On our trip to the South Island in January we spent a night in Motueka and went for a wander just before sunset to have a look around. These shots were taken further down the beach from the shipwreck which I posted about a few weeks ago. That post is here if you want to check it out.
At the turn of the centrury this was a busy little harbour but in the 1960's Nelson port became the hub and today this one is mainly for pleasure and fishing boats.
It was a beautiful peaceful place and a lovely still evening the day we were there, which was great for reflections and relaxation.
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The end of summer is near and the sunflowers are out feeding bees and then the birds with their seeds.
We have had a huge amount of Bumble Bees around this summer so there is no shortage of pollinators for us. The sunflowers keep them busy and they arrive in groups to cover as much of the flower as possible.
There were 4 species of bumble bees introduced to New Zealand to pollinate clover for the agriculture industry, 2 of which are found in our area. For the technically minded, I think this one is Bombus Terrestris.
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A gull poses for me at the edge of Lake Rotoiti, South Island, New Zealand.
This photo was taken just before the hay was cut last week. Chicory was sown in places around the farm as an experiment years ago to see how it grew in our conditions and how much the stock liked it. It is the first thing eaten by the cows and sheep so I guess that means they enjoy it. The plant has a deep tap root and is a great addition to spring and autumn pastures as its full of minerals and vitamins that are good for animals and humans.
During summer it flowers and feeds the bees as well, before it drops its seeds and starts a new chicory community.
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Farm gates have changed a lot over the years. The new ones are very efficient and practical but don't have the charm of the old wooden ones. The gate in the background is the only wooden one left on the farm.
It was here before we moved in so I don't know how old it is. To me the wooden ones have a lot more character and personality, do you agree?
This one is still in good condition so I will be able to admire it for a few years yet and the lichen will get to grow undisturbed - except for the odd nibble by the sheep and the cows.
One of our young chickens, Lucy, decided to go broody and sit in the nest box all day. After about 3 days of shooing her off to get the eggs she decided to get serious and not move. Garden gloves were required to get the eggs that day! The next morning my daughter & I set her up in our little portable chook house and gave her 4 eggs to sit on. She took to the new arrangement straight away and after 3 weeks out popped 2 little chicks.
They are very active and it has taken countless photos to get some worth using.
Lucy is proving to be a very protective mother and they run for cover and hide under her wings whenever something startles them.
The little grey one likes sitting on her back, and we have seen him/her sleeping there. The little yellow one likes to hide under her wing and peek out. Fingers crossed they are both girls as we already have two roosters.
Sometimes I just sit and think, and sometimes I just sit...
During our recent trip we stayed for a night at St Arnaud which is in Nelson at the top of the South Island.
We went for a walk along this track through the bush following the river to Lake Rotoiti.
Along the way I spotted this gate. If there was a track to it once it was all overgrown now. Just the little gate to nowhere remained.
We found this wreck on the foreshore in Motueka just before sunset. The Janie Seddon was built in Scotland in 1901. She was credited with firing the first shots of World War II, a warning shot across the bow of the liner City of Delhi.
Sold as a fishing trawler in 1947 she was replaced by diesel powered ships which were more efficient than her coal powered engine. She was later sold for scrap but the steel was so hard the company had difficulty trying to cut her up so she was eventually towed to the foreshore and beached in 1955.
Now the Janie Seddon is home to a huge amount of seagulls who roost on the deck at night. You can see them all lined up if you look close.
They were flying in from far and wide as we stood and watched and were making a lot of noise as they greeted each other and jostled for the best position.
