The Grey River

B and I went for a short drive last week down our road and discovered the Grey River is about a 4 minute drive. This spectacular scenery is what we have virtually in our own backyard. Although poor Auckland has been under water with some serious flooding we've had 30 degree temperatures and the town is on water restrictions for those using the main water supply. Fortunately we are able to use this or stick to our water tank which we've done successfully so far, we haven't had to fill it up at all from the main town supply. It's strange that the north island and south islands seem to have swapped climates - you would expect we would be getting the opposite events that we've been having.

I remember when I was a child growing up in Auckland, many summers were spent at many of the beaches up there and we would have endless hot sunny days but now they just don't seem to have them.

Linking up with Through my lens, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Cherry Blossom Tui

I've spotted some new murals around Greymouth recently which were created as part of the the Chorus Cabinet Art Programme. This one is in Cobden symbolizes a Cherry Blossom Tui and was painted by local artist Bless Groome.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Delights!

 Another one from Hokitika, this time an old worldly lollie shop we found. C (my youngest son) and R (my daughter) were happy to buy some of their old favourites from there but personally I've seen better selections in a similar shop in Arrowtown (Queenstown).

So this week while we are sweltering in hot summer temperatures and the local council has put in place water restrictions, Auckland and Northland have been declared a state of emergency due to flooding and heavy rain. It's almost like the North and South Islands have swapped climates.

Linking up with Weekend reflections and the Weekend roundup.

Through the McDonald's Window

It's not often any of us order from the breakfast menu at McDonalds - I just find their food a bit bland for my liking however as a one off B and I ordered some eggs benedict bagels which weren't too bad. While we were waiting for our food we were looking at this view out the window - apart from a couple of drizzly days of light rain this has been our daily view of the skies. Not bad I think.

This week has been entertaining as our country's new prime minister has been chosen as Chris Hipkins (which I personally think is a good choice) after Jacinda stepped down. I tell you what, I certainly wouldn't want to have their job having my life in the limelight, being constantly maligned by people online and some of the things I've read people saying about her have been vile. How would they feel if it was their family member being spoken about like that? I have to wonder if she was a man would people have still treated her the same way? I think people should put their money where their mouths are and run for prime minister themselves if they can do a better job. Women first got the vote here in 1893 thanks to hard work from the suffragettes yet you wouldn't think we lived in this day and age. Sad really...

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs. 

Antiques and Collectors Show 2023

On Saturday before work B and I visited a local Antiques and Collectors Fair in town. I had a sneaky suspicion that everything being sold there may be overpriced but we decided to check it out anyway.

Gold coin donation meaning $1 or $2 coin donation which was fine and although we found the displays of what people had found to be interesting most of the items being sold sadly were indeed a bit expensive for my liking. I loved seeing the Rupert the Bear annuals which were a favourite from my childhood and one book in particular which was about west coast gold mining caught my attention but after the seller told me the price for it was $85 I thought better of it, I can probably find the same book elsewhere alot cheaper.

We were a bit disappointed overall and probably won't bother with next year's.

Linking up with Through my lens, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Stone Oven Cafe

Last year in Spring on one of our visits to Hokitika (me, B, my youngest son C and my daughter R) we stopped in at the "Stone Oven Cafe" which is on one of the main roads there. Inside on one of the walls was this mural which to me looks like it celebrates the music scene in New Orleans. Not sure why as the cafe is not themed with it's food in this way but it's colourful and well done anyway.

 We enjoyed the food and as usual I ordered my favourite which is Eggs Benedict with salmon - yum.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Click and collect

On the week of Christmas it was nice to see this happy busker outside the local Subway store, he sounded pretty good actually.

Linking up with Weekend reflections and the Weekend roundup.

Quiet as a mouse

Another one taken on the way home from work on Christmas Eve. The streets were so quiet as most people were at home with their families preparing for the following day, it's not often we see this.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs. 

The 1/4 acre section

This is mine, my backyard with my house to the right and our neighbour across the road. When we first moved here it was a huge mess with overgrown grass and trees too close to the house. Since we've been here we've had a massive tidy up including planting a lemon tree, a mandarin tree and a cherry tree. We live 5 minutes out of town so far away to not be too close to the neighbours but close enough Greymouth if we need something.

Yesterday morning B and I picked these off one of the neighbour's plum tree that overhangs on our side of the property, they are all look and feel very juicy. Last night we gave half the plums to one of our neighbours and swapped the rest with our other neighbour when he gave us 2 of his tomato plants. Life is good.

