Vineyards of the Otago region

Arrowtown, Bright sun, 80°

This morning we checked out of our accommodations in the little village of Arrowtown. Just about 10km away was Queenstown where we were staying the next two nights, so we took advantage of the local vineyards to sample the regions wines.
Combining recommendations and proximity we called on four wineries.
The first, Chard Hill, tucked on a steep hillside with a precipitous approach road that overlooked a very picturesque river valley. Spanning this valley was the bridge that Hackett first bungy jumped from, and has been a very popular site because of it.




Wines were nothing special, staff very nice and helped us plan our next few stops. The other couple that was tasting happened to be from Connecticut, “Old Greenwich” he said, in that tone that only old wealth can impart. Off we go.

Driving about 40 minutes to the north puts us in high desert, on the slopes of Mt. Difficulty. A beautiful setting for the café a tasting room. This high perspective gave a spectacular view out to the valleys and rivers below. We came, we tasted, and we purchased and moved on. Remembering that while we tasted the wines, Wineries were also chosen on the merits of their landscapes and design. This may seem odd but it did help pare down a rather extensive list of local options.




The Carrick vineyard, just down the road from Mt. Difficulty, again offered a wonderful tasting as well as a high styled landscape at its entrance. Off the rear of the building, the dining terrace was full, it seems this is the local pastime. Booking a luncheon at a local vineyard for several friends, not bad really.





Lastly we arrived at Peregrine, a vineyard also known for its radical architecture, and innovative plantings. This site also serves as a venue for a summer concert series. The staff was preparing for a performance the following day by local artist Jose Gonzalez.
One could build a whole itinerary based on wine, each region having it’s own personality, just a thought for the next time.

Tikorangi, The Jury Garden

As we left the garden at Pukeiti, and descended the slopes of Mt. Taranaki we returned to New Plymouth. Lenny had planned on calling in on a production nursery called Stepping Stones Nursery. Unfortunately by the time we had traveled sufficiently to reach Waitara, the town where the nursery was located, they had closed for the day. Slightly disappointed we checked our map knowing that Titorangi, the garden of Mark and Abbie Jury was in the area. We had planned on calling on them the next day so we could at least find out where it was. As we approached the entrance the sign said, “Open”, there was plenty of afternoon left, so in we went.

Pulling into the gravel drive, we parked quickly and started down the drive, which seems to lead you into the garden. Mark Jury soon met us. Having never met or having a description of him I made my introduction, Lenny did likewise.
I hope that Mark didn’t have plans, or more importantly that Abbie have plans for Mark that afternoon, because he gave us a very generous and in depth tour of the areas and gardens around the house and the valley behind. Mark took over the property and garden from his parents whom had gardened there previously. Garden development on that location had actually started as far back as 1880. Nearly fifty years of garden continuity shows in this wonderful collection of plants.



Tall evergreens form a cathedral like area beneath that contains collection of Bromeliads, as well as shade loving succulents. Massive Rhododendrons define this area from the more open lawn and beds adjoining the house.



A wonderful sunken garden catches you by surprise, once again established planting give a richness that reveal details of the garden bit by bit.
The garden serves as both laboratory and test bed.
Marks father was disappointed with the poor performance of many of the plants from their ancestral home of England, as well as North America. So he began to breed plants and select for better performance and adaptability to the climate of New Zealand.





Mark has inherited the garden, the breeding stock and the talent to take the Jury’s hybrids and selections into the market of today as well as the future. Magnolias, Rhododendrons and Cordylines are just a few of the genera that represent the real thrust of the Jury work. As we approached a shade structure adjacent to the car park we quickly found out this was the nursery area. I had no idea that in addition to maintaining the garden and breeding program, there was a wholesale nursery aspect to Titorangi. There from among a nursery block of Michelia up popped Abbie, Mark’s wife. I think Mark was supposed to be working in the nursery this afternoon, clearly Abby had been working the whole time we were touring, sorry if we put you in hot water Mark. Abie was delightful, a bit of comic relief to Marks’ obvious focus regarding plants. A couple that balances each other nicely. Lenny and I had worked together previously in a large wholesale nursery, so we had a sense of what challenges they had to deal with. The Jury’s indicated that this next year would be their last in the wholesale nursery industry, once the stock was sold out. They would they turn there energies to developing new garden areas that were previously devoted to nursery production as well as current displays that in their opinion were not up to snuff. They seemed genuinely excited about this proposition.



