The Albatross Connection

We have been busy and not attending to our blog. Lots to catch up on.

First of all, I would like to congratulate our daughter, Jill, on winning the Kiwi Trivia Contest. She had 7 correct answers. Her accomplishment is not diminished by the fact that she was the only entry. You may have noted that there was no fine print about relatives not being eligible. Her brother, Tyler, had the best shot, as he just spent 3 weeks with us and more or less had all the answers spoon-fed to him. But he who hesitates... Jill's handcrafted NZ gift will be waiting for her when she gets home from Europe in mid June. (For those curious folks, answers will be posted)

Sometimes events happen when you are traveling that suddenly make being on the other side of the world not the best place to be. One of those unfortunate events occurred the second week in February. Sandi's Dad, Aaron, had been in the hospital with lung and heart problems for a week, when we left Waimate for a weekend trip to Dunedin on 2/16. Her brother, Rob from Sisters, OR, had arrived in Austin on 2/15. Aaron and Marge had lots of support from Sandi's sister, Debbie and brother, Aaron, along with 2 grandchildren in Austin.

Dunedin, Gaelic for Edinburgh, reflects its Scottish heritage. We started with a tour of the old train station and adjacent Saturday Market to stock up on veggies, spices and preserves. We then toured the Octagon in the center of Dunedin. A large statue of Robert Burns is strategically placed in the middle of the Octagon. From there we went straight to Speights (rhymes with streets) Brewery for lunch and samplers of their 6 varieties of brew. Sufficiently fortified, we followed the bay road out on the Otago Peninsula to McAndrews Bay to have a lovely dinner with Lea and Craig Werner, friends of friends who immigrated from Spokane 5 yrs ago. We got lessons in Kiwi English with an American accent and tips on all the best places in the S. Is. to visit.

Our host at Porterhouse B & B sent his wife off to stay with relatives and gave us their suite to make room for us. The whole town was booked with returning University of Otago students and their parents. Off the next morning to the tip of the Peninsula, spectacular scenery all the way, along the edge ridges with bay on one side and ocean on the other. We reached our destination – The Royal Albatross Center - in 30 mph winds, but that is just what the Albatross ordered. They need the wind to get their glider designed bodies with 9 foot wing spans off the cliffs. The adults circumnavigate the southern Hemisphere for a year and meet their lifelong mates back here and spend another year raising one chick. The teenagers (up to age 4-6yrs) come home to play and, with the wind that day, the party was on. From our observatory we had a 360-degree view as they soared all around us. We maxed out the memory on our digital camera and they were just getting warmed up. Both Sandi and I were thinking about her dad.

We arrived back at our B&B at 8 PM to find that Tyler had called. He had gone through a long list of Dunedin B&Bs before he got through to ours. Our host had gotten word 4 hours before that Sandi’s dad had a stroke and was on life support. By the time Sandi got through to her sister in Austin, he had already passed.

Aaron had a long life and a good one until the last year. He had been short of breath and too weak to make his barn wood furniture. He had served in the first infantry wave in both Leyte and Okinawa. He came home on a hospital ship. Very few of those he stood with him came back at all. He was a respected manager, proud father, a skilled golfer and a friend that inspired loyalty. He raised 5 kids and had 9 grandkids that were all proud to call him their Papa – all on what he considered borrowed time. He had a flag on his coffin to honor the Purple Heart and Bronze Star that he earned with his quiet strength in the Pacific.

Sandi, Jill and I had a good visit with him over Thanksgiving. Sandi’s family encouraged her to stay in NZ. Tyler flew from Seattle and stood in for us at the funeral. Sandi will spend some time with her mom in Austin in June.

