THURSDAY 26TH JANUARY – MAHURAGI TECHNICAL INSTITUTE (MTI)

An early breakfast and a quick Skype home before being picked up outside the hotel by David Cooper of the MTI.  David lives just outside Auckland so he makes the hour long journey to Warkworth every day, luckily for me the hotel is on the way.

David is the Special Projects manager for MTI and on our journey to Warkworth he tells me all about his background in the aquarium trade and how he came to work for MTI.  David is a “fish nut”, as we say in the trade, so passionate about his work and his love for all things fishy that can be cultured.  He is really engaging about all things and so we cover fish, families, politics, it’s a really easy hour.

When we arrive David gives me a quick tour and overview of the whole business.  It’s a privately run institute and covers a huge variety of marine and aquaculture issues.  MTI offers training on Marine Engineering, hospitality, fire fighting/lifesaving as wells as the aquaculture research.

David then introduced me to Paul Decker, the Director of the Institute.  Over coffee we discuss our backgrounds and the vagaries of the aquaculture industry, feels like I’m talking to two old mates.  Paul is a True Blue Susie with a very jovial and friendly misdemeanour which belies his shrewd acumen and a wealth of technical and practical experience.  It is obvious that he is held in high esteem by his colleagues.

After a tour of his native New Zealand fish species aquaria, David takes me just down the road to a private fish farm who MTI use for supplying research fish.  It’s quite a large site with many large ponds growing grass carp, silver carp or goldfish/koi carp.  In one corner of the farm was a 3m diameter fibreglass tank which David tells me contains silver carp.  I was aware of the reputation of grass carp for jumping when being spooked but this was something different.  David put a net in the tank and stirred it around as I leant over the edge to see what was in there.  After a few seconds I jumped back to avoid the explosion of huge carp (10-15lb) shooting across the tank in mid-air at a rate of knots.  So ferocious was the response that one fish actually jumped clean out of the tank.

Nearby carp and ornamental farm

juvenile grass carp ready to be shipped out for weed control

one of the torpedo like silver carp that jumped out, they'll knock your head off.

After this we went to a small restaurant in Warkworth on the banks of the Mahurangi River.  This area was famous for being the first big commercial logging town in NZ.  We had a chicken salad sandwich that must have been nearly 8 inches wide, I think they call that deep filled.

Back to MTI and ready for the “Eel experience”.  Paul had insisted that he lead this tour.  Unfortunately, one of the MTI staff, Tagried (who I had been corresponding with prior to the trip) was not there, she was in Borneo on research.  However, fortunately for me I had met her just before Christmas.  She lives in Buckinghamshire part of the year and NZ the rest.  She phoned me up just before Christmas to say she was in the country and asked if she and her husband could visit my hatchery on the 23^rd December.  It was great to meet her and her husband and we had some very long and intense discussions.

Paul showed me his broodstock tanks, black header tanks of about 250 litres, each with their own lid and photo manipulation light.  I saw several sizeable short fin eels and Paul even picked up one of the “River monsters” featured on a recent Discovery Channel programme.  According to Paul and David their success was down mostly to broodstock conditioning (by manipulating light and temperature) and they required only one injection to induce spawning.  Paul reckoned that with this method they could produce eggs with a high fertilisation virtually 52 weeks of the year.

Broodstock tanks

Director of MTI, Paul Decker with a "river monster", NZ longfin

Of the several tanks of eel in this broodstock room Paul was particularly proud of his “TV stars”.  These eels were famous for having featured in an episode of “Spartacus”, the slightly risqué Roman Soap that was recently played out on Sky.  The TV Company needed some “tame” eels to use in a scene where they would seductively slither over a naked females body bathing in a spa.  The handler would be required to place the eels on the naked girls’ body, possibly over several shots.  Paul decided that he was probably best qualified to undertake this task.

One of the famous "Spartacus" eels

We then had a short tour of the egg and larval room which was empty at the moment but it was obvious how these guys used their ingenuity to refine the culture and husbandry techniques as they came up against various problems.

Egg and larval rearing room

It was a very informative and entertaining day and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the MTI team as they were finding it hard to attract funding to continue the work, this seems to be a similar story wherever I go.  Anyway it was nice to be amongst people who get pleasure out of trying to breed aquatic species without the textbook and were excited about constructing new systems that may just solve the mysteries of their life cycles.

Paul (left) and David outside the MTI main lecture rooms and offices

David kindly dropped me at the hotel back in downtown Auckland and we vowed to keep in touch, he is coming over to the UK in May so we hope to meet up then.  

