New Zealand photos - 2007
First, a grateful thanks to everyone who has supported us and helped us in making this awesome adventure become a reality. In fond recollection of the smiling faces we left behind in the US, I have decided to dedicate a song to you all. It's a funny little ditty by a literary genius known as Garrison Keillor. He played this song over 20 years ago on The Prairie Home Companion, and it was originally written for his hometown friends left behind when he travelled to Hawaii for the first time. It's a poor quality recording, but it should still make you smile. We challenge each and every one of you to prove Garrison wrong... "It'll be great. It'll be fun. We'll be there..."
Peace and Love,
Keith
26-28 October 2007 - Stewart Island (captions coming soon...)
This view of Half-Moon Bay greets us on our walk from the B&B into town.
First stop after flying in from the mainland: dinner at the Kai Kart. This mobile-home-turned-cafe is recommeded as the best place for a quick fish-n-chips meal on Stewart Island, and rightly so. Fresh blue cod, caught daily.
We've just been dropped off at Ulva Island, a small, unpopulated nature reserve that boasts frequent Kiwi sightings. After the water taxi dropped us off, we were virtually alone and had no way of getting off the island. Fun fun.
This dead fern appeared to be gold-plated.
Tramping through the bush on Ulva Island.
A newly-born fern frond.
Some interesting sand coloring combines with tannin-tinted forest runoff to make a peculiar natural environment.
These tyrannosaurus tracks belong to the endemic Weka, an aggresive and somewhat cheeky flightless bird.
Unspoilt beaches like this one line the coasts of Ulva and Stewart Islands. It's not uncommon to see multiple Wekas rooting around for food.
An up-close encounter with Ulva Island wildlife.
Keith: "Hey look at that cute rock formation. Let's go eat lunch on it."
Jess: "Hey, good idea."
[Scroll down for end of the story.]
Jellyfish, like this one, were washed up on the beach in large numbers.
Here, we see a Weka checking out Keith. Absolutely fearless.
[End of the story:]
The Weka in this shot followed us off the rocks, after we suddenly realized that we were quickly being stranded by the tide half-way through lunch. We skittered back across the shallows just seconds before I took this picture. I wonder how many silly tourists have committed the same folly...
One last beach stroll on Ulva before catching the water taxi back to Stewart Island.
Arm's-length photography on the water taxi.
In this this shot (now on Stewart Island), you can see the water taxi from which we just disembarked - it's the boat moored at the end of the left-most dock.
We walked by Deep Bay everytime we strolled from the B&B into town.
A pair of native Oyster Catchers.
This male Tui has more-or-less taken over the back yard at our B&B. He harasses any other birds that try to feed, and his mate watches his antics from the roof of the house.
This poor parrot is forced to skulk at the opposite end of the yard, scared away by a songbird bird 1/5 its size.
This is a picture of Deep Bay taken from the back deck of the B&B.
Here's one of the B&B's kitties, posing for some early evening photography in the fading light.
I'm pretty sure that this is Ringaringa Beach.
Jess holds up some black and gold beach sand for an inspection...
Keith and the B&B's pug host, just chillin after a long day of walking about Stewart Island.
This archaic switchboard is on display in the airport / post office building. The scary thing is... I'm not sure if it's actually used or not?...
This wee plane is our ride back to the mainland.
Jess enjoyed this plane ride MUCH more that the one out to Steward Island, during which we were buffeted by strong winds the entire time.
One last view of Half-Moon Bay and Stewart Island as we fly over.
I could have given the pilot a wet willy. Scary. And I'm pretty sure he was younger than I was...
A coupla happy campers, but ready for a bit of a sleep-in...
The South Island's coastline in the Foveaux Straight.
The approach to Invercargill.
Wheels down please... or, wait.... were they ever even up?
13 October 2007 - Bill Richardson's Truck Museum with the Ascot Park Hotel Brass Band
I play as a percussionist in the local brass band, and we had a social gathering at the Bill Richardson Truck Museum one Saturday, followed by dinner. Before the event, the band conductor voiced the sentiment that, even though you may not be a fan of trucks (per se), this place is a must-see. And, boy, was he right. There are over 200 vintage trucks - HUGE trucks - that have been immaculately restored by this passionate truck collector. It's the largest collection of its kind in the whole world, and there are trucks there that I never expected to see and touch in my lifetime.