Steve's Entry

Greetings from Kiwiland,

Sandi's done a great job of covering our travels and describing our home away from home - so I'm going to focus on the medical side. I work in one of the two small primary care clinics in town. Population: 3k in Waimate, 10k in the area. I work Tu-Fri, on call Th and every 4th weekend. We have one-plus clinic manager and one-plus nurse. The medical staff include: Crispin, a British transplant of 6 years and Nikki, also sheep recently turned dairy farmer, and Hammond, the boss who lives in Christchurch - 2 hours north. All are polite, efficient and very patient with the new doc who cannot speak or understand Kiwi English and still has not figured out all the various ways that ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) and L&I (Labor and Industries Ins.) are not the same. I actually work more hours than the other 3 docs together. I often without another doc and sometimes without a nurse, so my learning curve has been a bit bumpy.
NZ has a KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) HC system and a computer system that operates under the same principle. Primary care documentation is sparse here, so I have made up a drop down menu of phrases to paste together notes. Yes, all of you at Group Health will be delighted to know that I have introduced a little bit of the EPIC computer program into the NZ medical system.
The HC system is sort of an upside down HMO. Specialists have more clout than GPs, but are addressed as Mr, not Dr. Only specialists can order expensive medicines and tests like CT scans. MRIs, nuclear medicine scans and heart caths are only available in the 2 largest cites on the South Island (Christchurch and Dunedin), so it doesn't make much difference that I cannot order them. The nearest x-ray machine is in Timaru, 30 minutes away. That is where the Hospital/ER and the nearest specialists are too. The result is that if someone is sick, needs testing or specialty care in a timely manner, I send them to the ER. Having no clout does simplify the decision making process.
The ambulance system is also nation-wide. We have 2 paramedics and several EMTs in town. Their training is similar to the US, but they are certified for individual skills, so you have to ask to know what you've got. (A paramedic may not have gone through intubation training yet.) There are Practice Nurses (Not Nurse Practitioners) who have training similar to an our ER nurses that take primary care call in some more isolated rural areas. We have one in our practice. The ambulance has limited drugs, but I have a bag full of goodies that would drive a compliance officer to distraction. So when I am on call, I get called occasionally and sometime see someone at the clinic. The ambulance might make 4 runs in a night, but call me to go on one that needs meds. The result is that I average one patient seen per night on call. I have ridden the ambulance with patients to the hospital 3 times in 8 weeks: upper airway obstruction from angioedema, asthma and a fractured femur. Sandi drove me to meet the ambulance on the last, while I located Old Gumtree Rd on the map.
The whole process is helped out a lot by a very friendly, welcoming and health conscious population - sort of a Kiwi Lake Wobegone, where everyone is above average. The ACC system has essentially eliminated lawsuits. Generally, if you do your best, people will accept the results. Public education, home health, nursing home care and therapies are readily available. High tech is harder to come by, but it all seems to work out.

Just to make sure you all are paying attention, I am including a Kiwi vocab quiz. The winner will be awarded a hand crafted gift from NZ after our return to the States in late May. The first to get all correct answers, or the best result by the 1st of April wins!!!
Please define the following Kiwi terms:
Sparky
Panelbeater
Holiday Park
Belty
Farm Bike
Crutching the Daggers
Give Way
Dub-dub-dub
Silver Beet
Pavlova
Swedes
Ambo
Enzid (phonetic)
Jangles
Mossies

