Kids day out

There was a helicopter taking off and this little boy was hypnotised waiting for it



I love watching kids in playgrounds. Being a young woman their mothers don't mind me sitting and watching them explore the world and be silly as only kids can be.

Untitled

I am adding this one to the list of photos I'm glad I took

playground pleasure

We actually had SUN today. Beautiful hot sun. I ended up sweating after a week or more of having the heater on at night. I'm such a temperature wuss. But what better fun after so long than to cover the city looking for photos. I was actually trying to get to get a plain photo of these rides but the little girl ran up and climbed on one which kinda made it even cuter. Man, I am clucky lol.

The Greek Zorber

All the crazy stuff is invented here in NZ. Someone has mentioned my blog in theirs so I thought rather than die of embarrassment like I want to I'll use this space to share a bit more about it. The picture is of 'zorbing'. You start with the zorb at the top of the hill then you throw yourself into it and it rolls down the hill, with you stuck to the inside wall courtesy of gravity. Yes it is totally insane and yes I am dying to do it.

I'm just THAT famous!

Even strangers recognise my special brand of coolness LOL.

Tourist trap

This is from the days when I had a film camera. It's taken in a very small town called Tirau in the middle of the north island. Tirau exists for tourists. It has one main street with a honey product shop and various other places to buy stuff. One shop I LOVELOVELOVE is called Linga Longa. It's a ....well it's not really labelable. It sells lanolin lotions and soaps (sheep are big business when you have 4 million people and 40 million sheep), wooden toys and products, pottery, nicknacks. I haven't been in forever but I could spend forever in there. 15 mins drive away my gran lives in a real NZ-style small town...you know, gangs, crime and pregnant teens. This place however is so cool. It has a big corrugated iron shop in the shape of a sheep...or some kind of animal, it's been a while. And down a side street we sawthe scene I took the above photo of.
Oh yeah and on the outskirts of Tirau theres a castle. Castle Pamela was built for a woman named Pamela by her husband. It has her doll collection in it now. It's all about the tourist dollar but this town is actually worth it.

the business end of things

This is the business end of town. The building on the left is full of politicians offices, the one in the middle is the second biggest wooden building in the world - second only to a shinto temple in Japan. The Beehive is self explanatory. I guess the lesson there is never build a building in the 70's with the proviso that it has to be 'unique'.

wierdness moment

I went to the library today. Nothing new about that. But what is new is these pumpkins I saw. They are up above the ground floor height, at the same level as the mezzanine floor. Theres a bunch of crap up there with them, the christmas decorations etc. Now, I go to the library alot. I go up the escalators all the time and you'd think these would jump out at me before now. I mean it's the end of March and Halloween is...October? We don't even celebrate it here. A few kids trick or treat but none in my neighbourhood. Why did I suddenly notice these today?

Alone

You know those days where you feel invisible and alone? This is the second day in a row. This photo shows my mood. Funny thing though, all you have to do is turn around and you find out it's on a main road directly opposite a fire station. It reminds me that sometimes things aren't what they may seem.

it's all about perception baby

Everyone sees the same thing differently. 4 pics of the same candles, 4 different pics. Which one do you like the most?
Yes, it's still too grey outside to take any decent pics.

fountain of youth

It may not be a fountain of youth but I think that being around this every day would keep me calmer and younger. This is what is at the end of the herb garden at the botanical gardens. Nothing but nature and birds chirping while you sit and relax...

it's dinosaur country

Well at least it looks prehistoric (to me). It's most likely man made, since it's conveniently located beside the rose garden at the botanical gardens. Looking at this photo I still expect a dinosaur to come up over the trees and start eating people.
My mother once said I have a very active imagination....

the firehouse roof vanished....

When they built the new firehouse they left the front of the old one. It guards the car park now. Everything becomes a carpark sooner or later.

The mad hatter visits the hat drawer

This is my cousin Chenice about 7 yrs ago. When they were young I used to corner my cousins at our grandmothers house and take rolls of photos. Theres a bunch of her older sister at 2 yrs old staring forelornly down the hallway at me, looking for her escape route. The look stayed the same, only the clothes ever changed. Chenice got into the hat drawer one day though and I guess we hammed it up for the camera.

