POP: Travels North - Spring 2005.

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	263 Images.

		Peters Little Brick House. Lovely garden by the road north from Wanganui, the small brick building is where Peter lives.
Outskirts of Wanganui. 12:43 pm, Sat 16th Jul, 2005

		Natures Chaos, Humans Entropy. A wee spot of paradise in Wanganui.
Outskirts of Wanganui. 1:04 pm, Sat 16th Jul, 2005

		The House on the Hill. This seemed to be an easily defended situation I thought, or maybe it was on flat ground until the earthquake... ;)
On the road to Raetihi. 2:25 pm, Sat 16th Jul, 2005

		The House on the Hill (closer). I wonder when it was built, maybe in the early 50's. Something about this house I like, it is certainly away from the rat-race.
On the road to Raetihi. 2:25 pm, Sat 16th Jul, 2005

		The Long and Winding Road. A guy I met while I was taking pictures, he said it would be ok to take a picture so I did :)
North of Wanganui, next to HWay 4. 3:30 pm, Sat 16th Jul, 2005

		Above Raukawa Falls. Farmland next to Raukawa Falls, looks like a nasty drop down to the Mangawhero River.
North of Wanganui, next to Raukawa Falls. 4:46 pm, Sat 16th Jul, 2005

		Undergrowth and Rocks. Wandering along a dirt road through an Ecological Reserve, south of Mt Ruapehu, I found this darling little snippet of nature.
Near Mt Ruapehu. 9:17 am, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Mount Ruapehu Beneath Big Clouds. In the Eco Reserve; the wind was blowing these clouds over Mt Ruapehu. Probably white out conditions on the mountain!
Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park. 9:20 am, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Young Flax Plant. Eco Reserve; a nice wild flax plant, a little yellow and spotted, but it still looks healthy.
Tongariro National Park. 9:20 am, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Tussock and Sand on the Desert Road. Stopping at a rest area, I found myself looking in the opposite direction to Mt Ruapehu at the richness of the desert road vegetation.
The Desert Road, east of Mt Ruapehu. 11:27 am, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		White Out Conditions on Mount Ruapehu. Mt Ruapehu looking nicely chilled, most of the skiing is on the other side. There is more of it in the clouds in case you were wondering.
The Desert Road, Tongariro National Park. 11:44 am, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Sparrow on a Fence Batten. Sitting in my car at another rest area, this little Sparrow came to check me out, I hope those feathers are warm.
Waipapa Rd, west of SH1, next to the Waikato River. 1:27 pm, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		BMW In front of Cliff. My car, at least you cant see the rust in the doors from here hehe, it was raining at the time, so things look a little dull, but the area is very beautiful!
Waipapa Rd, west of SH1, next to the Waikato River. 3:05 pm, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Run Off from a Small Hydro Dam. Stopped here because it was so nice, the gentle rain seemed very refreshing.
Waipapa Rd, west of SH1, next to the Waikato River. 3:31 pm, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Fantail on a Rock. I spent a couple of hours watching and trying to catch these little Fantail Birds, they were flitting around catching insects in the rain.
Waipapa Rd, west of SH1, next to the Waikato River. 3:52 pm, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Fantail Takes Off. I was using multi shot mode, and usually I would get one picture sitting, one picture of half a bird or a wing tip, and one of empty air. Such wonderful little Fantails, they often follow people as they walk round to catch insects that fly off when disturbed by the footsteps.
Waipapa Rd, west of SH1, next to the Waikato River. 3:57 pm, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		Rural Scene Near Hamilton. With the clouds in the sky I thought there was going to be a nice light so I rushed to find a nice place to catch it, while this is not 'just right', I do like it very much.
Outskirts of Hamilton. 5:22 pm, Sun 17th Jul, 2005

		The Wood Pigeon Sitting on a Mamaku Frond. At my friends place in Waiatarua, this Wood Pigeon was seen often amongst the wonderful bush. Hearing these birds fly is great, they sound like a very slow spinning helicopter.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 3:37 pm, Wed 20th Jul, 2005

		Auckland Framed by Bush. Auckland city sprawling out. Seen from the green haven of my friends place.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 3:40 pm, Wed 20th Jul, 2005

		Panorama of Auckland City. The sprawling metropolis of Auckland in all its glory :)
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 3:41 pm, Wed 20th Jul, 2005

		Auckland Under the Spotlight. Again from my friends house in Waiatarua, of Auckland city. The city is in a patch of sunshine, while everywhere else is brewing up a good dowsing of rain.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 5:08 pm, Wed 20th Jul, 2005

		Wood Pigeon in the Trees. The Wood Pigeon (Kereru) sitting watching the world. I am pretty sure it came to watch us :)
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 10:15 am, Fri 22nd Jul, 2005

		Mamaku Waving in the Wind. The fronds of a Ponga Tree (in fact a Mamaku Tree) move in a gentle gust of wind.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 10:19 am, Fri 22nd Jul, 2005

		Oblivion Express. A strange monument to the racing fraternity of west Auckland, very close to Bruce McClaren Road, looking rather dramatic in the light of the closing day.
Railside Ave, Henderson, Auckland. 5:15 pm, Sat 23rd Jul, 2005

		Blanket of Cloud over Auckland. Early morning, and Auckland City is shrouded in thick clouds waiting for the sun to arrive and burn them off.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 7:15 am, Mon 25th Jul, 2005

		Wake Up Sleepy Head. A shame the picture does not convey the feeling of the situation, the briskness of stepping from your bed all snug and warm, the quiet expectancy of the natural world, the feeling like you are in a strange land on a strange planet and the joy of it all. The joy that makes it all mean something!
Waiatarua, Waitakere City, Auckland. 7:24 am, Mon 25th Jul, 2005

		Dew Speckled Cob Web. Such busy little things are spiders, although when they are not building webs they seem to sit round for long periods doing nothing at all. I guess when you depend on something to bring in the dinner, you spend energy on it :)
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 3:57 pm, Tue 26th Jul, 2005

		Mamaku Stems. Native New Zealand bush is pretty moist stuff, much of the forest is classed as rain forest, and it is full of smells and mush, but it is also very refreshing to be in, so long as you don't plan on going far through the tangle of virgin bush.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 4:07 pm, Tue 26th Jul, 2005

		Auckland City in the Morning. Early morning view of Auckland city. All those people out there, wiping sleep out of their eyes, getting ready for another day in the rat race hehe.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 8:31 am, Sat 30th Jul, 2005

		Billowing Clouds. Billowing in the currents of thermals and moisture, clouds weighing incredible numbers of tons defy gravity.
Auckland. 11:13 am, Mon 1st Aug, 2005

		House in the Bush. My friend's neighbours, perched amongst the trees and bush. It must be quite hard living in a place like this, but there are benefits as well.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 11:22 am, Mon 1st Aug, 2005

		Domed Roof Section. My friends bedrooms veranda, with part of the domed roof. Built along similar lines to huts built in some pacific islands, but considerably larger, very innovative, and very nice to live in.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 9:10 am, Fri 5th Aug, 2005

		The Kauri Tree. This Kauri tree is Huge! Looking at it from afar is very deceptive, but when you slog through the bush, and eventually find it (when your in the bush, even the sky is obscured) it would take 20 people or more linking hands to hug this granddaddy of trees!
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 9:17 am, Fri 5th Aug, 2005

		Wood Pigeon in the Sunlight. The curious Wood Pigeon returns. The Maoris' used to eat these when they could, having quite a bit of meat on them, but nowadays they are protected thankfully.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 9:25 am, Fri 5th Aug, 2005

		Wood Pigeon in the Trees. very beautiful, and very important to the trees and bush, in that they propagate seeds throughout their territory.
Waiatarua, Waitakere, Auckland. 9:26 am, Fri 5th Aug, 2005

		Mission Bay. Evening light on the clouds over Mission Bay. Auckland city has a lot of sheltered sea for the yachties.
Mission Bay, Auckland. 5:28 pm, Sat 6th Aug, 2005

		Sky Tower at Night. Auckland's 'Hypodermic' umm Sky Tower, peering up out of the other tall buildings at night. Very controversial when it was built, now a fully accepted part of the Auckland skyline.
Auckland City. 7:32 pm, Sat 6th Aug, 2005

