tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84457089942739901012024-02-19T15:54:17.695+13:00The Field of GoldA small piece of land,
set in the dramatic
landscape of Central Otago, New Zealand.The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-14251616873645586172015-05-01T21:29:00.001+12:002015-05-01T21:29:53.994+12:00Autumn colour in the morning light.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
As the sun rose in the morning.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVdZrFaTbWfUDmHZzAXVzD28QQF5npyjhrnq0G72amQN8dn6Y0kRRisn-NqqCDeQdGzZ_9Z5xhGlCef8zCuWnieUDi67bMlusL24PTTXFP043Z3Sf_83tGhDMPVrQoJdXxL0-b4FfT54/s1600/20150425_074034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVdZrFaTbWfUDmHZzAXVzD28QQF5npyjhrnq0G72amQN8dn6Y0kRRisn-NqqCDeQdGzZ_9Z5xhGlCef8zCuWnieUDi67bMlusL24PTTXFP043Z3Sf_83tGhDMPVrQoJdXxL0-b4FfT54/s1600/20150425_074034.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First rays of the sun on Mt Difficulty.</td></tr>
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The morning light does something strange to the Autumn colours</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's dark and glowing at the same time</td></tr>
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The colour of the light changes every few minutes</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AyQtYrZwal6KjDEIEyQxMPnS_CFCLYFAI7zyyq8nFIyaTzTg_bfWaZl3rTryuEJg5Rgellc0Vebl1oFYVwfxZ-dQepOb-P1_vtZqchXkgfe-r4cGnqvP83OFetXUE-XDf70ewnLXoas/s1600/20150425_073109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AyQtYrZwal6KjDEIEyQxMPnS_CFCLYFAI7zyyq8nFIyaTzTg_bfWaZl3rTryuEJg5Rgellc0Vebl1oFYVwfxZ-dQepOb-P1_vtZqchXkgfe-r4cGnqvP83OFetXUE-XDf70ewnLXoas/s1600/20150425_073109.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 25th 2015. Anzac day in New Zealand. 100 years since Gallipoli.</td></tr>
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I thought this shot would come out orange. But the light changed on me in an instant.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't photoshop.</span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-47738410075532968562014-06-26T21:29:00.000+12:002014-06-26T21:29:59.132+12:00Arrow Gold Crabapple<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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.</div>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malus Arrow Gold. May 2014. Winter has just started.</td></tr>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeXvnTQQHyIDFPpShT9cDWkEEizAbz2zcSIX95zgYGMJYZhutjRPvMW8KmP2mHMzFFm3k3RBysJXyYjhg1ud0M_5qxUjWNJIml98ExB99JdAHUUsPwjYmlGqTudW-fE3aCez8g0dM29M/s1600/20140615_135456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeXvnTQQHyIDFPpShT9cDWkEEizAbz2zcSIX95zgYGMJYZhutjRPvMW8KmP2mHMzFFm3k3RBysJXyYjhg1ud0M_5qxUjWNJIml98ExB99JdAHUUsPwjYmlGqTudW-fE3aCez8g0dM29M/s1600/20140615_135456.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Malus Arrow Gold. More than two meters at two years. And good shape.</span></td></tr>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCQo_4vDv9BKZcfh5x8AOfT5Mhv3FbaLiBFoysSH1bzkmwFMv1uHzdr_yRwfgpLnTu_xF00vvXMIYJY6g7qaO6ceowTO3lJ_uySM9E9vjHRwJx9hXHjEf5xOM4dWAcdM_kPXPzc_AGAE/s1600/20140615_135437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCQo_4vDv9BKZcfh5x8AOfT5Mhv3FbaLiBFoysSH1bzkmwFMv1uHzdr_yRwfgpLnTu_xF00vvXMIYJY6g7qaO6ceowTO3lJ_uySM9E9vjHRwJx9hXHjEf5xOM4dWAcdM_kPXPzc_AGAE/s1600/20140615_135437.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrow Gold Crabapple. Antidote to winter drabness. </td></tr>
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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. </div>
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There is also quite a spectacular show of springtime blossums. Sorry I have not got photos.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think I will go out and buy a dozen of these trees. I think a grove of these will be amazing.</span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-30670523291029918962013-08-16T20:45:00.000+12:002015-05-02T19:05:16.913+12:00Evening light on the coast<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">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. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7djXfwTE_QF-y3iHzCZKDbRlmGkDmIAu_bzAnbzHJ1NwS-XiqGo_GjQKQvHJiukRBLzRlF8h5RWEBFaU2Tg5qcMZDwuDL-T5fH0CODvQQjOFYuNjOhMiz9yYtce6X3Lg0O712GLyD1qk/s1600/20130807_171807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7djXfwTE_QF-y3iHzCZKDbRlmGkDmIAu_bzAnbzHJ1NwS-XiqGo_GjQKQvHJiukRBLzRlF8h5RWEBFaU2Tg5qcMZDwuDL-T5fH0CODvQQjOFYuNjOhMiz9yYtce6X3Lg0O712GLyD1qk/s640/20130807_171807.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening light</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnCie00p1SxF7Np1SmShR3K6VZ3W4R_ii-3FcAhSZ1nsf0SxzsOlJuCHevCobATkLxTuWuPSJn-k1RRzJfk5fuL6gCBp1O9Nczaaa34N19JfTowB2La-32aDDh9nWHureRMnYX56Hk9k/s1600/20130807_171738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnCie00p1SxF7Np1SmShR3K6VZ3W4R_ii-3FcAhSZ1nsf0SxzsOlJuCHevCobATkLxTuWuPSJn-k1RRzJfk5fuL6gCBp1O9Nczaaa34N19JfTowB2La-32aDDh9nWHureRMnYX56Hk9k/s640/20130807_171738.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The illuminated dog himself. The pole on the headland is our turnaround point.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sealions often camp on that beach below. Enormous things about the size of a small car.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi3PHEOCZ0idjZ6C7r3nm6WNSeRysyB75kYWyXQRVvdADOuOQUoHZtMENo-1d1fmAe4h8xPcU86evgIP3npelxlpRKYimhtuw9YQ35JI3JttS-7kP-sD-hXECQhdLYV50zaHYz8RNKeI/s1600/20130807_172801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi3PHEOCZ0idjZ6C7r3nm6WNSeRysyB75kYWyXQRVvdADOuOQUoHZtMENo-1d1fmAe4h8xPcU86evgIP3npelxlpRKYimhtuw9YQ35JI3JttS-7kP-sD-hXECQhdLYV50zaHYz8RNKeI/s640/20130807_172801.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the way back. Sideways sunlight. It's about 3 kilometer round trip from where the road is blocked off.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Doggie loves it here. No cars and he can run and run. And sniff.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d_GXVvq-O7asfsa2CNAUB4PlQq_CZDsYtuP1URta6ggvdilzSGVDHfrWhfaT0E7dT7Vj2GybSitJXQebHOKhG-hZqFULAAqOdjnddVBluyGZU7CfrA8kO-oxNDpbPj-V2ubhP0H6ncU/s1600/20130807_172559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0d_GXVvq-O7asfsa2CNAUB4PlQq_CZDsYtuP1URta6ggvdilzSGVDHfrWhfaT0E7dT7Vj2GybSitJXQebHOKhG-hZqFULAAqOdjnddVBluyGZU7CfrA8kO-oxNDpbPj-V2ubhP0H6ncU/s640/20130807_172559.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notice the houses of the city, hidden in the shadow.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVKJ1ebCa8bbCZSMtVrcJmfR2WLfA6ZMjbGRe2l9K9TiOkZgGYzNi2BOBshYx3zlePBOiZE20Z7pwHznDshtuEraiFqlZxcsvW5xrARGpoWARQWLX3WHU0aR9XrF1Zdo8MWNvmrnyLJo/s1600/20150423_172505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVKJ1ebCa8bbCZSMtVrcJmfR2WLfA6ZMjbGRe2l9K9TiOkZgGYzNi2BOBshYx3zlePBOiZE20Z7pwHznDshtuEraiFqlZxcsvW5xrARGpoWARQWLX3WHU0aR9XrF1Zdo8MWNvmrnyLJo/s1600/20150423_172505.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always something to see here. On a different day with different light. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> end.</span></div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-12266180761062040852013-01-15T21:43:00.000+13:002013-01-15T21:43:00.451+13:00Summer Storm<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO5RKCoB_0iiW666pJ9cPSH0-NEN09bMmTR90W6G0-B0S1Gx32gPN5GMYmKS9fPh8JYUztHgn3A_thduv94JeMvlEZ53m1koz6RWXsuB1PltjVHKiBpU6Pdv2cESUHNoXXbWXSRyXDCo/s1600/20121207_202113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO5RKCoB_0iiW666pJ9cPSH0-NEN09bMmTR90W6G0-B0S1Gx32gPN5GMYmKS9fPh8JYUztHgn3A_thduv94JeMvlEZ53m1koz6RWXsuB1PltjVHKiBpU6Pdv2cESUHNoXXbWXSRyXDCo/s640/20121207_202113.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">December 2012</span></td></tr>
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Summer storm over Cromwell town and Lake Dunstan. Pisa Range in the background. Spur Valerian (<span style="font-size: small;"><i><i><i><i>Centranthus macrosiphon) </i></i></i></i>in the foreground. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">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</span>. <a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/08/lavender-border-now-for-lavender-patch.html?utm_source=BP_recent" target="_blank">Lavender Patch Update</a></div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-61722735574026846712013-01-04T20:36:00.000+13:002013-01-11T06:46:28.618+13:00Tunneling for gold. Lost beneath the lake.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This updates a much older post, now with historic photos from the 1930s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Out our back gate the land falls away steeply into the river. The Lady
Ranfurly gold dredge took incredible amounts of gold from the bottom of the
river right here in the early 1900's. ( see post <a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/gold-from-river.html?utm_source=BP_recent" target="_blank">Gold from the River.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That started people thinking. As they do when gold is to be had. The Great Depression of the 1930s put many people back into the hunt for gold. The most successful were right here.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeugZTFtrXJ626FTlXoOqKehSMBaQ89vil6W8LUsKgAAaCSaok7jZZwmhIeuYJ1U7UZEnGlDJ_MEgfjQKhc3_9QglpcWZATWbiK_yplSwBb_QFWrB-lhCYmV05jTc2w7QxBh98b-vua8/s1600/Bell-Kilgourmine-entrance+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeugZTFtrXJ626FTlXoOqKehSMBaQ89vil6W8LUsKgAAaCSaok7jZZwmhIeuYJ1U7UZEnGlDJ_MEgfjQKhc3_9QglpcWZATWbiK_yplSwBb_QFWrB-lhCYmV05jTc2w7QxBh98b-vua8/s640/Bell-Kilgourmine-entrance+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The theory was that the Kawarau River once
flowed under the flat land where we are, probably caused by a sandstone
