THE END OF THE GOLDEN WEATHER.

We have had a wonderful summer and autumn but on Monday everything changed with extremely early snow storms in the south.  The temperature dropped rapidly here.  We haven't had much rain and there has been plenty of sunshine but the wind feels like ice.  I have even been lighting the pot belly stove.

I took these two photos last week.  My Tropical Frangipane is very happy against the garage wall.  The red geranium was more upright than I expected but looks good in its hanging basket.

The wind is set to turn to north west tomorrow so things should warm up.

Just as I posted this a cold heavy shower has come through.

MT. PARIHAKA DESCENT.

continued......................We had planned to take the Drummond track but decided to go right and take the Dobbie and Hokianga tracks for our descent.

The foliage is slightly different on this side.

                                More steps and ponga trees.

                                 


On the side of the track this would have been a very large tree.  Any trees that fall or are felled are left to feed the young seedlings as they appear.

Down at Mair Park

People feeding the ducks and others fishing.

It is good that they put the track around trees.

The track then leaves the park and the native trees give way to poplars and other exotics.  From there it was along Vale Road, down steps to Ewing Road and then along the boardwalk back to the Aquatic Centre and our car.  Two hours.  The weather was perfect for walking, not too hot. (On the news that night it said 25 degrees C.)

MT. PARIHAKA

Last time we walked up Mt. Parihaka I suggested that we do a loop walk.  This would have been a couple of months ago and we hadn't got around to it for various reasons.  (Some of them the same reasons that I haven't posted since February).

 Anyway, yesterday morning, Doug suggested that, after walking Sophie, we do this walk.  For those that know the area we parked at the Aquatic Centre and walked along Riverside Drive to Dundas Road - photo below looking towards the Town Basin.

We walked up Dundas Road to the start of the Ross Track (No photos as we were too busy chatting).

This is my favourite track up Parihaka - it starts off as a nice gentle incline.

with a small stream running alongside.

This is the entranceway to an abandoned Gold Mine dating back to 1909.  This is the first time I have seen inside it as, without the flash, it is very dark.

Next is the staircase alongside a delightful waterfall.  This is the staircase that Doug helped three firemen carry a walker down on a stretcher on one of the Parkinson walks.

Looking back down the staircase from the top.

One of the many kauri trees in the park

As one gets higher the vegetation changes.

The view from the summit.   (I read recently that the lookout is going to be replaced in the not too distant future)

Rather a lot of photos so the descent will be posted tomorrow (hopefully)

We didn't hurry and, as you can see, I stopped to take photos.  I see it took about an hour to the summit.

Dragonfly Springs Wetland Sanctuary

Earlier in the month Jeremy Busck talked to the Kamo Club about these wetlands and there was an open day on Sunday so, after we had done our dog walking and been to the gym, we drove to Onerahi with a picnic and had a thoroughly enjoyable walk around the wetlands.

 We started off by having our picnic in a pleasant shady spot near this lake.  The nesting boxes on poles are for Grey Teal.

                                  

When I saw this rock wall I assumed it was new and was amazed at the workmanship but it turned out to be 100 years old.  We didn't discover why it was there.


                                 


and here it is from the other side.

There were some very pleasant walkways

These cabbage trees (or palms as they are called in Cornwall) were on a small island.

 We came back the same way - there is the rock wall again


                                  

and next to it was this "Dragonfly"  unfortunately all the dragonflies had left for the day along with the ducks and other wildlife

We then discovered that we could have come through this way.  It was a bit wet in parts due to a spring tide but there are plans to put a board-walk in.

This sign must have been discarded by the local school.

This is one article I found

this has a photo of an early planting day

Flowers, a Moth and a Meteor

Many years ago (30 or 40) I collected some brass and copper preserving pans.  Max had this tripod made up for one of them and we always had plants in it.  It has been sitting in the shed since our move over five years ago but as I have plenty of Streptocarpus in flower at present I decided to get it out.  It could do with a repaint but, in the meantime, I think it looks good.  I really must get going on Trade Me and dispose of the others.

This rose is outside my bedroom window.  A couple of weeks ago I counted over thirty buds on it for its second flowering of the season.  

Nothing very marvellous here just a general view of the top garden.

This morning when I got up I found this pretty moth sitting in the kitchen on my copy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Light and Easy Cookbook.  Can anyone tell me its name please?

On Wednesday at about 10 p.m. just as Doug was heading home the sky was lit up.  We both assumed it was lightening but it didn't really seem like that and there was no thunder.  Yesterday we heard that it was, in fact, a Meteor.  Doug had a better view as he was looking up my drive.