South Island Museums

Much of my touristing in New Zealand has been nature or outdoorsy things. Lots of hikes, waterfalls, some botanical gardens, rock climbing, etc. But now and then it is good to mix things up a bit. So a bit of our South Island adventure was spent in museums. 

The first was called the WOW: World of WearableArt and Classic Cars. When we read the description we were all thinking what an odd combination. But once we got there, it proved itself to be an excellent combination. World of WearableArt is an international design competition. According to the WOW website, it is “a world where theatre, fashion and art collide.” Designers create items to be exhibited in the annual show. The museums’ collection showcased pieces from designers around the world. My favorite was called “Minuet and Trio,” but each article showed an impressive display of creativity and expression.

Once through the art gallery, we found our way to the impressive car collection. The museum site is the former Honda factory of Nelson, which closed in the 1990’s due to a change in import tariffs on vehicles. Two large warehouse-type buildings were chock full (or chock-a-block as they say here!) of a wide range of vehicles. The oldest was an early 1900’s crank-motor vehicle, with the most modern being a Smart car from the 2000’s.

The other museum which really caught our interest was the Air Force Museum in Christchurch. We spent an entire afternoon there, and still did not see it all as the brain eventually announced it was on information overload. The museum detailed the entire history of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, with special emphasis on world wars involvement. I especially enjoyed the growing photography gallery of New Zealand veterans, with an explanation of their service record and honors awarded.

The feature exhibit also caught my eye. The walkthrough explained a day in the life of a WWII POW in Europe, complete with escape attempts and end of war liberation. Of particular interest was a Kiwi soldiers’ involvement which is included in the 1963 film The Great Escape.

This museum also housed an impressive collection of aircraft from early 1900’s through to modern helicopters. It was hard to pick a favorite, but was a fun way to learn a bit about aircraft.  

The road closure misadventures

You may remember news from November last year discussing a high magnitude earthquake that hit the South Island, isolating the town of Kaikoura. The reason for the isolation was closure to the train, and both roads (i.e. the only two) to reach the coastal town. The road damage, collapsed bridges and tunnels, and major slips prevented access to this small but well-known town. Kaikoura is a major destination for visitors to the South Island because local tourism offers whale/dolphin/seal watching opportunities. A coastal walk takes you up close to a seal colony (it was a nice hike but wow the smell haha). Kayak, boat, and small plan tours provide the opportunity to view and swim with dolphins and whales. So, it is a pretty cool place.

Kaikoura had been on my list of places to see for quite some time. When we decided to spend our summer vacation on the South Island, it was one of the places that went on the list right away. This was pre-earthquake of course. Post-earthquake we contacted the local tourism bureau to determine what was expected for road access, tour availability, etc. We were advised that based on the dates planned, there should be no problem. So off we went on our merry way.

Kaikoura was the third major destination on our trip, so it was after New Year’s that we headed that way. The coastal road from the top of the island was not yet open so we took the 5-hour scenic route to get there, as we were coming from Nelson. Other than the time required to get there it was not really a bad drive; we got to see some new territory which is always fun. It was only the last hour and a half, when it started raining, and was nearing twilight, that we felt a bit frustrated and concerned about actually reaching our destination.

As we neared the area where major road damage had occurred, there was a big red sign that said “Danger Zone.” Cue dramatic music? Turns out that sign was there because just around the corner was a bridge that had collapsed, and has been replaced with a not-so-sturdy looking wood bridge. But never mind, our car was small and we made it across. Next hurdle: driving through a ditch. Wasn’t flooded, *phew! The next 90 kilometeres were similar with sections reduced to gravel, slips alongside the road, and lots of bumps (not to mention the windy curvy bits that are a part of nearly all New Zealand roads). We did get to see a big herd of reindeer though J

We made it just before dark and were all relieved to get out of the car. The next day we ventured into town to have a look around. Unfortunately it was a rainy day and the majority of rainy day activities had not yet been cleared from earthquake damage so remained closed. Mini-golf and llama treks were an option though (apparently on a llama trek you get your own personal llama to lead on a scenic walk. Ummmm…). We chose to only embrace the former. We also braved the coastal walkway to see the seals. One was right on the trail so we could get pretty close, although they can be territorial so a 10-meter distance is recommended to ensure they do not get grumpy and chase you away.

