Shelter

 

One from our time in Whangarei. I love this city, I spent part of my childhood here as I have relatives who still live on the outskirts on a farm. Good memories. Photo taken in Spring a few years ago in one of the shopping areas.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world, Wordless Wednesday.

Winter

 

Winter in Whangarei 4 years ago

Winter in New Zealand is usually damp and dreary. Since we've lived in Greymouth for the last 2 years we've had mostly fine Winter days with blue skies but this year so far it's been the 2 D's - damp and dreary. 

Linking up with Weekend Reflections and the Weekend Roundup.

A rainy December

Last time we were in Whangarei was December 2021 when Northland had a particularly wet early Summer. This was taken next to The Strand near the centre of town and there is a very yummy sushi shop across the road.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs

Melinda Butt

Another mural from Whangarei this week. Painted by artist Melinda Butt who describes her art as being on a mission to transform neglected functional spaces into bright enlivening experiences for the enjoyment of the community. I'm not sure what this one is but it's part of the Street Prints Manaia Festival.

Linking up with Mural Monday

Life and Community

More murals from Whangarei this week. These ones were designed and painted by artist Trent Morgan along with his helpers. The Arts Promotion Trust ran a competition to design a mural based around the them of "Life and Community" and Trent's design was chosen as the winner. On one side under the bridge in Rust Avenue is this one painted in shades of green and blue.

 

On the other side of the bridge is this one painted in shades or orange, yellow and blue. This depict a kind of weaving pattern which symbolises the threads of the community woven together while the first one represents the Whangarei Heads which is an iconic landscape in the area,

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Swift Mantis

On the side of the Event Cinema building in Whangarei is this cute mural of a cat looking at a native Weta. I'm guessing if you've never seen this insect before you'd think its scary but they are totally harmless and just have a little bite to them. This mural was painted by Swift Mantis as part of the Street Arts Manaia Festival.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Dear Dali

I spotted this mural of Salvador Dali on the side of a building down Butter Factory lane in Whangarei recently. His shocked sneering facial expression gets me and amuses me at the same time but the quote I think is quite true.

The mural it seems has a story; Whangarei District Council landscape architect Tracey Moore said she had driven past the mural, originally on the door of a building that had been earmarked for demolition and thought it needed to be saved. It was commissioned by one of my favourite artists, Rodrigo Rozas.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Tribute to Hundertwasser

Another mural from Whangarei, this one is painted with a tribute to Hundertwusser and created by Tutukaka artist Carolyn Radford. Located in James Street it gives a nod to the Hundertwusser/Wairau Maori Arts Centre Project and the actual art centre has been quite a feat to complete. It hosts exhibitions, learning and special events - you can read more about it here.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Red chairs in the rain

One from Whangarei taken the week before Christmas 2021. I like to walk down little side streets and alleys off the main roads. This one I took while it was raining as I stood under a shop's front cover, I particularly like how the red chairs link in with the AON Insurance building next door.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's Signs.

Tiger, Tiger

Another mural I spotted on the wall on the side of a building down an alleyway in Whangarei just before Christmas. This one of a white Tiger down in John Street but I am unable to find who painted it.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

The Manaia

On the side of the building in Whangarei is this quirky odd looking mural named "The Manaia" which was painted for the Whangarei Street Arts Festival. In Maori culture it symbolizes a mythological creature believed to be the messenger between the earthly world of mortals and the domain of the spirits. It was painted by Brazilian artist Mateus Bailon who was born in Santa Catarina when he visited New Zealand.  

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Colour our city

 

I really like how this building in Whangarei stands out. I'm not sure what it was used for originally but it now belongs to the Salvation Army with the outside colours and patterns being painted by Josh Moetara, a kiwi artist. I can't find alot of information about Josh but the words below his name saying "colour our city" are from the 2020 event where New Zealand artists painted buildings and walls around the town.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Summer sales

One from Whangarei featuring an alley mall where there's lots of little shops. This was taken the week before Christmas and I'm sad to say that businesses have been pretty quiet. I hope that over Summer people will be out and about spending up large. Happy New Year!

Linking up with Weekend Reflections and The Weekend Roundup.