Wednesday 25th January, rest day

WEDNESDAY 25^TH JANUARY

Got up early despite the journey, still having issues with the time zones.  Skyped home to check in with Sharon and the kids, what a blessing that is.

My Auckland digs, Copthorne Hotel, just outside city centre.

Well today was earmarked as an admin and necessary jobs (washing my clothes) morning with a bit of sightseeing in the evening. 

Started off with a bit of a shock, internet, that was advertised as free Wi Fi, was only free in the lobby for 20MB.  That was a bit naughty, I needed the privacy to work so it cost me $12 NZ for 2 hrs. (Over £6).  Anyway did a couple of work emails and then decided to do my laundry.

I read in the hotel brochure that they provided a laundry service but this was bound to be expensive so I decided I would find a public Launderette and save a few bucks.  A quick search on the internet revealed that there was one on Short Road, in the City centre, about 15 mins walk.  Off I strolled with a hefty bag of clothes “requiring attention”.  Using the hotel basic map I arrived where I thought it was but nothing doing!!!  After asking in a nearby Convenience store, I was told by an Indian Lady that it had closed down; however there was one further west on Beach Drive.

Another 15 mins later and it wasn’t looking promising, nothing like a launderette.  I asked a local who thought for a minute and then exclaimed, delighted with himself, that there was one in the local Countdown (supermarket) just down the road.  Another 15 mins and I arrived at the Countdown, made my way to the first floor, as instructed and my heart sank, there, in front of me was a dry cleaners!!!!  After asking a couple of store members it was clear that nobody was quite sure, they knew there was one but, where it was………!!

A young lad stacking shelves was certain that there was one on Symonds Road, near the University area, it sounded promising.  Another 30 mins and I was in the centre of the city but there was no sign of anything vaguely resembling a washeteria.  I stopped a sophisticated mature looking lady and asked the question again, she assured me she knew the area well but she could not think of a facility such as the one I wanted.

I made an executive decision and decided to call off the mission and return to base.  It was a hot day and so I returned to the hotel sweating heavily, exhausted and bad tempered.  I decided to do what I should have done first thing and ask at the front desk, surely the hotel would have this information.

“yes sir” said the receptionist, “I can tel you where the nearest launderette is……it’s downstairs in the basement”

So, $3 NZ dollars later I had completed my first job, albeit 2 hrs behind schedule.

In the late afternoon I strolled into Auckland City Centre for a walk round and purchased a couple of souvenirs.  It’s quite a small city centre so getting around was easy.  I found the general prices quite expensive compared to the UK.

Back at the hotel it was another $12 to so some more on line stuff, booking flights and hotel rooms, and then I needed and early night.

Looking forward to tomorrow and a visit to the Mahuragi technical Institute.

Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th January 2012

Well this was going to be another travelling day but my flight from Hong Kong to Sydney was a late flight so I checked out, left my bags and headed into town on the MTR.

I promised my Mother in Law, Ann (who was born in China and lived in Hong Kong for many years) that I would phone family friends, the Hammonds (who live in Hong Kong) and wish them Happy New Year.  The next few days were a big holiday in China and Hong Kong with family getting together, this was going to be the year of the Dragon.  The Hammonds were surprised to hear from me, I didn’t want to invade their holiday but they insisted we meet up.

After an hour or so of trinket shopping Chris Hammond was good enough to pick me up from the General Post Office in Central Hong Kong and take me up the hill to the family home.  We had a nice natter over coffee and Victoria sponge and even managed to Skype home.  Sharon was chuffed to speak to one of her closest childhood friends, Caroline Hammond.  It always amazes me how kids grow up in just a few years if you haven’t seen them, Jamie and Tash are sweet kids.  Chris kindly dropped me back to the MTR station so I made my way back to the hotel to pick my bags.

From here it was a taxi to the Airport Shuttle train and then a half hour journey to the airport.  I’m getting used to waiting in airports now so it was a chance to catch up with a bit of reading.  I have just started “Moonlighting” by Michael Brown……Tales and misadventures of a working life with eels.  It’s a thoroughly honest and entertaining snapshot of the early days of levering and eel fishing for the commercial trade in Europe.  Working in fish farming all my life I am familiar with some of the difficulties in trying to keep fish alive!!!!

After a long flight (10 hrs.) I arrived in Sydney for a transfer to Auckland but had to wait  4 hrs.  Chance to catch up with some of the cricket.

Slightly shorter flight (3 hrs. had enough of planes for today though) and we land in Auckland.  Easy passage through and jumped on a shuttle downtown to the Hotel on the edge of the City Centre.  So tired, just went straight to bed for a long sleep, nothing else to say.