After a lazy evening we were hopeful of better weather the next day. Alas, such was not our luck. This meant whale/dolphin watching was not an option because the sea was too rough for the boats to go out. So we thought a day trip was a great alternative. Off we went to Hanmer Springs, a spa-town we had heard lots about. Lucky for us, the coastal road heading south from Kaikoura was open. While it was still somewhat slow going due to single lane areas and a couple of detours from slips, we made the trip successfully. Thus began a relaxing day of strolling through town and enjoying the thermal pools and waterslides at the spa.

Late afternoon we thought it was time to head back to Kaikoura for the night, as we were aware the coastal road closed at 8pm each night due to the danger of overnight slips. Since this was the faster route back we wanted to allow plenty of time. Unfortunately luck did not quite seem to be on our side. We got within 20 minutes of reaching our destination and were met with a road closed sign. No indication why it was closed early, and nobody had thought to post a sign further down the road that could have saved us an hour and a half of driving. We had no choice but to back track nearly two hours to take the inland road. So ok, frustrating but we knew the way and wanted to get back to our room for the night.

You know those moments when you think it cannot possibly get worse? We had dealt with the damaged inland road already, missed out on whales and dolphins due to rain, and spent unanticipated extra time driving through rain on difficult roads. Surely there was nothing else. Well, we were wrong. No sooner had we started down the inland road and entered the danger zone than we encountered a sign saying that half an hour down the road, the inland route was also closed. Uh-oh…

By this time we had been driving around for almost 4 hours trying to get back to Kaikoura. Mom had elected to stay in Kaikoura for the day so she could explore the museum. So all we are thinking is “She is stuck there on our own, and we are stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the clothes we have on and wet swimsuits….” Luckily there was a mountain lodge (due to some apparently good ski slopes) close to where the inland road was closed. They had a room available, allowed us to use the phone to call mom (no cell service in the mountains of course), and kept the kitchen open late so we could have dinner (it was nearing 9pm by this point).

We were so tired by this point, and frustrated and having to book unexpected accommodation, with no overnight bags. But the lodge owners were incredibly hospitable, and it was a beautiful place. There was even a piano in the common room I could play J So really, it was not an ideal day and there was some grumpiness happening for sure, but we did have a good outcome. Staying in a beautiful place sure beat sleeping in the car (especially since it had snowed in the mountains so it was a bit chilly, especially since I was wearing sandals!), and we now know a beautiful place to stay if we choose to return to that part of the country. And the food was home-cooked by Mr. lodge-owner, he is an excellent cook!

The road was open the next morning, so we made it back to pick up mom and pack our bags for the trip to Christchurch. I do recommend Kaikoura as a destination, but maybe only if the weather is good, and you know the roads will be open J

More South Island adventures to come!

Eureka Springs

My sister is great because now that I have moved overseas, she acts as my US travel organizer. The last few trips I have made home, I have mentioned an idea to see something or go somewhere, and voila, big sis makes it happen J

So this past trip (yes I’m digressing a bit since I posted about Bach between this and LA but oh well), we explored a new part of Arkansas. We spent two lovely nights in Eureka Springs. For those of you who have never been, I do recommend it as a nice weekend getaway that has something to offer anyone. I would just be sure to plan the trip in good weather seasons as there are lots of hills and windy bits and places to walk/drive that would be less pleasant in snow or ice.

Funny things we saw on the way to, or driving through, Eureka Springs:

          - Domestic Tranquility Cabins, with a pink limo parked in front

          - Free Will Baptist Church (not sure why the name amused me so, had not seen this particular                branch of Baptist before)

          - Wagner Inn (the music nerd in me loved this one)

          - Hoedown Music Theater

          - A medical center attached to a thrift store that was selling gourmet coffee....unclear whether               the coffee was new or used  :)

Cool things we did in Eureka Springs:

1.       Ride the trolleys: This was great because when we did not feel like walking (or getting rained on) we could hop on a trolley and see the cool Victorian houses as we went through town.