bar redirecting the flow north. </span><span style="font-size: small;">If this was the case, then a lead of gold could be found under the flat and be very rich indeed.</span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXp2XPxHXoHlp0qB8z8eahWfjhtXEgX_fE3siA6uXTfdsot0LrR2nl5FvFTjmjav1_0xx75O8YmeX2oQOi7XffLkb9pvQFwNLvEF_61NqANDj9BLSPjiRabqFRoFDxPo7tfN8XPwma7jc/s640/DSC00138.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This
photo from our back gate shows Scotland point to the left where the tunneling operations were before the lake
was created and the water raised. The entrances were close to the original river because that
enabled tunnels to be drained down and outwards. </span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Scotland Point, is named after a Mr Scotland who in the 1880's found the first traces of that buried river bed. Building
small tunnels just large enough to crawl inside, he dug up the wash
while lying on his back or stomach, and placed it into a tray attached
to a rope, which was pulled out by his wife, who would run it through a washing cradle. Many attempts were made to find Scotland's workings but they were never found.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_zK37F9bt0sojm31x9kbKB-lRyJNcKEDtUXqVQTncod90vrDs75k3laOGwZqCeNyr6ctgQNL3_TnptVROCku0Euvqha90KrkfVejf4WDHlPgqSs9yG7aVe5bQlBXLgqrBphGbf7wTp0/s1600/Bell-Kilgour2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_zK37F9bt0sojm31x9kbKB-lRyJNcKEDtUXqVQTncod90vrDs75k3laOGwZqCeNyr6ctgQNL3_TnptVROCku0Euvqha90KrkfVejf4WDHlPgqSs9yG7aVe5bQlBXLgqrBphGbf7wTp0/s640/Bell-Kilgour2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I<span style="font-size: small;">n 1932 </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Percy
Bell, Bill Kilgour, Richie Bell and Zip and Lance Hooper, during weeks
of back-breaking work, used picks and shovels and, occasionally,
explosives to put drives into the sandstone cliffs.</span><span style="font-size: small;">
It was the midst of the Depression and the Government started paying a
miner's benefit of about 14 shillings and 3 pence a week to assist men
in prospecting for gold.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_PzSN9LFnC6vR6JrzyX7XOaeL3T5LSiA48EjLKzIHLq3Dxm8OukG8ixgmrhBSSsQszJAoRntEqFgt55MVpmmvGRBaO4cgoqA5G_Qubd4_PHw9hHKcApz_-ywCpYSyw3AqQEqGS4tH1I/s1600/Bellkilgour4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_PzSN9LFnC6vR6JrzyX7XOaeL3T5LSiA48EjLKzIHLq3Dxm8OukG8ixgmrhBSSsQszJAoRntEqFgt55MVpmmvGRBaO4cgoqA5G_Qubd4_PHw9hHKcApz_-ywCpYSyw3AqQEqGS4tH1I/s640/Bellkilgour4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Bill
Kilgour's two brothers and other local men were brought in to work the
Bell Kilgour and Bell Hooper minesas they moved towards the foothills,
finding average daily takes of 8lb to 10lb (3.6kg to 4.5kg), which was
"very rich indeed" </span><span style="font-size: small;">Finally,
the Bell Kilgour and Bell Hooper Gold Mining companies were formed, and
continued to find significant amounts of gold from Scotland's lead.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwsuR2T1VkSB-tPWHkxe854YilrADpFJTrQPBgXgL4Skt4u1QUoFTV3BuVwvhHY7bujOmio9IxrU1lvWdaLlQIaAtsZJaupyxkkpNZn8Z8DJroCzfw7KyvnZ5cbiYlFbM0m6gkfARpsU/s1600/DSC03345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwsuR2T1VkSB-tPWHkxe854YilrADpFJTrQPBgXgL4Skt4u1QUoFTV3BuVwvhHY7bujOmio9IxrU1lvWdaLlQIaAtsZJaupyxkkpNZn8Z8DJroCzfw7KyvnZ5cbiYlFbM0m6gkfARpsU/s640/DSC03345.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todays peaceful scene conceals past cycles of frantic and fruitful activity.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">According
to Professor Park, an eminent mining authority at the time, it was one
the most significant finds of alluvial gold deposits found anywhere in
New Zealand since the 1800s.
However the project did not continue for long. I have not learned
why. Although obviously if it had continued to be possible to get the
gold then tunneling would have continued. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Acknowledging the 'Sir George Grey Special Collections' Auckland Libraries who have gathered images from the pictorial magazine 'Auckland Weekly News' 1932 and 1933. Present day photos by Kerry Hand.</span></i></span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-38279334385269848242012-11-08T20:34:00.000+13:002012-11-08T20:34:21.626+13:00Miners Lettuce. Food of the gold rush.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As I cut through the pine shelter belt I came across this. A plant I did not expect. Miners lettuce, a native of northern California.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xo1LBdDPOEmNGZCQh_mWyCigbkM_EfbxShqBnc9p7Igs6iAiT7NrEBcQAdKQCCpLsP24B1OpPdR9vfTxBA7nZI0Xbo7tQOoOnSApxpMFkaZjF1qVqJvrWyq86Xtq1coaiEbU98PjbK0/s1600/DSC06766.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xo1LBdDPOEmNGZCQh_mWyCigbkM_EfbxShqBnc9p7Igs6iAiT7NrEBcQAdKQCCpLsP24B1OpPdR9vfTxBA7nZI0Xbo7tQOoOnSApxpMFkaZjF1qVqJvrWyq86Xtq1coaiEbU98PjbK0/s640/DSC06766.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little stranger plant. Not where it was expected to be.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">So I got down for a closer look to see what it was. Miners Lettuce! What was that doing just here. So healthy and strong.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf7SePUQPT4aP1-JAqYkGEFzAeWP0Gt4fbtkPzOzRKNHJfsRG8CK1sf7j_3x4WEGI8EsB3F9lmXFb48pk2T9jq4hzOxzidKtG8fSyOLxf5G6YBEjjMFtkywSTyIs_CZYwmAVSxMAp0mo/s1600/DSC06769.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf7SePUQPT4aP1-JAqYkGEFzAeWP0Gt4fbtkPzOzRKNHJfsRG8CK1sf7j_3x4WEGI8EsB3F9lmXFb48pk2T9jq4hzOxzidKtG8fSyOLxf5G6YBEjjMFtkywSTyIs_CZYwmAVSxMAp0mo/s640/DSC06769.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing well this little plant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">This exact plant did not come from California as I had some miners lettuce in the vegetable garden some 100 meters away. But I have never had a vegetable garden where there had been escapees at all.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I had grown miners lettuce last summer and we used it quite often. </span><span style="font-size: small;">It is growing at the end of
winter under a pine plantation, in an area
which is challenging to grow anything. This plant is doing very well in
the circumstances.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SpEaoaYlIs9orZwGAZGjzKZMO9BcmPvShtDto7wK5m7y38Uu1A6zfWrfo8zMckOS1WaqF2nYwVFTQKmhkK5eXXt9B2XMj3X7f3e_fIkTOp1Nn-5y06SYt0ZJSq8axpNR8FlzCs-MIKc/s1600/DSC05310.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SpEaoaYlIs9orZwGAZGjzKZMO9BcmPvShtDto7wK5m7y38Uu1A6zfWrfo8zMckOS1WaqF2nYwVFTQKmhkK5eXXt9B2XMj3X7f3e_fIkTOp1Nn-5y06SYt0ZJSq8axpNR8FlzCs-MIKc/s640/DSC05310.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mesclun lettuce and sprouts in a salad,
Miners lettuce in addition and some Chilli Prawn skewers on top. Straight balsamic as a
dressing worked well. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">Miners Lettuce got it’s name from it’s use
by the miners who used it to prevent scurvy. 100 grams of miner's
lettuce—about the size of a decent salad—contains a third of your daily
requirement of Vitamin C, 22 percent of the Vitamin A, and 10 percent of
the iron. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3JLp_hANXcUPbKpShHQFJixtJF10CH9IRFpb7r5mpoA_qnE7eVPBuCO9rE0ZrbhH9SpiZuea-aejR2NbjRzyxplBXUpGGqMe6b8X1QwLXizSWFxPRmEI5j2LkVDHT9El0WdlkWWgDcE/s1600/Miners+Lettuce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3JLp_hANXcUPbKpShHQFJixtJF10CH9IRFpb7r5mpoA_qnE7eVPBuCO9rE0ZrbhH9SpiZuea-aejR2NbjRzyxplBXUpGGqMe6b8X1QwLXizSWFxPRmEI5j2LkVDHT9El0WdlkWWgDcE/s640/Miners+Lettuce.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self sown but where you would expect. In the vegetable garden. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">The Californians who came here for the gold rush in the 1860s left a legacy of Monterey Pine, California Poppy and California Quail. Perhaps they bought Miners lettuce, but not trace remains now. Perhaps the 100 years in between when rabbits polished the vegetation in this area till it was like a billiard table.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I had found seedling plants in a
farmers market hundreds of kilometers north of here. And later found a packet of seeds from <a href="http://www.kingsseeds.co.nz/" target="_blank">Kings Seeds </a> New Zealand's premier seed supply.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N9gkyPko6u8EzwakBCR17k1YcVDLC187SGE40TZTfMIBvqVsfuWc7LmvkEWsPKWnT3yIcOocxmK_tjZivFfMdscad-NJrM4i_trIz8e0PCcGI6k1GO2LhsVHMBbFcybmI4R20hXg0HY/s1600/DSC04572.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N9gkyPko6u8EzwakBCR17k1YcVDLC187SGE40TZTfMIBvqVsfuWc7LmvkEWsPKWnT3yIcOocxmK_tjZivFfMdscad-NJrM4i_trIz8e0PCcGI6k1GO2LhsVHMBbFcybmI4R20hXg0HY/s640/DSC04572.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hastings Farmers Market. June 2011.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It went into the vegetable garden straight away. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwvyvB6yoO_uEN9T0fyZtBNURUwiMRUWuh0uJVst1yWvXSho6FzTdsATkZn_ernhMp1YWnLazQwrbIT8KON2Dpi0Tf2WPBPfziUpiVeLThZgclp7lR5nY5NVatniI-jnHZYXzMGvMEiU/s1600/DSC05300.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwvyvB6yoO_uEN9T0fyZtBNURUwiMRUWuh0uJVst1yWvXSho6FzTdsATkZn_ernhMp1YWnLazQwrbIT8KON2Dpi0Tf2WPBPfziUpiVeLThZgclp7lR5nY5NVatniI-jnHZYXzMGvMEiU/s640/DSC05300.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">October 2011</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Four months and it's growing well, right through the netting I put there to keep off the rabbits.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sue shows Miners Lettuce in her post and pictures in her wonderful Sierra Blog. <a href="http://sierrafoothillgarden.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/enough-miners-lettuce-for-a-salad/">http://sierrafoothillgarden.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/enough-miners-lettuce-for-a-salad/</a> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">It’s natural home is the west coast of the United States and centered in northern California.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">While
it had been bought to Europe by the early explorers in the 1700s (Spanish) the later
