Monday, January 31, 2011

ruby red/rednesday: Red Sea Link ferry




http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

http://www.suelovescherries.blogspot.com/

Waiheke Island is a picturesque blend of farmland, forest, beaches, vineyards and olive groves. Located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, it is only 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. There is a great range of activities on Waiheke including sightseeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking, vineyard & winery tours and much more.
SeaLink operates car and passenger ferry services to Waiheke Island from Half Moon Bay and to Great Barrier Island from Auckland city. Waiheke Island ferry is a 35 minute trip from downtown Auckland or 45 minutes from Half Moon Bay to Kennedy Point on the car and passenger ferry.

Yesterday was our Auckland Anniversary day. I went back to Half Moon Bay and a Sea link ferry was just pulling in. People and cars were queuing a long time to board. It did looked as though it had come in from another country.

I remember the ferry in Rejang River in Borneo. We were among the first to cross the river because it was near where my grandma lived.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sunday Bridge, Narrow bridge



http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/

This is a narrow bridge at the Mangere sewage plant. It leads to a private island, If you click it, you will see a sign of yellow and black strips on one side of the road. these strips are the reflector for night driving.

Not showed on the photo is a sign with two arrows, one bigger arrow, one smaller arrow, the bigger arrow means if you are on this side of the one way bridge, you have right of way.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Macro flowers: Hollyhocks









I have joined this meme for a while now, and I am loving it. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid.


Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

Macro Flower Saturday
Bluberry craft and hobby time

http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/p/join-my-photo-challenge-flowers-on.html

It is summer here in New Zealand. Hollyhocks are blooming. The darker color bloom was actually darker than the photo.

I was at the breast cancer centre for my mammogram. The garden had many beautiful flowers.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

skywatch friday: Sunset in Borneo




http://skyley.blogspot.com/

This is a very old photo. I like the sunset and the coconut tree in Borneo.

Watery Wednesday: Block House Bay 2




http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

At the same beach at Block House bay I was curious at the two parallel bars. A local gentleman told me they were the remnants of the old surf boat ramp. At the sea end, the bars were covered with oysters.

The water engineer says there are sewage in the harbour, and that stopped me from harvesting the delicious morsel.

http://msredneck.blogspot.com/ The Japanese Redneck's comment reminded me of once when I ate delicious fat raw oysters in a hotel in Singapore. As I am a greedy pig when it came to raw sea food, I ate just the oysters and no carbo or anything else that evening. I asked the waiter if the oysters came from New Zealand, and he replied,"No, grown locally in our waters."

Boy!!!!! did I pay for it for the next 48 hours. The oysters were coming out from both outlets. Since then, I always eat some carbo before I pig myself out with any sea food.

Monday, January 24, 2011

ruby red/rednesday: ferry for cars



http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

http://www.suelovescherries.blogspot.com/

Waiheke Island is a picturesque blend of farmland, forest, beaches, vineyards and olive groves. Located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, it is only 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. There is a great range of activities on Waiheke including sightseeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking, vineyard & winery tours and much more.
SeaLink operates car and passenger ferry services to Waiheke Island from Half Moon Bay and to Great Barrier Island from Auckland city. Waiheke Island ferry is a 35 minute trip from downtown Auckland or 45 minutes from Half Moon Bay to Kennedy Point on the car and passenger ferry.
People take their cars over to the island so they have their own transport.
During the Christmas of 1980, we went to stay at the Youth Hostel with our friends J & J. The Youth hostel was on top of the hill, when you went down the steep slope, you don't want to go up again.

weekend bridges: Auckland waterfront



http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/

Photographed at bastion Point, the waterfront of Auckland.

You see the Auckland harbour bridge from afar, the pier and the remnants of an old pier.

Macro flowers: Flowering trees at Bastion Point, Camellias, camellias are known as cháhuā (茶花) in Chinese, "tea flower"







I have joined this meme for a while now, and I am loving it. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid.

This is another kind of wild ginger. This was taken at the NTU executive centre.

Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

Macro Flower Saturday
Bluberry craft and hobby time

http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/p/join-my-photo-challenge-flowers-on.html

These flowers grow on the trees at Bastion Point. The blooms were quite small, and do not cover the whole tree. Sorry, I can't tell you the name.

