Wooo. Maybe our days of VDSL slow Internet are over… An email today from the ISP:
modern, superfast, reliable Wireless Broadband that runs over our 4G mobile network. It’s the future. It’s ready for you now.
Unlimited data plan on Wireless Broadband
On a whim the other day I bought TextSniper - Capture and extract any text from your Mac’s screen | images. I just tried it on the Curio Bay info board photo and am blown away by its speed and accuracy! This is a keeper!
Years of pounding by the sea have worn away soil …
We visited the Curio Bay petrified forest. 180 million year old trees! Photo of me by my neighbour Chris.
petrified wood like this is incredibly rare.
The entire logs and stumps were preserved because the silification was within a matter of weeks or months after the flood
Invercargill to Dunedin via the coastal Catlins route with no side trips is only about 250 Km. We spent 4 days on the drive because those scenic side trips are well worth the time.
We stopped at Chaslands (1 night) and Kākā Point (2 nights). Of course we passed through Waikawa.
I spotted a headline recently that the Wellington Paranormal TV show was mystifying Americans. Just started watching on The CW and finding it hilarious. Maybe you have to be a Kiwi to ‘get’ this.
In Invercargill we stayed the night at Quest Apartment Hotel where the bathroom was the size our cabin on the Milford Wanderer had been. Whew! It was good to spread out. Next morning we picked up a rental car for Part Two of our holiday with friends — a few days in The Catlins.
At Glowing Sky merino shop I discovered the glories of a Merino Tube Neck/Ear Warmer. This beats a scarf in so many ways and is so warm. Wish I’d known about these years ago.
Icebreaker used to be great but quality plummeted. Glowing Sky merino is local & excellent!
On the last day of our Rakiura Cruise some went for a brief walk in the morning, but I stayed and packed. After lunch we docked at Oban in Halfmoon Bay, then we had a couple of hours before the catamaran took us back to Bluff. We bought superb merino clothing from Glowing Sky. 👍
Managing a blind, elderly dog is a whole new learning experience. TIL unfamiliar places make Sasha anxious so she needs to be on the lead. Plus I need to actively guide her past obstacles. I’ve become a ‘guide person’ to my dog. Deb thinks I should have a special jacket. 🤣
Today my neighbour and I walked the dogs on the north side of the river, with a glimpse of snowy mountain peak. I liked a mossy tree. Poor old (blind) Sasha was very anxious in the ‘new’ place, especially after she walked into a low branch, till I put her on the lead. 🐶
Today I tried this Hungarian recipe: Pogácsa. I didn’t have enough white flour so used wholemeal to make up the amount. They were very delicious. Sort of flaky. They were easy to make, but use a heap of butter.
Camo cow.
Late in the last afternoon of our Rakiura Cruise we did a 1 hour easy walk at the Whaler’s Base in Paterson Inlet. The golden hour light was superb. The base operated from 1923 to 1933 and serviced Norwegian whaling chaser boats hunting in the Ross Sea in Antarctica. 🐳
10 August 2020:
10 August 2021: Oshi has an ulcerated right eye… Chlorsig/Chlorafast drops to be administered 4 to 6 times per day. Probably both dogs lost weight at the kennels from stress. Sasha might have diabetes. Sigh — old dogs. 🐶
The icy blast from the last couple of days has moved on, leaving snow not only on the high peaks of the Tararuas (happens several times each year) but also on the foothills. That’s pretty unusual.
6.55 am and at only a few minutes to sunrise it’s light enough out to see distinctly. We’re definitely on the way out of winter and on the approach to summer. 😀 Also, yesterday’s southerly blast is over and a big High is on its way from Australia with warmer weather.
Hmmm, second time in a week my M1 MacBook Pro has frozen and restarted itself while I was writing in Apple Mail. All standard up-to-date release versions of software.
The country’s in the teeth of a southerly storm, with many high altitude roads closed for snow. At 3.30 am I really thought the house might lift off in the 67 Kph gusts — we’re very exposed to the south where the icy wind (and just now horizontal rain) is coming from. 🥶
Some of us opted for the slow easy walk on Ulva Island. Our guide, Gabriel, shared a lot of info. We spotted Kiwi and Penguin tracks on a pristine beach, various birds — robin, kākā, kakariki, bellbird and others. There was Umbrella Moss, ferns only 1 cell thick, rimu trees…
On the last full day of our trip Sandy King and Detector Gadget (and her other trainee dog, Mawson) came aboard the Milford Wanderer. Sandy talked about getting rid of rats on the protected predator-free island, then the dogs checked our bags before we went ashore. No rats there!