But it's not just trucks...antique auto paraphernalia of all sorts adorn the walls and floor space.
Did I mention this place is massive? Here is one of the three showrooms. Note the scale of truck height and wheel diameter vs human height.
Texaco called Bill Richardson and tried to buy this one-of-a-kind truck from him. Allegedly, the conversation went something like this:
Texaco: "We understand you have a fully restored Texaco tanker?"
Bill: "Yes."
Texaco: "We'd like to make an offer on it."
Bill: "I'm sorry, it's not for sale"
Texaco: "You haven't heard what we're willing to pay for it..."
Bill: "That's because it's not for sale."
I guess they didn't bother removing the plates before shipping her overseas...
There are some really cool old dump trucks dispersed throughout the museum - the 1927 White (that's the brand name) model 51R was a beautiful example.
The White's engine-driven dumping mechanism.
If an engine-driven dumping mechanism is a bit too high-fallutin' for your tastes, perhaps this hand-crack model would suit?
This 1911 Koehler is the oldest truck in the museum. Bill was negotiating to purchase it at the time of his death in March 2005, and it remains in its original state as the master mechanic never had an opporunity to work on it.
Here I stand with my arm propped up on an original 1916 Ford Model T. Wow... just plain amazing. Shout out to Uncle Tim in Detroit - this is where it all started...
I imagine the advertisement went something like this: "Amaze your friends with the new '16 Ford Model T horseless carriage! Trade those reigns for our superbly responsive mechanically-linked steering circle! Tired of your musketballs and rubella medicine rolling around on the floor?... all models now include a deluxe black box for containment of your belongings! Be confident that your Model T is dialed-in with our upgraded easy-read dial, and use the easy-touch switch to be in total control! With three pedals to choose from, your boots will never get bored! Alert all the chaps and dames of your impending arrival with our newly designed tube-through-dash honking device. The supple natural rubber bulb just screams, 'Oh, have a go, you wiley old fellow!'"
And here we have a 1925 Ford Model TT Paddywagon.
Mmm, comfort galore for the cosmopolitan criminal.
Well that's a funny truck... I wonder what that logo is all about?...
What??? McDonalds??? For cripes sake!
Here's another of the three main showrooms.
Can you guess what this device is for? That right! It's a turn signal - no more annoying double-time clicks when you lose a bulb!
Now, there's enthusiasm, and there's ENTHUSIASM! This perfect scale model is hand-crafted of burnt matchsticks.
I'm posing here with a couple of the old REO Speedwagon crew. No, not the band....
I didn't even know it was really a car?!?!?
The smiling faces from left: me, John (the band conductor), Alice (John's daughter, a primary teacher that's been roped into playing percussion due to the lack of pecussionists in Invercargill), and a wee brother of one of the younger band members.
06 October 2007: Te Anau Glowworm Caves
For Jess's birthday, we rented a car and headed up to Te Anau to see the Glowworm Caves. This is just a shot out the windscreen enroute.
While in Te Anau, we visited the wildlife centre and chatted with this exquisite exotic endangered endemic elderly takahe.
Also at the wildlife centre, this endemic wood pigeon was quite fat.
Waiting for the catamaran ferry that would take us across the lake to the caves.
Yum.
Banana in hand, Jess displays her eco-friendly reusable ferry boarding pass.
A look back toward Te Anau and some snow-capped mountains from the ferry.
We slow down for a scenic toodle through some islands.
Typical unspoilt Lake Te Anau shoreline.
Instructions on how to inflate your FerryMan liferaft....
....your LIFERAFT IN A CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOH!
Back on shore, this takahe got fresh with Jess.
So I gots all up in his face, yo!
He was nonplussed by my behavior. He ate me and pooped me out.
One last shot of spring's sprung flowers before heading home. I think it might have been 4:33.
15 August 2007: Queenstown
An overlook at the beginning of "The Devil's Staircase", the winding lakeside road leading up to Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.
A view from the balcony of our B&B, the Adelaide St Guesthouse.
Another view from our balcony.
The B&B viewed from the carpark.
This is the lake shore just footsteps from our B&B.
A view of Frankton and the Remarkables (mountain range) from Queenstown.
I've got one foot in the lake as I take this picture of our B&B (White house left of centre).
Hey, it's a couch. On the lakeshore.
The is the Queenstown golf course, located on the penninsula in the middle of the lake.
Mr. Mallard wants some bread crumbs.
A cute wee bridge in the Queenstown Gardens.
Old Purdue friend Michelle and her husband Chip met us for dinner. Got that shot on the first try!
Had to take a picture out the window after waking up the next morning. Man, those mountains are just... right there.
Jess poses by a life-size statue of the now extinct New Zealand Moa.
Keith poses by a not-quite-life-size statue of a Kiwi.
A picturesque boulder-studded beach we encountered on a walk around the lake.
29 May 2007: Sunrise over Invercargill (no captions necessary)
11 April 2007: The Catlins
Jess's sister, Sarah, recently took a NZ vacation with friend Lindsay. When they made it to Southland, Jess and I joined them for a drive through the Catlins.
Our first stop was McLean Falls. Lindsay and Sarah act as a convenient measure of scale.
Jess, Keith, and Keith's huge hair pose for a pic at the falls overlook.
This diagonally-oriented Tree Fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) was an interesting distraction on the falls trail.
We stop for lunch at the trailhead, and the girls cop a squat on a gravel pile.
Half-eaten banana in-hand, Keith demonstrates use of an NZ barbed-wire fence hopper.
After McLean Falls, we head out to Nugget Point to see the lighthouse. You can spot the lighthouse in this picture - the single white pixel in the centre. This shot was taken from the shoulder of the road.
Now on the short walk from the carpark to the lighthouse, I'm snaping a picture towards the beach in the previous shot.
About the same spot as the last shot, but spun about to face the nuggets and lighthouse.
This shot was taken from the lighthouse observation deck. Yar! There be nuggets in these waters! Yarrrrrrrrr!
One last shot before a rainstorm blows through.
5 February 2007: A Drive to Bluff
A LivingSpace coworker, Steve, offered to take Jess and me on an afternoon drive with his sons. It was a beautiful day, so how could we resist?...
Here's a map from Invercargill to Bluff. NZ State Highway 1 terminates in Bluff as the southernmost highway in the Country.
Jess and I pose by the famous sign at the end of the world.
This gives some perspective on just how far away we are from the rest of the world.
This is the seashore just South of the sign.
Tiwai Point as viewed from Bluff Hill. The Tiwai Aluminium Smelter produces some of the purest Aluminium in the world - 99.98% pure. It's amazing how that fog rolled in so quickly...
I have time to turn and snap one last shot looking northwest before the fog envelopes the area. Bluff is the port town on the right side of the frame.
After Bluff, we hit the mini-links - Jess is keeping cool in the shade of her wide-brimmed sun hat.
Jordan, Steve's older son, looks on in disbelief as his golf ball misses the mark by mere mils. Steve is the gentleman to the left of Jordan, and he's speaking with Mark, his younger son who is out of frame.
30 January, 2007: Tuataras at the Invercargill Museum
Meet the endangered New Zealand tuatara. The Invercargill Museum has quite a few of these ancient animals and has successfully bred them for 2 decades. Read about the tuatara at http://www.kcc.org.nz/animals/tuatara.asp. Most of the pictures are not spectacular, as I was shooting through glass into variably-lit spaces, but they're still worth a look.
The next two shots are of a ~15cm baby tuatara in the hatchling pen.
25 January 2007: Kiwi consumables
Jess and I have tried to eat very healthily since arriving in NZ. We've survived mostly on deli meat and PB&J sandwiches; local cheese, chips, and crackers; fresh fruits and veggies; cereals and muesli (granola with dried fruit), and yogurt. Tonight, we needed to satisfy the craving for a big, thick, juicy Kiwiburger fresh off the barbie. For full effect, add a thick slice of tomato and condiments, seasoned wedges, and New Zealand's own L&P - Lemon and Paeroa. Now THAT'S fine dining! Can't wait to get those venison sausages on the barbie...
14 January, 2007: A stroll through Queen's Park
Jess poses by a sundial in the main rose garden of Queen's Park.
Keith poses AS a rose in the rose garden.
Amazingly, Queen's Park has an aviary. Multiple buildings house birds from all over Australasia. Like every other feature in Queen's Park, the aviary is free (donations accepted). Now to the picture - this little yellow budgie (budgerigar) appeared to be excavating seeds or pebbles from a hole in the concrete wall. Every three seconds he'd pop his head out and drop his load, then disappear again into the blackness. Very comical to watch.
This is as much of the aviary as I could get into the frame. Most of the aviary buildings are out of shot to the left.
On to the animal park... this little wallaby was selecting goodies from his impressive box lunch. If you don't happen to enjoy the rose gardens, duck pond, aviary, or animal park, then perhaps you could visit the band rotunda, museum & art gallery, sporting pitch, tennis courts, rock garden, Japanese garden, tea kiosk, golf course, or one of the many children's playgrounds. If all else fails, just walk or bicycle the many kilometres of picturesque shaded pathways. Queen's Park is like no other public park I've ever seen. It's truly wondrous.
On the walk home from the park, we passed by SIT, and I couldn't resist a photo. The prominent building is mostly administrative, while academic buildings fill the rest of the block. A nice lawn stretches back to the green clocktower in the rear of this section of campus. Jess will be taking her classes here, but I'll be a few blocks away for my audio classes.
13 January, 2007: The studio and a walk through the park
Here's the entrance and kitchenette to our room.
The bathroom was jokingly described as a 'wet room' by one of the staff - it has a modern open shower design and no worries about getting the floor a bit damp.
Our emptied luggage rests on top of the closet next to our bed.
The desk has ample space for casual studying and computer use, but we also plan to do school work on campus.
Jess relaxes in the reading nook. Reclining easy chair from downtown furniture shop: NZ$30
We've heard that the radiators do a great job of heating the room even when Antarctic winds blast the south and west faces of the building. You can just make out Jess's feet poking out from the reading nook. Pre-loved dresser from downtown furniture shop: NZ$15
A stroll through Otepuni Gardens begins right behind our apartment building (tallest in shot). The camera is facing the south wall, and our room is the top right window on the west wall.
Jess poses by Otepuni Creek.
St. Mary's Basilica is just south of the gardens and a few blocks east of the Livingspace.
Jess (barely visible) rests under the shade of a large tree amongst flowerbeds.
A friendly Kiwi passerby snaps a shot of me and Jess by the sundial.
Hopefully, we'll be able to catch some matches at the Southland Stags rugby pitch.
12 January, 2007: Settling in at the Livingspace
Though a sunny day has shaded the lounge interior, you can still get a feel for the size and openness of the lounge/balcony on the 4th floor.
Over 300 DVDs are available to be broadcast throughout the building at any time of day. The basement theatre’s screen is much bigger than the lounge TVs, but the lounge is a great place to relax, cook, and entertain friends.
Jess waves hello with oven mitts as we heat our first-ever NZ pizzas in the fully-outfitted kitchen. Each floor has its own kitchen and lounge.
11 January, 2007: Arrival in Invercargill
Jess poses outside the Invercargill baggage claim area - we've just arrived, and thankfully - with all our luggage. Hard to believe that meager collection of belongings is enough to settle in a new town...
Our room is on the 4th floor (the top floor) at 15 Tay St. From our floor's north-facing balcony/BBQ area, this is the view west. The monumet in the middle of the roundabout marks the centre of town.
Here are the shops just across Tay St to the north, and you can also make out the dark green band of tall tree-tops above Queen's Park and the golf course.
This is the view east on our floor's balcony. The town is immaculate, and shops line the main thoroughfares.
This view, southeast of our floor's balcony, reveals neighborhoods stretching into the distance and the dome of St. Mary's Basilica.
This is a shot looking to the left (southwest) out of our top-floor room window. Otepuni Creek and Gardens are just behind (south of) our building.
Here's the view to the right (northwest) out our room window. The city centre stretches north and east of here.