Yinzer in the Shire

We have been very surprised to learn that American's aren't the only people who over generalise other cultures.  Kiwi's are seemingly very aware of the Fourth of July as an American holiday, but they aren't quite clear on what this entails. Fourth of July parties seem to be a theme here, I know of two that are occurring this week.  A friend inquired what type of dish she might take to such a party and stated that she knew turkey was traditional, but thought that might be a bit much, perhaps she would take a pumpkin pie instead. I quickly informed her that those were Thanksgiving dishes and that the Fourth was more a picnic/BBQ type of holiday, but since that conversation I have learned that most Kiwi's think turkey and pumpkin pie are traditional meals for Independence Day. In the spirit of cultural awareness over the next few months I will be sharing Kiwi holidays and how they are celebrated.  Some of these holidays, such as Christmas, are also observed in Ame...

A month ago we descended upon Owhiro Bay in search of red rocks and seals only to leave defeated after a day filled with neither. Where, oh, where could those Red Rocks be?! This time, we were not to be deterred.  Nothing would stop us!  To prove our mettle to the world, we set out on foot.  We walked four miles from Miramar to Owhiro Bay and then a further four miles to Sinclair Head .  All told the journey, complete with a quick stop off at The Bach (pronounced "batch") for lunch, took 7.5 hours. Once we got over the hill separating Kilbirnie from the great wild yonder we found ourselves at Houghton Bay, this took approximately an hour.  The rest of the walk is right along the coast so dress accordingly! The weather along the coast can be quite temperamental.  The first time we made the journey the waves were high, the air was cold, and the wind was vicious.  That day we were all bundled up in winter jackets.  Just a mont...