February 8 Punakaiki

 Today we went to the local Anglican Church in the morning. Friday was Waitangi Day, commemorating the treaty between the Māori and the British, so the service was dedicated to the celebration of National Unity with much of the service led in Māori language. We sang the complete NZ National Anthem which is a throughly Christian song. The sermon reflected on the Christian foundation of the treaty as well as the failure to follow it completely on the part of the British. There was a lot of resonance with our own history.

Holy Trinity Church

After lunch we drove north to Punakaiki to visit the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Fascinating rock formations actions looking like pancake stacks.

  

February 7 Hokitika

Hokitika is a small town created during the west coast Gold Rush around 1861, when hopeful miners sailed here from Melbourne. The gold was then shipped back to Melbourne until the local government in Christchurch decided to open Arthur’s Pass so they could bring the Gold (and the tax from it) overland to the East coast. 

Dr Ebenzer Teichelmann was the doctor/surgeon for the West Coast a week as being an explorer. He carried this camera and lens on all his treks into the mountains. 

The beach was littered with driftwood with several pieces of artwork standing up among it. 

Hokitika River 

A Tiki Sculpture outside a jade shop. 

 After lunch we drove 30km into the hinterland to Hokitika Gorge and walked the 2km trail around the gorge edge. Glorious blue water but we weren't tempted to swim. 

 

February 6 Greymouth

 Greymouth was grey this morning, overcast with some light rain. We drove down to the beach which was covered in mostly grey rocks rounded by th pounding waves and littered with driftwood of various sizes,

Someone had built a house on the beach made from driftwood. Beautifully constructed, though not much shelter from the wind or rain. It was clearly a popular meeting place though, decked out with timber seating around a fireplace that appeared to have been used not long ago.

Looking east down the river.

February 4-5

 We’re, off for four weeks travelling around New Zealand with our friends Greg and Sharon. After a delayed start in Melbourne we arrived in Christchurch and picked up our hire cars to drive west for an hour or so to Darfield, a small town not far from Christ church. The next day we crossed the mountain range via Arthur’s Pass, named after Arthur Dudley Dobson, the explorer who discovered it, arriving in Greymouth early afternoon,

Mist covered mountains not far from Darfield

Castle Hill is a collection cultural location for the local Maori people 

We c stopped at Arthur's Pass fir lunch. There were several signs warning us to watch our for the Keas, the mountain parrots that love to steal food off people's plates.  We saw one swoop down and steal a small butter segment while we were there. 

Kea hoping for a Fitbit

A small waterfall a short walk from the road at Arthur's Pass. Note the crystal clear water.

June 29 Tucson

 Jerry & Del took us to see the gallery of a local artist, De Grazie, who worked in Tucson and  Mexico in the second half of the 20th century focusing on local indigenous people. He was a multi-talented artist, working in paint, textile, wood, metal, enamel, along with architecture. The gallery we visited was designed and built by himself over a number of years. 

Here is a selection of the works we saw there:

He was particularly interested in horses and would go to a local rodeo on a native reservation near Tucson.to draw the horses and riders.

Bronze roadrunner

Mariachi player

  

Tabletop

Silver horse sculpture

He designed and built this chapel with the help of people from the tribe he was living near

Inside the chapel and its side room.