		Ducks Crossing Bridge, Helensville. A fairly typical little town, 25kms north of Auckland, Helensville main street meanders across a river, which is no doubt where the Ducks that cross the road come from.
Helensville. 1:02 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Rainbow from Windswept Manuka Trees. I spent quite awhile at the lookout point here, people came and went, then these people came and went over the road, and I wondered what was over there ;) The people add a nice warmth I think.
Lookout point, Kaipara Harbour. HWay 16. 3:42 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Kaipara Harbour from Lookout Point. The south of Kaipara Harbour seen from the lookout point. Kaipara harbour is a large shallow tidal bay with a narrow opening to the sea. A very relaxed life style can be enjoyed here I think.
Kaipara Harbour, HWay 16. 3:43 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Gravel Esses. There are many gravel roads in this area, which is nice (I think). There is a beauty to a nice set of esses, and these bends have that beauty, like a nice piece of engraving in the land.
On the road to Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 4:35 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Peaceful Pastures. Getting nearer to the actual sea in Kaipara Harbour, the cows unhurriedly chew their cud, and I head toward Journeys end road, and Tapora.
Kaipara Harbour. 4:35 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Tracks in the Mud. Reaching the end of Journeys end Road, I find that the road in fact goes on, well, sort of hehe.
Birds Beach Road, Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 4:58 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		The Mud-flats of Tapora. The mud-flats here have some interesting undulations in them, you can see part of them to the bottom right. The mangroves in the background seem to be thriving.
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:02 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Birds Beach Road. The sleepy little gathering of houses that is Tapora. It is so quiet here that you can actually hear yourself think! I bet people know their neighbours here to!
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:03 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Coral Tree Flowers. I thought these were Kaka beak flowers. The Kaka is a big green parrot, with a big parrots beak so you can see why I might think that, however I recently discovered that it is in fact a Coral Tree (Erythrina Sykesii).
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:07 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Sunset over the Mud-Flats. I was enchanted by this little place and it blessed me with one of the greatest sunsets I think I have seen. It was not so spectacular, but it was extraordinary.
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:27 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Dancing Clouds in the Sunset. Apparently the anvil cloud is a reasonably common formation, but it looks very other worldly to me. Maybe it was the combination of the area and circumstances, but I think it looks awesome.
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:28 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Sunset Clouds Over the Mud-flats. I think that when we live in cities we loose the ability to appreciate the simple things, and to be sensitive to subtle combinations of sensory input, it's a great loss!
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:31 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Gold Lined Clouds. Talk about golden linings, its like there's something brewing out there :>
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:35 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Coral Tree and Orange Clouds. The Coral Tree, looking very twiggy in the fading light.
Tapora, Kaipara Harbour. 5:39 pm, Sun 7th Aug, 2005

		Main Road running through Paparoa. Picturesque little town really, in the back blocks of the north, one day I must put a map on this website with links to pictures on the map.
Paparoa, in the North of the North Island. 11:28 am, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Clouds Reaching for the Heavens. Venturing along a gravel road that took my fancy, in a nice patch of sunshine, these giants attracted my attention.
Inch Road, near Toka toka. The North. 12:41 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Cabbage Tree and Clouds. The giant clouds from afar, you can see to the right the kind of weather that I had just come out of.
Inch Road, near Toka toka. The North. 12:44 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Is This What it is Like to be an Insect? Inch Road is much longer than an inch believe me, I would love to know why it is called that! The yellow road signs put up by the AA, are a godsend really, I guess people asked other people before road signs.
Inch Road near Toka toka. The North. 12:49 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Bird in a Puddle. Thanks to New Zealand Birds I can now state that this is a Spur-Winged Plover. Very similar to a Dotterel in many ways, and a competitor for our Dotterels. This one and its companion were having a bath in the puddle at the time.
Inch Road, near Toka toka. The North. 1:04 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Dargaville Main Street. The biggest town I had been in for a good many miles, half way between the north cape and Auckland on the west coast.
Dargaville. 1:34 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Young Cows Gather. These young cows seemed very curious about me, maybe they thought my camera was good to eat?
Just north of Dargaville. 3:21 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Wind Blown Manuka Tree. Manuka trees aka Tea trees, often grow wind blown like this, perhaps it is because their foliage is so thick and tightly packed. Their wood is quite hard, and saplings often are very strait and make a good staff.
Kaiiwi lakes, near Taharoa lake. 3:45 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Nice Place to Sit and Contemplate? The camping grounds I stayed at here had lovely and well maintained grounds. Situated between 2 small rivers that joined, meant they were virtually surrounded by river.
Whatoro (I think), or Kaihu. 5:20 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		The Two Rivers Join. Here is where the two rivers merge, they are not big rivers, and have a nice babble to them, though I saw some pictures in the dinning block showing much of their grounds under water when they had some bad rains.
Whatoro (I think), or Kaihu. 5:24 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005

