Friday, December 28, 2007

South end of the North Island


The sea is quiet today (that rock is about 10 meters high)

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Another view from work

Cheese Emporium

An old dairy factory, now converted into a sort of shop.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Iconic NZ towns- Eketahuna

No, I'm not going that fast- the flash was on and there was a bit of a delay in the camera actually taking the picture!

This is my property pick. Buy here cheap and you will make a packet in 5-10 years. This place is up & coming property for lifestylers and holiday homes.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

A great country playground

Forty years ago I was sliding down this- now my kids are!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Here there be cows!


This is a track I have to navigate every day.


This is what it looks like after a few days of good weather. After a week of rain, it's mostly under water.


You never have the window down here!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

A road to the back of nowhere


I think I would like to live at the end of this one!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Monday, September 24, 2007

Where the get water #6

This also doubles as a duck pond and my private eeling spot!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

These things are popping up everywhere

Yet another vinyard appears- this one out the back of nowhere!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Who left the tap on?

That's what 40 litres per second looks like!

Lets' go the back way!


Why not?- I'm getting paid by the hour!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Here there be Cows!

It's not all pretty pictures out here in the sticks.

Be thankful I have turned the smell off!

Still holding together!


Friday, August 31, 2007

The view from work

I have been a bit slack in posting here, due to working crazy hours and the kids hiding the camera download cable!

I'm back in business with this shot of the view from just outside the plant.


Thursday, August 9, 2007

Fox Glacier august 2000


The dump right next to the glacier. I hope it's gone now- even if there was some grat bird-watching!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Thursday, August 2, 2007

This really is out in the sticks!

The Minchin Biv- a tin tent up the Poulter river, Arthurs Pass.

When I last stayed there (Christmas 1983) the hut book showed an average of six visitors. annually.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Sign of the Bellbird- Port Hills, Christchurch


The remains of an old tea rooms, this used to be a great place to camp out for the night and enjoy a few drinks in front of a roaring fire in the old fireplace.
That is probably all forbidden now....

Monday, July 23, 2007

This is MY kind of Museum!


The caterpillar experience, Rotorua.
What young lad wouldn't love it!
or dad, for that matter!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

One of the lakes near Rotorua

Can't remember the name, but its out towards Tarawera

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Country Pub

This one is out the back of nowhere, but is still well known, as it has appeared on a TV commercial.

Any guesses?

Thursday, July 5, 2007

On holiday- back soon


That shed looks like a good place to hole up with a book and a few bottles of gin, but no.
I have to take the family with me...

Where they get water #2


Friday, June 29, 2007

The Haunted House


Just derelict, but if a house were to be haunted, it would be this one!


Thursday, June 28, 2007

Beware of the tree!


A large Poplar or Cottonwood, if you are from the USA.
Often called 'the widowmaker' for their trick of suddenly dropping branches or falling over.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Classic kiwi bachs

Ocean Beach, South Wairarapa.

Friday, June 22, 2007

My hut site


I'm building a hut here- one day. After 18month, I have half the foundations done.
Rome wasn't built in a day- especially when the builder works 12 out of every 14 days!

Where they get water #1

Every couple of weeks I have to walk into the bush and service this emergency water supply.

By emergency I mean straight out of a Taurarua stream, into the pipe and give it a shot of chlorine gas. I had to run a town on this for a couple of month this summer, due to the hi-tech wonderplant being SNAFU.

But it tastes good anyway! Bugs and all!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Another hut from the past

The Minchin Biv- next on up the line from the Poulter Trust Hut.

In my day it didn't get a lot of visitors- the hut book showed an average of six per year. It's small, but was very welcome to be back in'82, when I spent four days there after the rivers flooded. I spent most of the time pacing up & down 300 meters of riverbank, between two streams, to keep the sandflies off.

The boulders I could hear rumbling down the rivers & streams were saying ' Don't Cross!"

Friday, June 15, 2007

Never mind the door-shut the bloody gate!


At the other end of the market...

Tin Hut this ain't!

Even phoning them costs a packet.

But hidden out in the backblocks it is indeed!

Most of them that stay here fly in. If you can't afford a chopper, you can't afford the drinks before dinner!