Say Hello to Le's New Zealand...

Look we have a PINK vehicle to travel around with Le... quite fashionable don't you think...

Le of Third on the Right is kind enough to give us a scenic tour of her homeland... (PINK words are via Fifi)... Okkkkk... Le tells us about your part of the world...

New Zealand ... land of the long white cloud, home to few people, home to millions of sheep. Once lost in the land of the long white cloud it is a love affair that knows no bounds.
The south island is, without a doubt the heart of this place, the 'mainland' as the locals call it. From rolling plains to mountains high, from snowy dells to wild beaches stripped bare, from elegant homes with stupendous gardens to cozy, shabby cottages down hedged lanes my heart is lost amongst the green, blue and white of this magical place.

With history rich, and a spirit bigger than big, a culture unique and a priceless sense of it's own place in the world, New Zealand is the place of my dreams, home to my heart and chicken soup to my soul. I just love it.

cheers le

LOVELY... Now take us around to see... Ooooh it looks like we are starting with a castle... how royal... please tell us all about it...

Larnach Castle, found on the outskirts of Dunedin http://www.larnachcastle.co.nz/index.pasp

William James Mudie Larnach , of Scottish descent, was born in 1833 in New South Wales, Australia. His banking career began in Melbourne then followed the gold rush to the Australian goldfields where he was manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Ararat. His bank was a tent and his equipment consisted of dogs, a gun, and strong boxes.

Gold was discovered in Otago, New Zealand, in the 1860's. Larnach was offered the position of manager of the Bank of Otago in Dunedin, which serviced the extensive goldfields. He sailed for Dunedin in 1867.

Larnach's brillant career encompassed his merchant empire Guthrie and Larnach, banking, shipping, farming, landholding, politics and ... speculation. He travelled extensively and was a cabinet minister, holding various portfolios, over a period of twenty five years.

Larnach was married three times and had six children. He was pre deceased by his first two wives and his eldest daughter, Kate. He took his own life in the New Zealand parliament buildings in 1898.

Building Larnach Castle

Larnach was a man of great vision and created a magnificent residence for himself and his family.

A story is told that William Larnach and one of his sons went for a horse ride along the top of the Otago Peninsula to choose the best site for their home. Today you can still see why this site was chosen as it has wonderful panoramic views of Dunedin, Otago Harbour, the Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean.

First the site was clear-felled, then the hill site was levelled by putting pegs into the volcanic rock and pouring salt water on them to split the rock. Approximately 200 men spent three years building the shell of the Castle and then gifted European craftsmen spent 12 years embellishing the interior.

Materials from all over the world were used - marble from Italy, slate from Wales, tiles from England, glass from Venice and France. No expense was spared in creating Larnach's dream home! Many New Zealand native woods were also used - kauri, rimu floors and honeysuckle panelling. In 1885 a 3000 square foot Ballroom was also added.

Views of the Otago Peninsula from the castle gardens out to sea. Le... this view from the Castle is FABULOUS!

Merino sheep - the livelihood of the area besides tourism...I so hope the sheep don't try to eat the floppy hat or cute pink purse... it's a fear from a petting zoo as a child... hmmm... you know they might have been goats... hmmm... Lake Pukaki - the southern alps - with alpine grass in the foreground...Lake Tekapo a glacier fed highlands lake found in the centre of the south island - skiing in winter and fishing in summer - a paradise found...Let's run to that beach...
Mount Cook Lilly - rare and only found in the mount cook (Aoraki) region - these were on the Hooker Valley walking track ....
At 3754 metres, New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook is dazzling, yet there are 27 other mountains in this alpine backbone which peak at over 3050 metres, and hundreds of others not far short of that – all making up the famous Southern Alps.

You can enjoy 4WD safaris, boating on the glacier lakes, horse treks, fishing, scenic flights with snow landings and numerous Walks and Hikes. During the winter guided ski experiences onto New Zealand's longest glacier, the Tasman, is a popular activity and a unique Mount Cook wedding location http://www.mtcooknz.com/mackenzie/home/ more info here - we lived here for a year... those were the days !!
Mt Cook Outlook...
Not sure this outfit will be warm enough for all that snow... The ski fields above Lake Tekapo... oops, forgot ski outfit ...
Mount Cook - the Tasman Glacier - an iceberg - you can take an inflatable raft out and climb on the burgs - great but a wee bit scary ...These Lupins are gorgeous, Le... we should dance through them...Spring time - October at Lake Tekapo ... the story goes that an early settler's wife was so home sick for her flowers that she spread these seeds far and wide around the Lake Tekapo region to have some colour back in her life ...Le, Thank you so much for the scenic tour... a rest and some of that "warm comfort food... lots of salmon - pink - good wines and cheeses" sounds divine... before heading to the next stop

If everyone else is ready... pop over to see Beverly's Wonderful PINK SATURDAY participants... it should be a delightful day for ALL!

Don't forget your CHAIR ENTRIES and to come vote on Monday! I think I will throw in another random drawing prize for one lucky winner... so make sure to comment and vote!

New Zealand Photos via Le... Fashion photos via Vogue March 2009 ... it looks like a GREAT issue CHECK IT OUT!