Auckland

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk314-Night

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night

the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours

 

 

Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Houses of Parliament

London…

…from…

…the London Eye

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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)

 

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge…Wk314-Night

 

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Cee’s-FFChallenge-Bridges

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Bridge of Sighs

Florence

Italy

 

Auckland Harbour Bridge

New Zealand

Old Railway Bridge

Skagway

Alaska

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Finally,

Australian Bridges…

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Pedestrian Bridge,

Balyang Sanctuary,

Geelong

 

Melbourne’s…

…Westgate Bridge

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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

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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

 

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Sunday-Stills-Favourite-Holiday-Spot

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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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Welcome-Charlotte-Grace

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It is with great joy, pride and excitement

that we can finally announce the birth

of our first grandchild Charlotte Grace.

She was born on Tuesday 2nd March

at 8:13pm NZ time to

No. 1 Son and No. 2  Daughter-in-Law.

Charli came into the world at 42 weeks

weighing eight pounds and seven ounces (3.9kg).

Mum, bubs and Dad are all doing well!

Both of us cannot await to see

our first grandchild in person.

We are certain that Charlotte will be

a shining star in our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

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Word-of-Day-Challenge-Sails

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sails

a piece of material extended on a mast
to catch the wind and propel a boat
or ship or other vessel.
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Auckland, known as…

 

…the city of sails.

However, I think Geelong…

…could also lay claim to that title.

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SUNDAY-STILLS-PC-Towering

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A variety of Towers towering over

their respective landscape.

 

I’m not sure why the Tower of London was so named.

Google to the rescue:

It was founded towards the end of 1066

as part of the Norman Conquest of England.

The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name,

was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was

a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted

upon London by the new ruling elite.

 

 

And now I know 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Closer to home is…..

…Auckland’s Sky Tower in New Zealand.

Using your imagination it could be

described as similar to Sydney’s Tower. 

The major point of difference is that we

celebrated Number 2 Daughter-in-Law’s birthday

with dinner in the Auckland Sky Tower in 2018.

 

Many of my photos I remember taking,

not so this one over Paris…

 

…not from the top observation point. 

Alas we only made it to the

second observation deck.

 

I guess we should be happy to have made

it up the Eiffel Tower at all,

because we did not set foot inside the

Giotto Bell Tower in Florence, in Italy.

 

I think we may have paid more than we should have,

to visit the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa

(Burj meaning Tower, so I was told). 

However, it was a wonderful, last day, experience

and we thought some pricey

souvenir photos worthwhile. 

 

High Tea at the Burj Al Arab was our

main reason for a stopover in Dubai. 

Again, not something to do on a weekly basis

but a wonderful experience. 

We nudged the local retail economy along 

with a new set of clothes each, for the occasion,

and felt human after living in the same

traveller kit for four weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Towers are springing up

all over the Western District.

  Almost at our back door, on the farm,

is a wind farm of over 100 towers

claimed to be the largest in

the Southern Hemisphere. 

May have been when built,

but no longer so, I suspect.

 

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SUNDAY STILLS PHOTO:….Towering

 

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