Austrian Bed and Breakfast owner goes Scouting for new activities to do

Woke up - with still that satisfactory and somewhat please feeling - yes the rugby!!  History was made and it feels great.  So off course next year - we aim for competition win nr 7. There will probably never be another team like it.  Ever!! Just to lay the ground work we decided to see for ourselves the famous Dunders roofed stadium and the farmers market within.  Well the market proofed to be a disappointment and  not surprised that mamabear's sister did not want to join us for this wee trip!  The Stadium however was great.  Ended up playing photographer  - snapping a strapping almost hulking South African (who looked vaguely familiar . . . ) and also had to take one of Mamabear - who it has to be said  - was extremely proud of the sponsorship.  It must be a national deal - with Mitre 10 mega featuring big-time and and when the cameras show a penalty or try conversion - you cannot miss the big orange sign in the background.  So this Cantabrian did what any self respecting guy should and would do and staked a claim on this turf - OUR piece - OUR ground - OUR win - just like the Canterbury coach did in the Cake-Tin (Wellington Stadium) after the win yesterday!! He actually staked a flag!!  Wonder how long that stayed there!  hehehe
From there it was on towards the new-ish Chinese Garden! Now not 100% sure why or how - but somehow there is a link with China and the good folks over there decided to more or less donate a example of middle class living space.  I have to tell you - not half bad!  We are seriously considering buying some land in Whitianga and building our retirement home up there - so got plenty of ideas - and I do like this example - just need to win lotto 2 x over!!   http://www.dunedinchinesegarden.com/

The roof-tiles - 1000's and 1000's of them.  If you lay then end on end you have enough to get from Dunders to Christchurch - some 400km away.  The bottom ones are called 'drip-tiles'! they are designed to ensure that any water drips away from the house! Clever!! Why do we have leaky homes in NZ??? 'Cause we forgot to apply ancient Chinese wisdom!

On the inside there were walls and inside walls and outside walls and covered walkways with walls and some had clever windows. Kinda liked this as you can walk in the shade - or protected from the rain - and yet still be 'outside', and it gives different views depending where on the property you are.

Same spot - just looking in other direction towards the main entrance and balcony!

The whole thing is designed to invite areas of contemplation! I fear - if I live in something like this I would not get anything done, rather be contemplating all the jobs that NEED doing.  That would put my ying  seriously out of whack from my yang then! :) Must google this and see if I can get a floor plan!  The amount of labour expanded on this was phenomenal.  For example - 3 labourer' job was to HAND-lay the pebbles!!!

  From there it was on to the beach - saw these footprints which reminded me about a certain poem about God walking alongside you and after a while the prints left behind going from two to one - this is where God carries you!! Anyhow - this very recent and clear imprint was to good to miss.  I have to admit - it is NOT my paw-print.  Mine would be to big and furry . . . . and not that it is telling me that God is walking IN FRONT of me neither . . . .

Reason we went to this particular beach (St. Clair) was A - they had some new forshore development (that also recently got damaged in the storm surges) and B -  the former pier left behind these poles and I had seen a drawing in town that was inspired from here!  Pleased I got in the mirror reflections in-between the waves!!

Looking out into the sea. Kinda makes you feel like running along and diving in - EXCEPT it was close to freezing cold! I do know at least one mermaid AND a distant relative of Austrian Empress Sissi (and she does have her name :)  ) who would just dip their legs in here at minimum.  Can't understand the nuts who insist surfing in these waters - yet Josh Kronfeld (of rugby fame down here) insisted it was his best post match therapy! Guess the cold water acted like a giant ice pack on sore body mussels . . .

We needed to warm up - so headed back into town and parked the 70 horses and eventually found a cafe with light meals. Definitely a student cafe! Lots of young students slurping lattes  or eating croissants.  Felt again out of place.  If 50 makes me a old fuddy-duddy - they can keep it.  First up - need a new $1000 cellphone.  Hmmm there is a Ubuntu phone coming soon - may hang out for that - meanwhile - post lunch we met up with Mamabears sister and her partner and went into the Butterfly house - room.  Lots of different colours fluttering about- and never sitting still long enough for a decent portrait.  Someone should train them :)  Yeah right!  Anyhow - it was very warm in there - stark contrast to the chilly southerly out at the beach. Amongst the wildlife was this green little dude hanging on upside down no less.  Now not sure if he was hiding from all the flutters or he was camouflaged hoping for an unsuspecting butterfly offering him/herself for his supper! He certainly blended in perfectly and you would never know he was there!  Was thinking of a certain mermaid and her teeny wee princess and how she would have liked to be there and see the colours! Next time - mermaid - next time, we gonna make it longer!!


The two sisters shared some stories and jokes! No doubt this old fella was the butt of some!  meehh  don't worry me, I'm cool - oops hot in here!
Time to leave and go for dinner - not before Mamabear managed to grab 2 hours of post Bond-girl-party  beauty-snooze-time.  For myself - trying to catch up on all the online things! Seems no one is missing us - so that's great!
Out for Dinner in the Speights house - and no junior, no DB there either - this is after all Otago country!! 

Looking forward to catching some zzzz's and driving home via Tekapo.