Traffic

 

One from the archives when we lived in Tauranga, I think this was from when I was working in the city but living in Mount Maunganui. It was the sort of time frame if you didn't leave work by 2pm then you'd get stuck in gridlock traffic for over an hour considering it normally was a 15 minute drive home. Drivers were very aggressive.

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On the move...

 

Seen parked outside the local vet's in town - I wouldn't want to be a courier, far too much of a busy job for my liking.

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Line Maintenance

So last week on my day off I noticed these guys across the road outside our neighbour's house. Electronet is our local company who fixes power outages and does line maintenance etc. 

I'm guessing the latter is what they were doing. They weren't up there long and were gone again in about 10 minutes. I think they may have been making sure everything was ok in case we got hit by the cyclone.

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Through the McDonald's Window

It's not often any of us order from the breakfast menu at McDonalds - I just find their food a bit bland for my liking however as a one off B and I ordered some eggs benedict bagels which weren't too bad. While we were waiting for our food we were looking at this view out the window - apart from a couple of drizzly days of light rain this has been our daily view of the skies. Not bad I think.

This week has been entertaining as our country's new prime minister has been chosen as Chris Hipkins (which I personally think is a good choice) after Jacinda stepped down. I tell you what, I certainly wouldn't want to have their job having my life in the limelight, being constantly maligned by people online and some of the things I've read people saying about her have been vile. How would they feel if it was their family member being spoken about like that? I have to wonder if she was a man would people have still treated her the same way? I think people should put their money where their mouths are and run for prime minister themselves if they can do a better job. Women first got the vote here in 1893 thanks to hard work from the suffragettes yet you wouldn't think we lived in this day and age. Sad really...

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Quiet as a mouse

Another one taken on the way home from work on Christmas Eve. The streets were so quiet as most people were at home with their families preparing for the following day, it's not often we see this.

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Greymouth Railway Station

 

So Greymouth has alot of heritage buildings, some in not so good condition and others still looking like the day they were built.

This baby is situated pretty much in amongst supermarkets and restaurants and was first opened in 1876 with the purpose of being used back and forth between town and the Brunner Mine.

Once the rail system on the West Coast grew, this station became the centre of the railway network and started being used for the goods network from the main port area.

As it became busier it was rebuilt in the 1890s and was re-opened in 1897 but what was done became in adequate and extra facilities were added several times in the 1900s. These days it's used for the TransAlpine train tours between Greymouth and Christchurch - it's sort of a feature and is a category 1 place by Heritage NZ.

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Whitebait Fritters

 

When my parents were visiting recently we decided to try some Whitebait fritters in Hokitika. There is a takeaway shop there that sometimes sells them when the fish are in season. The lady on the left took our order and my father on the right enjoyed his even though they were expensive.

Mine was perfect and much appreciated especially with a little squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt. These are a New Zealand delicacy and a true Kiwi tradition. B doesn't like these as he doesn't like looking at the little eyes but I just tell him not to look.

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Coverings

There seems to be a big misconception about living on the West Coast that there's rain, rain, rain here. Funny but since we've lived here we've had less rain that the rest of the country with more sunny days than anything else. I was on my way to a dentist appointment last week and saw that on one of the main streets in town that the coverings stretching from the buildings over the footpaths were out, they will be a good way to shade from the sun when Summer comes soon.

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Having a cuppa

The cafe at Punakaiki aka Pancake Rocks really is worth checking out. While my parents were visiting recently we took them here for a look around. We stopped here to get a coffee, cos you've got to have a good wakeup call in the mornings. I don't know who the lady was but she looked very restful while she was enjoying hers.

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St Mary's Parish, Hokitika

In Hokitika there use to be the Seaview Asylum - it wasn't a very nice place like most of the country's instituions back then. These days it is home to people who rent out the rooms and units privately. Between the buildings and the cemetery is this church named St Mary's Parish which looks like it's reminiscent of the 1950s/1960s (same as the other buildings). When I stopped outside the atmosphere felt empty and eerie, I couldn't help but feel sad about the history of it all.

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Dragonfly

It's been 4 months since we moved from Kerikeri to Greymouth. We knew it was going to be really cold here but so far it feels like winter has been quite mild. I've heard people at work say that last year it got down to - 7 degrees at night but the lowest we've had so far is about -1 degree, so not too bad.

The cats are the ones who have had a weather shock, they are so use to living in Northland where the temperatures are alot warmer. When we lived in Kerikeri they were outside virtually all the time now they are outside for a maximum of a minute before running inside again.  This week we are down to polar temperatures and all Mr Cat does is nest in her bed we got her. 

Bruno just prefers to chonk out in front of the fireplace. I don't think it's time to come out of hibernation yet.

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On the spot

I've noticed all around the West Coast these little dairies/shops are dotted in some of the smaller towns. Can't call them a Four Square because they are independantly owned and charge higher prices. This one is in Ikamatua near the hotel/tavern.

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Sun Court Shopping Sculpture

In Taupo is this stone platform with a round sculpture on top. I thought it was a bit weird but it was big enough to stand out so I snapped this photo. Apparently it was made to honour the shopping court in the background in 1969. The plaque says: "Sun Court Shopping Centre. Opened 10th October 1969 by J.E. Storey, mayor of Taupo and dedicated to The Happiness of all Who Enter this Court." Architects were Ewen Christie and Associates, built by E.A. Mahmood.

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Tauranga War Memorial

We are in the early days of Autumn here and come April it will be time once again to remember ANZAC Day.  Back when we lived in Tauranga I was stuck in a traffic jam one afternoon and took this photo of the war memorial with the pink Rhododendron tree in the background. I think it looks like a pretty scene.

The plaque on the brick wall says: "They whom this scroll commemorates passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self sacrifice giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom. Let those that come after see to it that their names be not forgotten". - HM King George V

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Browsing the shops

One from Paihia showing some of the shops on the left hand side of one of the side roads. A very busy street with the Rip Curl surf shop on the left. As you can see there is a rack of what we call jandals, you may know them as thongs or flip flops - most kiwis wear these in Summer. 

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