The Mighty Kaikouras: Southern Paradise

Its been a while since I have posted. I have been taking a bit of a break from writing and instead doing a lot of reading. This weekend has been spent with my camera up in Kaikoura. The Kaikoura ranges are are really the start of the spine of the South Island and the Southern Alps. They rise out of nowhere and combined with the wild East Coast surf, are cold and windswept in mid Winter. They are also bloody beautiful and worth sitting on a hill, warmly wrapped up, watching them as the light changes and the clouds alter the views and moods.

They are Southern gold! I love the place.

Looking West. The Kaikouras meet the clouds.

South Bay, Kaikoura

An angry sky. Looking north of Kaikoura. Mountains meet the sea.

Farmland to mountains to clouds. 

A beautiful backdrop.

North towards Blenhiem. Wild East Coast, Kaikoura

Limestone cliffs. Kaikoura

Wild clouds, Kaikoura

Wild sky over the Kaikoura ranges

Sun light on the hills, Kaikoura

Looking South along the East Coast, Kaikoura

South along the East Coast

Angry clouds blowing over Kaikoura.

Straight into the Alps. Kaikoura Ranges.

Precision hill to fencing, Kaikoura.

A fantastic farming back drop, Kaikoura ranges.

Rural walking, Kaikoura.

Looking over Kaikoura Golf Course.

Skate boarding Ocean Ridge, Kaikoura.

Rock Art, Kaikoura.

Ocean Ridge Rock Art, Kaikoura.

These boots are made for walking. Kaikoura

The mighty Kaikouras.

South Bay, Kaikoura

Looking East from South Bay, Kaikoura

South Bay entrance

Kaikoura township looking North

Wild Sky, South Bay looking West

Seal itching, Kaikoura

Ocean Ridge Apartments. Looking out to sea.

 Lone Goose, South Bay, Kaikoura

 If you enjoyed this photography you will love these posts;

A Southern Man Viewing Life in India May 11

A Winter Holiday in Queensland Australia May 11

The Blast ANZAC collection. Some Army memories.

The Blast Personal Gallery. Downtown Christchurch the day of the quake. Feb 11

Birthdays, Walking on Beaches and stuff.....

Black dog causing grief. Sumner beach

Its been an interesting day. Took a day off to hang out on my birthday. I actually always try to and hardly ever achieve it!

Read a paper, drank coffee, did the school run.

Finishing the day with an evening walk on Sumner beach.

Sun going down, cold, cold frosty night, bloody cold wind in my face. Even broke out the favorite NASA beanie and zipped up the feather jacket. Such a nice night, broken earthquake buildings, a lot of the rocks down on the beach by signal rock, a good southern frost brewing. Par for the course in the south.

A black dog running all over the show, seagulls squawking, a bit of a zoo there but the beach almost to myself. Too cold for most.

Seagulls. Sumner Beach. 

A lady out walking suddenly let her big black spotted Dalmatian off the leash and it took off like a scalded cat down the beach, four dogs all running towards a small one, owners yelling. I burst out laughing and said "oh oh!"

"That dog is on heat," she told me, "its not funny, its a real nuisance, it shouldn't be allowed,"

I trudged on pondering how authorities would enforce such a law if "it wasn't allowed." Yep not high on the list to fix the place. Bloody rot actually!

Christchurch, mid winter, turning 42, life is good.

Turning for home to drink wine, discuss the days events and to get ready again for the real world tomorrow. She'll be right mate!

Crusaders: Our Southern Bloody Legends!

Dealing to the Blues. Pic courtesy of the CRFU.

Ok so there is one more big hurdle for the Crusaders tonight in Queensland (link here) so as to take out the Super 15 title. It will be a tough one too! The Reds at home, a massive home crowd and the end of an exhausting season of travel for our Canterbury Crusaders. I chose to write this before the game because regardless of the outcome (for the record I pick Crusaders by 10 points or more) they have be inspirational.

There has been much made of it  already by sports journalists about the fact that they have not been able to play a home game all season. Already this team is in a category that few others in history have ever achieved. The earthquake damage to their home ground has led them along a path of travel. Away games every week and travel part of the grind.

Legend McCaw. Pic courtesy CRFU

Todd Blackadder and his leadership team have had a incredible resilience and such a positive attitude throughout. They have leveraged the needs of the fans in Christchurch and played with heart and conviction. It has been a beacon of positivity in what has been a pretty bleak, tough old winter in the Garden city as the ground shakes. It has revived a bit of passion, a bit of the southern grit we all love and it is that culture of a winning team.

It also has me personally looking ahead to all the positive things the Rugby World Cup will bring into our country. A bit of competition, some fun, a boost for businesses, tourism visits and the list goes on.

So regardless of tonights outcome our Canterbury Crusaders are and shall remain Southern Bloody Legends! They have done so much beyond just playing the game and winning.

Play The Topic Not the Book!

Macsyna King. Part of the problem not the solution:
Pic courtesy NZ Herald

I can't believe how controversial this whole book Ian Wishart has written about the Kahui case has been. Ian Wishart is notorious for trash media, scandal and conspiracy theory. Investigate Magazine was his baby and let's face it it was never exactly a treasure trove of credibility.


That said I am an absolute believer in the freedom of the press. People fight and die to live in countries that value this and the alternatives to a free press are pretty average. North Korea springs to mind and to a lesser extent our friends in China amongst many countries led by a "regime" of some sort.


As for the subject of this book it makes me angry. I feel we all have a responsibility to bring kids up to the best of our ability and New Zealand's recent record of child killings and abuse in high profile cases really does show an ugly side to our culture. Kids are treasures to love and nurture. This horrible case has been dealt with by the courts and as tough as it was to get facts clear things have moved on.


So I feel it is absolutely important that Wishart's book is as available to those who want it as any other book should be. It is up to us to ignore the bloody thing so such tripe is not economically viable rather than censoring the press.


My thoughts.