Sunrise 30 May 2010
Seen yesterday morning from Opou Point. A few seconds later the sun appeared just to the left of the obelisk on One Tree Hill (centre).
Auckland - West
Mainly West of Queen Street - seen through my lens
Month: May 2010 (page 1 of 4)
Flounder Bay
Some gnarly pohutukawa trees rest on the mudstone flats of Flounder Bay, at the bottom of South Avondale Domain. The sun not quite strong enough to break through the mist that blows in from Manukau Harbour.
Artisan Vineyard, Oratia
The grape harvest is long over, but the vineyard is still parading beautiful autumn colour before winter comes.
This is Artisan vineyard in Parrs Cross Road. We have seen these vines before the harvest.
Taylor's Bay
A calm and quiet morning at Taylor’s Bay, Hillsborough.
The Fence Posts
These colourful fence posts brighten up the light industrial neighbourhood of Kinderhaven Preschool in Henderson Valley Road, Henderson.
Painted Boxes: The Eel
(Wednesday is for painted boxes.)
This transformer stands on West Coast Road, at the entrance to Parrs Park (map). A giant eel winds snake-like around the box.
Eels are a traditional food source of the Maori and play an important role in their culture. Much detailed knowledge and skill went into the construction of traps and weirs to catch them. See also the eel trap in Olympic Park, shown earlier.
I do not know the name of the artist. (Added 5/12/2014: This is by Warren Pohatu, titled “Tuna” (=Eel).
Check out all painted boxes so far.
Mustang 1964.5
This was the only shot I got, then he drove off with a mighty roar! The car is for sale, should you be interested.
Seen at New World supermarket, New Lynn.
Huia Store
Huia Store is a quaint place with a proud history of over 120 years. It is a general store for the locals of Huia and serves coffee and everything from fish and chips to generous icecreams.
The celebratory mural outside shows an oystercatcher – flocks of these shorebirds can be seen in the bay just across the road when the tide comes in (see below).
The extinct huia bird (last confirmed sighting about 100 years ago) is shown at the top of the storefront.
My greatest surprise when I visited the place was the imposing espresso machine: an Elektra Belle Epoque. Neil is operating it with great pride and competence. He comes from Michigan and has been living in Huia for about three years.
Oystercatchers in Huia Bay
Mark and Sindi
Meet Mark and Sindi as they wait for a fish (or two) to bite. I was on my way home from Mount Donald McLean when I saw them in their idyllic shelter on a grey day. They regularly come to this spot on the road to Little Huia. If fortune smiles on them, they might catch snapper, or gurnard or kahawai. Otherwise it will be takeaways for dinner.
(And, yes, there is a second rod to the right, just outside the frame – thought you might want to know.)
Siren Cafe
More on the autumn theme.
Siren Cafe (whose name I assume is a reference to the nearby fire station) opened less than two months ago in South Titirangi Road. Here we see it in the heavy fog that covered all of the Manukau Harbour and the adjacent suburbs on Thursday morning.
They serve excellent coffee and lunches, and even have a sandpit should you want to play.
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