Looking For A Business?

This is an advertise for "Hire A Hubby" franchise. I had to take a photo because of the car and colour.

Wild Animals on Rabbit Island 2

It was late in the day, shortly before sunset, and a large group of boys appeared.

Some started playing immediately, some tried mock-fighting, a few stood around waiting for something else to happen, two pretended they were engaged in an intense conversation, and one told everybody else what they should be doing.

What kind of a teenager were you?

Wild Animals on Rabbit Island 1

Did Ben tell you there are no wild animals on Rabbit Island? You've just got to look more carefully.

Charity Bins

This is the easiest way to give something to charity in New Zealand. We used to have these bins by different organizations all around town, mostly in parking lots of large supermarkets. Sometime around 10 years ago kids started fire in a couple of them, and more than a few bins were removed.

One year, early on Christmas Eve, our friend Charlie deposited quite a lot of bags of not-so-used clothes, and her wedding ring slipped off her hand. She would have been hysterical, dancing and shouting in front of the bin, but a kind, not-so-young man apparently crawled into the quite-full bin, handed every bag one by one to Charlie waiting outside, found the ring, and then put everything back in carefully, and left.

Oh, the kindness of strangers.

Beware of Weavers

When we were queuing/lining up to get into the Opera, there was a smartly dressed woman wearing a vivid blue-red shawl. The body of the shawl was a standard Herringbone twill, but on the ends were this fantastically intricate knotted work I had never seen before.

Naturally, once we were inside the gates, I approached the woman and asked if I could photograph it. She thought it is from Ecuador. Yummy!!!

I Guess it's a Semi Big Deal???

After ogling at the die-cast models of the cars of the 60's and 70's in the model shop, Hobby Central, Ben though he was still dreaming when he found the Datsun Sunny in front of the shop, and Triumph across the street.

Sorry, Boys, I had to have the cars pointed out to see what he was on about. So there you have it; Queen Street, Richmond.

Art for Health

From the sculpture map, to which we haven't referred for quite a while:

"Art for Health, tubular stainless steel sculpture by Grant Palliser, next to the main entrance of the Nelson Hospital, was commissioned in 2003 to mark its opening. The work can be viewed from many vantage points, inside and outside the hospital. The three corners are based on the three interwoven components of the Health Triangle - patient, health service providers, and the patient's own family/whanau support system."

Earlier this month, Grant was selected to create a central piece for what will become the center of Richmond township.

Other Grant Palliser pieces posted in NDP are:
Lean On Me IV - Marquette
Reef Knot
Oracle
High Flyers, also here
The Seafarers' Memorial, also here.

Juicy

In the last couple of years, we've been seeing a lot of interesting names and paint jobs of/by new car rental companies. This is Jucy, and she has a blog!!

Ben went nuts a year ago seeing orange Spaceships buzzing around Hanmer Springs; we couldn't figure out if it was a courier or a car company.

Fireworks

We had fireworks show at end of the concert.
This is what we saw... a sort of... very close...
Actually, this is 4 images blended with the photoshop. I tried to recreate what actually like from series of short blast shot to simulate the long exposer. I hope you agree, Meg.

Blue Sky

It was another very fine day on Saturday "Opera in the park".

Opera In The Park 2

Here is our main guest Kiri te Kanawa performing on the stage.
I only had Canon G3 and this is best I can with the distance, but I guess you can feel how big the concert was (in the small town scale, of course). (wide shot in later time)

Opera In The Park 1

This year was the 10th anniversary of this annual event (last Saturday, 16th Feb). We were about halfway down the rugby field but were took our own picnic. It had a really enjoyable feel and nice event. The picture shows the pre-show performance performed by our friend The Nancies.

ICNIV AD

The "Da Vinci Machines" is exhibiting until end of this month. (B&W)

Evening

It's after 6:00PM on last Wednesday. All shops (well almost) have been closed even there is still bright sun light. Most of local are at beach or there home to spend quality time with family. I was waiting Meg after my work. B&W here.

Be Aware - Private Car Park

It's a very narrow space.

Magic Water

Yap, it's a beer.

Shakespeare in the Garage

And the said production of As You Like It last Saturday night; intermission, to be more accurate. They had many students from the local high schools, both in the cast and in the audience, which was wonderful.

The young girls in front brought their own pillows and treats as if they were at a slumber party. The man to my left wouldn't sit down or go away; otherwise, I could have capture the left half of the stage, too!

Next year we might be in the new, proper theatre, which may be quieter because the garage is right next door to Stingray Cafe, but the quasi-street-performance atmosphere and the mix of the young and old in the audience added to the enjoyment and made me think the Bard's audience was probably as rowdy as ours, and not as austere as many I've experienced.

Rehearsal and Sneak Peak clips are available on YouTube via the links on the right on WillPower homepage.

Selwyn & Church

This is the corner of Selwyn Place and Church Street. I'm standing in front of Zest Cafe on Church, looking at Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith; the late father and son created the rings for The Lord of the Rings series. Beyond is Rutherford Hotel, the only hotel-style accommodation in Nelson, as opposed to pubs called "hotels". We have numerous motels, backpackers, bed and breakfasts, and camp grounds.

The small building to the right, where you see some costumes in the window, is the new Independent Theatre; a fun production of As You Like It finished this weekend in their garage. They were going to perform on Church Street, until Nelson City Council didn't issue a permit; their performances in other parts of the Top of the South Island were held in parks and school auditoriums. The Theatre just got the building consent to create a proper theatre inside, so next year we'll be sitting down inside. You can also hire costumes.

