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Photo taken when we lived in Tauranga 5 years ago.

We are now in the days of late Summer/early Autumn - soon it will be time for the mornings to be darker and the nights to be colder. I remember when we lived in Tauranga in 2018, I stoppedbefore work along the waterfront to take photos of how bare the shops and restaurants were in the early morning.

I was driving home from work last night when I decided to stop in at my old workplace and buy a packet of my favourite lollies. On the way home 5 minutes later I, and alot of other cars had to stop on the side of the road as someone had only just had an accident in the pouring rain, I'm not 100% sure but speed was probably a factor. I had missed it by less than a minute - scary stuff.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday, All Seasons and Tom's signs.

Shelter

 

One from our time in Whangarei. I love this city, I spent part of my childhood here as I have relatives who still live on the outskirts on a farm. Good memories. Photo taken in Spring a few years ago in one of the shopping areas.

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

Kumete Kai

 

I saw th is mural on the side of a the local library building when were in Pukekohe for the day last year in November. Painted by artist Regan Belzer the name of it is "Kumete Kai" - a food bowl for the mind. It was blessed by mana whenua and the artist was helped by local Pukekohe High School students. The food bowl idea represents the local area's fertile soil, waterways and plentiful food. 

The idea also goes with the library and "Te Kai a te Rangatira" - the food of the chief is korero - as a place where people gather to to share knowledg, consider, discuss and learn.

Linking up with Monday Murals.

Hanging around

 

I stopped in town one afternoon on the way home from work and noticed this man and his dog waiting outside one of the shops for someone inside, turned out it was his wife and she came out with a bag full of stuff. Just another hot dry Summer's day...

Linking up with Weekend Reflections, Shadow Shot Sunday and the Weekend Roundup.

Mackay Street

 

Mackay Street is one of the main roads in town where the shopping district is. Mostly old buildings full of real estate, clothing, discount, food, appliance and op shops.

Yay we finally have had some rain. Most of the town and surrounding areas like where we are, are now on water restrictions. The rain we have had is a start but we need a wee bit more. I think in the 3 years we have been living on the West Coast this has been the hottest most driest Summer we've had so far.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday, All Seasons and Tom's signs.

Chickens

We have new additions to our whanau (family). We acquired 4 chickens from our local farm store. These are named Mike, Rik, Vyvyan and Neil - who recognizes their names? I'll give you a clue....they are from an early 1980s British comedy series.

This is their coop, right next to the vege garden but this is temporary as we are going to put a wire roof over their running area to keep pests out. So far we are getting 2 to 3 eggs per day - eggs are very very expensive here. For a dozen it costs roughly $9 nzd.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world, Tigger's Blog Hop and Wordless Wednesday.

New Brighton

 

While driving through New Brighton last December I spotted this mural on the fence next to one of the local supermarkets.

Painted by artist Dove Finch it depicts the local area with the library, the bridge, beach and dolphins.

Linking up with Monday Murals.

Gray

 

I was impressed and amazed how much Auckland City had grown since I use to work here in the 1990s, there has been alot of changes and progress, some of it I don't think has been for the better. This photo was taken in November when Spring was still showering the whole country with non stop rain.

Linking up with Weekend Reflections and the Weekend Roundup.

Another petrol station

 

Some people like self serve petrol stations like this one we saw in Christchurch last December as they are a bit cheaper than the average ones around the country. A new one has opened here in Greymouth in the last month that is self serve too and apart from the small difference in price, people are wondering why as we already have 5 petrol stations in town as it is. Most people I've talked to about it are wishing that perhaps a cheaper supermarket or a kmart could've been built there.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs.

New Lyell Cemetery

In between Greymouth and Murchison on the side of the road in amongst bush and mountains is this little wee cemetery.  

Back in the day from 1862 there was a huge cold rush in this area after Maori prosectors started finding gold in the creek. There are many unmarked graves here and most of them have headstones that are falling apart. This one is known as the new cemetery but there is a much older one that I will need to visit.

The town grew quickly reaching to a population of approx 2000 by the 1880s and it was a stopping point on the main road through the Upper Buller Gorge. Back then I would imagine how hard it was getting a horse and cat through the dense bush.

Cliff Street was the main thoroughfare and included banks, hotels and newspaper offices. The Saint Josephs Church was built in 1876 for the large amount of Irish and Italian miners.

 

Around 1901 the population of people had gone down to about 90 and by halfway through the 20th century the town was abandoned.

The town which was located across the road is now a campsite and walkway. Some of the residents include people such as Joshua Barclay who was born in 1839 in Ireland, Catherine Byrne born 1839 in Ireland and Aveline Broderick born in 1893.

In 1869 two Italian Miners named Antonio Zala and Giorgio Zanetti discovered gold in quartz veins  and their mine was worked on from 1872 until 1912. It really is a very peaceful area with the odd car driving past on the road and the Buller Gorge is usually a very misty place.

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

Māwhera

 

There's a new mural on the side wall of one of the cafes in town. This one is named "Māwhera" which is a Māori word that means "wide spread river mouth" and that is pretty much describing the grey river.

It was painted by the local Grey District Youth Trust under the guidance of graffiti artists "Ikarus" and "Drows". 

Linking up with Monday Murals.

Flight Centre

One from Auckland city near Karangahape Road. Flight Centre - one of the places here that people can book flights through but has anyone actually done Japanese Karaoke?

inking up with Weekend Reflections and the Weekend Roundup.

Bird on a sign

 

This sign made me smile last time we were in Taupo. It seems this Black Billed Gull was taking it literally. 

Today is Waitangi Day in Aotearoa New Zealand. It commemorates February 6th 1840 when an agreement to co-govern was reached between Maori and Pakeha.  I have the day off as it is a public holiday.

This movie might help to explain the foundations of the day: 

Sadly at the moment our country is in such disarray with the 3 parties that were elected into parliament who are now trying to change the treaty to suit their own opinions. I don't understand why all our world leaders and people can't work together for unity.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs.

Airborne

 

I love this sculpture that we saw along the waterfront on the Moana Reserve while we were on holiday in Orewa last November Named "Airborne" it apparently at the time cost over $160,000 and was created by Kiwi artists John Mulholland and Philipp Ripa.

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

Natives

 

Recently when we visited Murchison I spotted this colourful mural on the front of the local skatepark building. The artist is Sean Duffell it was initiated by the Murchison Youth Council as phase 1 of refurbishment of the area. I call this one "Natives" as I can see many New Zealand icons in there such as Trout, Kea, a Wood Pigeon and a Morepork (Ruru).

Linking up with Monday Murals.

Entry

 

Outside a cafe in Pukekohe last time we were in Auckland. I wonder people need to be looking on their cellphones instead of talking to each other?

Linking up with Weekend Reflections and the Weekend Roundup.