Autumn colour in the morning light.

As the sun rose in the morning.

First rays of the sun on Mt Difficulty.

The morning light does something strange to the Autumn colours

It's dark and glowing at the same time

The colour of the light changes every few minutes

April 25th 2015.  Anzac day in New Zealand.  100 years since Gallipoli.

I thought this shot would come out orange.  But the light changed on me in an instant.

I don't photoshop.

Arrow Gold Crabapple

Just two years ago I planted a crabapple 'Arrow Gold' and what a good idea that was.   Crabapple's continue into the winter, and the brightness of them adds interest, when most other vegetation is quite subdued, even grim.

One Hundred and Fifty years ago this area had almost ever seen a human.   About half a hour up river from here the discovery of gold transformed the area.  At the town now called Arrowtown, on the Arrow River, the first arrivals could almost just shovel the gold from the bed of the river.

Malus Arrow Gold.  May 2014.  Winter has just started.

An enterprising plant breeder from there has bred the Crabapple and named it 'Arrow Gold'.   I first decided to buy it because conditions are severe here, and any cultivar bred locally has the potential to be well suited to the area.

Malus Arrow Gold.   More than two meters at two years.  And good shape.

The idea has worked beyond expectation.  The Arrow Gold Crabapple is growing very very well.  We still get a lot of sun, and it gleams and visually stands out even from 100 meters away.  I think this tree will double in size again, in the next two years.  Spectacular.

Arrow Gold Crabapple.  Antidote to winter drabness.

The lovely little waxeye birds are starting to take notice.  They have eaten some of the apples, but only at the end of the branches.  Maybe those are the first to ripen.  But I think we will have the glow of apples for another two months yet.

There is also quite a spectacular show of springtime blossums.  Sorry I have not got photos.

I think I will go out and buy a dozen of these trees.  I think a grove of these will be amazing.

Evening light on the coast

The Field of Gold is about 200 km from the coast.  That's as far as you can get from the coast in New Zealand.

But down on the coast Doggie still needs his exercise and we were walking one evening in a place where cars are excluded.    Right at sunset the light came in sideways.

Evening light

The illuminated dog himself.  The pole on the headland is our turnaround point.

Sealions often camp on that beach below.  Enormous things about the size of a small car.

On the way back.  Sideways sunlight.   It's about 3 kilometer round trip from where the road is blocked off.

Doggie loves it here.  No cars and he can run and run.  And sniff.

Notice the houses of the city, hidden in the shadow.

Always something to see here.  On a different day with different light.

 end.

Summer Storm

December 2012

Summer storm over Cromwell town and Lake Dunstan.  Pisa Range in the background.  Spur Valerian (Centranthus macrosiphon) in the foreground.  

The two Sequoia were planted in 1863 when the gold rush came to this previously uninhabited area.  The church on the right is where Theresa and I were married.

A mediterranean plant the Valerian has spread along the roadside here in red, white and pink.  It has done well in temperature conditions that easily span 40 degrees and a barren rocky like desert terrain.  I think I will uplift some.  Something that looks this good and does so without input in this environment has to be useful.  It could be invasive, but it seems well enough controllable.  There are some growing naturally at the end of field in the gold workings.  Having been there for many years they have not spread.  

Also  !  I have added this years update to progress of the Lavender Patch.  The link takes you to the post and then go to the last photo at the bottom.  Lavender Patch Update