Image taken on 2006-12-29 17:51:24 by rytc.
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New Zealand wines have gained increasing popularity over the last ten to twelve years. Its pure landscape and well-developed agricultural economy have facilitated grape-growers and wine-makers to protect the quality of their wine production and produce some of the best wines globally. New Zealand has eight main growing regions, namely Auckland, Canterbury, Central Otago, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, and Wairarapa, each demonstrating a great diversity in climate and terrain. This special mix of soil, climate and water, but also the commitment to quality can deliver to your table one of the most intense wine-drinking experiences. New Zealand wines have gained international acclaim. New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon and New Zealand Merlot are two varieties that contribute to the further positioning of New Zealand as a global player of world-class wines on the international wine map. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is globally acclaimed as the definitive benchmark style for this variety. New Zealand Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling are globally acknowledged for their excellent varieties. > New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon is a top-notch quality wine, particularly in the warmer Northern wine regions. Hawkes Bay and Auckland with their warm gravel soils produce one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon qualities globally. Deeply flavored, powerfully structured and long aged, New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegant, richly mellow wine for drinking at three to five years. > New Zealand Merlot New Zealand has an enormous potential for Merlot. During the lengthy ripening season in the cool climate, Merlot develops its flavors and concentrates its aromas. In the past, Merlot was produced as a blending variety with Cabernet Sauvignon because it has the ability to soften the hard tannins of Cabernet. Over time, Merlot has developed into a premium variety of enticing richness, producing soft, velvety wines with plum flavors. In majority, New Zealand Merlot is grown in Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and Marlborough. > New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc introduced New Zealand as a global player on the international wine map. Being globally acclaimed as the definitive benchmark style for this variety, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is full of delicate passion fruit aromas, seductive gooseberries aromas, surprising lime scents or crispy green asparagus spears. Mostly grown in Marlborough region, New Zealand Sauvignons display an entirely new wine style evoking the spicy flavors of New Zealand style. > New Zealand Pinot Noir Pinot Noir is the next big New Zealand wine style to gain popularity on the international stage because of its excellent quality. Mostly grown in Wairarapa, Central Otago and Canterbury, Pinot Noir yields a deep-colored variety with a velvety soft, yet strong taste. The fruity flavors of Pinot Noir evoke the aromas of cherries, sweet strawberries, raspberries, or plums. > New Zealand Chardonnay New Zealand Chardonnay is a highly diversified wine comprising countless of varieties, capable of appealing to a wide range of tastes. Its complex, fruit-laden nature has driven it into a premium variety that distinctively performs on the worldwide stage. Fully bodied and fruity flavored, New Zealand Chardonnays may evoke the aromas of crispy apples and lemons or the flavors of peaches and apricots of very ripe grapes. Grown in the warmer regions of Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Marlborough, New Zealand Chardonnays are easy to drink, although quite acidy. > New Zealand Aromatic Grape Varieties New Zealand has an ideal climate for the making of aromatic wines. New Zealand Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris are unique examples of world-class aromatic varieties that become increasingly popular worldwide. New Zealand Rieslings are produced in a wide variety of styles, from bone dry, to late harvest style sweet wines, covering all tastes. They have a citrus flavor, rather acidy, but they naturally evoke the smell of honeysuckle when mature. New Zealand Gewürztraminer has an exciting, intense character evoking the aromas of cinnamon, cloves and ginger, leaving a spicy taste in the mouth. Gewürztraminer is mostly grown in Gisborne. New Zealand Pinot Gris is actually an exceptional Chardonnay substitute. Offering the earthy flavors of apple and pear, Pinot Gris can be a great alternative to the premium profile dry whites. Grown mostly in Hawkes Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago, Pinot Gris is expected to be one of the next big shots of New Zealand’s wine makers.
