My Home Brew...

I've been brewing Water Kefir Grains... My daughter has been brewing

 for some time and gave me some grains to get me started...

Water Kefir is a probiotic beverage made with water kefir grains.

The term 'kefir grains' describes the look of the culture only. Water kefir

grains contain no actual "grains" such as wheat, rye etc.

The grains consist of bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic

relationship. Water kefir grains can be used to culture sugar water,

juice or coconut water...

This is what the 'grains' look like...

 If you look after them and provide the right conditions they

multiply then you have some to give away... They eat sugar

either added to water or the sugar in juice or coconut water.

If they don't have enough sugar they will eat each other and not be happy!

They are an organic living organism...

I had enough grains to start two jars... I have added to each jar...

a pinch of baking soda, six raisins, three tablespoons of organic sugar,

the juice and chopped skin of 1/2 lemon and some chopped

fresh ginger... Fill with filtered water... Screw on a plastic lid but not too 

tight as the gases need to escape a little. 

In warm weather leave for 24 hours to culture,
in colder weather it will take longer.

Put somewhere out of the way, not in the fridge, it's fascinating to watch

as it begins to fizz and bubble and the raisins float to the top.

 

In this  brew I did one jar of coconut water... I didn't like that so much.

The lemon and ginger mix makes a delicious slightly fizzy

drink like mild ginger beer full of probiotics and as with anything
fermented an alcohol content, but very small after only 24 hours...
Very refreshing.
You need a good supply of preferably organic lemons and root ginger.

The 'grains' can be used over and over again... Indefinitely.

In this brew instead of lemon and ginger I put one tablespoon of
 Pomegranate Molasses when I strained off the liquid...
That made a yummy brew.

Here are my two jars that I 'brew' daily... Ready to drink.

To make, use a plastic spoon lift out the lemon and ginger

pieces that will be sitting on the top. Strain the liquid

through a fine sieve into bottles. There won't be any sugar left, the

'grains' will have eaten it all. Tip the 'grains' into a sieve

and gently rinse. Put back into rinsed jar... and start again.

For a comprehensive list of the bacteria and yeasts found in

water kefir click here. It makes very interesting reading.

You can do all sorts of fermenting things with Water Kefir...

Here is a good website to look at for ideas and more details...

Look at the alcohol content and how to brew 'beer' and

alcoholic fruit juice...

The Moods of Takaka Hill...

I'm now back in Pohara, parked in my familliar spot in the cafe carpark. To get here, it's the slow drive (for me) over the Takaka Hill... It was a damp misty day, low cloud and a bit of rain. I hung around in Motueka waiting for it to clear but gave up and went on my way.

Here are a few pics I randomly snapped... So different from the my last post about"The Hill" when it was clear and sunny and fabulous views...

But over the Takaka side it cleared and the view unfolded again.

I made it safely... On with life in this slower paced little town...

Motueka River... Fishing... Or Not!

I went to the Motueka Market on Sunday morning... That's yesterday... Bought some lovely fresh rye bread, some ripe new seasons cherries and strawberries and some courgettes to make some fritters... I don't have any whitebait or cockles just now...

Then moved on to park at a POP property just over the Motueka River bridge, thinking I would make my first venture into fresh water fishing in this river...

This is the drive in... Left to the river and right to park...

Here I am... It's a nice property, very hospitable, ridiculously cheap, only $2.50 a night plus $2 for a lovely hot shower...

It's a beautiful sunny day... I'm parked for the sun, I'm the only vehicle here so I can take up as much room as I like. The view to the road from my door...

My chores are done... I did my laundry in Motueka and put up my clothes line to hang it all in the sun...

So now I can have breakfast... It is beautifully warm. I've bought a new chair... I've made coffee... Put some cherries and strawberries and yoghurt in a bowl, rye toast with avocado... Yummmm... My new Organic NZ magazine... I'm not moving all day!

But I did eventually... Partly because the sun disappeared and partly because I wanted to go and look at the river. When I arrived and drove over the bridge the river had changed from being half full with lots of shingle bits to walk up or down the river on, to being full and flowing bank to bank. The  Motueka River starts way up near St Arnaud, it had been snowing and raining so of course it all flows down to the sea. 

Bank to bank in both directions...

I don't think fishing or catching my first trout is on the agenda today.

Oh well... Back to my magazine and answering some emails and my blog... And my laundry is dry...

Motueka... A Night At The Public Wharf...

I finally left Nelson and made it... The 'huge' distance to Motueka... I wanted to go to the market on Sunday morning. I had met a fellow house bus owner who told me about the freedom parking area at the wharf... Turn right at the roundabout along Wharf Road follow the signs to 'Public Wharf' and there you are. A rather dusty area but right on the water as the tide comes in. Not a place I would want to set up camp but good for overnight. When I got there the tide was right out but there is a channel between the open sea and Jackett Island that carries a huge amount of water in and out of the Moutere Inlet... It was a popular fishing spot but nobody was catching anything... So I chatted with my two neighbours who turned up... And enjoyed the tide slowly coming in as I ate dinner and watched the beautiful sunset and the end of another day.

The hills in the distance are Nelson looking round to Atawhai...

Looking to the back of Motueka town...

This is the channel that fills up the Moutere Inlet...

Tahunanui Beach...Nelson

 Today I went to Tahunanui Beach, known as Nelson's

'Gem by the sea'. The blurb on Google about it says it's  a family

beach popular with walkers, joggers, windsurfers, sun seekers...

