Heading North

Posted in Photography with tags , on April 30, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Sweeping Beach at Waipu Cove

Waiwera what a place!

In my youth our extended family would gather there and live in the old one room schoolhouse… sadly it’s gone.

With the hot springs and mudpacks behind us we head north to the Bay of Islands and a rendezvous with Mike who I have never met but comes highly recommended by my family in Rarotonga. Mike is not only a character but has a beautiful place surrounded by native bush that he painstakingly planted and maintains.

Bhaaah... quit the jokes

I get ahead of myself… As we climb up from the coast and head inland the sheep watch us with passing interest. First stop is a Honey place and discover the wonders of honey and one in particular, Manuka honey with its unique healing properties. This is an interesting place full of items all made from honey, complete with widows onto 3 hives for a first hand look at workers doing their thing without any union representation I note! This place takes up time and money, but well worth it as we come away stocked with creams and lotions for all parts of ones anatomy.

The names of towns we travel through are very familiar but barely recognizable after 40 years. We do stop at Waipu Cove for a look around. A place my family and friends came too every Christmas for our summer holidays.

Waipu Cove

This looks much the same with its long, long beach that still sweeps slowly around toward Whangarei harbor and beyond. The Hen and chicken Islands in the distance still command front and centre from the beach and evoke stories of my youthful father onboard the ship H.M.S. Niagara, that met her demise just off those islands courtesy of Herr Hilter’s mine laying raider, Orion, long before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The rocky outcrops that make up the cove I’m sure no longer harbor the abundant seafood we had available in the 1960’s though they look the same albeit with houses on the bluffs now.

Left Overs

It’s a quick little trip down memory lane before making the final dash to the Bay of Islands. Luckily nothing in New Zealand is very far when comparing it to Australia or the USA. It does take almost another couple of hours however travelling through rich green farmland set among gentle hills and valleys. The motion of the car coupled with it being late afternoon sees Janette recline peacefully. I listen to soft music and observe cows starting to congregate themselves on the farms as we pass for milking. All is peaceful and well with the world it would seem…

Sheep Farming New Zealand style

Aotearoa

Posted in Photography with tags , , , on April 28, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Stepping into the past

Driving from the Auckland airport to Waiwera was a true emotional journey. The memories of my growing up inundated me as I navigated the roads and towns of my childhood. It also brought visceral moments of those who closely shared my first 20 years of life who have since shed their mortal coils. Rest in Peace Mum.

The weather was fine and the sun shone unique southern hemisphere light. Some say the light is due to the hole in the ozone giving its own color and hue. What ever it is it is different for sure.

Pohutukawa... Mystic trees (Wenderholm)

With all the now modern roads and highways what was once 1.5 hours drive is now 40 minutes. The B+B we booked on the inlet side of Waiwera was cute and the owners personable and extremely accommodating, even down to having there own private hot tub with the famous hot spring water piped in from next door.

B+B Waiwera

The main hot springs just a short distance down the road toward the beach lived up to their healing and soothing properties. The mud raps, Swedish massage and bottled spring water are also highly recommended and more…ish.

Next day we do a little site seeing around the area. New Zealand truly is a unique place with its natural

Looking Left from Pa (Mahurangi)

evergreen landscapes and beauty subtlety drawing you in and holding you

Looking Right from Pa (Mahurangi)

captivated. The native Christmas tree the Pohutukawa grow old by

twisting and turning into shapes that elicit fairytale images with faces that stare out at you.

The bays and beaches just north of Waiwera are classic post card stuff, every one of them. Standing on a Maori Pa (fort/village) and looking left and right the views of almost deserted beaches inviting one to dig their toes into the sand, take a dip and relax. You can see why the Maori people fought to keep their vistas and way of life in the land they called Aotearoa, “Land of the Long White Cloud”. For me it is fast becoming the Land of the Long Visual Memories.

Bearded old soul on top of the Pa (Pohutukawa)

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So long Aussie… Hello New Zealand

Posted in Photography with tags , on April 27, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Gone from Australia.

It was in some ways a blur being in Aussie. Most of my time was taken up with working on projects, which gave me great satisfaction. Thus, I had no real time to take the lens cap off so we will see if New Zealand offers more time for my passion. Anyhow, Aussie remains a special place as my little family unit all live there now. I will surely miss them and can’t wait to reunite.

Maori Caving

Off to the airport we go after spending the night with Brad, Liz, Titus and Tina. The weather is looking ominous and setting in so it is time to get out of Dodge.

Don't forget the salt and vinegar!

Four hours later on an Air New Zealand flight we touch down in the “Land of the Long White Cloud” and get our first listen and a giggle about the way the kiwis talk. Its true six and sex are indistinguishable from each other to the untrained ear. And “Fish and Chips” does sound like “Fush and Chups”

A Mazda 3 is waiting in the parking lot to transport us North to a B+B and the famous hot springs of Waiwera. We are ready to have the body and soul soothed and healed. So, later folks… they will have to drag me out of the hot springs.

