~~~~~
lantern
a lamp with a transparent case protecting the flame or electric bulb,
and typically having a handle by which it may be carried or hung.
~~~~~
Chinese lanterns at Auckland Airport
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Auckland
Lens-ArtistPC-217-Opposites
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~~~~~
Sunrise.
Sunset.
Auckland Harbour Bridge
by day…
…and night
Agapanthus buds…
Agapanthus blooms.
~~~~~
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Patti:…Opposites
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Anne:…Opposites
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Amy:…Opposites
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Tina:…Opposites
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Anne:…Opposites**
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Sofia:…Opposites
~~~~~
Sunday-Stills22-0724-Road-Tripping
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~
road tripping
A usually lengthy trip taken in a motor vehicle,
especially for pleasure.
~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
Sunday-Stills22-0703-Beautiful-Beaches
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~
beautiful
pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
beaches
between high- and low-water marks.
~~~~~~
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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk314-Night
~~~~~~~
~~~~~
night
the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Houses of Parliament
London…
…from…
…the London Eye
***
Closer to home is this selection
of Geelong night images
Geelong from my hospital room window last year (May 2021)
Geelong by night from Griffin Gully
Geelong from Griffin Gully
You Yangs in the background
Eastern Beach…
…carpark
Cunningham Pier
The first year Geelong had
a floating Christmas Tree (2015)
~~~~~
Pic-and-Word-Challenge…Wk314-Night
Cee’s-FFChallenge-Bridges
~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
Bridge of Sighs
Florence
Italy
Auckland Harbour Bridge
New Zealand
Old Railway Bridge
Skagway
Alaska
***
Finally,
Australian Bridges…
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Pedestrian Bridge,
Balyang Sanctuary,
Geelong
Melbourne’s…
…Westgate Bridge
~~~~~
Lens-ArtistPC22-183-0124-Memorable-Events
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~~~~~
I have to say my most memorable events
are the birth of our two boys and our first grandchild.
The former because I was there.
The latter, because she was, is, a bright note
in a year of lockdowns.
1989
Number 1 Son at 12 hours
1992
Number 2 at 12 hours.
Last year in early March (2021)
we received our first photos
of our first grandchild from across the ditch.
She was born in her mother’s hometown
in New Zealand
~~~~~
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Patti:…Memorable-Events
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Leya:…Memorable-Events
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Amy:...Memorable-Events
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Tina:.…Memorable-Events
~~~~~
Sunday-Stills-Favourite-Holiday-Spot
~~~~~
Initially my thoughts turned to
Africa for this challenge.
However, a little more thought and
New Zealand it is.
New Zealand is sometimes referred to
as Australia’s seventh state;
and I must confess it is a
home away from home in my opinion.
Now for some random images from our
2018 road trip around a small part
of New Zealand’s North Island.
Near Matamata we spent a couple
of nights at Buckland’s Airbnb.
This window view, from our room,
was enough to keep me happy.
If the view appears too rural for your liking,
there is always accommodation in Matamata itself.
We were there to visit the Hobbit Movie set
which is less than 5 kilometres from
Buckland’s airbnb.
The third of Waitomo’s Cave was Ruakuri Cave.
The only cave where photography
was freely allowed.
To reach the cave floor we had
to negotiate the spiral down.
And there was no magic way of getting
out of the cave without negotiating
the same spiral to ground level.
While in the Ruakuri Cave…
…there are plenty of sights…
…to view or photograph.
Several nights were spent in Taupo,
located on the north-eastern shore
of Lake Taupo.
About 15 minutes out of Taupo is Huka Falls.
Not big in either width or height,
however, big in water throughput.
Taupo also provided an extensive range…
…of flora to photograph during our visit.
About 90 kilometres to the south of Taupo is
Tongariro National Park
where I was able to capture this image of
Mt Ruapehu
At Rotorua we spent a night or two at
Hamurana Lodge
a Boutique Hotel out of Rotorua.
Using Hamurana Lodge as our base
we were able to visit
Whakarewarewa – Living Maori Village…
…and enjoy lunch cooked in a thermal spring
the traditional Maori way.
We arrived back in Auckland a few days prior
to No 1 Son’s wedding.
Number 2 Son and his wife had been sort
of shadowing us during our road trip.
As Daughter-in-Law celebrated her
birthday the day before we arrived
in Auckland we all met up for
a family celebration.
Dinner in Auckland’s Sky Tower.
New Zealand is a peaceful friendly country
with a wide variety of attractions.
AND it is roughly a two and a half hour
flight from Melbourne.
Compare that with a 14 hour journey
from Sydney to Johannesburg.
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Sunday-Stills-Favourite-Vacation-Spot
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Jez’s-WWE-PC-City-of-Sails2
*******
~~~~~~~
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A few visible sails on the harbour now…
Sailing Auckland Harbour.
I was always under the impression black swans
were only found in Australia.
This pair was found on Auckland Harbour.
This was the February view at the wedding reception venue.
We were assured that the tide would be in,
by the time we sat down for our
wedding reception meal in October.
And it was.
~~~~~
Water-Water-Everywhere: #68
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Word-of-Day-Challenge-Birthday
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birthday
the day of a person’s birth
WoollyMuses 