Blind Channel and Rabbit Island….

sit mid photo…………….

in this shot taken on Saturday, the day with the 2nd highest tides of 2011.

Courtesy of the Nelson City Council and Takeabreak here is another view taken from their own webcam. You can click on the webcam photo for latest images.

Interesting Sign on local…

spotted on the back………..

…….of a local delivery truck.

Beautiful Morning for a walk….

with the remnants of a Full Moon overhead…….

today…… unusually there were hardly any others out walking………….

.maybe that was just on account of it being Sunday

no wind………………..

and a very mild temperature (its Nelson of course)

to start the day………………..

…..and be home ………

…..by 7:15am.

Not hard to imagine that the home will…

have a view when you consider the elevation

that these photos hint at, and why not…..

there are actually not many spots left in Nelson…………..

…where there is any bare land at all……..let alone any of the cultivating variety.

Philip José Farmer’s Riverworld

Wow…I learnt tonight that the man isn’t any longer with us as he passed on in 2009. As a younger adult his series on Riverworld, well…really made a statement.

So much so that a geographical place like Riverworld has never been far from my mind………why?

Well frankly I don’t know why…..just that I remember the very very vivid description of the valleys leading down from the hills/mountains to the sloping grassy plain and then on to the river.

Apparently there is a movie…………and no I have not seen it & will not…..I just prefer to remember it (probably the better term is “visualise it”, Riverworld that is) from the memories I have from reading the book series.

BUT…….if ever there was a setting I have seen ( latent movie location scout hat being put on here) then this valley near Murchison in the South Island of NZ, to my way of thinking, resembles it perfectly.

After 20 years of driving past this site on a “Point A to Point B” exercise, and having all the feelings I have mentioned above, I finally took the time out to pull over and stop the car……………..and take a shot or two.

Made the Front Page!

Feb 16th 2010

In my inbox yesterday was this note.

Hi David The Mail used your fire pic on the front page today (credited to you). I hope that's okay. We had photographers there - turns out your twitpic was the best! Kind regards, XXXXXXXXX

Turns out, my photo made the front page in last nights Nelson Mail.

Happily enjoying a meal at Robbies in Richmond, when the whiff of something burning pricks my attention…….nah……..must just be something in the kitchen cooking or boiled over…….

Hold on that smells like plastic or rubber burning…..not typically a good sign for a restaurant?

Sitting near the window, my attention was then drawn to people running…….?

Walking outside I see this….

Didn’t think this was on the menu?

Closer inspection reveals…

the siren noises of the approaching appliances ring out…

and…..in just a matter of moments its

pretty soon its flames everywhere. According to the paper, because of the heat,

the firefighters had to wait a period to get in with their hoses,

but once they did the smoke rapidly changed colour

……a lady next to me asked a lass running, in a familiar tone, “isn’t that your home…..” and she replied no they lived on the other side, and everyone’s out.

The local Fire Brigade chief Ralph Lonsdale reportedly told the Nelson Mail;

“……..knew the fire he was going to must be bad when he arrived at the nearby fire station to find ash falling.”

 

Created a bit of traffic issues too, but thankfully it appears no one was hurt.

The cause is still being invested, the paper says.

I recieved

Although its only a small town

Nelson sure seems to have its fair share…..

….of what you might term the “heavy movers” of the shipping world.

The large car carriers like the one photo’ed above actually have a dual mission when they come to Port Nelson.

Number one, they deliver used/second hand Japanese motor vehicles directly to Nelson (supposedly for shipment to the rest of the Top of the South) but just as importantly they then load up with Nelson produce…..

in this case stuff that comes from here……..back to Japan goes a big boat load of MDF timber from Nelson Pine Industries out at Richmond.

Do we have a problem with….

sunshine in Nelson or what.

Well I do when it gets to 30 degrees. Bit sad when you have to close the curtains to keep the suns heat out isn’t it?

UPDATE: After hearing of Timaru’s mercury hitting 40+ the other day, I guess we don’t have an issue.

Almost hard to imagine…

that amongst all the dry I spotted recently on an overnight flying visit (900km) down south to Christchurch….

was that in certain South Island places in NZ, theres an almost Cairns like tropical forest feel………….

albeit of beech….but the feelings pretty much the same.

Kiwis….we really are blessed with our surroundings.

Surprised to see a ship named after

the place that I was born

and here in Nelson?

One of Nelsons Grand ole dames

…perhaps in need of a bit of TLC, but perched high with fabulous seaviews I’m positive she’ll come back to her glory one day.

If you like fishing

from the comfort of your own armchair…………

then Nelsons not a bad spot to be. And I’ve just been reliably informed there are some Tuna out in the bay….not big ones….but they’re still there nonetheless.

Count them if you will, but…..

we are about to enter the time when one of Nelson’s three F’s is about to bloom.

I’m talking about Fruit season, probably more specifically Apple season.

And that’s the reason why there are so many containers piled up on the wharves around Port Nelson…..just awaiting their turn to be stuffed full of Apples to feed hungry mouths at your local Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda or Safeway.

Test Blog Post

Test post from New Blogger mobile app for android

 

have noticed that whatever photo upload process Google have implemented …. it really reduces the quality of a photo, so guess I won’t be using this until that issue is fixed.

Local Seagulls seem to have it worked out…

when it comes to taking advantage of the summer here in Nelson.

It would appear that they seem to have come to an arrangement about who’s lamp-post is whose?

What about when it rains….

sometimes you have to wonder.

This local modern car would be all of 12-16 months old……….

……….but I for one would be very curious (& not want to be around) what would happen were the owner to have to apply the brakes in an emergency situation, after a period of rain!

This little tug…..

and its big brother, this slightly bigger little tug will surely both be on display

…….when Port Nelson opens to the public later in February for their 2010 Port Nelson Open Day.

Come along and see what makes Australasia's largest fishing Port buzz!

First Plane to Visit Nelson

The date was 11th November 1921.

The place is what is now known as Greenmeadows Park in Stoke.

And this is the plaque commemorating that event.

Local Fail

you have to wonder what was going through the employees

mind as they packaged this item up, then proceeded to print the sticker, then place the sticker on the goods?