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	50 Images.

		Fire Burns Into the Night. Returning from my visit to Raumati I was a little surprised to see that the fire was still burning at 11pm. Fires like this are most impressive to see at night, they make soo much light and their colour is beautiful. Sunday 21st February, 2010.
Titahi Bay, Wellington. 11:00 pm, Sun 21st Feb, 2010

		Fire At Titahi Bay. Reaching into and above the clouds the smoke is impressive for this relatively small fire. The yellowing of the sunlight shows the acrid nature of this billowing cloud. Fortunately noone was hurt but apparently it did come close to some houses.
Titahi Bay, Wellington. 6:41 pm, Sun 21st Feb, 2010

		Fire Like A Volcanoe! Fire burning on the mostly deserted hills of Titahi Bay. The smoke was impressive, I saw it in air in Miramar, and when helicopters flew infront of the plume, they appeared as tiny gnats. It continued to burn that night aswell. Sunday 21st of February 2010.
Titahi Bay, Wellington. 6:30 pm, Sun 21st Feb, 2010

		Fire and Glass. Nice colours here, and plenty of heat at the time! At one stage I wondered why the image was so foggy, thinking the worst as usual, but during a lens change I saw that the rear element of the lens had condensation on it. This picture is plenty clear though.
Victoria University, Wellington. 11:07 am, Tue 8th Sep, 2009

		Feeding Frenzy. Gary our skipper eventually removed the plastic netting from the lump of food and there was no holding back after that! There are 5 Wandering Albatrosses and 2 Skuas' joining in here, but the Mollymawks' (none visible here) and the little Birds are still not really taking part, although with the added beaks pecking at the food the amount of food floating in the water increased considerably so they all benefited in the end. Not long after this the lump of food got to be small enough that one Albatross took it and tried to fly away with it only to find that it could not fly with the weight, but it sort of skimmed along with a flock of maybe 50 birds trying to follow the food, although most soon lost track of where it was, so there ended up being a trail of these birds stretching out for 100 metres or so. I was videoing it so don't really have stills (oneday I will sort out putting video on here!).
Albatross Watching, Kaikoura. 3:43 pm, Sun 12th Apr, 2009

		Masters of the Air 2. Though they may be the masters of the air, they certainly start to look a little ungainly when they have landed, indeed while they are landing. Skiing for a short distance on their ample webbed feet then looking like they are about to fall over forwards, but mostly coming to a halt before they actually do get a face full of sea water.
Albatross Watching, Kaikoura. 2:45 pm, Sun 12th Apr, 2009

		Confrontation 3. I thought that the newcomer had had the best of the fight personally, but for some reason, perhaps because the original one ended over the top of the newcomer, the original one got to carry on it's dominance of the food bag and the newcomer had to hang around the sidelines picking up scraps of food floating in the water. The Skua had to do likewise, although it was much less stand-offish than all the other birds, often sneaking a quick bite of the bag from the relative safety of the other side of the bag.
Albatross Watching, Kaikoura. 2:35 pm, Sun 12th Apr, 2009

		Confrontation 2. They crashed together with wings and beaks and spray going everywhere! Meanwhile the black Skua, possibly a Brown Skua makes the most of the free access to the food.
Albatross Watching, Kaikoura. 2:35 pm, Sun 12th Apr, 2009

		Confrontation 1. Mostly the Albatrosses were very guarded with the bag of food, but one time it seemed to become distracted, then the next thing we saw was this newcomer 'skiing' across the water making a bee line to the original Albatross. The one sitting in the water is the original one, and it is about to leap at the newcomer.
Albatross Watching, Kaikoura. 2:35 pm, Sun 12th Apr, 2009

		Big Daddy has Arrived. Just to give an indication of sizes, the small birds are about pigeon sized so you can see that the Wandering Albatross is a very large bird, making even the largish Grey Headed Mollymawk seem fairly compact. Our skipper thought the Albatross may be 20 years old, so it is still quite young (40 years is common, with one known to have lived into her 60th year!).
Albatross Watching, Kaikoura. 2:33 pm, Sun 12th Apr, 2009