Exploring our neigborhood

For the past few weeks, Steve and I have been exploring more of the area taking day trips through the countryside and visiting small towns. The countryside is beautiful with rolling hills, and rock cliffs. The paddocks have lots of sheep, dairy cows and deer farms. Crops grown around here include barley, wheat, corn, berries, and grapes. They have tree plantations to supply lumber. There are many sites of ancient Maori rock drawings dating back to 16th Century among the cliffs. We have seen a few but sometimes they are on private farmland or just too difficult to get to. February 6th, was Waitangi Day, a NZ national holiday. We visited the towns of Fairlie and Geraldine. North of Geraldine is the Peel Forest We hiked up into the forest to view podocarp (conifer) trees including a huge 1000 year old Totara tree. Further up the valley, on a hillside surrounded by sheep, is a little stone church built in 1869, Church of the Holy Innocents, with lovely woodworking and stained glass.
There are so many sheep here that shearing is done all year round. They look so naked once they are sheared, but are pretty and white again. We learned a lot about different types of wool from a woman spinning wool into yarn at the market in Geraldine. Merino wool is valued highly because the tight crinkles it has make it softer. Sheep raised in the mountains have the merino wool. Here in NZ there is a species of possum that has fur which is highly valued and it is spun into the wool and makes a very soft, lightweight yarn. No, they do not shear the possum.
Waimate has a lot of activities going on for such a place town. So far this year there has been the bike races, Busking Festival, Vintage Car Show, and upcoming Woodcrafters Exhibition. Waimate is bordered by rivers on the north and south. The salmon are running so we went looking to find where the Waitaki River meets the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is about 20 minute drive from here. The beach is covered with flat, round rocks from the rough surf and rip tides. Not a swimming spot by any means. There are lovely beaches further up and down the coast.
We have been eating quite well as there are many fresh vegetables, fruits and berries available at the grocery store and Saturday market. There's a good selection of whole grain breads and cereals available at the grocery store. Lots of good cheese and wine here too. The South Island produces very nice pinot noir and variety of white wines. North Island produces more of the reds. Lets just say we haven't met a bottle we didn't like yet. Dunedin, a larger town 2 hrs. S. of here, has a Cadbury Chocolate factory and Speight beer brewery, and is our destination for this upcoming 3 day weekend. Speaking of nutrition, a few things of interest:
* Vegemite, the concentrated yeast extract spread that they love here, is packed with B vitamins....and tastes as awful as I'd been warned.
*Manuka honey is sweet and strong tasting, haven't had the opportunity to try it for wound healing as the Maori have for generations.
*Nutrition information on food labels are given as % of Daily Intake, based on average adult diet of 8700kj.
*Oven temperatures on the stove here are in Celsius, not Fahrenhiet -- I broiled a couple dishes in the oven before that dawned on me.
*Two major brands of food products are Watties and Sanitarium.(Watties I like, the latter conjures up not so good images). Several different types of baby formulas are available, mostly Nestle brand. I believe breastfeeding is favored, Yeah.
*There are lots and lots of Gluten Free products available. I haven't determined if this is due to many people truly being gluten intolerant, or some fad diet.
Happy Valentines Day. Kia ora. (Goodluck/good health)

Waimate Whitehorse

Waimate Whitehorse

First few weeks in New Zealand

Photos: Yellow Eyed Penguin & Seals; Brill Fish Dinner at Fleurs Place; Mt. Cook (Aoraki); Moerki Boulders

