A common scene

The Waikato region is farming country. It is quite common to see tractors on the roads around Hamilton. I spotted this one south of Hamilton, just outside Te Awamutu. The driver was taking his time and seemed very laidback about the very slow speed at which he was travelling.

I have been hibernating ...

I have been very slack the past week or so in posting photos on the blog. I blame the very cold weather we've been having for putting me in a mood to hibernate. I have spent the last few days bundled up in blankets and duvets with books, TV, wine, chocolate, soup, meat stew - and the cat - for company. I will soon emerge from my cocoon, feeling somewhat revitalised and more prepared for life! Bring it on!

Bass x 2

A friend has taken up the double bass. She gets lessons from a travelling music teacher, who pops in to give a lesson whenever he's in the area. How quaint.

Outside Hamilton

The beautiful Waikato landscape on the southern outskirts of Hamilton.

I want to ride my bicycle

This bike, which qualifies as an antique, belongs to a friend of mine who rides it to work most days. Being a university town, there are lots of academics - and students - who ride their bikes to work. I just love it!

Bee and his mate!

And you thought the bee in yesterday's photo was tall!!

The Big Bee

I caught this big bee on the run at the Teddy Bear's Picnic!

Do (not) enter the river!

Yeah right!

Another All White?

Continuing on yesterday's theme, this footballer obviously takes his sport very seriously!

Future All Whites!

These two lads are very skilled with a football! They were very happy to pose for a few photos. Maybe they'll play for the All Whites one day.

Peekaboo!

Playing peekaboo with the new university shops ...

Crouching tiger, hidden dragon

The tiger is nowhere to be found, and the dragon is not hidden - in fact, it's a flying dragon!

Every cloud has a lining ...

... but the lining isn't always silver.

The thinker

I wonder what he's thinking ...

Afternoon siesta is serious business!

This White Rhino is taking his afternoon nap in shade very seriously. He (or she) will not take kindly to any interruption!

Bringing the outdoors indoors

What a lovely spot to sit in the morning, with the sun spreading its rays across the room, and the sweet aroma of plants, flowers and herbs outside the open window!

A frosty morning

It is one of the coldest beginnings to June ever! It was minus 4.1 degrees C this morning. Even the leaves were frozen. The cat took one look at the weather outside and 'declined' my invitation to go out; I then promptly kicked him out!

The bunny welcome

I am a little bunny.

Eyes on the sides of my head.

I see to the left and right,

Behind me and ahead.
I am a little bunny,

These are my very long ears.

They help me hear many sounds,

I can hear from far and near.

If you go down to the woods today ...

"ONCE UPON A TIME . . . in a land not so far away, there were lots of boys and girls who dressed up as their favourite story book characters and together with their teddy bears and families, packed a picnic and came to share an amazing, action-packed, fun filled day out!"

June Theme Day: Feet

My take on the theme day is not very original and imaginative, but the same cannot be said of the two men whose feet are the focus of this photo. Both are educational stalwarts in the true sense of the word; between them they have decades of teaching experience. They defy the modern obsession with formative assessment; to them, the educational experience is an essential aspect of acquiring life experience. Their passion and commitment to their respective fields and students are legendary. To me, they represent all that is good and honourable about tertiary education. Both may be regarded as eccentric, simply because they do not conform to what others consider to be the normal mould. So what is normal anyway? Normality is a myth.

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Another icon

Yet another beautiful icon from my colleague's collection. Note the various trinkets she has put in the icon box. Each one relates to the person who gifted her this icon.

Romulus and Remus

A bronze statue at the Hamilton Gardens depicting the founders of Rome, Romulus and his twin brother Remus. Read more about their fascinating story here.

Lemon meringue

One word: yum!

Anyone for sausage?

All dressed up to take his owner for a walk!

The very, very temperamental sky

One of the things I like most about the living in Hamilton is the unpredictability of the weather. One moment it is a perfect autumn day, and the next it clouds over with such haste that there is almost no time to run for cover. In this photo, it seems that the sky's tummy is starting to rumble. Maybe it'd had a dodgy curry the night before ...

Some brave folks!

These people braved the very cold, wet weather to take their boat out on the Waikato river. I don't know whether to admire them, or pity them!

