Spring officially arrived yesterday. We have been having some fine weather and August was the hottest on record – 1.5 degrees above average. The occasional storm still keeps us on our toes. There was a very windy and wet episode on Sunday night and Monday morning and a cold southerly is expected tomorrow.
Noreen has escaped, with her colleague Fiona, to
Vanuatu for a combination holiday and volunteering stint in the
Port Vila hospital. She has taken the camera with her and they have promised to put some pictures up on the web. I will link to them when I have the details. In the meantime I am using my new smart phone (an
Xperia if anyone is interested) to take some shots. I don’t think they are too bad – judge for yourself.
I took these first ones on my back through the
Botanic Garden. The tulips are coming on nicely and should be flowering in the next few weeks. This is taken from more or less the same spot as in the
earlier post.
Meanwhile the magnolia are in full bloom.
We know spring has arrived when the
kowhai flowers in the garden two doors down from us. Every spring it comes out at the same time as a mauve flowering shrub and the two make a colourful contrast.
The first tulip to emerge in our garden
and daffodils have been out for a while.
Over the winter I dug up a patch of ground at the side of the house and planted some vegetables. They have come on surprisingly well given the conditions and look quite healthy.
Jeneane and her sister Ingrid are up from the South Island. They are seen her with Andy, Ali and myself.
The wind turbines of Project West Wind are all up and running now and they make an impressive sight from the gun emplacements.
After the walk we stopped off at the Makara café for coffee. Here Andy is getting in the mood for his birthday party which has a piratical theme (his birthday being International Talk Like a Pirate Day – arrgh Jim lad, shiver me timbers me hearties etc. etc.)
Lastly Noreen has sent some pictures from Vanuatu. Here are a few to give you an idea of the conditions they are living and working in. It’s a tough life for some!
