Thursday, December 19, 2013

Windblown

Someone once told me that in the Catlins it rains nine months of the year and it's Winter for the other three. Being so close to the coast and not too far from the Antarctic there can also be some strong and persistent winds. This Cabbage Tree was putting up a balletic resistance.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Hedge

Macrocarpa hedges are a popular option for shelter belts on many southern farms. Their ability to form a dense living mass helps to keep the wind down, allowing stock to take cover from severe weather. This one appealed because of the strict, almost military precision trimmed bottom section and the left to its own natural growth top.
Decades ago when I was first getting into learning about influential photographers, I was most attracted to the snaps of Edward Weston. He lived and photographed in Carmel on the West Coast of the USA.
Many of his photographs included trees he romantically referred to as Monterey Cypress. Turns out it is what we call Macrocarpa. This part of the states also gave us Pinus radiata, the basis of our modern timber industry. Sadly the only advantage of pine is that it grows very fast here and gives the plantation owners a quicker profit. Macrocarpa is a far more interesting wood.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Omaui



As you head down the road to Bluff one of the few side roads on the right will take you to Omaui Bay.
It's the entrance to an estuary. It was quite windy when I was there and patches of partly damp sand had been blasted into the fried egg like patterns as in the first two pics. At the northern end was an out crop of rocks, basalt I think, which has been burnished over many many years by the actions of sand, sea and wind. This has given them the look and feel of metal.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Water Tower

There's a lot of concrete in Southland, this landmark water tower dominates Winton, and is made of many tons of the stuff. Everytime we're in Winton, I'm drawn to the towers' brutal beauty. It would make a great home or even a camera obsura.

Toilet

Sadly some people don't respond to politeness these days. This is how I found it. I think the Thank you was added later by someone else, the hand writing appears to be different.  Was this a spontaneous act of community spirit or was the task thrust upon some poor soul who would have had to get down on their knees with a permanent marker and diligently apply the plea.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Concrete

I have a suspicion this may have been an old dairy factory. It is on the way to the Catlins heading East from Invercargill. Not only is the building interesting I enjoy the use of concrete for most other things around it. The lampost, the fence, the water trough. There are strong rumors the Romans were among the first to exploit the joys of concrete. How cool would it be to turn the trough into a hot tub.

Corrugated

This intriguing structure is lurking in the industrial back blocks of Invercargill. Don't know what it is or has been used for, I suspect it may be some sort of drying/ storage room.
The clear land in front has only recently been leveled, there were vast amounts of broken china and bottles along with ancient metal. It could of been an early dump. Many decades ago I would have been scavenging around attempting to find some old bottles. Nowdays it is a crime under the Historic Places Act to dig any site that is 100 + years old.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Silos


I think it would so neat to get hold of an old silo and turn it into a shed, hut, hot tub or some sort of garden hideaway. They could even be converted into retro style space ships. I'd almost become a farmer if I could populate my paddocks with silos. The top green ones are a small selection from a farm just up the road from the water tank on the mound. The shiny new one is in Winton

Straw

A fine welcome to one of the many interesting settlements we passed through on a recent trip to Invercargill. This robust young fella was erected out side a farming supliers.

Water tank

This area of Southland is fairly flat land. I assume the reason for creating ones own mountain to plonk a water tank on is to get a better gravity fed flow. I'm a sucker cabbage trees and it warms me to see them take pride of place cuddled next to the water tank. There is also a functional beauty to the brick pump house nestled below.

Whitebaiting

This exquisite gem of a caravan was one of many structures along a river near Riverton in Southland, used as a home away from home during the Whitebait season. I was too scared to try and find out about it because Whitebaiters can be a teritorial.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Abode

This architectural gem is situated in a prime seaside location in Hokitika. Being in a horse paddock I assume the horses would gallop over and strolling in when the weather gets a bit rainy as it does on the West Coast. Or it could just be storage shed? There are many humble out buildings scattered through out the rural regions, I feel these are some of the greatest buildings in the country and they need protecting as much as any big civic structure. One of the main brutalisers of these buildings are those goobers with spray cans that feel that have to ughlyfy every wall they see with those vile vandalistic scribblings.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Rock

I keep stumbling over rocks plonked into the urban environment in all their naked glory.
This fine specimen is in Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island. It looks a bit like one of the stone sculptures on Easter Island has been eating too many cream buns.

