Election day - 26th November

The law in NZ is that all election posters and placards are removed by midnight of the day before polling day. All electioneering must stop by midnight. This is to be recommended for Northern Irelanders!!!!

It's refreshing to have a day without politicians!

24th November 2011 - five years achieved

We are now in NZ for five years.

How time flies!

31st August - Kaweka J

Kaweka J is the tallest mountain in Hawke’s Bay. Climbing to the top of Kaweka J has been at number one on my bucket list for the last few years.

Kaweka J stands at 1724m tall and is the 8^th highest mountain in the North Island. Check it out on Peak-bagging NZ:

http://www.peakbagging.co.nz/index.php?title=Kaweka_J

I decided years ago to only go in the serious backwoods with a group and went out on 31^st August with Napier Tramping Club. Kaweka J was still covered with snow so it was a real alpine adventure as well.

The serious trampers headed on and left me to follow the path alone to the summit. At least they knew approximately where to find me if anything went wrong! It was a nearly perfect day with only light clouds hanging round the summit.

I found two geocaches on the way to the summit and when back at base learned of a third geocache near the War Memorial cairn at the summit. I left trackables at both found locations and will be observing their travels on the geocaching.com website.

Walking on/in the snow was challenging at times. It was far deeper than the experienced trampers had been expecting and several times, I dropped through at least 1m of the white stuff. I had two walking poles with me which was useful to work my way out!

Having done the climb in winter I am keen to return in summer!

I still have not decided what the new number one on the bucket list is going to be…

(For the record, Knocklayd is 514m, Slieve Donard is 850m and Carrauntoohil is 1,039. More information at mountainviews.ie)

Tuesday 12th July - Ballyclare Fail

So after five years here, Ballyclare manages to be on New Zealand TV News for the first time with images of burnt-out cars....

... so how many flags will sort out poverty or famine?

Monday 4th July - 10 years - no justice

... only silence

Friday 29th April - living on an island for 2 days

Here in Hawke's Bay we are living in a 'state of emergency'.

The rain started here on Easter Monday / Anzac Day about 10am. It rained for the next 60 hours non stop. We had torrential rain for all of that time. No wind. We ended up with more than 300mm (12 inches) of rain in that time. That is half of our annual rainfall here in Napier.

The photo above was taken on Tuesday morning. Click on it to enlarge. Our corner fence post is just visible in the middle of the photo. Where you see water is normally grass. The water was still rising. The causeway on the left has never been covered in water before. By Tuesday night, it was knee deep. Our only way in or out was by walking 100m through this lake for 2 days until Thursday afternoon when the water started to subside.

It is the worst storm ever to hit Hawke's Bay and it came with no gales or hurricanes. South of Napier along the coast, tens of thousands of hectares of farmland have been destroyed, washed away with slips and floods. Some parts had 550mm of rain. Whole farms have had their fences washed away. Some farms have had 80% of their topsoil washed away. Houses, bridges and roads have been destroyed.

No earthquake, no hurricane, no tornados. Just rain for 60 hours. A disaster.

looking up the Tutaekuri River

sunset on 12 Rotowhenua Road

View from the road. I have stripped branches off 8 of the lower pine trees so far. Medium term plan is to fell the pine trees to give the gum trees more space to grow. The pines are growing in height by 3-5 metres each year.

Tutaekuri River - Puketapu Bridge

Autumn sunset - on the Puketapu Bridge - spot the photographer?

Look who wants to travel with me to Auckland!

Axel thinks he can hide in here and go on a plane trip!

No-fly zone (3)

I welcome the United Nations ban on flies in Libya.

It is just the start of a world-wide ban on flies.

I want to put forward a case for New Zealand to have the next no-fly zone.

We need to clear the country of mosquitos.

A world without flies is a better world!

No-fly zone (2)

I would have thought that a no-fly zone was 100% no flying. So why are all these jet fighters flying over Libya?

No-fly zone (1)

Europe and the USA are continuing to fight the Bush oil wars which started with Bush 1 in Kuwait and Bush 2 in Iraq. They claim to be defending ‘freedom’.

This is a cynical phrase to hide the real hunt for oil. No war is ever fought for high-minded principles.

My view is always that Blair and Bush 2 should have gone into Zimbabwe before they went into Iraq. The people of Zimbabwe have suffered and continue to suffer under a cruel dictator who does not care for his own people.

Save Zimbabwe now!

night-time apartment view

Nightime view from the apartment looking west just after sunset last Thursday.

Kawekas from above

The Kawekas from above. So far I have only tramped through the trees on a very wet July day but not up to the peaks.

Ruapehu among the clouds

It will be several months yet before there is enough snow on this volcano for the skiers!

Monday morning view

This is my Monday morning view on the way to Auckland. The range in the foreground is the Kawekas which I aim to explore someday soon. The mountain on the horizon is Mt Ruapehu, which skiers flock to in winter. Last Monday it was covered in snow, the first of the year, but normal summer service is resumed!

schools' cup

Go Coleraine Inst on Monday!

Perfect result is to meet Ballyclare HS in final!

we are ok

Just in case you are worrying if we are in the earthquake zone. We are safe.

The earthquake was in the South Island.

We are in the North Island.

The earthquake has impacted the lives of all New Zealanders in many ways.

art deco

This is Art Deco weekend in Napier.

Each year the city celebrates the rebuilding after the 1931 earthquake.

The city was rebuilt in the art deco sytle of the 1920's.

The celebrations each year draw tourists from NewZealand and elsewhere to the partying.

This is the prime tourist event for Napier each year. It is very much geared towards the 1920's and 1930's and had nothing for the younger generations of today.

Time to move on Napier, I think!

social network

I lost my first Facebook friend on Friday.

Neil passed away after a short battle with a brain tumour.

Some of his family and friends have placed tributes on his page.

The problem with Facebook is that it can be cruel, continuing to recommend someone as a friend after they are unable to respond.

aurora

I am wondering if many of you in the northern hemisphere have seen the auroras.

Has anyone managed to take a picture?

A Narrow Sea

Are any of you there listening to the history programme 'A Narrow Sea' on Radio Ulster?

I would like to hear your opinions on the way it is told. It is just one interpretation of history.

I have listened to every episode since it started on 3rd January.

Is the book out yet? I would enjoy reading it!

apartment view

This is the view from my Auckland apartment looking towards the Harbour Bridge.

strange sight

This is a view from my office window.

The duck is being used as promotion for an NZ TV channel.

(click on the picture to enlarge)

big boat

The Queen Elizabeth is in town (Auckland).

She is on her first tour of New Zealand.

A huge floating hotel!

(click on the picture to enlarge)