Pied Stilt (and friend). 🐦
This Pied Shag kept an eye on me while drying its wings at the beach. 🐦
Another gripping book in the series: The Lost Steersman (Steerswoman Series Book 3) by Rosemary Kirstein. 📚
Rowan goes exploring in more strange and dangerous territories, encountering demons, hunting for Slado and making amazing discoveries.
This item about Google Plus codes was really interesting: On the Navajo Nation, Accurate Mailing Addresses Save Lives.
If you want to find your own Plus Code start with Technology - Plus Codes. It's very simple.
For example, Hank Edwards Reserve at Waikawa Beach is at 846X+JF.
Here's some handy info for my Kiwi pals: Māori Greetings Signoffs for Letters Emails (PDF).
The new one I learned today: Ngā mihi maioha : Thank you with appreciation.
At dawn (8 am) we waited outside our expensive but basic motel in Te Anau for the bus tour to Milford Sound. You can see in the video the sprinkling of snow on the mountain tops. We needed our warm rain jackets.
From Queenstown we travelled to Te Anau where I was able to spend a few minutes walking round Punanga Manu | the bird sanctuary. I had a wonderful close-up view of a total of 5 takahē. 🐦
Yesterday I took a bunch of rubbish photos at the beach. Today I applied more thought. A pair of white-faced herons was keeping an eye on my process. 🐦
This Paradise Shelduck pair stood out on the lake today. 🐦
This 20 minute video was super interesting: The most important CONSONANT in English by Dr Geoff Lindsey.
The rains must have brought this big clump of weed down the river and onto the beach.
We spent a night in Queenstown where the countryside is very beautiful. The town itself is cramped and busy, accommodation very expensive. It's full of tourists and tourist stuff. Loads of cafes, hotels, outdoor shops. Utterly atypical of Aotearoa at large.
Today I attended a meeting near the Levin War Memorial. I've driven past plenty of times but never before taken the time to stroll around the garden.
Pets and mascots have always been part of military culture
They offered comfort solace and simple distraction
from the grim realities of war.
Through their unwavering devotion and boundless affection
they kept spirits high and gave many
a link to normality and peace
We honour their deeds and faithfulness
The Cromwell Heritage Precinct has old stone buildings and a view over the Clutha River where jetskis and others were hooning around.
On our holiday, between Lake Pukaki and Cromwell I just watched the scenery go by, and took a few photos from the moving car.
Fungi at Waiopehu Scenic Reserve
Today I wandered around Waiopehu Scenic Reserve. It's a dim, damp and cool bush walk where I spotted all sorts of fungi I can't identify. It was a pleasant half hour.
I was in the mood to read all day and lost myself in Murder Against the Odds (Warwick & Bell Crime Mysteries Book 4) by Janice Frost. 📚
It was a good, engaging read with some unexpected outcomes.
Morning waves. For the Pacific Wave Appreciation Society. 🌊
Murder on a Country Walk (Warwick & Bell Crime Mysteries Book 4) by Janice Frost was another enjoyable read. 📚
I like these lead characters, though in this book one of the victims / suspects was seriously unpleasant.
Interestingly, it looks like I've skipped Book 3 somehow …
Heaven forbid we feed kids just because they're hungry!
Associate minister of education David Seymour wants a “robust, statistically significant comparison that has been able to find that the [school lunch] programme has increased attendance at school.”