2009 started with a sore botty

Otago Rail Trail 2-4 January 2009
Version FIVE. That means we've done this trip five times. If you've ever been to Central Otago, you shouldn't need to ask why...
Group photo at the start. No idea what was about to be unleashed on our trusting natures... Gales, dust storms, rain, broken branches and debris. Pretty standard really...



Breakfast with the sensible.



Poolburn Tunnel #2. Dunno where the bloke with the big black beard appeared from. He really wanted to be in the photo.



Amongst the mining relics. In this case, these boilers would have powered the mine shaft lift.



Waipiata Man pose.




Prices Creek Tunnel. Day three was done in record time. There is no underestimating what a lack of a headwind will do for morale and the pace!



Finish line Middlemarch. The team slurping ale in the shade.

What we did in the 2nd half of 2008

The great thing about life is the unexpected. Here's a brief review of the last six months.

Hanmer Springs 27-29 June
Another camera club field trip to wintery Hanmer. The club drove into the Clarence Valley via Jacks Pass to see the historic Accommodation House.
Friends Henk & Joy join us for a hot drink before wandering off to take photos. The temperature was pretty much at zero. By mid afternoon it was snowing in earnest and we just got out to Hanmer before the pass closed. Pretty exciting.



FLOODS! 31 July
Amberley’s worst floods in decades. 150mm of rain fell in just 24 hours. We suffered nothing more than a puggy lawn for some days but others fared considerably worse. The poor residents at the beach were evacuated and many houses in the township were flooded by the normally passive Dock Creek which broke its banks due to delays in opening a flood gate.



Never miss a photo opportunity :-)



A boiling sea breaching the stopbank (what stopbank?) and spilling into the road to the golf course.



RPS Lake Heron 22–24 August
Every photographer was spoilt with abundant outstanding scenery. This image is the Maori Lakes, on the way to Lake Heron.



Ngakuta Bay 30 August
Mist lifting off the water with Roger recording the event with his new camera.



Roger turns 40-something. October
We celebrated Roger’s birthday a day early and got in the Stag for a drive to My Lyford for lunch. Perfect roads, weather, food and the Stag performed faultlessly.



Lake Brunner (Moana) West Coast 24–26 October
The West Coast will reward any photographer with its rich landscapes and lighting.



RPS Black Powder Shoot, Kopara Village. 25th Oct
We explored the Moana area as thoroughly as possible in the allowable time—visiting little remote Kopara Village, north of Moana, hosted the annual Black Powder Shoot where locals and visitors get together and test their skills with modern muskets. A veritable mine of action shots for the photographer.



Sunrise on Lake Brunner 26 Oct
Another Dawn Breaker. With an early night and full tum, the early start was a breeze.

Autumn at home

Since Coleridge the balance of recreation and work has fallen somewhat to disarray. Therefore there isn't much in the way of news. Among the highlights was a wedding I photographed with my friend Nick but since it wont mean much to most who might read this post, I'm not going to include those. Perhaps just one of Nick...
Then there was classic car run to Gore Bay on the 9th March which was fun, yet another image from Mt Cass, and some from a night shoot of Christchurch with the camera club 17th May. And one of Roger who has finally cracked the problems of cutting onions.
Other than that, life continues to be good and the fire keeps us warm as Winter gets a grip on the region.

High Country Adventure

On the 9th - 10th February, the Camera Club encamped at Lake Coleridge at Ryton Station. From there we did a number of outings including a full day to "The Pinnacles" which the local farmer said was easily accessible by way of an easy 4WD track.
Yeah maybe, but not for "Merivale Tractors", or "Girlie 4WDs" according to one seasoned 4WD man there on the day. Luckily for me Roger had chosen a machine well-suited to such terrain. The only problem was I had not taken much notice of what Roger had tried to teach me at such appropriate times when the wife needs a course on 4WD-ing... so I did a crash-recall on what I did remember and took it from there. One Honda didnt make it and had to turn back but three carried on. The Pinnacles are these strange megoliths all made of crumbly shingle situated in a small valley off the main Harper Valley. I actually had fun that day and Smurf got a well-deserved bath and shammy on return to home base.




Overlooking the Harper river and valley.



Hairy section. Does not look it, but it was decidedly steep. Many of these photos were taken by relaxed passenger and friend, Joy. I was in no condition to be doing such things.



The Pinnacles. Weird place. One of the guys who walked up this valley was 86 years old. We were humbled by how agile he was.



On the way home. We stopped at this cool little hunters hut. With graffiti on the bunks going back to before the second world war...


Back at Coleridge. Photographing the surrounding landscape... AND our trusty Smurf. I was so proud, it did so well.



As with all these events there is a lot of eating but dishes are done in no time. Colin, Norma, me and Kevin.


Lastly, the beautiful Lake Coleridge. Little black specs in the water are divers - their training ground I gather.


On a final note, I find uploading via broadband to this blog an absolute pig - 50% of the time the upload is unsuccessful and the code for it always gets placed at the top of the blog, not where the curser is. I'll be looking at Fickr at sometime if this problem does not go away.