21st and 22nd January 2012

Saturday was really a travelling day.  Got the hugely impressive High speed rail from Taichung to Taoyuan, very clean and tidy.  I like the way you actually stand on the platform where your carriage arrives.  I had to get the airport bus to the Taoyuan airport which was a bit of a queue but nothing horrendous.  The good thing was that I was able to check in my bag at Taoyuan HSR.

Flight was pretty swift so got to Hong Kong by about 4.30.  Got a taxi to the hotel which was in Mong Kok.  Just nipped out for a bite to eat then back to the hotel to “Skype” home and type up some notes.

Off to bed early, shattered.

Sunday

Day of rest and a bit of wonder round Hong Kong.  Got the Metro (MTR) from Price Edward Street Station out to Central station in Hong Kong, it goes from Kowloon side, under the harbour to main Hong Kong Island. Very cheap, about £1.

My wife Sharon (she was born and grew up in Hong Kong) had left me precise instructions, I was to visit her favourite Dim Sum restaurant in City Hall for lunch, how could I refuse!!!!!  After a bit of “map dancing”……..you spin round several times staring alternately down and up, do a fake right then back left etc., I located my position and headed towards city hall.

It was quite cool for Hong Kong, everybody was in overcoats and quite a few had face masks to stop the cold air going up there nose (I am told).  I was in a t-shirt and on the point of sweating!!!!

I noticed the “Gold Finger building”, famous in the James Bond film with Roger Moore, which was right behind City Hall.  After a short wait, after all it was the start of Chinese New Year so a lot of families were out together, I got my seat.

I had no hesitation in ordering a bowl of fried rice and a plate of char sui (Chinese roast pork – my favourite).  The dim sum (sort of little starters) comes round on trolleys so you just stop the waitress and ask for what you want, they all carry different dishes.  I had some har gau (prawns in a soft casing) and sui mai (chopped pork and prawn in a sort of soft won ton case).  Left very full but very happy!!!!!

After that I decided to take the Ferry back to Kowloon to the famous shopping area of Tsim Tsa Tsui.  The Star Ferry is great, old 1950’s boats chugging backwards and forwards all day long to the various Islands, very cheap, about 20p. Took loads of pictures as I knew this would bring back many memories for Sharon.  Headed up to the main shopping area on Nathan Road, passed the very plush Peninsula Hotel with loads of Rolls Royce’s parked outside (again I think Roger Moore pulled up outside here in the James Bond film).  I resisted the temptation to walk in as if I was staying there, come to think of it the chances of getting in were slim with my “NBA City” t- shirt, light Peter Storm walking trousers and carrying a bag of cheap market trinkets!!!!!!!

Spent the rest of the day wondering back towards My Hotel (it’s about a couple of miles) through the shopping area and then in the evening the famous Temple Street markets.  The market stalls are very colourful but you are expected to haggle and being British I am not very good at it “No, I insist on paying double, you work long hours in cramped, hot conditions……….”  They just look at you.

Some of the most interesting places are the food stalls, especially the fresh fish and meat.  And when I say fresh……. There are buckets of living fish, frogs, crabs act being sprayed with water, and you just take your pick.

Got back to Price Edward Street quite late so grabbed a grilled chicken sandwich and drink a restaurant near the hotel and looked excitedly through my bag of Chinese gifts, full to bursting but cost about £30 in total…..that’s my kind of shopping.

Got home just in time to Skype the kids to bed and do a few admin jobs then off to bed.  Really enjoyable day.

Friday 20th January Visit to Freshwater Research Centre Lu Kang

Friday 20^th January 2012

Had a great day. 

8.30am Chen Guan-Ru (my mate Chen) picked me up outside the hotel and we drove south to LuKang.  Chen brought along his daughter, Sue, I think for support in English translation, really sweet kid.  Chen apologised for his lack of grasp of English, I tried to explain that in that context I would be obliged to a jail sentence for my lack of Taiwanese!

I should say that Chen drove.  I found this another very scary experience, Chen was a good driver but it felt as though I was in a “video game”.  There were cars randomly changing lanes, scooters flying in from all directions……like you were meant to shoot them down!  Everyone drove so close and so fast.  For the first ten minutes it was completely unnerving, after that I was like….Chen, take him out!  Mentally I was shaking my fist and gesturing to them, "Suckers……..you got nothing, with your scooter moves…..”