A well-read duck

The friend who I mentioned in yesterday's post also has a duck. He has imprinted on her, and thinks that she is his mother. He follows her everywhere.

Icon

Isn't it just lovely? This very special handmade piece belongs to a colleague - and friend - of mine. She leads an interesting life, which has seen her travel to very exotic places in the world, including an extended stay in Africa.

Waikato's pastoral landscape

A farm road just outside Hamilton. It is wonderful to have the open countryside literally minutes away from the bustling city centre.

The Web

It is now clear to me where the WWW got its name from!

A contemplative lad

For a young lad, he sure looks very contemplative. I wonder what's on his mind.

Decadence personified

A lovely Shiraz and good quality chocolate. What could be nicer on a cold evening?

1-2-3-jump!

I watched these lads from afar for a while, before taking this photo. Is this a new sport - step jumping? I have to admit that it was very entertaining watching them jump around like little rabbits!

The man on the moon

Just before sunset one early evening, the moon - and the little man who calls it his home - were visible just above the branches of this tree.

Clueless!

I can appreciate the beauty of flowers, like this one in the photo, but I am totally clueless when it comes to identifying the flower type. Can anybody help?

A nice cuppa

After a nice dinner on a cold evening, a cuppa is just the right medicine!

The colours of the Waikato

I took this photograph just before sunset on the Waikato University campus. The colours of the Waikato region - yellow, red and black - reflect beautifully off the water. The round building -called Oranga - houses some student eateries.

Scenic Sunday: Mount Ruapehu

This photo of Mount Ruapehu was taken from National Park Village, which is the midpoint on the train journey from Auckland to Wellington, in January of this year. It is approximately 200 km south of Hamilton. Even in the heat of summer, the mountain has a snow cap.

Mount Ruapehu is well known for its ski fields. In winter months, it is the prime ski destination in the North Island.

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The Italian Renaissance garden

The Italian Renaissance Garden, one of the theme gardens of the Hamilton Gardens.

Anyone going to town?

The number 4 bus to the City, late on a Saturday afternoon. There was not a single passenger on the bus, and the driver spent several minutes at this bus stop - probably because he was ahead of time - before moving on.

Autumn

Beautiful autumn colours next to the river!

The temperamental Hamilton sky

I believe I can fly ...

The footballer in yellow is determined to get the ball, but he continues to be held off by the guy in blue, who appears to think that he's an airplane! :-)

Riverside gardens

Many houses with spectacular gardens front on to the Waikato River. This is definitely one of my favourites. It must be hard work to maintain it.

A family day out!

A great day for jetskiing with Dad on Lake Karapiro!

Chinese takeaway

Dinner - or rather, the first bowl of dinner!

May theme day: Shadows

Two of my favourite things in life are cats, and walking. This photo, with a bench from Bali in the shape of a cat and a walking stick - more ornamental than functional - combines both.

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Is it cold up there?

Last Monday I posted a photo of two boys' fascination with an ostrich (see the ostriches in the foreground). Today I am posting a photo from the same trip to the Hamilton Zoo. This time it is people's amazement at the antics of three giraffes. See the visitors' hats? The New Zealand sun is obviously not to be taken lightly!

Pavlova

I love desserts. It is without a doubt my favourite part of a nice meal. I have just returned from dinner at a friend's house, and we were served a Greek Lemon Cake - with a drizzle of yoghurt - for dessert. It was utterly delicious. In honour of that nice dessert, I post this photo of what is considered New Zealand's national dessert: the pavlova. The pavlova is a meringue and fruit dessert named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. The dessert is believed to have been created to honour the dancer during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand. The exact location of its first creation and the nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, however research into the matter indicates New Zealand as the source of today's pavlova.

The strawberry pavlova in the photo was the highlight of a meal that I recently had on the steamboat that cruises the Waikato River, the Waipa Delta. It was the perfect way to end a lovely sunset cruise.

A misty morning

The Waikato river on a misty morning.

The photo is taken from a small wooden jetty, sponsored by the Ambassador Motor Inn, a local motel. What I fail to understand is the desire of some people to make their mark, quite literally, as shown in the photo. I have substantially more appreciation for tagging - especially if it has some artistic merit - than this kind of mindless vandalism.