Mount Maunganui public library

Another sunny late Summer's day here, this morning on my run past our local library it was good to many of the Sunflowers and Rudbeckia still flowering - these had been planted about a month ago.

Hopefully for those in the northern hemisphere you have a bit of thawing out going on. Linking up with Skywatch Friday :-)

The old Tauranga post office

A very interesting building this one. While I was on my way to an appointment in the city I walked past this building, the old Tauranga post office. Apparently according to some research the original structure on this site was made of wood and was meant to be used for farm training for the local Maori people but land wars broke out and it was used by the military as a hospital. After it was rebuilt in 1902 it burned down and an architect named John Campbell redesigned it in an Imperial Baroque style. For many years local residents visited the building when it became a post office on the lower floor and on the second floor housed a courtroom.

The post office moved out in 1938 and the courtroom found elsewhere to be. In 1987 when people thought it would be demolished in favour of new high rise buildings, the local council purchased the building in 1990 then resold it to a new owner with instructions that it be restored to appropriate conditions. Since then it has been restored and now accommodates 4 office areas. There is also a display area on the lower floor showcasing exhibits relating to the buildings history.

Poor little abandoned house...

On our last road trip through Rotorua, we drove through various parts of the city. This was one area the other half wanted to show me in a poorer section of town. An old state house from what looks like the 1960s/1970s era when it was fashionable for the government to build properties like this for families of a low social economic background. These days most of them are being torn down in favour of newer houses but unfortunately there are still alot of them that have been used to make/use drugs so they are unsafe and unhealthy to live in. This poor little abandoned house looks like it's been left in a big decaying state with broken windows and timber along with gang graffiti.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday...

Walks around Wellsford - sights I've seen this week

This week it's been freezing cold in the mornings, too nippy for me to get out and walk my dog like I usually do so instead I've been walking around Wellsford during my lunchtime - here's a few of the things I've seen:

This lovely art deco stucco home along the main road of Rodney Street - the owners have looked after it well by the look of it.

Kiwiana artwork along the fence of Wellsford Kindergarton - very colourful for where children play inside.

Wellsford Rsa with a pot of red vibrant pansies next to the entrance way - makes a colourful scene in the middle of winter.

Another lovely well restored house - this one in Batten Street is so pretty! It's been lovingly looked after and well preserved - looks like a large house too!

Stormy sunrise over the subdivision this morning

We tend to get some nice coloured skies overhead some mornings. This morning was no different - this one over the subdivision where we live was tinged with orange.

One many colourful holiday homes here in Mangawhai

This one has been painted a very colourful blue, turquoise and red. You tend to see a few of these around, sort of fits in with the seaside theme...