Coming Up Close

I took this photo after I finished work one night at 8pm. It's very light at this time of day being Summer here but it has been very dry. We were due for a thunderstorm earlier this week which didn't really eventuate. Alot of peoples water tanks are nearly empty, our is about 1/4 from the bottom but many like us have the option of switching on town supply to fill it up. Edited to add: yay we had a day of steady rain yesterday. Linking up with  Skywatch Friday ,  All Seasons  and  Tom's signs .

In Murchison is this war memorial, I haven't seen many where is a statue of a soldier at the top. On on side it is dedicated to those who fought in the great war from 1914 to 1919 and on another side it has names of those who died who were from that area . One of the inscriptions says "Greater hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends".  Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday .

  This mural has been painted onto another utility box outside one of the local takeaway shops, depicting ice creams it's perfect for our weather at the moment. Something nice and cool. Linking up with Monday Murals .

  Another one from Orewa, this one is a restaurant named "Downbeat" on the main street, looks like it's located in a nice sunny spot with plenty of tables outside. There's not alot of information about them online, apparently they sold the business a few months ago but it looks like they mostly play jazz music. Photo taken in the morning just after they had opened so not many people about. Linking up with  Weekend Reflections ,  S hadow Shot Sunday   and the  Weekend Roundup .

  These eco-friendly car chargers are cropping up everywhere all over the country for those people who have electric cars. Not my thing but whatever...this one taken in Darfield near Christchurch just before Christmas.  It seems the west coast is one of the few places including Auckland and Northland around the country getting a proper Summer. But now the North Island has just had minor flooding and excessive rain. It is so dry here that the grass in my backyard is starting to go brown. We need a little bit of rain. Linking up with  Skywatch Friday , All Seasons  and  Tom's signs .

  One of our neighbours has a big plum tree that overhangs on my property so every Summer we shake the tree and gather the plums that fall down, this year has been a bumper crop. This one taken at our favouite beach - Rapahoe on a sizzling hot Sunday morning. We really have had a hot season so far. I've had holiday makers come into my work from places such as Christchurch, Nelson, Kaikoura and Blenheim because we are having hot weather.  Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday .

  I spotted this little mural on the front of a Chorus utility box in the suburbs of Christchurch last time we were there just before Christmas. Unfortunately this one has had a bit of graffiti added to it but it shows a K ererū, a native New Zealand Wood Pigeon sitting on a branch. Linking up with Mural Monday .

  Photo taken in Pukekohe, Auckland in late November before Summer had kicked in. The whole country was literally afflicted with nearly constant rain and overcast skies. I don't mind this town but it is quite a distance to get there from the southern motorway. Linking up with  Weekend Reflections ,  S hadow Shot Sunday   and the  Weekend Roundup .

  This made me smile - photo taken in Christchurch a few days before Christmas outside a restaurant. Someone had put a santa hat on this sculpture making it look festive.  Linking up with  Skywatch Friday  and  Tom's signs .

  Last week we drove up to Murchison to visit our favourite op shop. We also had lunch at one of the nicest cafes we've been to. This was my brunch; eggs benedict and bacon with a mocha. And last time we were there just over a year ago we tried to visit the Dust and Rust vintage store but it was closed back then. This time it was open. Sadly everything in it was a bit overpriced for my liking - I did see an old metal washing/bath tub out the front I was interested in but I wasn't going to pay over $300 for it.  I loved everything inside though, so much to see but I'm quite picky with what I want to put in my house which was built in the 1930s and because I'm not made of money I didn't come out of there with anything. Some of the cookie jars on the shelf look like ones that my Nana use to have when she was alive.  Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday .

  All of a sudden when late December kicked in the hot weather arrived. Photo taken along one of the main roads in Greymouth town centre. The modernised clock tower to the left next to the river wall and an art gallery to the right. Linking up with  Weekend Reflections ,  S hadow Shot Sunday   and the  Weekend Roundup .

  This is the season (Summer) where it's good to see children outside doing activities like cycling - this photo was taken on the outskirts of Christchurch in Darfield. It's a shame that so many these days are stuck to electronic devices. Linking up with  Skywatch Friday  and  Tom's signs .

  I've often wondered what this building is everytime we have driven through the Otira Gorge. This is St Christopher's Anglican Church just before the railway station. It had originally been the Kumara Anglican Parish and was gifted in 1992 to be a Maori Missionary Church. We drove through Otira on our way to Christchurch last week so the weather was a bit overcast and misty through the mountains. If you look closely at both photos you can probably see the Maori artwork just under the roof area on both sides of the eaves front and back of the building. Otira is quite an isolated quiet area with houses/farms not in close distance to one another. Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday .

  One from Auckland on the corner of Karangahape Road (K-Road as it's known). One person walking their dog along the busy street and one to the left on his cellphone. It's been stinking hot here so far this Summer. We bought a blue plastic paddling pool for Bug, my daughter's dog but so far the cats have shown more interest in it than she has. Linking up with Weekend Reflections and The Weekend Roundup .

  Christchurch a week ago - as I mentioned in my last post we had driven over through the alps for my son to have a look at a car he ended up buying. I'm not a fan of this city, so many cars and traffic, so many traffic lights but I did want to visit Brighton Beach and I'm glad we did.  It was a very hot Summer's day - I so miss the beach. We live near the Gray River and have to drive to the nearest beach. Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs .