NZ's native passion flower, Kohia, Tetrapathaea tetranda.

                               Very heavy rain clouds in the Hunua Hills.

            Looking up the trunk of the Kauri tree which we planted 50 years ago.

One of our NZ shags drying off after swimming at the Hunua Falls. I was able to get quite close.

                                 NZ wood pigeon, Kereru. Quite a large bird.

                          New Zealand tomtit sitting on the roof of a shed in our garden.

Another one by Dave. I hope the snow doesnt kill the tree ferns. They are not used to it.

Snow in our hills, not a very common occurrence. Photo by Dave Oliver with his permission.

A pair of Australian Welcome Swallows on the handrail outside the back door.
The one in front is looking at our cat.

Dont forget to click once or twice on a picture to enlarge it. Afterwards click on the back arrow.

          Ducks swimming away from the bell-mouth spillway of Cossey's Dam.

                          Water intake tower in the Cossey's Dam, Hunua Hills.

I lived in the valley pictured below from 1959 to 1973. I now live just 'over the hill'.

Looking down the spillway channel to the stream at the bottom, and the road out of the valley going up the other side.

Reflections in the lake behind the Mangatawhiri Dam (foreground). The white 'pointer' on the right centre is actually the spillway of the previous picture.

Mangatawhiri Dam spillway overflowing. This is over the hill from our home.

        Another cobweb dangling between the wires of the rotary clothes line.

                                Cobweb on a foggy morning at our place.

Scilla peruviana in my garden. This is the same family as the English Bluebell.

                               Looking North on a hike on the West Coast.

View from Mt Eden in Auckland, looking across the crater to the Harbour Bridge in the centre, and Sky Tower to the right.

Looking south from Pukekohe Hill to Tuakau and the bridge over the Waikato River. Click to enlarge the picture to find the bridge.

Looking ESE approx from Pukekohe, with the hills of Coromandel peninsula in the distance, I think.

         Looking roughly ENE towards the Hunua Hills from Pukekohe Hill.

Looking north from Pukekohe Hill. The tower on the skyline just to right of centre is probably Sky City in the middle of Auckland. I zoomed in on the distance so it doesnt look very far away.

Looking back across the garden. In summer they sometimes sit outside for their morning drink and/or lunch.

                      View from the porch of the garden wing at Parkhaven.

                             The lounge of the Garden Wing at Parkhaven.

                                 Phil's bedroom at Parkhaven in Mangere.

Blue pinkgill fungus (Entoloma hochstetteri). One of the first species to be collected in NZ and still the Holy Grail of beginners. Photo by Phil.

Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island, 1997.  It was pouring with rain so this is as far as I went. I got an early boat back to the mainland.

                      Young frond of a Blechnum fern, just starting to unfurl.

Fern fronds with spores.

               From our verandah, a bit of fog in the valley below, in Autumn.

                       Inside of the Hospice shop, from behind the counter.

The flying son. It is a concrete ford, which is slightly under water. He decided to jump over. Didnt make it of course. He got his boots wet. Camera bag in one hand, daffs in the other.

Sunset on Aotea Harbour. Our daughter and son paddling in the water. About 1973.

Terns 'on the rocks' at Maraetai Beach, with Waiheke Island in the background.

Aint love grand? Swans and gulls at Western Springs in Auckland. Taken by Phil.

Lake of the Wairoa Dam in the Hunua Hills, with valve tower and log boom.

           The Wairoa Dam from the road that goes up the side to the top.

Sunset over Lake Manapouri from the last hut on the Kepler track.

Kepler, still heading up to the summit on the 2nd day. Me with our friend.

Kepler track. Looking back along the track on the 2nd day, with a small glimpse of Lake Te Anau. Because of the weather report we had to wait for permission to set out on this day, but we had no problems.

At the end of the Milford Track, waiting for the ferry to Milford Hotel.

McKinnon Pass, the highest point on the Milford Track in the South Island.

                     Woody-eared jelly fungus, which used to have a racial name.

Small spider and other insects on a dog daisy. Click to zoom in for detail.

This centipede is a little over 7 inches long. They can grow longer, but not often seen. Beware his bite, it can numb you for several hours.

This is the rift caused in 1886 when Tarawera erupted along its full length.

Eruption of Tarawera, 10 June, 1886.

Sombre mountain, black, forbidding all around the placid lake.
Drifting wisps of snowy vapour where the geysers thud and shake.
Harsh abruptness of the mountain softened by the smoky haze.
Glowing terraces of pink and white agleam in noonday blaze.
This the scene of eerie wonder tourists came from far to view.
This the home of the Tuhourangi, once so many, now so few
Because they heeded not the warning of Tuhotu old and grim,
Because they said 'He is old and foolish, let us have no thought of him,
For we are young and youth must have its gaiety, joy and life.'
And so the white mans drink ran free and white mans vice and crime were rife.

Tamaohoi, spirit of the mountain, heard Tuhotu's call,
Heard and started to prepare to cause their ghastly death to fall.
He gave them warning, ah, but who could understand the ghostly sign?
I saw it, I Te Marama, saw plain the death canoe's outline,
The standing figures bowed of head, the spirits plumed as if for death.
I saw them in the twilight clearly, then all gone on a breezes breath.

These are the opening lines of a poem written by my oldest sister Tui when she was 12 years old. It goes on for many more lines, describing the eruption.

Mount Tarawera

               Mt Tarawera above Rotorua Lake. It erupted 10 June 1886.