Hey, why not? Okay, I know, really I do. It costs a fortune to get there, no way around it. But hey, I’m going to do a two-day seminar outside of Auckland on November 27th and 28th, of this year, and what better excuse to take the trip of a lifetime? Besides, the air fare rates just went way down . . .
I’ve been to New Zealand before, and hands down, it is one of the most beautiful place in the world. Ah, it’s true, I haven’t been everywhere, but I’ve been in some drop-dead gorgeous places, including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Denali Range in Alaska, and the fjords of Norway. All of these places are awe-inspiring, but New Zealand still has my heart as the place I just had to go back to with Jim. I seriously considered moving there when I visited, so impressed was I by the people, the scenery, and okay, the food. When I was there the first time (a gazillion year ago? or maybe just 20 +?), I vowed I would come back. And now I get to, thanks to the good people at Learning About Dogs.
The seminar I’m going to do includes discussion, demonstrations, slides and videos on “Advanced Canine Behavior,” “Dog-Dog Aggression,” and “Play.” You can learn more about it on my host’s site, Learning About Dogs. Granted, you could come to a similar seminar in the U.S., if that’s where you live, but don’t you need an excuse to treat yourself to a special trip? You could travel to Auckland, have your plane fare be a business expense, and then take a well-deserved vacation. (That’s my plan.) Besides, I’m winding down on seminars, wanting to spend more time at home and less time traveling, and I don’t know how many more I”m going to do. Here’s a site just to get you thinking about New Zealand itself.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Baby birds everywhere. The barn is full of newly fledged barn swallows, the fat, matronly Robin babies are sprawling out of the nest on the porch light, the hapless Phoebee continues to try to raise her young in a nest inside my garage–which means she’s closed in or out anytime I’m gone and have shut the door. The wren is nesting again in the vent that leads to the bathroom fan, which hasn’t worked in years because I don’t have the heart to take away the wren’s favorite nest site. The first year the wrens nested I’d turn on the fan switch and hear “cheep cheep cheep” as the air blew across the nestlings, so we stopped using the fan. Now the fan doesn’t work at all, but the wrens raise 2 to 3 sets of young from it every summer, and it means the house has baby birds growing and twittering on three sides. Surrounded by bird life, I love it.
There are flowers everywhere, including iris, daisies, and the ubiquitous mid-western transplant, the peony.
Here’s the center of one, looking far more elegant than any peony deserves.
And here’s Mr. Hope, whose 2nd ear just popped up like a piece of toast. He’s covered in grass and baby burrs, a dog of the country.
Denise says
But all peonies are elegant! They, and the lovely iris, are long finished here so it’s nice to hear about yours. Lovely to hear about New Zealand too, since I don’t have a prayer of getting there in this lifetime. I’ll have to do it vicariously through your posts. Lots of photos please!
Dogs and burrs though, that’s another story. Tomorrow is Saturday after all…
P.S. Sounds like a wonderful seminar. Any chance of a DVD set at some point?
mungobrick says
I’d love to come – are you taking any really LARGE suitcases?? My younger son and I went there (to Wellington) 10 years ago to visit his best friend who’d moved there two years earlier, when the boys were eight – they’d been joined at the hip practically since birth and the move was heartbreaking for all of us… What a beautiful place – if only they didn’t have to wage a constant war against imported vegetation growing rampant, and imported predators decimating the native bird population. Certainly lots of sheep for you!!
Hope is looking more beautiful with each picture. Baby burrs don’t sound so bad – burdocks are the bane of my existence and one good reason to keep Daisy’s hair cut short. She is a burdock magnet.
We have birds’ nests all around us – and a gentleman pheasant, who takes a leisurely constitutional stroll through the vegetable garden each evening, to Daisy’s vocal annoyance – she’s trapped behind a glass door.
Jill says
Best 3 weeks of my life were in New Zealand! The only reason I don’t live there is the 6month quarantine on imported dogs. I’ll make it happen someday.
While we were there we overloaded on adrenaline. If it was tall we climbed and jumped off it; if it was wet we swam through it; if it was underground we crawled into it. We raced horses, swam with wild dolphins, hiked with the company of wild parrots, and filled our faces with the best food I’ve ever tasted.
I’ve got a nice Maori tattoo as a souvenir. 🙂
Best place on Earth.
Roberta Beach says
Ah, yes, birds nesting in fans. When I first moved here, a momma bird one year built a nest in the fan from my stove. In the morning, I would pull it down – by the time I got home, it would be back up. We did this for about 2 weeks and finally, I said, ok, it is yours. So I hear chirping babies in my kitchen. Unfortunately, one of my late Beagle mixes, a hunter par excellence, Emma, learned that not all the babies could fly right away – she would position herself below the outlet for fallen babies :(. Since she has passed, no other dog seems to have picked up on the babies…:).
Mary Beth says
With 3 bird dogs and 1 coonhound, alas, the baby birds have not faired well on my place. On the other hand, the horses provide never ending fodder for nest building with lots of shedded horse hair and all the hair strewn about.
Your puppy is looking adorable!
Have a wonderful time in New Zealand. I’m very jealous, but duty calls, so no vacations any time soon.
Melanie S says
Ooo, gotta love New Zealand! Hot springs on the north island, glaciers on the south, gorgeous ocean bays and sounds, the Milford Track… I’m an Australian and my one and only overseas holiday was to NZ in 1997 and Iever since I’ve loved the idea of returning. I’ve just sent the Learning About Dogs folks an email with an enquiry about accomodation. Will work on a feasibility plan to get me there…
Would be fabulous to learn from you in person!
