Happy Matariki

Last Thursday marked the start of the Maori New Year here in Aotearoa, which falls on the first new moon after the constellation Matariki appears low in the NE sky.

You probably know the constellation as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, in other countries it goes by diffrent names, Arabic الثريا (al-Thurayya) Persian call it ثريا (Sorayya) ,Korean 좀생이(Jomsaeng-i) , Japanese 昴 (Subaru) ,Persian & Indian (Parveen) ,In Turkey its (Ülker ,Aztecs (Tianquiztli ) and my favorite...the Ukrainians call it Стожари (Stozhary.....go on say it)...just sounds so cool aye?

"Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki).
There are lots of stories about the meaning and how they came about but I like this one that when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother were separated by their offspring, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens.














Ka puta Matariki ka rere Whānui.Ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e!
(Matariki re-appears, Whānui starts its flight.
Being the sign of the year!

Used also as a indicator that the seasons are changing so a good time to get out in the garden and start planting........

No real photos so you'll have to use your imagination

This morning I was woken by Mana asking if I was awake......well I wasn't.....but now I am (thanks very much) switched on the radio to listen to the George FM Surf report and was pleasantly surprised hmmm........doesn't sound too bad.

Breakfast done I checked the net........ Gloomy morning, we have a building WNW swell 3-5ft with the odd bigger 6ft set showing, and a strong offshore/corsshore NNE blowing, so it is clean, but with a little ruffle to it. HEAPS more energy in the ocean this morning with a stormy look to it but good waves to be had if you preared to make the trek and search for them.


Hmmm......while I'm doing that my beautiful wife came in to say she's just made some Pineapple cake and Raisin scones......and did I want some? (bit of a silly question really)

I can hear the C130 Hercules doing a engine run at the Airbase which could only mean one thing.......OFFSHORE (either that or we are at war and even if we are it will still be going when I get back from a surf so no worries)

During the 35 minute drive out to "Spot X" I found myself smiling away to myself, firstly knowing that I have the weekend off ,secondly there will still be some of K's Pineapple cake to munch on when I get home and lastly the prospect of getting into some West coast action.

Still wet from yesterdays surf I kind of had a interesting time to get into my wetsuit but after 10 minutes I headed off over the "many" sand dunes" to the beach as I climbed up the last dune I could hear the "CRACK" of the waves as they exploded just off the point which sent my mind racing thinking of what was in store......woohoo!!!
I got to the top and though the rain I could just make out........WOW!!! (another word would be HOLLY CRAP!!!)
I could see a very respectable 4-5 ft of clean SW lines (like corrugated iron all the way out to the horizon......WOW!!)
The wind by now had increased from strong to now a "howling offshore" and what may have seemed as a "mad keen" surfer running eagerly (in the rain) to get into the action was actually the wind catching my board and not so "gently" encouraging me into a jog/ canter so as not to fall flat on my face.

Getting out was going to be a really mission with a incoming tide and HUGE amounts of water flowing and my first duck dive took my breath away and left me gasping for air as the cold water instantly drilled into my head......but the constant bombardment of the point "spurred" me on as my arms became a blur and I continued on :)

FINALLY after paddling (like) forever I made it out the back and set about taking in my surroundings and I watched wave after wave lazily roll in only to met up with the previous wave bounce back and refract off the rocks to mutate into a twisted tortured mass of boiling madness.....again WOW!!
10minutes passed.....Right enough of this I thought and I paddled for next wave.......Geez it "screamed" towards me like a freight train with its one and only purpose.....to mow me down like a bug I can remember someone saying once "If ya gonna go.....then bloody GO!!!"

So I did...and with confidence flowing through my veins (and blocking my natural "fight or flight" instinct I paddled even harder.

I could feel my speed increase as the wave lifted me and within half a second I was up and driving off the bottom (what a feeling) it was short lived and things then turned to custard :(

My left foot slipped off the board with the lip fully pouncing on me like a Tiger on its prey and I thought ........."Huh this is gonna be interesting".......funny but as I was sucked up the face and hurled over the falls.....interesting probably wasn't really an accurate description.

I kinda "cartwheeled" then rag doll-ed it at the bottom of the face then as the main body (and power) of water caught up with me I was forced down even deeper.

Relax,relax it'll be sweet I keep saying to myself......funny I was really relaxed and along with it being pitch black (picture included not actual photo from under the wave) it was calmingly quiet.
5 seconds became 10 or was it 15? time went on and I was still down (I knew I was deep cause I could feel the pressure squeezing my body) it was about now I was thinking "you know...air would be good round about now"

Then as if Tangaroa heard me and confident that I had now been well and truly "whooped" she released her strangle hold on me and I surfaced.
I looked around to see 4 other surfers climbing the imaginary ladder,looking like stunned Lemmings with wide eyes and grinning from ear to ear one let out a "Wooohoo" shouting "That was intense......." I responded with my best Saturday night party "HOOT" at the sheer stupidity of the situation.