2.       A ghost tour of the Crescent Hotel: I’m not necessarily a huge believer of ghosts, but you learn the history of the hotel and surrounding area, and explanations of the ghosts in residence do make for some good speculation and discussion.

3. Shopping! Because it is always fun to explore new shops. The problem of course was being selective in what would fit in my suitcase to go home.... A definite favorite shop was the clock store that had Phantom of the Opera clocks, and tiny shelf clocks that fit every hobby imaginable. I particularly liked the one where you had to open the lid on the grand piano to see the clock-face.

4. Visited the outdoor chapel on the edge of town, Thorncrown Chapel. Gorgeous spot. And we met a couple from NYC road-tripping across the country. 

5. Strolled through the woods to see pivot rock. 

6. Quigley Castle, a living piece of art that is still inhabited by the creator's family.

Merry Christmas to all!

Bach Bach Bach

Around this time last year I was contacted by the Taranaki Symphony Orchestra and asked if I would be interested in performing with them as a soloist. I was thrilled with the offer as it is a big step up in my performance experience to be offered such an opportunity.

The piece they had in mind was Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Now those of you who know me well will be aware that Bach is not my first choice of music to play. The man was brilliant and his music offers a widely varied choice of repertoire, but Baroque music has not ever been my favorite. However, after listening to the piece and reviewing the score I decided it was something I was willing to tackle. Despite some struggles and frustrations along the way, I am definitely glad I made that choice.

The concert was Thanksgiving weekend, although it was not a holiday weekend here. It was the night of the Christmas parade though, so there was lots of traffic in town and we had a good sized enthusiastic crowd. All played well and I feel the night was a success. For those of you who could not attend, below is a link to the recording. But first, a few notes about the piece.

This concerto is for flute, violin, and harpsichord soloists supported by a small string orchestra. The orchestra’s conductor was the violin soloist, and the flute solo was played by the orchestras first chair flutist. I jokingly told my family that the soloist line-up sounded like a bad joke since we all have different nationalities. However, I think we worked well together and it was an excellent learning experience for myself.

It is thought this particular concerto was the first piece written to really highlight the harpsichord as a solo instrument, rather than just a continuo (accompaniment) part. The piece has three movements, with the first movement featuring the harpsichord in a flashy, technical cadenza.

Learning the piece mainly on piano and then transferring to a harpsichord was a challenge and yet it made so much more sense on the harpsichord. Once I was comfortable with the new instrument, it was so evident the piece was composed for harpsichord over any other keyboard instrument. The primary challenge in adjusting to the harpsichord was the difference in the keyboard. The keys are shorter and narrower, so while it was easier to master the highly technical sections, it was also challenging to spatially adjust. What I loved though is the lightness of the keys on a harpsichord. The cadenza in particular had a number of extremely fast technical passages, so it felt like my fingers could literally fly over the keys and not worry about missing notes due to weighty keys. 

It was a lot of hours spent practicing, and there were frustrations along the way in regards to practice availability with the harpsichord, concern over the instrument holding tune, disagreements on balance between the soloists and the orchestra, and creativity on how to lay out my music to minimize page turns and maximize my ability to see. But it all came together in the end and I enjoyed the honor of performing as an orchestra soloist for the first time in my musical career.

See below for a video of the performance and the concert review from the paper.

Bach Brandenburg No. 5

TSO Concert Review

Still had to turn pages but not nearly as many.... :)

Hollywood!

My dear blog readers,

I'm sure you think that I have completely forgotten about you. In reality life has just been busy. I wrote this over a week ago but have only just gotten pictures sorted out. I'll do much better from now on I'm sure haha :) So now, to give you some stories:

When I decided to take a 3 week trip home this year, I thought it was time to be a bit of a tourist in my own country. Since I was flying in and out of Los Angeles, and had seen nothing of the city except for the airport (which I have grown to really dislike), it seemed like a good opportunity to plan a stopover and check the place out.

