The Colour Purple 2

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

The Colour Purple 1

Three Colours: Blue

Three Colours: White

One of my granny's favourites...

Three Colours: Red

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!

Starboard

Seawall

Seaview

View from North Head 2

View from North Head 1

North Head Cannon

Crane Wave

Washing Line

Fishing Fleet

Aquilegia, Soul Cafe

Boathouse Blues

Grey Day in Blackpool

Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

Yellow Boat

Shipwreck on Blackpool Beach

Purple and Pohutukawa

Cabbage Tree

Cow Parsley

Kingfisher

Dead Dog Bay 4

Dead Dog Bay 3

Dead Dog Bay 2

Dead Dog Bay 1

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!

Waiheke Ferry Wake

Matiatia Bay, Waiheke

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

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

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

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

Day at the Museum 4

Day at the Museum 3

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

Day at the Museum 1

White Rabbits!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Anyone for croquet?

Down the garden path

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