4,000,000 people in NZ; 20,000,000 sheep in NZ! They're everywhere grazing on hillsides. Some are furry, some sheared. They say only 200 professional shearers, shearing sheep by hand with large scissors, remain. Plenty of cows, including "Oreo cows" which are black on both ends with a white center LOL, also graze, and occasionally we see a herd of deer, cows and pigs. And dead possums on the side of the road; so prolific they are made into merino sweaters and scarves here. There are no other major mammals here, no predators, and therefore, the birds don't have to fly because they don't have to escape from anything. There are strange birds here...this morning at around 6:00 am, we heard repetitive shrieks and scratching on our porch sliding doors from a black bird with blue belly feathers, an orange beak, orange legs and large orange claws like a chicken. The large Kea parrots don't have to fly much, but are so clever, they figured out how to open the pest control boxes placed in the forests with a stick just for fun. (Officials know this because they set up video cameras just to figure out how these were opened and they weren't catching anything). And no snakes or poisonous creatures. It's a unique ecosystem, separated from the rest of the animal kingdom by water and so no migration.
Silver tree ferns...a national symbol. Can't explain the ferns which range in size and variety. Some the size of a nut, others towering over you. It's like Gullivers Travels where sometimes you feel large because the growth is so tiny and then you enter a forest with ferns that are 8-10 feet tall and with fronds as big as a Volkswagen, and you feel like a wee hobbit. Entrancing! It's also a national symbol of NZ.
We have discovered Bundaberg, an Australian family owned business, making the most delicious sparkling drinks. Pineapple & Coconut, Passionfruit, Lemon, Lime & Bitters, Black Current Cream, Ginger Beer, Blood Orange. Can't stop drinking them; almost as good as a cocktail! Anyone want to start an export company?
Whittakers Chocolates, made in NZ made in the most wonderful flavors...massive bars of chocolate that cost about $3 US. With wonderful names like Hawk's Bay Braeburn apple with vanilla or Marlborough Sea salt with caramel.
The rest of the food is common. We have eaten green mussels right out of the sea, salmon caught in the Sound, kiwi crush cocktails, flat corn cake sandwiches with bacon and tomato, and hamburgers with an entire salad, carmelized onions, pickled relish and aoili inside (and waited for an hour to eat it at a local institution, The Fat Tui food truck in Abel Tasmen; couldn't wait at the other local favorite, Fergburgers in Queenstown for that famous burger). The Marlborough Sound white wines are delicious and we have a bottle many days, as is some of the craft beers I've tasted. Lamb is yummy and cheap and if you can imagine, even eating the rump is tasty and tender here!
Good on you again for reading!
I really don't remember that the food was that fabulous. We were on a tour and maybe that was the reason. Didn't get to go to local places like you are travel by car. We did have a chane to visit a local family and have dinner at there home which gave us a different experience.
ReplyDelete