Te Matau a Pohe (the Fish-hook of Pohe)

On Monday for our Parkinsons' walk we walked over the Te Matau a Pohe Bridge and then alongside the dog park before returning over the bridge again - it was a pleasant walk.  The bridge opened just before we started our walk and then again while we were going over it.  It is interesting to see how much higher it would have to be if it didn't have the bascule.  It was a busy time as it opened yet again while we were by the dog park.

Although we had rain/showers forecast for the long weekend (Anzac Weekend) it kept fine in spite of the clouds.

If you enlarge the photos and click on them quickly you get a good view of the bridge opening.

"Me and My Shadow" at Portland on Monday

Monarchs again

The wasps have stopped attacking the Monarch caterpillars and I noticed a couple of caterpillars on some swan plants at the bottom of my garden - a couple of days later the plants had been stripped bare and there were lots of hungry caterpillars.  Doug to the rescue bringing me bunches of swan plant branches from his garden which I have on the bench (made by Doug) by my lounge door.  Next to the bunches of swan plant is a bromeliad which now has numerous chrysalises and several caterpillars starting to pupate.  I love the golden bands around the chrysalises.

I took some more photos as I wasn't very happy with these but my stupid computer now tells me that this file doesn't have the suitable programme - it has worked fine up till now.  I am supposed to do something with default programmes but unfortunately I don't understand exactly what I am supposed to do - just hope that it goes back to working tomorrow.

There are six chrysalises in this photo.

One butterfly emerged yesterday and is still in the porch as we have steady rain.  A couple more have the colour of the wings showing through the "cases" so will not be long.

HIBISCUS

Hibiscus do very well here.  There was a raised area behind my house that looked a little bare when we bought so I planted a Hibuscus cutting - it did well so I planted another.  This is the third cutting and the flower is almost as large as the plant.

It is just a "common or garden" variety but it puts on a good show.

This is one of the older plants.  Not many flowers on it today but lots of buds.