Peter Pan, Dunedin

Here's another statue for children in a public garden setting, the Peter Pan statue in Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand. From the DBG website ... "Dedicated to ‘the Children of Today, Tomorrow and the Future’, this statue was donated by Mr Harold Richmond of Green Island. Crafted by English sculpture[sic] Cecil Thomas and cast by...

Wonderland ~03

The Pan statue visible in some of Nigel's photos in my posts has up to now been at a distance but these final Wonderland photos show Pan close-up. The whole sculpture or statue is a wonderful work that you can walk all around and admire the various creatures and figures depicted - they lean toward...

Wonderland ~02

This is the 'old' end of Wonderland where the Wonderland garden path joins a side path that runs parallel to Oamaru Creek (the creek is down the bank behind me). One of the paths become the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail ~goes all the way to Aoraki/Mt Cook. An inscription under one of the trees...

Wonderland ~01

When we arrived in Oamaru and wandered through the public gardens I spotted a moon gate off to the side and was drawn to it. "This part of the gardens known as Wonderland was officially opened by Sir Leonard Wright on October 31st 1959" ~inscription at the top of the gate. I was pretty taken...

Our Lady of Kyiv

For my blog today --Sunday now in NZ-- I'm sharing a tweet from Rev. Frank Ritchie (New Zealand). I found these words and photo to be a comfort: "A Byzantine icon. The original was painted in 1132 I believe. I purchased this many years ago. It is Our Lady of Kyiv. My two main prayer...

Tuatara Ambassador

I was overjoyed on Monday to receive an email from grandmother Ellen (aka Gem) in the USA who told me all about how her young grandson Benjamin is still a "Tuatara Ambassador". He first learned of them from my 2018 blog-post when he was only four and in the post-comments at the time, Ellen told...

Sweeping Spiral

Eye-catching pedestrian/cycleway bridge in the suburb of Green Island, Dunedin, New Zealand. This is the main street end of the bridge; it has a spiral ramp connecting street and bridge. The bridge spans a stream and motorway, crossing over to an extensive residential area. We've long wanted to stop and have a closer look and...

Tapanui Community

I took these photos 30 March 2020 when New Zealand was in early Level 4 lockdown for Covid, we were one month into the autumn season. Nigel and I had taken a Monday exercise walk, finding our way to the town rugby fields and then wandering back via the golf course. Tapanui, West Otago, New...

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...

The Rocking Horse

Alternative title:  The Baby in Red. Haiku poem about me as a 4 yr-old with my long black hair (I could sit on it when I was 4), wearing my beautiful rose-red dress (my 'good' dress), and having a ride on my rocking horse. The first stirrings of independence! The poem was inspired by this...

Very strange for all of us

This morning I found a poem written by a young poet from Ireland aged 8 and I was so impressed - I wouldn't have been able to do the same at that age. I've noticed other adult poets who've mentioned writing poetry since they were very young (looking at you Damien and Kay). I just...

Peter Pan, Dunedin (NZ)

Peter Pan and Tinker Bell in Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand. Taken by Liz 24 Dec 2019.