population explosion in California bought the American miners in 1949 -
the “49ers”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Given
the limited diet options of the miners in both California and Otago –
they were known to travel into the wilderness taking only a sack of
flour – the miners lettuce was useful as it could be planted and
harvested very easily and it provided an essential food alternative.</span></div>
</div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-43347873189833930912012-10-23T22:06:00.000+13:002012-10-23T22:06:54.447+13:00A Rare Fire<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mostly you have
to think of our area as desert. We do have grass and trees, but it's
very dry here and any fire can burn out of control very quickly. If you lit a
fire at the wrong time, it could soon be licking the edge of the
town some 5 km away. Not only very embarrassing, but very dangerous.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU-W2Sk5G_z2NDMTJ7Kc4psC6gjRaZ0Sm9jtQ8wukBbwn85DFkg_wKA0Y4vltAEMkxy1aCJuPEnL33Frk0DOyzOXjN-nS-pb0_E59S3SuE16H9oYIT0iPfRrMUxMIpyXrhyWuiTD0KCA/s1600/DSC06624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU-W2Sk5G_z2NDMTJ7Kc4psC6gjRaZ0Sm9jtQ8wukBbwn85DFkg_wKA0Y4vltAEMkxy1aCJuPEnL33Frk0DOyzOXjN-nS-pb0_E59S3SuE16H9oYIT0iPfRrMUxMIpyXrhyWuiTD0KCA/s640/DSC06624.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Seizing an opportunity.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In August (winter in New Zealand) there had been that rainfall and little heat to suck out the moisture. Our surroundings were soaked through and there was good opportunity to burn the scraps that accumulate around the field.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18c5FpuvyQMDsUAAD12mvX1SvBxjQjnvYSHaG8t3i7xxUI3Jz8waiMXTXhkvXCBGnxPQdqmsNfHTtk_Df5QTzh36k0K4Xdd0dNe3OUix6JQPMlQhfoysC5knZPAnTRpxNSoaNNSknAr0/s1600/DSC06629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18c5FpuvyQMDsUAAD12mvX1SvBxjQjnvYSHaG8t3i7xxUI3Jz8waiMXTXhkvXCBGnxPQdqmsNfHTtk_Df5QTzh36k0K4Xdd0dNe3OUix6JQPMlQhfoysC5knZPAnTRpxNSoaNNSknAr0/s640/DSC06629.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inside is warmer, but not as interesting as a fire.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I lit a fire. I was soon joined by the my wife, and her parents. We looked about a bit and found more than a few branches that needed to be disposed of.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A nice riesling, some comfortable chairs from the terrace, a fire to watch and keep you warm. What else could you need on a darkening winters evening ? </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kE9BOS_x1FZ243fqKIDwLpVxxoee3VomPBaLzGn7dmJSsANMFrgDs0CbL_v1zQrvxWHl4q9EcTk88lJClLqqvtpWeTgEl6eRrmtLuqjeL2Uop3Y9Z-g3WjVw0wMW9rLZcoOlL6HAxkE/s1600/DSC06631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kE9BOS_x1FZ243fqKIDwLpVxxoee3VomPBaLzGn7dmJSsANMFrgDs0CbL_v1zQrvxWHl4q9EcTk88lJClLqqvtpWeTgEl6eRrmtLuqjeL2Uop3Y9Z-g3WjVw0wMW9rLZcoOlL6HAxkE/s640/DSC06631.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Any fire is worth watching</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doggie of course was not going to miss the action. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEEQLNCQKe0EBghJbGDQZQWv0BpIsMX6bjbnfMW9C17wDmwGdkqCTxsIinO4CIUizUh2q07dAfwKdq6F5BCiMa1Wv1eDzDUE6Fqj6aaJmNdyp1f46Nt6-UKjdOSQDbnu6wSvJfIXA6C8/s1600/DSC06635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEEQLNCQKe0EBghJbGDQZQWv0BpIsMX6bjbnfMW9C17wDmwGdkqCTxsIinO4CIUizUh2q07dAfwKdq6F5BCiMa1Wv1eDzDUE6Fqj6aaJmNdyp1f46Nt6-UKjdOSQDbnu6wSvJfIXA6C8/s640/DSC06635.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fire is a satisfying sort of thing.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTo6Sn5VPoCCPm47XfZvu3fjnLS37OKHveNRPwtHrt6cS7nnJ5UX26YyN4NJvfGvQAOCoRTfuERFbVyAIimP_8rhSWw5uPagvAzJUkZFS4e4xMlH8ODp0nLyEJhx7lePBqpMPE2PGltQ/s1600/DSC06632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">End</span></span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-34485759410056964762012-09-25T15:52:00.000+12:002013-09-06T22:00:09.220+12:00Gold from the river.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The remains of two gold dredges lie in the river right at the end of the property. One, the Lady Ranfurly Dredge was the most successful of all time. She worked quite a short stretch of river right here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The view from our back gate is across the river to the vineyards of Felton Road. When the Lady Ranfurly had done it's work it was left on the river bank right in the centre of this picture. In 1992 it was covered by the water of the raised</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Lake Dunstan. The Lady Ranfurly lies there still.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To the left of this photo, now also under water, lies the Molyneaux Dredge, abandoned in 1942. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC1lg1MMkorSqB2hGH0KCR3Z_fmzJrfqmMVR5f42cmBcVEiXDZsKvJMIaAdvVnm6lh7lH_Ea8EpkJkWCxoQqjUdGWJPnplx-2MysvRKDvVEk9p06hZI3NBri-DAHcZBi4ekWhHyuzaOE/s1600/DSC00138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC1lg1MMkorSqB2hGH0KCR3Z_fmzJrfqmMVR5f42cmBcVEiXDZsKvJMIaAdvVnm6lh7lH_Ea8EpkJkWCxoQqjUdGWJPnplx-2MysvRKDvVEk9p06hZI3NBri-DAHcZBi4ekWhHyuzaOE/s640/DSC00138.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the back gate: Kawarau River, now Lake Dunstan.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are massive amounts of gold still here, although that in the bottom of the river is now gone. Well maybe</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our back gate, and the drive down to the river was the supply point for the dredge.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGTlqQnhhUM_rslK-wcYNGgVWWE72g1rGQpKbd4Mw2MKcIFtuWzqDFk2l4dzBsOjIjj0y16vM6FDcmz6jKOIJWT3IrcHNZCrxAkEprN2Bp3v_yrl6IHeqFD0CSJlu5DZS2tzhfI0NA1M/s1600/Lady.Ranfurly+pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGTlqQnhhUM_rslK-wcYNGgVWWE72g1rGQpKbd4Mw2MKcIFtuWzqDFk2l4dzBsOjIjj0y16vM6FDcmz6jKOIJWT3IrcHNZCrxAkEprN2Bp3v_yrl6IHeqFD0CSJlu5DZS2tzhfI0NA1M/s640/Lady.Ranfurly+pic2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Lady Ranfurly. Launched 1898</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The amounts of gold recovered by these machines, coal powered, with only a crew of half a dozen men was incredible. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_0tSZ5YdsV6pVx6-6HpF2Qc-A9X_4kv2yNqOfG2X8cQgmtX7d2SK8JegNmVSi3GCLfZ-_mlQ5eYahyphenhyphenCuIUvOoS5tuYHD7F6JP6rB1DzTQ_D8m_uN8w_uhyphenhyphen-r2-c6dEcoky51lVLCAcc/s1600/p-23672-enz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_0tSZ5YdsV6pVx6-6HpF2Qc-A9X_4kv2yNqOfG2X8cQgmtX7d2SK8JegNmVSi3GCLfZ-_mlQ5eYahyphenhyphenCuIUvOoS5tuYHD7F6JP6rB1DzTQ_D8m_uN8w_uhyphenhyphen-r2-c6dEcoky51lVLCAcc/s640/p-23672-enz.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The record haul</span></td></tr>
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In the week of 7 July 1902 The Electric Gold Dredging Company's Kawarau River dredge, <i>Lady </i><i>Ranfurly</i>, won 1,234 ounces of gold. Here the dredgemaster, several dredgemen, the manager and ledger-keeper of the Cromwell Bank of New Zealand and a shareholder, Mrs G. H. Stephenson, look at the week’s haul.<br />
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On another occasion it took over 600 ounces out of an area 15 feet by 15 feet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-dzl74XF0GK0Qio0TJEPG7vVeJV8aSJfu_Px5wrf_ZY30kzYh0ELhvHbO6vqTaZuWQW8cfZX7O5n-ekMd1dgAaRi2ZRNlwTCZ_Kezscy_3iBDY6Ztuml_mJc8cHZOdo8yIzo18l_SIY/s1600/Ranfulry+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-dzl74XF0GK0Qio0TJEPG7vVeJV8aSJfu_Px5wrf_ZY30kzYh0ELhvHbO6vqTaZuWQW8cfZX7O5n-ekMd1dgAaRi2ZRNlwTCZ_Kezscy_3iBDY6Ztuml_mJc8cHZOdo8yIzo18l_SIY/s640/Ranfulry+close.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Ranfurly closeup: Happy is he who can go to work with his dog.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Jp0ooEfeRAKUBqJN2z3peWCHxQgMLXSthlJbATzPDAlO9mOmiGj7V4gQQ5S4IgZUaxX1d1wu4ZJ7sJapYKZuhPeM1t74zGNZJe_ZkhamLesdCW8v1Z5t36xW2ODaMvSoz_ahD1nzwe0/s1600/Ranfulry+2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Jp0ooEfeRAKUBqJN2z3peWCHxQgMLXSthlJbATzPDAlO9mOmiGj7V4gQQ5S4IgZUaxX1d1wu4ZJ7sJapYKZuhPeM1t74zGNZJe_ZkhamLesdCW8v1Z5t36xW2ODaMvSoz_ahD1nzwe0/s640/Ranfulry+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The Lady Ranfurly continued on until 1918 as the returns diminished. Then she was hauled out and left. </div>
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The Molyneux was much later. Built many kilometers downstream at Alexandra. It was a marvel of technology and had all that it should have. Strangely however it was moved and moved upstream to Bannockburn in little more than a year. The locals shook their heads. "To fast, they need to settle down and work their patch and they will find the gold." But alas that was not what happened. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeplYcVH6TzWHAF5J3ezxtg0IrkA1Fj4hb3W6HfYl5nZ3szry07MW2x_kEIg4n2C_FxNmldykuA5nJfzaFSR1plCnam8uvVFowwP3i-rJ-XJe_NHNbcCllg6nGhF6ApefgZpQr7CNWH-U/s1600/Molyneux+at+Bannockburn+Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeplYcVH6TzWHAF5J3ezxtg0IrkA1Fj4hb3W6HfYl5nZ3szry07MW2x_kEIg4n2C_FxNmldykuA5nJfzaFSR1plCnam8uvVFowwP3i-rJ-XJe_NHNbcCllg6nGhF6ApefgZpQr7CNWH-U/s640/Molyneux+at+Bannockburn+Bridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molyneux 1942. Being winched up under the Bannockburn Bridge.</td></tr>
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If any of the cables had parted. What a mess that would have been.<br />
