“There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them.” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900, a German Philosopher)
We spent most of our sailing years in the tropics. Staying in New Zealand for a longer time because John broke his wrist, I am experiencing three seasons here.
It is the middle of autumn now. Someone recently told me about a local farmers market on Saturdays from 6 AM to 10 AM. Since then, it has become my routine to go there every Saturday.
When we came to New Zealand in November (late spring), we were surprised by the high prices of apples, kiwis, and many other fruits. Right now, it is the harvest season, and the prices have dropped to 3-5 times lower. Not to mention the quality of the fruits-eating seasonal produce in its season is the best. The other day, I saw a special sale price of tasty apples in a store: 1 New Zealand Dollar (about 60 cents in US Currency) per kilogram. I wonder how this can be; It probably doesn’t even cover the cost of growing, picking, and transporting the apples.
Depending on when and where one visits a country, one can perceive it differently. The longer we stay here, the more things I like about New Zealand. Right now, it’s the quality of the produce (fruits and vegetables) and the weather. I think the weather in Whangarei is the best. The world is big, but there are a few places offering the best weather. So far, I like Whangarei the best among all the places I have been.