Plumbing

Another Sydney snap, reminds me a bit of the torso I saw at the market.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Plant Life


Another couple of snaps from Sydney. The top one is part of a massive Sydney Harbour light show. There were amazing LASER light shows pulsating over many buildings including the Opera House. Very spectacular. I was drawn to this more humble display. How cool would it be to have an orchard full of trees with these lights dangling in their branches. Magic!
The bottom pic of plants in a tub somehow has a feeling of suppression. Almost like caged birds, never really being free.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Torso

This fine specimen of truncated manhood was lurking round the same Sydney market Jill took us to. I've always been fascinated by the honest beauty of medical models and dead things. Many people may recoil in horror at such sights and run away in disgust. I think something that causes such reactions is part of the appeal to me.  I didn't enquire as to the price, I fear it may of been a small mortgage.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Sydney



 Helen and I had a weekend away in Sydney a couple of months back. Helen's sister Jill was our  fabulous tour guide. Having lived in Sydney for yonks she was able to cater precisely to our interests.
These are few snaps from that weekend. The top one is some kind of Mexican inspired takeaway.
It tasted good even it looked like a sock puppet. Middle pic is Jill striding off after having been convinced she must have the very cool retro coat she's now wearing.
Bottom pic. I think this was a hip little fashion shop, but it could of been a veterinary / taxidermy supply outlet. It looks a bit like the rectal exam on a couple Koalas took a turn for the worse.


Thursday, August 8, 2013

Plane

Christchurch is hosting a very cool NASA 747 Jumbo Jet that has been converted into an infrared telescope. Rumour has it the plane hurtles up high into the atmosphere above most of the moisture and opens the cover on the telescope which is housed behind a hump near the tail. To keep the telescope cool it is chilled to about 4 degrees above absolute zero. This is to minimize the chances of it detecting it's own heat. The telescope is stationary and if the scientists want to rotate it, the whole plane rolls round.

Sauce

Nothing deep, sometimes doing the dishes brings a little joy. Im enjoying the colour of the diluted tomato sauce lurking in the green bowl. The water around the base is a bit nasty, but gives a nice neutral background. Tomato sauce is a national staple food in New Zealand, personally I find it inedible in it's raw, straight from the bottle out of the fridge state.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Seasick


I spotted these models sitting in the back of a miniature jetboat that is used to advertise the thrill of hurtling through narrow boulder infested gorges and risking a wet & messy demise along a river near Hanmer Springs.
Not sure if the bottom chap is the best of marketing tools? I feel queasy just looking at him.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Redwood







This large Redwood tree trunk lives outside the Hanmer Hot Springs pool complex. One of the aspects that I enjoy about this tree is it could be the leg and foot of some enormous Saurapod, just standing there waiting for the rest of the herd to stop 'roaming the earth' and catch up. Is it strange, lazy or biased writing, when dinosaurs 'ruled' the earth they were also 'roaming' it, never 'exploring' or 'investigating' it?  You only ever hear the word 'roaming' in association with dinosaurs going about their daily business. Another tired ignorant expression that journalists vomit up when they want to elicit fear and loathing in those who choose to read or listen to them is 'shark infested waters'. Sharks are cool and damage far, far fewer people than horses.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Straws


Not being a consumer of the spiritous liquors I tend to order apple juice or sugar based carbonated water drinks when we are out. Virtually every time the beverages are delivered to the table mine has been defiled by a sadly limp plastic straw. This winds me up severely. Just because I choose not to part-take in alcohol doesn't mean I don't know to use a glass. Not only is a straw an insult. it also adds to waste stream. It would be an interesting and life threatening experiment to see the reaction of a rugby team being served their beers with a straw flopping around in it.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Farewell Summer




The warmth of summer has finally evaporated and the promise of cool autumn shadows is upon us.
Daylight saving has ended. Which seems to bring with it a sense of urgency in the garden. Time to put the warm weather accoutrements into hibernation. As the sun gets lower it streams into my studio, bringing heat and the joy natural light embuing everything with an intensity and beauty that no artificial light source can ever match.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tree Stump


This is an intriguing way to disguise an old tree stump. This lovely wooden picnic table was outside a real estate agents premises in Foxton

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Dog

This fearsome beast is half of a pair guarding the driveway of a Foxton beach residence.  Casting concrete animals is a dying art that I hope makes a come back with the whole retro revival thing going on. I'm sure there is interest out there. Talking with the owner of the 'dog', she said they had had many people wanting to purchase these ornaments. Our garden has a couple of concrete critters that occasionally make an appearance. One is a fawn, the other is a yellow rabbit. I'll break out the camera next time they are spotted.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Food


