SilverSpikes Photography

Awaiting the Tsunami

2011-03-12T22:53:00.000-08:00

The after the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami the warnings were out for the entire Pacific Ring. We saw with horror the events in Japan, and after the Christchurch Earthquake, our hearts bleed for Japan too. We looked out to sea, waiting for signs that the Tsunami might affect our bay. We saw the sea churning at Ocean's Beach, but saw little evidence in our quiet bay - except for the Terns and the Oyster Catchers. All hugged the shoreline, grassy banks, and rocky outcrops. The sea told them a story we would have missed...

Ode to a Dunny

2010-04-24T02:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I took any photos seriously or even blogged. Recently I was given a tripod and today - mid April - I was once again on the deck bbqing. Fantastic. The air was warm, the breeze was gently and the moon was rising. Since building our house we have become less and less aware of the original building that used to be the only building on our land - the true, kiwi, dunny. Today it was lit up by the moon and the glow from the house. It was something we just couldn't tear down when we built. I couldn't decide on the mood I wanted to reflect, as I see so many moods in the bush and landscape around our house. So this is my salut to the Dunny.

Might have to use it yet as this winter begins after a summer of NO rain and the drought is setting in.

A Night by the Fire

2009-06-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

I have no historic, geographical, biological information about this - it was just a wonderful night with a fire in the brazier, a cool wind drifting up from the sea, and marshmallows to toast, burn, blow and devour. A night to remember with the family by the fire.

Wasp Eats Caterpillar

2009-05-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Wasps have become a huge problem in New Zealand. Our indigenous Monarch Butterfly has suffered as the wasps sting the caterpillar to death or eat the larvae. We now see more wasps flying around our neighbourhoods than bees. What do wasps DO anyway? How do they contribute to our environment and eco-system?

Its been a while since I had time to take photographs and post them. However this opportunity arose as I sat for a cuppa on our deck - next to a wasp. The wasp was totally unperturbed by my presence and went on eating while I took a range of photographs. The lens was a little over an inch from this greedy creature.

Hot Stones - Russell

2009-01-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

After the cool of the Bay of Island waters, a sauna under the hot pebbly beach was just the ticket on a cool New Years Day.

Rock Pools

2008-11-04T22:10:00.001-08:00

Italian Feast

2008-10-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Mozzarella di Bufala

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Florence

2008-09-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

I am currently catching up with family around the world. My main purpose is to enjoy being with family. The added bonus is a few good photographic opportunities though I am not spending as much on this as I might otherwise do if my family weren't more of a priority. However you can enjoy some of my experiences here at SilverSpikes Photography. Check out Canalling in Wallingford.

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Canal Boating - Wallingford, UK

2008-09-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

Check out my holiday pics of Italy and England on Silverspikes.Blogspot.

Florence

Storm Wharf

2008-07-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

This is a mid-day shot of McLeod Bay Wharf - our local fishing hole - during the storm of the decade! As you can see - we all came through fairly lightly. The harbour peaks displayed their white caps in a choppy haphazard fashion, and left evidence of their ventures onto land - however comparatively their wild party was tame to that of the thunderous churning ocean display on the local coastal beaches. You can see more on the storm on our personal blog - treehouse dwellers - though the photos are less attractive.

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Midnight Visitor - New Zealand's Uninvited Guests

2008-07-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

This evening - we had some biscuit mixture which we wanted to shape. It was all a bit soft, and there was no room for it in the fridge - so we put it outside on the table on the deck - JUST for FIVE minutes...
When we went to bring it back inside - THIS is what was on the table EATING our cookie dough!!!!!! He scuttled away up the Rewarewa tree - then posed while I grabbed the camera!

Alas no cookies for us!

