Saturday, February 28, 2009

Retirement basically!


I just liked this so just had to share it.



Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Blenheim's Historic Railway Station

My World, do check out all the other interesting places from the My World Meme.

Blenheim's Historic Railway Station.
This old railway station is more than 100 years and has been in continuous use
even though it is not in the same place it was actually built!
About 4 years ago the main highway was re-aligned and the old Station was in the way so it was picked up and moved backwards 100 yards to where it is now. Now there is this nice blue archway and street lights in the walk up to the door. Now days it is the Information Centre as well as the train station.
On Saturdays there is a large Market, actually called a Car Boot Sale held in the carpark, beacause many people just sell their produce and bargains from the boot of their car, selling anything and everything. When I am not working, I usually attend this market to buy all our fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs for the week, plus we often pick up exciting bargains as well.















This is My World for this week.
This is my latest posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar,Sandy, Wren, Louise and fishing guy. Here is part of 'My World'. http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
My World

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Maori Totem Pole at Karaka Point Picton

The view from Karaka Point, looking down the Marlborough Sounds, you can see the wake from a small launch cruising past; off for a days fishing maybe.
This is a Maori totem pole carving on the top of Karaka Point. This carving tells a story, but as I am not a Maori I don't know just what it says, but I imagine the story is about the ancient Pa (Maori Village) that was built upon the hill, at some point this village was over run and the inhabitants killed. This was in the past well before the white people came to new Zealand.

Another view of the Totem Pole, the man near the top is holding a patu which is a type of weapon used in battle by the old time Maori's, these Patu were made mainly of Greenstone or granite, polished and sharpened to a razor sharp edge.

This is My World for this week.
Be sure to check out all the other My World entries. This is my latest posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar,Sandy, Wren, Louise and fishing guy. Here is part of 'My World'. http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
My World

Friday, February 13, 2009

Victorian Bush Fires





Victoria's Bush fires.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/
Australia, New Zealand's close neighbour


We feel your pain.
Such devastation such lost o
f life.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Picton's Maritime festival

Picton's Maritime Festival.

Last week the annual Maritime festival was held on the Picton
Foreshore.
A large crowd watched and enjoyed, raft races, long boat rowing races, rescue boats 'saving' people from the sea, swimming races too and many other sea based activities, along with the Police Boat The Lady Elizabeth being open to the public, ( this boat can be seen at the wharf in two of the photos). My Husband and I both went on board and were impressed with all the modern technology, the bridge had so many switches, dials and little lights it looked more like a jumbo jet cockpit. There were many other things like a fire safety display, Clincker boats and hundreds of model ships and yachts, a boy with a bubble machine, and a number big bands entertaining, plus there was a special children s fun area with their own bands and clowns. Also lots of craft stalls and food stalls even a tent Hotel was established to keep people happy. In the evening a wonderful fireworks display was put on, the sky rockets were let off from a barge out on the harbour, the boom as they exploded echoed around the the hills as the sparks shower down over us all, very sensational.
Entry to the Festival was free, it is all financed from money collected from Pub Charity Poker machines profits, so the money was going back into the community where it belongs.







This is MY World for this week. Be sure to check out all the other My World entries.
This is my latest posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar,Sandy, Wren, Louise and fishing guy. Here is part of 'My World'. http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
My World

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Wakamarina River Gold fields.


Gold.
The Wakamarina River.











This cairn was erected to commemorate the Gold Rush and all the miners who worked the claims..

In 1860 a pioneer lady washing her clothes in the Wakamarina River spotted gold sparkling in the river bed. Four years later word got out of the discovery and four men started gold panning, quickly and easily finding 18 ounces of the valuable metal on the first day. Soon the whole river valley was pegged out in mining claims and men came from all over New Zealand and from overseas as well to dredge the river and to pan for the gold. A gold rush was on, small townships sprung up in the valley, but they didn't last many years, and there is almost nothing at all to show for all the diggings. All in all 24838 ounces of gold is considered to have been exported from this small river.
The Summer has been a very warm one, so we decided to take our caravan and head to the Pinedale Motor camp in the Wakamarina Valley so we could swim in the cool clear refreshing waters.
At the enterance to the camp we found these 2 old gold dredge buckets and old fly wheel from one of the old dredges.
Down near the river we found a couple old tail races that had been dug out by pick and shovell during the gold rush days, so the excess water could be drained back into the river trapping small gold nuggets on the way. These are very over grown but are still flowing after all those years.
We parked our caravan under the shade of this big tree, so we didn't get sun burnt, there were not very many others staying at this camp, it is slightly of the beaten track, but very well worth the effort of driving the 14km of the main Blenheim/Nelson highway, there are good emenities available in the kitchen and the big lounge, and the camp owners are very friendly and helpful. The camp is surrounded by beautiful big old Black Birch trees that looked lovely with the setting sun shining through the branches.
There are tracks down to the river, quite steep but with steps cut in the steepest parts, so down we went to have a cooling swim in one of the deep pools. The water has a pretty greenish tinge to it but is crystal clear and rather cold, very refreshing. There are lots of nice walks to take from the camp to where gold was found and also to a tunnel that was also dug my hand, you can walk through this tunnel but it is cold and dark and muddy so I didn't. .
The one problem is the small hungry sandflies that bite any part of you that has not been liberally coated with insect repellent.
During the time we were staying in the camp an old fossicer goldminer came with his gold pan and shovell and spent the day panning for gold, we didn't see him until he was about to go home, so weren't able to catch him panning but he did show me the small number of mixed size gold nuggets he had managed to find in the river shingle, and he told me it was a very poor days work, often he finds much more. Although there are gold pans for the campers use, free of charge we didn't take the time and the energy to do any panning for ourselves this time, but I have tried my luck a few years ago and got a few tiny flecks for my efforts.


This is My World do go look at all the other places too.



Sunday, February 01, 2009

Lemonade award


Lemonade Award.

Storyteller, over at Roan, shared the Lemonade Award with me and 9 others. I was thrilled and pleased to be a recipient.

The way the “When Life Gives You Lemons, make Lemonade” Award (for short, The Lemonade Award) works is:

1) You must link back to the person you received the award from.
2) You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!


Storyteller states, "I love to introduce my bloggy friends to one another." I think that is a great attitude, .
I was so thrilled to receive this award from my friend Roan in USA, my very first award.