What’s up with Blenheim?
Blenheim Palace in the UK? Where Winston Churchill was born?
No, Blenheim, New Zealand – wine capital of NZ, known for its Sauvignon Blanc. This will be our second month-long housesit for the same family. Jim and I have never lived in smaller towns like this, with a population of 30,000, yet our time there has helped us appreciate small town living.
From the small commuter plane, the neat rows of vineyards, 2,400 acres of them, are captivating. The grapes compete for space with new housing developments on the edges of town. I also notice there are practically no cars on the road but that makes sense. It is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas and businesses (mainly locally owned) won’t be open until Dec 27, or January 2nd or maybe even Monday, January 7th. It’s a work-life balance thing for the Kiwis.
A noir is
Cooper is a 2-year old labradoodle and Queenie is a cat – cats are ageless. They come with a delightful house in Blenheim owned by an energetic and gracious family. The housesit also comes with neighbors on either side, who invite us to holiday meals and parties, and let us swim in their pool. The neighbors come from farming backgrounds and know the value of family and community. We like it.
Now, this is a small town experience. You want to pick up some friends at the airport. Although the airport is “out of town”, if you wait until you hear the arriving plane overhead before getting in the car, you can make it to the airport with time to spare. Plus, you can swing into a u-pick cherry orchard on the way back to the house And their cherries are first rate!
Our main housesitting task is to keep the animals happy. For Cooper, that means a walk along the river. Less than a mile from the house, the Taylor River Reserve meanders from town to the hills beyond. Around 5:30 pm, the walking paths on both sides of the river are full of happy dogs and their owners – all off-leash, the dogs, that is. The dogs do what dogs do. Establish a relationship and run like crazy. The dog owners do something similar. Establish a relationship and pick up poo. Everyone has a good time.
Our housesit family now has chickens in the expansive backyard. I think it is mandatory in New Zealand to raise chickens at some point in your life and this is their time. Having been raised in the U.S., we have never raised chickens, but it is easy to learn. You provide them with food and water and they provide you with eggs.
My True Calling 
The best part is when the eggs are still warm. It gives me a slightly maternal feeling. But that feeling goes away quickly when I realize how “academically challenged” chickens are. If I spill water while filling their dish, they all clamor for the spilled, now muddy, water rather than drink the cool, clean water from the dish. But who am I to say anything. I can’t lay even one egg.
When we aren’t dog walking and egg collecting, Jim and I like to ride bikes. We ride out of town which means riding 10 minutes in any direction. This gives us the opportunity to see “cool things” like pigs. In fact, we see actual pigs. But what we like best is what we DON’T see – cars. It’s so lovely.
In the mornings and after work, you’ll find many locals climbing the slopes of Wither Hills. This range rises to an elevation of 1,200′ just on the edge of town and is shared with grazing sheep and cattle. During the day, it is blazing hot and if anything caught on fire, you’d be a goner. Signs warn the walkers, runners, and mountain bikers that – The steeper the hill, the faster the fire travels – and equally scary – You cannot outrun a fire.
Putting all that aside, the hills are fabulous for walks of ½ hour to 3 hours. At the top, the land stretches as far as you can see without a single manmade sight. The grazing stock only adds to the charm. When you come upon the sheep, they shuttle off. But the cattle, now, they hold their own – usually next to the water trough. No messing with the cattle.
It’s not all fun and games while housesitting in Blenheim. Every so often, we work in the garden, harvesting the carrots, tomatoes and, zucchini that will become our salad. The juicy lemons grow faster than we can use them. There is plenty growing so we freeze tomatoes for the family to enjoy in the winter.
Blenheim….. we are convinced of your charms.