		Friendly Wee Sparrow. In the morning I came out of my little room at the camping grounds to a lovely sunny day and some of these little chirruping critters. This one is a couple of arms lengths away, and the wings flapping is because of the shutter clicking.
Whatoro (I think), or Kaihu. 9:35 am, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Flowers in the Sunshine. Had to have a walk around the grounds of the camping grounds in the sunshine, it was very nice.
Whatoro (I think), or Kaihu. 9:41 am, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Just Big Enough to Hug. Not far down the road it started raining again, but it was not wet rain really, and the spring day was warm enough, which is good for this sturdy little pony, with its shaggy coat. Note cat sitting in the window of the house looking on.
Donnellys Crossing, 40km north of Dargaville. 10:33 am, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Rolling Grass Covered Farmland. I don't know what sets this apart from thousands of other rural scenes you might see, apart from this was the one that I was looking at at the time. It brings smells and freshness, and farm sounds to mind.
Kaitui, nearing the Kauri forest now. 10:58 am, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Large trees of the Waipoua Forest. Viewing some of the trees of Waipoua Forest from a lookout point, some of the trees are huge. Just keep on breathing out that oxygen trees, and we will try to protect your future!
Waipoua Forest. 11:15 am, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Miles of Wild Forest. You can see the moisture in the air, and I think you can see how the tree would cling on to the moisture with their rough textures and 'pores' between the trees and the branches.
Waipoua Forest. 11:16 am, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Woody Sentinels of the Road. What an honour it is to travel through this forest, really, some would take it for granted, but they would be asleep or senseless, we are the new kids on the block here.
Waipoua Forest. 12:15 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Raggedy Leaf, Drinking the Moisture. A Blechnum Fern, looking fresh and green with its wetness. Water seems to stick to plants, like it was designed to or something. Perhaps a lucky coincidence.
Waipoua Forest. 12:17 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Little Leaves. I think these are young Kauri tree leaves, but I'm not certain. They say that the leaves of young Kauri trees are larger than the leaves on fully grown Kauri trees. When you see a large Kauri, you don't notice the leaves much so they must be correct :)
Waipoua Forest. 12:18 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Two Large Kauri Trees by the Road. I love the wrinkles under where the branches join to the trunk, like they are sprung loaded. I suppose some of those branches must weigh a heck of a lot.
Waipoua Forest. 12:43 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Tane Mahuta. Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest, in the Maori language). This is the tallest of the old Kauri trees today, it is estimated to be 2100 years old. Circumference of 13.7m (45 feet) and height of 51.5m (169 feet), this is indeed a Lord of trees.
Waipoua Forest. 1:20 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		At the Foot of a God! I am very conflicted when I see a tree such as this one. On the one hand I just want to kneel in reverence and on the other hand, I want to weep for its ancestors. The timber industry got started in earnest around 1860, at that time there was 4,000,000 acres of rain forest in the north island, 150 years later there is 18,420 acres!
Waipoua Forest. 1:31 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		The Lords Big Brother. While Tane Mahuta is the tallest, Te Matua Ngahere (father of the forest) is the broadest. Circumference of around 16.4m (54 feet) and height of 29.9m (98 feet), this Kauri tree has incredible presence, and is estimated at over 2000 years old.
Waipoua Forest. 2:09 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Te Matua Ngahere, and its Companion Vine. Te Matua Ngahere is impressive enough, but the vine growing right next to it is amazing itself! I have no statistics for this fellow, but it is like no other vine I know off, a proper tree would be happy to have a trunk like this vine has :)
Waipoua Forest. 2:14 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Skin of the Father. Home to many forms of life, Te Matua Ngahere and his ancestors have been growing for tens of thousands of years, specimens of Kauri trees dug up from swamps have been dated as growing 30-50,000 years ago. As the Kauri grows, it sheds flakes of bark, thus getting rid of parasites that may eat deeper in than the bark.
Waipoua Forest. 2:16 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Facing the 'Wall' of Te Matua Ngahere. When you come around the corner and see this tree for the first time it is a breath taking experience, it is hard to recognise it as a tree at first, looking more like a wall framed by the surrounding bush.
Waipoua Forest. 2:19 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		The Four Sisters. A short walk through forest, along the raised wooden walkway will take you to The Four Sisters. Four younger Kauri trees growing close together seem almost small after seeing 'Lord' and 'Father', but these are indeed large trees as well.
Waipoua Forest. 2:43 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Tall and Strait. While I abhor the thought, you can easily see why timber men would drool at these trees. Captain James Cook wrote in 1769 'The banks of the river were completely clothed in the finest timber my eyes have ever seen?' and so began the slaughter.
Waipoua Forest. 2:44 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Picturesque Farmland. Leaving Waipoua Forest I spied this idyllic scene and its strange trees growing in old stumps.
Waimamaku. 3:20 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Omapere. Small township at the entrance to Hokianga Harbour, this town looks like a great spot for a holiday home perhaps.
Omapere, south of Opononi. 3:54 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Old Wood. When I first saw this I was at a loss to imagine what this and the other timbers were used for, being at the top of the high cliff of the southern head of Hokianga Harbour. I now believe it to be part of a winch for bringing goods up from ships below.
Omapere, south of Opononi. 4:14 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		South of the Heads, Omapere. Looking south from the south head of Hokianga Harbour. Lovely colours seen from this exposed vantage point high up on the top of the cliff.
Omapere, south of Opononi. 4:14 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Opononi Pier in Early Evening Light. What can I say, get some nice early sun setting light, find something to shine it on and you got a great shot ;)
Opononi. 5:16 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Black Backed Gull Paddling. Here the early evening light turns the sea water golden coloured, as a Black Backed Gull paddles through the small waves, perhaps hunting for something to snack on (like the enormous Hokianga Burger I had just finished, highly recommended).
Opononi. 5:17 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Swooping From the Skies. Whilst watching the Black Backed Gull paddling in the sea, this Skua like bird (don't know, confirmation pending, it may be a Shearwater but I don't think so, it has too straight a beak, still investigating) came swooping in as if it were about to snatch something from the clutches of the Gull, but it kept on flying, gaining altitude again.
Opononi. 5:19 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Nice Iceblock! Opononi became famous in New Zealand in 1955 when a young Bottle Nosed Dolphin came to play with the locals, she became known as Opo, and soon thousands flocked to Opononi. Many Maoris' believed Opo was a spirit from god, maybe they were right.
Opononi. 5:22 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Coral Tree. Looks like this tree found some water to grow in, while the sheep and cows concentrate on mowing the grass for the farmer.
North of Opononi. 9:42 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Road into Whirinaki. A lovely set of curves, wind into the small township of Whirinaki.
Whirinaki, north of Opononi. 9:57 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Rows of Pine Trees. You could be forgiven if you might mistake this morning mist for smoke, but mist it is. Pine trees are great because they prevent other trees from being milled, but they change the ground they grow on, making it virtually toxic for many plants.
Waima Forest. 10:21 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Big Bird in a Dead Tree. Arriving at The Wairere Boulders, that were recommended to me at the Whatoro camping grounds, I spotted this Heron in a dead Pine tree. I was lucky to get this shot as the Heron was quite timid and as I inched forward, I crossed some line and off it flew, making a most incongruously ugly grating 'croaking' noise of complaint.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 11:22 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Moss Covered Boulders of Wairere Boulders. The Wairere Boulders are rather unique, they were formed by a layer of Basalt lava having the clay beneath eroded away by the Wairere river, causing the lava layer to break up and slide into the river valley, over 2.8 million years.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 11:28 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Boulder Soup. Part of the uniqueness of these boulders is the 'fluting' on them, believed to be the result of organic acids washed from Kauri trees, etching the basalt rock away. Incredibly there were Kauri growing amongst these rocks when the Europeans arrived here.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 11:33 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Forgotten Land. Thought worthless land till not so long ago, the Wairere Boulders was bought and turned into a touristic venture. The path amongst the boulders is a wonderful adventure, and was apparently exciting to build.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 11:49 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Not Quite Coconuts. Along the path there is a wealth of plant and tree life to see, many of them carrying name plaques. This is a Nikau Palm, with its colourful berries ready to fall.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 11:59 am, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Shelobes Lair? This is both alluring and disturbing all at the same time. The curves, textures, and colours are wonderful natural art, but the spiders web and the black hole look worthy of care. The burnt end makes me wonder how natural it is.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 12:08 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Boulders on the Move. The fact that the fluting on some boulder runs horizontally, is mostly due to the boulders being dragged down the slope by gravity and erosion de-stabilising them, and so they roll to a new resting place, with a changed orientation, ready to make some new fluting.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 12:21 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		A Turmoil of Boulders. I suppose when the boulders reach the river bed in the valley, they have reached their destination, and will remain there for the next 280 million years. But they look a lot like a rock glacier rather, perhaps they are slowly tobogganing down the hill towards the sea, in the slippery mud of the valley?
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 12:31 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Woolly Goat Contemplating. Heading back from the viewing platform at the end of the track, I came across this goat and his female companion, I suspect they were not wild, since they were not very scared of me. He seems very content with his world, I wonder what his secret is?
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 1:00 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Woolly Goat Surveys His Kingdom. The boulders make an ideal habitat for a goat, with their steep ruggedness you would need extreme sure footedness to travel freely amongst the boulders. He looks to wear the fur coat of the family, the female was quite short haired compared.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 1:00 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Boulder Walk. Part of the track where it crosses over the top of some larger boulders, seen from the return track. While this part of the track and other parts look rather precarious, at no stage did I feel nervous, a testament to the careful construction that went into this walking track.
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 1:10 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		The Info Shed. This high tech reception shed, was built originally sometime back when the area was running New Zealand's first water powered saw mill. EDIT I have been reliably informed that this shed was in fact built in 1946, and was a milking shed! The sawmill arrived around 1840. So there is a minor discrepancy in my figures and facts there ;) Thanks for the correction Felix :)
Wairere Boulders, off the road to Kaikohe. 1:27 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Rawene Town Center. Rawene is a sweet little place, and quite busy due to the ferry over to Kohu kohu, which travels the short cruise every hour. I had some food in the Ferry House on the far right of the picture, which sells divine food, and has extraordinary d?cor, I highly recommend it!
Rawene. 3:27 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Boat at Anchor. Sitting at anchor, this slightly run down boat waits patiently for its owner.
Rawene. 3:30 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Two Dinghies. Two dinghies huddle close looking almost romantic, perhaps discussing plans to escape their moorings, while the Sea Gulls play and fish in the shallows.
Rawene. 3:34 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Life Goes on. Life in the far north is mostly relaxed, there is time to take a moment to glance at the world around, to reconnect with ones world and take stock of your situation.
Rawene. 3:38 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Rawene Street. The main street into town with its trees growing and sea gulls flying, all looks so tranquil and orderly, a little haven, perhaps a nice place to head to in retirement.
Rawene. 3:46 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Another Lazy Day in the Sun. The local dog, well fed and uninterested, snoozes on the Ferry House's back doorstep, it's a dogs life alright!
Rawene. 3:52 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Natures Fishermen. Commonly know as a Shag, but also known as Cormorant, these are strange birds to watch, their necks seem to be able to bend in un-natural ways as they scan the area for fish. Their feet look like they have little gumboots on and un-usually their feathers have no natural oils for water resistance.
Rawene. 4:01 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Rawene Township. Look back from the vehicle ferry at the town of Rawene, a few of the buildings perch on 'stilts', looking a bit like 'add-ons' to the towns center. By comparison, the dock on the other end of the ferry journey is totally deserted.
The Ferry, Rawene. 4:32 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Bye Bye for now Rawene. Rawene steadily diminishes into the distance, as I continue northwards, feeling happy to have visited Rawene once again. It makes a nice break from the seemingly endless 'road' I travel by car, to drive onto a boat, and be driven for a short time.
The Ferry, Rawene. 4:35 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		Playtime in Kohu Kohu. The old building in the background looks a bit like a school building, but I believe it used to be the local police station, nowadays I'm not sure. A good way to keep an eye on the kids; build a nice play area in front of the police station.
Kohu kohu. 4:55 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		The 'High' Street, Kohu Kohu. The sleepy 'High street' of Kohu kohu. Consisting of half a dozen shops, and by the looks of it a 'pub', it retains a look of days gone by. Interesting to see the facades of the two nearest shops, with the 'bare-bones' building behind.
Kohu kohu. 5:42 pm, Wed 10th Aug, 2005

