The Port Hills – Buy
Somewhere on the way over the Port Hills, heading towards Lyttelton I stopped. Well, actually I stopped many times so it’s hard to recall the exact place. However, on the way the mist and clouds that were covering the Port Hills were constantly changing and shifting quite quickly so everytime I stopped it looked a little different. On this occasion it reminded me of a scene you see in the Scottish Highlands.
The former Martinbourgh Post Office & Store – Buy
I thought I’d quickly detour back to Martinbourgh to follow up on a post I did the other day about the Martinborough Hotel. Well, literally just across the road on the corner of Kitchener Street and Memorial Square is the former Post Office and Store. To this day it remains another fine example of the building and architecture from the pre-1900 era.
The streets of Martinbourgh
“Wanting to pay tribute to the city of London, all the streets leading out from the main square were planned and built in the form of a Union Flag.“
Farm Field In South Canterbury – Buy
Here’s an image from South Canterbury that I couldn’t ignore and that I thought you might enjoy.
The Martinborough Hotel – Buy
If you’re going to name a town, why not name it after yourself! That’s exactly what Irish settler John Martin did in 1879. After arriving in the South Wairarapa District from Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand, John Martin purchased a large sheep station with plans to develop a town in the area. Wanting to pay tribute to the city of London, all the streets leading out from the main square were planned and built in the form of a Union Flag. In 1882, three years after John Martin first purchased the land where Martinbourgh would be developed, on the corner of the town square the grand Martinborough Hotel was built. At the time, so impressive was the Martinborough Hotel, the proprietor boasted that it was ‘the finest hostelries ever erected in any inland town in New Zealand’.
Of Light and Lines – Buy
Eventually I made my way to a nearby car parking building. Which, I must admit, are really interesting places if you’re looking for some creative inspiration or mental stimulation. They provide all sorts of views across the tops of buildings, from all kinds of angles. You can also find some fun textures and lines if that’s what you’re looking for.
Escalator in centre Dunedin – Buy
I went wandering through centre Dunedin not looking for anything in particular. While I was in the process of looking for some mental stimulation I came across an escalator close to the central Library. I spent the next few minutes riding it in both directions trying to decide where to go next when the escalator itself became of interest.
St Paul’s Cathedral in central Dunedin – Buy
I called in to St Paul’s Cathedral in central Dunedin for a bit of a look around and a little creative inspiration. It so happened that the next day they were holding a concert in the Cathedral and while I was there they were holding an open practice. One lady who was playing the piano was very good while the man that followed her seemed to need a little more practice. Having said that, if you consider the fact that I can’t play the piano at all, they were both actually very delightful to listen to.
A DJ playing a set at Forsyth Barr Stadium – Buy
Yesterday I spent just on 7 hours at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. I was covering the WXV 1 matches that were being played in Dunedin this weekend as part of the women’s international rugby calendar. On Friday night, England beat Canada 45 to 12 while on Saturday afternoon New Zealand scored a 70 to 7 win over Wales before the weekend finished with Australia winning 29 – 20 over France. On Saturday, they had all sorts of entertainment playing both before, during and after the matches including this DJ who played an extended set before each match. It was kinda cool as it was something different from the usual Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond or Welcome To The Jungle by Guns and Roses which tend to get over played a bit.
The Marlborough Sounds and Bluebridge – Buy
The peace and tranquillity of the Marlborough Sounds. It’s home to over 200 species of fish and three different types of sea mammals. It has several predator free islands to protect endangered species like the kakapo, tuatara, and giant weta and since 1962 it has been the main route for inter-island ferries travelling between Picton and Wellington.
The Hooker Valley – Buy
I remember reading once that in Greek mythology there was a belief that snow was caused by Zeus who brought it to mankind by means of his arrows. His arrows were believed to be responsible for weather phenomena like snowfall.
Some of the more interesting facts about snow include; snow is not white, there must be pollen or dust in the air to form snow, no two snowflakes are exactly alike, it takes about 1 hour for a snowflake to reach the ground and my favourite, yodelling won’t cause an avalanche. It turns out that there are a number of factors that can trigger an avalanche, but noise isn’t one of them. For an avalanche to happen, a shift in weight or pressure is needed such as a blizzard, high winds, earth vibrations, a change in temperature or even human activity. But, noise won’t create an avalanche, even yodelling. Yodelling was first used by shepherds to call their stock and to communicate between Alpine villages in the Alps in Central Europe. It then became popular in the 1830s as entertainment in theatres and music halls and extended to places such as America, Romania, Bulgaria, Africa, Hawaii, Madagascar and the Solomon Islands however there has never been an avalanche created by yodelling.
So, if you’re ever high in the Alps surrounded by heavy snow, rest assured that a loud burst of terrible singing won’t bring a mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside.
Spring at the beach – Buy
One of the things you come to expect during Spring in New Zealand, particularly in the lower half of the South Island, is that the weather can be somewhat changeable. Take the last seven days for example. There was heavy rain, then several days of overcast conditions before a few cloudless days with temperatures reaching into the 20’s before the week ends with snow in a few days time.