Given everything I wanted to do in the 3 weeks, I decided to only spend 2 nights, but it was enough by the end of that particular adventure. I did not see everything on my list, or anywhere close to everything possible, but I got a good look around and can now check that particular place in the world off of my list J

Planner that I am, I chose well ahead of time to book a rental car, with a GPS. Great plan, right? I’d have flexible transportation and a handy dandy gadget to direct me around the huge traffic filled confusing-to-navigate city (probably not so confusing if you really know your way around, like any place, but still). This was all an excellent plan until I got to the rental agency. The bonus to all this was that I managed to sleep on the flight. So I was tired but not exhausted. However, I found I was a bit short on patience when I had to wait 45 minutes for the free shuttle from the arrivals lounge to the rental agency. Yes it was free so I should not complain and yes it was my fault I missed it the first time since I did not flag down the driver, but that form of rational thinking did not equate in my tired brain.

So next hurdle: waiting in line to get my car. The line was long and the number of staff was short. But never mind. I had the pleasurable experience of observing those around me, including a family who “had such a long day because they’d just flown alllllll the way from Cleveland!” It was that moment I had to remind myself that long days are very relative ideas, as I felt that working all day before catching a 14-hour international flight was slightly more exhausting, but in their defense they were traveling with children.

Finally my turn and, guess what?? Free upgrade for yours truly. Now, often this is a bargain right? Well, I was only halfway thrilled with this because I went from a small car to a mid-size SUV (because they were out of cars) so all I’m thinking is “I have to parallel park THAT in downtown LA?” But never mind, extra space for my luggage, yay. But then, it happened. That feared moment for modern travellers: no GPS! They did have one for me, it just happened to be the last one, and it did not work. “No problem!” the guy said, they just wouldn’t charge me for it….and I could use my smartphone instead! I pointed out that would mean absurdly expensive data charges since I was an international traveler (the guy just kind of looked at me weird when I said that haha). Never fear, they had the solution: MapQuest! Being the out of country traveller with no other options I gratefully let them print direction to where I was headed for the night and decided I would figure the rest out along the way.

By this point it was getting into rush hour. But I only had to go 18 miles, not bad I thought. Well….an hour and a half later I was wondering what I had gotten myself into J First time driving in the US in some time, in a new vehicle in a new city with no GPS. But I made it! I only got lost 3 times! And even saw a couple of funny thing alongs the way. A smart car merged in front of me and had a vanity plate that said NOTDUMB. I laughed J

I spent the next couple of days exploring Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. I spent more time in museums learning about the life of immigrant Americans or exploring Little Mexico (yum locally made food!!!) than doing the uber touristey things like tours to the Hollywood sign (although I did see it from a distance) or Universal Studios (does walking past it count?) but I enjoyed the time just the same. I was careful to look up directions before going anywhere and kept an eye out for places with free WiFi, just in case.

I think one of my favorite stops was the Griffith Observatory. The night was clear and the view really was spectacular. The city is positively huge, and the Observatory was a great way to appreciate the size. I also enjoyed spotting a couple of film crews as I was out and about. One had a group of guys in tweed jackets and old fashioned hats, with a lady looking straight out of the 50’s prepping to shoot something. I also found a lovely statue of Marilyn Monroe, and nearly got run over by Spiderman as he dashed off to save someone. Santa Monica Pier before heading back to the airport was a nice way to enjoy the sunshine and do some people watching.

See photos below. L.A. won’t be top of my list of places to visit again soon, but I am glad to have gone and enjoyed the time I had (when I stopped getting lost haha).

Museum of Broken Relationships. Unfortunately
it was closed....

Walk of Fame!

LA City Hall

Piano converted into something by a thingmaker

Forrest Gump's bench :)

I like this guy!