1 May - The end of Autumn

The first of May is here, supposedly the last month of autumn, and we have all had such a great month of weather, it is hard to belive that the cold is just around the corner. However the leaves on the ground have turned brown and the garden has taken on a more stark look. My fire is now a regular feature each night, and two furry friends are always close at hand, and only leave the fire when there is a hint of food around.

To summarise April for me, it has been a combination of aquainting myself with this gorgeous home, the surrounding area, and having lovely groups of visitors throughout the month to share in my new life. I have been to Chch about once a week, to visit famiy, take in a concert, and some shopping. I have also been discovering Rangiora, about 15 mins away on a back road, for the regular supermarket shop, and a wonderful second hand store, about the size of an airport hanger, full of treasures, where I bought my rimu table (acting as my desk) and my wheelbarrow. Trust me when you have this many leaves, you need a wheelbarrow.

I have met quite a number of locals, and am starting to learn the makeup of the Waipara area, from wine, olives, and all sorts of people growing and creating fabulous products, all to the point of seeking employment. This area is a little slower, the reality is that the earthquake has removed a lot of funding from most innovations, so I will need to look outside the square to get the income happening.

My next project is to get my b&b up and running. It is quite a small area compared to the local area, which has everthing from beautiful homsteads to lodges at $1000.00 per night. Additionally I am guessing there is not as much demand in winter, however it would be good if I could get some income from it just to keep the 'shopping kitty' alive. I was lucky enough to visit the Claremont Homestead yesterdy ($1000 per night), a typical NZ Luxury homestead, beautifully decorated, and gorgeous gardens. In fact the owner has already phoned me to help her in the kitchen this weekend, not sure if I can make this one, but will definitely be reporting on some antics from the scullery before long! Watch this space. It will just be casual, but I do love a bit of luxury. The drive up to Claremont is inland about 20 minutes from Amberley taking in the amazing Limestone Quarry, quite a breathtaking view, and I believe a wonderful walk which I will do, and post some photos, close up.

Today I joined the Hurunui Shooters Club, and visited the most spectacularly located little winery, Arden, tucked away in Waipara. There are a lot of things girls can do with their cameras, I was definitely the amateur with the 'point and shoot' and see what I acheived!

From starting this blog, I have to confess, our coldest day today, although the reading wants to tell me a big high of 12, let me tell you, with the wind chill factor, it is a lot colder than that! Watch this space for further installments from 'The Duchess of Amberley'