Friday 27 September 2013
New zealand wool
I bought a couple of balls of wool while I was in NZ. It is real wool, pretty hexxy, $15 for two but can notice the difference in the feel. I decided to knit myself a beanie to take to canada when we get there hopefully in 2015. Finished off the project that I was making and started on it. I have been making kids beanies so I knew that i needed to make it bigger. Added an extra 20 stiches and instead of 5inches, I went to 8 inches as i wanted a brim. Completed it lunchtime while watching Ellen and sewed up the side seam, put it on and said to darling hubby "What do you think?" with a smirk, he says it looks fine. Beanies dont do a lot for me i know but its done, only took four/five days.
Thursday 26 September 2013
Soap
I had a go at making soap a few months ago, I found a soap making kit that I had bought several years before. We run out of soap a couple of weeks ago and had to resort to using the one that I had made. To my surprise it felt pretty good nad lasted a long time too, (probably because it had dried out for so long!)
I ordered some soap making stuff from the internet the other night, then kicked myself thinking that it would arrive when we were away. But no, it arrived this morning! what a fast turn around, I think it was monday or Tuesday night that I ordered it.
It does look a little complex so I will wait til we get home, I also need to buy some other stuff first.
I ordered some soap making stuff from the internet the other night, then kicked myself thinking that it would arrive when we were away. But no, it arrived this morning! what a fast turn around, I think it was monday or Tuesday night that I ordered it.
It does look a little complex so I will wait til we get home, I also need to buy some other stuff first.
New Zealand, what a great place!
Our first hotel was right at the airport, the next morning we walked back to the airport to pick up our car for the next ten days. Driving away we were going past farms not five minutes away from the airport, sheep lots of sheep right near the side of the road. it was cold. First day was driving over arthur's pass, we had lunch at the top of the range, first shock, a pie and coffee each and we shared a piece of cake for $38, wow! i thought breakfast at the hotel was overly expensive at $17.50 each, which consisted of yougurt and ceral, coffee and fruit juice, warren had a couple of pastries as well.
Petrol and food throught out the trip was the most expensive things. Fuel ranged from $2.24 to $2.80 a litre, luckily we only needed four tanks of fuel during the whole time. The scenery was awesome the whole way, snow capperd mountains were seen most of the time and at least twice it snowed on the mountains overnight, we didnt see it but there was more coverage the next day. Walked out to the glacier, almost as far as we could go, it has receded over the last few years but still very impressive. As you can tell, New Zealand impressed us, within the first few hours, we had decided to go back and just meanander around. Our tour was good but we had to be somewhere by a certain time as we were booked in.
Storms had hit the day before we arrived closing down some of the roads, another good reason to meanader and go where and when we pleased.
It was cold and I wore my heavy jacket every day, the food was good but heaps of it and rather costly. I didnt notice much of a difference in the supermarkets. We ended up going and buying breakfast stuff and had our normal breakfast which was a lot cheaper than having it in the motels. Queenstown was a very yuppy place and we did venture into town for breakfast and a wander around, ($38!)had to buy some stuff at the chemist, seemed that Warren was a bit senitive to the water or soap. Chemist things seemed the same prices at home and could even buy many of the same things.
coming up the East coast, I suggested that we backtrack a bit as I had seen a wool place, we were on holidays after all. Great handknits and commercial stuff as well but everything was pretty much too heavy for our climate. Warren did pick up some socks and he persuaded me to buy a pop over poncho, I was surprised that the amount was $64 as mine was only $30, marked down from $55, but he only bought one pair! they were $34! Later I did buy some NZ pure wool which I am knitting into a beanie for me, it feels beautiful.
Dunedin had a lot of things going for it but we only had one night there whic was a shame, would have liked to spent more time. We did go to the local museum and dropped into the cadbury factory on the way out, 3 chocolate bars for $10, what a bargain.
Had a day in Christchurch, visited the Aviation museum, went up the Gondola and then went to the beach, ended up talking to a Chinese guy, who was about 70's, I dont think he spoke English so we had a great time chatting to him in Madarin.
At the airport the next morning, that was an early start, we spoke with a lady who was in a wheelchair, she had had a beam of her building crash down on her in the earthquakes, she was very positive and said that it took her awhile but now she enjoys life as much as she can, she was travelling to Brisbane to surprise her daughter and grandson for his first birthday.
Petrol and food throught out the trip was the most expensive things. Fuel ranged from $2.24 to $2.80 a litre, luckily we only needed four tanks of fuel during the whole time. The scenery was awesome the whole way, snow capperd mountains were seen most of the time and at least twice it snowed on the mountains overnight, we didnt see it but there was more coverage the next day. Walked out to the glacier, almost as far as we could go, it has receded over the last few years but still very impressive. As you can tell, New Zealand impressed us, within the first few hours, we had decided to go back and just meanander around. Our tour was good but we had to be somewhere by a certain time as we were booked in.
Storms had hit the day before we arrived closing down some of the roads, another good reason to meanader and go where and when we pleased.
It was cold and I wore my heavy jacket every day, the food was good but heaps of it and rather costly. I didnt notice much of a difference in the supermarkets. We ended up going and buying breakfast stuff and had our normal breakfast which was a lot cheaper than having it in the motels. Queenstown was a very yuppy place and we did venture into town for breakfast and a wander around, ($38!)had to buy some stuff at the chemist, seemed that Warren was a bit senitive to the water or soap. Chemist things seemed the same prices at home and could even buy many of the same things.
coming up the East coast, I suggested that we backtrack a bit as I had seen a wool place, we were on holidays after all. Great handknits and commercial stuff as well but everything was pretty much too heavy for our climate. Warren did pick up some socks and he persuaded me to buy a pop over poncho, I was surprised that the amount was $64 as mine was only $30, marked down from $55, but he only bought one pair! they were $34! Later I did buy some NZ pure wool which I am knitting into a beanie for me, it feels beautiful.
