eight days of adventures

my last couple of weeks in nz were a whirlwind. with PJ making the trip over i thought it best to jam in as many fun activities and sights of my beautiful country as possible. here are a few glimpses from Central Otago to South Otago and our farm at Lochindorb, to Raglan and Auckland, to Dunedin then Queenstown..

our road trip to St Bathans, Central Otago

early morning breakfast of pies and sausage rolls on route to Lochindorb

after our flying trip north we ended back in the south and at the top of Baldwin St, the steepest street in the world

and finally, the only way to end a trip to NZ...with fergburger's 'little lamby' and a speights

we're back in the states now, lying on beaches and soaking up the last of the California summer! 

T = 4 weeks til school starts!! Ekkkkk!

Frontrunner 5k

Good morning Jack's Point...

..good morning hills..

Queenstown treated us to -7 degrees (19.4 fahrenheit) over night and a crisp morning for the Frontrunner Series Race..

i numbered up by the fire indoors before braving it into the cold, and trust me, jumping around on the spot and making funny faces definitely helps to keep you warm

on the start line..by now it had warmed up to barmy -4 degrees (24 fahrenheit)..

..despite this barmy weather, this was the first time in 7 years the lake was frozen and the hilly roads were icy for this race. consequently, the water cups (a.k.a ice cups) at the top of the hill were frozen solid!

finishing up around the frozen lake..just in time for the last layers of fog to clear and the sun to come up and warm our frozen bodies..

..by warm our frozen bodies, i mean warming us through the glass as we sat around the fire. 

sometimes extreme measures are necessary.

and sometimes it's worth braving a little cold weather to run on this beautiful landscape.

as long as theres a fire and hot chocolate waiting for me after.

winter wonderland

Jack Frost has been hard at work! Today on my sub-zero run i saw some of the most beautiful, un-touched landscape. It was peaceful, quiet and serene with everybody wrapped up indoors by their fires. I wish i could have taken a video while i was running for you all to experience it too but these quick snaps i took post-run will have to suffice.

the wintery world just out my backdoor

*please note, this is not snow but the result of four days of hard frosts and no sun to melt the ice away

My most hated part about this cold snap is the 'un-predictable nose drip'. All you southerners know what im talking about..it's that little drip that just comes rushing out of your nose unsuspectedly after coming in from the cold. Worst situation is those coffee dates at the cafe..after the cold walk turns your nose numb there is no telling when that little thawed out snot will come dripping out. Embarrassing huh!? Maybe i'll invent some nose stoppers. 

Stay warm and safe...don't be that person im stopping to help after slipping on black ice. Alexandra is never in a rush, so no need for you to be either!

xx

Squiggles

new record of -8.9 degrees (15.9 fahrenheit)...nothing better than to waste away the day inside trying to re-make the famous NZ squiggle, the 'biscuit with butter toffee notes, a touch of fruit and a hint of prunes at the end, the delicate edge gives it a frilly, harmless look that can lure the unwary into consuming large amounts in one sitting; gnawing the squiggles while trying to maintain a casual sitting position is often not possible'..especially when you have been indoors all day.

WARNING: do not attempt to do this unless you have an entire day to waste away..this project was rather time consuming..eating away into my board game time. which can leave someone feeling quite distraught.

first up, making the biscuit base..this had to sit in the fridge for 2 hours before cutting the shapes

while the biscuits cooked i made hokey pokey..this gooey, shiny mess is the result..trust me, once hardened it's a yummy yummy little treat

once the hokey pokey had set and the biscuits had cooled, i crushed the hokey pokey (saving the remains for snacking), and pressed it into the butter cream icing

once the icing had hardened, i melted up a combo of milk and dark chocolate buttons and dunked the whole biscuit in..then..once that had set, i melted white chocolate and piped on some fat squiggles...then i ate them..and tried to remain still while playing monopoly..

..and fighting Bella for the prime position in front of the fire. Bella - 10: Paula - 0

next project: Anzac Biscuits, a ' structurally sound biscuit, reinforced by the presence of high tensile oats and coconut, which may cause alarm in the un-suspecting and less sophisticated biscuit consumer. These are the only biscuit in the world with their own public holiday'.