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After about 50kms of river, and a far too hasty an exploration the Molyneux was abandoned. Probably the promoters had burned through all their cash.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYPD73cDCpeZcr7xxSQYdao1JoDnAOwVdw5UqmUo8EOQilgAQpaiWBxAUcclOByKmRzS445t08JV1yN80Ymb9_HLqFG3JAgxwe1sQyZoDKOVbf3X_yqTsT1xF6NtMIkCYFWQdGEX23Jk/s1600/Molyneux-Ranfulry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYPD73cDCpeZcr7xxSQYdao1JoDnAOwVdw5UqmUo8EOQilgAQpaiWBxAUcclOByKmRzS445t08JV1yN80Ymb9_HLqFG3JAgxwe1sQyZoDKOVbf3X_yqTsT1xF6NtMIkCYFWQdGEX23Jk/s640/Molyneux-Ranfulry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remains of the Lady Ranfurly with the people in the foreground. The Molyneux downriver in the background. The "Field of Gold Property" on the left hand bank by the Molyneux. Photo probably 1940</td></tr>
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So it goes. The worlds most successful gold dredge "The Lady Ranfulry" reduced to a few scraps of steel and timber. And one of the most sophisticated dredges made, "The Molyneux"an abject failure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ_JecdrTCb6m52aFr1EZWl01RMrniAYE-pY0yYgyCr02TPkWDhoeH4MRoEQHxPtihH9GPuhTOVXa4Qs-66Na2pjbLqhS2_uOVAGEDtc5vAi5r8bn8E3twM4NKkkMgFzVMTGTF8CF3YI/s640/DSC06291_1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lady Ranfurly worked from here to the mouth of the gorge. Only about 4 Kilometers.</td></tr>
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*****UPDATE </div>
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But the human spirit springs eternal. Recently, about 100 years after the peak of the lady Ranfurly success there is another dredge on the river. About 80 kilometers downstream someone else is giving it a go. The "Cold Gold' dredge started up for about six months ago. Then ceased for modifications and now is back in operation. It seems to be using a suction technique rather than buckets. It's not a huge multinational, but you don't run a labour and fuel intensive dredge like this cheaply either.</div>
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They are still there, so they must be doing ok. But as with all who follow the fascination with gold. They are not saying much.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl7UsHsDQK5UxdMa0tmkYOAkqCkYq2prjpEfDS-Zn9GWwCatImFb6zP9Hw86EiMOtv_W6jyEXdXojJwrq5BPxuVP_jom64dNEbOCoycYfEdORIaIJ-didxB3hJ0JWv9Rypau9Xb1e7oY/s1600/20130901_163348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl7UsHsDQK5UxdMa0tmkYOAkqCkYq2prjpEfDS-Zn9GWwCatImFb6zP9Hw86EiMOtv_W6jyEXdXojJwrq5BPxuVP_jom64dNEbOCoycYfEdORIaIJ-didxB3hJ0JWv9Rypau9Xb1e7oY/s640/20130901_163348.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013. Still spending big money on chasing gold. Modern Gold dredge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VdJOOxbmVH5KvXrvw0d_B2vsKB_XyLQuCUXPoktywNwbBCwbMbB-09yhBN_5suGzd-WtWLZX234CmygYRlj1RUVkG0MwIikhsqRumIHTERKGt1JWlFpvUBoqt5K9JDUEw-8j6-Ct6CY/s1600/20130901_163418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VdJOOxbmVH5KvXrvw0d_B2vsKB_XyLQuCUXPoktywNwbBCwbMbB-09yhBN_5suGzd-WtWLZX234CmygYRlj1RUVkG0MwIikhsqRumIHTERKGt1JWlFpvUBoqt5K9JDUEw-8j6-Ct6CY/s640/20130901_163418.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The constant drone of big powerful machinery drifts across the water. Modern gold dredge</td></tr>
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End</div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-15705525418213060552012-08-16T21:25:00.000+12:002012-08-16T21:29:38.376+12:00The Dark Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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North of here, over the Lindis pass, spread across the awesome MacKenzie Country is the 'The Dark Park'. That's what I call it anyway. And in the middle of those endless kilometers of dark, I got my own picture of the moon. With the assistance of some great technology.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6ZeOfnEDHySjAV7dVaweNP9z6Qh0hpOT_QSP5PyaBxQmkfC0oKUc72i2umrBgl-xT1vNPurk1ISOrsBN3BVJnKssXAlOko_YCc_s-SyavwndKOheMqbjSeqOBDeSI7XG16ch6GVK4sE/s1600/DSC06502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6ZeOfnEDHySjAV7dVaweNP9z6Qh0hpOT_QSP5PyaBxQmkfC0oKUc72i2umrBgl-xT1vNPurk1ISOrsBN3BVJnKssXAlOko_YCc_s-SyavwndKOheMqbjSeqOBDeSI7XG16ch6GVK4sE/s640/DSC06502.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My moon shot. Through a Mt John telescope.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"The Dark Park" known otherwise as the </span><a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1112551694/new-zealands-aoraki-mackenzie-named-worlds-largest-international-dark-sky-reserve/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> is a huge stretch of territory where artificial light is restricted by regulation. It has been used for over 50 years as a base for looking at the stars</span>.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now it is the largest area in the world with restrictions on artificial lights, and many people go there just for that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To be frank, given there was a moon like this, it was not as dark as many of the nights we get home at 'The Field of Gold'. But at home we don't have a sixteen inch telescope under a dome. So here at Mt John for the first time I saw the </span><u style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rings around Saturn</u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> !!!! Myself - with my own eyes - for the the very first time - using one of those huge machines. Magic.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDqZLXVtn9NOXcpnwnuKl0TFAcldqbVjBdQ0jeT3ZuqaLjw21UDIrY19Z-82ojU9sb9bWgAw8XxE6qXVRun9K3QToGgJUhF3Lxq-jiC-bNsS-HoAQJYQYnmE2xcA0CrwtNhvWfTiZ0bc/s1600/DSC06551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDqZLXVtn9NOXcpnwnuKl0TFAcldqbVjBdQ0jeT3ZuqaLjw21UDIrY19Z-82ojU9sb9bWgAw8XxE6qXVRun9K3QToGgJUhF3Lxq-jiC-bNsS-HoAQJYQYnmE2xcA0CrwtNhvWfTiZ0bc/s640/DSC06551.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Flying in. A scattering of telescopes on top of Mount John.</span> Notice the vast landscape.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mt John is used by many Universities from around the world. Each has their own programme and facilities, which explains the apparent duplication and scatter of various domes. See more about Mount John </span><a href="http://earthandskynz.com/earthandsky/mt_john/mt_john.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> From here you can see sky which you can't from the northern hemisphere. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCmFmlRXyJLxzefblj7PBOm8u1Jv7qqMvm9U0HDyVax9tSTVqqBKucFkMS2x3HtLLEufgsoV7_hnjXr-0nLXBdn59sPOTxet3-2ilPz6XooabsGTDEDaOvv8wr-41qpobMXnC0blLKQQ/s1600/DSC06525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCmFmlRXyJLxzefblj7PBOm8u1Jv7qqMvm9U0HDyVax9tSTVqqBKucFkMS2x3HtLLEufgsoV7_hnjXr-0nLXBdn59sPOTxet3-2ilPz6XooabsGTDEDaOvv8wr-41qpobMXnC0blLKQQ/s640/DSC06525.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notice the far mountains. The Dark Park includes these as well.</span> It's a big park.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXhlvyZpjd-F1zlanHsYBZJCV5cIy8Lrfb2nS91Vy3y9MmMKF_nX20oucqe8XdbI4HsUCzjRNchfcOnJ72-EJCuKEIAeFCrxo3NemhHeUsPrsQYCBbXnFGurBP6GM2dDUhv8WjHPKApQ/s1600/DSC06522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXhlvyZpjd-F1zlanHsYBZJCV5cIy8Lrfb2nS91Vy3y9MmMKF_nX20oucqe8XdbI4HsUCzjRNchfcOnJ72-EJCuKEIAeFCrxo3NemhHeUsPrsQYCBbXnFGurBP6GM2dDUhv8WjHPKApQ/s640/DSC06522.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tekapo Village. Mt John in the immediate background.</span> Some real mountains behind.</td></tr>
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A bunch of scientists from around the world. They do need some facilities and places to live.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbmimmr8_LID3e2Fq7mNUf0DFdc29pcDtC62PT4tSITjhH_bvy2m7Y6tfHY1nIV2zyv1o4kV3QYUxKjF9jFfmJQonxKV8qVEY3tWrfsF0aHjzndS7CpEQSx3ZOWPEQuaqpxEnehl1-gc/s1600/DSC06562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbmimmr8_LID3e2Fq7mNUf0DFdc29pcDtC62PT4tSITjhH_bvy2m7Y6tfHY1nIV2zyv1o4kV3QYUxKjF9jFfmJQonxKV8qVEY3tWrfsF0aHjzndS7CpEQSx3ZOWPEQuaqpxEnehl1-gc/s640/DSC06562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The big silver dome is Nagoya University Japan. The biggest unit on the mountain.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLcMxnQpr2w5jNQfse8JOsJs-BT_4SPqZDwmGa5iA3OImiNP24FMJASFj9wUowwp_iaUuIOu9SYyUMvIbmgOdePkguRaANgT4iNa4XOVYMAhLIenW00u8aoYKNlVdMf46EotYIdwKv5w/s1600/DSC06565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLcMxnQpr2w5jNQfse8JOsJs-BT_4SPqZDwmGa5iA3OImiNP24FMJASFj9wUowwp_iaUuIOu9SYyUMvIbmgOdePkguRaANgT4iNa4XOVYMAhLIenW00u8aoYKNlVdMf46EotYIdwKv5w/s640/DSC06565.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The former American Military Facility. Now University of Canterbury.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Americans were here looking at Satellites, both American and Soviet and also the Apollo programme. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6RZP-btfElr_3UsSqLCXvhyHH13Zi03Lva7tGq4DFhWNWjbHCR7Vo10gwB5XsKSFHLIdTQojCLc_k16YMpd8gFcVxEoDN8mWN3YRuQRG1dwz142JEhmz6yAmGPizt1Yp0Y-cMhZe9JU/s1600/DSC06505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6RZP-btfElr_3UsSqLCXvhyHH13Zi03Lva7tGq4DFhWNWjbHCR7Vo10gwB5XsKSFHLIdTQojCLc_k16YMpd8gFcVxEoDN8mWN3YRuQRG1dwz142JEhmz6yAmGPizt1Yp0Y-cMhZe9JU/s640/DSC06505.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A photo of my beloved. The night we were on the mountain</span></td></tr>
