One Century Apart

Tauranga airport at the airshow.

In the background taxiing is one of Air New Zealand's Bombardier Q300's

Meanwhile, and already in the air, is the beautiful Fokker Dr l Triplane. This is the same as aircraft flown by Manfred von Richthoven (The Red Barron) to claim 19 kills against the allies in 1914 to 18 WW1.

I have more shots and background on this aircraft to follow.

Could Not Do This!

 I don't care how dirty the windows get this would not be an option for me

Misty Morning

Pilot Bay Mt Maunganui

Click on image for larger view.

Colour Choice

Like Henry Ford (you can have any colour as long as its black).

Grace

2014

Penny Farthing

Ok mate so what the secret to riding this old girl?

 Get on stay on pedal like hell and never stop.......

Family Album

From the 50's.

My oldest sister Lyn (Gidge) holding Ken my brother.

It you did not notice it get a load of the cap! Oh and what about the pants!! (dude!)

Alien Boy

From our company picnic a few years back

A Cuppa At The Beach

Main beach the Mount. Mayor island on the horizon.

On The Mount Beach

Main beach Mt Maunganui.

There's always something going on.

 Surf club sets up the guard post for the day

 Sun Sun Sun Sun

Keen as....

Brands From My Youth #2

An illustration from old NZ mens clothing ad.

I am taking these from a really amazing book published recently and I will get a cover shot of that on to the blog this week.

 Very common brand of cigarettes at one time

 While I don't recall Texaco petrol on sale I do recall 4 gallon cans and wooden boxes with the brand on them. Mum used to call them Kerosene cans. I suspect they were petrol cans and the boxes they shipped in.

Texaco (USA) and Socal oil companies merged in 1936 to form CALTEX.

This Maori chief drawing may date back to the 30's. 

Brands From My Youth

I love old NZ branding artwork and illustrations. More to come.

Selfie x2

Grace & Pop playing with the camera

Anything Goes

Staple on re-bar

 Sunset over Napier marina (phone pic)

Cloudscape & Post

Southland. 

Amazing clouds hiding the hills and mountains

From The Old Album

My mum with fag, Ken (with bottle) and my big sisters friend name?

Assume sister is taking the photo.

Don't know where I was probably chopping firewood, making the candles and readying the horse for the 20 mile ride to school (Just kidding)

The old Morris was a great old car and we (Dad) drove it from Nelson to Tauranga. This was when the Kaimai was a dirt/gravel road as was our street on Beach rd Otumoetai where we lived in an old army hut (seriously)

My Dad, Ken with his new son and my bro Ken. This must have been 55 plus years back.

Its amazing how Ken (bro)  looks almost the same today! (Surely there must have been a better in between stage?)

Faces At The Airshow

The Military Reenactment Society were there and here are a few snaps of faces on the day.
More info here

   Hat off

Proud Hunter

Izzy (Nephew) loves the outdoors.

His mum sent me this shot (shot!)

Pleasant Point Museum & Railway

The rats made a visit to this south Canterbury attraction.

Their dad sent this picture. More detail here

Very old world NZ.

They had a great day on the train and looking around

Panda Stage

Nana is getting better....yeah right!

Repeater Tower Tech All Terrain Park

This was the last track and the hardest. With a couple of sweating climbs.

But what a view. On the horizon to the right you can see the tip of the mount just below Mayor Island.

A nice little technical track on the short cut back to the gravel road and the car.

 Rob very pleased to stop for a while.

Goddards Arcade Tauranga

A reminder to the men who want to partake on the 14th...

Girls Bike

Seen at the Mount. Very cute. Check out the handle bars too and the whitewall tyres 

TomO The Man

Sign Of The Times

While sitting in A&E at Tauranga hospital I could not help but see this plea on a massive wall sign.

Just reflects how crazy things can be for staff trying to help the hapless roosters and their associates who have rocked up for help and then attack the people who can provide it!

Go figure as they say.

Crash Nana Day 2

Looks like she got in front of a fist! We went grocery shopping after work and did I get some sideways looks. But for Rob the pain goes on....well for now.

Crash Nana!

So the big plan for Waitangi day was a mountain bike ride for Rob and me. A course was set and off we went. Within a really short time I had to call for help and we landed in the emergency room with Nana bleeding and coughing up gravel (seriously)

It was a big crash, down a rutty steep hill with lots of rocks. She ended in a cloud of dust and buried in the bushes.

Head impact. Looks lots worse now 8 hours later.

But she is fine and now in bed.

 Arm trauma 

Sarah filling out the paperwork cause I did not know the details.

Treaty

The Kiwi way on Waitangi day.