Hello from Kiwi land,
Steve arrived in Waimate on 1/1/08, after stops in Dunedin and Christchurch to get his paperwork approved. He started work at the medical clinic on 1/3/08. The change of pace in this small community seems to be just what the doctor ordered. He works 4 days/week, with Mondays off. Call schedule is 1 night/week and one weekend/month. After clinic hours, on call means home visits or trips w/ the ambulance if needed, as there is no hospital here in Waimate. Nearest hospital is in Timaru, 30 minutes away. Besides Steve, there are two part time docs, a nurse and ambulance crew.
As planned, Sandi left Spokane for NZ on 1/10/08. It had snowed the night before, again, and there were about 12 in of snow on the ground. No problem with flight from Spokane to Salt Lake City. Had a 4 hr layover in SLC for flight to San Francisco. The flight into SF was delayed 2 hr. due to fog in SF. Long story short, the delay was even longer and I missed the 7:00pm departure flight out of SF to Auckland, NZ. After a weary night in SF making several frantic calls to reschedule without having to purchase another 1-way ticket to NZ for $1,700., a nice gentleman assisting thru Travelocity via India, got me another ticket at no cost. However, the new flight was for 7:00 pm on 1/12, arriving NZ on 1/14. The upside to this 48 hr delay was my dear friend, Mari. She drove up to SF from Monterey, on Sat. morning and we had a great drive back down the coast 2 hrs to Monterey. I had a wonderful 1 1/2 days spontaneous visit with her and Sierra. What a friend to drop everything and come rescue a friend in distress.
The 12.5 hour flight from SF to Auckland went fine, didn't seem as long as anticipated. A quick 2 hr flight from Auckland on the North island of NZ brought me into Christchurch on S. Island. Steve happily greeted me there, although his plans for stays at B &B on Banks Peninsula had been upset a bit.
In Christchurch the World Bowls Championships were being held, so we dropped in to watch for a while. Their bowls here are what we call Bocce Ball, only with larger "bowls". We drove on down the coast and stopped at Giesen winery for a taste. We were the only ones there until another American couple arrived. Got to talking, they were from Kentucky, and he has a sister that lives in Ellensburg, Wa. Turns out his sister is Jackie Leinbach, one of my good "Garden Club" buddies and friend of 20 some years. Yes folks, it is a small world after all.
Steve had to work the next day, 1/15, so left me to explore what will be our new home and town for the next 4 1/2 months. Waimate is a peaceful country town of 2800 people, with 7000 in the area. It is about 5 mi inland and is surrounded by hills, native bush and farmland. Waimate is a center for farming, forestry and berry fruits. The town has all the essentials, a grocery, pharmacy, hardware, needlework/quilt and stationery store, as well as good ice cream shop, and couple of tea rooms. The Saturday farmer's market is loaded with locally grown nectarines, black cherries, kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, veggies, etc. There are several second hand shops, which have been useful in filling in the gaps for the few household items. The house is a cute 1940's bungalow style with plenty of room. The neighbor tells me it was updated recently, with all new kitchen appliances. It has a roomy kitchen that is bright and sunny, and glassed in sun porch at the other end of the house. The laundry room has a new washing machine and there is a handy clothes line out the back door for drying. Essential furnishings include: kitchen table and chairs, comfortable bed and sofa and 2 chairs. The outside of the house is surrounded by wide variety of flowers, shrubs and trees. Waimate houses are tidy with flowers and shrubs in the front and veggie garden in the back. A large magnolia tree is blooming in our front yard and smells wonderful. Our garden patch has potatoes ready and we have added a courgette (zucchini) and some herbs. Summer started here in Dec. The locals tell us this is one of the best summers they have had in several years. The temps. have been in 70-80s.
I am enjoying time to take walks into the hills with sweeping views of the pastures, forests, town below and the Pacific in the distance. Lots of sheep, cows and birds to see along the way. This area is famous for the red necked wallaby, and Steve has seen one on one of his hikes in the hills. On the long weekends Steve and I have been exploring other areas on the South Island. The people are great - relaxed and friendly. The scenery beautiful at every turn. Our highlights so far have been in the Otago district, which is south of here on the South Pacific ocean side. We were fortunate to see the rare yellow-eyed penguins coming onto the shore and waddling up the cliffs to their nests. Lots of seals and sea lions too. Outside of Oamaru, the Moeraki Boulders sit on the beach like giant turtles-but they are million year old spherical rock formations up to 10 feet across.
This past weekend we visited the area known as the Southern Alps and Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Of NZ's 27 mts. that are over 10,000ft, 22 of them are in this area. The late, Sir Edmund Hillary practiced on Mt. Cook in preparation for becoming the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. All of NZ mourned his death that occurred 2 days prior to my arrival. We managed a 4 hr. hike to the base of Mt Cook at Hooker Glacier. The small town of Twizel was our base for the 3 day weekend at a very nice farmstay B & B. Farmstay means it is a working farm/ranch. And in this case, it meant the sheep were in the paddock just off the small deck of our room. There was a wood heated outdoor hot tub, but due to high fire danger, couldn't be fired up. We had clear views of Mt Cook from our room and a full moon to boot. Twizel was having their Salmon and Wine Festival, we were happy campers and hikers.
Note to self: Make future posts shorter!!