Yesterday as the weather wasn't to bad, I went up to the wind farm to see if I could get some half descent photos, they came
out OK. but it would have been nice to have been able to use a tripod, but the way the wind was, it was safer to hand hold,

Its reel good country up there, am looking forward to summer when it will be some what warmer, as when it is only 6c. and with
a wind chill factor as well, it gets a bit coolish, to say the least,

Hope you all enjoy a bit of my part of the world,

Ferry Reserve taken from the bridge over the Manawatu River

(Download)

on the 6 k climb up to the wind farm

(Download)

a small section of the farm

(Download)

Thats where we started our trip

(Download)

Bridge over the Manawatu River at Ferry Reserve

(Download)

Beautiful view, with Woodville a small town just where you can see the river

(Download)

Looking the other way towards Palmerston North, weather starting to get bad, so time to get down while we can

(Download)

Thanks for your reply , the scenic photo , well i can get that any day as it is only about 5 k from home, but the Mamma and chicks, well that was pure luck, i was just sat down on my chair one afternoon, and what made me look out of the window, I dont know , and there she was, walking along the pavement, I thought, what the hell, was that, so just grabbed my camera, and rushed out of the door and down the path. and quickly got some shots of them, Mamma soon realized i was there, and become a little confused, so i Backed off, and she walked down my neighbors drive, with her family on tow, I didn't see here again,
What i find hard to understand is, as we are around a K from water, how she got here without any problems , For me it was a lucky day, Mother Nature at its best,

Thank you to all who have replied to my posting, on Pahiatua, Yes it sure is a nice place to live, and the peoples here are generally friendly. although as I have lived in three countries around this world, and traveled in several others, you can get your A-------s everywhere, one good thing here is the pace of life is somewhat slower than living in big cities, mind you Auckland can get a bit hectic,
I am originally from Liverpool UK, and emigrated here in 1973, have had 17 yrs in NZ, and 27 yrs in Australia, and along with my wife, will probably spend the rest of our days in the Land of the Long White Cloud,
well as it is a nice sunny day today for mid winter, around 12 c, so I am off out with the camera and my dog to see what I can see, Have a nice day everyone,
Oh and if anyone is going to have a trip to NZ, PM me and i will try and help re places to see etc,

Thanks canondave1, for your reply, One thing that anybody who lives or visits NZ, says it sure is a beaut Country, I will post some more photos in a few weeks time, We are not a big country, but sure do have wonderful places to visit, Colin

last year after spending 28 yrs in Australia. my wife and I returned to live in New Zealand, in Pahiatua, which is around 160k north of Wellington the Capital and 34 k east of Palmerston North, Pahiatua is set in the Tararua Ranges in beautiful hilly country side, Pop around 4000, with farming the main industry, mostly sheep and off course dairy farming,

Thought I would post a few photos which you may enjoy, not all the best, but not to bad for me,

Oh Pahiatua ia a Maori Name , and is pronounced Pa-He- A -Two-A.

sunny winters morning with the clouds lying low

(Download)

one of my favorite views

(Download)

here you can see a wind farm in the distance

(Download)

the Rangatiki River at Mangaweka

(Download)

Mama and nine chicks walk past our house

(Download)

The end of a Rainbow, the best I could do in very windy conditions

(Download)

a Tui, otherwise known as a Parson Bird

(Download)

Farm Dog having a well earned rest

(Download)

Great stuff Angler, it must be well over 50 yrs since i was last there, originality from Huyton, as a kid, Prescott as a married man, now resident in New Zealand, Thanks for the memories,

top photos Angler, its been some 45yrs since i last saw the castle, brings back happy memories,

keep em comin,

Around 30 k from my home in Pahiatua , there is a Wildlife Sancturary called Pakaha Mt Bruce. it has a wonderful display of Birdlife. which it it helping to recover from possible extinction . also some other native New Zealand wildlife.

Manuka the white Kiwi is the only white one in captivity in the world, Hatched 1st May 2011. very difficult to get a photo becouse of the extremly low light, and off course no flash allowed

3rd and 4th Kaka,, will steal food from tables, very easily.

5th and 6th, Tuatara.

7th Kereru New Zealands largest wood pidgeon.

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

Thanks Angler, nice to here from someone from St H, I used to work at P.Bs Fiberglass, back in around 1965, lived in Prescot, Yes we live in a beautiful part of the world,

Thanks for the feed back Joe, its not realy a Maori lesson, but a good tip I was given when we first emigrated here from the UK in 1973, its not always quite right, but is a general good guide,

I know I found the Maori pronunciation quite difficult when we first arrived in 73, and having been away for so many years, I am now aving the same problem, but given a little while it will all come good,

hope you liked the photos, Colin

Pahiatua is now our new home here in NZ, having returned to live here after 28yrs in Australia,

The name Pahiatua is a Maori name, and for all that find it hard to pronounce, try this, PA-HE-A TWO-A, in the Maori, you pronounce all letters, eg,, Papatoetoe , dont forget to pronounce the e in toe , if tthis rough guide is followed, it generally makes Maori names a little easier to get your tounge around.

Now Pahiatua is on the north island ,about 160k north of Wellington the capital, and situated in the Tararua Ranges, we are around 42 k, east of Palmerston North,

these photos are around the area we live in, which is a very hilly area, not mountains, but good for sheep farming,

they are just to give you an idea what NZ is like, and we think it is a real Beautiful Country,

in the forth photo, zoom in, and you should be able to see native New Zealanders going about there daily lives, All photos within around 5 k from home,

(Download)




(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

Thanks everyone for yourn replies, at least I now know I have done it OK, will post more real soon

will try and post a few photos now as am settled into our new home in NZ

This is Wellington, New Zealands Capital.

2nd, The Kapiti Coast 30k north of Wellington

3rd, same showing Kapiti Island just off the coast,

4th Waikanae Estuary , with Kapiti Island in the distance,

as I have not posted for a long while, i find the new format for doing so, rather difficult to follow, mind you
being an old fart, that could be the problem, if these are posted OK, will try and post some of where we now live, as it is a beaut area,

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

New Zealand in 4 days, as Kiwi it makes me wonder WHY, yea I agree with other comments on the Hog, Queenstown, Milford Sounds are tops , but so are Wanaka, Mt Cook, Queen Charlote Sounds, they are on the South ISland, and what about the North, from the cape to Wellington, there is so much to see, the North Island what with the far North, Rotorua Waitomo glow worms. etc etc, I dont know where I would start with only 4 days,
Think the best thing for you to do, is google NZ and have a real good look at the countryside, decide on a very very small area to visit, and just explore it, if you want the Mountains, go to Queenstown, and stay there all the time, and explore that area, 4 days will fly, but at least you will not waste time with useless time travelling,
my wife and I have just returned fro Australia where we lived for 27yrs, did a lot of caravaning around that Country, and while we were there, met a lot of Japanese who did Aussie in 2 weeks, they flew into Darwin, then flew to Cairns, Brisbane Sydney Melbourne. Adelaide and Ayres Rock, then went home with thousands of photos, and said they had done Australia,,,,, Nutters
Above all enjoy NZ, it takes some beating as we have everything from the rolling hills of the North Island, to the Alps of the South, and dont forget to post photos on your return

As a Scouse living in Australia, I love that, Boom Boom