Tales of Jo

Cabbage Tree Patch

2012-02-15T08:12:00.000+13:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T16:11:00.003+13:00

Lego Trees

2012-02-13T08:14:00.001+13:00

Faded Glory

2012-02-12T08:10:00.000+13:00

Orewa Estuary

2012-02-11T08:08:00.002+13:00

Tree Art 2

2012-02-10T20:11:00.002+13:00

Tree Art 1

2012-02-09T15:34:00.000+13:00

White Rabbits!

2012-02-01T20:55:00.001+13:00

Yellow

2012-01-17T16:48:00.003+13:00

Centennial Park

2012-01-16T16:42:00.001+13:00

Wave Power

2012-01-15T16:41:00.001+13:00

Gateway 2

2012-01-13T11:40:00.001+13:00

Gateway 1

2012-01-12T11:30:00.000+13:00

Kennedy Park 3

2012-01-11T10:43:00.001+13:00

Kennedy Park 2

2012-01-10T21:35:00.001+13:00

Kennedy Park 1

2012-01-09T17:00:00.000+13:00

During World War II, Kennedy Park in Castor Bay was home to gun emplacements and a radio station. The remnants of the fortifications remain and can be seen at various points across the park.

Palm leaves

2012-01-08T16:07:00.000+13:00

Berries

2012-01-07T15:58:00.001+13:00

Kereru

2012-01-06T15:51:00.002+13:00

A bird on the bonnet...

2012-01-05T15:44:00.001+13:00

Seed at Sea

2012-01-04T15:35:00.001+13:00

A mangrove seed, washed up on the beach.

Beachcombing

2012-01-03T15:32:00.001+13:00

New Growth

2012-01-02T15:11:00.001+13:00

White Rabbits!

2012-01-01T20:52:00.001+13:00

The Colour Purple 2

2011-12-30T15:30:00.001+13:00

Any ideas what might have made the holes in these leaves? Man, bird or beast?

The Colour Purple 1

2011-12-29T15:07:00.001+13:00

Three Colours: Blue

2011-12-28T15:04:00.001+13:00

Three Colours: White

2011-12-27T14:53:00.002+13:00

One of my granny's favourites...

Three Colours: Red

2011-12-26T14:22:00.002+13:00

Over the next few days, I'll be posting some pictures that I took around our adopted neighbourhood just before we moved back home so that you can share some of the kiwi Christmas colour.

When I was growing up, the only bit of Christmas colour came from holly berries or a potted poinsettia - or our jolly decorations inside. But here, not only is the sun blazing for the festive season, so are the gardens, looking their best after the spring rains. Agapanthus and lilies grow like weeds and hyrdangea bushes are glorious. But I'm going to have to rely on Margaret to name this red flower for me...

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:59:00.003+13:00

Starboard

2011-12-24T16:24:00.002+13:00

Seawall

2011-12-23T16:11:00.000+13:00

Seaview

2011-12-22T16:09:00.002+13:00

View from North Head 2

2011-12-21T16:07:00.000+13:00

View from North Head 1

2011-12-20T16:05:00.002+13:00

North Head Cannon

2011-12-19T16:03:00.001+13:00

Crane Wave

2011-12-18T15:34:00.002+13:00

Washing Line

2011-12-17T15:32:00.002+13:00

Fishing Fleet

2011-12-16T15:30:00.002+13:00

Aquilegia, Soul Cafe

2011-12-15T15:27:00.003+13:00

Boathouse Blues

2011-12-14T15:25:00.002+13:00

Grey Day in Blackpool

2011-12-13T15:23:00.001+13:00

Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

2011-12-12T15:22:00.001+13:00

Yellow Boat

2011-12-11T15:20:00.001+13:00

Shipwreck on Blackpool Beach

2011-12-10T15:17:00.003+13:00

Purple and Pohutukawa

2011-12-09T22:05:00.002+13:00

Cabbage Tree

2011-12-08T22:02:00.001+13:00

Cow Parsley

2011-12-07T21:59:00.002+13:00

Kingfisher

2011-12-06T21:58:00.001+13:00

Dead Dog Bay 4

2011-12-05T21:56:00.000+13:00

Dead Dog Bay 3

2011-12-04T21:53:00.001+13:00

Dead Dog Bay 2

2011-12-03T21:46:00.002+13:00

Dead Dog Bay 1

2011-12-02T21:40:00.003+13:00

Every other February, Waiheke Island hosts the Headland exhibition - an open air sculpture trail along a coastal path. Since we visited the island in November, we had to make do with a trip to Dead Dog Bay, a sculpture garden at Te Whau. It was a pretty good substitute though, with intriguing art and gorgeous gardens.

White Rabbits!

2011-12-01T18:11:00.002+13:00

Waiheke Ferry Wake

2011-11-30T21:26:00.003+13:00

Matiatia Bay, Waiheke

2011-11-29T21:21:00.003+13:00

My favourite place on Waiheke Island has to be the coastal path from Matiatia Bay, where the passenger ferry docks, round to Church Bay. Huge blue skies, heaps of cabbage trees and beautiful azure seas. Unbeatable.

Pukeko Cottage

2011-11-28T21:08:00.001+13:00

A bach is a classic kiwi holiday home. Often constructed from random building materials, a bach is furnished with odds and ends and decorated with whimsical bits and pieces. It should be walking distance from the sea with enough space to squeeze in the family and some hangers-on. There will be games for wet days and fishing rods galore. The kitchen is a piece of history and the barbecue always well-used.