The Glenorchy Pier – Buy
A few years back now, I stayed a few nights in the tiny South Island town of Glenorchy. One morning, waking up early I snuck out for a walk as dawn was starting to break over the lake and the surrounding mountains. I made my way down to the pier at the lakefront as heavy clouds started to clear over the mountains and sunlight started to hit the hills high above the lake. If there’s one thing that is guaranteed to make you feel insignificant, it’s watching the earth wake-up while being encircled in mountain peaks when you’re the only one around.
Harbour Street in Oamaru – Buy
I recently drove to Christchurch from Dunedin, a distance of some 360 kilometres. On the way I ventured through Oamaru and on a whim I detoured through the heritage precinct situated near the harbour. Made up of several streets, the heritage precinct is a wonderful streetscape of commercial Victorian style buildings that are constructed from local limestone and were built around 1865 to 1885. Needing to stretch my legs, I parked several blocks away and joined the steady throng of people who were ambling around the area. I walked down Tyne Street and turned left into Harbour Street. I was hoping to photograph the outside of some of the historic buildings, however for reasons that can only be guessed the street has been left open to traffic. As I was standing there, I tried to figure out the logic of having a street no more than 100 metres in length, with a width of no more than several cars and buildings over 150 years old that attracts large crowds, and the council allows people to park cars right in front of them. As I moved along the street, I thought to myself there really is nothing like casually strolling from shop to shop, admiring hand crafted facades and having to wait while some numb nut tries to parallel park a Subaru Impreza or for a Mitsubishi Outlander to move because the driver doesn’t want to walk the extra 10 steps to the shop!
Here’s a quick selection of images I’ve taken at the beach over the years.
The Tucker Box– Buy
It occurred to me the other day that I might have drifted off topic a bit on my blog. My intention had been to photograph, write and blog my way around my own backyard and beyond, by chronicling my trips through words and pictures. To get back on track, I began to make plans for all the trips I could take in the upcoming weeks and months but it became too big and complicated. Then, a voice in my head said, ‘heck John, go for a walk on the Wharf!’ So that’s what I did.
Here’s a wee video I made showing you the before and after of today’s photo.
Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō – Buy
It wasn’t my intention to drive to Lyttelton on Banks Peninsula but then I often end up in places I don’t intend to be. I’d driven up into the Port Hills in Christchurch and had spent the previous few hours wandering some of the tracks in the area. Before heading back to Christchurch and my motel for some lunch, out of interest, I decided to continue on and see what was on the other side. Well, before you know it I’d driven half the way to Lyttelton. From there it only made sense to continue on and see the small port town.
The Makarora River – Buy
One of the places I was looking forward to visiting while I was staying in Makarora was the famous Blue Pools. Unfortunately, the two bridges to the pools were closed for repair work which was a little disappointing. So, instead I spent some time exploring along the Makarora River bank where I made a tasty snack for the fierce local sandflies.
Towards Chatto Creek & Springvale Road – Buy
The Matrix is fixed. You might have noticed there’s been a bug over the last few days as posts appear and then vanish or don’t seem to appear at all. It turns out there was a problem with an update in one of the widgets and a few other bugs that had crept into the system. Essentially my blog had a cold! The good news is that it’s all fixed and normal business has resumed.
Mountain Range In Mount Cook Village – Buy
I think there might be a small glitch or bug happening in my blog feed. It’s really strange. I’ve written and posted this about four times but for some reason it doesn’t stay on the feed, it keeps disappearing or slipping off. Another strange thing was that it was publishing posts with a date two years ago. I’m not sure why?! I’ll have to look into it.
Fareham House – Buy
There are rumours that this place is haunted. It’s called Fareham House and is set amongst 25 acres of farmland, bush and orchard. While I was in the North Island, I spent some time in the Wairarapa District. On my travels, it was one of the places I stayed at. Before I arrived at Farehouse House , I had read that it was haunted and upon browsing in a local bookstore, one of the owners had informed me that it ‘most definitely was haunted.’So, you can imagine my excitement and anticipation when upon arrival I found the house to be a massive historic homestead that seemed perfect setting for some ghostly haunting.
Paraparaumu Beach – Buy
Here in Aotearoa we have some wonderful beaches. There are occasions when I don’t think we realise how lucky we are with the beaches we have. They really are various and distinct. From being able to swim and surf to using them for walking and running to everything in between. There’s even more and more wildlife appearing all year round.
The Taieri River at Outram Glen – Buy
The Taieri River at Outram Glen is one of the popular spots in the Dunedin area. About 23 kilometres from Dunedin, Outram Glen is a popular picnic and swimming area following the Taieri River. It also has numerous walking tracks, one of which leads all the way to Lee Stream, a distance of around 8.5 kilometres. The track is made up of an easy walking track and then a more difficult tramping track.
Christchurch Airport – Buy
I took this photo during an unscheduled eight hour stop in Christchurch. I was only flying from Dunedin to Wellington!
It all started with a noise that didn’t sound quite right. Clearly this is not something you want to be thinking having just taken off on an A320 Airbus heading to 30,000 feet. The next thing that happened was the captain and cabin crew informed us that there was a problem with the landing gear and our flight to Wellington would be making an unscheduled stop in Christchurch. As I sat there watching the coast and listening to a plane that seemed to be rattling more than a car I once owned.
