Last Sunday the conditions were perfect for the radio controlled model yachts on Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake).
Ahoy There!
Last Sunday the conditions were perfect for the radio controlled model yachts on Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake).
Hamilton 400
Preparations are well under way for the Annual Hamilton 400 V8 Supercars Streetrace run this year from 17-19 April.
Here's a shot of Mill Street were 32 temporary pit garages and the race control complex are being built.
Up Up And Away!
We'll be seeing a few of these over Waikato during the next few days.
Each Autumn, over 30 hot air balloons from around the world gather in Hamilton for the annual Balloons Over Waikato Festival.
For more information, programmes, photo galleries etc check out the Balloons Over Waikato Web Site
Sliced Cloud?
I spotted this unusual cloud formation just before sunset at 8.20PM last night as I was walking but didn't have my camera with me (yes a cardinal sin I know ;) so used my cell phone instead hence the quality's not great. I think the clouds almost look like giant cake that has been sliced.
They're Watching Us!
Keeping a 'reflective' eye on things from a shop window in Victoria St, Central Hamilton.
There is something not quite right with this photo, can you spot what it is? :)
Car Park Curves
The Knox Street commuter car park in Hamilton (viewed here from Hood St) opened in April 2006 providing an additional 442 parking spaces.
The distinctive patterns are a river motif representing the Waikato River.
The Morning Queue
It's busy at 8.20AM at the roundabout at the intersection of Boundary Road and Heaphy Terrace in the suburb of Claudelands, Hamilton as commuters endure the daily ritual of driving to work.
Road Works Ahead
The southern end of Victoria Street in Hamilton is currently undergoing major roadworks as part of the "CityHeart Project".
According to the Hamilton City Council web site the CityHeart project is Council's response to the development of the city centre as committed to in the 2006 Long-Term Council Community Plan. It is about the creation of a vibrant and distinctive heart for Hamilton.
The projects vision is to create physical spaces we all want to share that reflect our city's unique identity in a thriving commercial and cultural centre.
The CityHeart project is driven by a need to deliver connectivity and cohesiveness in the central city's future development.
Be great when it's finished! :)Down The Line
This is The East Coast Main Trunk Railway line out of Hamilton. This line originally ran between Hamilton and Taneatua via Tauranga, connecting the Waikato with the Bay of Plenty. The ECMT now runs between Hamilton and Kawerau, with a branch line to Taneatua from the junction at Hawkens. The line is built to narrow gauge of 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in), the uniform gauge in New Zealand.
When the line opened to its terminus at Taneatua, the Taneatua Express ran from Auckland. The service took 12 hours, later reduced to 10½ hours, and ran two or three times weekly. The last train ran on 7 February 1959, and was replaced by a railcar service as far as Te Puke, due to negligible traffic to Taneatua. The railway struggled to compete with private cars and the service was withdrawn on 11 September 1967. Other than special excursions, there were no passenger services until 1991.
In 1991, the Kaimai Express started and ran to Tauranga. Along with the Geyserland Express it used the Silver Fern railcars that had been used on the North Island Main Trunk Line. The first train ran on 9 December 1991, running a morning service from Tauranga to Auckland and afternoon service from Auckland to Tauranga, taking 3½ hours. The times changed in 2000 to enable the introduction of the Waikato Connection commuter service between Hamilton and Auckland. In 2001, it was announced that the service was too uneconomic to continue, and the last service was on 7 October 2001. It is now used for freight only.
Source: Wikipedia
UFO!
This UFO is actually a 'Kiwi Bach' overlooking the beach at Raglan.
Bach (pronounced Batch, with the alternative of Crib in the southern part of New Zealand) is the name given in New Zealand to modest holiday homes or beach houses. They are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolized the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the middle class.
"Bach" was originally short for bachelor pad but actually they often tended to be a family holiday home. Baches started to became very popular in the 1950s, as better roads and more available cars allowed family beach holidays, often to the same beach every year, and hence to the construction of a bach in that spot. One humorous definition of the bach, is "something you built yourself, on land you don't own, out of materials you borrowed or stole."
source: Wikipedia
Morning Lights
This morning the moon was still up over Hamilton, the street lights were still on and the sun was out, very busy! :)
Mantids
Spotted this praying mantis sitting on the car headlight who obliged by staring nicely straight into the lens. It probably wondered what on earth I was doing as this was taken looking over the front of the bonnet and down, my neighbours were probably wondering too lol :)
They are named for their prominent front legs, which are bent and held together at an angle that suggests the position of prayer. The larger group of these insects is more properly called the praying mantids.
Lakeside 2
The Wizard
A very tall angel :)Lakeside
The Mike Garner Band with guest Doc Span (middle)
Picnic Time (check out the dog eagerly awaiting anything spare)
On Sunday afternoon they had a free lakeside concert at Hamilton Gardens as part of the Summer Festival.
It was a lovely sunny day and the atmosphere was great. People turned up with picnics, pets, kids, wine chiller bags etc to listen to an afternoon of blues performers including Mike Cooper, Ian Goodsman (who plays a mean slide guitar) and The Mike Garner Band with guest Doc Span.
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