The Best of Times

What a week. Lots of new and wonderful foodie experiences… so a little bit more to get off the tummy when home… arghhhhhh. Lots of opportunities in retail that we are now negotiating to cement and all from the beautiful Australian city of Adelaide!
As a side, places to eat here: Press… brilliant. fermentAsian… fantastic in the Barrossa Valley although I don't know that I am so enamored with the Barrossa. We NZers are so spoilt with our wine and the supporting regions! The Barrossa has an old world feel to it with its roots stepped in German history. Just look at the labeling on some of the bottles. Although the wine is excellent we have been extremely conscious of the old saying ‘When in Rome’.... so it’s been many Aussie Shirazs’ for me (and have I picked some great ones)!

fermentAsian - Barossa Valley

The Night Patrol in Adelaide

The Press - My Favourite Adelaide Restaurant

This trip has not been without event at home and it has been a wonderful testimony to the team that I have employed and empowered as to the way that they have coped so well. Who would have thought that after all that has gone on in Christchurch they would suddenly decide to red-sticker our Rangiora store. So with 24 hours’ notice we were asked to vacate. A public meeting identified the building was at risk then set the time frames for departure. Rather than dwell on the ongoing issues that this will present, as so many of the others did, Angela, one of our senior managers, simply rallied the troops and a van and started to gut the store. Yep, lights, racking, mirrors and exterior signage to boot… amazing and all with no fuss and a barrage of humorous texts as she effected the destruction of Tony’s handiwork completed a year earlier. I love the capability of this woman and so many that I employ as it knows no bounds. The old face of the company would have seen an early return home by us to effect this task but not so today. So many of my team will happily get in boots and all and make the very necessary wheels turn. This has got to be the ultimate for me to have created this absolute self-belief in these women and I intend to raise this bar so much higher. It was Tony that said to me as we discussed the stores demise last night and the focus going forward, “Surely you can’t think that everyone that you employ seeks to be extended and empowered and offered opportunities to do so”… Yep I do. I’d like to think that everyone in my employ wants this. That they want to test the previous limits that they thought they had and see how far they can push themselves as to just what levels of success they can achieve within my environment with me right beside them mentoring and encouraging them every step of the way.

And still no word from the Indian travelers. They have made it to Thailand I hope so there can’t be a shortage of internet cafes in this country surely! I will just have to wait hoping that no news is good news as they, just as I am, are likely to be having the best of times.
The last day of our break today will see us having lunch in The Adelaide Hills (yumm) and making a decision on a site in Norwood, Adelaide which seems to be the best location for us.