Peace

This waterfall is one of the nicest hidden gems in Wellington. It's in the grounds of the museum and although it's got a constant stream of tourists it's such a nice spot to take a few minutes to sit on a sun warmed rock and be happy for who you are. I'm happy, I'm just waiting for that damn sun.

easy shot

I have to confess I'm cheating. I have some really good photos of Wellington but it's almost impossible to get a bad photo of this city. Just make sure the sky is blue, point the camera and shoot.

memories of summer....

Winter is here. It's only March and February was our hottest month but winter couldn't usher it out fast enough. Of course up north they are still complaining about the heat and yet I have had the heater on every day for a week. *pouts* Shhhh don't tell but I can't wait for the crisp sunny winter days when photographing stuff is a joy.

A matter of life and death

Have you got big enough balls?

Now thats Majestic

This is the Majestic building from Civic Square. It is infinately photographable so I seem to find myself infinately taking photos. Some of them don't suck either.

my baby makes me blue

I have too much fun with the filters on my camera sometimes. I can't help it, the way it turns everything else grey is soooo cool. I am easily amused.

reflection is good for the soul

I have learnt....

It's hard to pity a stupid man.

Nikau sculpture

Who says a house needs 4 walls?

I must be so bloody sweet and innocent looking cos I seem to attract nutty looper stalkers so easily. Last year I ended up with some guy following me around near town one day, luckily on a busy street. I couldn't walk back to town cos he was between me and safety so I had to get the bus. While waiting at the bus stop I suddenly realised this building only has one wall. WTF???

Stand tall like a totem

I'm a strong woman. There are men who love that I don't give in. There are still men who HATE it though. They still want a doormat. I'm not giving in. I want to vote, I want orgasms (multiple thank you very fucking much), I want to earn my own money and I want to get everything I want just because I can. Deal with it little boy.

filtered fountain

Urban sanctuary

This is the herb garden at the Wellington Botanical Gardens. It has trees all around it and you'd never know it's 3 mins walk from a main road. I wish for nothing but to be sitting here relaxing right now.

Picture postcard perfect

This is the Beehive and on the right is the Parliament building. This is the equivalent of the White House except you can walk through the grounds and take a tour of parliament every hour on the hour here. NZ is just too boring for terrorism.



This is *the* Cable Car looking down from Kelburn across to the city. It is one of the coolest things to do if you're into cheesy tourist stuff...which I am. On a fine day the view is incredible plus where the cable stops at the top leads into a bushwalk at one end of the botanical gardens.

she's twisted by nature

The trees at the oldest cemetery in Wellington are very...fertilised looking.

they meant well but....

This is one of the many sculptures in Wellington. It's supposed to be shells, more specifically I THINK it's meant to be paua (related to abalone) shells. Think blue mother of pearl only much more vibrant. So it's a bit annoying that whenever I see the sculpture all I can think of is mouldy potato chips...

What is it with kids and water?

the old and the new meet in the city

These are the Majestic Building and St Mary of the Angels in the central city. The reflection on the window is real. For some reason I had blue behind me but only dead white clouds in front of me. Thats Wellington. Four seasons in one day.

Summer statue

On a scorching hot late summer day early this month I went along the waterfront at lunchtime. Everyone was sitting on the steps leading into the water except this guy. He's one of Wellington's resident homeless. Most of them are known by sight. This guy was trying to beat the heat while still wearing his jacket and hat. He stood in the water like a statue the whole time. Of course he was possibly peeing or something too....

Blushing roses

I've come up roses today

The rose garden at the Wellington Botanical Gardens

Those are offices with a view

When I said the old cemetery was close to the city I meant it

Dead men tell no tales...

This is part of Bolton St Cemetery, Wellingtons oldest. If you turn around theres an office building looking directly behind you. And past the trees in the backgroundthe motorway slices through the cemetery. A bridge to the left of the photo lets you move between the 2 parts. The motorway is the only way out of Wellington by road so before that...what did we do to leave the city??

the green man

These are some of my favourite photos I have taken. Last winter was very mild and I went to Civic Square one lunch hour to see what I could find. There wasnt as many lunch time people as in summer and so this guy was sitting all alone and for some reason I just snapped away with the green filter.

Rainbows don't only appear just after rain