There are about 70 MILLION Possum's to New Zealand's 4million human population. That's approx 20 possums per person - so I guess we can be thankful that we found just 1 eating our cookie dough. Possums were introduced to New Zealand from Australia (thanks mate!) in 1837. They are nocturnal marsupials with sharp claws for climbing trees and ripping bark. Unfortunately our vegetation did not evolve to protect itself from such hungry beasts and their appetite for NZ indigenous trees is killing our native habitat. They also have no predators in New Zealand (although the road kill figures may differ from that). As a result they have become our nations no.1 pest. It is a crime NOT to run over these critters if you see them ambling across the road at night (not legally - but your neighbours will frown at you if you don't). They are actively slaughtered by the Department Of Conservation and even the fashion industry is cashing in on the possum's demise. Pity our un-neighbourly possom did not see our large possum rug in our lounge. And lastly they apparently have a good sense of smell - (we will remember that next time!)

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Rotorua - New Zealand's Cultural Heartland

2008-05-25T00:09:00.000-07:00

Pot of Gold - New Zealand beaches

2008-05-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness - I wish I remember the name of this beach in the far north of New Zealand - a remote and stunning corner of the earth. It seems to be visited regularly by locals, who cook up the kiamoana (seafood) for the whanau (clan). Though this leaves a clump of rusty iron in a photographic wonderland - I can just imagine the clutter of buckets, the chatter, the sparks creating a glow on friendly faces, the roar of the sea, the gentle wind in the grasses and tickling the sand, and the delicious aromas of freshly cooked food from the sea. And the taste - oh to experience that would be fanatastic!

Mt Ngauruhoe - New Zealand

2008-04-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

Mt Ngauruhoe (Māori: Ngah-oo-roo-haw-eh)is an iconic active volcano set in the center of New Zealand's North Island and part of the Tongariro National Park. It is the perfect cone shaped neighbour of Mt Ruepahu - in fact they share the same magma source below the earth's crust. Ngauruhoe last erupted in 1975, and frequently belches smoke from its enormous crater. There were 45 eruptions in the 20C, and between 1839 and 1975, 70 eruptions were recorded. It has now been quiet for over 30years - the longest time in recorded history. Its neighbour, Mt Ruapehu's has had more recent eruptions, the last occurring 12 years ago in 1996.

If you ever wish for an idyllic spot to ski or hike - choose New Zealand's Tongariro Mountains

Under the Pier - Petone New Zealand

2008-04-18T22:38:00.001-07:00

See posts from Wellington - Boat Sheds and Petone's wharf.

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Wellington Boatsheds - New Zealand

2008-04-05T12:10:00.001-07:00

See other posts from Wellington - Petone Wharf and Under the Pier

Petone's Wharf

2008-03-21T03:04:00.001-07:00

We took 10days out to the Capital (New Zealand) during the bi-annual arts festival. It was incredible and I hope to write some posts about the theatre, dance and music that we engaged in during our holiday later in another blog. I'm not really a city photographer and so again most of the photos I experimented with were situated around the sea. But then again, I was amazed that so much of Wellington hugs the ocean and takes full advantage of all it has to offer.

Petone – meaning “edge of the sand” – was originally a Pa site of the Ngati Awa tribe. It is 10min drive from Wellington. The first European settlers arrived at the southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island and landed in Petone. It was thought that this would become a large settlement, however it was prone to flooding and earthquakes. Thus it’s settlers moved across the harbour and began the settlement of Wellington – now New Zealand’s Capital City.

It has recently come back in the spotlight for it’s café culture and old interesting buildings. I have not been able to find too much information about the actual wharf.

Ninety Mile Beach - The Top Of New Zealand

2008-03-04T23:17:00.000-08:00

I searched Google for information about Ninety Mile Beach but found little that presented this stunning location to my satisfaction. We have travelled to this West Coast Wonder for many a holiday. The raging surf on the west coast is thunderous. It crashes and rumbles, tosses and churns the entire stretch of a beach that disappears miles past the vanishing mists. It is in fact, only 60miles long, and one theory is that missionaries measured this with horses that they estimated could walk for 30miles a day. After 30 days they concluded the trek from the southern point at Ahipara to the northern tip of New Zealand at Cape Reigna was 90miles. They did not however consider the slowing effect of horses walking on sand. This beach, as with many in New Zealand, is a registered road. The road rules for this beach are the same as for a highway. It is great fun to roar along the beach in any car – however many a tragedy has occurred here including car accidents and cars being stuck in the sand when the tide changes. If you want a wild west coast extravaganza - Te Oneroa a Tohe - the long beach of Tohe (Ninety Mile Beach) will give you this and more. Ahipara (more costly) and Waipapakauri (cheaper rougher options) are two areas to chill out and soak up the roar of this ocean.

