It’s a gentle stroll through some nice bush to the Korokoro dam. These are nikau.
The walk starts off past this lovely little waterfall
then climbs up through farmland before entering the bush section.
Here is a better shot of a kereru showing both its head and feet!
To prove we had fun, here is Sam halfway up a tree
and Andy playing Tarzan. (The impressionist effect is largely accidental but I thought it captured the movement quite well.)
Jenny loved her Phoenix gear.
Sam presented me with this magnificent Akeake which is destined to be planted up the bank.
Noreen’s best present was this bike which Sam has refurbished for her. She intends competing in a triathlon in February so needs to start training now.
We had breakfast croissants on the deck. 
Andy looked very suave in his new hat. 
After sitting round and chatting with people who turned up for coffee and mince pies we started the main meal preparation about 1, first making sure the wine would be palatable.
It was served about 4 and you can see Noreen has caught the sun, as she is wont to do.
We felt like some exercise after the meal so went for a stroll through the Botanic Garden. Jenny and Sam played in the playground that they loved so much when younger.
Rudderstone is one of my favourite pieces of sculpture. I’ve shown it before, but here are some more shots of Sam inspecting it. 
On the far side – the New World – blue azul marble from Brazil (the sea) and white Carrara marble from Italy (the sky) together create a panorama that is in “the mind’s eye of Pacific Coast dwellers and maritime voyagers”.
To walk through Rudderstone “engages the body in a metaphor for the journey that the New World we live in challenges us to take”; the transition from old to new.
Here we are by the 800 year old rimu.
We saw some fat kereru but the best photo I got obscured its head – but don’t you think the feet are cute?
Noreen is contemplating the transience of fleeting life and the enormity of eternal death (possibly).
We visited Bob who was instrumental in establishing Erewhon Morris in 1977. He is a horticulturist with a keen interest in organics and meteorology.
He has a wonderful wilderness garden down by the river Avon.
There are numerous fruit trees, many heritage apple varieties, pears, cherries, apricots; black, white and redcurrants; and these magnificent gooseberries.
In Denise’s garden the oranges are developing nicely.
Here is Denise sitting in the ruins of her wood shed which was demolished in one of the earthquake aftershocks.
In the centre of town there are many buildings cordoned off because of earthquake damage, or held together with giant bands like this building in Poplar Lane opposite the Twisted Hop where we had lunch on Sunday.
Jeneane and Kitty joined us.
The main event on Sunday evening was the football game. Here Noreen and Jenny are settling into their seats
right by the Yellow Fever zone.
We had a great view being right by one of the goals. In the first half the Phoenix were defending it. This picture is a bit like those “spot the ball” competitions. In fact I have no idea where the ball is – there was no sign of it on the full frame which goes twice as high as this cropped image. Our hero Mark Paston is the goalie, Paul Ifill in the centre and captain Andrew Durante at the right.
It was one nil to Adelaide at the break but the Phoenix must have had a good pep talk at half time because they came back very strongly and equalised a minute after the restart.
After a sustained period of pressure the winner was scored by Ben Sigmund in injury time. Full match report here.
And further excitement – we travelled back on the same plane as the lads this morning. Jenny was weak at the knees and we even had a brief chat with Ifill on the escalator although Jenny was too nervous to speak!
This one is on the bank behind the next door section and we don't normally see this view. I love the way it is balanced with limbs on both sides. We had a good flowering a couple of years ago and this year looks well on the way to be another cracker. I have just learnt that the hanging bunches of flowers are called panicles, which is a particular type of inflorescence.
Here endeth the botany lesson.
She had a great time and danced the night away, returning well past midnight. I couldn’t go because the Phoenix had a home game. They drew 2 all continuing a resurgence which puts them just outside the top 6 finals zone. Next weekend they play in Christchurch so we are heading down there for the occasion.
The close up gives it away. (It’s just about dead centre above.)
This duck (New Zealand scaup or papango) was hurrying home for its supper. 
Tui love to feed on the flowers of the flax harakeke.
A bellbird (korimako).
The kaka are having a good breeding season. Here is one at it’s feeding station.
A couple of North Island robins (toutouwai) were very friendly and pecked around my feet after I scraped the vegetation off the ground and let me get close to photograph their acrobatics.
