Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe New Year

The end of another year...

Well here we are again, at the end of another year, and wow didn't this one go fast.

Sunday 27th December 2015
There was a full moon on Christmas Eve.
A full moon at Christmas hasn't happened since 1977, and it won't happen again until 2034!
So I thought I had better take some photos.
The one below was taken just as the moon came over the horizon.

The one below was taken much later, and it looks like Santa lost his hat on the way past!

Friday 25th December 2015

Nikita wearing her Crown (you cannot see the wand as she is waving it about)

Wednesday 23rd December 2015
Below the house and the Reindeer all lit up

Tuesday 22nd December 2015
We had a 'pop-up beach' at Queens Wharf.
Urban Beach had 100 tonnes of sand trucked in, a place to chill out and relax listen to live music and get into the swing of summer.

Below are Photos of Photos
These photos are called:
Connections - 2015 
Part 2 
Portrait of Auckland

 A Christmas bauble and present in Downtown Auckland

Monday 21st December 2015
I have made Nikita a Crown and Wand for Christmas

Saturday 19th December 2015
Now I know what you are thinking...what the hell is that mess.
Well it is Roasted Cauliflower in Tahini Sauce with Pomegranate...and it was delicious

Friday 18th December 2015
I bought this beautiful daisy for my blue pot, the picture does not really do it justice

Sunday 13th December 2015
Nikita came to visit, she loves the Sleigh, it is just the right size for a 4 year old (and Santa)
The Reindeer have lights on them, check back later for photos.

Saturday 12th December 2015
So this is what I was making back on the 1st December...

REINDEER

and thanks to Malcolm they now have a Sleigh

Wednesday 9th December 2015
I was given some Rhubarb so decided to make some Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

Take your Rhubarb.....

...dice, add some Lemon Juice and Caster Sugar, put in a large covered container and let to stand overnight

 Next day, boil up with a lump of Ginger in Muslin Cloth.
Add chopped Glace Ginger

 Bottle and eat

Yummy...

Tuesday 1st December 2015
I am starting a Christmas Project
Gather your supplies!

Glue on your pattern and cut out with a Jigsaw

 Give it a lick of paint or two.

Then check back in a couple of weeks time to see what this is....

Where in the World has Wendy been working................

GORE.... that's right, the Country Music Capital of New Zealand.

Yeeha.

The Rhododendrons are in full flower at the moment and they look absolutely stunning, so you are definitely going to see a few of those in this post.

Wednesday 18th November 2015

I arrived in Dunedin this morning, it was raining and freezing cold 6 degrees. (brrrrr)

Picked up my rental (see below) great vehicle but a bit of overkilll for one person.

A 2015, 5 door, 8 seater, Toyota Highlander (not complaining mind you)

My first car was a Mini way back in the day and back then the Mini had a push button start now all these years later and not much has changed!!

Anyway I am driving to Gore from Dunedin, first up I drove by Lake Waihola. The Lake was not looking very flash today. (Did I mention it was Cold, Wet AND Windy!!!)

Moving on, I arrived in Milton, below is the Tokomairiro Community Church. A Gothic church, Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church, was built in the 1860s. At the time of its construction, this church was the tallest building at such a southern latitude in the world.

Zooming along, I stopped suddenly when I saw the old Sod Cottage just outside of Milton.
The Old Sod Cottage is a mud cottage built in the 1860s as a stopping place for miners heading to the Tuapeka Goldfields. It is situated at Lovells Flat on State Highway 1 between Milton and Balclutha.

Next up driving over the Balclutha Bridge.
Didn't stop in Balclutha (Cold!!!)

Next stop Clinton where I found these Clydesdale Horses just standing around on the side of the road!

Woohoo, I have made it to Gore..and you know you have made it when you see the HUGE Brown Trout at the entrance to the town.

Now that I am in Gore the weather is beautiful although a bit cool.

Gore is New Zealand's Capital of Country Music and in 2005 they erected the guitar monument to honour this. At the base is about 70 hand prints of musicians who attended the 2005 Gold Guitar Awards.

Glass Clock Tower this was built in 1991 and houses the original clockworks from the 1906 town clock.

I stayed at the Heartland Hotel, Croydon in Gore.  This is being fully refurbished and I was one of the first to get one of the new rooms.

Bedroom

After checking in and before I went to work (yes I did do some work!!) I drove out to Mataura

Bridge over the Mataura River

The Mataura freezing works opened in 1893 and drew on the Mataura River for a water supply. The falls used to be much larger but were blasted in the course for providing water for the works and other factories.

Below looking up the river towards the Freezing Works

Below looking down the Mataura River

Above the Mataura Presbyterian Church

Heading back to Gore I saw these amazing Rhododendrons and flowers outside the entrance to the Race Course

So I have done a bit of work and its now about 6.00pm. I decided to walk through the Gore Public Gardens.

They are beautiful with lots of Rhododendron, Lillies, Peonies, Roses and much more, including an Aviary.

After I wandered around the gardens I went for a drive and saw this amazing sunset.

Thursday 19th November 2015
Another stunning day in Gore and it is very warm.
Yay I love the warm!
On the way to work this morning I went for another wander around the gardens because they are especially stunning

Have you ever seen a Karl Maughan painting, well it looks exactly like this.

After an extremely long day at work I went for another drive, you can just make out the snow still on the mountains.

Below is the Anglican Trinity Church

and...another Rhododendron

Eastern Southland Gallery don't Google Gore Art Gallery this brings up lots of images, scary, gory images!

Sergeant Dan the Creamoata Man
Sergeant Dan was created in 1915 to help sell Creamoata, Gore company Fleming & Co's product which had been on the shelves since 1906.

Friday 20th November 2015

Heading back to Dunedin to catch my flight back to Auckland and the day is wet and cold.

Only stopped to take a photo of the Balclutha Bridge and Clutha River.

HOME SAFE AND SOUND