Watching the weather on telly, I realise we really don’t know what winter IS here in Northland! When we were down in Queenstown earlier this month there was snow… and perma-frost in the shadowed areas (note to self: don’t buy a house down there without checking it out in winter!! ) Huge chunks of the township get no sun at all during winter and this whiteout frost never thaws. Neither do we have the ghastly Inversion Layer – a thick blanket of fog that hung over Wanaka and environs for at least a couple of weeks. The past few weeks I have been nipping round mowing the lawns in a tee shirt – perfect sunny blue skies and a very mild set of temperatures around 17 or 18 C falling to around 7 C at night.
Kokopu has it’s own microclimate too. We are much, much drier than Whangarei, which is nestled at sea level in a cleft in the hills. We sit at 300 metres and get significantly less rainfall – in fact I can draw a line along Kokopu Block Rd delineating wet from dry!
Last weekend saw a host of outdoor chores ticked off – gutters checked and cleaned out, Dave waterblasted the terrace to perfection again, and we replaced the bungy cord on six of our gates that were looking a bit saggy and sad (familiar feeling, anyone?)
The alarm went off at 5.45am on Saturday morning, we reluctantly exited the goosedown, and threw some clothes on to head into Whangarei for our excellent weekly Farmers Market. You have to be there early or you miss the best treats! It wasn’t even properly light but we managed to pile jewel-coloured tamarillos, mandarins, juicy vine ripened tomatoes, crunchy watercress, honey, free range eggs, smoked & dried oyster mushrooms, carrot & zucchini bread and two bunches of heavenly scented narcissi into the fab basket we bought at Queenstown’s Mediterranean Market before heading off to Caffeine and a yummy breakfast.
Today, once more, the sun is shining, birds singing and I’m warm as I sit at my laptop. New visitors to the garden this week have been a trio of Greenfinches. Goldfinches are common, with Chauffinches occasional drop-ins but its the first time I've noticed these little greenies! Views of the stream, olive grove and bare branched poplars, with rolling hills beyond keep snaring my attention. A fat pheasant strolls amongst the olive trees, pecking at fallen fruit. Weekend guests in our self-catering apartment, The Cabbage Tree, report that there is a good amount of water flowing over the Mangere Falls at the moment – wonderful waterfalls – the second most significant in the Whangarei district – and on our doorstep!
The winter specials are proving really popular so grab the chance at a break away from the city and head to sunny Riverdale – remember they finish at the end of August so don’t miss out! Two nights for a tiny $125! See the website for full details.
Stay warm!
Sammi & Dave
Riverdale Farm B&B
www.riverdalefarm.co.nz
