Photoblogging: Weka for lunch

The weka is a large, brown flightless bird that has a famously feisty and curious personality. It is these two qualities that have traditionally made the bird an easy food source for Maori and early European settlers.
We have the company of a Weka at the Black Rock day hut where we stopped for refueling on [...]

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Photoblogging: tramping Queen Charlotte Track (2)

MT – proud of his walking achievements

End of the walk view – looking towards Portage Bay

Where to next – Picton by road (1.5 hours drive), Picton by boat from Torea Bay (10 minutes)

11 November 2006 – Remembering those lost from Kenepuru Sound

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Photoblogging: Tramping Queen Charlotte Track (1)

http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/002~Tracks-and-Walks/By-Region/009~Nelson-Marlborough/003~Sounds/Queen-Charlotte-Track.asp
Long before the inter-island ferries plied its waters, Queen Charlotte Sound (Totaranui) was an important trade route for Maori, and provided good shelter and bountiful seafood for the many Maori who lived there. The early European explorer, Captain James Cook, also took advantage of the shelter and natural bounty of the Sounds, making [...]

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Photoblogging: the possum problem

WARNING – don’t look at the last picture if you’re squeamish (You have been warned!)
There are some gruesome realities of wildlife in NZ that you know about but rarely come face to face with. This weekend we stumbled across a possum hunter relieving the bush of the Queen Charlotte Track of the cute but nevertheless [...]

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Photoblogging: It’s the only way to travel

Well we’re back in one piece having had a wonderful weekend in Marlborough Sounds. For once the weather behaved itself so our flights across the Cook Strait were relatively uneventful. Here’s a few pictures of the journey.

Views across the Sounds at 2000 ft.

Picton Marina

The Sea Faring Option docked at Picton

The only airport in the world [...]

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Wish me luck

We’re off to Marlborough Sounds for some r&r and thought I’d check out whether Sounds Air had a baggage limit as I knew it was a little plane. Here’s a photo of what we’ll be travelling in. Hope that the wind dies down a bit overnight as I’m not sure how robust this airborne vehicle [...]

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Lame ducks

High excitement in the last 24 hours as the Americans got their voting underway. Was a strange experience seeing the results come through on the news around 2pm in the afternoon! As you might expect MT was glued to the coverage with his usual brand of commentry – all I was wondering what what would [...]

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Divided house

High excitement with the big rugby match to watch – not quite the same when the first thing you hear in the morning is the result. Although I’m not such a dedicated rugby fan to get up at 4am to watch the match live, it was fun watching the re-run tonight.
Only problem was I [...]

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Remember, remember

This being the weekend of 5 November, Wellington has been alight with fireworks displays. The main one takes place in the harbour (literally) on a barge and is by all accounts a spectacle. There have been plenty of home displays in Khandallah so hope the pets have been kept indoors.
Interesting to think that [...]

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Hurry its last posting

It’s been a mad dash this weekend to do the Christmas shopping as last posting this week back to the UK. This was quite a challenge as Christmas commercialism is not quite at the levels as it is back in the homeland. Very little tinsel and certainly no hype.
MT is going 21st century [...]

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