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End.</div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-469047453321044182012-07-25T22:06:00.002+12:002012-07-25T22:14:26.911+12:00Are they beautiful<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Half way down to the coast the highway winds past a big hill. In the last few months it has sprouted nine great windmills, the property of our local community owned power company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a lot of opposition to windmills generally, but actually I think they are beautiful. There are lots of hills they should not be on. But I think they can be on this hill.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You could not put these on my beautiful Mt Difficulty. <a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/mount-difficulty-first-of-ten-views.html?utm_source=BP_recent" target="_blank">Link to photos of Mt Difficulty here</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But on this farmland, they seem to me to be like great mobile art installations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am interested in your comments. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4dUOCmzo-L-F_HPc9WRHU4IzpAqZlJxu7veKYT0v25OAb5bmhoouc7c_ZGoz7_nSIOV6KwPBtjQjAbfzSPqd4zoWOFJtyRcl_wRRfSJhFzNzIUgj14JKvchXy_6cWrXS1nMxOP5YiKc/s1600/DSC06468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4dUOCmzo-L-F_HPc9WRHU4IzpAqZlJxu7veKYT0v25OAb5bmhoouc7c_ZGoz7_nSIOV6KwPBtjQjAbfzSPqd4zoWOFJtyRcl_wRRfSJhFzNzIUgj14JKvchXy_6cWrXS1nMxOP5YiKc/s640/DSC06468.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From the West. In the afternoon sun.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5TA1919gckpyufpZgWEyJPzZ70ygIhLH9KGD9i46sFxqsVpQ0IX1ZTB-EDa6cs-jN4RrnwArh_nDDGETSVnTxUcLEu8aDIr0I84ICdLZ7ZlUR9GIK8l33SuvP35bPjMqH-7KsxelHBE/s1600/DSC06456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5TA1919gckpyufpZgWEyJPzZ70ygIhLH9KGD9i46sFxqsVpQ0IX1ZTB-EDa6cs-jN4RrnwArh_nDDGETSVnTxUcLEu8aDIr0I84ICdLZ7ZlUR9GIK8l33SuvP35bPjMqH-7KsxelHBE/s640/DSC06456.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The highway winds around three sides of the hill. All nine machines, against the bright sky.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMmX3o8XW-OXns_T5pdTN2HN12EuNrzwIF1pj3392gaYm_u-A6u-KU93W-F5yWNhErgba_fg7y9zeanGsPqer2RaVWLMoguwwYEmOe9Er4rTXzUWVEJtr8jayJXuUIkKobgYvOxGjhQI/s1600/DSC05965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMmX3o8XW-OXns_T5pdTN2HN12EuNrzwIF1pj3392gaYm_u-A6u-KU93W-F5yWNhErgba_fg7y9zeanGsPqer2RaVWLMoguwwYEmOe9Er4rTXzUWVEJtr8jayJXuUIkKobgYvOxGjhQI/s640/DSC05965.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMOtK0a3ISXtYHazVYBedC5bU-G0R_Xlj7mewZlJh9mB9w1j6hiiJbKPlT0WQyQCwnRMUI7n8c3RBRH9XXYFSCs7TZw5I8t1HsCJvtQbjtZBDJrd1elpxwnTEmKGAlGglsO8mKqK22Yc/s1600/DSC05967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMOtK0a3ISXtYHazVYBedC5bU-G0R_Xlj7mewZlJh9mB9w1j6hiiJbKPlT0WQyQCwnRMUI7n8c3RBRH9XXYFSCs7TZw5I8t1HsCJvtQbjtZBDJrd1elpxwnTEmKGAlGglsO8mKqK22Yc/s640/DSC05967.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Made in Spain. Renewable energy in New Zealand. Awesome and intimidating up close.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5loMmH32QQV_CYBMLYTrJXqpLA0PIWuaAqqtA64QageOwkGq8at_c8VMCfgu9kfFJ5u-lbRdgCC04lARW2u7_cAtqAEi9A8a5SOY13YZKBSyoof4y2biyAgYHpjuuRBtrIp3miX6Oq8/s1600/DSC05969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5loMmH32QQV_CYBMLYTrJXqpLA0PIWuaAqqtA64QageOwkGq8at_c8VMCfgu9kfFJ5u-lbRdgCC04lARW2u7_cAtqAEi9A8a5SOY13YZKBSyoof4y2biyAgYHpjuuRBtrIp3miX6Oq8/s640/DSC05969.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's a hill. Not one of my beautiful mountains.</span></td></tr>
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You can comment buy clicking on the link below.<br />The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-62287314537313241912012-05-21T22:56:00.000+12:002012-06-07T12:05:01.179+12:00Bannockburn Bridge. Central Otago. The old and the new.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This peaceful scene at the Bannockburn bridge over the Kawarau, conceals a long history. What is interesting is beneath the new lake. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKldXVx75s3kTOE0TcuVUJpvxyk3_VAjtqoHHrSfUZ4uLa2YqaNJrcyleVmizZELj0nzcfd-674JhKkWIdTf9yk-gRKAkEAF2QgHw1tvm304AZwccvKt2t5iuZw43xSNcBDxOnnAeuJyw/s1600/DSC06296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKldXVx75s3kTOE0TcuVUJpvxyk3_VAjtqoHHrSfUZ4uLa2YqaNJrcyleVmizZELj0nzcfd-674JhKkWIdTf9yk-gRKAkEAF2QgHw1tvm304AZwccvKt2t5iuZw43xSNcBDxOnnAeuJyw/s640/DSC06296.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Todays Bannockburn bridge over Lake Dunstan conceals a history.</span></td></tr>
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This beautiful new lake covers what was once a raging river in a deep gorge ('canyon' to Americans). The river posed a big challenge to the gold miners hordes as they crashed into this uninhabited area in 1862.</div>
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First there was a ferry, then five bridges. Massive amounts of gold crossed the bridges here and the river below was the home of the 'Lady Ranfurly' Possibly the worlds most successful gold dredge.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGZT5GmHbAPW-AKgAdaTj3olnjoCC49nOilPlhBZhQudFXmnLqNNEpGA5aasKVdOiGu5QHddrbtuCdyfglIfjro_62BxcPCfr8JykLRdn2pZtODRuAtvvjXysokAwSyivGiTYPWc_68E/s1600/DSC03551_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGZT5GmHbAPW-AKgAdaTj3olnjoCC49nOilPlhBZhQudFXmnLqNNEpGA5aasKVdOiGu5QHddrbtuCdyfglIfjro_62BxcPCfr8JykLRdn2pZtODRuAtvvjXysokAwSyivGiTYPWc_68E/s640/DSC03551_1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bannockburn Bridge. About the turn of the Century. 1900. (Bridge 3)</td></tr>
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On the beach in the background of the photo above you can see one of the dredges that made this stretch of river famous.<br />
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First there was Stuarts ferry. In 1874, John Richards and the Kawarau Bridge Company commissioned the original bridge. (Bridge 1)<br />
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That bridge was washed away in the great floods of 1878, and its wreckage destroyed the Clyde bridge on the Clutha, which in turn ruined the Roxburgh bridge, about 100 kilometers downstream.<br />
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Another bridge was erected using the original piers and wire ropes. (Bridge 2) In the 1890s the bridge was in poor repair and was badly damaged by fire. It reopened again in 1897. (Bridge 3)</div>
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Otago Witness , Issue 2185, 16 January 1896, Page 11</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Upstream from the bridge</span></td></tr>
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The area was mined in various ways and the bridge was the essential infrastructure that made it possible. The river below was one of the most prolific sources of gold. Between 1900 and 1918 the Lady Ranfuly worked this stretch of water. That wonderful piece of Victorian technology was possibly the most successful gold dredge of all time.</div>
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It wasn't all easy however. The last gold dredge here, the Molyneux, equipped with state of art technology only lasted in operation a year and lies today under the water just two kilometers upstream.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Molyneux Dredge. 1942.. Only one cable needs to let go. And they will need yet another bridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todays Bannockburn bridge in Winter. (bridge 5)</td></tr>
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A modern replacement bridge was erected alongside in 1964. It was made of prefrabricated steel girders at a cost of 35,000 pounds. (bridge 4) <br />
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When Lake Dunstan was formed by the Clyde Dam a new bridge was opened in 1989. This present day bridge (bridge 5) cost 1,800,000 dollars and spans 140 metres. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A similar bridge near Middlemarch. See the simple but brilliant steelwork.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Original pillars. Note the iron work on top for the cables</span></td></tr>
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In 1991 the Stone Pillars from the original bridge were salvaged and re-erected on the present site by Bannockburn residents. The pillars are the only obvious relic of what was here before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my photo. Bannockburn Bridge in modern times. Always great sky around here.</td></tr>
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You can find this photo and other excellent local photos at the site linked below. <br />
<a href="http://www.digital-images.co.nz/gallery/south-island/otago/20100416-0004.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://www.digital-images.co.nz/gallery/south-island/otago/20100416-0004.jpg.html</a> <br />
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Finally. An wonderful article from the Otago Witness on July 12th 1997. The reopening of the bridge as a community event which using the language of the day can only be described as 'Splendid.' 'Spanking chestnuts' 'eatables and drinkables' and all. Grand ! <br />
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End</div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-65910945898273941052012-04-09T21:57:00.000+12:002013-06-17T19:29:01.629+12:00New Zealanders love Feijoa<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I grew up in the North Island, 1000 kilometers from here. Most gardens had a Feijoa tree and often a whole hedge. So in season a quick trip to the garden to gather some for breakfast, or a quick grab to take some to work was a part of the daily routine. Often there was too much of the fruit and there would be a carpet of fallen fruit sending it's distinctive rich and beautiful smell across the garden.</div>
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Love these things straight off the tree. Best way to eat them is with a teaspoon scooping out the fruit like a boiled egg. Fruit is egg sized and sometimes a bit bigger. </div>
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I planted three trees because a pollinator is required. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fq7iC0t9FlQN6FcPElm0NE7by15-5ZtQrg2EoJ33Cn05WKjURW_MVUODBNq4ds4gEFONnDOgb7D2mT3pJwQup1b5I2mEcV2DQa-4x1a2iPX1OTnq476PV_9NatLdn2-6tyzt8iUdjrA/s1600/DSC05985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fq7iC0t9FlQN6FcPElm0NE7by15-5ZtQrg2EoJ33Cn05WKjURW_MVUODBNq4ds4gEFONnDOgb7D2mT3pJwQup1b5I2mEcV2DQa-4x1a2iPX1OTnq476PV_9NatLdn2-6tyzt8iUdjrA/s640/DSC05985.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two years planted and about 1200mm tall. (4 feet in the USA)</td></tr>