		864, What An Awesome Bike! This is the bike! It looks so fundamental, but it is built so beautifully, it would be my pick of the bikes I have seen (speaking as a novice in the subject of mountain bike construction). That swingarm holding the rear wheel and the way the shock is mounted in the main frame looks sweet, so long as the pivot is rigid enough (I'm sure it will be). Very nice.
Levin. 2:32 pm, Sun 25th Jan, 2009

		Landing. I think this is a cool shot, look at the tyres, look at the suspension and also look at the chain flying round there :) It's pretty impressive what the bikes have to go through, and they go through it so well!
Levin. 1:48 pm, Sun 25th Jan, 2009

		The DJ Rig. As we wandered round the track there was a point where the music seemed to get louder and louder, then I saw the 'DJ Rig' with the two girls walking in front of it, and then I saw steam puff out the headlight at the girls and I realised there was a person inside (the DJ!).
Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui. 4:24 pm, Fri 26th Dec, 2008

		Ducati Desmo 450. Arriving sometime in the afternoon at the Wanganui Cemetery (late as usual) there are a few that are leaving already, and I wonder as usual if I have arrived too late this time, but these are early leavers.
Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui. 2:22 pm, Fri 26th Dec, 2008

		It's All About the Music! Scruff. Another amateur photographer struggling with the technology but doing the practical part of taking pictures nevertheless. He is organising a gig in Wellington in September I think, I can't remember the details (will update them soon).
Island Bay, Wellington 8:27 pm, Thu 24th Apr, 2008

		Daimler Dart and Proud Owner. While driving round the bays me and Gordon spotted this Daimler Dart and had to stop and take a look. The owner had been swimming nearby and came to chat. In its day this would have been a super car with its V8 engine and sporty styling and handling! He looks familiar, like I have seen him in an advert or something? Great to see people with spirit and dedication to their dreams, I take my hat off to him :)
Balaena Bay, Wellington. 1:28 pm, Mon 17th Mar, 2008

		Cicadas'. Cicadas' seem to come in all sorts of varieties and the ones we get in New Zealand are pretty dull compared to other countries around the world. The left one I am sure is a baby one, the one on the right seems to be what Australians call 'The Green Grocer Cicada'. Perhaps the feelers do not grow with the rest of the insect since the baby one has a couple of monstrous ones, but the grown ups have pretty minuscule little things compared to their bodies?
My place, Wellington. 2:54 pm, Sun 9th Mar, 2008

		The Other Half. The green Moth of the two visitors. The 'fur' is actually a little like feathers on its back, or blades of grass with the tips cut off. You can see the tuft on its back, but this one differs from the black and white one in that it has a few of them running down it back getting smaller the further back they are. I hope they got together and made some babies (assuming they are not a pest of some kind)!
My Place, Wellington. 5:20 pm, Fri 29th Feb, 2008

		Plimmers Lane. John Plimmer. The man that inspired this statue was a business man originating from England (The History). I have long admired his statue with his faithful dog perpetually in mid scamper, perpetually gazing lovingly up at its master. :)
Plimmers Lane, Lambton Quay, Wellington. 2:33 pm, Mon 14th Jan, 2008

		Little Fungus. A nice place for little people to shelter under in the rain? Is it normal for little mushrooms to have a hole in the top of them like this?
Fields Track Road, between Hwy 49 and Hwy 4, Manawatu. 12:45 pm, Sat 29th Dec, 2007

		Strata. Returning from Ohakune I was driving to Wiouru when I saw a turn off going to Wanganui, so I went adventuring and took the road. It was a great experience, the road twisted and turned, it was sealed mostly, but the seal that was there was quite patchy. Included in the adventure (no pictures sorry) was a herd of cattle being driven along the road :)
Fields Track Road, between Hwy 49 and Hwy 4, Manawatu. 11:58 am, Sat 29th Dec, 2007

		Norton Engine. Some classic machinery in the pits.
Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui. 5:29 pm, Wed 26th Dec, 2007

		Roller Girl in the Mirror. I can't remember how this came about, but I think it is in the wing mirror of my car, and it has taken on some interesting movement thing, I kind of like it :)
Lyall Bay, Wellington. 5:12 pm, Mon 17th Dec, 2007