Across the street from Hansen's place is the Cathedral grounds; the steps are one block to the left. Ben posted Hansen here before.

If you look up Google map, I'm standing where the green arrow is, looking in the direction of the arrow. This is pretty much the souther edge of Nelson's CBD, central business district.

Sealevel Studio

The studio is standing like this. When tide comes in, water fill under the building. Tim's studio/gallery and sign post. His latest work here.

Wave

At the Rabbit Island. Another angle.

Oyster Catcher

This one was so noisy and gathering the attention. This one is protecting the young ones near by. - The rabbit Island.

Sealevel Studio

The sign for Tim's studio/gallery and his latest.

Nelson College

Referred to Nelson Boys, or Boys College, (because there is a Nelson College for Girls), Nelson College takes boys from age 15. Though called a college, it is a high school, not tertiary/university. We've not quite come to grips with the different names applied to NZ schools, but here's the Ministry of Education blurb. There used to be Standard (number) and Form (number), which have been replaced by Year (number) a few years ago. Children start going to school sometime during the calendar year they turn five, and compulsory education (Year 1) starts when they are six.

A school can be called (name, often location of) School, Primary, Intermediate, High School, Prep School, and Grammar, the last I understand also to be also high school.

Of special note, there are Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Maori, Maori immersion kindy and schools, that run parallel to the main stream system; these have contributed greatly to the resurgence and survival of the Maori language. Related Wiki here.

Cook's Map of the South Island

You've seen this here before. Tim Wraight worked on it a little bit, and it is a strong, impressive piece. Warren Viscoe had a copy of the map of the South Island drawn by Captain Cook when he carved this. The big bumps are Southern Alps, and the two prongs at the top are Marlborough Sounds. Nelson is in the flat bit to the left of the Sounds and our Takaka Hills don't feature on this map.

Today is Waitangi Day, a day symbolizing (because it didn't all happen in one day) the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, an agreement between Maori and the English Crown for the loan/purchase of many parts of New Zealand. Whether they agreed to loaning/allowing residence, or purchasing/selling of the land depends on the version of the Treaty you read, because in 1884 Maori had no concept of private land ownership. As a sometime-translator, I find the difference in Maori (since translated into English) and the English (written at the time of signing) versions utterly dismaying.

Some years, Waitaingi Day has focused on Maori grievances and demonstrations; other years, especially in the last few years, there have been moves to celebrate what's becoming a diverse nation. In election years, as this year, it can be politicized with spin talks bandied about, but I think it's a day to commemorate two different groups coming together in relative peace. Maybe when I'm really gray and old, Waitangi Day will be a happy occasion similar to Fourth of July or Bastille Day.

Lighthouse from Tahunanui Beach

This is the view of our lighthouse from Tahunanui Beach.

Tahunanui Beach

Would you like to have a little walk on the beach?

Tim's Newest

It's not very often that a successful artist invites you to a sneak preview of his latest work, and with Claudia, his "sexy young girlfriend" (Tim's words), cooks you a fabulous dinner. We are so very lucky.

Tim Wraight's piece will be seen in ShapeShifter 2008 in Lower Hutt, near Wellington later this month.

Kite

Evening at the Tahunanui Beach, I was looking for a kite surfer. Instead of any surfer, I found a person flying the kite at the edge of wave.

February Theme Day: What Your City is Known For

Sun, sea, and sandy beach.

This is a Tahunanui Beach. We also have the largest camping ground in the Southern hemisphere just at the edge of this beach (to the left of this photo.) We are also known as "Sunny Nelson".

Other examples, we are known for:
* Markets, including the year-round Saturday morning market.
* Murals like this as we are also known as artist's paradise. Lot's of artist live and work around the region.
* Eelco Boswijk, the patron saint (almost) of arts in Nelson, and the man who opened the first café in New Zealand in the 60's.

February Theme Day Contributors:
Portland (OR), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Memphis (Tennessee), USA - Manila, Philippines - San Diego (CA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - New York City (NY), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - San Francisco (CA), USA - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - Mainz, Germany - Weston (FL), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Turin, Italy - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Bicheno, Australia - Durban, South Africa - Joplin (MO), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Brussels, Belgium - Chicago (IL), USA - Montpellier, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mazatlan, Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Toulouse, France - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Susanville (CA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Helsinki, Finland - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Lisbon, Portugal - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Trujillo, Peru - Dunedin (FL), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - London, UK - Baziège, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mumbai, India - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Stayton (OR), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Arradon, France - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Athens, Greece - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Jackson (MS), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Budapest, Hungary - Rotterdam, Netherlands - St Malo, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cleveland (OH), USA - Nottingham, UK - Kansas City (MO), USA - The Hague, Netherlands - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Wrocław, Poland - Chateaubriant, France - Cheltenham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Monrovia (CA), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Toruń, Poland - Grenoble, France - Lisbon, Portugal - New Orleans (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Boston (MA), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Wichita (KS), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Christchurch, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Wailea (HI), USA - Aliso Viejo (CA), USA - St Francis, South Africa - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Seattle (WA), USA - Pasadena (CA), USA - Vienna, Austria - Orlando (FL), USA - Torun, Poland - Delta (CO), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Paris, France - Stavanger, Norway - Niamey, Niger - Le Guilvinec, France - Bogor, Indonesia - Saarbrücken, Germany - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Juneau (AK), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Glasgow, Scotland - Chicago (IL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Sydney, Australia - Riga, Latvia - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Terrell (TX), USA - Terrell (TX), USA