Aussie-part-4 Pindimar

Posted in Photography with tags on April 13, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Pindimar @ Low Tide

Loaded up the borrowed Odyssey van with people, luggage and Titus we head North for Pindimar on the shores of Port Stephens. We take the long way out of Sydney so we can pickup dinner on the way at a little Thai place. As I’m driving I know I won’t be able to drive and slurp noodles at the same time so it will be finger food for me. Brad has thought the same thing and pops next door to the Indian place and gets me pakoras and samosas… he is a good lad. One hand on the wheel and one rapped around the best finger food in the world what more could a driver ask for?

Shag Sunrise Pindimar

We stop for petrol and hear playing on the PA system above the pumps the big Rugby League game back in Sydney. Our favorite team formerly known as the Balmain Tigers now renamed Tigers/Wests are playing. Featuring arguably the best player in the world right now Benji Marshall and is a Kiwi of course! Anyhow we listen to the rest of the game on the vans radio as we rock down the highway. And yes the Tigers beat the Rabbitos who are incidentally owned in large part by the actor Russell Crowe. Once off the main highway and now on a backcountry road we see a few wallabies and two large Kangaroo’s one of which stands to face us as I point the headlights at him and stop. Titus pokes his short little nose out the window for his first encounter with the endearing symbol of Aussie. The Roo didn’t seem impressed and turns slowly and hops off into the brush with Titus still sniffing the air and getting excited. A short drive later we arrive at the Brogans for the start of an intense couple of days.

Pelicans of Pindimar

The weather is clear and the sun is coming up as Titus and I walk the sandy flats left by the receding tide. The area was once a bustling oyster farming community with the old oyster beds still visible at low tide. Titus meets his first Aussie Pelicans who are larger than him and keep a watchful eye on his movements as he runs freely in and out of the water and small pools left by stingrays. Seagulls are more his thing and he chases them over hectares of wet sand.

After lunch at high tide the gang gathers on the beach for swimming and throwing the ball for the dogs to retrieve while prissy Rosie looks on from her perch on a rock.

Rock of Rosie

After dinner as the sun is going down I go out again to look for the massing of solider grabs that swarm in such large numbers you can hear them before you see them. After walking the entire beach we found one whom quickly

dug a hole and disappeared.  In all our digging and chatter to see ONE crab we miss the thousands running off behind us until it is brought to our attention by Jenny who comes upon us bemused that we are paying attention to one lone crab when the hordes

Soldier Crabs

are making their escape. These creatures really are like soldiers, able to march quickly in unison. Using others to direct them in the dark and the help of an f2.8 lens I managed a few shots of the little buggers evening pilgrimage.

 

Marching Orders

Next morning Janette, Titus and I go out for a morning walk to greet the new day, stop for a few breaks and converse with other early risers. The walk ends at an old fallen tree were I get one pic of Titus sitting in it. I step back a few paces to get a long shot and my left foot finds an oyster and I slice myself. It a long hobble back to base and a few painful moments cleaning the cut and getting patched up. My Fault, my Karma, and now my limp…

 

 

Romp in the Mangroves

 

Aussie part-3 Manly

Posted in Photography with tags on April 6, 2011 by Paul Tombleson

Another Day on the Bay

My base in Sydney is the suburb of Manly. A beautiful location right on the waterfront and just a short walk to the ocean if required… you can see it via Google earth. The sites and sounds here are numerous and sometimes even loud yet always soothing and relaxing. A great place to unwind and take a load off and even load up if need be! The Manly ferries set the pace… these ferries ply the waters between Manly and the Sydney CBD. Providing quick safe transportation for tourists and workforce alike. Of course for those in a hurry there is the Jetcat, which is 3 times as fast. I can’t think of a better way to commute than with salt air in your face on a 10 to 30 minute floating experience. No stop lights, no red-light camera’s no one cutting in… no road rage.

Para Sailing Manly

The harbor side bay of Manly is a living thing complete with the accompanying smells, sounds and constant movement either by the wind and waves, the Animals and birds both land and sea and of course people who use the bay as a place to play, swim, sail and meditate.

Just because the sun goes down in the evening doesn’t mean the bay goes to sleep. Oh no it’s alive with the ferries all ablaze with lights until midnight. The waves continue to slap against the sandstone shore and the furry penguins start their night of chatter, although it sounds more like screams of agony. Of course Australia has a large contingent on nocturnal animals and they come out for a “look see”. I suspect “Money” the cat is most active at night for this very reason.

Lone Fisherman Manly

My images however are of the daytime like this one of the lone fisherman on his boat parked just off our balcony at 6.30am. Continuing on through the day with kayakers, paddle boarders and the para sailors.

It’s early autumn here now (Fall) and the clocks just turned back an hour but not the weather. We have had a few stormy days lately setting up some interesting skylines. Manly it seems is one of those unique places that stimulates the senses and the soul making it a little slice of everything, for those needing that little sliver of something. Yep, Manly will do just fine for my base here…

Storm Moving into Manly

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