January

At last a couple of weeks leave to catch up on things that have been put on hold, this includes sleep. 💤😪
Tuesday 3rd January 2017
As some of you may or may not know I have been reupholstering a chair and it is finally finished.

I also made a contrasting cushion

Note the beautiful wooden turned legs......yes done by me, I have been going to wood turning with Malcolm and I made the 4 legs for this chair.

The legs started off like this a block of wood, turned to make a round...

...finished up like this....

Unfortunately I cannot show you the original colour of the upholstery, as I stupidly, deleted some photos off my camera.....sad.....but believe me it was a very old, not very nice green colour....

Thursday 5th January 2017
Something else I made at wood turning, this wooden dish, I then air brushed the rim with Iridescent Paints.
Started off with this

Work in Progress

Finished

Drink of the day: Watermelon Cooler 

Friday 6th January 2017

Chicken Pies 

Drink for today:Cherry and Pomegranate 

Saturday 7th January 2017
The day started out like this..
Drove along Muriwai Beach to find a fishing spot, lovely day although a bit windy. 

Stopped and took this photo of some poor souls vehicle that had got stuck in sand on some previous trip and the tide and sand had done its worst.

Found a spot and got the Seahorse ready for action

The next thing that happened is we ended up here...

...went on this...

...to here...

...for...

...ended up here...

...where I had this removed... and because it had a barb, they had to cut the skin to remove it.

...and this is what it looks like 3 days later

Sigh...yes a fish hook went in one side of my finger and out the other....
Six days after said incident....

2 weeks after the incident

Saturday 14th January 2017
Today we caught the train into the City Centre to check out the 'Ovation of the Seas' the largest cruise ship to ever come to New Zealand.

Because it is so large it has to anchor in the harbour and the passengers have to come ashore by tender.

In fact there were 2 cruise ships in today, the other being the 'Noordam'

Also down at Queens Wharf is a work of art (REALLY!!!), a state house by Michael Parekowhai costing $1.5m, it is titled 'The Lighthouse'

Anyhoo, after this we caught the bus up to Aotea Square to check out the Vintage day, stopped for a spot of lunch at 'Starks' on the way.

Vintage Day at Aotea Square
Classic Cars

The Lindy Tops - Jazz Band

A bit of dancing

Lots of ladies dressed up

All very cool

On the way back to the train we spotted the Adventure Duck bus (amphibious)

Monday 16th January 2017

Opened Stone

Hiroaki Ueda

Manukau Domain, Lynfield

Friday 20th January 2017 

Today I am in Tauranga for work, photos of Mount Maunganui from Osprey Park, Tauranga

Looking over to Welcome Bay

Kite Surfing at Mt Maunganui Beach

'Taaniko' - Mt Maunganui

Saturday 21st January 2017

So I have just arrived back from Tauranga its about 9.30pm, right in the eye of a mighty storm.

I arrived home soaking wet, it was blowing a gale and to top it off we had no power!!!!!!!!!!!

Aaarggghhhh!!!

Sunday 22nd January 2017

Still no power

Some poor kids trampoline ended up against our fence.

We went for a drive today.. it is cold and still wet and blustery.

Below are murals taken from the the Band Hall at Olympic Park, New Lynn

Welcome to Olympic Park

Waikowhai Bay, Lynfield

Gittos Domain, Lynfield

Monday 23rd January 2017
Finally!!!

Wednesday 25th January 2017

Today the Scientific Research Boat the 'Sonne' was in port, and you were allowed to go on it.....which of course I did.

The boat was leaving the next morning for the Kermadecs.

It was amazing, the staff were working and you could ask questions about their jobs and where they had been. There were videos and the Captain was even on the bridge, which you could wander around and look at all the equipment.

Below a view from the top of the boat towards the Cloud and behind that you can see a Cruise Ship in.

Doesn't the ferry look small!!

A view towards the city

This container boat was coming in at the same time, look how small the tug looks.

The Bridge

Do not disturb

Below is the remotely operated underwater vehicle 'Rov Kiel 6000', this is the workhorse of German marine research.

The vehicle can work at a maximum operating depth of 6,000 metres, and is connected to the research vessel on the surface by a cable that is only 19mm thick. The vehicle is self-propelled when underwater and has a highly flexible and powerful arm, enabling it to bring up samples from the deep sea even under difficult conditions