Chowing down on fresh simple food outdoors with family and friends on a warm summer evening is about as good as eating gets. I'm sure it's something primal. Maybe we feel closer to nature because we aren't cocooned by the perceived safety of four walls. Just as an aside, the lettuce that prawns are nestled on is a variety called 'Iceberg' apparently it is the preferred type for many prawn salad fans. I have been begged to grow it at home. I have yet to find the seed or seedlings anywhere.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Hydrangeas

Blue and pink hydrangeas in conjunction with old timber and corrugated iron, a truly fine visual combination.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Toilet

I'm sure I'm going to get in trouble one day for taking pics inside public toilets.
The example above is in central Napier.
This type of private public interior decor appeals to my sense of the humble. It doesn't get much recognition, yet I'm sure it is much more important to a lot of people than the latest, flashiest pieces of architectural 'brilliance'.
Matching the colour of the toilet paper packs with the tile walls is a nice touch.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Gallery/Cafe



We visited 'The Photographers Gallery, Hawke's Bay' in Napier, what a great space, the walls are painted black, not the usual white. Inside the gallery is a cool retro style cafe called the 'Kitchen Table'.
Great coffee, great food, great service. I particularly like the black-board wall in the bottom pic, so good to have an interactive activity that doesn't rely on some sort of screen and people can leave there mark/comments/thoughts. Also in the bottom pic customers from Christchurch admire an inspiring collection of greeting cards also from Christchurch.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Colour


It would be sad to live in a world where people were afraid of colour. I'm informed it's the thing to do to lather ones nails with a couple of different colours. I enjoy the cupboard doors in the bottom pic. They are painted in what was known as 'Kelly Green' it was all the rage in the 1970's. I was given the opportunity to paint the toilet at our house when I was at high school. I chose 'Kelly Green'. The moment I left home the toilet was repainted. I think that was a wise decision.

Decor




This little 'Handymans Dream' was an abandoned farm house on Grae's ancestral farm/home. Places like this are so exciting to come across, I could spent hours fossicking around. I particularly like the green enamel coal range. It's always a good idea to have some heating and cooking option that doesn't rely on electricity. After power was cut to so many houses and businesses in Christchurch after the big earthquakes, I have become very very wary on relying on only one source of energy.

Farmer

All the farmers I've met have the same hands. Large, strong and a bit gnarly. They sometimes scare me.

Carpets

A couple of great 1970's carpets meet in a doorway. Reminds me a bit like the zone where two rivers meet.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Texture


Just looking at what pics I was going to put up tonight these two migrated together. I found the top one, a mop, down a dingy back alley in a swanky part of Napier's upmarket wharf district. The bottom one is a bunch of ariel roots from a tree dwelling epiphyte heading to ground searching for nutrients and moisture.  This was found in a very interesting remnant of native bush at Waipataki. One of the features of this bit of bush was the abundance of very large Kahikatea trees, some could be be well over 700 years old. Sadly no stick insects very spotted.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Mouse

This little critter was discovered by Helena while looking for hidden treasure on a treasure hunt. She was deeply saddened. I was moved by her gentle genuine grief. She showed no fear or repulsion as she showed us the carcass. Within a few minutes a funeral had been arranged. The body was swaddled. A digging implement was found. The hole was dug. Flowers were picked. Words were spoken. The mouse rests in peace.

Belinda

Yesterday the boss of the coup passed away. She had been a bit crook. When ever she heard someone approach the chicken run she would come barreling over to the fence to make sure she was first to sample the tasty morsels that were on offer. Sometime she was so keen to be the first she would tumble over as she rounded a sharp corner, much like we see in old cartoons. We buried her where we fed her, I think she would have liked that!. It also give the two remaining flock mates the chance to dance on her grave. She will be missed.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Wildlife





I've been accused on many occasions of being obsessed. I am unable to deny such allegations.
One of the alleged obsessions I have is Stick Insects. Last year I spent hours trying to track some down.
This year they found me. It helps that we were in good 'sticky' areas.
The Top one is in the Eastbourne (Wellington) garden of our dear friends Ellen & Paul
The next three were spotted in the Esk Valley north of Napier where we spent four amazing days in a great old farmhouse surrounded by bush, a gentle stream and no-one for miles.
Reading my treasured copy of the classic book 'The Stick Insects of New Zealand' by J.T. Salmon, I think all the specimens are variations on Acanthoxyla prasina intermis.
The bottom picture is a couple of Tree Wetas up to some nocturnal kindoodling. All the Wetas we found were living in holes bored into Kanuka trees.
I think part of the attraction I have for these creatures is they too often get lumbered into the category of  'yukey creepy crawlies' and get vilified because they aren't cute and furry.