- AKA: The Red Baron

The dinner was held in a hanger next to the museum, with a WWII spitfire in the backround, and some attendees wore aeronautical-themed outfits (but not us).

Rejoining with Terry, we spent a night in Nelson, a city we visited once in 2010. It was warm and welcoming, with lots of sidewalk cafes. One of the local MDs recommended the yurt in front of the brew pub serving Mexican food, but it was padlocked, so we enjoyed dining on the patio of the nearby Indian Restaurant.
From Nelson, we headed over the Southern Alps to the West Coast. Our visitor put a visit to the Pancake Rocks high on her list.

Punakaiki, or the Pancake Rocks

It has so happened that whenever I have gone to the West Coast it has been overcast, and although the peak of Mt. Cook is very near, I have never seen it from there. We did catch some Hector's dolphins frolicking in the surf at the mouth of the Grey River, but they were too quick for my camera.. The longest day in the car was from Greymouth to Wanaka, about seven hours. Wanaka is always nice, as is the dramatic drive over the Crown Range Road into Queenstown.

View of Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown from the top of the gondola

Queenstown is always fun, busy, and beautiful. The highlight was the day-long bus trip and cruise to Milford Sound. The bus ride is about 4 hours each way, but the scenery is spectacular as you drive through the deep glacial valleys. A popular stop en route is at Mirror lake, so named for obvious reasons.

The "money shot" is of Milford Sound with Mitre Peak in the backround, one of the most iconic NZ scenes.

We saw sunbathing fur seals.....

and plenty of waterfalls.

The return to town was delayed a bit after the bus driver "ran over" one of the other tourists. (Actually, the victim was an elderly Indian woman who was accidentally whacked on the head by the bus rear view mirror when it pulled out a little early and abruptly. Everyone survived, but it prolonged an already lengthy day.)
After Queenstown, we were off to Dunedin and out the very tip of Otago Peninsula to see roosting Northern Royal Albatrosses and chicks and a colony of Stewart Island Shags.

Dunedin Cathedral and Town Hall from the Octagon

Daddy albatross and chick

Shags with mud nests

On the final road day we headed north back to Timaru, stopping in at the Moeraki Boulders and the limestone Victorian buildings of Oamaru.

There was so much more we did with Terry, I get tired just thinking about it: good meals, good movies, and especially good fellowship. We are so glad she came and were sad to see her off. From Timaru, she flew to Wellington, took the train up to Auckland, and had a day there before the arduous trip home.

Ms. Kemp replanes in Timaru

The End ???