New Zealand Rain Drops

2008-02-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Rain drops in the trees. New Zealand is famous for it lush green foliage,
due mostly to the ever present rain clouds.

New Zealand's Evening Tide

2008-02-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

New Zealand's Golden Kauri Gum

2008-02-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

Our house is situated in the middle of a Kauri Grove. The trees are quite young (probably less than 100yrs) however the Kauri tree (Agathis Australis) is a most revered tree in New Zealand and Tana Mahuta, NZ's oldest Kauri tree still stands after 1250years and has a girth of 13.77metres. The high concentration of gum in the Kauri tree has helped to protect this species from infestations, rot and decay, and gives the wood a deep rich shine. The gum helped to preserve the Kauri wood when in past centuries (dating back some millions of years), the land became saturated and many kauri fell into the swamps. Swamp Kauri is still being discovered today and the deep rich red colouring of this wood still retains the gums shine seen in the yellow wood of younger trees. During the late 1800s up to the mid 1900s along with the progress of machinery and technology many kauri trees were decimated for export. It is now however a protected tree, and small groves can be seen cropping up in vegetation that have been left to re-generate.

Kauri Gum weeps from the tree when it is damaged or cut to protect the wood from insects. This gum can form in clumps at the base or beneath the tree and solidifies. The rough flaky exterior of the solidified gum can be chipped off and through a process of chiseling, sanding and polishing the above result can be achieved. This is a clump I purchased 'raw' and I thoroughly enjoy the process, the texture, and the smell as I whittle away the rough edges and create a glowing piece of New Zealand Amber or Kauri Gum.

If you would like to know more about the Kauri Tree and the gum it produces, these are links that I have found informative and interesting.

History of Kauri Gum
Classification of Kauri Gum
The story of the Kauri Tree

Waipu Cove - New Zealand's Beaches

2008-02-18T22:20:00.001-08:00

Waipu - pronouced "Why Poo?" - yeah yeah - but that is obviously not its meaning. Wai is a Maori word means Water, and Pu meaning Song - Water Song. It is an idyllic spot with a long sandy beach stretching along one end, and a discrete cove at the other end. A stream of salty water ambles it's way around the cliff, ducking under the Pohutukawa trees, whose branches tickle the gentle waves. Pohutukawa have a continual love affair with the turbuant waters of the easten oceans of New Zealand. When the tide is out it is great to scramble over the rocks to a private bay of pebbles - their smooth, even shape act to massage your feet in the warmth of the sunshine.

Wikipedia - "Waipu is a small town in Bream Bay, in the Northland Region of New Zealand, with a Scottish heritage. Waipu was the centre of a significant Presbyterian settlement led by Rev. Norman McLeod, a Presbyterian Minister who led his people from the Highlands of Scotland to New Zealand via St. Ann's, Nova Scotia and Australia. Five shiploads of settlers arrived at Waipu in the 1850s. For more details about the original European settlers, see the Rev. Norman McLeod entry.
A highlight of the town's calendar is the annual Highland Games held at New Year."

Check out the links in bold. I won't earn anything, they won't earn anything, but you might earn yourself a little more indepth into the country that is New Zealand.

New Zealand's Calm Waters

2008-02-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Typical beach on the east coast of New Zealand.

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Welcome Home Flowers

2008-02-10T01:19:00.000-08:00

Not really one for flowers even when in hospital (would prefer people spent their money on something useful) - but it was great to come home to our pot plants flourishing and one bursting with flowers.