When planning for house painting take the opportunity to analyze your project. Beware of the shape of the surfaces you are planning on painting. Basically, areas that are peeling or have weathered paint, areas that are discolored or have faded areas, or dirty mildewed surfaces, should be looked at for Checking if the surfaces is chalky is a good idea, so try wiping a colored rag across the surface to see if it picks up the color. When planning a House Painting Services project, painting Windows can be a big job in itself. If your windows are older style they may have missing or loose glazing compound, which will have to be dealt with before they are ready to be painted. Going through the preparation process, you might possibly find areas that need repair. Some common problem areas may exist, such as where window casings. While the House Painting Services meet the window sill, the bottom of door casings and where wood is low to the ground. These are areas where moisture has a high potential collect and cause wood to decay. If you should encounter any rot problems, it is important to repair as soon as possible to prevent further spreading. This service is also including in House Painting Services. Plan for having tools and materials you need on hand ahead of time – this is bound to save you a few disruptive trips to the hardware store while you seemed to be making some real headway. Although we all need a break from this kind of labor from time to time. Washing: depending on the condition of the house painting surface, often house surfaces can be successfully painted without need to wash but washing the exterior surfaces of the house painting project prior to painting is highly recommended by many paint companies today. But it is also the part of House Painting Services. Be aware you will at least have to brush for done in some areas, but ultimately, it is probably be best if you at least wash some of the house you are painting before you begin. If it is very dirty chalky or mildewed it should be probably washed. The job of Scrapping for your house painting is one of the hardest jobs tackled in a house repainting project. We suggest using scrappers 1-2 inches but there are other sizes available. A lot of house painting scrappers have blades that can be changed because they dull quite quickly. We suggest buying new blades each time between major painting projects. Rotating your work: Whenever you receive the House Painting Services, start from the shady side of the house. You may end up with 2 or more sides scraped down before you need to move on. You might decide to finish the scraping work before moving on, but then if a side is scraped and the surface dries it could be smart to prime the side before the weather changes. Then you might finish with some sides done before other sides are scraped – but just as long as avoid working in direct sunlight and get the priming done while the surface is dry, you should be fine. Auckland House Painting Services are the best for getting appropriate house painting. To get more information about House Painting Services no need to visit any other place visit at: http://www.aucklandpainting.com/
What makes a rubble of rocks become a wonder of the world, or some chunks of metal become the most romantic place to propose marriage? After making the effort to go somewhere for sightseeing, how do you get the most out of the experience, to suit your budget, time and personality? From guidebooks to bus tours, there is a range of options to ensure that places come to life. These tips are based on experiences in Europe. Tour types ***No tour:
You stand in front of the Mona Lisa and say ‘eh’ before moving on to the next Da Vinci ‘eh’ then a Michelangelo ‘looks like the other dude’. I did this the first time I went to the Louvre and followed the ‘quantity not quality’ method. While I did have the time to find the little figurines in the Egyptian area, did I truly appreciate them? Price: nothing
***Guidebook:
Walking around with the gallery’s guide or your own book that explains who-what-when-why-how about an exhibit/place. Price: varies depending on country, usually around AUD10.
***Audio guide:
hire a device to listen to tracks for selected pieces of a gallery or museum. Follow the map/guide and play the track when you get to the piece. For example to look at the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre and clog up the stairwell with other agog tourists.
***Small group (1-5 people):
Your guide knows you by name, tailors the tour to suit your timings and interests, information is more two-way rather than purely transmit. For example, I went to Auckland in July 2006 and booked in for a day of mountain biking. Yep, it was cold, windy, rainy. I was the only person, but the tour went ahead anyway. I had Bee-Bee all to myself and while we waited for the rain to ease, she did a palm reading and predicted my future as a great writer. Lucky she was also a good guide, as the palm-reading bit is yet to reveal itself!
***Big group:
Usually about 10-20 people wearing earphones to pick up on the guide’s voice as they lead you around, stopping you at exhibits/interests to give their spiel eg ‘ This 18th century china bowl has the utmost significance, for it was used to….’ Basically,
Scientists have bred cows that produce skimmed milk and hope to establish herds of the cattle in order to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers.
The milk is also high in omega-3 oils, claimed to improve brain power, and contains polyunsaturated fat. The saturated fats found in normal milk are linked to increased risk of heart disease. The cows, which have a particular genetic mutation, were bred from a single female discovered by researchers when they screened milk from millions of cattle in New Zealand.
Butter from these cows has the extra advantage of being spreadable straight from the fridge, like margarine.
Scientists at ViaLactia, the Auckland-based biotech firm behind the £55 million research, have named the cow Marge. Russell Snell, ViaLactia’s chief scientist, said: “Marge looks like an ordinary Friesian cow but has three key differences. She produces a normal level of protein in her milk but substantially less fat, and the fat she does produce has much more unsaturated fat. She also produces milk with very high levels of omega-3 oils.” Marge was discovered in 2001 when ViaLactia’s researchers bought her from her owner for £120 and moved her to a secret location.
