Coming Up Close

  On Sunday we enjoyed a balmy Autumn day so we took Bug (my daughter's dog) out for a big walk to one of the local beaches in Greymouth - this nature was is dog friendly and circles around the Cobden Lagoon. So the photos below are a mix of the beach, the bush path, black swans, a fishing boat on it's way back to the wharf and the view across the water to town. This is largely a wetlands area. Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday . 

  At one of the local beaches in Cobden is this small mural on the side of a rubbish bin. The artist is Kieran Knutsford who was aged 11 at the time he painted this. I'm not sure what the story around it is but it looks like a child who is happy and sad when the parent is feeling the same. Linking up with  Monday Murals .

  April 25th is always Anzac Day every year. Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and it is a commemoration of the anniversary of Australian and New Zealand soldiers landing at Gallipoli in Turkey on 25th April 1915.  So most shops except for petrol stations and the odd restaurant are closed until 1.30pm allowing military and everyone else to attend dawn services. Photo taken outside the Greymouth District Council Just about everyone here has someone in their family or that they know who has served at some point so there are lots of tears and memories being shared. Linking up with  Weekend Reflections ,  S hadow Shot Sunday   and the  Weekend Roundup .

  A couple of weeks ago while my daughter R took her dog Bug to the local dog park for a play I ventured up to one of the local beaches in Cobden for a walk in the fresh ocean air.  Near the rocks was a coffee cart with some cars, kayaks and surf boards. And further back in one section of the car park were a bunch of campers. Greymouth is a small town that is a throroughfare for people travelling to the alps, Arthurs Pass and Christchurch so there is some great scenery to be seen. And this is the beach on a quiet Autumn day. Linking up with  Skywatch Friday ,  All Seasons  and  Tom's signs .

More from Moana - Lake Brunner. A couple of weeks ago B and I also completed this 30 minute nature walk. This is a DOC walk so it is a area where Kiwi most likely live, we were dismayed to see a family with a dog walking the track. Lots of dried skeleton leaves - typical for this time of year.     One side of the watrefall going down the mountain to the lake below. In most New Zealand nature walks it's common to see little mini waterfalls along the way. And here's what we came to see - Carew Waterfall. Again I didn't have my camera with me so the photos and videos here are taken with my cellphone. Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday . 

I spotted this small mural on the outside of a door at one of the local water filtering buildings in Greymouth. The artist is Fi Ginivan who is a local artist. Linking up with  Monday Murals .

  Seen in Greymouth shopping area of one of the main streets - this lady is wearing a very colourful coat. Linking up with  Weekend Reflections   and the  Weekend Roundup .

Another part to our Moana mini road trip last week. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, only my cellphone so I tried to get some decent photos. At one of the smaller lakes (there are 6 apparently) there was this run down jetty that had a closed sign on it.  It was such a still quiet Autumn day that this is what the water looked like - a mirror. These birds were just taking off as I stopped there, I think from my research they are Canada Geese, it's a bit hard to tell but they are mainly black, white and brown. Linking up with  Skywatch Friday ,  All Seasons  and  Tom's signs .

Autumn is the best season here to see different types of Fungi. B and I drove out to Moana last week and completed a 30 minute bush walk.  I think this one above is called Velvet Foot aka F. Velutipes. Orange pore fungus aka F. Calocera and is the same below. This white one is Bird's Nest Fungi aka N. Niveotomentosa. Bird's nest fungi aka N. Niveotomentosa.  This little Piwakawaka aka Fantail followed us around on the way back - they are very curious birds. Native fungi common throughout the Tasman area aka Gloeoporus Plebophorus. Sometimes we get the little blue Fungi on bush walks but the last time we saw those was at the Arnold Dam River Walk in 2024. Linking up with  Through my lens ,  Tuesday Treasures ,  My corner of the world ,  Wordless Wednesday . 

  I can't remember where I first saw this but I suspect it was in Kaitaia when we visited there about 5 years ago. It looks to me like it is Maori artwork that symbolises waves and the ocean and it would've been a photo I took as we drove past. Linking up with  Monday Murals .

  I had left a doctor's appointment earlier this week and was walking through town when I saw this old fashioned retro bus backing up outside the local museum " Pounamu Pathway ".  It looked like the husband was driving it and the wife was telling him how much room he has. We are having more grey skies here as Autumn sets in. I've been wearing Winter long sleeved tops to work as the wind that comes through the back gate is starting to get chilly. Linking up with  Weekend Reflections   and the  Weekend Roundup .