Kuranui Bay: Weekly Photo Challenge

This weeks photo is a bit of a cheat - as it was taken in February! Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera on my Thursday bike ride and I didn't grab it for my walk into town on Friday.  Dave and I are off on an overnight hike today (Saturday) and I doubt I'll get round to posting when we return on Sunday.   So - rather than skip a week of photo posting, I'm going to cheat :)  BUT, I just might have a proper blog to write after this hike!!


This weeks photo is of a nearby beach - Kuranui Bay.  It is found at the end of the coastal walk/bike track that runs along the estuary of town. It's probably a 20 minute walk from the house?

16 February: Kuranui Bay, looking up the peninsula, with Thames behind.

Flooded Te Aroha: Photo a Week Competion

We've had quite a few days of rain here in New Zealand (pretty much over all the country, but definitely here in the North Island).  While Thurs and Fri were gorgeous days, Mon-Wed were pretty much constant rain.  We were fortunate to wake to a lovely blue day Saturday, so we headed to Te Aroha to scope out some mountain biking tracks we'd heard about.

The photo of the week goes to this lovely pasture land shot that epitomizes how much rain we've had (and remember, we've had 2 days of dry weather when I took this):

Te Aroha: 24 March. Te Aroha paddocks under water.

Wairere Falls: Photo a week challenge

We hiked up to Wairere Falls this morning. It's about an hour drive from our place, 40 minute walk to the lookout, and another 40 minutes to the top.  If you remember to look at the mountains at the right time of your drive towards Matamata,  you can see this large falls from the road several kilometers away.  It's an absolutely amazing place - we saw several tuis and heard LOTS of birds.  It was a large contrast to the lack of bird sounds at Wentworth last week!

While the photo a week challenge is about posting one photo (the best of the week), I'm going to go ahead and post several, because this area was so gorgeous and it's the really the first time I've gotten into using a camera in the last year!  (hint: if you click on one picture, it enlarges the picture and opens a slideshow type view - makes the pictures much easier to look at!)

I'm going to start with my favorite photo - the one that would get posted if I had to choose just one:

Wairere Falls: 17 March 2012. Secon Bridge Crossing

Wairere Falls: Beginning of Trail

Wairere Falls: First Bridge Crossing

Wairere Falls: Tree Fern

Wairere Falls: First Bridge Crossing

Wairere Falls: Along the Trail

Wairere Falls: From the Lookout

Wairere Falls: Closeup of top half

Wairere Falls: On trail to top

Wairere Falls: at the top!

Wairere Falls: Looking Down

Wairere Falls: Head Stream

Now.....contrast that shot of looking down the falls to the one taken over three years ago.  It was taken from several feet away from the edge in order to protect myself (and the camera) from getting wet!

Wairere Falls: 27 Oct 2008. Strong winds blow
the falls water back onto Dave.

Wentworth Falls: Photo a week challenge

An hours drive from Thames lies the beach town of Whangamata.  A short drive further and an hour walk later we reached Wentworth Falls.  It's a super easy walking track - graveled, nicely graded, and brand new bridges across the two stream crossings.  There are lots of swimming hole opportunities for those keen to brave the cold water, but we (and our two couchsurfers) passed on getting wet.


I'm posting two pictures here - taken with a real camera!!!! The top picture is taken with just natural auto settings and the second was taken by changing just the aperture setting to create the feathery water.
Which do you like best?  I'd love the deep green of the top one, but prefer the water on the bottom.
By the way - click on the pictures to enlarge them :)

10 March: Wentworth Falls. 

10 March: Wentworth Falls

Homemade presents:weekly photo challenge

The week is nearly gone but I've got the perfect picture for my blog.  It's a little bit of a cheat, as I didn't take the picture myself.  But I am in the picture!

Here I am modeling my brand new babydoll rasta hat! Thanks Melinda for thinking of me as you made it :)
It's taken with my phone (again! I need to get some proper batteries and start using an actual camera soon!) so it's not the best of quality, but you get the idea of my happiness :)

3 March:  Mel in driveway taking her new hat out for the first time.