Quick visit to UK

A few months ago I was invited to a workshop in Spain and managed to get some funding for the flights from the New Zealand Royal Society. After a long, long, long flight via Auckland, Brisbane, Dubai – I arrived in London and caught the bus to Coventry where I was met by Grandma and Grandad. Mum and Dad arrived the next day from Aberdeen and it was great to catch up with everyone, including Aunty Irene and Uncle Jim. Then Mum and Dad and I headed down to Paul and Thalia’s to see their new house and catch up with the kids. The house is almost finished... just a few minor things to be fixed and grass to grow. It looks great and it will be amazing when it is completely finished. I was especially jealous of the enormous larder and the kids playroom with it’s lego floor! Needless to say we played quite a bit of lego – especially as Hattie got some for her birthday. We also played a lot in the garden and went for a couple of nice walks with lunch at RAF Halton – an ex-Rothschild House.

Paul and Thalia's new house

It was nice to spend a few days seeing family and getting over jetlag – greatly helped by the fact that it stays light until 10pm. Thanks for the hospitality – I hope to return it one day when you come and visit us in New Zealand.

Jumbo-Holdsworth Tramp, Tararuas

For once great weather was forecast for the long weekend, and with a big trip overseas looming and many hours sitting on a plane, I thought I would take advantage and go for a tramp – stretch the legs and clear the head. I decided it was about time that I did the Jumbo-Holdsworth Loop, which is the classic Tararuas tramp and although I had done parts of it before I had never been to Jumbo. I dragged along one of the PhD students at work that has been getting in to tramping and also needed to clear her head and escape Wellington for the weekend.

It is a nice easy walk to Aituwhakatu Hut along the river, but then from this hut it climbs very steeply – in true Tararuas style – up the Jumbo. It took us about 5 hours overall and we were one of the first groups to get to the hut. However, we were followed by many others... including granny and granddad and their two granddaughters of 6 and 7 years old... amazing that they made it as it was a pretty big climb of >1000 m. The hut continued to fill up and we ended up with 24 in a hut that can sleep 20. Needless to say it was a little bit cosy, especially with the fire going.

Steep climb up to Jumbo

View of the Wairarapa from above the treeline

Helen and Sophie at Jumbo Hut

The next morning we set off up to Jumbo and across the tops to Mt Holdsworth. It was a little windy and quite cold– but we had amazing views all the way to Mt Taranaki and down to the mountains on the south island. There was some interesting ice features on the south sides of the mountains, but no snow.

Icy tussock

Ice flowers

We reached Powell Hut for an early lunch and then descended the Gentle Annie track – which has had a lot of work on since I last did this part of the tramp. There are now a lot of stairs, which is fine for descending and made the top section much quicker than scrambling down. We cruised back down to the carpark for 2pm. A nice winter weekend in the hills.... hopefully the weather cooperates for a few more over the next few months. 

Sunsets and sunrise at Syme Hut, Mt Taranaki

With a long weekend due to ANZAC day, and the weather forecast not looking too shabby, Aaron and I thought we would attempt to climb Mt Taranaki. As we were driving up on Friday the weather was pretty bad, and was pouring with rain when we got to the carpark at Dawson's Falls. We stayed the night at Konini Lodge nearby and hoped that the sunny weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday was correct. After an interesting night chatting to a couple of hunters and another tramper, we woke to clear skies and calm.

Clear skies over Fanthams Peak (left) and Mt Taranaki (right)

We set off through the goblin forest and then progressed rapidly up many, many steps through several different vegetation zones. The clouds had drifted in, but we eventually broke through as we reached the final scree slope towards Fantham Peak.

Goblin forest

Walking up the steps in the alpine grasses

Ascending the frustrating scree above the clouds.

We reached Syme Hut on Fantham Peak for an early lunch. While having lunch other trampers arrived. We dumped our overnight gear and then headed up the south side of Mt Taranaki. The scree wasn't too bad, but it was steep and it just kept getting steeper! We got above 2300 m and it was very steep and the ground below the scree was frozen, so it was like walking on marbles.... after Aaron took a bit of a slide towards a steep gully, we decided to retreat. Frustratingly less than 200 m from the top, but it was pretty dicey to descend and we had quite a few falls and bum slides. Aaron ripped his trousers and we both have a nice collection of scrapes and bruises. 

