Cherry Blossom Festival

Ominous Skies

Torrential rain and thunderstorms tonight. Spring is making up for a dry winter.

More from Muriwai

A quick clip of the sea - wait for the water spout at the end...

Tall Trees

The sun came out late this afternoon and so we went for a bit of a walk in our local reserve. Close to the start of the path, we found this pair of kauris. The trees looked pretty tall from where we were standing but nowhere near the 50 metres that they can reach when mature.



The path deteriorated soon after that and we found ourselves tramping rather than Sunday strolling. We were ducking under ferns and palms, balancing on planks across bogs and leaping brooks whilst following the possum trapper's tracks.

Mist over Muriwai

Took a trip down to Muriwai this afternoon to find out how the gannets were doing. The sea was rough and the spray thrown up by the waves made the woods behind the dunes rather eerie.



The gannets were struggling with the wind, hovering above the cliff top attempting to land in the right place - next to their mates. No signs of chicks yet but we guessed that the birds were sitting on their eggs. Will have to return in a few weeks for a progress check.

Land of the Long Grey Cloud

It's been a miserable week of spring showers this week. Hoping for brighter skies soon.

Rainforest

For those of you who think that we're living in a sunny paradise, here's a clip to make you feel better...

More from Melbourne III

The more modern face of Melbourne -

More from Melbourne II

The interior at the Convent - a huge renovation project for the local community.

More from Melbourne I

Some shots from the streets of Fitzroy.

Down on the Farm

After touring the convent yesterday, we headed over to the city farm on the banks of the River Yarra which the nuns used to run in order to sustain their 1000-strong community.

The peacocks kept us entertained and then I had a go at milking this cow... She didn't seem to mind my amateurish attempts too much.


Lots more photos online here...

Sunday at the Convent

Emma and I were feeling particularly devout today and so we headed over to Abbotsford Covent for a spot of brunch and the social history tour. In the New World, a century-old convent counts as something of a relic and we were quite amused by the pebble-dashed walls and the Aussie-Rules themed bar based in one of the former cells.

Welcome to Sunny Fitzroy

A flying visit to Melbourne this weekend where I have been enjoying a local's tour of Fitzroy and Carlton, courtesy of Emma. Lots of cafes, bars, boutiques and galleries - I feel like the country mouse in town.




Lots of lovely worker's cottages and back streets and garden squares too.

Misty Morning IV

Thick fog this morning and the airport was closed when I turned up for my flight to Wellington. Fortunately a gap in the clouds opened up and we took off to find this fantastic view of three layers of clouds above the Waikato River.



Luckily it was a bit clearer by the time we were ready to land in Wellington...

Airfields

Several trips out to the airport area for meetings this week. Amongst all the warehouses and office blocks and car parks, I found this barn.

Sunrise Commute

Misty Morning III

We woke up this morning to find that the whole city was still under its duvet of mist.

Sunny Sunday by the River

In London, on sunny Sunday afternoons, we used to head down to the Mayflower or the Famous Angel for a drink or two by the Thames. So this afternoon we went to our local to try out its riverside deck and this is what we found - not a bad exchange.

Stormy Skies

Hobson Bay from Tamaki Drive on a stormy afternoon.

White Rabbits!