		The Tree House. The Tree House is a backpackers hostel, built in a secluded spot close to the waters of the Hokianga Harbour, amongst a wealth of largely introduced trees. A great place to stay!
The Tree House, Kohu kohu. 10:17 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		The Tree House. I'm not sure, but the trunk you can see in this picture may 'the tree'. I stayed in one of their small bungalows, and found the surroundings to be very relaxing and refreshing. I spoke with the owners for a short time before I left, and found them to be most interesting and 'caring' people.
The Tree House, Kohu kohu. 10:18 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Twisted Metal. Sticking up out of the grass next to the road, this twisted piece of rusty metal took my interest, the picture is a classic example of 'Bokeh' (Japanese word, unfocused image), making one who is paying attention wonder about the half told story of the background.
Kohu kohu. 10:35 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Glassy Waters of Kohu Kohu. A small jetty sticks out into the waters of the Hokianga Harbour. This water often has a beautiful glassy surface being very sheltered and is often shrouded in mist in the mornings. It's hard to imagine this harbour with old wooden sailing ships in it.
Kohu kohu. 10:41 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		The Rusty Old Truck. Looking a bit like a 'beached Whale', this old truck I believe used to be used as a winch, though today I'm guessing it acts as a form of 'art'. The glassy surface of the water makes nice reflections of the far bank of the harbour.
Kohu kohu. 10:43 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Broadwood General Store. One of the original 'all-in-one' shopping centres, the Broadwood General Store is a working snippet of yester-year. Inside there are a wealth of nick knacks, but no maps which is what I was looking for at the time.
Broadwood, Twin Coasts Highway. 11:27 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Gandalf's Backup Squad. Three white horses and a 'bay', in front of some nice dead trees.
Twin Coasts Highway, enroute to Kaitia. 12:05 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Surf Casting at the Foot of Ninety Mile Beach. Ahipara is at the south end of Ninety Mile Beach, so from here you could in fact drive along the beach all the way up to Te Paki (a little less than 20km from Cape Reinga), but then I would be happier doing that in a 4 wheel drive vehicle.
Ahipara, 90 Mile Beach. 1:22 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Sea and Clouds to the North of New Zealand. After the enjoyable drive along Far North Road, I arrived at Cape Reinga, and all there was was sea! Oh and clouds, and a lighthouse :) and a steady stream of visitors. You can just see the Three Knights Islands on the horizon at the right.
Cape Reinga. 4:07 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Cape Maria Van Diemen. Cape Maria Van Diemen, where the old lighthouse was built in 1879, however due to difficulties of getting to the light in rougher weather the new light was built on Cape Reinga in 1941. In particular, in 1933 when the assistant keepers wife was swept off the rocks, the radio operator jumped in to the waves to rescue her, and they were both, sadly, drowned.
Cape Reinga. 4:11 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		The Light. The Lighthouse sleeping in the day. I never really thought about the fact that lighthouses are nocturnal, but they do come alive at night really.
Cape Reinga. 4:15 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Faithful Guardian of Ships. Cape Reinga Lighthouse, not quite but nearly the most northerly part of New Zealand. Lighthouses are so evocative, we put ourselves out in the sometimes seething turmoil that is the ocean, it feels so vulnerable, then there in the darkness of despair a light beckons us to safety! We don't need a strong imagination to feel that. The sea is not our environment!
Cape Reinga. 4:17 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Sky and Sea. The vastness of Oceans, and the depth, they just make us little humans feel very helpless and insecure (maybe I should be speaking for myself than for humanity), like deserts, they are very beautiful but have a terrible potential for death.
Cape Reinga. 4:18 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Looking East to the North Cape. The far point is the North Cape, further north than Cape Reinga by under 3 kilometers (on my map).
Cape Reinga. 4:42 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		The AA Strikes Again. Perhaps the wind blew the letters off this sign, or maybe not? I guess the signs would make a good souvenir, and some people have just enough 'Lack' of respect to take these type of signs and once I would have thought it was cool :(
Cape Reinga. 4:42 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Waves Break. Looking down to the waves coming in from far out in the body of that incredible mass of water. There is something primal in Seas and Oceans that grab us where we don't like to be grabbed, kind of like vertigo does, but in a more obscure way. Sometimes in rough weather waves can be seen way out into the sea, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific come crashing together.
Cape Reinga. 4:55 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		The Dark Side of the Lighthouse. So the light does not blind people on the land, there is a covered section in the glass. You can see that the winds here can be extreme, but the light is built to take the extremes, it has an important job to do, and it will keep doing it in spite of the worst Nature can throw at it. I find it hard to leave, but leave I must.
Cape Reinga. 4:59 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Maori Spirits Depart. This is the spot (I believe) the Maori jump off after they enter the spirit world, to go and join their ancestors. The plants are so hardy, I love their resilience (kia kaha)!
Cape Reinga. 5:01 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Sunset. Isn't nature wonderful! And there was I thinking that there would not be a sunset that day :\|
Cape Reinga Road, SH 1F. 5:53 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Couple of Paradise Ducks Courting. These two Paradise Ducks were in the middle of their courtship when I wandered along. The white headed one is the female, and she was making some very un-usual sounds, following the male everywhere he went (perhaps they were arguing, not courting). Paradise Ducks are native to New Zealand.
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 9:44 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Dark and Moody Boulder. I have no idea why this boulder is the colour it is. Perhaps it is some form of peat, or perhaps it is stained from something in the top soil under which it used to reside?
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 9:47 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Boulders Break Away from the Cliff. This is where the dark boulder came from, it looks like some form of peat to me? Although the clay slightly further down from the dark layer looks like normal clay, oh well maybe someone can let me know :)
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 9:47 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		I'm Outta Here! This Heron isn't going to hang round while I try to inch closer whilst feigning disinterest, and flies off as I get just a metre too close. What a feeling that must be, to flap your wings (and run a bit) push off, and you're flying!!!
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 9:50 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		The White Rock. More boulders; this looks like lime stone with tell tale holes that are often found in Limestone. My Sister might know about these, she is a geologist!
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 9:51 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Disgruntled Heron Flies By. The Heron flies past, perhaps disgruntled at being interrupted during it's daily activities, and checking up on me to see what I was up to, and when it could return. Dumb Humans, they can't even fly!
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 9:53 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Bull in a Field of Battens. A young Bull watches me, it is making aggressive gestures with its head, and making snorting noises, I guess it sees me as a possible step up the hierarchical ladder of the field, but I stand bravely taking some pictures of its posturing, trusting to the flimsy fence that stands between us.
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 10:10 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Have You Seen Anything So Cute? Look how fat this sheep is! It seems to be smiling at me. One thing I hate with these farm animals is the way that they notch their ears, but then most of what they do to farm animals is as if the animals are not live creatures, but just another product. AMENDMENT I should add that conditions of STOCK in New Zealand are considerably better compared to many animals raised in other parts of the world, but it is my opinion nevertheless that the majority are, for convenience looked at as a product, with the purpose of primarily making profit, and secondly feeding people with little or no consideration of the animals themselves. It is a touchy subject I know.
End of Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 10:27 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Te Paua Road. A lovely road, smooth as felt, with nice consistent grip (if a little slippery). According to my map, the sand you can see out there is the 'worlds purest silica sand deposits', also the area where 'Godwits' gather before migrating to Siberia!
Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 10:28 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Tidal Flats. I'm Guessing the plants growing in the flats are Mangroves, they look like some form of bacteria, but then I reckon all life including Humans are like a mould, only difference is that the human mould can move around, although our cities don't move around.
Te Paua Road, Parengarenga Harbour. 10:30 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Bull in a Paddock. Mighty solid beasts these bulls, I had to yell at this one to get it to look up from chewing its grass, so he slowly raised his head to look at me, and unlike the younger one before, simply stared at me for 5 seconds then went back to his grass.
Paua Road, off of Far North Road.. 10:39 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Turkeys, Nearly as Strange as Platypus. As I was driving along Paua Road and this Turkey and his flock of hens march out onto the road in a neat line astern, so I decided to give way to them and wait for them to cross hehe (which is why I ended up taking a picture of the Bull). Possibly not too dissimilar to Wild Turkey (nice wee write up on Wild Turkeys).
