Auckland, Sunday night

These pictures were taken during the drive from Napier to Auckland. I saw a much greater range of animal life in this part of the trip, fewer fences, many animals ranging quite in the open including these horses feeding along the shore. Wild turkeys, woodcocks, feral goats, opossoms (road kill) all along the way.


Here is the road just behind the horses pictured above. While New Zealand has excellent roads, they are not any larger than needed. This one was just barely two lanes. Today i had to dodge giant rock slides coming down through a gorge, caused by a rainfall and gale last night.


One of a group of black swans living along a lake I passed between Napier and Gisborne.


Here is a picture of the lake where the swan and his mates lived and the variety of vegetation along the side.

Napier, Friday night

Here are some of the Victorian cottages on a hillside in Napier. Many of the smaller wooden homes seem to have been spared the earthquake that devastated the downtown in the early 1930's.


Here is one of the shops in the central part of Napier, several blocks back from the beach.


Even though this is the start of Napier's winter, on a walk through town, I saw plenty of flowers in bloom. A local biology teacher told me that they will get frosts later on in the winter, crucial in forcing the buds of fruit trees in the surrounding orchards. Right now it has been in the forties (F) in the nights and low sixties by mid-day.

Here is a palm in front one of the Victorian cottages in the residential district just to the north of the commercial district of Napier.


Here is a small mini-golf course along the edge of the beach in Napier, very subdued by American standards. No windmills, fiberglass animals, or cartoon characters lining the fairways.




Boys performing a traditional Maori Haka at Lindisfarne College, Hastings.

Napier, Wednesday morning

A group of Maori boys from the Napier area who performed the traditional Haka at our conference opening.

The main building at Lindisfarne College, the site of our conference.


The Masonic Hotel on the strand facing the beach in Napier. My room is off the portico in the middle of this picture.

The beginning of the pedestrian mall at Napier.

Napier, Sunday night

These cows came running up the hill when I started to take a picture of their pasture just a few minutes before sunset.

This is a beautiful crescent beach over the hill from the town of Russell, in the center of the Bay of Islands.
The town has built a path separated from the road that climbs from the village to the beach. Local residents maintain the plantings along the edge.

This street runs along the waterfront of the village of Russell. The beach and harbor are just beyond the trees to the right.


The ferry dock in Russel, looking back toward the town of Paihia.

Paihia, Saturday morning

Looking up the sheltered harbor of Mangonui toward the fish shop and commercial dock.

Looking out across the harbor of Mangonui from a hillside walk the town has built that forms a circuit through the historical district of this old timber trading and whaling station.

When I stopped to let these free range pigs cross the road up on the Karikari Peninsula, they doubled back and came right up to my window, I think hoping that I had something for them to eat. The picture is a little blurry because they were trotting right along when I snapped it from the car.

This is one of the four wheel drive buses that drive right out on the 90 Mile Beach just north of Kaitaia.

I talked with the fisherman who was getting ready to launch this boat out into beautiful Rangaunu Bay, the last bay up on the northeast side of the North Island. The boat, built to similar lines as an inflatable, has aluminum pontoons, making it unsinkable, and well suited to rough water. The boat, called, I believe, a Stablecraft (though I may not have caught the proper name through the owner's accent), is built down on the South Island. I liked the little windshield and dodger design.

One of the four wheel drive coaches that take people on sightseeing tours up the 90 Mile Beach at the top of the North island.

Kaitaia, Friday morning

This stone building served as the store in the English settlement of Kerikeri, high up on the eastern coast of the North Island.

One of the stores in Mangonui, up on the edge of Doubtless Bay. The town's gingerbread trim and hipped roof buildings reminded me of the Caribbean.

This is the last navigable part of the river running up to Kerikeri, which has sailboats anchored all along its banks.

This traditional fishing boat hull lies docked in the harbor of Whangarei.