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What does the net tell me<i>?</i><i> Acca sellowiana, a spe</i>cies of flowering plant of in the myrtle family, Mytaceae, is native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and northern Argentina (according to Wikipedia) While it is grown rarely in the United States, (I would appreciate some comment on that) strangely it is in cultivation in Azerbaijan and neighbouring Georgia. Sometimes it's known as Pineapple Guava.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA204A5DRiOpGh-N-ufI0MqxpK5YL8x8yvBZJieJcLysetwqmVTZu4VCX79p6lH0N3xX_o5s1L5YUE9Nbyr1rUXrN8DNP5B2_X9XUHNU3gBhlhHfVrQEc6QGKf817Ss2YEysGYPw-FJPw/s1600/DSC05987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA204A5DRiOpGh-N-ufI0MqxpK5YL8x8yvBZJieJcLysetwqmVTZu4VCX79p6lH0N3xX_o5s1L5YUE9Nbyr1rUXrN8DNP5B2_X9XUHNU3gBhlhHfVrQEc6QGKf817Ss2YEysGYPw-FJPw/s640/DSC05987.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feijoa will grow to 2 or 3 meters. These ones will bush out and touch.</td></tr>
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You can buy Feijoa very easily in season in New Zealand, it is also one of those fruits which do not travel or store well. (Not a good shelf life) Some many wonderful fruit do not meet the distribution and transport needs of the supermarket system.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_sVaRkCrjSxmktMFqrabhJnMWIl7buXBV51540Z9Sue35BeO4b-52o4k3V08kyX1wWXIjkYf1vUkc1ZeT_P2MKQR5u6dcv25VZ9U2WO1Enseot0qJ2KTNMYrOOjVfBnL4pkq0Qt8VXA/s1600/DSC05988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_sVaRkCrjSxmktMFqrabhJnMWIl7buXBV51540Z9Sue35BeO4b-52o4k3V08kyX1wWXIjkYf1vUkc1ZeT_P2MKQR5u6dcv25VZ9U2WO1Enseot0qJ2KTNMYrOOjVfBnL4pkq0Qt8VXA/s640/DSC05988.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18th February 2012. Flower remnant and the start of the fruit.</td></tr>
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But there is a little problem. I am not getting many fruit. There should be about 30 fruit on even a small tree like these. But there are only one or two. The original cultivars were "Tagan I" and "Tagan II". Different for the purpose of pollination.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4MnzgfkH0gXDOd_qiQ9kvLwsF1httcMoHuquJQzzDgMyiyk094qrd4uu02EafJW3n5fk5N2mTHOJzntA4rrlKkUveEzbR8lJcdqY_-xZRBft7VWfRasdMGFlJelamaICa_p7ATI54yI/s1600/DSC05991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4MnzgfkH0gXDOd_qiQ9kvLwsF1httcMoHuquJQzzDgMyiyk094qrd4uu02EafJW3n5fk5N2mTHOJzntA4rrlKkUveEzbR8lJcdqY_-xZRBft7VWfRasdMGFlJelamaICa_p7ATI54yI/s640/DSC05991.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more developed Feijoa. 18th February 2012.</td></tr>
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I had a call about this from Muriel at Cromwell Gardenworld. She said the wholesaler had given her another Feijoa for me, for free. Muriel thinks the wholesaler knows there is a problem with the original supposed pollinator. I planted that today, it's a "Arhart" and described as "probably the earliest flowering/fruiting variety".</div>
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I hope that wholsaler knows what they are doing. Early might be much earlier than what I already have. So how will "they get it on" for pollination. Mind you, nature might find a way. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhxuHu2SaJtJS_3gXIInlS0RlqSxb0mYQVpsNMhwintjwdGlHmxB95c2SIx4AkKN1oGNZywRWFHSoInmpmWYbzd65auP6TWGdSw6z2ouxs4ROfDl1czzeXsQEQ7ZODW6FVbC065QWzog/s1600/DSC06283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhxuHu2SaJtJS_3gXIInlS0RlqSxb0mYQVpsNMhwintjwdGlHmxB95c2SIx4AkKN1oGNZywRWFHSoInmpmWYbzd65auP6TWGdSw6z2ouxs4ROfDl1czzeXsQEQ7ZODW6FVbC065QWzog/s640/DSC06283.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9th April 2012. My best and solitary Feijoa fruit.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are Feijoa Trees which will produce 1500 fruit for each tree. New Zealanders love them.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKqcWG0rwV2D4gdQqWjHIIpbisGEB1cz3H-2icw8hXMQU6Yz-CqbumuMEcGgW5sPTlpO3hGZqSUciIuyK-EmIvpaLXjjVCqKfMD38_Wqfm8MFd801bTzTd1dtRBtx_-1jjLUyl2k0ka8/s1600/20130525_155216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKqcWG0rwV2D4gdQqWjHIIpbisGEB1cz3H-2icw8hXMQU6Yz-CqbumuMEcGgW5sPTlpO3hGZqSUciIuyK-EmIvpaLXjjVCqKfMD38_Wqfm8MFd801bTzTd1dtRBtx_-1jjLUyl2k0ka8/s640/20130525_155216.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mid May 2013. Fruit everywhere.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGt0GOKrxK2h1iFf52xYgM-qxJCTsmRr0M3zFYNoamM5s_-BlGyjBJUCQb83ybjBXJeCfRqmZsA81nCg5j6t4aHzF9AFEFfBMroANhrXyg1sRy57MWtmsYnW9ys6JaJKvLpjr7TqbS6Q/s1600/20130526_111045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGt0GOKrxK2h1iFf52xYgM-qxJCTsmRr0M3zFYNoamM5s_-BlGyjBJUCQb83ybjBXJeCfRqmZsA81nCg5j6t4aHzF9AFEFfBMroANhrXyg1sRy57MWtmsYnW9ys6JaJKvLpjr7TqbS6Q/s640/20130526_111045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You eat Feijoa like you would eat a boiled egg.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscVmy_b4ljkIB9mX5ql3BmJp5mQr8XKjpIg_njcLKlOO136DQdhR_hN9ZtuEPzOmtbJopUasKIO6_rMUqxgAdTD7sg-lllokjmnsV_LqJGxshoCapdm_h4XybbkhzcRiqsvan25Allmc/s1600/20130526_111107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscVmy_b4ljkIB9mX5ql3BmJp5mQr8XKjpIg_njcLKlOO136DQdhR_hN9ZtuEPzOmtbJopUasKIO6_rMUqxgAdTD7sg-lllokjmnsV_LqJGxshoCapdm_h4XybbkhzcRiqsvan25Allmc/s640/20130526_111107.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White center turns clear when ripe and when brown is past it. LOVERLY.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I am interested to hear from anybody who tells me about where in the world Feijoas are grown. Comments below. </span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-64681957834381362632012-03-29T20:21:00.000+13:002012-03-29T20:21:38.587+13:00Briar Rose. Flowers in November. Berries now.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The Rosehip
plants flowered in November. "Sweet Brier" is another import plant that
finds the distinct climate of our area very suitable and now is spread
across the region. That time of year it's a beautiful rose. All of the
time it's a pest with sharp catching thorns, making it difficult to get
past.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMtdKVyMWpCVlZWPiQd4vsCPeWCqC48-c63v5LdFyZfYSPvDS8TcXvELHf2aM4EEk9QfwAGxHmjm2Ue5kDbqTez4MwTaEDza8XMJmHHgMXpanhaXEIeSoqVKd-gfhBIhaVcgh8A_vU5I/s1600/DSC03562.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMtdKVyMWpCVlZWPiQd4vsCPeWCqC48-c63v5LdFyZfYSPvDS8TcXvELHf2aM4EEk9QfwAGxHmjm2Ue5kDbqTez4MwTaEDza8XMJmHHgMXpanhaXEIeSoqVKd-gfhBIhaVcgh8A_vU5I/s640/DSC03562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">21st November 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Later in the season we get berries and they look good too. And had an interesting use historically and not so long ago.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The
early gold miners came into this landscape where there were no trees,
only grasses and tussock. They ate badly and often only 'damper' which
is a flour and water 'bread' Vitamin C deficiency and the resulting
scurvy illness was a problem. Sweet briar berries are an excellent
source of Vitamin C so the brier was planted around camps and
homesteads. It likes our poor soils which limits competing growth.
It's berries have been taken by rabbits and birds and it's spread into
the wild was rapid.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTykOiUv7ZghywcDLV_oJHcJQ5SmYf8jfN2e7legFguD30IHThGnqnKvjT_tTaynRuYL_D0Ghba5Gnywpo08-X_9c8JVT7LEBYBBuVmhGQzM3aiQ9_6OW4TlCWSXx6WAGqaeReAuZwtgM/s1600/DSC03564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTykOiUv7ZghywcDLV_oJHcJQ5SmYf8jfN2e7legFguD30IHThGnqnKvjT_tTaynRuYL_D0Ghba5Gnywpo08-X_9c8JVT7LEBYBBuVmhGQzM3aiQ9_6OW4TlCWSXx6WAGqaeReAuZwtgM/s640/DSC03564.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8si4RDfmIQ_jXb6rOgxDx7NJQYG2LGri-wTl0CMB7tSSj6G_bI6VnNsu5PtqRnAk5hVPQFDXX-lixqrQglzfI09FZym0m3Qc0NBRxM7iLj-msps-m6G0tFww362PoRZEEa3zs82gTV30/s1600/DSC03569.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8si4RDfmIQ_jXb6rOgxDx7NJQYG2LGri-wTl0CMB7tSSj6G_bI6VnNsu5PtqRnAk5hVPQFDXX-lixqrQglzfI09FZym0m3Qc0NBRxM7iLj-msps-m6G0tFww362PoRZEEa3zs82gTV30/s640/DSC03569.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
Our climate here is a 'rainshadow' and it's interesting to see <a href="http://federaltwist.blogspot.co.nz/2009/02/patagonian-steppe-my-vacation-surprise.html" target="_blank">Rosehips spread in Patagonia</a>
as well. The link to the very interesting 'Federal Twist' blog shows a
similar landscape where the rosehips, a european plant, have also
spread across the landscape.<br />
<br />
(to see an explanation of 'rainshadow' click <a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/living-in-rain-shadow.html?utm_source=BP_recent" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
<br />
Now it's March and the berries are out.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIrV5nH86rmwRWb9RAGertw_BWnEp3CAX7t2V9x-Qs-dQlAYehjQwMWc_9E05k6_lJMChcbqrFP3TSMpiCFSvJtXlSlyjSrNESrSow37QhqDjXEFleG4je3EPZ3JUBpDu3jq61jpHZ4w/s1600/DSC06216.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIrV5nH86rmwRWb9RAGertw_BWnEp3CAX7t2V9x-Qs-dQlAYehjQwMWc_9E05k6_lJMChcbqrFP3TSMpiCFSvJtXlSlyjSrNESrSow37QhqDjXEFleG4je3EPZ3JUBpDu3jq61jpHZ4w/s640/DSC06216.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUB_oqcE6f2Mw0hDjhivYNZKqXGKx3Y3RGXWyupi_SYkyxjOwzCQNL-pS6iQRbWU24XFgxmSz_XTB4t9o2lyIeRu34xPoE12tfz5wp9UUVEqQ_L7b3KtDcygaHYNHQ0LPQhDAwNwONWU/s1600/DSC06218.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUB_oqcE6f2Mw0hDjhivYNZKqXGKx3Y3RGXWyupi_SYkyxjOwzCQNL-pS6iQRbWU24XFgxmSz_XTB4t9o2lyIeRu34xPoE12tfz5wp9UUVEqQ_L7b3KtDcygaHYNHQ0LPQhDAwNwONWU/s640/DSC06218.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsix4-ALxOc3zvkA0xmgOL-AR7vW0d2-2tJZrhXnfwfEeMdRzQYMLtuoGQdQO46ploEXHGj4jFj2GDZgcSpAgw8PxpfpYaeL9vknohv07FQfnr5ZvJ6cbj8H1_tOFBmtk0ryIqwv6hkQo/s1600/DSC06220.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsix4-ALxOc3zvkA0xmgOL-AR7vW0d2-2tJZrhXnfwfEeMdRzQYMLtuoGQdQO46ploEXHGj4jFj2GDZgcSpAgw8PxpfpYaeL9vknohv07FQfnr5ZvJ6cbj8H1_tOFBmtk0ryIqwv6hkQo/s640/DSC06220.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
