Thursday 30 January 2014

Grange Beach - 2013-12-31

Took our Foxhound "Murphy" for her walk on the beach from Grange Jetty down towards Fort Glanville at Semaphore Park.  Thought I'd try put the "panoramic" function on the camera.  This is 8am in the morning so I could walk her before it go too hot (38-40degC).

It's a nice beach to take the hound for a walk.

The first two kind of worked, the last not quite.

Murphy striking a pose under the Jetty
 1 1/2 hours later the space under the jetty was packed with people who had come down to the beach

Just as I took this Murphy heard a dog to her left and turned
This one didn't quite work

Wednesday 29 January 2014

New Zealand - Nov 2013 - Christchurch Post 7 of 10

NOTE:
This blog is divided into 10 separate sections as there are far too many photos to put on one post

Christchurch

We arrived in Christchurch around 6pm and drove into the city as our hotel was located in what was (& is) the "Red Zone".  The "Red Zone" was the cordoned off area of Christchurch that occurred as the result of the devastating earthquake in Feb 2011.  What awaited us, we were not prepared for.
NO ENTRY sign at the Cathedral in the Red Zone

The volume of destruction, demolition and empty, boarded up buildings is impossible to describe the expanse of it.   Whole city blocks have been flattened and cleared.  In other places a single boarded up or fenced off building may be standing, while all around it is flat.  Building that STILL have their merchandise in their shopfront windows.  It really shook us.
We had been there in 2007 (see a much earlier blog) and it was really disturbing at the devastation that had been.  We were looking forward to a pub that we had been too, but that was all boarded up.

View from our hotel window
You can see the city blocks are flattened
360 view near the container shopping plaza
(note the building by itself on left)
Close up of the building mentioned above
You can see in the shop windows the merchandise still there.
Flooded underground carpark of a building
The wreckers go about their task
Saving a historical building front whilst rebuilding the rest of the building

The clock tower boarded up

The iSite building on the Cathedral Plaza
Cathedral Plaza looking towards the iSite building
To be frank, it initially felt like walking through a near abandoned city.

HOWEVER, Christchurch is far from that.  The more we walked around the more we saw the strength of people in rebuilding, make best of, brightening up their city. 

All positive thinking.

There were things like a single putt-putt hole on a site, and then another a street or so over.  Bright murals, various artistic sculptures.
One of the many fun areas & sculptures scattered around that brighten up the city
 
Amongst this is a place called the "Shipping Container Shopping Centre" or similar.  Near the centre is a plaza that has been made up of shipping containers.  Again, how positive.  There were coffee, clothing, book shops to mention a few.  Very well executed in the design and layout of it.  Great use of colour and space.  It is something that I hope they keep once the city is rebuilt as it is unique and a symbol of the people not giving up.
The "Shipping Container Plaza"
(the red building is a 2 storey coffee shop complete with an upper floor open dining area)
Down one of the arcades
Inside the plaza looking back towards the 2 storey coffee shop
 
Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral

To see the damage that had occurred to it was frightening.  We went through this beautiful cathedral (including walking up the bell tower) back in 2007.  I still cannot find words to describe how I felt then or even how I feel now.
Best let the pictures say.  Unfortunately, (and it saddens me deeply to say this) I cannot see how this building can be saved as it is.  There is far to much structural damage.  At the moment it future is in the courts.
Looking down the plaza to what was the front of the cathedral
The brightly painted safety boarding around the cathedral
 


 
An enormous supporting structure taking the weight of the roof
 

This is all that remains of the towering bell tower
 

Even the angel has been tied back to the main structure to stop it from falling off

 

You can see how much the building has moved and cracked
(this is the corner of seen in the right side of the previous photo)
Despite all of the devastation, there is a positive feeling in Christchurch.  A near blank canvas to work on, to create a new city.  It will take a long time and it will be interesting to see what direction it takes.

New Zealand - Nov 2013 - Waimangu - Post 6 of 10

NOTE:
This blog is divided into 10 separate sections as there are far too many photos to put on one post

Waimangu - Volcanic Valley "How the World Began"

Travelled to the amazing geothermal system of the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, south of Rotorua.  Just spectacular!  Their slogan of "How the World Began" is quite justifiable.

There is a 5km walk/hike that takes you along the sights and the detailed "Wanderer's Guide" with all of the numbered locations spots (to which there was information about what you were looking at) was very handy.   Part way along there were two different route options. A harder route (going up over the top and along the ridge line) or you could continue on the current route through the valley. We took the harder option and were rewarded with some beautiful sights across the valleys. 

The water in these lakes vary from 33°C (91°F) to 80°C (176°F)!!!
A view down into the valley.  Looks like time has stood still.
Looking down towards Echo Crater & Frying Pan Lake
A fern yet to open up
 
A fern leaf opened up to the sky
Echo Crater & Frying Pan Lake
It was amazing watching the way the steam came off of the surface of the lake and moved across it
Always make sure you camera is safely balanced
Lovely picture of the sky and fruitlessly thinking I might catch it as it falls off & lands on the lens.
Exit one camera lens (thankfully the SLR camera body was OK)
Again steam coming off the lake and out of cracks and voids in the rock
The colours (especially the greens) were quite vibrant
 
Infernal Crater Lake.  And yes, THAT is the colour of the water!
The temperature of the water in this lake can reach 80°C (176°F)
At the end of the hike, trees at the edge of Lake Rotomahana
For more information about Waimangu Volcanic Valley, please look at
 

New Zealand - Nov 2013 - Rotorua - Post 5 of 10

NOTE:
This blog is divided into 10 separate sections as there are far too many photos to put on one post

Trip to Rotorua

Headed from Waitomo to Rotorua.  On the way we passed though some lovely townships.  Stopped at Cambridge and checked out their open street market that was going on along an number of streets. Then we came to Tirau and it's very unique iSite and building signs.

Tirau

The iSite building (information building) and the building next to it were corrugated structures.  Nothing unusual there, except one was a dog and the other was a sheep!  Brilliant!  The dog even had its own "dog tag".  Made us stop, takes some photos and go in.
The corrugated iSite dog (the sheep is behind and in background right)
Nice touch giving the dogs its "dog tag"
 

Rotorua

We arrived in Rotorua and wandered around the picturesque town, trying our best to ignore the smell of sulphur.  For those who don't know its is in a volcanic region.  We had a look at the liquid mud and hot water springs and then down to relax by the lake.  In the evening we went to the Te Po Indigenous Evening Expierience.  Very enjoyable.
View from our window looking over the hot springs
One of the numerous boiling mud pits that make Rotorua famous
Lake Rotorua
This spectacular building is the Rotorua Museum
Close up of the intricate woodwork
 

 


Some of the intricate Maori carvings in the Te Po Arts and Craft Institute