The chaos all started with a series of announcements. All of them simple enough but when strung together created bedlam for a good hour at the Air New Zealand domestic check-in desk. The first announcement came as the plane parked outside the terminal in Christchurch. Hoping it would be a shortstop I was relatively pleased to hear that we would be transferred to a waiting plane, our luggage transferred and all we would have to do is wait for a boarding call. Clearly this meant I would have a few minutes to spare, so like a few other passengers I went in search of coffee.
Clutching my beverage, I spent the time in Relay’s Bookstore looking over the Top 50 reads. The No 1 ranked book was The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck however oddly it was also ranked as No 14. Another book titled Everything Is F*cked also had a double ranking of both 2 and 16. Similar titles were also placed at 3 and 5, 6 and 15, 9 and 20 while most of the numbers from 30 to 50 were empty. I wasn’t quite sure if these placings reflected the quality of the books or an employee’s incompetence when suddenly the next announcement was made.
Over the loudspeaker all the other passengers and myself were told that our flight to Wellington had now been cancelled and we would all have to collect our luggage and rebook. This started a stampede of passengers that is rarely seen. In an instant arms and legs went flying as people headed for the check-in desk. Carry on baggage was flung over shoulders, battle plans were made as families spilt up to collect luggage, while others blocked the escalator looking for loved ones. Having made it to the bottom of the stairs I was pleased to find myself near the front of the pack. I collected my luggage in record time and headed for the appointed counter at the far end of the terminal. Now I don’t want to brag but upon arrival I joined a queue of people that only had two people in front of me. Feeling chuffed I happily waited secure in the knowledge that I would soon be back in the air and off once more to Wellington.
Then, the third announcement came. We were now told to head over to the domestic check-in desk. I turned and looked in horror as my third place in the queue had now slipped to somewhere in the 50’s! Annoyed, I joined the line. The fourth announcement informed me that those travellers who had the Air NZ App would be automatically rebooked and now didn’t have to queue at all! Still feeling somewhat annoyed, I left the line and waited for my update. I waited and waited and waited. Half an hour later, no update had come through.
I head back to the Air NZ counter, making my way past all manner of travellers to inquire about my automatic rebooking. I approached an Air NZ staff member and proceeded to tell my story to which she informed me that I’d have to re-join the line. It was somewhere between the words ‘re-join’ and ‘line’ that my expression changed. This line that I was once third in, snaked off into the distance down the terminal. Feeling sorry for me, she took my details and after much typing printed out a boarding pass. My new flight was now scheduled to board in 7 hours!! Feeling somewhat dumb stuck I headed for a bar.
St Joseph’s Cathedral on a spring morning – Buy
During World War I, around 300 prisoners were held in these barracks on Matiu Island. Most of whom were German nationals who were considered aliens who were a risk to New Zealand’s security. In World War II the island again became an internment camp. The prisoners were primarily German however there were also a large number of Italian and Japanese that were required to do road-building, gardening and fishing.
Afternoon at the Footy Ground – Buy
An afternoon spring storm passes over the Maheno Rugby Ground on a September afternoon.
Victoria Avenue In Whanganui – Buy
I arrived in Whanganui to rain, torrential rain to be precise. Having driven from Wellington to Upper Hutt and then up the North Island’s West Coast, the weather had been reasonably settled. Then, somewhere around either Levin or Foxton it had started to rain. By the time I reached Bulls the rain was getting harder and my arrival in Whanganui was greeted with an almost wall of rain. With the streets covered in puddles that were only increasing, I found a park near the river and went in search of sustenance.
Sunset on St Kilda Beach – Buy
If there’s one thing I enjoy in the summer months it’s spending the evenings on Dunedin’s eastern coastline. After a long hot summer’s day, it’s a lovely way to end the day, watching the sun go day over a calm sea.
The Avon In Christchurch – Buy
Once I had spent some time exploring the Riverside Market and then later The Crossing near Manchester and Cashel Street, I made my way back to the Avon River. I have to admit it, but I do like the Avon River. It’s quite a lovely stroll through the centre of the city following the contours of the river as it gently ambles along.
St Paul’s Catherdral In Spring – Buy
Since there was more than just a touch of spring in the air, I went in search of signs of new blossoms in the central city. So, with a mind for fresh, bright, clean and warm colours I walked along Moray Place, turned onto Stuart Street and arrived in the Octagon. It was there that I spied the fresh bright colours of the flower beds that surrounded the streets, framed by the lovely pink undertones coming from the nearby Cherry Blossom Trees.
Swimming at Tapeka Point – Buy
This was one of the stranger places I’ve had a conversation. At Tapeka Point Beach in the Bay Of Islands I was testing a waterproof camera and playing around with a few settings. In the bay there was a swimming pontoon. As I was about to swim back to the beach this man was waiting for his son and so we started chatting. We must have been talking for a good 3 to 4 minutes before his son snuck up behind him and pushed him in. It was all very assuming.
Signpost on Catlins Road – Buy
Signpost on Catlins Road, The Catlins – 2023
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