Waitangi Weekend

Waitangi Weekend in NZ and Welly in particular has been crazy and lots of fun.

Sevens Rugby on Friday and Saturday.  Fiji beat Samoa in the finals in a fantastic game with Samoa being denied a try in the last play of the game to win.  The city was one big fancy dress party - it's like nothing you've ever seen.

Waitangi Day on Saturday 6th February is a public holiday to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi,  a treaty between Maori and the English in the 1840's.  Its a cornerstone of present day New Zealand and its great to hear young New Zealanders celebrating it vocally.  Lots of events during the day with a fair at Waitangi Park, One Love public concert in Hataitai at the Velodrome featuring lots of NZ artists including Sola Rossa.

Summer is well and truly here and just to prove it I've got some pictures of plums picked from the trees in Martinbrough, some best for stewing (yummy) and some for best for eating straight away.

Pinot Wellington

Wednesday morning Feb 3 Wellington.

Walking to work and the hills and city on the opposite side of the harbour are blanketed in low cloud and mist.  The clouds cleared to become a beautiful day.

This was good because it was the 2nd day of the Pinot conference being held in the city.

Pinot Noir 2010 is a celebration of great wine, great food and superb entertainment wrapped around a four-day conference focused on the art of growing and making great Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir 2010 is the most significant event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere bringing together our top 100+ Pinot Noir producers and exposing them to up to 400 of the most influential wine writers and buyers from around the world.

One amazing weekend (and it aint over yet)

Birthday party at Vista in Oriental Bay. A perfect balmy night with a full moon.

Saturday spectacular day with bro beach party in Breaker Bay followed by ACDC concert that night at the Caketin (Westpac Stadium). An amazing number of NZers will see ACDC perform in Wellington and Auckland. If you get the chance - go. Not only are their songs great but the stage and set is mindblowing. To top it off got comp tickets to the concert and stood in the control booth to watch the concert. How amazing is that!

Sunday - Off to Martinborough to welcome ACDC crew onto the Marae where is a bass training camp happening involving bassists from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy the pictures.

Wed Dec 9 - Work trip Ohakune

Day trip to Ohakune for a work meeting. This photo was taken outside Tirorangi Marae, Karioi, which is on the back road to Wanganui from Waiouru.

Ruapehu maunga looks awesome...

 

Early Summer in the Garden - Martinborough

Just back from nice fall weather in Washington DC to lovely early summer weather in Martinborough.

Weekend tidying up the garden and the house.

Happy Summer!

Wellington 5 Nov 2009

Guy Fawkes night in the capital. Over 100,000 around the harbour watching the fireworks to commemorate the English tradition of Guy Fawkes - a chap who got caught with 36 barrels of gunpowder intended to blow up the King of England

Don't see much of Guy Fawkes these day - times used to be that there was an effigy of Guy Fawkes placed on a bonfire to commemorate the occassion and people would let off fireworks.

These days its just the fireworks....

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