Linking up with Through my lens, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Make it click

 Many years ago there was a slogan via McDonald's tv commercals about seatbelt safety in cars called "Make it click". 

These days it's not on so much anymore but still just as relevant. The above mural was painted by local artist Mark Haldana aka RAJA. Sorry it's a bit blurred as it was taken when I was driving past.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Books

I'm a bit of a bookworm and I have a Kindle that I use to download any books I want to read so when I discovered there was a bookshop in Greymouth I knew it could be dangerous. I haven't been in there yet but I know if I do I'm likely to come out with loads.

Linking up with Weekend reflections and the Weekend roundup.

West Coast Honey

Photo taken the week of Christmas it shows the blue skies we've had just about every day with an average daily temperature of between 24 and 30 degrees. The north island of NZ has had flooding and torrential rain, we've had 2-3 days of drizzle. So this week I am working 5 days, normally I only work 4 days each week. As I've gotten older I've found that working full time just leaves me completely shattered on my days off especially now that I'm in retail - it's always frantically busy. This morning I'm only halfway through my week and already I feel like I've been hit by a bus so I'm looking forward to my days off on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

When I was in town looking for a Christmas costume for work, the guys across the road was selling west coast honey and I hope he was successful in his venture. When we buy honey it's usually Manuka as this is well known to be the best.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs. 

Tourists

Night is the best time in Greymouth literally because there is no people around. Summer here as bought so many tourists, and while we don't mind because at this time last year we were them, my work can get very very hectic. At least they are for the most part polite.

Linking up with Through my lens, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Whare Manaaki o te Tai Poutini

On the fence around one of Greymouth's local Maori groups named "Whare Manaaki o te Tai Poutini" (a space for the whole community of Greymouth who offer programs around community meals, playgroups, te reo sessions, gardening etc) is this mural.

Apparently Christine Harvey from Christchurch Moko, her daughter and some of the Whare Manaaki team painted it. I like it, it's bright and colourful.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Arrows

Another one I snapped while driving through Auckland City a few years ago. It seems there are roadworks just about everywhere these days and while the roads need regular maintenance and upgrading, the plumbing and sewerage systems underneath these streets are pretty much as old as when the city was first founded. Auckland has seen some major changes over the years, it's definitely not the same as when I was growing up there but this is progress I guess...

Linking up with Weekend reflections and the Weekend roundup.

Flowers...

I don't seem to see many garden beds or flowers around Greymouth. When we lived in Tauranga I hated it with literally a passion but one thing we saw lots of was pretty flowers planted along the edges of roads and intersections. This one had a mixture of what looks like Alyssum and Impatiens - so colourful. 

 

So far here in my backyard we've planted a mandarin tree, a lemon tree and a cherry tree - outside the front of the house I planted 3 red roses which are already blooming.  I think my town needs more colour, especially in Summer. So far here it's been very hot with low humidity so our nights have been very warm and very dry. It's hard to sleep with even a sheet but getting the washing dry outside is easy.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs. 

Eggsactly...

 

 

So December came and went, now we are onto January. It was a very quiet new year's even for us, B and I worked until 9pm and after we came home it was time for a cup of tea then bedtime. We discovered a new Apple Crumble Pie that was in the freezer section at work so we enjoyed that with some custard and summer wouldn't be the same without chips dipped into the traditional kiwi dip consisting of reduced cream mixed with onion soup and an added squeeze of lemon juice. Once refrigerated for a good hour or so it's very refreshing on a hot day.

And I took this quick snap of our 1/4 acre backyard section looking at the side of the house and our neighbour across the road. The boys have been busy using our new ride on lawn mower  to keep it trim on the average 24 degree celsius days. I'm even contemplating getting chickens to give us fresh free range eggs now that cage eggs have been banned here, apparently companies were given notice back in 2012 that they were going to be fazed out and now supermarkets across the country are all running short. I'm not sure about the Chickens though, my cousin has some but I'm wondering about the upkeep.

Linking up with Through my lens, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Man in the moon

I spotted this odd looking mural down by the Greymouth railway station on the back of one of the shop buildings. Painted by local artist RAJA aka Mark Haldane it seems to show a face on the moon and a big arrow that's made of cheese?

 See what you can make of it. Linking up with Mural Monday. btw Happy New Year!