Under the shade cloth structure we sampled the fruit of the Mountain Papaya, for the record pass on that one. We looked at some of the new Cordylines that Mark had bred and was in the process of introducing to the market. Very exciting! However, we back in the states fail to realize the challenges that a plant breeder such as Mark has to wrestle with on this island nation. Plant importation is virtually impossible with current regulations and shows no real change, except for tightening in the future. What does this mean? No new germplasm, new genes, so to speak that can be crossbred to yield vigor or other attributes that make plants desirable, bloom, color, fragrance etc.
Years before, Marks father was able to bring plants to New Zealand with relative ease, not so these days. Since senior did have the opportunity to work with more diverse stock, he had successes of his own. Cordyline ‘Red Fountains’ is a product of Marks fathers’ breeding work, which Mark had realized the potential in and promoted it. This was a new plant to me two years ago, yet it was developed over thirty years ago.



We retired to the terrace for coffee and conversation. Both Abbie and Mark add to this experience, generous with their time and the garden as well. Thank you both.

For the record Abbie, this was not an interview…

Raglan

Sunny warm, 70’s

It’s about 7:15, just got back from a run, a hot Flat White by my side (Latte without a lot of foam). Perched up here on the second floor veranda of the Bayview Hotel I can see all there is to see of Raglan, a sleepy little beach town, popularized in the 1964 movie Endless Summer, because of its unique left hand breaking surf.
We chose this stop because it broke up a rather long day of driving from New Plymouth to the Northlands, above Auckland.
This little Bohemian community of black volcanic sand is a little bit Key West, A little Bit Main Street Newark, a little bit South Street Philly, you get the idea. Huge Phoenix palms define the main avenue, I can’t tell you what the name of the street is, as there seems to be a finite number of street signs in this country and I haven’t yet figured out which ones get the honor of being signed. I said it was a sleepy town that is until it was time to sleep. Across from the hotel is Aqua Velvet, at this moment a breakfast stop, but last night the music venue for the region. Two bands made it unnecessary to leave the lower porch,which served as the pub and restaurant, to hear to hear their performance. However the breaks were actually much more interesting than the music.




It seems that over here during the break, the bands come outside and participate in what appears to be team-building exercises with the roadies. Imagine Iggy Pop tied to Bob Seeger in a three-legged race down the aforementioned palm lined green. I didn’t say this was good entertainment, but it was entertaining. We have also determined that young intoxicated Aussie lads laugh like a pack of bleating sheep, during the courtship ritual.
All right, coffees down, Wilson’s up, time to leave Raglan for the next stop, the Northlands.

Te Kainga Marire

After our second delicious breakfast in downtown New Plymouth at a café called Chaos, we were on the road north. Just before we left town we called on a private garden on Sunday morning no less, known as Te Kainga Marire, Maori for “Peaceful Encampment”. Nestled in a suburban setting this is a small garden that is not to be missed. The gardeners that created this primariliy native setting, from a vacant and disturbed lot, were delightful hosts for our stay.





Valda in her mid 60’s and a surfer, said our visit today was fortuitous, as she and an old friend were surfing just south of New Plymouth yesterday, at what she rerers to as a “Ladies Break”. Had we called then we would have missed her. Valda seems to be the real energy behind the garden development and David appears to be more involved in the margins of the property as it is connected to a city bush preserve, with a public access trail that borders their property on one side. Their intent from the beginig was to utilize native flora and use exotics merely as accent. I say exotics, remembering that many New Zealanders are proud to be Kiwis, yet still have ties to there primarily British roots, this is often manifested in their gardens. Most gardens with any real intensity here appear to be overextended attempts at English cottage gardens that in the high light levels and dry conditions here, simply bleach, burn and otherwise suffer in this often intense climate.
Not so here.




Valda and David have created a sustainable yet completely comfortable environment, shabby chic without the shabby.
Gravel paths wind you through the front dry garden with ground covers and boulders placed so that you can peer onto, or crowch down to inspect treasures, nestled in the garden. Upon entering a canopy of tree fern, a structure of Ponga, Black Tree-Fern trunks that are used extensively as a building material, forms what turn out to be a fernery, by which one exits through a deep dark grotto. Actaully a bit disconcerting for a novice like me this early in the morning.





Bird feeding troughs set into native trees encourage already precocious birds even closer into the garden. Young Tui’s call for their parents to feed them, Wood Pigeons clumbsily forage in the brush. Fantails exploiting your visit because of the insects that we stir up, not because we’re that interesting, as first thought.
As we were about to depart, another couple enters the garden, touring as well. We come to find they are from Vancouver, she a volunteer at Van Dusen, living at the seam of Stanley park. Again that small horticultural world.
Cheers!, David and Valda, for giving not only us but to all who visit a wonderful last memory of New Plymouth.
Don’t miss this garden.

