Early Morning Run – Sunrise over Rangitoto Island from Takapuna Beach, Auckland, New Zealand
I was on the beach at 6.30 am yesterday morning just to catch the sunrise. It looked promising when I first looked out of the window so I took my camera and tripod onto the beach and waited. This is just one of 40 images I took as the sun crept towards and then broke over the horizon.
Morning Run
Caught this quickly the other morning just as the sun was trying to break through the clouds over Rangitoto Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. Many people are on Takapuna Beach in the morning, fitting in some exercise to set them up for the rest of the day.
These images are a result of solving a wine buying problem on Easter Sunday. We needed some wine to share with our hosts, but all the normal retail outlets were closed for the holidays and small convenience stores were forbidden by law from selling liquor in Easter Sunday. Fortunately we were in the Hawkes Bay, second largest wine growing area in New Zealand. A quick telephone call to Mission Estate yielded the solution – their cellar was open for business. This was surprising since the wine estate is owned by the Marist Brothers order of the Catholic Church, but is now operated by an independent company on their behalf.
Mission Estate
Mission Estate is Hawke’s Bay’s oldest winery. Marist Brothers began making sacrificial and table wine as early as the 1850s but the first recorded commercial sale was in 1870. The present winery site was purchased in 1897. Mission Estate has a proud place in New Zealand wine making history.
Easter in New Zealand is at the beginning of autumn so the vines were starting to turn yellow at the time of my visit. These photographs were taken late afternoon on an overcast day.
The Avenue
Winery
Fallen Leaves
Between the Rows
Mission Vineyard
Rows
Sheep in the Meadow
Shades of Green
On only one day in each year is there so much movement of people on Takapuna Beach, and that’s the day of the annual Shore to Shore Schools Fun Run.
On that day people of all ages join together to support their local schools in a 5 km fun run from Takapuna Grammar School to the Milford Reserve on Auckland’s North Shore. From toddlers pushed in prams to grandparents, they move en mass to raise money for sports equipment for their schools.
These images were taken at about 9.30 am, about 1 km into the run. The official start at Takapuna Grammar was 9.00 am.
The aerodrome at Omaka on the outskirts of Blenheim, the largest wine growing region in New Zealand and famous for its Sauvignon Blanc variety, has as its next door neighbour the Heritage Aviation Centre. This fantastic museum was, to quote from their website, ”established to provide a world-class destination for the appreciation of historic aircraft.”
A visit to this exhibition of World War 1 vintage fighter aircraft and memorabilia requires at lease several hours. Although the displays are static, many of the exhibition pieces are set in dioramas that show the aircraft in context which makes for a thoroughly memorable experience. Oddly, on the grassy area outside the exhibition building there are several WW2 aircraft on display, but future plans for the museum are to include a similar exhibition of that vintage also.
This quote from the of the Centre’s website describes the exhibition much better than I can. “Omaka’s first exhibition, “Knights of the Sky”, occupies some 3,000 sqm of purpose-built display area. It comprises one of the world’s largest collections of World War 1 aircraft and rare memorabilia, including a mix of dramatically staged static displays along with flyable planes.
The collection is managed by the 14-18 Aviation Heritage Trust, which is chaired by film director Peter Jackson, and has been brought to life in a series of theatrical dioramas constructed with the artistic talent and technical expertise of some of New Zealand’s most talented storytellers.
The extensive dioramas take you back to a time long gone and almost forgotten when the harshness and cruelty of the war in the trenches contrasted with the chivalry and bravado of the war in the air. When SE5as and Fokker Triplanes went head to head; the steeds of these latter day knights of the air jousting for survival.”
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The images in this slideshow were taken during a three hour visit to the museum. All indoor images were taken without flash at ISO 6400 and f4. The outdoor images are of other aircraft that have been or are in the process of restoration at the commercial aircraft restoration facilities next door to the museum that form part of the Marlborough Aviation Cluster.
When walking on Te Whero Island that connects the Auckland CBD to the Wynyard Quarter you become part of the urban artwork that is a giant bar code.
Te Whero Island
This image was taken into the late afternoon western sun which cast long shadows across the painted barcode pattern. Straight ahead is the lifting bridge known as the Wynyard Crossing, with the new Viaduct Event Centre on the right. I prefer this black and white rendition to the colour version as it highlights the tonal contrasts better.
Ever since the new Wynyard Quarter was opened to the public of Auckland in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup it has become a visitor magnet, especially during the weekend. It seems that there is always some new activity taking place.
Last Sunday I visited the Wynyard Quarter for the first time since the RWC with my wife and family. The children’s playground was packed, there was a water science exhibition nearby, and performance artists were scattered around the area miming and acting out water-related skits.
Silo Girl
In the base of an old cement silo there was an old upright piano. I watched as this chap sauntered up and slouched in the chair, hoodie pulled up over his baseball cap and cigarette dangling from his lips. He hunched over the keyboard and fingered what seemed to be a random series of notes, much as a small child would when first introduced to a piano. Within minutes his playing developed into a well practiced virtuoso performance, but his demeanor remained unchanged. I leaned later that the piano is a permanent feature around the North Wharf/Jellico Plaza area and available for anyone to play.
"Hey Mr Pianoman, Wont you Play a Song for Me?"
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