Addition: Two friends, SL and http://www.lovethatimage.com/ have told me that these are single layered camellias. I googled and couldn't find an exact match, but I think they are right. The leaves and buds look like camelias.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Watery Wednesday: Birds at Musick point



http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/
MUSICK POINT beyond Bucklands Beach on the promontory at the end of Tamaki River was a Māori stronghold until 1821, when the Ngapuhi tribe from the North descended upon the district and decimated the local population. The radio station situated on the point is named after pioneer aviator, Captain Edwin C Musick. The point provides spectacular views of the Waitemata Harbour and inner Hauraki Gulf.
Musick Point is one of the few remaining parcels of Crown Land in the Auckland region. As such, the public have the right to free and unfettered access.

In 1942 Musick Point was named after Ed Musick, a famous aviator,who visited NZ in 1937.,

Off the beach is a small rock/island. There were many sea birds. Sorry I can't tell you what they are, I tried to google , but can't find any information.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Sky watch Friday/Ruby red/rednesday: Ferry




http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

http://www.suelovescherries.blogspot.com/



http://skyley.blogspot.com/

There were a lot o clouds following the ferry.

SeaLink runs a comprehensive car and passenger ferry service to Waiheke Island. Up to 14 return sailings a day depart from Half Moon Bay in Auckland's eastern suburbs. A ferry also departs from Jellicoe Street (opposite Auckland's Fish Market) on Friday nights and weekends.

The Government has a Gold Card for Senior Citizens where they can travel to the island free of charge. Gold card holders also ready FOC (free of charge) on public buses and trains.

Isn't this a fantastic place to live?

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Weekend Bridge: Singapore/Malaysia




http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/
Malaysia and Singapore are separated by the Johor Causeway. There are two bridges that connected the two countries. You can travel by train or motor vehicles.

Friday, January 14, 2011

crepe ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus)






This is another kind of wild ginger, crepe ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus).


Costus speciosus or crepe ginger is possibly the best known cultivated species of the genus Costus. This plant is native to southeast Asia, especially on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. Costus differs from the common ginger by having only one row of spirally arranged leaves.

The species reproduces vegetatively by rhizome and birds disperse seeds when they feed on the fruits.

While it is native to many Pacific Islands, it is an introduced invasive species on others, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Hawaii. It is cultivated in India for its medicinal uses and elsewhere as an ornamental.

 This was taken at the NTU executive centre.

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.co.nz/

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Watery Wednesday: Eels and swan



http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe"
There are so many eels,
which shall I choose for my dinner?

Seen in Western Springs in Auckland New Zealand. Actually, I think the eels and swans co-exist.

I always take my visitors to Western Springs.

Friday, January 7, 2011

weekend Bridge :NTU



http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/

Footbridge linking two spines of Nanyang Technological University.

Queen Anne's Lace













I have joined this meme for a while now, and I am loving it. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid.

Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

Macro Flower Saturday
Bluberry craft and hobby time

http://blueberrycraftandhobbytime.blogspot.com/p/join-my-photo-challenge-flowers-on.html

I have become a queen. These beautiful plant grows wild in Mew Zealand and even on the verge of my footpath. I went to the Mangare area, and at the beach. There were fields and fields of them. I could have become rich if my water engineer had thee patience to wait for me to pluck these flowers. He was kind enough to wait while I took these flowers.

It is used by florist and bridal flowers.

Queen Anne's Lace has many edible parts. The flower tops can be added to salads, made into a jelly or dipped in batter and fried as fritters. The root and seeds can be dried and used as a tea. The roots have a carrot taste and can be used in salads or cooked like a green or vegetable. Also known as wild carrot.

Read more at Suite101: Queen Anne's Lace - Noxious Weed or Flower?: Learn the Many Uses of this Versatile Plant http://www.suite101.com/content/queen-annes-lace-noxious-weed-or-flower-a119991#ixzz1ALBthIVQ
Plant Profile

Queen Anne's Lace is indigenous to Europe but traveled to the United States in the colonial era and has taken a foothold in nearly all the states.

Read more at Suite101: Queen Anne's Lace - Noxious Weed or Flower?: Learn the Many Uses of this Versatile Plant http://www.suite101.com/content/queen-annes-lace-noxious-weed-or-flower-a119991#ixzz1ALDmKszH