Just passing by

 

Transit of Venus, 6 June, 2012

     Last night it was overcast and we were expecting snow.  This morning, the skies cleared and it was a beautiful day.  The low-lying late autumn sun was bright in the sky.  In front of Southland Hospital coworkers and visitors were able to glimpse the reflected image of Venus paaing between the Earth and the sun.  Five or six sunspots were also visible.  The last time that a transit of Venus could be seen from this part of the world, Captain James Cook was in the neighborhood.

     A colleague suggested a brief excursion to a local school where many students were using a variety of projectors and filters to view the event.  It was great fun to add the above Newtonian reflector to the viewing options.  Many students were intrigued by the other viewing possibilities (at night).  I will have to visit the local observatory.

     Many thanks to my loving bride for help in bringing various necessities to me and taking some photos as well.

 

Bluff Oyster Festival

I cannot say I used to give much thought to oysters.  Since oysters came in season here in Southland, I have eaten a lot more oysters in a few months than in prior years.  Lightly battered and fried is my favorite.  Today, 26 May 2012, Bluff is celebrating their annual oyster festival.  Lots of food and drink, people and music all about.  Helicopter pilots offer brief tours and Sea Scouts run a raffle fund-raiser in uniform as people walk along the docks where dozens of picturesque fishing boats are stationed for a brief respite.

Invercargill's promoter-in-chief, Mayor
Tim Shadbolt greets eager festival goers in full regalia and cooperates with photo ops on
request.
 Inside there are numerous food vendors and the main outdoor stage has a variety of local musicians to entertain.





 On stage a man gives away dozens of uncooked oysters to people a la Monty Hall.  "First person with a passport!...Tara ..., from the United States.  Can you speak English?"  Tara laughs and makes off with her prize.











Nearby, children parade in a fashion show clad in boats, starfish and rainbows.

Now home again.  Bluff is only about twenty kilometers from home.  Another pleasant weekend in Southland.

High on Sydney

www.bridgeclimb.com

I don't know (English for Aboriginal "Kangaroo"). Kangaroos and Tara too.

http://www.reptilepark.com.au/

The Three Sisters

http://www.aatkings.com.au

Adorable

Bats (turn upside down!)

http://www.featherdale.com.au/

Scenic World

Scenic World- world's steepest railway

www.scenicworld.com.au

Doyle's Restaurant

Deja vu

First day in Sydney

We arrived in Sydney Saturday evening.  There is an adjacent train station.  We got tickets for the trip into town and, for just over $40, we got one-week transportation passes to use trains, buses and ferries in the city and nearby suburbs.  Without a G.P.S. or detailed maps, we walked a long way to our motel.  Live and learn.

This morning we got delayed going to St Mary's (Mapquest labelled a turn wrong to make matters worse).  We decided to look for the second church on our list- St.Patrick's.  It seemed to be roughly in the same direction, but I was not clear on one of the directions.  Fortunately they have five masses from noon on in addition to the morning services.  We got lost and decided to get on a bus and backtrack.  We asked the driver of the firs bus to stop if he were going our way- apparently not.  We took a shot on the next bus, but instead of taking us back the way we came, it turned toward the city.  A few minutes later we were crossing the Harbour Bridge.  I figured we'd look around downtown and try to find St. Patrick's later.  We saw an Anglican church, a park and a glimpse of another church and decided that was as good a place as any to get off.  Well we were less than a block from St. Patrick's and a bout twenty-five minutes early for the noon (choir) mass.  We waited in the grotto until the prior mass was ending.  A man was recruiting for the Legion of Mary.  I told him we were not local, but from New Zealand.  He said I did not sound as if I were from New Zealand, so I gave him the long version. The church is beautiful.  It was  renovated in 1999.

After church, we went to lunch.  I remembered an ad from the Y.M.C.A. in Invercargill for Doyle's Restaurant at Watson's Bay.  We made our way to the Circular Quay to catch a ferry.  On the way, we saw the Radiance of the Seas in port.  Just over three years ago, we took that ship to Alaska, meeting Brenda, Darrel, Ron and Tiffany on the way.

Doyle's has been there since 1885.  We met a couple on vacation from Long Island while leaving the ferry and joined them for lunch.  We had a wonderful seafood sampler platter between Tara and I and I tried two of their ales.  We had no room for coffee, much less dessert.

We got souvenirs and cards and came home quite tired.  Bed soon, we have to eave at six a.m. to catch a ride for an all-day excursion to Nelson's Bay where we hope to swim with dolphins.

We found it.

Christchurch

Tara and I spent our New Year's break in Christchurch.  We did not know what to expect.  Being our first visit, we found plenty to see and do.  Hagley Park and the botanical gardens are beautiful and amazing.  The nearby Canterbury Museum was worth the few hours we spent there.  Admission is by donation. 

Our two favorite places to eat were the casino and Speight's Ale House (on Bealey Street).  The breakfast buffet at the casino was varied and tasty.  You also cannot beat the promptness of a buffet.  Somehow we overcame (my) temptation to try our luck at the tables.  Speight's was a good place for a biggish breakfast, although lighter on fruits and veggies than I prefer.  We ate supper there twice.  My favorite was the BLT sandwhich with a pint of Speight's Distinction ale.

We walked hours (about two to four) each day.  One day was at the Orana zoo where we got to feed a giraffe.  We also went to the Adrenaline Forest where we climbed through paths between trees.  Tara drew the line, however, when I expressed interest in driving a tank.  One attraction has five armoured vehicles and you can ride along or drive them.  Two are actual tanks and one option is two crush a car with the tank- another reason not to use their car park!

We were able to experience four significant aftershocks in under four days.  The strongest was 5.5  and lasted about twenty seconds.  We got home yesterday.  Today Yahoo news reported a "flying shark" at the airport.  I hope my eldest grandson keeps his shark indoors.

It will take years to rebuild Christchurch, but it will be worth the wait.  It is a beautiful location.  Unfortunately, about 1000 of 2400 buildings at city centre have to come down. 

Up in the air

http://www.adrenalin-forest.co.nz/

A shot in the dark

I've got my eye on you!