Kaitaia, Thursday night

Here are some pictures from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

Auckland, Wednesday morning

My hotel is in the background on this street. This young Starbucks employee is trying to introduce hot chocolate to Auckland customers at the beginning of their winter. The palms in the background make it hard for me to get back in the wintry mood.


This is a portable coffee shop that can be dropped into the middle of public spaces. It has quite a sharp design and loos very practical. This one sits just underneath the Sky Tower, next to my hotel.

here is the Sky Tower, billed as the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, with a restaurant and observation deck. You can jump off the deck and take a free fall, different from bungee jumping in that you come down between cables, and slow down as you approach the base.

Auckland, Monday night

This is the view of the skyline and the edge of Auckland's vast marina from the bridge that connects the city to the northern suburbs.


Here is a take out kitchen they tow in to downtown Auckland with a small tractor. It has been operating since the late '40's. Auckland has much more of a small town feel than any of the Australian cities I stopped in.




Here is the city seen from down in the marina district where a whole group of big sailing yachts sit, most registered in the Caymans or Road Harbour.

Here's Endeavor, the prettiest boat I've seen so far, not a blemish in any of the varnish.

Auckland, Sunday night

These pictures show the Marine Museum I spent the rainy afternoon visiting.


The museum had both dugouts and European style boats.

Although very friendly to kids, the museum had put this boat up just a bit too high. This little one started squawking when she tried to peer over the side.

Sydney, Saturday morning

This is the view of the Opera House coming back at dusk from Manly on the ferry. In the foreground, you can see the end of a long promenade that skirts the harbor. Later at night I came back and watched millions of tiny violinists and violists streaming out after a young people's concert.


This is the Sydney skyline from the Manly ferry. In the foreground, the large park with the Botanical Gardens.

Sydney, Friday night

Along the base of the hillside runs the boardwalk that skirts the shore from Manly beach out to Shelly Beach, a protected cove with sand beach where sunbathers had their blankets set out at the beginning of the Australian winter. You can see the beginning of a large park set in the headlands just behind the shore houses.


This is the beach at Manly, the little town across the bay from Sydney. This shows the esplanade and pines just behind the beach. Off in the distance is the cove with Shelly Beach.


Just above the beach is an older cottage colony called Fairy Bower, but as you can see if you blow up the photo, the red sign talks about adding on a floor, and that is what most people have done, either raising the houses or knocking them down and putting up larger condominiums. But there are a few beauties left.


On the edge of the shore path is a salt water pool that people were swimming in. I had a windbreaker for the ferry ride, but in Manly most people were in shirts - lots of shorts as well.


Another picture showing in more detail the shore front homes and the shore walk out to Shelly Beach. On the edge of the beach, a little bungalow serves wine and beer.




The street performer here has set up in the middle of the main pedestrian mall that runs from the ferry out to the beach. Unfortunately, the shops have all put up modern steel and glass marquis style structures, hiding some beautiful art deco and Victorian facades.

Sydney, Friday noon

This picture of the Opera House shows the view from the Harbour Bridge just after sunrise. From Shore School, where I have been staying, the bridge is just a short walk down the hill.



This photo, also taken from the bridge shows a square rigger coming into the harbor. Beginning of the skyline is just to the right.

I took this picture of the Opera House from the back deck of the ferry over to Manly, about six miles outside the city, a little town with popular surf beaches and a delightful town square, ringed by a set of palm trees in front of the Municipal Council Hall. I'm writing this through their free internet wireless spot in the park, a very nice civic feature.


This set of cloister style arches sits in front of one of the academic buildings at Shore School. The upper level porch and trellis serve the faculty lounge and academic offices of the school.

This view of the Opera House at night shows the lighted roof from the quay and promenade near the ferry terminal. Little restaurants and bars line the edge of this popular strolling site.







This panorama shot shows the waterfront at sunrise from North Sydney, taken in a little waterfront park just below the school and next to the base of the Harbour Bridge.