Certain hobbists would say the Best of British

however I think there would also be just as many others

who would beg to differ and would opt a preference for an earlier model.

Interesting way to cross the Haven

and venture out into the open sea,

well at least it is for the lad at the back of the kayak it will be, but they’ve got their supplies there alright

…..at least the young fella appears to be wearing a lifejacket though.

Maybe the Tenants thought

“…..nah sure they won’t notice anything?”

…different about the place during the next property inspection?

Make a great painting…

…..would this old shed / packhouse out on the Appleby straight, not far from downtown Richmond.

Looks like she has seen better days.

Youngsters learning to sail – the hard way

Nothing like throwing down a challenge for young sailors in training.

After all out there in the open sea…things don’t always work out as what the book/manual says it should.

These young chaps aren’t in the open sea at all, they are in the shadow side of Haulashore Island, inside the Haven and so in protected waters – a great place to learn, and more forgiving than the open ocean if an error in judgement were to occur.

These youngsters appear to be in training the “old fashioned” way – in old clinkers.

Still looks like they are having fun, and I’m sure, will most definitely be an experience they will learn from, and won’t forget.

A Hunting we will go

but in a small town like Nelson

…for what……..what is just around that corner….

well how about ……………..

Zebra-cars?

…..takes all sorts I guess?

Quintessential Kiwi Imagery…

but not from a Kiwi.

And more surprisingly not from the Mainland either.

Original link here.

From none other than the Chatham Islands did this European photographer take these holiday snaps.

Original link here.

….and one other advantage of the Chatham Islands that doesn’t immediately spring to mind is showcased in the next photo.

He comments ……

There was zero light pollution as there were no inhabited islands within a 800 km range. Staying outside at night watching the sky was an awesome experience. Chatham Islands. September 2007.

Again – here’s the original link to the above photo.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT holders Flickr page here.

Our own “White Cliffs of…”

of Ruby Bay/Mapua…..but to be more precise the colour…

…..is more clay than white. However that said they do rise steeply

from the coastline and offer a great place for many to build a home, thereby affording fabulous sea-views to the residents. Must admit supply is starting to dwindle when it comes to available sections for sale though.

Thought it was a house fire…

……just sitting down in the lounge at the end of the day….and what’s that?

Phoned 111 but it turned out they were already onto it by the time I spotted it.

It ended up being a car fire and had 2 appliances attend.

What a Place to Work….?

The only problem with surf, sand and sea is that they are always constantly moving.

To slow down that process, and its effects on the dunes, regular remedial work is required, and that’s exactly what is happening at Tahunanui Beach this week.

Summer visitors won’t notice much different but it does appear as if some of the fence-lines may have been moved a bit closer down towards the waterline.

Golfers – watch out….

Local golfers really do have a great choice when it comes to where they want to tee off from……

however one of the more demanding spots is the officially named Nelson Golf Club itself…..located where…..

well if you have been a regular reader here you may have noted that in the past I have ”harped” on about there not being much flat land/sections to build your Nelson future on.

That does actually translate to other things….and unfortunately for them….golfers get caught up in this too.

Still overall its not a bad place to live….oh…and play golf.

Never a better named bar

have I seen for years…….certainly not one of a more “Kiwi” flavour anyway.

…….than this local establishment out on the 70 k/ph zone…..Main Road,Hope.

Don’t know about you but I can just too easily recall the name Zepher, Cortina, Hillman, DB Export, etc

….so in light of that……its probably not too hard to see why this place could be a popular drop off spot for those locals who happen to be of a, shall we say “baby boomer age” group.

Country is never far from town

……in our locality.

But I do know it won’t be long before it might not be so close…..

….and we’ll see the paddocks turn into sections,

nice while it lasts though.

Number Plates – the Kiwi fasination

Why?

Don’t really know actually what is it, and to be frank I don’t get it, just as I have told a few that know me………..

…. because personally I don’t see the merit in personalised plates, especially the new latter varieties popping up today…..

that are “using every conceivable combination of numbers & letter in the alphabet” to try…..and I mean really try…….to spell something.

Some are pretty obvious…but then others…well?

On the other hand….the above one is quite self-explanatory and given the fact that there must be reasons why you’d pay upwards of NZD$400 for one….quite extenuating ones at that …..I’d have to say that the last photo of my three gives one the sense that there must be some “real” reason behind this BMW adorning fascia.

Just in case you were asking……No I don’t think it has anything to do with a secret love affair with a bank?

Kids in Sport…

Well the saying goes like this I think……

“Kids in Sport stay out of Court.“

So Mahe, just go go go!

Both our girls did rowing, when we lived in Sydney they were both selected for talent ident## programs leading up to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

And almost like in a scene from Mao’s Last Dancer** they had their height, weight, leg measurements, arms outstretched measurements taken….…sometimes it helps to be tall. However credit for all those 5 days a week starts at 5am does go to my wife not me…..often I wasn’t in town….but up country travelling.

Still…at the end of the day….and I’m sure the girls would still agree today it was a fantastic experience. [although on the discipline side of things…well?]

** – one thing missing from the movie was the part Li, then just a kid, told us that he had both his Achilles' stretched and then snapped…but he couldn’t let on the fact that he was in agonising pain otherwise he would not have been selected to go to Shanghai.

## they started in 1990-92……many many years before the Sydney Games

Forestry Fishing and Fruit

Those three “F’s” are the major core industries that

help keep the Nelson Bays humming.

You need do no more than pull back the blinds in the morning, and caste your eyes just yonder the airport to be reminded of the importance of one of those industries.

One of our Top 3 Landmarks

Is “The Rock” or more commonly know to locals

as “Fifeshire Rock.” Probably one of our most photographed though.

The name comes about because one of the first settler ships……

“Fifeshire” [arrived Feb 1842 – 9 months before the “New Zealand” mentioned above] brought paying New Zealand Company clients all the way from England to Nelson.

She delivered her 108 passengers here fine, but about to begin her return journey, she floundered on rocks in the vicinity of what today is now known as ”Fifeshire Rock”, never even reaching the open sea.

The above memorial is situated at Wakefield Quay where there are passenger manifest lists and other information.

Nearby there’s also a memorial statue saluting those hardy early settlers.

One can only be left wondering “what would they make of” the vista that the statue now looks out to?

The local Nelson City Council have a searchable database of those early settlers here for you to check.