		Smokin It Up. Showing us their appreciation, some riders do some impromptu burn out's, which is well received. It is great to see the enjoyment on the peoples faces, it is a good social event the Wanganui Boxing day Motorcycle Races, long may they continue!
Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui. 5:34 pm, Tue 26th Dec, 2006

		Driving Wheels of Steam. The workings of the steam locomotives wheels, enticingly 'out there' for all to see. Incredible how these wheels captivated the imaginations of many a young boy. Aesthetically so stimulating, motion, sounds, feelings, even the taste of the coal in the air, they had it all!
Paekakariki. 1:47 pm, Thu 14th Dec, 2006

		An Old Work Horse. Less and less people will be able to remember these awesome beasts chuffing and clanking their way along our main trunk lines, a stirring sight that I remember only slightly, but with immense affection. In fact, at the time it was my intention to grow up and drive one of these, but then they were replaced with the much less interesting types of locomotives, and my aspirations were thwarted!
Paekakariki. 1:45 pm, Thu 14th Dec, 2006

		Night View of Turakina. The passing of a vehicle is marked by the pink lines floating in mid air, meanwhile the takeaways restaurant sits patiently. Nice colours, I like it.
Turakina, South of Wanganui. 9:52 pm, Tue 5th Dec, 2006

		Natures Way. Walking along Lyall Bay Beach I enjoyed looking at the surface of the sand where the sea as it came and went, left patterns and channels that then played with the late afternoon sunlight. There is something profound about the way something so simple can produce something so intricate and complex.
Lyall Bay Beach, Wellington. 4:06 pm, Fri 9th Jun, 2006

		Ten Cent Coin. Ok, I'm probably breaking some kind of law, but I don't see how really, it's a picture not a forgery hehe and I think the carving is nice so I want to display it!
My Place 1:14 am, Mon 29th May, 2006

		Leaves with Seeds. Normally this plant looks a bit like a fern, and the spots are dark green bobbles, but I guess here the tiny seeds are getting ready to fall to the ground, or whatever method they use to propagate themselves.
My Place, Wellington. 3:50 pm, Thu 11th May, 2006

		Glowing Carbon. Transformation of matter. Wax heats up, becomes liquid, then becomes vapour, then due to the heat produced initially by a lighter, then from the burning wax, the vapour ignites, burning with the help of the oxygen in the air. As the vapour rises up, the flammable content is burned away, leaving small particles of glowing carbon (possibly particles of burnt wick) which makes the light, that finally cools enough for the glow to die down and becomes recognisable as smoke. The wick burns only at the very tip because the 'liquid' wax being sucked up the wick is not hot enough yet to allow combustion, only where the wax gets hot enough to Vaporise thus making a flammable mixture with the air will the wick burn, so it is a self regulating process. The hotter the flame, the more wax is sucked up, and so the wick remains cool. Neat eh :)
My Place, Wellington. 2:40 pm, Sun 9th Apr, 2006

		Wandering Lights. My intention when originally while taking this picture was to capture the bright planet in the sky, but after making a few attempts, I decided it was more fun and more effective in the long run since my tripod was in the car, was to play. 25 seconds of slowly moving camera creates a whole new place.
Wellington Harbour Channel. 3:16 am, Thu 16th Mar, 2006

		Wairakei Plaque. I should possibly mention that my father was bought over from England to work on the creation of the power station. When I search Google for F.E.Studt, it still comes up with papers he wrote back then. Coincidentally the power station was not the only thing that he produced in 1958, that being (shhh) my year of birth ;)
Wairakei. 2:56 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Wairakei Geothermal Field. It's like an extremely large science experiment really. When I see it I think how old fashioned it looks, how un-technological, like an aluminium saucepan compared to a stainless steel one, or an old valve radio compared to a transistor one, and yet it uses basic principles of physics to do a job and it seems to do it quite effectively!
Wairakei. 2:54 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Archway of Steam. Amazing to think that the steam is transported moderate distances in these large aluminium pipes. They clearly must have considerable insulation in them or the heat loss would be a serious problem. This is the only place I know that has a road sign before and after it warning of the 'Steam Hazard' (when the steam blows across the road it can be difficult to see).
Wairakei. 2:48 pm, Tue 16th Aug, 2005