Pukeko Cottage in Onetangi lived up to expectations and we spent many happy hours lazing about there during our Waiheke trip. The shower was temperamental and the beds sagged but none of that mattered when we had a view of strolling pukekos whilst doing the washing up.

Absence

2011-11-27T20:48:00.002+13:00

Apologies for the recent lack of posts - I've been gadding about with my parents.

Highlights have included a trip to Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, an hour's ferry trip across Auckland Harbour. We stayed in a bach and spent four days strolling along beaches, eating delicious food, admiring local art and doing a little bit of lazing about.

Check back over the next few days to see some of our holiday snaps.

Fading Fast

2011-11-07T16:59:00.003+13:00

This Rugby World Cup pitch at the Winter Gardens might be fading fast but memories of the All Blacks' success are still fighting fit!

Spring at the Winter Gardens

2011-11-06T16:54:00.002+13:00

Day at the Museum 4

2011-11-05T16:58:00.001+13:00

Day at the Museum 3

2011-11-04T15:54:00.002+13:00

As well as the usual taxidermy and display cabinets, the natural history exhibition at Auckland Museum also features some fascinating seascapes.

These reconstructions of various sections of the region's coastline provide a glimpse under the waves at Piha, Pakiri and Devonport.

Day at the Museum 2

2011-11-03T15:52:00.001+13:00

Day at the Museum 1

2011-11-02T15:50:00.001+13:00

White Rabbits!

2011-11-01T18:08:00.000+13:00

Happy Hallowe'en!

2011-10-31T10:54:00.002+13:00

Anyone for croquet?

2011-10-30T10:51:00.001+13:00

Down the garden path

2011-10-29T10:42:00.002+13:00

This was the path to the Mediterranean garden.

The garden owners had installed numerous seats in the garden which seemed to be divided into places to drink coffee and places to drink wine. This was a wine-drinking spot.

And this was the view from the wine-drinking bench.

Weeping Willow

2011-10-28T10:48:00.002+13:00

Flower by Wire

2011-10-27T10:38:00.000+13:00

Abutilon, Again

2011-10-26T20:48:00.000+13:00

Greenfingers

2011-10-25T20:39:00.000+13:00

Despite all the gorgeous colours to be seen on our recent garden visit, it was all the shades of green that caught my eye again as we emerge from winter.

Lake View

2011-10-23T20:31:00.002+13:00

Our gardening club visited another amazing garden this month. It started off as ten acres of bare farmland and ended up in a lovely mix of wet and dry planting with paths meandering through olive groves, past masses of bluebells and along long lines of lavender.

This was the original farm pond, now used for irrigating the garden. It's occupied by metre-long grass carp which keep the weed under control.

Sheep

2011-10-21T21:35:00.001+13:00

For J as she packs her bags.

Strelitzia, Milestone Cottages

2011-10-20T22:12:00.000+13:00

For more photos of our trip to Mangawhai, click here.

Fantail, Milestone Cottages

2011-10-19T22:09:00.001+13:00

Bromeliad, Milestone Cottages

2011-10-18T22:07:00.001+13:00

Kanuka Blossom, Milestone Cottages

2011-10-17T22:04:00.001+13:00

Cherry Blossom, Milestone Cottages

2011-10-16T21:57:00.002+13:00

Abutilon

2011-10-15T21:52:00.003+13:00

The gardens at Milestone Cottages, Mangawhai Heads, were inspired by a visit to an old palace in Rajasthan.

Thanks go to Margaret for identifying this fascinating flower.

Sentinel Rock, Mangawhai Heads

2011-10-14T21:49:00.001+13:00

Tiki, Mangawhai

2011-10-13T21:38:00.001+13:00

Snail Trails, Mangawhai Harbour

2011-10-12T21:37:00.000+13:00

Oystercatchers, Mangawhai Harbour

2011-10-11T21:36:00.001+13:00

Happy birthday Ian!

Boathouse, Mangawhai Harbour

2011-10-10T21:20:00.002+13:00

Mangawhai Harbour

2011-10-09T20:42:00.002+13:00

Quarter Finals

2011-10-08T20:41:00.002+13:00

It's goodbye to the rest of Pool A as NZ and France enter the play-offs...

Red-Brick Church

2011-10-07T18:08:00.002+13:00

Buddleia

2011-10-06T17:55:00.001+13:00

Calla Lily

2011-10-05T17:53:00.002+13:00

Red Hot Poker

2011-10-04T17:51:00.001+13:00

Rambling Rose

2011-10-03T17:50:00.002+13:00

The first of a few shots of flowers taken around and about our temporary neighbourhood...

Pebble Pile

2011-10-02T17:42:00.002+13:00

White Rabbits!

2011-10-01T18:06:00.001+13:00

Rock Formation

2011-09-30T17:40:00.001+13:00

Rangitoto

2011-09-29T17:38:00.001+13:00

To the sea...

2011-09-28T17:36:00.001+13:00

Post Office, Devonport

2011-09-23T15:49:00.001+12:00

Devonport

2011-09-22T15:44:00.002+12:00

Orakei Domain

2011-09-21T15:40:00.000+12:00