MS Ovation of the Seas

Welcome to Summer here in Tauranga. Christmas has come and gone, we travelled nearly 4 hours up north to spend 2 days with my family, unfortunately the weather was pretty cruddy so we didn't get to take many photos. When we came back however things cleared up and it's been pretty hot here.

On on afternoon walk we walked down to Pilot Bay to see a new cruise ship - the MS Ovation of the Seas leave for it's next destination. It can hold up to 4,905 passengers, is 348 m in length and can travel at 22 knots. When we were watching it, we could see people on board look like the size of ants - the ship is so huge and so many rooms and decks on board.

I'd like to hear how your Christmas was and how your last few days has been :-)

Santa has landed at Trinity Wharf

Last weekend after I visited the Robbins Park Rose Gardens here in Tauranga I drove along the waterfront and this place, the Trinity Wharf Hotel caught my eye. Every year around this time they put upside down Santa legs on their roof - it's quite eye catching as cars pass over the harbour bridge in the distance.

The water in the harbour was also so calm and the day so lovely and hot that I couldnt' help but enjoy the scenery. Today though was the last day of the year for me at work and tomorrow we are travelling up north to see my family for Christmas day and onwards on a tiki tour further up north on boxing day. Merry Christmas everyone :-)

Linking up with Skywatch Fridays this week.

Tauranga's Robbins Park Rose Gardens

Seeing as it's been such beautiful Summer weather here at the moment I took the opportunity on Saturday to drive into town to visit the Robbins Park Rose Gardens here in Tauranga.

For such a scenic spot it has amazing views of the harbour and Mount Maunganui even though it's situated close to railway lines and the city centre. It was apparently named after a former Mayor and established in 1960 by the Bay of Plenty Floral Festival Society.

There are 28 bed rose gardens, various camellias and other shrubs. The water fountain is suppose to represent Ceres, the protector of flowers and crops and the goddess of plenty according to Roman Mythology.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday this week :-)

Christmas time on our road

This morning on my daily walk I was enjoying immensely the fine sunny weather and I could feel the Christmas hustle and bustle going on around me, plenty of traffic, lots of holiday homes being built, 2 cruise ships in port.

I don't know about you but i can't wait for a good break and 2 weeks of time off.  I have 7 days to go until I finish work for the year - woo hooo!

Linking up with Skywatch Friday this week :-)

Colourful kayaks for hire at Pilot Bay

Pity this weekend has been so cold and windy, but last weekend was hot and sunny - perfect Summer's day. We were walking along the boardwalk at Pilot Bay and saw someone with kayakers and sails set up for hire on the grass by the picnic areas - I liked the way the rainbow colours stood out.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday here :-)

The pohutukawa trees are flowering at last!

Summer is here and the red Pohutukawa trees are flowering at last, these are New Zealand's iconic Christmas tree, they usually line the coastlines along the country and myth has it if the flowers are out before December then it means we will get a good hot Summer. Looking forward to it -but not the humidity though...

More Skywatch Fridays here :-)

The old house on blocks in Te Puke

On our tiki tour a while back we were out and about in Te Puke a small farming settlement about 20 minutes from Tauranga. On one of the country back-roads we passsed by an old house on piles which looked like it was now being used as a woolshed. I didn't venture inside as it was on private property but I did stand by the driveway and take some shots of it, unfortunately historical research on it didn't uncover anything very interesting.

Linking up this week with Macro Monday (the top shot of an Echevaria at Whakatane Hill Cemetery) and Our World Tuesday :-)