Smiles…
Alexandra says
You are a kinder soul than I am – we had birds try to move into the bathroom vent, and I had a repair guy come out that week and put a new screen on the vent outlet. Fortunately they hadn’t laid any eggs yet, but I could hear them hopping around in the duct work which runs through part of the master bedroom ceiling and it drove me crazy.
I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand, but it costs to much. One of these days…
Hope’s ear perking up makes him look very cute.
parlance says
Are you coming to Australia also?
trisha says
Not coming to Australia on this trip, but do hope to go back sometime. It’s another favorite of mine, I had such a a great time there. And I’ll be working on a new DVD this summer, so hope to have something out in fall.
Casey says
What a beautiful blog! I love the border collie pup pic! I remember when our b.collie’s ears popped up – big day.
Anna says
Mr. Hope is adorable… I hope things are still going well with he and Willie.
Melissa says
Aww, no visit to Oz planned. Boo. I suppose I shouldn’t complain, what with New Zealand being closer to home than the other side of the country. Our holiday this year is to drive up through the centre of Australia and wallow in the tropics for a week and then catch the train back again. But maybe given I’m doing a PhD on dog behaviour I can wrangle a second “holiday” to NZ. It’ll be work, not vacation. 😉 Although if anyone thinks I’m going to NZ and not birding like a maniac the majority of the time they need to reassess their priorities!
All this talk of baby birds is making me miss spring. It’s my favourite season.
Natalie Perzylo says
Come down and see us in the South Island… most people think that this is the best island of the 3. It’s called the Mainland for a reason 🙂
I’ve been here for 14 years, as long as my dog (who just went to doggie heaven), and it’s still a great place. At the moment, the weather is playing havoc on life, but when the sun shines, somehow you forget all about it.
Each island has its own unique landscape.. volcanoes have a unique way of creating some outstandingly beautiful features. Hope you enjoy your time here, and I’ll count my 10 cents (there are no pennies, nor 5 cents here… the change purse is so much lighter!)
Love reading your blog, by the way … and books, of course!
Carolyn says
Jill, what a trip!
Joh says
Have a great time in NZ!
Any chance of seeing you sometime somewhere in South Africa?
DebraS says
Hope is becoming quite the good-looking dog. Having crewed in sailboat races for years on SF Bay, NZ was always on my list of places to visit. It has everything.
Annette says
As an Aucklander currently living in the U.S. this news warms my heart! I should point out that N.Z.’s dog quarantine is currently one month not six, as Jill mentioned above. Admittedly, that’s still a long time.
Love the adorable Hope photo!
Jill says
Yep, mu bad on the qurantine period. I intended to say 6 weeks, but it’s even less than that => 30 day minimum.
On the other hand, no quarantin from Hawaii. So you can live in Hawaii for 6 months the move to NZ. I’m thinking of packing tonight.
Janice says
I would love to go to New Zealand–but if I left my family behind they would likely kill me on my return. You see, years ago, my kids found my stash of Footrot Flats comics, a comic strip about a rough NZ farmer named Wal Footrot, told from the perspective of his border collie Dog. These are hard to come by on this side of the big puddle, so I have always been very careful with the books. But my kids discovered them, loved reading them, especially in bed as they were going to sleep, and my carefully kept collection, well, it didn’t fair too well being slept on. But they fell in love with New Zealand through this quirky comic strip and now want to go there. Last year my son (who is now 19) went to sheep shearing school and has even talked about going to New Zealand to join a shearing crew (this won’t happen any time soon–he is not nearly fast enough to join a shearing gang). Of all the places our family wants to go, this one tops our list (I even have Corriedale sheep and Kakariki cage birds).
I am envious of your barn swallows. About 4 years ago, my swallow population stopped nesting in my barn, as they had done for the previous 23 (that I know about) years. I don’t know what changed and want them to come back. But I haven’t found anyone who has information as to why they might have left and how I can entice them back. My state’s wildlife department seems to be only interested in game birds. If you know any swallow experts, I would love to talk with them. I still see some that come by and hunt here, but have none nesting. I miss the aerial ballet.
Melanie S says
I loved Footrot Flats too Janice! My brother and I read and re-read them as kids.
Tricia D says
I am madly saving my $$$ so I can attend your seminar in NZ. I am in Aus so the Kiwi’s are close neighbours. But I have to ask why you are not coming to Aus as well, you would be most welcome.
trisha says
To Tricia D: Ah, if only I could split into two people. I love Australia, had an amazing time there and was blown away by the fresh energy and generosity of the people there. But this trip needs to be both a business trip and a vacation, and I’ve committed to playing with some friends on both the North and South Islands of NZ after the seminar is over. (And am I ready or what! Is it time to pack yet?) I’ll get back to Australia some year…. loved it too much not to go back! Hope everyone there enjoys Australia’s APDT conference, I always go back in spirit!
Kate says
Hope is adorable!
Jan Voss says
Hi, I am really looking forward to hearing you speak in New Zealand too – I went to the APDTA sessions you did (Australia) in about 2002? and was really impressed. I found the protocols for working with reactive dogs immensely helpful in my work as a private trainer. I am looking forward to finding out how what you said and did then may have changed – as I am sure it has to some extent – after all we can never learn everything about dogs – that’s why we love them so much! Also it should be a beautiful time to be here (late spring) so I am sure you’ll have a great time and we can finally show you what Kiwi hospitality is all about. Jan Voss, Wellington, NZ
P.S. I am sorry I never did send the slide of “village dogs” I promised.