Chen lives in Taichung so he knows the roads well.  In a completely delusional moment back in Wales I had contemplated hiring a car to drive from Taichung to Lukang (about 50 mins drive).  I reckon I would have made about 170 yards before I would have been forced to pull over and sit shivering in the car waiting for assistance.

We arrived at the Research Station in good time and Chen ushered me into his office for a 'coffee', poor Sue had to wait in the car.  I was presented with a can of cold “Dark Bean” coffee which was surprisingly nice.

For the next hour and a half Chen showed me around his research station including:

·         Genetic research for breeding native endangered and commercially important species

·         Research on domestic river populations and exotic fish species

·         Breeding and stock enhancement for Japanese eel

·         Development of aquaculture techniques

·         Studies on fish nutrition

·         Disease treatment

     

There are no doubt other things that I have missed out!  We had a break for Oolong tea and then continued the tour.

Finally Chen suggested lunch in the centre of LuKang.  He took Sue and I to a 'traditional' Taiwan restaurant. I really enjoyed it….nice dim sum, soup and a vegetable like choi sum.  I tried to pay but Chen would not let me…..so kind.

I had a pleasant surprise in the afternoon ... Chen had arranged a 'practical' for me.  He had arranged for his students (and me) to anaesthetise, tag and inject hormones into adult Japanese eels.  This was awesome, what I had come to learn!  I managed to tag the eel without any mishaps.

After the practical session we headed back to his office for some tea and wrap up sessions where I made some notes about everything I had learned.  Chen was on the phone for a few minutes making various calls then he called me over and passed the receiver to me….. he had only arranged for the Director of the Institute, Dr Fu Gaung Li, to speak to me!  What a lovely gesture.

At about 3.30 we headed home, Chen said we were going to stop at a famous glass factory on the way back ... the Taiwan Glass Gallery.  I didn't know what to expect but it was a really interesting place.  Every imaginable object or ornament you could think of were there,  together with displays of all different types and shapes of glass.  I bought a couple of gifts and then we headed off.

      

I thought Chen was going to drop me off at the hotel but he took me home to meet his wife, a very sweet lady who was a primary school teacher.  The houses where Chen lived were packed tightly together but they had a lovely house in a nice area, in downtown Taichung.  Sue, Chen’s daughter took me across the street to the bookstore to find some postcards and a couple of Chinese New Year lanterns.

After that, I thought we would be heading back to the hotel but Chen’s family came with me and took me out to their favourite Taiwanese restaurant!!  The generosity was never ending.  We had some 'carrot cake' starters….nothing like our carrot cake, sort of like a fried turnip cake and some kind of green beans. I had rice, a pork dish, some chicken and stir fried vegetables and another dish which Chen’s daughter 'Googled' on her phone for me.  It was made of soft jelly like squares…..pigs blood…..quite tasty.  We also had some Pearl Tea, a sweet sort of milky coffee with a very aromatic zing.  It was really nice to have eaten some proper Taiwanese traditional food, apparently this restaurant is quite famous worldwide and there is one in London.  But the worst thing was ... they would not let me pay again, so incredibly kind and generous to a stranger.

So finally the evening came to an end and Chen and his family dropped me off at the hotel at about 7.30pm.  I was genuinely overwhelmed that he had given up his day for me and welcomed me with his family in such a generous manner.  I managed to sneak some Lai See (lucky money) in to a red envelope (older folks give this to the young ones during Chinese New Year) and give It to Sue as a gift, they seemed very touched.  Chen and I vowed to keep in touch and we definitely will, I hope he comes to the UK some time so he can meet my family.

Well I was so tired I watched a bit of TV and then crashed out, still not quite believing what a fantastic day it had been.

Thursday 19th Jan 2012

Started off with a rude awakening….Sharon (my missus..sorry luv!!) called my mobile at 8.00am.  I was so jet lagged that I couldn’t work out where I was, what the noise was and why I was hearing it !!!!!

Greatfully received.

Had a nice breakfast of sausage and scrambled egg, fruit and plentiful coffee.  After packing up I got a taxi from the hotel to Taoyuan High Speed Rail (HSR)station.  This was a lovely experience, had a great conversation with the taxi driver on the 20 minute trip.  We talked non-stop even though he could not understand a word I said and I not one from he…. But we giggled and nodded our way through it, smashing.

TheHSR, what an amazing place….so futuristic.  Printed out my ticket via the machine and made my way to the platform.  So well organised, your ticket gives you your place to wait on the platform for your carriage….great system.

The train was roomy and quick, took 35 mins to go to Taichung, apparently normal rail takes 3 hrs.!!!!  The top speed was around 250km/hr. !!!, 8 quid, pretty good value.

