Word-play in Bulls

This may be my most long-awaited post, although no one but me was awaiting it, so I'm not sure if that counts. Early on in our time in NZ, about 4 1/2 year ago, I noticed that in a little town called Bulls, there are hilarious little signs that show that the locals are ready - eager, even - to be amused by their town's rather unusual name. There are only 1, 500 residents, but it seems like they must be a very fun crowd.

We drive through Bulls on the way to and from Wanganui to visit friends, as well as on the way up the mountain to go snowboarding, so I get regular opportunities to be amused. I have said, since the first time I passed through, that I wanted to stop sometime and walk around, taking pictures of the signs so that I could share them with all of you. But I always end up being in a hurry to get where I'm going, and so it hasn't happened. Then, when Dad and Lucinda said that they'd like to drive through the countryside, I said Bulls would be the perfect destination; not too close or too far, complete with a fantastic restaurant for dinner, and with the added attraction of word-play galore. So off we went.

On the way into town is a big sign, which I didn't take a picture of because I was driving, that says, "Welcome to Bulls, a town like no udder." I though I'd have to pull over to take a picture on the way out, but found this on a shop window and decided it would be sufficient.

In the last year or so, they've added these huge, beautiful bulls all over town.

They are stunning and quite life-like, especially in the eyes.

There is also this impressive metal bull. What it lacks in realism it makes up for in size.

This is what all the rubbish bins look like. Awesome, right?

The following pictures are all of the same style - different business around town that have plaques with "_____-a-bull" on them, depending on what the business is. I tried to get pictures in which you can tell what business it is, but if not, I'll add a caption. Sometimes the signs are a bit hard to see - click on the picture to make it bigger and you should be able to read them.

On the realtor's office.

On a clothing boutique.

On a seamstress's shop.

On the benches and such - Unforget-a-bull is their catchphrase.

On the RSA (Returned and Services Association).

The cafe is called Mothered Goose, not just Mothered. Just FYI.

On the local Subway. We were amazed to see that even big chains like that got in on the fun.

Scully's makes beautiful-smelling soaps and cosmetics.

On the old, historic jail.

On the tyre store.

On the mechanic's shop next door.

This appears to me to be the oldest sign, which I like to think means that the police force started this whole fun game. How wonderful to think of police officers with a sense of humour.

I realize this isn't an "-a-bull sign," but it's on the police station garage, and it's awesome!

I love that the local cafe got "Delect-a-bull" and McDonald's had to settle for "Consum-a-bull." As least they're honest. And it's actually quite cool that a huge corporation is having fun in a little town.

In the middle of town (by the huge metal bull) we found this signpost, helping interested parties such as ourselves to find hilarity at every turn. And also, I supposed, helpful if you actually wanted to find something like the library or cafe.

That completes the "Ador-a-bull" sign section of this post, but there is more to come. Some businesses elected to participate in the community amusement in different ways.

This little picture packs a load of hilarity into just one store-front. Definitely click to make it bigger so you can enjoy all the treats.

Along a similar vein, we found this in the restaurant where we had dinner.

The local Chinese restaurant has their own beautiful bull character.

We needed at least one "moooo" joke in town, I think.

This was one of the last places we saw, and then we were surprised that there weren't more Bulls Eye references, as it seems quite obvious now. But it was the only one.

Couldn't manage to avoid the glare off this window, but it's still pretty adorable.

There we have it. A celebration of a tiny town that's having a wonderful time amusing itself and anyone who passes through. I think society could use more places like this. It will continue to bring a smile to my face every time I go by.

Blueberry Picking at Noho Farm

One sunny Sunday while Dad and Lucinda were here, we decided to go for a drive through the countryside, so they could see some famous NZ sheep, as well as cows, as Lucinda has cows on her farm in Kansas. We decided to plan for dinner in Bulls, which I will post about later, and to stop at anything interesting we saw along the way.

My favourite place where we stopped was Noho Farms, where we picked our own blueberries. I've never done this before, and it was wonderful!

It's hard to see in the picture, but they had thin, white netting over the whole area to keep the birds out. I was hoping it would also provide at least a little bit of shade, as it was an extremely hot day for NZ, but no luck. Fortunately, it also didn't impede the breeze, which was helpful.

We each got a bucket, tied it around our waists, and got to work. It was very peaceful, as there weren't many other people around.

After picking for a while, I discovered that I was standing too far away from the bushes, and therefore not benefitting from their shade. I love the sun and am seldom too warm, but it was very hot with the sun beating down.