The next 2 hours I surfed with.....great some waves.....some great wipeouts.....WOW.... and as I made my way thru the shallows and back over the sand hills I swore I could faintly hear the first lines of Te Rauparaha's famous Haka "Ka Mate!Ka Mate! Ka Ora Ka Ora" It is death,it is death...... it is life,it is life!

Ka mau te wehi :)

Nabe for the novice

Well not really K has some pretty mean culinary skills and this is just one of them.

Last authentic Nabe we had in Japan was with friends while camping (Sept 2008 Camping in Nagano) and just a couple of weeks ago here in NZ we went to a friends house just a for a "Nabe Night" and that was a success but tonight its all about the whanau style.:)

So first you need a special clay pot ( 土鍋) and a portable gas stove you take all the ingredients Chinese Cabbage, Chicken, Fish (in this case Snapper but it can be any white fish really) bit of Fish stock some more veggies like Spring Onions, Diakon (radish) ,Tofu, Shiitake mushrooms serve it with pipping hot Steamed rice in a bowl and don't neglect.....the Beer or warm Sake (or 2) of course.

Get some yummy"dipping sauce" going on Soya sauce,Lemon include grated garlic, butter, red pepper the only limitations are what you can (or cant) lay your hands on and your own imagination.

It probably sounds alittle on the bland side but believe me with all the "bit and pieces" its just one big meal.

We told Mana along time ago that eating fish eyes makes her eyes brighter (its true,they are indeed good for you)......and I guess both K and I falling off our seats trying to screen our faces and putting on sunglasses doesn't do anything to dispel the myth so she's right into it and is always asking if she can have the fish eyes :)

Go on give it a go try it at home with your family of friends with whatever local stuff you can get your hands sit around the table while its cooking (not sit down at the table once its ready)

Have your say as to what goes in...try some Udon noddles (there the long trick ones AND remember "a family that eats together,stays together"

Tauranga

Opps don't know what happened to this blog but I forgot to post it.
One of those rare opportunities "popped" up and my girls were able to join me on tour (well not quite but "on" tour but they did stay with me) a couple of nights.

The awesome-ly cool (and extremely good looking staff at Oceanside put me up in a two bedroom apartment.

Which meant we didn't have to squeeze in and had the added bonus of 2 bedrooms one of which was set up for kids so it had......BUNKS!
Mana was super excited at having 2 beds to choose from and it took her awhile to get the whole concept of a bed on top of a bed.


I was still working so I left them to it while I took the group out to dinner,only to return to find Mana "still" very much awake and launching into a verbal chorus of what I shall call "giggley goo" about how her and Mummy did this and went there followed by "and then we ate......."


Now its never polite to turn up empty handed and I didn't fail.

Dinner was at the "Mount Bistro" and I had managed to secure a small selection of Steven Barry's "WORLD" famous (in New Zealand) deserts.


Mana had just cleaned her teeth but when she saw the Gold Kiwifruit burlee,the Pecan pie and the Chocolate cake she said "I can clean my teeth again....." (cue puppy dog look)

It was consumed with great vigour (politely out "they scoffed it")

Mana and I had plans to climb the Mount the next morning and she initially she was keen as but it only lasted to the first gate before Mana announced she was tired......oh well don't really blame her it
It wasn't an entirely wasted trip as it was a beautiful morning and we got to see some black faced sheep up close (and there poohs) and a Police car....hmmmm a Police car I have no idea what the attraction is ??

Tooth

Finally!!

After what seemed like months of waiting Mana's tooth has finally relinquished its hold on her......... and all of us as we no longer have to put up with the "Look see how wiggly my tooth is (this is followed by her trusting her face towards you while her middle finger is pushing said loose tooth fowards and back to show that it is indeed loose )

Now my 6 year old is sporting a gap that you could probably drive a truck through (but only when she smiles)

She was so excited one the fact that her tooth actually came out and two she's going to get a visit from the Tooth Fairy.

Some interesting facts on tooth fairy's.

Did you know that they need the teeth to construct various bits of furniture in there castle (which is also made of teeth)

Not content with just "stuffing" her tooth under her pillow and hoping for the best.She carefully wrote probably the cutest letter ever......."Dear tooth fairy Thank you for the money that you give me. Can you wake me up when you are here and I can introduce you to my family"Along with a drawing of her asleep.

So tooth carefully wrapped up she placed it under her pillow......."