Tuesday, May 18, 2010
End of the Wine Tour
The Aussies from the 'Granite Belt Wine Society' are winging their way back to Brisbane as I type. We visited a lot of fine vineyards and heard from some very talented wine-makers with rows of gold medal awards.
This winemaker is from Mills Reef at Bethlehem.
After Mills Reef the next stop was at Morton Estate, near Katikati. Neither this one nor Mills Reef nor Ohinemuri have local vineyards, the soil is too rich. They have vineyards in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne but make the wines in the estate and have the cellar door sales.
Some of the places were not designed for buses, like Ohinemuri at Karangahake Gorge. But lunch was very, very nice. The winemaker was a witty German, he said he was actually Kiwi but the wind blowing down the valley makes him sound like a German.
This winemaker is from Mills Reef at Bethlehem.
After Mills Reef the next stop was at Morton Estate, near Katikati. Neither this one nor Mills Reef nor Ohinemuri have local vineyards, the soil is too rich. They have vineyards in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne but make the wines in the estate and have the cellar door sales.
Some of the places were not designed for buses, like Ohinemuri at Karangahake Gorge. But lunch was very, very nice. The winemaker was a witty German, he said he was actually Kiwi but the wind blowing down the valley makes him sound like a German.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Wine Trail N.I.
I have had 18 Aussies from a wine society South of Brisbane on my bus for a few days, watching in envy as they tasted $60 wines with comments from the wine maker.
A quick stop in Featherson caught the pride of KiwiRail coming through at a good clip. I didn't know they have the only surviving Fell steam engine on display, and that they had 400 Japanese POW's during WW2, as well as a mutiny and quite a few killed.
Here's the bus spoiling the view at Craggy Range.
I got them tonight, they are at Te Puia (Whakarewarewa) for a hangi and a hongi - what's the wine match for that? Smelly hot water?
I had a nice salami pizza at 'Eat Street' with Chianti and Toscana as my wine match.
Heading for Auckland tomorrow via two Tauranga and one Karangahake vineyards.
A quick stop in Featherson caught the pride of KiwiRail coming through at a good clip. I didn't know they have the only surviving Fell steam engine on display, and that they had 400 Japanese POW's during WW2, as well as a mutiny and quite a few killed.
Here's the bus spoiling the view at Craggy Range.
I got them tonight, they are at Te Puia (Whakarewarewa) for a hangi and a hongi - what's the wine match for that? Smelly hot water?
I had a nice salami pizza at 'Eat Street' with Chianti and Toscana as my wine match.
Heading for Auckland tomorrow via two Tauranga and one Karangahake vineyards.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Skyline gets older
Saturday, May 08, 2010
WRC Rally, Yumps and Choppers
I took a Red Bull busload to the WRC Rally near Brynderwn and spent the day watching the cars and the fifteen helicopters. Here's a few pics. (The jumps are called yumps by the Swedes and Finns).
Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen of Finland.
Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier from France. Note Loeb's crumpled door, where he hit a bridge that probably cost him the rally win.
Sardel from Sweden and Solberg from Norway. Not sure if this is Henning or Petter Solberg.
Tuonino of Finland and Dani Sordo of Spain.
Mark Tapper (NZ) and Wilson (UK). Steel-nerved photographers.
Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen of Finland.
Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier from France. Note Loeb's crumpled door, where he hit a bridge that probably cost him the rally win.
Sardel from Sweden and Solberg from Norway. Not sure if this is Henning or Petter Solberg.
Tuonino of Finland and Dani Sordo of Spain.
Mark Tapper (NZ) and Wilson (UK). Steel-nerved photographers.