		Breaking Wave 2. It looks a bit like Ice at the edge where it is about to crash into the surface.
Eyres Point, south of Mangawhai Heads. 12:20 pm, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Those Who Went Before. Two monuments in the quiet little town of Waipu. The 'needle' commemorates those who died in world war one, and the one with the lion on the top is remembering the original families that settled in Waipu. It seems to have six ships that it remembers, quite an interesting monument I think.
Waipu. 9:40 am, Mon 15th Aug, 2005

		Gumboots On A Bench. I guess the 'gumboot' got its fame from the days when they were digging up kauri gum in New Zealand to sell to the furniture polishers. Of course many of the people who were wearing them were Maoris' and immigrants who needed money to live, the salt of the earth types. Fitting that they should be sitting on a bench held together with No8 fencing wire!
Helena Bay, Whangarei. 4:15 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Old Technology. Here's a blast from the past, not that they have done away with insulators, but something about these ones rings a nostalgic bell in me somewhere. I guess they are shaped like that for a purpose, I don't know about the rippled concentric rings, but the dish shape must be to stop arcing to the pole in wet weather. There must be some way that the bolt that takes all the strain is insulated from the electricity.
Oke Bay, Bay of Island. 2:01 pm, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Sun Dial. The mosaic is actually a map of the Bay of Islands. As you can see it needs sunshine to work and there was not that much direct sunshine so it was not very functional at the time, but quite nifty I thought.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:22 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		The Flagstaff Saga. Hopefully you can read this, it is the story of a flagpole that marks the beginning of the Treaty of Waitangi. As an example of my 'scatterbrain' I took a picture of the plaque and never took one of the pole itself :( and having hunted through Google I really only came up with one picture here.
Russell, Bay of Islands. 10:15 am, Sun 14th Aug, 2005

		Concerning the Stone Church. I made it extra large so it could be read easily :) I assume that it is factual, you never know how the truth might have been twisted sometimes, but it sounds feasible. I bet the 600 Maori haka would have been a thing to behold!
Paihia, Bay of Islands. 4:06 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		Another Troublesome Flagpole. This is not the flagpole that originally was cut down, resurrected, cut down, resurrected, cut down, resurrected, cut down, and finally resurrected by the ones responsible for cutting it down (there is a plaque you can read in a few pictures time), this flagpole also has been at the center of dispute though not such violent dispute.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Bay of Islands. 3:06 pm, Sat 13th Aug, 2005

		The AA Strikes Again. Perhaps the wind blew the letters off this sign, or maybe not? I guess the signs would make a good souvenir, and some people have just enough 'Lack' of respect to take these type of signs and once I would have thought it was cool :(
Cape Reinga. 4:42 pm, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Broadwood General Store. One of the original 'all-in-one' shopping centres, the Broadwood General Store is a working snippet of yester-year. Inside there are a wealth of nick knacks, but no maps which is what I was looking for at the time.
Broadwood, Twin Coasts Highway. 11:27 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Twisted Metal. Sticking up out of the grass next to the road, this twisted piece of rusty metal took my interest, the picture is a classic example of 'Bokeh' (Japanese word, unfocused image), making one who is paying attention wonder about the half told story of the background.
Kohu kohu. 10:35 am, Thu 11th Aug, 2005

		Old Wood. When I first saw this I was at a loss to imagine what this and the other timbers were used for, being at the top of the high cliff of the southern head of Hokianga Harbour. I now believe it to be part of a winch for bringing goods up from ships below.
Omapere, south of Opononi. 4:14 pm, Tue 9th Aug, 2005

		Is This What it is Like to be an Insect? Inch Road is much longer than an inch believe me, I would love to know why it is called that! The yellow road signs put up by the AA, are a godsend really, I guess people asked other people before road signs.
Inch Road near Toka toka. The North. 12:49 pm, Mon 8th Aug, 2005