Road Tripping

Last week I drove down to New Plymouth, one of my favourite parts of the country.

I particularly wanted to see the new exterior of the city's Art Gallery, which has a permanent collection featuring the work of Len Lye, a kinetic sculptor and film-maker who was born in New Zealand but died an American citizen.

The exterior is astonishing, brilliant even on a grey day:

It was just as interesting inside, with the light coming in from the reflective panels:

One of the exhibition halls. The filaments all move and change position, creating a play
of sound as well as light.

Thematic Photographic: Made of Steel

I must admit that I found this theme difficult, and I had to borrow other people's ideas. 

When I began looking, I realised how much stainless steel there is in a modern house!

Kitchen tap

Tap and sinks

Range hood

Surely my favourite bridge must have lots of steel in it?

See more shots of steel at Carmi's place

Sunday Snapshot

For my Sunday Snapshots I look for  pictures I like, 

but which I haven't posted before.

These are from a road-trip in October last year -

a keen dogwalker doesn't let a brisk, cold westerly wind stop her:

 And the kitesurfer makes the most of it...

New Plymouth beach, Taranaki.
(click to enlarge)

Gardens of New Plymouth

In the October holidays I visited the small city of New Plymouth, on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. 

This area is known for its beautiful gardens, and the climate lends itself particularly to rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, and other temperate beauties. Because of its closeness to a dormant volcano, Mt Taranaki, the winters are cold and there is more than enough rain  - as I was about to find out!  

I'm no great expert or fantastic gardener, but I was determined to see at least the three main public gardens; I'd never before been in the area at the peak of the 

rhododendron season.

It rained for most of the week, but I was intrepid!

Tupare is close to the residential area of the city; it was begun in 1932 and covers 3.6 hectares (9 acres) of hillside and river banks. The original house sits down in a valley, and the walking tracks follow the contours of the hillside

Wisteria grows along the top of an arbour near the house

...I hadn't been there long before it began to rain heavily

So I took a couple more rhodo shots, then scuttled back up the hill to the carpark. 

I got very wet....

This is also the garden where I found those luminous echiums:

 The next morning I set off for Hollard Garden, 4.5 hectares (11 acres) on farming land. This was begun in 1927 by Bernie and Rose Hollard - he was a keen and knowledgeable plantsman, best known for his hybrid Rh. Kaponga.

It was sunny when I first arrived, but not for long...

There were many lovely examples of Bernie's pride and joy, his creation Rhododendron Kaponga, a beautiful clear red

I loved this creamy-yellow one:

But again the rain came down, so heavily that I was forced to retreat once again. 

A few days later I had more luck at Pukeiti, the largest of them all; 360 hectares (890 acres) of regenerating rainforest, with 20 hectares of hybrid and species rhodos, along with many unusual shrubs and trees from all over the world. It was established in 1951, and is an internationally recognised garden and plant collection. The weather was overcast but only slightly damp, and I enjoyed wandering the garden for several hours. 

Here are some of the shots I took:

 

The garden is the poor man's apothecary.  

~German Proverb

A flash of colour...

For this week's Thematic Photographic I found some of the shots from my October holiday week in the small North Island city of New Plymouth, one of my favourite places. 

Most of the week it rained - heavily. One day I saw an old church building beside the petrol station, with a "Craft Shop" sign. Inside it was so bright and colourful that it warmed and cheered me straight away:

Downtown in the city, there is this rather bizarre clock tower. Weird, but I like it:

The area is renowned for its many beautiful gardens, some of which are open to the public. 

At Tupare Garden were these gorgeous echiums:

And at Hollard Gardens I loved this bright rhododendron against the green lawns and shrubs:

Thematic Photographic 162: Playing with Light

Check out the great photos for this week's theme over at Carmi's blog.

Here are my playing photos, light-wise:

The Oriental Pearl tower, Shanghai, taken from the Jin Mao tower (421 m high)

The Oriental Pearl tower(350 m), taken from the street

Driving in Milan at night:

Flowers made of felt, lit up at the Festival of Lights, held annually 

in New Plymouth, New Zealand:

Thematic Photographic 132: Curves

This week's idea to play with is curves (check Carmi's site for more info).

 

This was taken on the same outing as last week's blue leaning 

man, and marks the marina/yacht club premises. I've always

liked the shapes of propellor blades.

I've posted this before - it's a wind wand by kinetic artist

Len Lye, on the foreshore in New Plymouth. It bends and 

moves in the wind - of which there is plenty in

this small city on the west coast of New Zealand.

The curving banks of the Whanganui River, taken from the 

old steamer which carries visitors on this waterway. 

In Māori legend, the Whanganui River was formed when Mt Taranaki who had lived peacefully in the centre of New Zealand's North Island with three other volcanoes, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, courted the gorgeous Mt Pihanga.
A mighty battle broke out between him and Tongariro. The earth shook and the sky became dark as the mountains belched forth their anger. When the battle ended, Pihanga stood close by Tongariro's side. Taranaki, wild with grief and jealousy, wrenched himself from the ground and plunged towards the setting sun, gouging out a deep wide trench.The next day a stream of clear water sprang from the side of Tongariro, flowing down the deep scar Taranaki had left on his journey to the coast, and formed the Whanganui River.

Thematic Photographic 118: Branched

I am loving these weekly themes (see Thematic Photographic on Carmi Levy's blog here).
They make me look at the world around me differently, and also send me looking back through photos I've already taken to see if any fit in.
So... branched. Hmm - trees (family and wooden); metal structures; rivers and creeks;  cracks, in the ground, in the sky, in paths and buildings.  Lots of different ideas there.

Here are a few that I've found for this theme.

This guy climbs up my sunroom wall. I love the way his feet branch into gripping toes:

Gecko on the wall

These branching light holders decorate the main street of our small town:

Main street lamp posts

I saw this beautiful bronze shield in the fantastic museum of Olympia, Greece, in April of this year:

Bronze shield, c.500 B. C.

These beautiful catenary arches are in the cellar/museum in Gaudi's 'La Pedrera'.  I love everything Gaudi designed or built, so I really enjoyed my pilgrimage to Barcelona:

La Pedrera, Barcelona

Finally, this "Wind Wand" sculpture, by Len Lye, dances like a long slim twig on the foreshore at New Plymouth, here in New Zealand

Wind Wand by Len Lye

I've got quite a few tree photos I want to put up too, so maybe I'll be branching out and making another post later this week.