Biggie Bagels

The week before Christmas we were in Whangarei so after getting B to drop me off I wandered around taking photos of various murals. This one is on the wall outside "Biggie Bagels" and was painted by Rodrigo Rozas who also painted this one in Hikurangi. The number 7 refers to their street address which is at 7 Bank Street.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Merry Christmas 2021

 For us in the Southern Hemisphere today is Christmas day. 2 of my 3 children are in Auckland visiting family for lunch but for B and myself we will be enjoying a very quiet day just the 2 of us. This photo above is of a rather large decorated Christmas tree I saw in Whangarei last weekend in among some shops. Linking up with Weekend Reflections and The Weekend Roundup.

Wherever you are have a Merry Christmas!

Where does your Whakapapa lead?

Last time we were in Whangarei I took these photos of a very long mural/artwork near the Hospice Shop. Created by Maree Aldridge the words "hononga" and "whakapapa" mean "connection/lineage/relationship/starting place" - for instance where does your genealogy lead to?

"Aroaro" meaning "Presence" or "the face you put on, your front, your countenance. How do you see yourself? How do others see you?

"Aroha" - love. Do you only love yourself or do you love others as you would like to be loved? Also meaning sympathy, charity, compassion and empathy.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Whangarei District War Memorial

With the Corona Virus still doing the rounds it looks like our annual ANZAC day has been cancelled. Today we heard that in total we now have 28 cases and mostly from people who have travelled back here from other countries, one person was tested in Australia and still chose to come here without waiting for the results - the way people think boggles my mind.

This District War Memorial in Whangarei was opened in 2015, pretty recent I know. It was relocated from another place in town and now incorporates 1st world war and 2nd world war veterans.  The wall is made of black marble inscribed with names of an additional 470 men who also died in the South African, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan wars.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Opening up by Gina Kiel

This mural in Whangarei is located on the side of one such building in James street and is titled "Opening up, Sharing the Colours, Communication is is connection" and was part of the Manaia Street Prints Festival of 2019.

Painted by Wellington local Gina Kiel who has said it fits well with the "Tuia te muka Tangata" or "Weaving the threads of humanity" theme. It encourages the idea of peaceful communication being a connection with people everywhere.

Gina is an award winning illustrator who exhibits at group shows around the world, creating work in her home studio for clients nationally and internationally, tattooing and painting murals.  Judging by the work on her website I'd say she is one clever cookie.



Linking up with Mural Monday.

Robert Street Art

Thank you everyone for your commiserations on our drought situation, we have a little bit of water left that we are being very careful with that hopefully should last us until our delivery next Monday.

Moving right along...this is another mural by NZ street artist Rodrigo Rozas that I found in Whangarei recently, not sure of the name but it's on the corner of Robert and John Street. I posted a few months ago about one of his in Hikurangi.

Made from spray paint it was made in collaboration with fellow artist Mighty Duke.  Rodrigo is a visual artist from Chile, who graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in applied arts from Northtec. His art has a focus in street art, airbrushing and portraiture. He has completed many commission murals for schools, gyms and local business around Whangarei and the Northland area.

A few people have asked about the man's facial expression. In Maori culture the poking out of the tongue was used in warfare to intimidate the other side, kind of like what you would see in a rugby game where the All Blacks do the haka.

Linking up with Mural Monday and Our World Tuesday.

Mokofusion Tattoo Studio

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During our last trip to Whangarei while my daughter was busy with her appointment I took my camera and went walkies. A couple of streets away I spotted this painted mural on the side of a tattoo studio, I can only work out a portion of the words which say "Barbers and Tattoos".

This particular studio, Mokofusion Tattoo and Barbers is located in Walton Street and seems to have no particular style they specialise in. I really like this one. I have 3 tattoos on my body that were very carefully thought out before I got them. The first one on the back of my neck is mostly coloured orange and is 2 koi fish swimming in the opposite direction because of my star sign, the second one I got was on my upper chest, a small one of an Irish 4 leaf clover in honour of my Irish ancestry. The third one I got was on my right arm of a mermaid, I plan to get the whole arm coloured in different types of ocean creatures as I really love the sea but this takes money that I don't have.

Linking up this week with Monday Murals and Our World Tuesday.

btw I have some more news for you...