The amenities along the very developed foreshore include...

A skatepark, playgrounds, Natureland Zoo, roller skating rink, 

hydroslide, Bumpa boats, BMX track, model railway, tennis courts,

petanque court and mini golf. In the summer... Beach volleyball,

helicopter rides and paddle trikes...

My mind boggled... Definitely not my sort of beach but I drove

past all that and I finally found somewhere with a big enough  space to

park my bus without obstructing other vehicles and go for a walk.

 It was sunny but cool... See if you can count how many people 

are swimming? I spied these two people fishing so stopped

to chat and look at their catch... Zero! One of them told me

he had been fishing in the same spot for two weeks... Nothing...

'Just have to be here at the right time' was his philosophical answer.

 I walked to the west towards the Mapua  inlet. It's a huge beach

but not many people around... I did put my big toe in the water

but that's all, not at all tempting for a swim!

 Some spectacular clouds... Rain? Mmm... I hope not.

 Further down the beach were these amazing old tree trunks 

and roots. They have been scoured by the tides and wind

and look like giant spiders crawling along the sand.

 They have once been tall Pine trees, like the ones behind...

 I looked at the growing trees and imagined all this root structure

under the ground that we can't see.

 And then I walked back... Hard to believe on Nelson's

one and only city beach that there are so few people...

 The houses of Tahunanui came closer... The road to the city

goes round the waterfront to the left...

And back to my bus... Relieved to get inside out of the cold wind.

It would have to get a lot, lot warmer for me to want

to be a sun lover on that beach! Not allowed to park here

overnight... But maybe I'll come back for breakfast...

Sit inside with all the windows shut to keep warm and enjoy the view.

Can you tell I'm not really a South Islander and don't like the cold?

The Day's Chores...

After an undecided start to the day and a few showers the sun has come out and as there is hardly any wind it's a lovely warm day.

I've been foraging for firewood... Yes it's still cold enough to light my fire! There is a lot of lovely wood around but lots of it is washed up by the tide. I avoid burning salty wood so have been in the bushes and found lots of  big and small branches.

Here is today's stash of firewood and cones cut up with ny faithful little Silky Zubat and drying in the sun ready for tonight's fire... Or tomorrow.

I'm also slowly spring cleaning my bus... It's that time of the year! 

Do you have a collection that looks l ike this?

And when you want some cord or other you can never find the one that fits... So frustrating. So I am sorting and finding out what fits what and labeling them. Some I use daily others only occasionally like these...

I'm charging up my torch and underwater flounder light that only need topping up now and then...

So I'm feeling virtuous... But will leave them charging... On my big 2000watt inverter.

I've been watching my house battery bank while I've got it running... Not even a small dent in the charge... So my solar panels and batteries are  working as they should.

I think it's time for coffee out in the sun, watching the tide go out.

Back At McKee Reserve

Licorice Allsorts and I have been parted for a few days. One of us has been having a touch up... Some body work... A face lift and a make-over... But it wasn't me! My rear end isn't covered by insurance...

So I stayed in a motel in Nelson while my bus was doing 'other things'.

We're reunited now... All problems sorted and resolved and we are parked for a few days at the lovely McKee Reserve... Again.

Parked on the grass to create some shelter from the very cold winds... Can you see the smoke coming out of the chimney? Mostly sunny days but feels like some snow around somewhere the wind is so cold.

But still the gorgeous sunsets... Such gentle colours.

Hi From The Top Of Takaka Hill

Wow... It was a hot grind up the hill... It's a long way in 3rd gear at 30kmh... And it was hot. We... That's Licorice Allsorts and me were glad of a stop and a rest to cool off...

The top of the hill is an amazing place with lots of contorted rock formations and caves...

Where I had come from...

And where I'm going... Amazing view isn't it?

A Busy Cafe And A Crowded Carpark...

I returned from Tarakohe to Totally Roasted and my familiar spot in the carpark. 

Over the weekend I was surrounded by cars and trucks and ute's... People all wanting the excellent coffee and good food.

Today I'm packing up and driving to Nelson... A few things to do there and I'm thinking about stopping at the Motueka River on the way back and trying out my trout rod.

It's the most perfect day so I will say 'Hello' again from the top of 'The Hill'...

Did I Say Fishing At High Tide?

The high tide was perfect, the day was cool but sunny...  What

better to do than go fishing in this wide open Golden Bay... So

off I went... But the only catch of the day were multiple

Sand Sharks... Various sizes but mostly babies...

 The seagulls are welcome to them, they're not good eating... Or bait.

This is what they look like and they do grow quite big...

 The expert local fishermen round here... In other words

my grandson... Tells me if there are Sand Sharks around

you won't catch anything else after catching one of them...

Pack up and go home! So I did.

 

 Not that 'home'  was far away. Tarakohe used to be the port

for Golden Bay Cement. When they stopped operating they

sold the port that they had built to the Tasman District Council

for $1 for the use of the community. Well... The Council

are trying to take it over for commercial mussel farming

and ultimately profit... Of Course! So it's now divided into

two parts, on one side the local boat club who offers the

freedom parking and has one arm that has two launching boat ramps.

In this photo I'm standing at the end of this arm looking back to

where my bus and others are parked...On the left is the mussel wharf.

It's also a mooring place for boats, out of the tide and wind...

Around both sides of the commercial wharf. People live

 on their boats here... Paying rent to the council!

 The boat club side... Building on the right...

 It's a great spot...

Looking back across the tide to Pohara Beach...

And across to Farewell Spit...