Breathtaking … quite literally!

Thursday, Jan 11th 2007

The following morning, of our first full day with John, Pip & Danny, I ‘pop the question’ over the breakfast table – “Why then dja deliberately target Otematata as your preferred place to retire?”

The explanation: Apart from a vocational ‘hangover’ from John’s career as an Electricity Power Supply executive, which was centred in and around Otematata until he retired around six years ago; plus the fact that one of their four children (their only daughter) also lives in the village ...

... John replies: “Jeeze, bloody poms! …Well, I’ll bloody-well SHOW the pair of yuz why we ‘specially wanna live here in the Waitaki Valley!!”

So shortly after breakfast, the three of us, that is Ellen, Johnny, and I pile into the family’s little 4WD Toyota TownAce pick-up utility vehicle. Then off we truck to the first stop, where John shows us over his own private grove.

He has been experimenting with around a dozen different varieties of olive tree that number about 150 in total. Some vintages have indeed been quite exceptional – and that’s according to official testimony from New Zealand’s Tree Crop Association.

The rest of the day is spent literally racing around the surrounding mountain sides and tops at speeds that even Michael Schumaker would have been proud of; over tracks – if you can call them that?! – that even a wise ol’ mountain billy goat would have been nervous about traversing. Did I ever mention BTW, that I JUST CAN’T STAND HEIGHTS!!

But the surrounding scenery was literally breathtaking. I really do mean this, as on several occasions throughout the day I actually had to gasp to catch my breath – so stunning were the vistas.

I have never been to any places, anywhere in the world and seen anything quite as awesome as these sights. I’ll let the following pictures do the talking for me: …





































































“… I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD”

AND the village has its own well-manicured nine hole golf course; AND a decent little shop; AND not one, but two pubs – not forgetting the licensed social club that happily retails ‘off’ sales.

AND its own school … etceteras, etceteras

Plus the driest [‘rainfall-just-enough – thank you, so much’] type temperate climate in the whole of New Zealand – and that’s official.

The lucky, lucky, lucky bar-stewards that live here. “Just why-oh-why would you want to live anywhere else?” – That’s all I’m gonna say on the matter …

… ‘nuff said!