31 December 2011

Happy New Year from Auckland NZ


..

(click for a bigger view)
For KK ...... almost the view from your new house.
Taken with you from your truck !!

30 December 2011

For Jim

..
Jim you were always the observer of people,
these are for you, we all miss you


Famlies at the gallery


Bemused



21 December 2011

Auckland art gallery




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

15 December 2011

07 December 2011

21 November 2011

Coffee at the Auckland Art Gallery

..

The upstairs cafe overlooking Albert Park


Before and after !!


(IPhone4)

14 November 2011

West Plaza Wellington

..

A little old, a little tired maybe, but my periodic  home on business trips for over 15 years
Good points : not hermetically sealed and stinking of "fragrance" like its newer competition (ie windows that actually open) , comfortable decent sized rooms with everything you need,  live music in the lobby - at one point a harpist - currently a chap on a grand, right in the middle of town (handy to everything), a bar with staff who stay more than five minutes so you get recognised, very reliable restaurant ie no "bad" meals in 15 years and some very very good ones, friendly staff, clean, comprehensive breakfasts, well priced (for Wellington) , bad points : none really  



(View east above and west below )


09 November 2011

Auckland Harbour Bridge

..

Looking south


Looking north


Looking north

(Photos by Lynette B)

Reopened Auckland Art Gallery

..

Breakfast coffee in the cafe in the reopened gallery
Very good coffee, attention to detail and highly recommended
(food is also good and staff friendly and helpful)


Front entrance


Flowers which inflate and deflate in the gallery lobby.
Great idea .

(Will return with a better camera than IPhone)

29 October 2011

Breakfast

..

The simple things done well equals perfection
Breakfast by the Cheese maker

Runny eggs , crunchy toast and crispy bacon

oh yes , very well done

but wait ... the next day ... add cold smoked salmon
a breakfast fit for the brain work that followed





02 October 2011

Birkenhead sunrise

..

for my "soup maker" - pork, chicken, carrot and apple - oh yes :))

07 September 2011

06 September 2011

Sunrise on my way to work


- for you Wenying to help you relax when you study

 

31 August 2011

Simple but so delicious

..

Sometimes it's the simple things that are just so
perfect. One slice of toast, a light spread of cream cheese,
two slices of cold smoked NZ Salmon, a squeeze of lemon and
just a little gherkin pickle. Eaten off some of Mums remaining
unbroken china (following the multiple big earthquakes in the last year
in Christchurch) . Oh yes I'm in food heaven.

08 August 2011

Auckland at night

..


Looking south from the Sky Tower
(Eden Park, main home of the  2011 Rugby World Cup
- the bright area top right)  


Looking west from the Sky Tower
(Auckland Harbour Bridge  - upper right)

03 August 2011

Retirement cupcakes for Bob Gibson

..



Recently a long time (and much respected in the traffic safety field)
work college of mine (finally) retired.
These are three plates of cupcakes made by Karen Johnson
 (the cake god) in our head office (I don't work there ) .
Nice one Bob enjoy yourself , you will be missed as you were the walking encyclopedia.



NZ Government Transport Department - Traffic Engineering Workshop 1964

02 August 2011

Okurukuru Winery and Cafe

..

View from the cafe
(oh yeah baby I never wanted to leave)




I don't know what made me think this wasn't
going to be enough for two when it came out.
What you can't see is all the smoked
salmon behind the "shubbery".
Excellent menu choice Minx.