Beyond the Pass

Those of you who have driven over Jack's Pass at Hanmer Springs will understand what I mean when I say that you cross over into a different and wonderful world as you cross the pass into the Clarence Valley.

We'd only been home from the West Coast for 4 days when we headed off up to Hanmer with our friends for a little more R&R.

Apart from continuing the West Coast theme of reading, coffees, food, vinos, etc - we actually did some exercise and climbed Mt Isobel in searing heat. The next day was a lazy journey into Acheron Station at the beginning of the Molesworth farm road.

Can't Get Away From the West Coast!

I can't resist posting more images of the West Coast.
The bush walks over there are so fulfilling and rekindle the soul. Here Chris is walking the Pororari River track near Punakaiki.





















The Southern Rata coming into flower on the coastal section of the Heaphy Track.






















Part of the DOC interpretation panels up at the Denniston Plateau.























Juxtaposition of one of the native ferns in front of the Nikau fronds.

Another Year!

We escaped the big smoke for two weeks in early January - headed over to the West Coast and up to Punakaiki and onto Karamea.
A lot of sleeping, heaps of reading, mugfuls of cafe culture, mountain biking, bushwalking, evening vinos, and even a little photography.
Hadn't been up to the Denniston Plateau or to Karamea in over thirty years!
This image on the left is the top of the Denniston Incline, which used to transport all the coal down to the waiting trains - even carried the ladies down to the Saturday night dances!












Mokihinui Beach at sunset.










The remains of the SS St Lawrence remains visible on the beach most of the time. Wrecked there in April 1891 without loss of life.















Scotts Beach on the Heaphy track.
A magic part of this world - apart from the sandflies of course!















Typical northern west coast bush.

The Day After!

Blimey, we are into February already. The last post was 22 December 2011. Less than 24 hours later the earth moved yet again - twice in fact, a few hours apart. Big ones. Chris's scream from the kitchen still resonates in my mind. I swear her feet did not touch the ground as she bounced down the hall to rugby tackle me in the laundry where I was holding on tight. Poor Chris, these shakes do nothing for her - and all this on top of a shite year at work. And then an even bigger one later, the epicentre only 200 metres from Rachael's already knackered house.

An early Christmas present?

And then on Christmas Day our granddaughter gave us a 2012 calender with her art depiction of the 2011 year illustrated - an apt image for this blog.

2012 has been reasonably kind so far and another blog will follow soon - inshallah.