Paua Road, off of Far North Road. 10:40 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Off to Work on the Farm. Driving along I spied these guys, thought they looked very cool, did a U turn, and got back in time to take this picture. It was not quite close enough for my liking so I went up and talked with them. It was great talking with them and being among them and their snorting horses, there is usually something very down to earth about country folk and these people were no exceptions.
North of Te Kao. 11:00 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		The workers! Warriors of the Farm. After talking with them, they agreed to ride back down the road and ride towards me so I could take some more pictures, I think this is a great picture. Jessica on the left looks like a fun sort, she is nearly falling of her horse, but she could probably fall asleep on her horse and not fall off. Thanks to them for their patience with me :)
North of Te Kao. 11:07 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Jessica Rounding up the Wild Horse. Jessica at work rounding up one of the wild Aupouri Forest horses. I believe the horses that they were riding were originally wild horses, they make wonderful domesticated horses. It is another part of the relationships we have with a variety of animals on this planet. EDIT I have received information from no less than Jessica's Uncle, that the horses in question are NOT Kaimanawa horses at all, so I have altered my comments, my apologies.
North of Te Kao. 11:17 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Yacht at Anchor. Yacht sitting in Houhora Harbour. The patterns on the water are the sort of thing that yachties look for when they are looking for wind.
Houhora Harbour, from Pukenui. 11:38 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Boats in Houhora Harbour. Several boats at anchor in Houhora Harbour.
Houhora Harbour, from Pukenui. 11:39 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Flowers by the Side of the Road. Just a little flower.
Far North Road, Pukenui. 11:40 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Downward Facing Flowers. Sometimes I think that buds look better than flowers, although they don't have the obvious colour and delicate design, or the fragrance, they do have the 'promise' of things to come and they all look brand new and un-blemished.
Far North Road, Pukenui. 11:40 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Flourishing Growth Over the Harbour Waters. Some places just abound with growth, like this little spot! Our relationship with the plant world is usually very one sided, but plants grow where they can and don't complain too much. Perhaps sometimes what we call dumb things, are often smart things, but we just can't relate to the smartness so we arrogantly call it dumb, which kind of makes us the dumb ones in such circumstances, as if the plants have failed an IQ test.
Far North Road, Pukenui. 11:44 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Houhora Heads. Arriving at Houhora Heads, a tiny little settlement, possibly with a Pa , I was struck by the strong feeling of peacefulness I felt. It was like the feeling when your laying in a bath that is just the right temperature, and there is nothing requiring your attention, it was luxurious!
Houhora Heads. 11:58 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Underwater Perch. The Black Backed Gull came down to check out what was going on, perhaps there would be some human scraps of food offerings. I like the ripples it has made when it landed on its perch.
Houhora Heads. 11:59 am, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Black-Backed Gull. This Black-Backed Gull looks unwell to me, its eye seems a bit swollen, perhaps its head is emaciated, making the eye stand out?
Houhora Heads. 12:01 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Twisted Stump in the Water. I love the wrinkles in the stump down by the waters surface, its like Elephants skin or natural carving. How long will it remain here to provide shelter and support for creatures?
Houhora Heads. 12:03 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Little Island in the Harbours Entrance. It amazes me the way trees and plants seem to be able to grow on rocks. I guess the trees will one day break the little island up into smaller pieces as the roots grow further and further into the cracks and crevices. The bank behind it is the eastern head to the Houhora Harbour.
Houhora Heads. 12:08 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Smile. 'Here's looking at you kid!' This Red Billed Gull is so well groomed, its wings are very clearly defined, quite handsome really. The Maoris' say they hold human spirits, or perhaps as the American Indians honour eagles and bears, saying they act as 'Human Beings', it is Tapu (forbidden) to kill these birds as a result.
Possibly, Cable Bay, SH10. 1:54 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Not Exactly Sand. Not all our beaches are like this, in fact this is a little unusual I would say.
Possibly Cable Bay, SH10. 1:59 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Still Not Exactly Sand (but closer). Mostly we see sand as a universal thing, never really considering that it is made up of different things, in different places. This is shell sand :)
Possibly Cable Bay, SH10. 1:59 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Dilapidated Building. The building itself looks very worse for the wear and yet the roof appears to be in good condition, I would say this building is storing hay or something like that. Once a school house perhaps?
West Kahoe, SH10. 2:27 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Resting Cows. The cows must be having a siesta since it is 2.30pm, all the chewing of the cud must be strenuous!
West of Kahoe, SH10. 2:30 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Entrance to Whangaroa Harbour. A well sheltered harbour I would think since this is the entrance.
Whangaroa Harbour, Totara North. 3:06 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Vessels Wait Patiently. Looks like a fairly spacious yacht, very cruisy I would think.
Whangaroa Harbour, Totara North. 3:07 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Working Boats. Two commercial fishing boats docked at Totara North. I often look at small boats like these ones, and think that they would be very nice to go out on, and very durable and safe, but the reality would be probably far from my imaginings, especially if you were working on them.
Whangaroa Harbour, Totara North. 3:15 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Bursting With Life. Flax, Cabbage trees and pampas grass all co-existing happily together (or so it would seem). The pampas grass is an import to New Zealand and tends to out grow and rob the native Toi Toi, which is very similar but much more delicate. Toi Toi flowers tend to lean over whereas pampas grass stands strait up.
SH10, West of Kaeo. 3:38 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Rolling Grassland. Once it was covered with wild native bush, and that's great, now it is covered in sown grass gorse and bracken, and that, like this scene looks great to, but too much of one thing is not good for anyone, or anything. Our learning tells us this is so, and if we open our eyes we can see it for ourselves, it is not just empty wisdom. Anything that tells us otherwise is surely greed, we have to be awake to such things if we want to retain any value we have as human beings. (Panorama of 3 images)
Around Kaeo, SH10. 4:01 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		The View Above the House. This was a spectacular view except it had a house right in the way! Exceedingly annoying I must say, as it is I have digitally removed the houses flu and vent pipe from the picture, but the corrugated iron roof was all obscuring :(
Top of Mahinepua Peninsular, Wainui Rd, on the way to Matauri Bay. 4:08 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Beautiful Vista. Looking North to East, it sure gave a great feeling of spaciousness. Nice clouds. (panorama of 4 images)
Top of Mahinepua Peninsular, Wainui Rd, on the way to Matauri Bay. 4:12 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Gentle Waves Wash the Beach. The only being I came across on this beach was a black Labrador dog, who was most friendly. There was a wonderful feeling of peace on this beach.
Pia Pia Hinemoana Bay, Wainui Rd, on the way to Matauri Bay. 4:29 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Looking out from Pia Pia Beach. As you can see, the water was beautiful, and the scenery quite interesting.
Pia Pia Hinemoana Bay, Wainui Rd, on the way to Matauri Bay. 4:36 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Looking Back at Pia Pia Beach. Three birds fly over Pia Pia Beach as the calm sea laps the shore where I look back with fondness.
Te Ngaere, Wanui Rd, on the way to Matauri Bay. 4:43 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Glorious Native Bush :) Such a rich tapestry of native colours!
Hillside Above Matauri Bay, Matauri Bay Rd. 4:58 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Hard at Work Chewing the Cud. It looks like the cow is sucking the grass, or maybe kissing the ground, could this be the pope of cattle?
Hillside Above Matauri Bay, Matauri Bay Rd. 4:58 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		The Rainbow Warriors Resting Place. After the Greenpeace ship 'the Rainbow Warrior' was sunk by the French (unforgivable) it was towed here and re-sunk out there among the islands somewhere as a haven for the fish and sea creatures. Apparently the large flat ground there, used to be planted out in market gardens, but I think a lack of unity, or something put an end to that.
Hillside Above Matauri Bay, Matauri Bay Rd. 4:59 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Looking Down on More Native Bush. More lovely trees growing happily. I would not be surprised if the naked branches are the result of Opossums eating the new growth on the branches. They are devastating for our native trees, although there seems to be plenty of healthy growth there as well.
Hillside Above Matauri Bay, Matauri Bay Rd. 4:59 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		The Suns Parting Glow. After I had found a place to stay for the night (a caravan for hire at the north end of the bay) and moved my gear out of the car etc, I looked around, there was a row of Norfolk Pines at the top of the beach obscuring much of the view, so off I went to have a wee look at the beach. It was like the whole bay had been lit by powerful pink floodlights, it really took my breath away?
Matauri Bay Camping Ground. 5:56 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Worlds Aura. This picture is looking away from the sunset, in fact the horizon to the west is obscured by a large hill, but this was just superbly beautiful, I got the feeling that a mere mortal like myself might not be able to appreciate the direct view, but the incidental view would be just sufficient to fill my heart.
Matauri Bay Camping Ground. 5:56 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		The Western Sky. Looking towards the hill, west, and the rich glow of the setting sun in the sky.
Matauri Bay Camping Ground. 6:03 pm, Fri 12th Aug, 2005