April will be when the berries are best to be
gathered. After the first frost. Remember this is the Southern
Hemisphere. Our winter is June, July August. <br />
<br />
Before
and after the second world war there used to be an industry where
people could gather the berries wild, and be paid for them by a company
(Robinsons) that made them into syrup. This was well regarded and
issued to children as part of Government support programmes and
purchased by parents for children and babies.<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<br />
There is this interesting link with a lot of detail. <a href="http://curiouskai.blogspot.com/2010/05/rose-hips.html" target="_blank">http://curiouskai.blogspot.com/2010/05/rose-hips.html</a> ('kai' is a New Zealand word for 'food') </div>
<br />
end</div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-78885411271992796732012-02-19T21:41:00.000+13:002012-02-19T21:41:23.376+13:00Why is the Liquidamber changing now ?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Liquidamber trees on the property are behaving strangely. Or are they ? A beautiful tree from the eastern United States Liquidamber are famed for brilliant autumn colour. We are now getting very red leaves - but it seems very early. It's still summer here and HOT.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">February in our southern hemisphere summer is theoretically the same as August in the northern hemisphere. Is that what happens to them in their homeland. I really don't know and maybe someone can tell me?</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHle59djniYKf5eYOhDWv9Fg9lY2KpvzbF6mz7Fy9irc5LFVl-3Y1tFPZ-osYwetxEa2IIrBYBg-8R2DDk6zSHZBSuOJWvIKJhbkXCB-JWZQervhqgftnEQGKqcTNm76tPuhcKBG1OOi0/s1600/DSC05978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHle59djniYKf5eYOhDWv9Fg9lY2KpvzbF6mz7Fy9irc5LFVl-3Y1tFPZ-osYwetxEa2IIrBYBg-8R2DDk6zSHZBSuOJWvIKJhbkXCB-JWZQervhqgftnEQGKqcTNm76tPuhcKBG1OOi0/s640/DSC05978.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">February 18th 2012. Autumn Colour in February.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's not just this year, and maybe it has always happened. Maybe I just noticed.This is the progress last year.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/autumn-liquidamber.html">http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/autumn-liquidamber.html</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jNWGXb57K84ygBBCYaSkJJteibOOietzL41ds3lRg3MZ33oA_6fRcGtFAu1H2AmxQwbCvKQ5Ax1dptYLSrZqLdU9CdzpennKBJI7qNurK_cta6pUUm_B-jcwLkOSQl6mRFSLpfXsldc/s1600/DSC05981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jNWGXb57K84ygBBCYaSkJJteibOOietzL41ds3lRg3MZ33oA_6fRcGtFAu1H2AmxQwbCvKQ5Ax1dptYLSrZqLdU9CdzpennKBJI7qNurK_cta6pUUm_B-jcwLkOSQl6mRFSLpfXsldc/s640/DSC05981.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red very early. But I still like those beautiful leaf shapes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One thing that occurs to me is that the soil is too acid. So I have just got a test kit. We shall see. It's also very dry here this summer, and only about 300 mm a year, but we do have a computerised irrigation system to every tree. Days have been 20 to 30 Degrees centigrade. (86 to 68 Fahrenheit) and warm at nights. With no cold snap. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODcjIhQIy2CUyO6dBeCZ0imj3Rl8NWbCQK7g1dl-0JtxLIUZcGoHCcoOfsIaWBWMOImnGNlZQq5HjFAYFtUExsFlfRLCk_VOzp3T7-K8rRLZNRhfUoDJOxBUOh-bRuCoUX3pWEgF2taE/s1600/DSC05982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODcjIhQIy2CUyO6dBeCZ0imj3Rl8NWbCQK7g1dl-0JtxLIUZcGoHCcoOfsIaWBWMOImnGNlZQq5HjFAYFtUExsFlfRLCk_VOzp3T7-K8rRLZNRhfUoDJOxBUOh-bRuCoUX3pWEgF2taE/s640/DSC05982.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scarlet Oak. Starting red as well.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are also about 60 scarlet oak planted, which have the same early autumnal signs, although much less intense and early. Look at this link of the progress in 2011.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/scarlet-oak-in-autumn.html?utm_source=BP_recent">http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/scarlet-oak-in-autumn.html?utm_source=BP_recent</a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F2AMoqQ4q-w_1DIL5hIYRwD8D0x7GYjsU_qMQMcI74hOmw2zF8v5KQ-Iwy-K7ecpMI8PB8bpxDKOzOtQnPYAYehcb_XRW9Y8j5blq9GtaTQ9YDjihsHiVEh4d1s-Pryihc50DK_ffrI/s1600/DSC05994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F2AMoqQ4q-w_1DIL5hIYRwD8D0x7GYjsU_qMQMcI74hOmw2zF8v5KQ-Iwy-K7ecpMI8PB8bpxDKOzOtQnPYAYehcb_XRW9Y8j5blq9GtaTQ9YDjihsHiVEh4d1s-Pryihc50DK_ffrI/s640/DSC05994.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We like colour around here. Gleditsia between</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anybody who lives where these trees are native might care to tell me how early they expect the Autumn colour to first show. Is it really August ?? Comments below please. </span></div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-56589521756039205322012-01-20T07:26:00.000+13:002012-01-20T07:26:20.337+13:00Camera shy California Quail<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cute as they are California Quail just won't co-operate for my camera. But the tribe of them that lives in our field are a continuing fascination. This summer there are four or five adults and about 15 chicks. I often come across them, sometimes gathered around a tree or moving through the grass like a school of fish.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These birds were bought here from the United States many years ago, and like many of our plants and flowers found Central Otago just like their California homeland and they have flourished. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's really hard to see and hard to get a distinct photo of them. But there is always a leader that takes responsibility. It gets up on a vantage point and supervises the group and leads them away from danger.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznUN8wdQ6paX3jKtXs2SdZXMApip4lp9WCEPh1OzBbYkJZ3rfgcRIvqVPMqzijM74dgcDWGbz5C8mg3O5p75-R5Mv6_FHkLsL595pWEMiotJu4DQol0VxYKR3Xb0_Ub97nkcOmHE28jA/s1600/DSC05729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznUN8wdQ6paX3jKtXs2SdZXMApip4lp9WCEPh1OzBbYkJZ3rfgcRIvqVPMqzijM74dgcDWGbz5C8mg3O5p75-R5Mv6_FHkLsL595pWEMiotJu4DQol0VxYKR3Xb0_Ub97nkcOmHE28jA/s640/DSC05729.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See several chicks here. ? Try looking up from and left of center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeR2Zjj6awBTiSv1dxcmGZ9OwnRaHHdayxAjnDfiIZfTqSD01eyk1Q0fFoNFUxgWobCCw8hd6967tYZ0OuXxk8M5qCnvMEZm8L2qkhas4TOXfJJ0AesYW7HAmBpGaqrZfIJ-qVY2qEsks/s1600/DSC05730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeR2Zjj6awBTiSv1dxcmGZ9OwnRaHHdayxAjnDfiIZfTqSD01eyk1Q0fFoNFUxgWobCCw8hd6967tYZ0OuXxk8M5qCnvMEZm8L2qkhas4TOXfJJ0AesYW7HAmBpGaqrZfIJ-qVY2qEsks/s640/DSC05730.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See some more ? Try center and left of center. An adult too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The leader likes to keep the chicks away from the car. It's a threat to them, just like it is to children. I did get this lucky photo from the car window right at the front gate as the leader supervised them.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMK4vIAP23R_G0Y0XPsAOUBnZUffoO8EN5e1sXr5ERCoXBR788ITrz5kD7ZsmXg572DJixdU-MHzLb1ZMrtbMCpl8SXJEGtC5S_-6WvhY_-pzcDxlRcS6kzzyKd21HuOwaeZKtG5MC1kg/s1600/DSC05733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMK4vIAP23R_G0Y0XPsAOUBnZUffoO8EN5e1sXr5ERCoXBR788ITrz5kD7ZsmXg572DJixdU-MHzLb1ZMrtbMCpl8SXJEGtC5S_-6WvhY_-pzcDxlRcS6kzzyKd21HuOwaeZKtG5MC1kg/s640/DSC05733.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supervision from a height. The control tower. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Once I encountered the group on the driveway so I abruptly stopped the car. A good vantage point. One by one the chicks gathered up courage and darted across in front of me to rejoin the adults. A clear count. Fifteen.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rTrXw2bx82X9PZT5LcQpMDG7LfTnCv6eNmoi7sI9fq9tw-rPijeqPKxK1iqqiqnQMEfJ4DXVguuQxiyy2HZvfzJs5w0wSxVUauQ5Riu9N-xAdvCAjKR02m2MQF8fUqW3g9X3o46iTwE/s1600/DSC05733_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rTrXw2bx82X9PZT5LcQpMDG7LfTnCv6eNmoi7sI9fq9tw-rPijeqPKxK1iqqiqnQMEfJ4DXVguuQxiyy2HZvfzJs5w0wSxVUauQ5Riu9N-xAdvCAjKR02m2MQF8fUqW3g9X3o46iTwE/s640/DSC05733_1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A fancy plume for the boss Quail</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another time returning from town on the driveway near the house I scattered the whole group. Next thing I noticed the boss bird perched on "Angus" - our steel rabbit. "Angus" is a good vantage point from which to call the group together. And from which the bird was able to keep a very good eye on me and make sure <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was not going to interfere.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNPTJoB3J6dMPf1lqLIvAh71_VbxHmdJCd1jBVb7xxq-_va5tcWIpKSfhg0_WmxfehCfM36ne0P3admU-YJI2KDOpBU9xmRcvpqQPGLsCE9woVVx2RKpNjUn8Hy3ZL8I7oNEe4Ggc20A/s1600/DSC05675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNPTJoB3J6dMPf1lqLIvAh71_VbxHmdJCd1jBVb7xxq-_va5tcWIpKSfhg0_WmxfehCfM36ne0P3admU-YJI2KDOpBU9xmRcvpqQPGLsCE9woVVx2RKpNjUn8Hy3ZL8I7oNEe4Ggc20A/s640/DSC05675.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I can see you human. I am watching you."</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHx4ewYW-bUp0xntHsoYlrb6H6E0EC1kz3ayp2wtfGpKNWPWQEEOgMCQGsUtVaZb6Cv8L0I-5N5G9Puz7y8qccp7PuVvsQdA2UL18ZA7f9ujW_HkB0G12wD9jdHPxQMT3-QB_m_Y_9xPc/s1600/DSC05682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHx4ewYW-bUp0xntHsoYlrb6H6E0EC1kz3ayp2wtfGpKNWPWQEEOgMCQGsUtVaZb6Cv8L0I-5N5G9Puz7y8qccp7PuVvsQdA2UL18ZA7f9ujW_HkB0G12wD9jdHPxQMT3-QB_m_Y_9xPc/s640/DSC05682.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You chicks get over here. We are moving away from this human."</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And off they went.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">end.</div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-54569462263115858922012-01-07T16:09:00.003+13:002012-01-07T16:09:00.148+13:00Guiding the eye.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Planning the gaps between the groups of trees was as important as planning where the trees would be. The gaps are starting to make their mark in what seven years ago was a bare paddock. Some cunning plans are only now becoming real.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From the house the shaped lawn guides your view outwards. As the far trees become more significant, the gaps will draw the eye further. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYj5qgL4u2OCcDoBtcwuMi-T_o4AntIObV3lHj7od_wm_aN8SFzjer636gKNchtiKyeU5Ry1DjqnWmaxl3f8U-F0eIQ_1m7k0bjygX-vN0_yQbhwwsxJtrFj1mz55IAUyRiFknbaeyVA/s1600/DSC04146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYj5qgL4u2OCcDoBtcwuMi-T_o4AntIObV3lHj7od_wm_aN8SFzjer636gKNchtiKyeU5Ry1DjqnWmaxl3f8U-F0eIQ_1m7k0bjygX-vN0_yQbhwwsxJtrFj1mz55IAUyRiFknbaeyVA/s640/DSC04146.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plantings are starting to bracket the view.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The driveway also comes down through the trees and across the gap. Revealing a brief view of the house out in the open, before the trees hide it again. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