Hotel was excellent, checked in quick and did a couple of hours work to catch up with admin stuff and work.  Had a call from Dr Chen of the research station in La Kung to check I had arrived.  Nice

1 hours sleep, still a little time zone confused then Skype home to check on the family.  Slightly guilty about wearing my fleece to counteract the hotel air conditioning when I knew that temps were close to freezing in Wales!!!!.

Around 4 pm walked to night markets, less stressful than the night before as I knew to expect severe road stress!!!  Coped well and even had some street food…sticky rice with chicken and bacon and veg, some kind of soup for less than 2 quid….good value in my book.

Bought  couple of souvenirs then back to the hotel for a rest, saw a sign saying “Gym”, so I passed according to my lack of Taiwanese.

More admin and work stuff on my pc, thank God for Wi Fi.

Headed out pm to a bar/pub…..took about 30mins to explain this to the hotel staff.  It was a Belgian bar located in a Department store basement!!!! I know !!!!  I got puzzled looks from staff in the store even though the place “Le ble d’or” was 50 yards from where I was trying to explain!!  The only thing that did it was the action of drinking and the word “beer”

I Had a couple of beers….dark stuff and then taxi back to hotel.  Calculate daily expenses and type up blog

Have to say everyone was so friendly, they do their best to help you then just laugh if it all comes to nothing!!!

Well off to bed and really looking forward to tomorrow, visit to the Fisheries Research Station in La Kung, Dr Chen (Associate Researcher) has kindly agreed to pick me up at the hotel.

Phase 2 - here we go again !!!!

Well

'Twas a cold and frosty January morning when Shaz and the girls dropped me off at the bus stop in Llanfrynach en route to Heathrow.  Can't believe it's come round so quick, thought I'd planned pretty well but still working up til the last minute!!!

Needless to say it was a bit of a  wrench, this is the longest I have been away from the girls (3 weeks plus), many tears were shed.......some of them belonging to the girls.

As British travel goes this was sublimely smooth, train from Abergavenny to Newport to Reading, then bus to Heathrow.....all like clockwork.  Managed to Skype home from Heathrow.....what a great invention, nice to see faces and here voices after a sad parting.

All loaded onto the plane to HK without queue or incident, it's a breeze!!!  Flight was good (nice grub) except that the ear phones could not pick up the sound of the movies enough to make it worthwhile watching more than 3 films (i.e. the 3 films I watched were good just couldn't here the dialogue).  Having said that it's a far cry from the journey to Ireland we used to endure every summer as kids on Stenna Sealink from Holyhead to Dunlougheire.  The only things you could guarantee were canvass burns from the "backpack-whipping" courtesy of Swedish tourists and the complimentary pile of sick in your aisle floor sleeping position.

Decided to get and earlier connection from HK to Taichung which worked out well at no extra cost.  Got to the hotel after about 1.5 hrs sleep in 30!!!......So had to go out for the evening.

Hotel staff lovely but English very limited, surpassed only by my command of Taiwanese.  After much pointing and gesturing....isn't it funny how after you try explaining something to a person as a foreigner...and they don't get it....you repeat it but a bit louder.... and they still don't get it.... then you mime and get louder!!!!!.....I made my way into the wild city night (Taoyuan) to find food.

I have to say this was one of the scariest two hours of my life.  The hotel staff gave me directions, looked like about 20 mins and two or three blocks.  They failed to mention that there were no pavements, crazy moped drivers whizzing past your shoulder and a completely dysfunctional traffic light system.

The night markets were absolutely fascinating....rammed full of people (from ages 5-75) buying food and cheap goods. however I was unwilling to trust my stomach to the risk of food poisoning.

In the end I got a little bit lost, only bought a mouse for my pc (the touch pad was playing up for some reason) and ended up asking directions form street venders.  Before I was about to give up the food quest, I stumbled upon the only place I could find where you sat in an air conditioned restaurant.  Unfortunately for me they stopped serving Chinese food 10 minutes after I arrived !!!!!!  So I had lemon chicken skewers with some kind of sweet chilli sauce and a pile of French fries which they could not understand from me the first time I ordered.

Well I have to admit it's been an experience, walking around for two hours in Taoyun with nothing to show for it other than effectively " Chicken Nuggets" and chips and feeling like a girl guide at a Hells Angels convention!!!!!

Today I made Karl Pilkington look like a distinguished Travelling Scholar.........Aye carumba !!!!!


View of Chuenr Road, outside my Hotel, Taoyuan