Northland- east coast

I spent a lot more time on the eastern side of Northland- but am running out of time for blogging with a return to work looming- so you might just get a few highlights!

First up is the amazing bridge at Taipa. I parked and walked back to look at it properly and was so glad I did. On one 'prow' is a shag and on the other is a whale diving. There was a plaque dedicated to Sire Heke-nuku-mai-nga-iwi Puhipi, who was a master waka builder and celestial navigator, and who had been involved with the building of many bridges in Northland.

I stopped at several beautiful bays on the way south- then stopped for longer at Kerikeri, where I was a teacher many years back in just my second year of teaching. There have been many changes since then. It was nice to enjoy some rare sunshine this day!

 There used to be a bridge here but there was some serious flooding, and now there is a majorly changed route.

 The Stone House stands here still. You could enter now as it is a shop- when I was living in the area it was closed all the time.

 I was disappointed to find I couldn't enter Kemp House though. I bought a Heritage NZ membership this year, but so far have only managed to use it once in Russell- many places are either closed or only open on Sundays.

 St James church in Kerikeri.

 There was lots to see wandering in Russell. I did a guided tour of Pompallier House that was incredibly informative about how the Catholic missionary station printed material in Maori. I also noticed some prominent graves in the Russell cemetery.

 There was more light shed on this one to a Ngapuhi chief when I visited Ruapekapeka Pa a few days later. He was fighting with the British against other members of Ngapuhi in the last of the northern wars.

 There was a lot to take in at Waitangi. There is a new museum to members of the Maori Battalion. I found it extremely moving, and actually left in tears. One day I hope to go back and view it more.

The government is clearly making good on its promises that we should all be able to learn more about the New Zealand Wars. The Ruapekapeka Pa site has had a lot of work done with infrastructure near it like paths and parking. Again it was a very moving, and somewhat sombre, place to visit.

Last photo in this blog post is of Whangarei Falls. Great track to walk around to see it from various angles and heights.

Storms were promising as I drove south finally to spend some time with my niece. One day I will return when it is all perhaps slightly warmer and drier!
This blog post is really just skimming the surface, but work is calling!

Took a walk downtown

This morning I took a walk downtown in the sunshine.


There's an attractive café on the corner of Broadway, and the tables are usually occupied. But I was walking quite early, when the tables looked very cheerful with just the morning sunshine for company.

The Broadtop shopping centre used to be full of quite 'mainstream' shops, but now has more secondhand and alternative type shops. I quite like the suburban, laid-back vibe.

 The light was at 'different' angles at this hour, and I liked the way it caught the lines at the entrance to St Pat's.

Finally I reached the Square, and there were tables and chairs galore for me to choose from: I should have taken a picnic brunch...

Man-made walking sights

Today I headed out on the Turitea Walkway again- this time 'backwards' from the Old West Rd carpark, then uphill through the Massey campus back to my car. On the way I took a few photos of things that were 'man-made'...

This decaying old fence-post always seems to catch my eye.

 I realised that I seldom see the 'beauty' in power pylons- but with sunshine and blue skies behind it, this small pylon also caught my eye today.

 I always enjoy noticing how shadows fall, and how they change through the day. I loved the way the shadow from these fence posts enlivened the path this morning!

 Then there was this woman-made shadow as I crossed one of the pedestrian bridges over the Turitea Stream. It reminded me of some of the obligatory 'shadow photos' I took on the Camino in 2008!

 It's very pleasant walking up through the Massey campus. You can make a toilet stop or sit or have a snack-break on a seat. There are not many students back for the year yet so it is almost too peaceful on the concourse.

There are lots of buildings to walk past of course, some a bit ugly. But even this ugly one surprised me with the wonderful reflection in its windows!

