Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Wellington Bluesky

Wellington Bluesky
Sunny and calm one day then very cold with horizontal rain the next... it must be Springtime in NZ!

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Saturday, September 1, 2018

First Day of Spring

First Day of Spring
Its the first day of Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere - using the Metrological definition in common use in New Zealand and Australia - and it was a lovely sunny one. It will be back to rain, wind, snow and cold blasts from Antartica tomorrow :-)

Friday, August 31, 2018

Jizō

Jizō
In Japan, Kṣitigarbha, known as Jizō, or respectfully as Ojizō-sama, is one of the most loved of all Japanese divinities. His statues are a common sight, especially by roadsides and in graveyards. Traditionally, he is seen as the guardian of children, and in particular, children who died before their parents. He has been worshipped as the guardian of the souls of mizuko, the souls of stillborn, miscarried, or aborted fetuses in the ritual of mizuko kuyō (水子供養 "offering to water children"). In Japanese mythology, it is said that the souls of children who die before their parents are unable to cross the mythical Sanzu River on their way to the afterlife because they have not had the chance to accumulate enough good deeds and because they have made the parents suffer. It is believed that Jizō saves these souls from having to pile stones eternally on the bank of the river as penance, by hiding them from demons in his robe, and letting them hear mantras. Jizō statues are sometimes accompanied by a little pile of stones and pebbles, put there by people in the hope that it would shorten the time children have to suffer in the underworld. (The act is derived from the tradition of building stupas as an act of merit-making.) The statues can often be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them. Sometimes the offerings are put there by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from a serious illness. His features are commonly made more baby-like to resemble the children he protects.

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Tikitiki

Tikitiki
Saint Mary's Church in Tikitiki is one of the finest Maori churches in New Zealand. It was built in 1924 and consecrated in 1926 as a memorial to the soldiers of Ngati Porou who died in World War I. The decoration of the church displays a meeting of two cultures. The structure is typically European, but the extensively carved and decorated interior is typically Maori

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Wairaka

Wairaka
Whakatane (to act as a man) - This story springs from the 12th Century Great Migration. The women of the Mataatua Canoe, left to themselves when the men went ashore for the first time, found a waka (canoe) drifting out to sea again. The paddles were tapu to women, but a high spirited teenager, Wairaka, who was the daughter of Chief Toroa, boldly seized one of the paddles and paddled the waka back to shore. As she did this, she shouted, Kia Whakatane au i ahau:, and her actions saved the women but also coined the name of the town. A bronze statue of Wairaka stands on a rock at the Whakatane Heads to commemorate this act.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Friday, March 23, 2018

Monday, March 5, 2018

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Golden River

Golden River

Karamea Sunshine Cows

Karamea Sunshine Cows
Time for something a little different... thought I would post some 'art prints' - photos that I have modified in creative imaging software. This is a shot of some backlit cows I took with the Fujifilm X-S1 up in Karamea recently. Iconic of New Zealand Summer methinks. Enjoy! :-)

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Pray For Rain

Pray For Rain
In deepest hollow of our minds A system failure left behind And their necks crane As they turn to pray for rain… Pray For Rain by Massive Attack from the Album Heligoland