Autumn On The Lake

McLaren Falls park starting to colour up as the weather gets cooler

Easter Eggs

The kids came around to open their eggs

 Thomas doing the business

 And enjoying the rewards

 Then into the hot pool

 Grace

Wild Tree

On the base track of Maoau this Pohutukawa seems not to have a good growth strategy

Avaiation Moments

Balloons over Waikato

 Paragliding off Mauao (The Mount)

 Matakana island below and in the background the Kaimai range

 Kaman SH-2G Seasprite Helicopter showing off at the airshow. No6 squadron RNZAF. One of 5 operated by our air force for special missions including surface and sub surface warfare (Practice I assume)

ANZAC Dawn Parade

Mt Maunganui Cenotaph

A Crescent Moon and Venus align over the  the cenotaph.
A massive crowd this year and kids of all ages attending many proudly wearing medals from family servicemen and women from years past.

Grace did me the honour of coming to the service with her Pop.

It was an early start and kids can't see much in a sea of adults but they hang in there.

Fly past. deHavilland Harvards

Flight Delays

Air New Zealand flights are often delayed for "engineering" reasons when in fact it's all those Germans on the airfield holding things up 

Smokin

At the Tauranga Airshow 2014

 And after the show a celebratory smoke out on the tarmac

Tauranga Walk About

Harbourside Restaurant. Many nice meals here. Needs a little paint outside.

 Devonport Towers

 One of our least known archades

No excitement here....

Easter Flower

Easter So Far. Marginal Weather

 Main beach Mt Mauganui with north easterly weather moving in

Later in the evening this view from Matua mudflats

Getting a quick walk in between showers this retaining wall around the Month base track

McLaren Falls

This guy was trying to decide if he could Kayak this drop and he was going through the motions (dry run so to speak)

But he gave the idea away. The falls were pumping today.

Tonight

It rained today. Heavily. Wind was strong from the north east. The storm system is moving south just in time to ruin many peoples Easter plans.

For us

Inside the house.

A very gutting leak that caused me to break the Gib to free the entrapped water (11 litres of it!)

Very disturbing as this comes from a reroofed part of the house and the interior ceilings had all been repainted as well. 

Grrrr! Mount Roofing Ltd we need to talk.

 Meanwhile outside 

It was a beautiful evening as the weather lifted for a while over Matua and the park.

From The Old Album

Way back in time before computers, cell phones, Mcdonalds and Red Bull just hanging out with Dad was not a bad day for us kids.

This is my bro Ken doing just that while leaning on the old family Morrie 

Sulphur Bay Rotorua

 Just a 5 minute walk from Rotorua city center is Sulphur Bay at the southeast end of Lake Rotorua.

A strangely eerie place. The water is acidic, sulphurous and mineralised and small fumaroles can be seen, as can acid etched bits of wood (quite beautiful). Of course being close to town there is the inevitable examples of random rubbish like the kids sandal below.

The area has history and the link will take you to more info

LINK

Hora de la Fiesta

Party time.

Rob and Sarah's Mexican night out.

Next day was a very sad sight and not a maraca to be seen. Just pills....

Air Show Sequence 2014

McLaren Falls Today

Flood gates open and the fun starts

Grace

In The Quarry today with the old digger (Not the guy taking the pictures please!) 

Little Monkey

TePuna Quarry. G will climb anything given half a chance

Safe Haven

P Class yachts in Pilot Bay. Storm clouds building.