Pukeiti

Arguably the most publicised garden in New Plymouth is Pukeiti, essentially a huge Rhododendron collection set in the context of a logged regrown hillside on the shoulders of Mt. Taranaki, the dominant landscape element of the New Plymouth region. I have to liken Teriyaki to Mt Rainer, we know its there, we just can’t always prove it photographically.



Development of the garden began in 1951, breeding and evaluation of Rhododendrons was the driving force of this garden, as the relatively acidic soils of the region suited this work. The area has been logged extensively, and was completely devastated. Gulleys that were carved by logs being dragged down the mountainside by mechanical means still crisscross the garden and today appears as small stream valleys.




Very well maintained lawn paths weave you through collections of Rhodos, and some herbaceous plantings that try to tie them the garden. Sorry, it slipped. This is a collection of plants that attempts to be a garden, I’m getting jaded.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Bright Sun, Big Fun

We have spent the last four days in the Arrowtown/Queenstown area in central Otago. This the traditional access point for the Fiordland areas. The Fiordland refers to the coastal wilderness areas in the far southwest of the south island.
Arrowtown is a sleeping old gold rush town nestled in a valley surround by gorgeous peaks. The Arrow River yielded the richest gold haul in all of New Zealand. We used Arrowtown as a base for some winery visits we made which will be posted later.

We boarded the Real Journey’s Bus early this morning, and started the 292km trip (4 hrs.) to Milford, and the head of the sound. While Milford is only 38km as the Emu flies from Queenstown, in this country you cannot get there from here, directly that is.
Arriving at the small port of Milford we promptly boarded the Milford Mariner, our tour ship. A fairly large ship it seemed for the job, but with only about 125 other passengers on board there was plenty of room on deck. The sky was dazzling blue, the walls of the cliffs that form the Fiord, more on that in just a moment, were the most massive thing I have ever experienced in my life.




The term Milford sound is a misnomer. Its proper title is Milford Fiord . A Fiord is defined as a U-shaped valley caused by a glacier carving its way out to sea, with water filling the gap after the glacier had melted. A sound is a valley carved by a river and then filling with water with access to the sea. Well then, why still a sound? When captain Cook sailed up the west side of the south Island on his second voyage to the amazing land, the term Fiord was not a part of the English language, so a sound it was. In fact originally it was Milford haven, named after the port in Pembroke shire, Wales.
Out of respect to the good Captain, the term was retained.
I was hoping this little historical interlude would give me the opportunity to come up with a better way of articulating the Milford experience. I simply cannot describe the enormity of the space. The vaulting, nearly vertical walls that soar at places to 1.5km In height, then continued downward again nearly vertical to depths of 330m below sea level. That’s big deep. This allows ships of just about any size access to the sides of the peak at times as close as1-3 meters, because of this insane drop off.






To feel the spray of water coming from a waterfall almost 500 feet above you, to see the host of plants ferns and primitive life clinging to the granite because of this constant moisture.
This experience exceeds my vocabulary, the moment overwhelms my lens. Put the camera down, find a quiet place on the deck rail and just take it in. If you ever have the need to feel insignificant, this is the place to do it.
We sailed to the mouth of the sound, and out into the Tasman Sea. This was a brief trip into the sea as we are this point in the heart of the “Roaring Forties”, at 45° Latitude. Here the prevailing winds howl around Antarctica the next major landmass, and whip the southwestern coast of New Zealand.
As we re-entered the sound, we were met almost immediately by a group of Fur Seals basking on the rocks at waters edge. Being nocturnal feeders, they were recharging for a busy night ahead.
Also a group of bottle-nosed dolphins, all females, with a newborn was swimming in the vicinity as well.
The water is quiet interesting as well. The surface water is fresh cool water from the glacial runoff that despite its fresh quality is olive drab at best. Beneath is the warmer yet denser salt water that is remarkably blue-green. When the boats are maneuvering in the sound it stirs the water and momentarily separates the layers, and the colors are quiet interesting. The fresh water is also the reason why there is no kelp growing in this huge body of water.

Ohinetahi

Ohenitani

After a series of unanswered calls were able establish contact with the housekeeper via fax machine at Ohenitahi, The Garden of Sir Miles Warren, in Governors Bay, just outside of Christchurch. After a dramatic climb up and over the hills that surround Christchurch, we descended to just above sea level and to the entrance of this architects home and garden.






