Spying out the Spy Valley

Waihopai Valley is located amongst the many vineyards in Malborough, and it is also where New Zealand's Intelligence Agency is based. Hence, the name "Spy Valley"! Its warm and dry climate with multiple underground steams in the region makes the land rich for farming before it became a wine region. It is now most famous for its Sauvignon Blanc. When visiting at harvest season (late March/ early April), the whole area will smell as if someone has just opened a large bottle of it!

We often spend long weekends visiting the in-laws in this region as it is only a 4 hour drive from Christchurch. We will be spoilt by their most awesome hospitality, and also by the serenity of the place. In exchange, we  offer our services of berry and fruit picking, grape counting (there is method to the madness), house cleaning, cooking and entertainment of card and board games! Usually, there is more play than work! 

I think my in-laws have done very well indeed in cultivating this 20 acre of land, making it sustainable. I reckon they would only do the 30 minute trip into town for friends, meetings and errands. They would otherwise have everything here!

View of their home from the front

View from the back

The "Man Cave" and pottery studio

The veggie garden and the "Bunny House"
(Berry House - a case of difficult-to-read handwriting that worked out well!)

Olive trees

Rose Garden and outdoor eating area with grape vines over the top

Sauvignon Blanc Grapes and the windmill 

Nearest Town: 
Blenheim (23km)


Neighboring Vineyards (and our favourites):

• Grove Mill Winery 
• Spy Valley Wines 
• Forrest Estate Wines
• Wither Hills Vineyards

Specialty Shops

• Makana - Handmade chocolates and other natural temptations!

**NB: With permission, this place is also for sale for anyone who may be interested. They are very keen to retire! Check it out here or here.

Nuts, Fruit and Berries!

It is always a pleasure to visit my in-laws at Waihopai Valley. We're so often spoilt by their hospitality, and the serenity of their home. What I do like best is the their little orchard, which bears the sweetest fruit! 

Green Gooseberries - There was an era of Gooseberry cultivation competition just a couple of centuries back. So, it does come in a few variety of colours and tastes. This green one is sweet with a bit of tartness. We are thinking of turning these into muffins.

I reckon nothing beats strawberries! The most romantic of all fruit!

Red Currants. Yup - fresh! I know it's a summer fruit but it always look so Christmassy!
I like them in cereal with yoghurt, on Pavlovas and Fruit Tarts

mmmmm....Lemon!
Amazing in both sweet and savoury dishes!

Fresh walnuts! Nothing beats fresh walnuts!
These came from a couple of walnut trees given to Bryn for his 30th.

Mountains and Glacier Valleys

Aoraki (Mount Cook) - Tallest peak in New Zealand @ 3754m

So often in life, we take things for granted 

- the routine, the people closest to us, power, clean water, good food, and a hot shower!

To commemorate the new year 2012, Bryn and I did a road trip with a couple of friends visiting from overseas. In the 1500kms driven, we covered Fox Glacier, Haast Pass, Wanaka, Te Anau and the Milford Sound. All in the south-west area of South Island, New Zealand. The perfect spot for reunion, holiday and new year celebration!

Scenery is pristine, of course! Blessed with the best weather too. Another perfect opportunity to use the Oly EP-3:

Terminal phase of Fox Glacier (on the other side of Aoraki)
- 24kms from the sea and only at 200m above sea level.
Located in the West Coast of New Zealand

Approaching the pinnacle phase of Fox Glacier

Sunburst

Eglington Valley, State Highway 94, Fiordland National Park
- carved by glaciers in the ice age

Rocky mountains and river from melted snow and ice

The East Portal beside Homer Tunnel, an engineering feat of building a road tunnel right through a rocky mountain, opened in 1954. Of highest avalanche risk every NZ winter!

Mitre Peak
- a mountain that rises directly from the sea at 1692m tall
and dips nearly vertically into the fiords to 265m deep.
Named after its resemblance to a bishop's head wear.

Kayaking into the sunset

Whilst arranging the photos from the trip, I could not help but think of the ice age and how the glaciers of old would carve these mountains to look so majestic, to be surrounded by cold, crisp and clear lakes. 

You covered it with the sea as with a coat. The waters stood above the mountains. The waters left at Your strong words. They went away in a hurry at the sound of Your thunder. The mountains went up and the valleys went down to the place that You made for them. ~Psalm 104:6-8

So beautiful! So in awe! Like my nieces (?in law) who saw snow for the first time and just went "Oh, wow!"

It is times like this that always reminds me how transient my life is in this world. How, sometimes, when  certain small things seem big enough to grumble and complain about. But no longer matters after a good night's rest! How, sometimes, when my vision is so tunneled that I forget to see the bigger picture. 

I really enjoyed this break. Here are some of my recommendations if there are some of you out there who may be interested in this less traveled route!

Accommodation

• Base Wanaka, Wanaka
• Backpacker with ensuite options and shared kitchen. Located right beside the local supermarket and a short stroll to the waterfront. 
• The Village Inn Hotel, Te Anau
• Found a "Bloomin' Amazing Summer" bed and breakfast deal for this hotel. Very quirky and seem locked in the 70's but clean, warm and comfortable. 

Food

• The Hard Antler Bar and Restaurant, Haast
• For the best ribs I've ever had! (beats my own recipe!). Excellent salad bar too. A local recommended this to us and might I say she did very well!
• Kai Whaka Pai, Wanaka
• Nice spicy twist to the usual cooked breakfasts. Relaxed ambiance. Great for people watching too!

Activities

• Nimble Fox: All Day Walk, Fox Glacier
• One gets to climb higher without the cost of a helicopter ride.
• Rosco's Milford Kayaks, Milford Sound
• We did the Twilight Wind and Waves. Our guide enjoyed us so much that he brought us around a little longer on the waters and even an extra side trip to Bowen Falls! 

My Bestfriend and I