New Zealand
Whoomph.. the volcano blew its top and left a crater. The big hole, shaped like an ice-cream cone, then filled with water. There was nothing to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the lake (described as "anoxic" i.e. no oxygen). Around the lake an evergreen rainforest, a "vine forest", supported all sorts of plant... Continue Reading →
Beautiful drawing of Foulden Maar fossil lake deposit. "This reconstruction of the 23-million-year-old fossil lake deposit Foulden Maar in Otago, New Zealand, was commissioned by palaeontologist Dr Daphne Lee and drawn by artist/ecologist Dr Paula Peeters. The preservation of the site is so good that individual flowers, leaves, and insects can be identified. The drawing... Continue Reading →
It seems that huge commercial interests don't bat an eyelid at mining 23 MILLION years of preserved history and processing it into poultry and pig feed. I've recently shared with you the amazing discovery of ancient moa footprints and NOW, only a short distance away, at Foulden Maar... Credit: By Kimberley Collins - Own work,... Continue Reading →
Seven moa footprints have been found in Central Otago! Each footprint is about 30 cm long and 30 cm wide. This is an internationally significant find and the first reported physical prints from the South Island (pathways have been observed in the South Island but they haven't been preserved or photographed). A resident of Kye... Continue Reading →
What if slugs are just snails going through a divorce.. "yep she got the house". On a signboard outside Governor's Cafe in Dunedin, New Zealand on March 05, 2019. I've been waiting for a slug to go with the signboard - this morning I found a very fine slug posted by a WP blogger from... Continue Reading →
Wisdom from a Great Blue Heron chick in South Carolina, USA. Are you feeling small, vulnerable and powerless? Right now it's a fight for survival... find the inner mongrel. Be fierce! Keep building strength (be patient, it takes time). One day you will FLY Photos taken by Ellen Jennings from Passing By Photo and used... Continue Reading →
We've MOVED to Tapanui from Gore and now live just up the road from Top Nosh. We're in a small, cosy cottage that we own (as opposed to the larger more modern homes that we've rented). Tapanui is a small rural town that we've wanted to live in for a long time - we're both... Continue Reading →
Encouragement arrived this morning in the form of a Snowy Egret, a Pelican and a Dolphin. The Snowy Egret so splendid in his solitude. The dolphin and pelican spontaneously playing.. engagement. I enjoyed this so much it was like a tonic, providing some relief from the current pressing concerns in NZ. Taken From: Unexpected Playmates... Continue Reading →
Powerful Moment. The tree held my gaze with solemn unblinking eye. Powerful moment. Invercargill, New Zealand
Let sleeping seals lie. Two shiny, furry blobs just right of centre are sleeping seals. Taken by Nigel 17 Feb from a dune above the beach near Waipapa Point lighthouse, Southland, New Zealand
Pineapple tree, grass tree and mountain neinei are some of the common names of our native plant named Dracophyllum traversii. To see it in the wild you need to go for a reasonably serious day walk in order to get into the subalpine area where it lives. We've been to such an area in the... Continue Reading →
Disregard anything I've said before about what property we're getting. We bought a cottage in December but thought it prudent not to say too much. On January 15 we were at the new place and as Nigel got the mower out I had the idea of running around taking photos before he mowed. They're a... Continue Reading →