The key issue was whether her calves would inherit her traits. “You have to generate daughters and then they have to carry a calf and deliver milk,” said Snell. “The eureka moment was when we found her daughters produced milk like their mother.” The company says the first commercial herds could be expected by 2011. A brief description of ViaLactia’s research is due to be published this week in Chemistry & Industry, a journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. A formal research paper for a peer-reviewed journal will follow. SUNDAY TIMES, LONDON Genes of cow bred for skimmed milk still to be nailed After having bred cows that produce skimmed milk, scientists at ViaLactia, the Auckland-based biotech firm behind the research, hope that the cow’s male offspring carry the same genes as her daughters. “To have a bull from Marge’s offspring who passes on her traits would be the holy grail. It would allow us to reproduce hundreds of thousands of cows like Marge,” said Snell.
The scientists are still trying to identify the genes behind Marge’s unique traits. Klaus Lehnert, 43, Snell’s deputy, said: “We do expect to find them. We are good at finding genes. Then we can use DNA tests to find if an animal has the trait, rather than rely on data from experiments.”
Milk was once universally regarded as a health drink, thanks to heavy promotion by the government. Generations of children grew up with slogans such as “Drinka pinta milka day”. Free supplies were given to schoolchildren and pregnant women. When questions began to be raised about the fat content of milk, the Milk Marketing Board switched to trying to sell milk as sexy, targeting housewives with slogans such as: “Is your man getting enough?”
Government health campaigns now push low-fat diets and sales of whole milk, which contains 3.5 butter fat, account for just 25 of milk sales. By contrast, sales of semi-skimmed milk, which contains 1.7 fat, and skimmed milk, which has 0.1 fat, account for 75 of sales. The New Zealand animals are understood to have less than 1 fat in their milk.
“The New Zealand approach is exciting because people tend to avoid full-cream milk and go for semi-skim and skim. If whole milk can be made to contain unsaturated fats, which are good for you, then people may change back to whole milk,” Ed Komorowski, technical director at Dairy UK, said.
Dr Susan Jebb, head of the Medical Research Council’s human nutrition unit, said such a milk could contribute to the nation’s health. “Dairy products make a significant contribution to our saturated fat intake, which is already 30 higher than recommended. A milk that has less fat, and fats of a better type, would be a lot healthier.” Tom Brooksbank, of Norton & Brooksbank, one of Britain’s leading livestock auctioneers and valuers, said animals able to produce such milk could command a premium.
Remember the film the Chronicles of Narnia? Albert Park in Auckland, New Zealand is a real life park that is almost as unreal and scenic as the movie set. Albert Park is actually the site of the earliest volcanic eruptions in the Auckland area, a volcano is believed to have erupted here between 60,000 and 140,000 years ago. A Maori settlement called Rangipuke flourished here before the arrival of European settlers and later the site became a defense post when the Albert Barracks were built in 1845. Later the Auckland city council decided to clear away the barracks and pathways and gardens were laid out, the gardener’s cottage was given a facelift and was turned in to the Albert Park House. In 1887 the newly constructed park opened to the public, it was designed in the French Renaissance style and a new building was built to house the Auckland Art Gallery. The tasteful and beautifully carved Victorian fountain has been described as the centerpiece of the park by many visitors; the nearby statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled in 1899 in celebration of the 60th year of her reign. Two muzzle loading guns can also be seen on display here, they were originally brought to New Zealand in 1879 to protect the Auckland harbor. The guns were later hidden during the Second World War to hide them from enemy planes and were finally unearthed in 1977. Among the park’s more eccentric attractions is the Laidlaw floral clock; this electrically powered clock has a number of beautiful and fragrant flowers around the dial. Among the more contemporary works of art that can be seen here are Neil Dawson’s Throwback sculpture and Chris Booth’s imposing Gateway sculpture. The private collection of Bruce Wilkinson can also be seen here and features a vast collection of ceramics and clocks. An interesting fact about Albert Park is that it is literally riddled with underground tunnels and bunkers that were dug during the Second World War as air raid shelters. Though plans were underway to open them to the public, the project has not yet transpired. Located close to this relaxing park in the middle of this busy city are Auckland serviced apartments which are a great accommodation option for long stay travelers to New Zealand.
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Auckland
September 6, 2010, 10:44 am
 Partly sunny 14°Creal feel: 11°C
current pressure: 1020 mb
humidity: 76%
wind speed: 6 m/s NNW
wind gusts: 6 m/s
sunrise: 6:34
sunset: 18:04
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