Quarterly Report

The time has come for the supreme commander to issue the Mariposa Corporation Ltd. first quarterly report. The company’s first restaurant has been in operation for about 2 months and things have calmed down to a manageable level. The future looks very bright.

Most people, as they are building their dream restaurant, get so beat up during construction that opening and operating the beast they have created seems easy. It isn’t, it’s harder! Setting up a restaurant this size properly, creating the lines of communication within an organization that operates 16 to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, establishing the initial marketing plan and develop our company image, getting the food consistent, managing all the wild and wacky personnel, figuring out how business works down here and building a kitchen system that works in KiwiLand is crazy. Our management team is now on the same page and the restaurant operations manual is being built one page at a time, one day at a time.

Enough business! If I knew then what I know now, who knows? Working with the boys has been a real treat and this has been another bizarre experience that satisfies one’s soul. Unfortunately the old golf game has suffered. One game a month, on a tough course equals a 12. Watch out Pink and Bitter-root. People play golf a little different down under. I haven’t had one putt given yet. Grey haired ladies who have been members for 45 years keep explaining the rules of golf, and everyone walks with a trundler.

I’m coming back to Bend in early July to play in the Broken Top member/guest tournament with my great friend Bob Green. Rick, we are signed up, RIGHT. I think I will ride my BMW to LA and ship it to New Zealand. Motorcycles in NZ are expensive and there aren’t many K1200RSs in this country. I really can’t wait until I’m able to explore this country on my scooter, before my buddies come down for their first tour. I think late January to early March is probably the best motorcycle weather NZ.

Adjusting to living in the city has been another interesting facet of our lives. I love our apartment and the view. It’s a little small, but it’s the coolest building in town and a short walk to the restaurant. How many times do you get to live in a luxury hotel in an international city? The restaurants in town are ok and we go out and explore often. I do miss Bend’s restaurants and all those great meals with all our great friends.

We still have issues with how people do business in NZ. Problems with noise from our neighbor have been addressed but not solved in 4 months (they need to move their bass speaker away form our common wall), cash handling charges because if you deposit more than $15,000 a month in your account and cell phone/internet service charges that would blow anyone in the US away.

I’m currently trying to finagle my way on to the Mackenzie Cup Team at Titirangi. Every year the team travels to another Alstier Mackenzie course and competes against teams from Mackenzie courses throughout the world. I may have to rough one of the established team members up to talk my way into the lineup. Maybe I’ll be competing against Pasatiempo some where, some time.

Get your travel plans together for next summer (your winter) and get your butts down here. It’s too great of experience to let slip away. See you soon.
Mel Torme