Brooklands Park

As shot from the camera, I loved the saturated colour I got during my visit to Brooklands Park in New Plymouth. The sun was hot and the grass dry in many places.

Brooklands itself is a suburb in New Plymouth. With a large area covered in the forested park (and a zoo), the area is (like many places in NZ) named from the old Brooklands Farm established in 1842. Its also home to the only Lawn Bowl’s Museum – anywhere apparently (I didn’t visit it 1. due to not knowing this until after, 2. It was easter, so unlikely it would have been open).

Shot on the GRD, resized in Gimp.

More New Plymouth area tomorrow.

April 4, 2013 0

View to New Life

Todays image brings my One Tree Hill/Cornwall Park series to a close. The building in view is the local hospital, once known as National Womens. Many mothers when there back in the day to have their children. It was not always practice that the father/husband could come into the birthing area with the mum to be. With One Tree Hill just behind, some fathers to be may have taken a stroll up to this point, listening to the lambs and eagerly awaiting their own youngster!

As this post goes live, it also signals the end of my Easter break. All going well, I’ll be back tomorrow with some new images from where I went. Catch you then!

April 2, 2013 4

The View

Moving down the hill a little, and toward the North from yesterdays image, I snapped ‘The View’

One Tree Hill is full of quite little spots where one can relax, sit and take in nature, as well as look out towards Auckland. Unless you choose one of the common trails, you will only be bothered by the local sheep and the odd runner (depending on the time of day). On the sheep note – look where you sit – these guys are not shy in fertilising the whole hillside!

Shot on the Sony Nex and edited in Gimp

March 31, 2013 4

Tree on the Side

Moving to a more southern point of Cornwall park from yesterday, and slowly progressing up One Tree Hill, I shot todays image ‘Tree on the Side’. Although known as One Tree Hill (or Maungakiekie, or Te Totara i Ahua to local Maori), the hill itself is covered in trees (more about that in the next few days).

Even halfway up the hill here, the view of the surrounding land is both far and wide. Its no surprise that Maori once had a Pa site (village – often with a defensive aspect to it) here! – all around you would be able to see the comings and goings of people.

As with yesterday, the area is populated now with sheep.

Shot on the Sony Nex and edited in Gimp.

March 28, 2013 0

Sloping Green

Moving a little South of yesterdays image, we are now in part of the active farm/livestock section of Cornwall Park/One Tree Hill. Way back in 1844 Thomas Henry of Ireland purchased the area to farm. It changed hands and management many times since then, even being used for growing potatoes during WW2 under a government emergency regulation.

Todays image ‘Sloping Green’ is one of such areas of active livestock today. At the time of visiting, home to a number of sheep having their early morning snack.

Shot on the Sony Nex 5N with 18-50mm lens and edited in Gimp.

March 27, 2013 2

Arrival of the Sun

I’m off on holiday for several days over the Easter period, so have prepared a bit of a series of Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill. I won’t be able to respond to comments until next week, but until then, thanks ahead!

Todays image ‘Arrival of the Sun’ starts us at the bottom of the hill, in Cornwall Park. Early morning, the sun was a beautiful golden colour, and the shadows still long across the landscape.

Gifted to Auckland by Sir John Logan Campbell (although prior to settlers Maori land), Sir Campbell is buried on the summit of One Tree Hill, looking down upon the park.

A great place to visit for anyone with a free half day in Auckland, One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park offer a relaxed, and scenic stop just out of the city centre.

More tomorrow!

Shot on the Sony Nex with 18-50mm lens and edited in Gimp.

March 26, 2013 0

Sequoioideae – Redwood

Sequoioideae, better know to many as Redwood, are some of the tallest trees in the world. Able to live well over a thousand years, the few in todays image are just wee babies – age wise (although already very tall),Brought to New Zealand with settlers, much of the country once had Redwood. Now days its not so common, likely used for various parts of the manufacture of houses and other wood products over time.

Shot on the Sony Nex with 16-50mm pancake zoom.

March 25, 2013 4

Groves on the Seashore

I was drawn to the patterns made by the sand and water as the tide was out for todays shot. The mangroves must be some of the few smaller plants around the area that have no problem in the drought type weather.

Shot on the Nex with 210mm lens. In post processing using Gimp I cropped aspect, slightly adjusted contrast, saturation and sharpness.

March 19, 2013 0

The Wasteland

“A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”
― T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

Shot on the Sony Nex 5n with Jupiter-8 Lens.

March 18, 2013 0

Overgrown Quarry

I revisited an old quarry on the way home this evening. I’m sure I have featured an image of it before, but for the life of me (well, for a fairly quick image search) I can’t find it.

Closed a bit over a year ago I think, the quarry has sat unused and fenced off. Gradually the gravel paths have become overgrown with weeds, and areas perhaps once maintained have started to flourish in relative lack of human day to day activity. At the bottom of the quarry is a small lake. It was almost totally calm, and I snapped a few shots of the far bank with the reflection in the water.

Shot on the Sony Nex with a legacy Jupiter-8 lens. Whilst it looked quite nice in colour, I think it also lends itself nice in black and white. Converted in Gimp with a faint colour tint, otherwise as from camera.

March 13, 2013 0