Old Pipes

Big old pipes at Roxburgh. Central Otago. 28 April. New Zealand.

Anzac Day, 2023

Anzac Day today. A day of remembrance for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who've fought and died for their country, marked annually on 25 April, the anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War.

Cart and Variegated Ivy

Displayed outside the corner property where I took photos of the white Agapanthus, intersection of sealed highway and a minor side road. Near Tapanui, Clutha District, New Zealand. Photos taken 07 February.

Way Out West

'Tis true! These photos were taken west of where we live *and* (Nigel's just reminded me), we live in West Otago! So.. I spotted this old wagon when we did the long country drive on back roads through farmland, technically in Southland as the regional boundary is close to where we live. We were nearing...

Old Timer

We went out for a country drive this morning, exploring some roads we hadn't travelled before. When we were well through our trip we came across this old building that appears to have been a farmhouse. Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. The front lower level has had its weatherboards removed and looks like it's...

Big Bare Dam

A different dam in this post to the ferny one I've been showing, but it's also from the gold mining days and it's still an earth dam. The difference is that this one's in Central Otago and its inside wall is lined with rocks (the work is done wonderfully as one of the builders, David...

Lift Up Your Heads

Today is Christmas Day in New Zealand. We walked a track new to us, Gabriel's Gully near Lawrence, South Otago. Love these new fern fronds that grow upright but also bow their heads, reminding me of a church song: Lift up your heads to the coming king, bow before him and adore him, sing… Detail...

Saloon And Stables

Historic mud-brick building in St Bathans, Central Otago. Originally an 1870s billiards saloon, and then stables were added in 1896. Photo taken 07 Dec. New Zealand

Very ‘Old School’

In April 1875 a new stone building was opened as a new one-room school for children in St Bathans (the part of the ruins nearest the lupins). In 1895 an additional room was added for infants (the part with a chimney). The school was abandoned in 1943 after earthquake damage. Central Otago, New Zealand. Photos...

Remnant

Perhaps the remnant held a claim boundary peg back in the day. It was illegal to sluice away a peg. I was intrigued by the horizontal hole at the top through which I could see the blue sky. The two 'remnant' photos were taken by me. The photos of Blue Lake and eroded hillside slopes...

Blue and Gold

Blue Lake at St Bathans in Central Otago was formed through gold mining activity from the 1860s till 1934. Originally the lake was a 120m high hill.. Kildare Hill.. which I've read was demolished via hydraulic sluicing in about 10 years. By using a hydraulic elevator the site of the now-gone hill became an ever-growing...

Hill > Pit > Lake

On 07 Dec we drove to St Bathans, a gold town established in 1863. (1) The mud brick Vulcan Hotel is fab! (2) Pipes took water to the workings. (3) Blue Lake was originally 120m Kildare Hill which was mined to a 68m deep pit dubbed the 'glory hole'. Mining ceased in 1934 when the...