		Shells and Rocks. Shells and things by the caravan door. This was my day break picture, its a longish story, but the first picture of the day, on a fresh memory card, I got to see often during the day, so I tried to make it something enjoyable and maybe inspirational. This I came to see was full of colour and variety of shapes and concepts. Pictures can do that sometimes, they are in no way the two dimensional things that many would have them be.
Matauri Bay Camping Ground. 9:31 am, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Real Sand. Nice sand texture, great the way it all finds a level like it's nearly a fluid.
Matauri Bay Camping Ground. 9:39 am, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		The Western Horizon. The pebbly beach of Putataua Bay, on the other side of the wee peninsular from the camping grounds, nice clouds. This would have been the place to watch last evenings sunset! (Panorama of 2 images)
Matauri Bay Camping Grounds. 9:43 am, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Massive Succulent Flax Plants. I was intrigued by these plants and went to have a closer look and ended up having a coffee with the woman that the plant belonged to. I must go back there if I am in the neighbourhood, sometime, one day ?
Matauri Bay. 10:07 am, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Tall Gum Trees and Bamboo by the Road. Nice wind break, the gaps between the trees filled by the Bamboo.
South of Te Whau, by Sandys Road, SH 10. 11:31 am, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Civilisation :\| The main street of Kerikeri, a bustling little town. It's amusing to see the back of the bus, this was shortly before the election, the bus is a national party bus (blue) and the lady in the red square is Helen Clarke the PM, it says 'It's time to move on.' and in the blue square, Don Brash says 'Bye Helen.' hehe.
Kerikeri. 12:54 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		The Stone Store. New Zealand's earliest stone building to have town planning consent (built in 1932-36), and two neighbouring wooden buildings, the top one is St James Church, and the other being Kemp House, New Zealand's oldest surviving European styled building (built in 1821-22). (Panorama of 3 images)
Kerikeri. 1:34 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		View From The Treaty Grounds. Impressive clouds up there! I bet when the chiefs and the notable white people were gathered here to discuss and sign the treaty there was no lawn such as this.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Bay of Islands. 2:56 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Where It Began. Once there were two peoples, and then they signed a treaty! What would have been had they not signed that treaty? It is a very complicated subject with many variations on the theme, not only was there multiple different documents (there may be an original document, but there is no one document with all the signatories signatures on it), they were written in Maori and also English, even the authenticity of some of the signatures (or marks as most Chiefs used) is called into question. Nevertheless, the sentiment of the 'Treaty' seems to have remained somewhat intact, and has Honour given to it. Additional Link, I love the 'about this site' page as well!
Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Bay of Islands. 2:57 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Another Troublesome Flagpole. This is not the flagpole that originally was cut down, resurrected, cut down, resurrected, cut down, resurrected, cut down, and finally resurrected by the ones responsible for cutting it down (there is a plaque you can read in a few pictures time), this flagpole also has been at the center of dispute though not such violent dispute.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Bay of Islands. 3:06 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Meeting House. This Maori meeting house has inside it some exceptionally fine carvings, however it is requested that no photographs be taken inside and I respected their wishes, there are two links with pictures Here and Here, although they do not do justice to the carvings at all.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Bay of Islands. 3:09 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Old Church in Paihia. As the plaque in the picture 2 after this one tells, this is the place where the actual intention of the Treaty took it's first steps toward existence. It is quite unusually built of stone, though not apparently of the standard of the stone store in Kerikeri, I think it actually has more character with its steep shaled roof, tall windows and colourful accents.
Paihia, Bay of Islands. 3:50 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Paihia Beach. A great place to own a yacht or sea worthy vessel of some kind. I would imagine it would get more crowded in the heat of summer, but at this time of year it is a tranquil paradise!
Paihia Beach, Bay of Islands. 4:03 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Concerning the Stone Church. I made it extra large so it could be read easily :) I assume that it is factual, you never know how the truth might have been twisted sometimes, but it sounds feasible. I bet the 600 Maori haka would have been a thing to behold!
Paihia, Bay of Islands. 4:06 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Fullers Ferry. You can't see in this small copy of the picture but it seems like everyone on the boat apart from the captain and the young woman in his glass windowed 'bridge' are looking at me taking a picture of them ;) This is the ferry that's takes you from Paihia to Russell, or vice versa (I am in a similar ferry going the other way).
Paihia, Bay of Islands. 4:34 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		The Flagstaff Saga. Hopefully you can read this, it is the story of a flagpole that marks the beginning of the Treaty of Waitangi. As an example of my 'scatterbrain' I took a picture of the plaque and never took one of the pole itself :( and having hunted through Google I really only came up with one picture here.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:15 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Kororareka! (Russell) Kororareka is the Maori name for Russell. Taken from the hill with the Flagstaff on it, also the rather interesting sun-dial mosaic. It is a 'cosy' little town is Russell.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:21 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Sun Dial. The mosaic is actually a map of the Bay of Islands. As you can see it needs sunshine to work and there was not that much direct sunshine so it was not very functional at the time, but quite nifty I thought.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:22 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		The Oldest Church. Established in 1836, this is reputed to be the first church built in New Zealand! Wandering around the graves reading the stones is remarkable indeed, not only for the history and the curiosity, but also it is quite moving to think these people were the pioneers of the New Zealand that we see today, mostly Pakeha (European) it has to be said, but there are some markers for Maori also.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:28 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Resting? Like shadows, they try to remember the flesh long gone that they stand strait and resolute to commemorate. We are none of us perfect specimens of humanity and so I salute you, you strangers who wish to be remembered well.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:36 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		One Legged Brigade. This little group of Oystercatchers were all snoozing when I turned up (it must have been a hard night), mostly standing there on one leg, but some actually sitting down, heads tucked under their wing :)
Parekura Bay, Bay of Islands. 12:18 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Fisherman. A convenient spit of land pokes out into the water, I wonder if it is a natural occurrence?
Parekura Bay, Bay of Islands. 12:19 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		We've Got An Eye On You! Just a silly thought, you could have Oystercatcher web cams, they would sit there standing on one foot with their heads tucked up but the lens would be sticking out looking at what ever you pointed it at! ;)
Parekura Bay, Bay of Islands. 12:22 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Caspian Tern. A Caspian Tern paddling in the calm waters of Parekura Bay. Such a red bill they have! They look like a solid little bird, probably very manoeuvrable, not a soarer.
Parekura Bay, Bay of Islands. 12:42 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Cute As A Button. Are they long shorts or short longs young man? She looks like such a nice girl, she was having a good talk to the boy like she was intent on him understanding something, then she realised I was watching and somehow managed to mix surprise, mild outrage and curiosity all into a lovely smile :) The dog is equally cute to!
Parekura Bay, Bay of Islands. 12:44 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Off To Sea We Go. They look so devoted to each other, the dog and the girl, they are a precious thing indeed those kind of relationships, if only the world could relate like that, but then there would be inevitable squabbles I guess. Interesting Mono sail Catamaran in the background.
Parekura Bay, Bay of Islands. 12:46 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		The Main Road. Rawhiti peninsular, if you could call it that, really a globule sticking out from the base of the considerably larger Brett Peninsular. The kids playing like kids do, what a great playground! Two pictures stuck together making it equivalent to maybe 10mm(16mm)
