The Grandparents Come For a Visit

We had an exciting week when Rachel's grandparents came for a visit. We saw magnificent beaches, learned about kiwis, took ferry rides, and ate lots of good food. The timing of their visit was very good since we're all starting to miss them, and all the people back home.

Piha is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and it was great that we could share it with people we love. In this picture Rachel is writing her name in the sand, which beats writing your name in the snow.


Ice Cream seems to follow Grandpa wherever he goes, and new dresses seem to follow grandma.


We traveled down to the Bay of Plenty, which as its name implies, has plenty: fruit is plentiful, fish is plentiful. Scenic vistas and white sand beaches? They're plentiful as well.



While in The Bay of Plenty, we had the opportunity to visit a kiwi farm. Here is a picture of kiwi on the vine.


Some in our group had trouble following directions


We made a quick stop at Rotorua to take in the sights and smells. There are geothermal hot spots right in the middle of town and because of this , the town smells like sulfur. Rachel has a hard time dealing with the smell; she's not a big fan of Rotorua.


Back in Auckland we visited the Skytower, the highest structure in town. Rachel, in an attempt to get higher, climbed and mauled her way to the top of grandpa.


Of course Skytower is not the only place in Auckland with an amazing view. There's also One Tree Hill.



Rachel did not want her grandparents to leave. She started crying as soon as we dropped them off at the airport.

A quick trip to Parnell Baths was in order after Grandma and Grandpa left. Nothing turns a frown upside down as quick as Parnell Baths.

Food Post II

We have really enjoyed the food in New Zealand. All types of fruits and vegetables grow well here, so whatever is in season is reasonably priced and of high quality. With all of the sheep and cows, there is no lack of meat, which is also good and reasonably priced. Fish is a big part of the diet, and we've tried many kinds that are not available in the United States. Food that is shipped in, such as processed food, is really expensive, but the local stuff is priced right.

The Kiwi

Originally known as the Chinese Gooseberry, the Kiwi was rebranded by New Zealand farmers for marketing reasons. We've been eating a lot Kiwis. Here is a Golden Kiwi.

Does Rachel enjoy Kiwis? Of course she does.


Lamb

Lamb is ubiquitous in New Zealand. For instance, Subway Sandwiches offers a lamb sub, and, as mentioned in the eariler food post, there's even lamb flavored potato chips.

Rachel is a good name in New Zealand because it means lamb (well, technically "ewe"). Rachel, how does the animal you were named after taste in New Zealand?


Fish and Chips

After hanging at the beach, and working up a huge hunger, what could be better than a big greasy serving of fish and chips? Nothing, that's what. The fish in this picture is gurnard which is a white fish similar to cod and common in New Zealand.


Rachel was so hungry when this picture was taken that even spicy food, the only food that Rachel does not like, would have gotten a thumbs up

Canned Goods

Any similarities between Wattie's Baked Beans, and Heinz English Baked Beans are merely a coincidence. Wattie's is the big name in processed food in New Zealand. From what I can tell, they take popular canned food from abroad, adjust it to New Zealand taste-- which means making it sweeter-- and market it as made in New Zealand. Interestingly Wattie's is owned by Heinz. This means that Wattie's Baked Beans is a knock-off of a popular English food, which is owned by an American company. Globalism is alive and well here in New Zealand.

Rachel loves beans in all of their forms, English, New Zealand, or otherwise.

L&P Soda

If New Zealand had a national soft drink (or, as it is sometimes called here, "fizzy drink"), it would be Lemon and Paeroa Soda, otherwise known as L&P. Their slogan is, "World Famous in New Zealand." As the name implies, it is a lemon flavored soda, made with effervescent mineral waters in Paeroa, a small town on the North Island, not too far from Auckland. It's not as sweet as most soft drinks, and the lemon flavor tastes real.

Does Rachel like it? What four year old doesn't like soda?


Kumara potato

The kumara is incredibly important in New Zealand not only as a food, but also as a cultural artifact. The kumara arrived here with the first Maori canoes, and was an essential staple from the day they landed. The modern kumara is a close relative of the original kumara. One of the great mysteries is how the Maori, and the Polynesians before them, acquired the kumara. Being a member of sweet potato family means they are a New World vegetable. Polynesians and Maori trace their ancestors back to Asia and the Old World. Did early Polynesians sail to South America, or was there some ocean based trade route that people of today do not know about? it's doubtful that we'll ever know for sure.


They are delicious, like a meaty firmer sweet potato, with a skin that cooks up nicely.


As is evident from this post, much of New Zealand cuisine is derived from Britain. Its saving grace is, that unlike Britain, the climate here is hospitable to growing just about anything. A fresh avocado, a plum, or a macadamia nut doesn't require a great deal of kitchen technique to be made scrumptious. A piece of fish, or meat, if it's good enough, just needs to be tended to and not overcooked. Nothing fussy, keep it simple, and let the ingredients shine. That's when New Zealand food is at its best.