Paradise on Pond

Paradise Ducks on the farm pond that I featured in my last post. These are more properly described as Paradise Shelducks (Tadorna variegata). They're exceedingly noisy birds, you can hear them in this recording. The male and female make different sounds, most often in unison! Endemic. Photos taken by Liz, 16 August 2020. Central Otago,...

Just A Farm Pond

Saw this beautiful farm pond as we were returning from Fruitlands and heading to Roxburgh, in Central Otago, New Zealand. We both took photos. There was also a resident pair of Paradise Shelducks (I'll share photos of them in another post). You can clearly see the female's white head in the first photo, and the...

Bald Hill Flat

Our lovely Sunday afternoon drive (continued). I'd already mentioned that we were heading to Fruitlands, a wonderful scenic and historic area that pre-1915 was named Bald Hill Flat but then renamed Fruitlands in 1915 in recognition of fruit-growing efforts. This was short-lived as it was too cold but the name remains. It's a farming area...

The Great Snow

"On 23 May 1861, in the gully which still bears his name, Read discovered gold, 'shining like the stars in Orion on a dark frosty night.' It was this discovery which revealed the potential of gold in Otago, and thereby initiated the series of discoveries and rushes which were to transform the economic, social and...

Twistin’ time is here

Come on, let's twist again like we did last summer Yeah, let's twist again like we did last year Do you remember when things were really hummin'? Yeah, let's twist again, twistin' time is here Ee, a round and round and up and down we go again Oh, baby make me know you love me...

The Trees of the Field

Yesterday (Sunday) was fabulously fine and we set out to enjoy the glorious winter afternoon. I asked Nigel to take us to Fruitlands in Central Otago, and to stop in Roxburgh for a late lunch. Here's the early part of our trip. Click on any photo to enlarge. En route, we descended from Moa Flat...

We Can Do This, Again

Community transmission has raised its ugly head and New Zealand no longer enjoys Level 1 freedom. Auckland has gone to Level 3 and the rest of the country is now Level 2 - for the next 12 days anyway. I've seen absolute nonsense written about our situation here. Don't believe trash reports about our fascist...

Roxburgh in the Teviot Valley

Now we live in Tapanui it's not far to drive to Roxburgh in Central Otago, an inland rural town we're fond of (wouldn't mind living there). It's right by the Clutha River and the town is surrounded by farms and orchards. There's also a hydro dam at East Roxburgh (its 60th anniversary was in 2016)....

Angels Trumpet

Took these yesterday at the Winter Garden Conservatory glasshouse in Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand. It was lovely to walk through the conservatory and enjoy the warmth and flowers as it was quite chilly outside. These were quick photos I took with my cellphone when I saw the showy flowers of Brugmansia (Angels Trumpet). Text...