354: Joseph St Kitchen

I had another trip to the dump this morning with some more green waste... and stopped off on my way home for a hot chocolate at Mike's Joseph St Kitchen. Oh, and an afghan too :-)

335: Night time in the Square

This is now the last month of my 365 project, so a 'reflection' seems appropriate. On my way home this evening, I saw these reflections in one side of the 'butterfly' lakes in the Square.

And in case anyone is wondering, December 31st will indeed bring the end of this blog. Next year I will be walking in France, probably without too much e-mail access. But there will be a different blog for recounting it all...

286: rock climbers

I don't usually put many 'people' shots on here but here is one exception. Had a lovely little 'adventure' in downtown Wellington with my two nieces. What was one of their favourite activities? Climbing all over the three large rocks outside Te Papa. This beautiful specimen happens to have originated from Mt Egmont- it's andesite.

170: reflections

I was downtown today in a street I am not often in, and noticed the reflection of a building on these windows.

132: Cyclamens

I live in a 'simple' ex-state house. Some people look at the outside of these homes and see them as boring boxes. But these homes were built in the 1940s of sturdy materials, and they were built for the light. In the colder months, the sunlight strikes into the kitchen first, then moves around into the lounge, and finally strikes the bedrooms in the afternoons.
It happened that the morning I looked at this house, early one June, the sun was streaming into the kitchen even more so than in this morning's photo. I loved the light, and promptly bought the house....

111: city layers

I was in the Square today and took a few shots from around this position. I guess what struck me the most was the 'layers' here- natural and human-made -right back to the glimpse of the ranges in the background. And overarching it all was a sky with clouds that perhaps herald a change in weather for Easter.

107: night lights

Night lights at Melody's New World, recently modernised and extended...

76: Skyscraper

This skyscraper on the edge of the Square here in Palmerston North usually seems way too large and out of proportion with the surrounding buildings. But taken from this angle in the Square with trees 'beneath' it, it looks a bit softer and more human-friendly....

62: Pukeokahu

Today I went on a 'road trip' and passed by Pukeokahu School, a small rural school east of Taihape. (But the children were all away swimming in Taihape at the time!)

This has to be another 'double-banger'. First photo shows the school.

And the second photo shows a small part of the magnificent hill country view that they get from the front gate of the school...

46: Ladies Rest Rooms

This is the 'Ladies Rest Rooms' in the Palmerston North Square- a delightful art deco building from a different era. And it is as beautiful inside as out, and is lovingly kept clean by the the supervisor.

Sad thing is, Council added a boring modern box on the back for i-Site. Seems like a travesty when this little building is such a gem on its own.

45: City Library

 

The Palmerston North City Library opens at 10am, and is a popular place. I arrived a little early, and as a 365er with six weeks experience now behind me, I had my camera with me, so took some photos;-) 

The building used to be an iconic department store on the Square, and Ian Athfield the architect designed its rebirth as the City Library.

10: Earthquake damage in Christchurch

A sculpture with several human figures 

decorates the props for an earthquake-damaged building in Christchurch.

Downtown in Christchurch, life has returned to 'normal' for many businesses, but signs of the major earthquake are still obvious. Many of the most damaged buildings in the quake area are older brick or stone buildings. Some have been demolished, and only 'gaps' remain. Others are closed with red-stickers, some of those closed only since Boxing Day when a strong shallow aftershock hit the central city. This historic stone building has been propped up, and some-bodies have 'decorated' the props with sculpture.

Taken 10:59am 10.01.2011;    Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Shutter: 1/640     Aperture: f/5.7    Focal length: 88.18mm      ISO:160

4: Okains Walk

Farm barn seen on the road to Okains Bay

 

When the tide was out, you could do a circuit by walking up the river estuary, visiting the Okains Bay settlement, then returning to the campground via the road. There were various old buildings to see along the way, as well as an interesting museum. This barn stood in the midst of farmland, easily visible from the road. 

Taken 12:28pm 4.01.2011;    Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Shutter: 1/250     Aperture: f/4.5      Focal length:23.04mm     ISO: 80