Dunedin had a lot of things going for it but we only had one night there whic was a shame, would have liked to spent more time. We did go to the local museum and dropped into the cadbury factory on the way out, 3 chocolate bars for $10, what a bargain.
Had a day in Christchurch, visited the Aviation museum, went up the Gondola and then went to the beach, ended up talking to a Chinese guy, who was about 70's, I dont think he spoke English so we had a great time chatting to him in Madarin.
At the airport the next morning, that was an early start, we spoke with a lady who was in a wheelchair, she had had a beam of her building crash down on her in the earthquakes, she was very positive and said that it took her awhile but now she enjoys life as much as she can, she was travelling to Brisbane to surprise her daughter and grandson for his first birthday.
Wednesday 11 September 2013
New Zealand!
Today! Wish i could say I'm excited but I'm not and I dont know why. I packed yesterday, about to wash the last of our clothes and check our route to the airport. The only thing I can think of as why I am not excited is that I didnt do the planning and booking like I normally do and havent really looked at exactly where we are going.
Also I'm a bit worried about eating while we are away, car hire and motels could be lots of fast food which wont do much for my weigh loss. Anyway, we are due to leave home in approx three hours.
Also I'm a bit worried about eating while we are away, car hire and motels could be lots of fast food which wont do much for my weigh loss. Anyway, we are due to leave home in approx three hours.
Jam and Butter
Trifle
Saturday 7 September 2013
Travel card
wow, what a great idea. Aust post has one and we thought that NAB may have one so I went to ask. Yep, they did, cost was $10 and there is no charges from NAB for the use although there maybe some in NZ. I put a thousand on it as we will only need money for fuel and food, will take some cash as well.
Works by pin and there are two cards one for each with a different pin, can even top it up while we are there if we need to, should save a lot of hassle to get money changed etc.
Works by pin and there are two cards one for each with a different pin, can even top it up while we are there if we need to, should save a lot of hassle to get money changed etc.
Cracked!
Yesterday, hubby was vacummning while I visited the toilet. I lent forward to pick up the toilet paper and heard a noise like cracking! Oh no, it was the seat, it had cracked on one side, not just a little but right across the seat.
I guess it had reached its use by date but did it have to happen while i was sitting there!
Hubby went and bought another and replaced it so we now have a new seat, so I'm okay for a few years hopefully.
I guess it had reached its use by date but did it have to happen while i was sitting there!
Hubby went and bought another and replaced it so we now have a new seat, so I'm okay for a few years hopefully.
Monday 2 September 2013
New GPS
We get a lot of junk mail and while looking thru a Target one the other morning, I see a GPS for only $69, I discuss it with HATH and he says, I'm thinking of buying one as it has NZ maps on it as well. It was decided that we would go into the shops then and there and buy one as the sale started that same day.
Of course when we got there, there were several on offer, one had a bigger screen for an extra $20, one had free maps for another $10. we ended up paying $99. It says the street names which I like and our tomtom doesnt have (it being an older model) Hiring a GPS in NZ to go with the car was going to be $100 so we figured that we might as well, spend the money here and get something that we can use again.
HATH says on Saturday that we really need to go somewhere so we can use it. Hummm, I put three suggestions on the table, Woodford for coffee, Bribie for a fish and chip lunch or Dayboro for coffee. He suggested Beachmere but the beach is terrible there. Woodford won out so off we go and there are lots of turns to take so an excellent test for the new GPS.
We got there just before 10am and sat outside the bakery/cafe. It is THE place to go for the bikers (bikers not bikies) it was amazing to see the different bikes and how everyone was kitted out. Mostly their orders were a salad roll and either hot or iced coffee.
We walked up the road and saw a sign for an op shop, HATH is looking for a video player and they are no longer sold new. No luck in that area but we did find some interesting things. Stopped at a Farmers market on the way home and bought fruit and veg for the week which included 6 punnetts of strawberries. i made strawberry jam when I got home.
BTW the new GPS worked well, although some of the roads do sound a little funny, Annie was more like Any but close enough.
Of course when we got there, there were several on offer, one had a bigger screen for an extra $20, one had free maps for another $10. we ended up paying $99. It says the street names which I like and our tomtom doesnt have (it being an older model) Hiring a GPS in NZ to go with the car was going to be $100 so we figured that we might as well, spend the money here and get something that we can use again.
HATH says on Saturday that we really need to go somewhere so we can use it. Hummm, I put three suggestions on the table, Woodford for coffee, Bribie for a fish and chip lunch or Dayboro for coffee. He suggested Beachmere but the beach is terrible there. Woodford won out so off we go and there are lots of turns to take so an excellent test for the new GPS.
We got there just before 10am and sat outside the bakery/cafe. It is THE place to go for the bikers (bikers not bikies) it was amazing to see the different bikes and how everyone was kitted out. Mostly their orders were a salad roll and either hot or iced coffee.
We walked up the road and saw a sign for an op shop, HATH is looking for a video player and they are no longer sold new. No luck in that area but we did find some interesting things. Stopped at a Farmers market on the way home and bought fruit and veg for the week which included 6 punnetts of strawberries. i made strawberry jam when I got home.
BTW the new GPS worked well, although some of the roads do sound a little funny, Annie was more like Any but close enough.
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