Sir Miles, Freddy, as he is known by some, is one of the most noted English Architects. His garden in my opinion immediately reveals that he is a designer of spaces and ones movement thru those spaces. Strong form, by way of hedging, views and vistas alternately forced and revealed. Like it or not, Sir Miles designs as one does with the confidence of his own aesthetic.





Art and sculpture are sited in the garden to provide the experience of a living gallery, often referring to an element or color combination in that area of the garden. Having the both the time and the intimacy in that garden allowed aspects to be disclosed that a rushed tour of the garden likely would have concealed. I must admit, this helped me warm to thee garden. Additionally, his staff offered us wonderful hospitality during our visit in Sir miles absence.

What came first, the chicken or the hedge?

Saturday Jan 5th, Sunny and Warm

Traveling through New Zealand it’s impossible not to see the British influence that invades every aspect of day-to-day life.
This entire culture is based on carving plants, primarily evergreen plants into boxes, globes, rectangles and the occasional rhombus. We found someone quite literally in the middle of nowhere, tilting against their own windmills of convention.
Driving south towards Dunedin our goal for the evening, we passed a sight not often seen on roads in the US, or anywhere for that matter. A 35-foot tall cedar chicken, a hen to be exact.
Cupressus macrocarpa, not the scientific name for the bird, but the plant shorn to form the foul. I’m not ready to pass any kind of judgment on this horticultural expression, yet it does raise a question. How does one maintain something like this?
Poultry shears?

Technology update

Through a series of challenges, time, Internet access, compatability, etc, my intention of publishing and posting images at the same time in order is out the window. I'll attempt to post text first with images following as soon as possible.
It makes you realize how connected we are in the states and how consistent our service is regardless of what we pay for it. Up to $7.00 per 20 mins here, where the service works or not! Follow the blog after we return and i'll continue to post, edit add to the adventure. Thanks for your patience...........D

Allan Scott

Allan Scott

The Allan Scott Vineyard is also very well done. A bit more informal, including a restaurant in the tasting area but quite nicely laid out. Entering the carpark, long beds of azure Agapanthus guide you along and skirt an alee of Sycamores, that let filtered light accent the beds below. Once in the dining area, and outdoor portion has a giant chess set that is defined on its edges by tightly clipped spherical Bay Laurel and Teucrium topiaries.

Wither Hills

Wither Hills

The next morning we left from the adjacent village of Blenheim, to follow Kay Greens recommendations to purchase some local black cherries, in peak season, and to see some of the local vineyards whose landscapes were of note, before we headed south towards Christchurch. Wither Hills Vineyard was our first stop that morning. A new and very high styled Vineyard, which utilized a native sedge, Carex buchanii for a very strong landscape effect.




Clearly there is money in wine, the quality and scale of construction of these vineyards belies it.

Dunedin Botanic Garden

Dunedin Botanical Gardens

Cloudy, for a change, Cool 60∞s

Upon Leaving Dunedin we save d the central garden for last. Dunedin Botanical garden is the primary horticultural entity for the city of Dunedin. Accessible as many of the city gardens are here by simple paths that take you in many cases through the garden on your way to work or to the rest of your daily life. Accessible horticulture, not necessarily a special trip is what strikes us when we visit.
Weather too strikes us this morning. For the first time a cool cloudy day greets us at breakfast, not the usual sun and gentle temps. This continues thru the morning hours. But for the first time in our visit the light is conducive to photography, a nice change.
I admit I’m no photographer but I still try to follow a few rules.
We certainly underestimated the light levels here in high summer.
Day light begins at 5:30 ish, usable daylight until 10:30. And ridiculous high bright light the rest of the conscious daytime. Enough excuses, lousy photography but a real sense of what happens here.
It’s warm and it feels good.
A creek that runs thru the middle of the garden separates Dunedin, dividing it into two distinct sections. Formal borders and a rose garden, collections of herbaceous and a conservatory and band shell for the most part occupy the lower portion.






Cross the one of the several bridges and then you can visit the larger collections such as the Bush, Rhododendron and the Australian as well as the North American Continent collections.
Contained in the hillside garden is an aviary, collections of indigenous birds. Normally I would recoil at something like this, comparing it to a collection of randomly screeching kids.