Our Sunset

2008-02-10T01:10:00.000-08:00

It's great to be home - and Whangarei put on an extravagant sunset on our arrival. This was the view from our deck as we spread open the doors and breathed in the wonderful country air.

Kite Surfing on an Awesome day

2008-02-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

The kite surfers were out in full force on our last afternoon in Auckland. A trip to the beach to get some shots proved a great experience.

Puka Leaves - New Zealand's Flora

2008-02-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

Trying to be creative and refocus on patterns of nature.

Air Ambulance

2008-01-31T00:54:00.001-08:00

Sorry - I've been out of commission for the last few days as this pic may indicate. So I have been unable to concentrate on my theme 'patterns of nature'. I have however begun another photo blog called "a photo from tomorrow" through which I concentrate more on the life around me - as a kind of personal diary of events. The quality of the photography may not be a high as I expect from this photoblog - but as stated it is more of a personal photographic documentation of my life. You can check it out here.

Kruger National Park - Southern Africa

2008-01-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

This hot New Zealand weather is reminding me of our 2006 summer in Africa. Here is a photo from that time. A kingfisher perched near our car at Krugar National Park and posed for a photo shoot. I was able to explore the kingfisher through my Canon 55-300mm lens, from the confines of our car (somewhat restricting) - and it was most co-operative.

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Blog Networking

2008-01-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

“10 Mins TeamWork Success Campaign” By BloggerOfTheWeb.com

1. Interesting Blog by BloggerOfTheWeb

2. Lifestyle by OrCarrier

Gannet Soaring

2008-01-06T11:34:00.001-08:00

This photo is available for purchase. Specifications: Canon 20D, 300dpi, A4, no watermark. This photo has had a drybrush filter added. Purchase for $5

New Zealand's Gannets

2008-01-05T17:18:00.000-08:00

The trick at Muriwai, with the gannets, is to be able to capture the soaring birds in mid flight and still have the focus square on their eyes. Sometimes just getting the bird in the frame was challenge enough!! I also found that my desperate attempts to engage that perfect flying shot - meant I missed some great action on the rocks. It was good to have family around to point out the interesting going-ons amongst the bird's active community.

Gannets

2008-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

When had a great time winding our way to Muriwai Beach on the wild West Coast of Auckland, to see the new born chicks. What an amazing sight. I could watch for hours as the birds communicate with each other - stroking each others necks, tapping each others beaks, nudging, flapping. I watched one gannet enjoying a piece of seaweed - he was tossing it up in the air and catching it - over and over again. He was watched by two other gannets and the three of us seemed fascinated by the skill of this one gannet. Until one of the intrigued gannets stepped forward, plucked the seaweed from the air above the unsuspecting player, and scurried over to his mistress with it. She proceeded to tuck the seaweed around her chick as if to say 'At last - I thought you would never pluck up the courage?'. No wonder there are people who can study these creatures for a lifetime.

New Zealand's Warm Sun Playing in McLeod Bay

2007-11-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

With the rain pelting down, and cosy fire warming our toes after a day of hard labour sorting out the house - it was a great evening to curl up on the possum skin rug and watch a DVD. And then the sun poked out from underneath the dark rain soaked clouds - it was too good! We threw on our raincoats and went out to enjoy the sun playing in our bay...

Rewarewa - New Zealand's Flora

2007-09-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Not sure about this one...

Rhino Beetle

2007-09-05T19:22:00.001-07:00

Found walking across our car in Swaziland Jan 2007.

New Zealand's Mudflats

2007-09-01T21:47:00.002-07:00

New Zealand's Beaches

2007-08-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

Fungi

2007-08-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it - we found this black fungi growing on some rotting bark in our firewood pile!

Natures Patterns

2007-08-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

Banana Plantation

2007-08-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Birds of Africa II

2007-08-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Kruger - meerkat

2007-08-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

Birds of Africa I

2007-08-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

in the trees...

2007-08-04T18:28:00.001-07:00

The setting sun dances with the shadows falling on the wooden deck. Hugged by the great Kauri trees flanking its sides, the home peaks out across the speckled harbour.