New Zealand Adventure: A Kiwi Christmas

Wellington is definitely quieting down for the Christmas holiday which, of course, coincides with the start of summer vacation here (that still seems totally incongruous, but that's life below the Equator for you). Schools are out, people seem to be out enjoying themselves at cafes or strolling along Oriental Parade (or even swimming, for the truly hardy).

The beautiful pohutukawa tree is in full bloom. It is called the NZ Christmas tree because of the distinctive red blossoms, which can be seen from a long distance.

We were at an outdoor barbeque (remember, it was just the longest day of the year here) when the sounds of Xmas carols played by the Salvation Army band were overheard. We went out to the front of the house as they passed down the street, collecting contributions along the way.

This quiet time permits a few reflections on other aspects of life in Wellington. First, the discerning reader will have noticed that my blogs typically feature photos of colorful murals (or perhaps you were wondering what these were). These paintings appear throughout the area on all sorts of walls, particularly in schools, parks or just along the road, as free-spirited expressions of visual creativity. They are often done on corrugated iron, which makes for an interesting effect:

Anyway, they're very striking as you drive, walk, jog or cycle around the city. And on the subject of the sports, many Wellingtonians seem passionate about keeping fit, or perhaps cyling home up a 15 percent grade is simply a fact of life for many commuters. I am constantly amazed by the runners and cyclists that seem to think nothing of climbing incredibly steep hills as part of their daily routine. NB: not everyone falls into this category:

On any given day, regardless of the weather, Oriental Bay (and its beach area) is a parade cyclists, joggers, rollerbladers, skateboarders, kayakers and even rowers, undoubtedly participating in some team building exercise for the office.

(This is the Deloitte crew). The Kiwi passion for fitness seems to start young, as the playgrounds are very imaginative and encourage both physical challenge and a bit of daring.

Some of us still prefer a pure adrenaline rush, though.

And what generates the energy for all of this activity? Kiwi cuisine, of course, about which a few observations may be made. First, the local supermarket is virtually identical to those in the US, in terms of what it offers, how it is organized, and other "logistics". (Leaving aside the far greater availability of such anglophile culinary oddities as Marmite, Bovril, lemon curd and Branson pickle). Second, as a seafaring nation, NZ cuisine does feature alot of fish and seafood:

NZ has, like its British antecedents, made a speciality of fish and chips (pronounced "fush and chups" here), which seems to be offered in the same little shops as Chinese takeaway. But here's an exception to that.

Third, one could go on and on about lamp and sheep here, which give us lovely warm merino wool and lots of tasty meats. But --yes-- there are alot of them, and one photo will suffice.