Approaching Syme Hut

Looking back down the south slope of Mt Taranaki to Fanthams Peak and Syme Hut and the surrounding forest and farmland below

We returned to Syme Hut to find a box of ANZAC cookies and easter eggs left by our tramping friends. We devoured several cookies and chocolate eggs with our well deserved cup of tea.

There were a lot more cookies, but we ate quite a few before we took the photo...

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading books and hanging out (eating more cookies). We watched the spectacular sunset and took a lot of photos before a romantic candle-lit dinner! Oh how romantic and we had the hut to ourselves ;)

Sunset (and me) reflecting in the windows for Syme Hut

With no curtains in the hut we woke to another amazing sunrise with Mt Tongariro, Nguarahoe and Ruapehu on the horizon. We headed down a slightly frozen, sketchy scree slope and back down to the steps and bush below with very few clouds we had great views the whole way down.

Mt Tongariro, Nguarahoe and Ruapehu above the clouds 

So although Mt Taranaki defeated us again... we had a great weekend. It gives us an excuse to come back and try again another weekend..... 

Andrea and Annabel visit NZ

After several weeks of glorious weather, my brother Andy and his family - Clare, Andrea and Annabel - arrived on a foggy and wet day. Luckily by 3pm the fog had lifted enough to let them land at the airport after lots of cancelled flights in the morning - including the delay of the royal flight with William, Kate and George. Unfortunately the wet weather continued for most of their stay! However, the hardy scottish Bostock's didn't seem too bothered as compared to the Aberdeen winter it was seemed almost tropical! 

We have been in to town a few times on a big easter egg hunt - painted large easter eggs by well known New Zealand artists - a fundraiser for the Auckland Starship Children's hospital. We have found 13 of the 30 eggs in Wellington - they will see one final one at the international airport as they leave.

I love Annabel's face at the thought of her dad kissing another woman!

We have visited the zoo, the botanic gardens and been to a couple of the museums in town on the really rainy days. Andrea and Annabel happily played on the beach in the rain, while Andy and Clare went for a swim. I also introduced them to New Zealand tramping at Otaki Forks in the Tararuas. We did a short walk around the area, checking out the big swing bridge over the Otaki River. We then stayed at Parawai Hut overnight (along with a few mice). Today (the only genuinely sunny day) they have headed over to Matiu-Somes Island on the ferry to explore.  

Andrea and Annabel at the zoo which recently acquired Tasmanian Devils

Building sandcastles 

Clare and Annabel on the suspension bridge over the Otaki River

Having survived the night at Parawai Hut

They head home over the Easter weekend (after an early easter egg hunt in the garden). Thank you for coming all this way to spend your school holidays with me. I hope you had as much fun as I did. 

School

The blog has been a bit quiet lately. I started school at the beginning of March and haven't done much exciting except go to class. Helen was out at sea for half of March as well.

School was a bit slow at first, but we are starting to learn quite a bit now. Right now we are studying about building law, how to prepare a design brief and how to draw using SketchUp.

Here is a cottage we had to draw for one of our assignments:

Colonial Cottage

South Island Road Trip

Queen Charlotte Sound

Whites Bay

Mailing Pass and the Waiau Valley

Leaving the Waiau Valley

Ces Clark Hut on the Croesus Track

Franz Joseph Glacier

Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables

Clutha River where it leaves Lake Wanaka

Rude Rock Trail, Queenstown

Mount Cook and Lake Pukaki

More quilts

Over our less than perfect summer I have finished off a couple of quilts, trying out a few different styles and colour combinations. Hopefully I am getting a little bit better (neater) with some practise. I even attempted some hand quilting... although I'm not sure how successful I was at that as it took several attempts on some sections of the quilt.

 

This one was from a jelly roll - and matches our couch pretty well. 

This one is for a little girl - Olive, 4 yr - who is obsessed with cats. 

This one is for my god-daughter and youngest cousin - Sophie Bostock who will soon be 4. I especially like the colour combination on this one and it has some of the same fabric as another quilt that I made for my other god-daughter in Colorado - Mallory Koy.