Tree at night

This was a tree just beside a fantastic pancake place in Penang. We admired the lighting as we were tucking into decadent pancakes. No pictures of the pancakes. Today. Maybe another day. :)

I'm still working hard (swamped with work) and trying to catch my breath. As soon as things quieten down, I'll try to do a garden update, etc.

Laundry woes

Back from the holidays and the laundry is piling up. Not because I'm lazy, but it's cold and drizzly here. Nothing dries, even if hung up on the balcony, out of the rain.

5 Malaysian Ringgit for a kilo of washing?!

Durian

Love it, or hate it!

I love it. Shared with great friends - what a treat!

 This was quite a small durian. The seeds were very small, but the flesh was super-creamy and delicious.

Thanks, guys! You rock! :)

Wildlife at the coffee shop...

...somewhere in Penang. 

Any more crumbs?

When you eat too much...

....there is help at hand! No more pear shape for me! :) Give me a bucket or two of that stuff.

This holiday is not helping. Food, food, food.

Where are we now?

Any guess?

And now for something completeley different..

... a few tall buildings in Singapore.

Canonball tree

I have always been fascinated by the Canonball Tree. I was happy to see the tree again today at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Flowering and bearing canon balls. It's such a fascinating tree!

The Botanic Gardens is always worth a visit. There is always something new to see. I have taken heaps of pictures, but this one will have to do for today. :)

Nasi Lemak and Kopi-O

That's what I call proper breakfast!

It's been ages since I had this simple, yet delicious meal.

Can't beat that. :)

Translation: Nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk, served with chilli paste, roast peanuts and tiny deep fried fish (ikan bilis), plus a whole (small) deep-fried fish. Kopi-O is thick, strong, dark coffee without (O) milk.

Last few pictures of NZ

We have been back for a while from our absolutely amazing trip. Here just a few more pictures. Then normal broadcasting shall resume again.

Okains BayWalk to Le Bons Bay

Le Bons Bay
Hinewai Reserve

...and Gandalf said...

"We have to go over there, little Hobbit!
Follow me, through all this high green stuff. We will be well hidden.
Past a place with weird creatures.'Till we reach the magic moss place."

Mt. Cook

Today we put on our hiking boots.
To tackle Mt. Cook.It seemed a bit high, so we decided to go for a walk in the Tasman Valley instead, to look at the lower Tasman Glacier.
You can swim in the lake in summer. Really? With icebergs floating in there? Yup.We decided to give that a miss, as it is autumn now.
We opted for another walk, but that's another story. :)

Sunrise over Lake Tekapo

Slightly overcast and chilly morning, with a lovely sunrise.

From Queenstown...

...via Lindi's Pass...(With plenty of mountains and snow.)

... and Lake Pukaki...
...to Lake Tekapo...View from our apartement a short while ago.
Guess what?! We are having a ball! :)

There is snow on the mountains!

The temperature dropped and it rained in the early morning. When I stepped out of the chalet, I smelled snow! And yes, there is snow on the mountain tops.
So I got out the skis! I'm ready! :)

Lake Wakatipu

Still in Queenstown. Had a great drive to Wanaka via the scenic route. Great food, great scenery, great autumn colours. Hmm... better stop here - I'm being very repetitive. Having a fantastic time. :)

From Dunedin to Queenstown

...via the Scottish Highlands, or so it seemed.
Absolutely brilliant autumn weather. Gorgeous colours. Having a marvellous time!

Suberb food everywhere. Tonight's dinner in Queenstown - just fantastic.

Riesling Trail

Another great treat in the Clare Valley is to hire a bike and cycle along the Riesling Trail. The path is well-maintained, pretty flat and easy to tackle.

Setting off from our cottage.After a very dry and scorched summer we enjoyed the sight of lush, green paddocks.And on we pedalled. Unfortunately, we had not cycled for nearly 10 years (how did that happen?!) and the bike seats were getting very hard and uncomfortable.So we heeded this sign in Penwortham (10km from Clare) and stopped here. A cup of coffee, surrounded by books.
Then back to our cottage as our bodies demanded a long hot spa! Aaahhhh....

Port & Chocolates

That probably describes best the indulgence of our weekend away.

Not that we had a lot of port or chocolates, but it is something we normally don't have.
The Clare Valley is magnificent in its autumn colours at the moment. The air is crisp, the food delicious, the wines outstanding. Everybody was friendly and relaxed. One comment from a visitor from Queensland (we were having a delicious Ploughman's Platter at a winery when we overheard this) was that she could not get over how friendly South Australians were. Then she continued, 'They must all be on Happy Pills.'

Yes. We were on Happy Pills this weekend. It's called holidays.