Visitors

Noreen’s mother, sister and brother-in-law have arrived and are getting down to the serious business of exploring New Zealand.

I took Eileen and Peter to Zealandia. We saw lots of birds, including kaka,

 robins,

takahe (that’s a tracking aerial sticking out of its back),

kawau

 and several young tuatara.

We climbed to the top of the observation tower

 and travelled over the upper dam

(observation tower in upper right)

and suspension bridge.

The next day we travelled over the Paekakariki Hill Road. From the lookout at the top there are lovely views over to Kapiti (I’m not sure whether the cracks in the ground are caused by earthquakes or subsidence – a worry in either case)

and up the coast towards Raumati and Paraparaumu.

Noreen has now taken the visitors south. They are travelling through Nelson and via the west coast to Hawea for Sam and Bex’s wedding. I follow on Monday, pick up Jenny in Christchurch and we should all meet up on Tuesday. Pictures when we get back!

Beer in the Wairarapa

The second Greater Wellington Brewday was held in Martinborough yesterday. Andy and I (together with a few hundred more) attended on a beautiful warm, sunny autumn afternoon.

 

They even had a Bavarian style oompah band - if only Nico and his siblings were here now they would feel right at home!

I sampled a good half dozen brews, one of the best was Dogg (an English style mild) from Parrot Dog.

There were a number of girls out taking part in hen parties. This bride-to-be claimed to know Andy, or it may have just been the beer talking.

Finally, I looked up information on some of the sculptures I posted last week.

Eternal Families by Ganesh Cherian

These are made of granite and based on the Maori symbol of ‘eternity’. The figures represent mother, father and children.

Moko Moko by Joe Kemp

It is made of swamp totara root. Moko Moko is a mythical creature that roamed Aotearoa a thousand years ago. It was an amphibious leaf eater capable of great speed.

Ali’s Visit

Last weekend our friend Ali was down from Tauranga. We did a leisurely stroll up Belmont Trig.

As you can see it was a fine day, but a bit breezy. There is a fine panoramic view of Wellington Harbour, Te Whanganui a Tara, from the top.

After a picnic lunch we visited the annual Shapeshifter sculpture exhibition in Lower Hutt. It's set in an open park and it was fun exploring and coming across the various creations.

David the metallurgist admiring a metal flower.

A moa made from recycled engineering pieces.

Ceramic eels

which Ali pretended to like (she has an aversion to the real things).

A parliament of owls

 

and a rat.

These shapes are on a plan of the world - Antartica at the bottom and New Zealand in the middle.

I love this lizardy creature with human hands.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

Noreen was very taken with this sad polar bear - lamenting the imminent extinction of its species.

Next week we have the start of a Northern Hemisphere invasion, arriving for Sam and Bex’s wedding. It will be a busy month for us. I will get photos uploaded as I get the opportunity. Please bear with me.