Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Wellington to Kapiti and Womad.

I took Christine to the plane to return to Nelson. I will pick her up again in 10 days time after Womad returning back to Wellington to continue our North Island trip. So with some free time up my sleeve, I park up at the free council park in Evans Bay for a while. I bike into town regularly to go to Hot Yoga classes and to do some busking around the city!
It's a great way to get around town, no parking hassles
 tho I can't leave the saxes on the back of the bike.
Cuba Street is good with no traffic noise!

The City Gallery had an Exhibition of American Photographer Cindy Sherman who photographed herself over 40 year period. Some of the exhibition shots (very large photos) she was dressed up as a clown, and as I happened to be busking in clown gear....I just couldn't help myself....in I went!

Another day another outfit...near Te-Papa.
Wellington on a good day is fabulous.
On a bad day it's...Brrrracing!

I left Evans Bay and motored out to Eastbourne, having never been out that way before, and to check out the Pencarrow Lighthouse.
From this road you can see the Inter Islander Ferries coming and going from Wellington


A Wild Goat
In fact so wild, they were getting on my goat a bit
.....no kidding
Some cool knitting in a shop at Paraparaumu                                                                                            
I also called into see the Kapiti Mens Shed and spotted this car parked.
Caution 79.3/4 Year Old Driver
Top marks mate...great sense of humour!
Spells like me too!
I watched a TV programme about a building in Otaki called Nga PuraPura.
So  I went a checked it out.
A very impressive building for a small place like Otaki.
Here is a link to the Architects web site with more info about Nga PuraPura


More busking in Main Street Otaki outside an Art Gallery, 
they were having an Exhibition Opening

The mouth of the Otaki River is a great place to parkup, although you may have a fisherman parking his vehicle beside you at 2am which was a bit scary!

I love seeing patterns in nature, we live in such a beautiful world
...if you really open your eyes and look closely and in detail.
...and it's free!



Reminds me of my sister who as a girl had pigtails in her hair. 

This pattern (below) reminiscent of a rib cage on an athlete.

Heading for Taranaki
My favoured spot to parkup is down at the Todd Energy Aquatic Centre, in New Plymouth. 
This is within walking distance of town and biking distance to the Womad venue.
 Lovely walks along the sea front 
and very cheap ($2.50) to go for a swim and a hot soak or sauna in the Aquatic Centre 
If you're a Gold Carder.


It's a perfect unicycle track and I rode it perfectly.
You can take the cycleways/walkway all the way to the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge
Aint "The Mountain" nicely framed.


An Artist doing his thing in the river bed
....a bit of a balancing act!

Womad 2017, it's a colourful event!
These guys were Irish/Canadians, they really got the crowd dancing!

Hair today...gone tomorrow 


Walking out at night through the Park, its all beautifully lit up!

From Korea, some powerful drumming and Kung Fu type movements.




Some guys achieve the impossible
...answering a phone call during very loud music.

Silk flags especially commissioned every year.

Below is "Brushy One String" from Jamaica
One very cool cat with one very strong "one string" to his bow.

Yes it's a CD Wall

So that was Womad for another year.
Brilliant!
The next blog I pick up Christine in Wellington, and we travel back to Taranaki.

Cheers Jimu & Christine 

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Waimea Menz Shed

G'day Sheddies.

Please excuse me in using my own travel Blog, but this is a quick way to tell you (again) about next Thursdays Men'z Shed bike ride.

This Thursday 3rd August leaving at 10.20 after smoko!
Its on barring earthquakes, pulled muscles, heart attacks, hair cuts, nuclear bomb droppings in Nelson from Donald Trump and West Coast like rain.

I scoped out the ride last Sunday and its a goodie!

The last ride we had 4 hardy men braving the chilly inclement weather and biked into Nelson to see the Da Vinci Robots & Machines Exhibition. Its a cracker and still on till 13th August!

Here are a few photos...to wet your whistle and show you what you've missed and what you could enjoy this Thursday!
The hardy Men from Waimea, Ian, Brian, Jimu and Tony.
Tony and Ian had huge bulges in their legs, but it didn't stop them!

Leonadro's famous Vitruvian Man, notice how he actually wrote back to front.
We share the same birthday, maybe this is why I do things back to front 
(well that's what the Wife says).
...notice how I add a capital to Wife.

This was dreamt up in the early 1500's, even has a modern style chain, which was not invented till 200 years later..like allot of things Leonardo drew up!

He actually dissected real people (after they died) to understand and draw these very realistic and artistic drawings.
 The first ball bearing coming up.
This is a fabulous Exhibition, well worth a trip into Nelson.


 On the exploratory trip last sunday to check out if I knew where to go, heading for HQ Cafe at Brightwater for coffee and cake. I spotted Dave Meier out on the roadside tickling up his new front fence, so I stopped for a chat (as you do)....below is some of his Teddy Bear art on the outside of his house...another attraction for our bike ride!

Dave is the one with the crossed legs and goggly eyes.



This is Jimu stopped on the Stop bank awaiting instructions to start on the stop bank...
Will he have some mates from the Shed next Thursday to sup some coffee and cakes at HQ in Brighwater?...its up to you!

Cheers 
From the Social Committee

Please flick me an email if your a possible stop banker!
jimuthesaxman@gmail.com