So I started basically climbing into the bushes and picking from there, where it was much cooler. There was also the added benefit that I was then surrounded on all sides by beautiful bunches of blueberries, which was incredible. I found the whole experience very soothing - I think it was the combination of having something simple and non-demanding to do with my hands, as well as something beautiful to look at. And being outside is delightful, of course.

With such bountiful bushes, it didn't take us long to have more blueberries than we would be able to eat, so we headed back to pay for them and then relax in a shady picnic area and enjoy our harvest. They were so delicious, especially when they were still warm from the sun.

We each had a big bag to take home. Dad was confident he could eat his whole bag that day, but later admitted that his eyes were a bit bigger than his stomach, although he did make a substantial dent (as did we all). Fortunately, we discovered that they are perfect for freezing - they thaw quickly when you're ready to eat them and are only very slightly less delicious than fresh. Dad and Lucinda continued to enjoy them while the were here, and J and I are still making our way through the rest, and loving having them for a treat.

If you'd like to read more about Noho Farm, click here for their website.

Carlucci Land

After a lovely two weeks spent exploring Wellington and the surrounding area together, Dad and Lucinda have gone back to Kansas, and J and I are enjoying a peaceful weekend at home. I have lots of wonderful pictures and stories to share from their time here, and will do so in a series of posts over the next few weeks.

Early on in their time here, we took them to Carlucci Land. We had seen it from the road ages ago, and thought that Dad would really like it, as it consists of many repurposed and recycled things used it creative and beautiful ways. We've since learned that these are also things Lucinda values, so it was perfect to all go together.

The experience of Carlucci Land is described on its brochure as follows:

"Admire the sculptures as you weave through this unique Wellington landmark, get up close and interact with the remarkable metal sculptures that make this a truly exceptional mini golf course. These intricately place art installations complete with strategically placed rocks, allowing you the golfer to get up close, revealing how the behemoths were formed by nature. Discover small ferrous kiwis only inches high to giant metallic spiders, snakes and other metal creations inspired by nature.

Sit amongst the old recycled furniture and feast your eyes on a collection of curios from the past. It is a truly spectacular mini golf experience."

(I find their grammar dubious, but I still enjoyed the description.)

Here is the view from on high, looking down on part of the course. 

The mini golfing itself was fun, as mini golfing always is, and it was interesting to see the use of recycled parts to add challenge.

We loved this hole, with many different tubes and tracks the ball might end up rolling down.

None of us profess to be mini golf experts, but I think we did quite well.

We enjoyed the different levels and creative nooks and crannies.

I was so fascinated by this looping track (and the adorable people on top) that I forgot that J's ball was going to come out, and stood right in its path. Oops!

The enormous rocks all throughout the course were lots of fun, and we scrambled all over them as we found vantage points to watch the others' turns.

I was deeply entertained by the fact that our balls ended up in prison at the end of the course. They also made a delightful 'ping' as they landed. We freed them, of course, and returned them to their home.

Once we'd finished the mini golf course, we had a great time looking around at all the other sculptures and creations. They are made by Carl Gifford, who created Carlucci Land, and is passionate about "rocks, recycling, making steel sculptures, art and also eduction."

I may have taken a somewhat exorbitant number of pictures, but I couldn't resist. Everything was very cool, and if you knew how many awesome things I didn't take pictures of, you'd see that I actually showed admirable restraint. I feel that the pictures speak for themselves, and will therefore refrain from commenting unless there is a detail I'd like to highlight.

Notice the beautiful butterfly that kept us company. It's one of my favourites of the kinds I see here.

I was completely delighted by this whimsical depiction of climbing up to the moon. I don't know what it is about it, exactly, but I just adore it.

I checked, and it seems that this contraption would actually move forward, if you were strong enough to push it.

We love dragons (exciting news on that front later), and I thought this one was particularly charming.

The four of us had a delightful time at Carlucci Land, and I anticipate that J and I will return there many times, perhaps by ourselves, or perhaps with future guests.

Dad and Lucinda Visiting

Sorry for the lack of a post last weekend, but I was busy spending time with my dad and his partner Lucinda, who are visiting from the States. It is a goal of mine to be more present in my life, focusing on the people I'm with, and not dividing my attention by trying to do too much.  I have been doing that with Dad and Lucinda, which has been great. I will likely not post anything until they've gone home in another week, as we will be doing lots more fun things together.

In the meantime, I couldn't resist sharing this picture of this amazing golden tree. I don't know why its leaves are yellow, as it is not autumn (and most trees don't change here anyway), but it sure is beautiful.