However, a newly planted Native landscape ties this facility to the garden, and the birds are immediately accessible, and are completely curious about us.
As we weave down the slope to the lower garden, we are impressed by the lawn management practice of the larger collections. Lawns that just a few years ago that would have been mowed entirely, are now just mowed along the edges. The aesthetic is a loose skirt that defines a collection of plants or families in an area. The upside is that mowing intervals are increased, fuel consumption is reduced and labor is reduced. This is something we have employed at Chanticleer and should do more of as well as advocate for all of us in our home landscape.
As we strolled down the slope we noticed seating, conventional park benches set into the steep slope on narrow shelves. Perching ourselves on a bench for a moment, we realize they are the cheap seats for the band shell on the lower portion on the other side of the stream. This garden serves as a venue for live entertainment in the evenings. Again free and open to the public. Public Horticulture, of a high quality, accusable and vital to a community.

Larnach Castle

Larnach Castle

Sunday Jan 6th,Cool Bright, 70∞

After breakfast at the B&B in Dunedin, a city thick with its Scottish heritage, we ventured of to the Otago peninsula to explore.
We made a thankfully brief visit to a garden called Glenfalloch. Similar in many ways to most Cornish gardens, a little tree fern here, a little Gunnera there, and too many Hydrangeas in bloom to tie it all together. For whatever the reasons, this garden doesn’t seem to be making it. I t seems that they have circled the wagons around the Café and Bridal Garden, both revenue generators, and dumbed down the horticulture overall in favor of cute and mediocre splash. A woodland under story of Cardiocrinum gigantium was a nice surprise on our way out of one of the many paths marked “Closed For Renovation”, doubtful.

We soon arrived at Larnach, perched high a top a ridge that runs along the peninsula. It was still relatively early in the morning, so once again we had the garden almost entirely to ourselves.





Lenny and I seem to have a system worked out, we arrive, we split, and we rejoin later and compare notes and finish the garden together. Larnach suited that style. Different garden areas surrounded the castle. A requisite natives garden, a very interesting South Seas Garden and a resurrected rock garden. I say resurrected because the original plantings took place over 120 years ago and since then the property has been abandoned and allowed to grow over twice.
Quite amazing really that anything can recover from that and still look good. This climate here is really conducive to growing.






The castle is clearly a place to have events, and sure enough the flowers arrived, the tables were being set and preparations were being made for a wedding and reception in one of the banquet rooms adjacent to the castle. While waiting out the front lawn a rather precocious little hedgehog strolled out of a garden bed, paying me no attention and for a little while stole the show for several of the visitors.

Upton Oaks

Upton Oaks

Thursday Jan. 3rd, Warm and sunny

This was a quickie. We had tried to raise the Monahan’s, owners of Upton Oaks, a small garden in the heart of the wine district of Marlborough, but had not established the contact. Our motel for the evening was just a few km from the garden and was right down the road from the Allan Scott vineyard, so we decided to call in on the garden. A knock at the door yielded no results and the large dog that greeted us/me at the door was quite docile despite its size, so we peered into the entrance area. The squeak of the front door that usually at this point in a garden trespass means trouble, turned out not to be the case. The young daughter, Ms. Monahan apparently home for the holiday and in what seemed to be full blown oxidation, said it was fine to see the garden and that she thinks she played our message on the machine late last night, whatever.





The first room of the garden was a color echo to the trim and detail of the quaint house, a bit twee for my taste. Next came the knot garden, impeccable maintained and in the center gap create by each weave, a harmonious color combination of perennials with an annual accent.





Pressing on we entered an area with a fairly conventional double perennial borders impeccably maintained. At the end of the borders, a simple yet elegant bench in the shade of Yellow-Black Locusts that we use at home. Yet separating the borders from the bench was a circular pool, a hole in the turf reflecting sky and sun and serving as an axis from the borders to a view into the olive nursery adjacent to the property as a bit of borrowed scenery.

Christchurch Botanic Garden

Christchurch Botanical Garden

Our Accommodations in Christchurch on Hereford Street were one half block from the Botanical Gardens. Free and open to the public, dawn to dusk 365, like so many of the public gardens we have visited so far.





Uninspired annual bedding great us at the beginning, but as we strolled on we quickly realized it was the stage that was of interest not the seasonal chorus line. The specimens of gigantic old trees were the largest we have seen to this point. California Redwoods, Costal Redwoods, European species, Asian species, reaching epic, yes, epic proportions.





Paths wandering under these giants link collections, such as Hydrangeas, Heaths and Heathers and ferns. A conservatory houses more tender plants and offer quirky step back in time.
We met and spoke to Jeremy, superintendent of grounds. He was generous with the little time he had, as staffing was still under the influence of extended holiday.