Hauai Bay, Rawhiti Peninsular, Bay of Islands. 1:07 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Clear Water. So clear and fresh, it makes you want to strip off your clothes and jump in. Even the man mowing his lawn nearby did not disturb the feeling :)
Rawhiti Point, Bay of Island. 1:20 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Tranquil Paradise! The water, so clean and blue, the trees growing out of the rocks like they do, the fluffy white clouds, all adds up to one special place.
Rawhiti Point, Bay of Islands. 1:20 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Jungle On An Island. Yet another example of the tenacity of the New Zealand vegetation, or the fertility of its environment! I wonder what it would be like to be sitting on the island? Distances are deceptive I think, and the island may be bigger than it looks, not just a small lump of rock and trees in the water. Interesting little caves there.
Rawhiti Point, Bay of Island. 1:21 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Time for a Bath. These brave little Sparrows are not having their dust bath on the side of the road, this is actually right in one of the tyre tracks, this is in fact the main road hehe. They look like they are having a great time don't they!
Hauai Bay, Bay of Islands. 1:43 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Larger Island. Climbing over the ridge to Oke Bay provided a great view of the area. It is one of the things that makes climbing to the top of something so worthwhile, you get to see many things not previously visible. The occasional motorboat that came by while I was up here made wonderful patterns in the sea :)
Oke Bay, Bay of Islands. 1:54 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Old Technology. Here's a blast from the past, not that they have done away with insulators, but something about these ones rings a nostalgic bell in me somewhere. I guess they are shaped like that for a purpose, I don't know about the rippled concentric rings, but the dish shape must be to stop arcing to the pole in wet weather. There must be some way that the bolt that takes all the strain is insulated from the electricity.
Oke Bay, Bay of Island. 2:01 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		White Sands Beach. How special is this!
A bay in the Bay of Islands 2:05 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Nice Play Thing. There must be miles and miles and miles of coastline around countries that there is no way to see without some form of boat! This is not the best kind of boat for that kind of adventuring I guess, since you have to keep feeding it petrol, but the idea is stirring to me :)
Oke Bay, Bay of Islands. 2:07 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Deserted Beach. This little white sand beach was recommended to me by a local man I talked to, his directions were very brief, but his recommendation was very strong, so I was very glad that I had a slightly harder look for this beach. Apparently the area is swarming with 'visitors' in the summer, but this dear wee beach could only support a few comfortably.
A bay in the Bay of Islands 2:12 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Trees Grow from Rocks. The far end of the white sands beach shows this Pahutakawa tree growing from the cracks in the rocks, it's persistence has seen it grow and flourish over the decades into a large and healthy tree.
A bay in the Bay of Islands 2:12 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Transient Contrast. Just a piece of Quartz, a leaf, and some sand, but this, I think, holds so much of its magic just under the surface. Like the little walls of sand where the last flow of sea began its ebb, and the gentle ripples in the sand, revealed by the dark and light shades, even the little black specks. It evokes a sadness in me somehow, perhaps because the leaf is soon parted from this composition, it is like a Japanese Haiku poem to me?
Oke Bay, Bay of Islands. 2:20 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Precious Devotion. A moment to remember yesterday, and a moment to remember today and tomorrow.
Hauai Bay, Bay of Islands. 2:32 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Special Little Garden. I love the little Mickey Mouse in the aeroplane, even with a broken propeller he still has a indomitable smile on his face, and the wee pixie is so sweet. Just a special wee garden really, full of magic!
Hauai Bay, Bay of Islands. 2:36 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Trusty BMW 323i. Just the sort of car you want to write 'clean me' on it somewhere with your finger ;) At least the dirt hid the rust in the doors! No it was a great car, willing and able. 1985 BMW 323i. Nice of the grand old tree to shelter my car while I was away.
Hauai Bay, Bay of Islands. 2:46 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Gumboots On A Bench. I guess the 'gumboot' got its fame from the days when they were digging up kauri gum in New Zealand to sell to the furniture polishers. Of course many of the people who were wearing them were Maoris' and immigrants who needed money to live, the salt of the earth types. Fitting that they should be sitting on a bench held together with No8 fencing wire!
Helena Bay, Whangarei. 4:15 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Helena Bay Beach. Not only does Helena bay contain gumboots and benches held together with number 8 fencing wire, but it has 'Batches'! A mine of Kiwiana it would seem, it is the sort of place that would be last to get power, TV , and cell phone signal, in fact I bet they are still working on broadband to this day! Intensely beautiful place really though.
Helena Bay, Whangarei. 4:16 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Zooming Along. Having driven some beautiful winding coastal roads for the last couple of weeks, I came to the junction where the minor road joined state highway 1... It is such an injustice the way we hurry here and hurry there, it is an offence against so many things, not the least of which are the thousands of wee birds that are not yet road aware enough to give fast moving cars a wide enough birth. It is time we put the corners back into the roads!
Near Otonga, North of Hikurangi 4:43 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Those Who Went Before. Two monuments in the quiet little town of Waipu. The 'needle' commemorates those who died in world war one, and the one with the lion on the top is remembering the original families that settled in Waipu. It seems to have six ships that it remembers, quite an interesting monument I think.
Waipu. 9:40 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Patterns on the Sea. I think this is taken from a place called Bream Tail which is about 5 kilometres from Mangawhai Heads and the large island I suspect is Great Barrier Island (looking at the map and a later picture gives some doubt however). The surface of the sea looks nice I think.
Bream Tail, North of Mangawhai Heads. 10:05 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Little Boat, Big Sea. Wonderful the way when you increase magnification, things seem to pop out of nowhere.
Bream Tail, north of Mangawhai Heads. 10:05 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Te Arai. Looks like it would be a great place to go swimming in the summer. Understandably this coastline is the subject of conflict with land developers (destroyers) wanting to turn it into a haven for the rich human beings. It is currently the home to among others, New Zealand's rarest bird the Fairy Tern, plus a handful of other endangered species. How can we humans be so blind frankly, how can we forget so quickly the preciousness of nature?
Mangawhai Heads surf beach. 10:38 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Boulder with Banding. The mysterious boulders! This one looks like it may have been oriented differently once upon a time, with the banded part sticking up out of the water perhaps, I don't know :)
Mangawhai Heads surf beach. 10:39 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Yet More Boulders. I like the look of some of these boulders, the surface looks powdery, like they are made of some soft kind of rock.
Mangawhai Heads surf beach. 10:40 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Mangawhai Heads Surf Beach. I was busy trying to make this picture look bright, but getting frustrated because the clouds would disappear into the glare, and then I thought 'it is an overcast picture, let it be dark. Not a lot of surf for a surf beach?
Mangawhai Heads, Surf Beach, Kaipara District 10:43 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		A Nice Day for a Dive. The boulders may have been placed there by humans I'm thinking, possibly to shelter the beach? They definitely don't make a good path out to the island, I mean even walking over them would be precarious. I should have asked the man about to go diving out there when I talked to him, oh well.
Mangawhai Heads surf beach. 10:48 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Pristine Te Arai Beach. The other end (I think) of the conflicted coastline, it looks amazing I think, and I would love to live here, but not if it was going to mess the place up. It is hard I know, there is the mindset of 'if I don't then others will', but look at it, it is not a product to be bought or sold, it is about something in us that is much more precious!
Te Arai Beach, Eryes Point, Mangawhai Heads. 12:17 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Breaking Waves 1. A nice pipeline, just a wee bit small to really surf in though, and it doesn't seem to have an open end. I wonder if the little bumps in the pipe are bubbles?
Eyres Point, south of Mangawhai Heads. 12:20 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Breaking Wave 2. It looks a bit like Ice at the edge where it is about to crash into the surface.
Eyres Point, south of Mangawhai Heads. 12:20 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Shells In The Sand. A great variety of shellfish I see, ain't life wonderful :)
