Lewis Pass Motels
Images from a brief stay at Lewis Pass Motels, close to nature.
Waiuta: toxic tourist attraction
A visit to a romantic ghost town gives one impression: a Google search quite a different picture. A few weeks back, the Nelson camera club organised a field trip to Reefton. Someone suggested we look at Waiuta, a historic mining town near Ikamatua. Wikipedia describes Waiuta as “one of New Zealand’s most popular ghost towns and a great tourist attraction” and the entry continues in rather romantic and nostalgic terms.
Waiuta grew up around a gold mine, starting in 1905 and continuing for almost 50 years. At its peak there were 600 people living there, but here’s the scene today:
Danny Boulton, 2 June 1951 – 23 June 2014
Even when we think we know someone, we usually glimpse only a small part of their life. I was at a funeral this morning when that was brought home to me yet again. Danny Boulton, of French Pass, died on 23 June. He had survived for more than a decade after being operated on for prostate cancer.
A tribute to forestry workers
This post was prompted by the news yesterday morning of yet another death in the forest industry, the ninth for this year and the second this week! New Zealand’s safety record in this sector is abysmal by international standards. But what was it like in the “good old days”? I found myself thinking of a very memorable day spent in the Kinleith Forest 35 years ago.
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry had announced a photographic competition. I felt that a candid shot of the people that work in the forest might make a change from the many beautiful landscapes that would be entered. So I arranged to take a day’s leave and tag along with a logging gang.
Toxic shellfish in Tauranga
In the last couple of days there has been news of a number of people admitted to hospital in Tauranga with shellfish poisoning. There have been warnings out for some time now, advising people to avoid shellfish from the area after tests showed PSP (paralytic shellfish poisoning) toxins were present. It might be coming from a microalgae called Alexandrium catanella.
Warbirds over Wanaka Part 4 – the rest
Here are some of the other highlights from the 2012 Warbirds over Wanaka airshow. I’ll start with the fastest (and perhaps the best looking) plane, the Hawker Hunter:
Warbirds over Wanaka Part 3 – aerobatics
We were lucky that the weather was fantastic. This made the aerobatic displays even better. To get your attention I’ll start with a picture from the end of the RNZAF “Red Checkers” display, their ‘Starburst’:
