Waiheke again

I am on the island again. I did the sculpture walk this morning with old friend Janet whom I know since Hamilton Teachers College Library days.

It is a biennial event, which takes place above the hills of Matiatia and Church Bay. This year we got the shuttle bus to the start of the walk and over two hours or so enjoyed about 30 large sculptures strategically positioned to show off both sculpture and showcase the spectacular landscape.

The first one was an iconic Waiheke bach by Matthew Muir a local artist whose paintings also reflect the Waiheke landscape. I liked it and the next one by Terry Stringer featuring one of his trademark pensive elongated visages, this time in a wooden frame.

There were works by Peter Lange, a corrugated slightly more abstract work this year by Jeff Thompson and different new works by new and emerging artists.

The walk took us a couple of hours after which time we were ready to enjoy a cold drink in the marquee at Matiatia. Janet got a boat back to the big smoke and I repaired by bus to the bach to rest a little before the others joined me.

It is the season not so much of mist but certainly of mellow fruitfulness and the plum tree has dropped its canopy of ripe fruit on the grass below. The birds have had their fill and I will stew what is left and freeze in small containers to use and enjoy during the year.

Oneroa

Enjoying a bite of lunch at Fenice before returning to the hustle and bustle of the city and suburbs again. Have had a few days quiet and solitude at the bach in Surfdale, swimming each day down the road at Surfdale beach.

We had a man come in and fell some monkeyapple trees and thinned out other overgrown foliage which had grown very tall, meaning we got very little light in our back garden.

They piled up the foliage on the front lawn ready to be mulched which will be another project.

Happy New Year

2013 has got off to a good start with the lovely sunny weather we are having in Auckland. New Years Eve was spent quietly at home which is unusual for us as we like to be at Waiheke, however pleased that Eli wanted to go with Tim.

Ponsonby was very quiet and always is with people away on holiday. Joined the throngs at the beach and made our way down to Victoria Park, across the park to pick up a bus to the North Shore so we could enjoy the mid-morning tide with a lovely swim at Takapuna Beach.

The beach and grassy embankment under flowering pohutukawas was dotted with family groups of all ethnicities enjoying their picnics, their families and the water.

Had a lovely lunch at the fabulous cafe along the end of the beach. Yummy organic eggs Benedict with salmon.

Today is the second of January and decided to repeat the process with a trip to Mission Bay for a swim and a picnic lunch a deux, with the minimum of fuss for the maximum enjoyment. Mission accomplished and we completed a successful outing with a bus trip up Queen St to our favourite ice cream parlour, Giapo for deep red mixed berry gelato and pistachio ice cream.