Te Arai Beach, Eryes Point, Mangawhai Heads. 12:21 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Breaking Waves 3. I believe the point in the background is Bream Head about 35 kilometres north of Eyres Point.
Eyres Point, south of Mangawhai Heads. 12:21 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		The Holy Outhouse? I thought this looked nice with its clean whiteness and the bursting vitality of the onion plants flowering in the front yard. The thing that always puzzles me is the little building, is it perhaps where confession is held, maybe it is dual purpose, outside loo/ confessional? (sorry if I have offended someone!)
Puhoi, Rodney District. 1:28 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Blossoming Tree. The colourfulness of this tree caught my attention, it was so vivid and the surrounding so idyllic!
Puhoi, 50km north of Auckland. 1:29 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Tui in a Tree. As I was being enchanted by the vividness of the blossoms on this tree, I became aware that I was not the only one who liked them, this Tui was enjoying the nectar to be found in the little flowers. Very flexible little critters!
Puhoi, 50km north of Auckland. 1:32 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		I See You! Lovely looking birds Tuis' are, well I guess most birds are lovely looking really (apart from Turkeys, and maybe Vultures ;) ). They are one of the New Zealand Icons I think, featuring on some of our coins from the past (until they went and miniaturised our coins to the point that they get lost amongst the fluff in your pocket!).
Puhoi, 50km north of Auckland 1:35 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Puhoi. The tree with the Tui in is behind me, as you can see it is a nice spot. Not a lot of traffic using the road when I was there. Further on down the road I found a place that made tea and scones to die for, with whipped cream and strawberry jam to smear all over the scones (and my face ;) ).
Puhoi, 50km north of Auckland. 1:40 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Houses Perched on the Hilltop. As far as I can figure (looking at Google Earth) this must be Hatfields Beach, right next to State Highway 1. Must be a nice view from the houses up there on top of the cliff!
Hatfields Beach, 25km north of Auckland. 2:27 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Auckland City. Coming into Auckland from the north you are basically stuck to travelling on motorway if you want to go across the harbour bridge, so when I stopped at a large layby area next to the motorway I was waiting for the visit from a passing police car, but they didn't show up fortunately. Anyway this is the tall bit of the largest city in little old New Zealand.
Auckland City. 3:06 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Great Bakery. Often I look at buildings and think to myself, would it be cool to live there, even when it is not a building where people live, and this one seems like a good place to live I reckon.
Titirangi, Auckland. 10:04 am, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Church. The little plaque on the front of this church says 1881 and I'm guessing that is when this wooden church was built. It must have been enormous for New Zealand at the time! Quite a nice looking building I think, Alice (Alice's Restaurant) would probably be happy to live there ;)
Cambridge. 12:50 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Church. The church looks nicer with the big old tree behind it I think.
Cambridge. 12:52 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Tirau. Apart from the corrugated iron structures in the background, I like the two hitchhikers in this picture, the guy in front looks staunch and possibly has an attitude problem (apologies to him, he is probably a great guy) and the guy behind doing all the hitchhiking work (holding the thumb out) looks so easy going. When they saw me the front guy almost scowled at me, and the back guy smiled and waved :)
Tirau. 1:20 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Only in New Zealand! Apparently New Zealand is well known for our corrugated iron (so I am told), including the corrugated iron stationwagon holden exhibited in Wellingtons museum Te Papa so why not an enormous dog and sheep?
Tirau. 1:20 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Tirau Footpath. The picturesque sidewalk of Tirau, it looks pretty typically Kiwi to me :)
Tirau. 1:21 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Big Pipes. Wairakei is one of New Zealand's major areas of Geothermal activity, also one of the first places in the world where the steam rising up from the ground was harnessed for the generation of electricity. The power station was commissioned in 1958 and is still producing electricity to this day (2008).
Wairakei. 2:42 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Archway of Steam. Amazing to think that the steam is transported moderate distances in these large aluminium pipes. They clearly must have considerable insulation in them or the heat loss would be a serious problem. This is the only place I know that has a road sign before and after it warning of the 'Steam Hazard' (when the steam blows across the road it can be difficult to see).
Wairakei. 2:48 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Wairakei Geothermal Field. It's like an extremely large science experiment really. When I see it I think how old fashioned it looks, how un-technological, like an aluminium saucepan compared to a stainless steel one, or an old valve radio compared to a transistor one, and yet it uses basic principles of physics to do a job and it seems to do it quite effectively!
Wairakei. 2:54 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Wairakei Plaque. I should possibly mention that my father was bought over from England to work on the creation of the power station. When I search Google for F.E.Studt, it still comes up with papers he wrote back then. Coincidentally the power station was not the only thing that he produced in 1958, that being (shhh) my year of birth ;)
Wairakei. 2:56 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Huka Falls in all it's Glory. The landing place of all that water, I wonder what it looks like down there under all the water?!?
Huka Falls, Taupo. 3:25 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		The Huka Jets. The Hamilton Jet revolutionised high speed boat travel in shallow water, with no bits dangling down into the water like rudders or propellers the jet boats can happily scrape the bottom of the boat on the river bed and do little to no damage to themselves. Here Huka Jets exhilarate tourists, taking them right into the white water of Huka Falls.
Huka Falls, Taupo. 3:26 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Still Waters Run Deep. The waters of the Waikato River flow to the Huka Falls from Lake Taupo, the smoothness of the water as it enters the channel leading to the falls themselves belies the force and volume of the water. From this point on it becomes a churning seething deluge of white water until a good way after the falls. I guess it is not so much that the water is deep before the falls, but when you squeeze 100 metres width of water into a 15 metre channel?
Huka Falls, Taupo. 3:31 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Huka Falls! I remember when I first saw these falls, there was no bridge over it to the nicely fenced viewing areas, we stood on the rocks above the falls, and I don't remember any fences either! I was knee high back then and so the memories are faint, but I remember telling mum that it made me nervous hehe. What a beautiful sight!
Huka Falls, Taupo. 3:42 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		The Peaceful Waikato River. All the turmoil of the Huka Falls nearly forgotten but for the billions of tiny bubbles now probably contained within the water, and the quiet roar coming from behind me 300metres or so up the river.
Huka Falls, Taupo. 4:08 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Lake Taupo. Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, result of a large eruption 26,500 years ago, so the scientist say ;)
Lake Taupo. 4:24 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Late Afternoon Gold. When the sunlight takes on that golden colour and the shadows start getting long everything except for the always busy humans stop and take stock of their lives, they prepare for the coming darkness of night, they give thanks for the day!
Halletts Bay, Lake Taupo. 4:46 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Mt Ruapehu. As impressive as Mountains are, I was just thinking that the lake next to this mountain (Lake Taupo) may be just like it but upside down? I just Googled it (here) and the lake is 164m deep, where as Mt Ruapehu is 2797m high, that blows that theory. Mountains are rightfully revered :)
Lake Taupo. 4:54 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Lake Taupo and Mt Ruapehu. You might wonder to yourself, where did that large boulder come from? Well, to tell you the truth I'm not really sure, but I think it came from that mountain over there! In many places around the north island you can find pumice that was launched from volcanic eruptions, but pumice is much lighter and flies a lot farther than boulders like this one :)
Lake Taupo. 4:57 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Mt Ruapehu. Standing on the roof of my car I caught this last picture of Mt Ruapehu, and virtually the last picture of that trip since the sun was departing fast and the rest of the journey home to Wellington was in darkness? I think it was a good journey and I remember it fondly, I just wish the purpose of it was achieved, but I don't think that will ever happen now.
Southern shores of Lake Taupo. 5:22 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005