A photo taken from on top of the pergola, with some labels might explain it better. But the best explanation will come as the trees fill out into a denser visual barrier. And the gaps take more significance. But while that's going to take some years yet, now it's starting to show.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmCw2vRhytclixSsYeohXRaIwV0Px9Vv5DtmyyQ7FHhOPybHRO6A4D66YcFosJzOiiMcRSCSwuQCvqpIz5Kuu5aJ-WSTqKMndS9NMAESXii6aDRwGbUe-HC-XkHc9cxbZ-qjKzdI4vKU/s1600/DSC05600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSRopXR8SiT8LtVYHj6mx5wJTnPFrBNS7XHTlh5UEm8h0-eZoRvUfo3Z8q9a9WioyGtDf_i0MzZP2X_Fidy6la48W6DJ5akWHEV7Q31gWPM4zyKpBHulxse4Nvo84XAlQWVse3Ljg9YM/s1600/DSC05607_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSRopXR8SiT8LtVYHj6mx5wJTnPFrBNS7XHTlh5UEm8h0-eZoRvUfo3Z8q9a9WioyGtDf_i0MzZP2X_Fidy6la48W6DJ5akWHEV7Q31gWPM4zyKpBHulxse4Nvo84XAlQWVse3Ljg9YM/s640/DSC05607_1.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end point is the far Pisa Range. Higher than it seems from here. Snow covered in winter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The gap above is outlined between the Elms and the Walnuts. The Elms are dense enough, but the walnuts have been a little disappointing. However I see all of the neighbourhood young walnuts are a little ratty, but the older ones are grand and well grown. So it will be OK.<br />
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I have been calling this an Allee. (to myself) But I now see the definitions of that word seem to be all about an avenue. With two long rows of tree on each side. Not sure of what the name is now.<br />
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My 'Allee', stops at the neighbours pine trees about 300 meters out, and then there is another shelter belt about a kilometer away. I think a stroll over there with the chain saw, to deal with 5 big trees out of each row would improve things a lot. But not with the owners of the trees I think !! </div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-62267825351928242372011-12-31T22:12:00.002+13:002012-01-01T13:22:45.252+13:00Evening light and cloud over the mountain<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just love the burnished evening light here and it's a privilege to walk amongst it. Clouds like this make it even more special.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6k2D8P_ADxDEIbcUyLZA-mHaOY6Kvw5KIjLsApdHTuW4vF6j2rSQt2CnpbZWilFulKB9x5Z_CrJswxNeIcvQb_O24ac9vIoUKpXqF0MJP2AFZeG6YmZXWf00IyDqNj0Udvb7EcEetXo/s1600/DSC05564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6k2D8P_ADxDEIbcUyLZA-mHaOY6Kvw5KIjLsApdHTuW4vF6j2rSQt2CnpbZWilFulKB9x5Z_CrJswxNeIcvQb_O24ac9vIoUKpXqF0MJP2AFZeG6YmZXWf00IyDqNj0Udvb7EcEetXo/s640/DSC05564.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds over the mountain with evening light on the field.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-1364671873406162012011-12-24T20:56:00.001+13:002011-12-25T09:28:16.196+13:00Christmas market<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Our local farmers market at Cromwell usually is Sunday morning but that market day would have been Christmas day, so it shifted to Saturday. It's fine summer here and the produce is just starting to become abundant.<br />
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It's very local and we know most of the producers. But it's not so much for everyday vegetables, rather it's for the good things of life, like wine, cheeses and flowers and we went of our morning coffee. We also got the other two essentials -- wine and flowers.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0CeXUuF8WLvCtdSQEAjmnItJiTJwrpeEhBdvgazySqmC5hffMl-otflrSTe_ZG7EYMjNXsWe1_iiPCXFGxyHaL_I0I5gnyYo9PmAFhVgLD049BnI7YMws7_D7amfW0HWF6hyphenhyphent1GFjj0/s1600/DSC05664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0CeXUuF8WLvCtdSQEAjmnItJiTJwrpeEhBdvgazySqmC5hffMl-otflrSTe_ZG7EYMjNXsWe1_iiPCXFGxyHaL_I0I5gnyYo9PmAFhVgLD049BnI7YMws7_D7amfW0HWF6hyphenhyphent1GFjj0/s640/DSC05664.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will never get over how good our mountains are here. Lake to the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKwdVvPX1_wLrbJ-DCk6aQI3VdLNPwpHGOmi8DOnEQ1N1f8IbJGd4bv51_uz5jrmi9sb3vXhvYf8RzI7zGIPPTCClSXc211JcNLdQkK_OTcnrgmqvW3858-HNubOKPuF6HaTjtwte48Y/s1600/DSC05665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKwdVvPX1_wLrbJ-DCk6aQI3VdLNPwpHGOmi8DOnEQ1N1f8IbJGd4bv51_uz5jrmi9sb3vXhvYf8RzI7zGIPPTCClSXc211JcNLdQkK_OTcnrgmqvW3858-HNubOKPuF6HaTjtwte48Y/s640/DSC05665.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In fifty years between1860-1910, tons of gold passed through the this little remote town. The tradition continues.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSwoC0h0WKr2EdCNBYtubP_jick7PcrwtwPYm8zLHUZicFzSP0igLQelLyOi6W1wHg1RP4g3DZ5I9D5xCLMryPEDUjNKd23yg8c0bB5SYDreENTUFJa2kcwfo6wZ6kM9ZSU2jnk4ikG4/s1600/DSC05666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSwoC0h0WKr2EdCNBYtubP_jick7PcrwtwPYm8zLHUZicFzSP0igLQelLyOi6W1wHg1RP4g3DZ5I9D5xCLMryPEDUjNKd23yg8c0bB5SYDreENTUFJa2kcwfo6wZ6kM9ZSU2jnk4ikG4/s640/DSC05666.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Are we here for supplies or to catch up with friends?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yxqQ70-Ll1xv1B8_1uGPF72YQNku2hcqXHEe3DNhHGzBKbNtGnJ_Af120KiJBm3Gd_kznFLpq6QLZxvyA9ndtSl1NsPkr58LCwJGOTFr74-Vg5fFDqZf3RmOzE-AMncp-1iGjV6S-2A/s1600/DSC05670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yxqQ70-Ll1xv1B8_1uGPF72YQNku2hcqXHEe3DNhHGzBKbNtGnJ_Af120KiJBm3Gd_kznFLpq6QLZxvyA9ndtSl1NsPkr58LCwJGOTFr74-Vg5fFDqZf3RmOzE-AMncp-1iGjV6S-2A/s640/DSC05670.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bannockbrae Wines. Early yet but sensibly placed in the sun.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_Y8sOY56TyCo_sOaeS79CsMYk1BgmioIXkOjy5ozl8b3sXO6eZA00Zjj-s8gA95G4B5IwpWvoljR6oWHBS9I24uRvMDUXclbFWBESZ68IltEbumt_BrtxWDIxe2O4woZSiHYlUO5ses/s1600/DSC05671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_Y8sOY56TyCo_sOaeS79CsMYk1BgmioIXkOjy5ozl8b3sXO6eZA00Zjj-s8gA95G4B5IwpWvoljR6oWHBS9I24uRvMDUXclbFWBESZ68IltEbumt_BrtxWDIxe2O4woZSiHYlUO5ses/s640/DSC05671.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't get the local fascination with Whitebait which is a tiny river fish. Matchstick size, usually eaten in a fritter or 'pattie'. Northburn station wines even have their own helicopter to access the remote West Coast river where they take the whitebait. Look through the stall to see the lake.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgPQqIVIHQgNEuUBpTRqAA7K__9nzORm0Xmlc8RzwGpygDbqjNJ_bPNcxdPrkR5zPl2EdUot8KDfEbVJHl3RRzSmcNKSVzgq628m_xnqJEPx3HMWeUZKr4OtYX426x-mkm0waxl3oPIQ/s1600/DSC05672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgPQqIVIHQgNEuUBpTRqAA7K__9nzORm0Xmlc8RzwGpygDbqjNJ_bPNcxdPrkR5zPl2EdUot8KDfEbVJHl3RRzSmcNKSVzgq628m_xnqJEPx3HMWeUZKr4OtYX426x-mkm0waxl3oPIQ/s640/DSC05672.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More social time</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was early and the market was still setting up and some stalls only just unpacking. But it's a good time before the queues begin and the sun starts to bake.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_swkpNjp7RJwAF8zvcUFLwf3hGGvSFXFH_gWkSmUVFT-qQF26YFAbi4NPc_5Sy0xnC_gRhQuzKGzl11m0lP0HAtw1yED3vSCWNMMQQX_WFNV1ziYn8O1xth2PoACSuhyDysst7OWVpJ8/s1600/DSC05673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_swkpNjp7RJwAF8zvcUFLwf3hGGvSFXFH_gWkSmUVFT-qQF26YFAbi4NPc_5Sy0xnC_gRhQuzKGzl11m0lP0HAtw1yED3vSCWNMMQQX_WFNV1ziYn8O1xth2PoACSuhyDysst7OWVpJ8/s640/DSC05673.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Young Enterprise.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKlwvUR5s40sKeBRmkkTtwi1hVdwB5Nl9Ge4SjsqD5HvC_dPFmuPoE-bwR7hiPNq1E-NSh-EpRzQa_v4ecaSddcg5fFPVhTOwTHwnJVVMY_8JLDWeKBGWsflqof6kI-pYNxHlUfCQUvw/s1600/DSC05674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKlwvUR5s40sKeBRmkkTtwi1hVdwB5Nl9Ge4SjsqD5HvC_dPFmuPoE-bwR7hiPNq1E-NSh-EpRzQa_v4ecaSddcg5fFPVhTOwTHwnJVVMY_8JLDWeKBGWsflqof6kI-pYNxHlUfCQUvw/s640/DSC05674.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Peonies are well past the end of the season but these are still in great shape. So we got some. Peonies love Central Otago.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">End.</div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-32573548169099558662011-12-23T20:33:00.000+13:002012-04-22T17:33:54.770+12:00Christmas is Summer<div style="text-align: justify;">
I<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">n the southern hemisphere Christmas is high summer. 30 degrees Centigrade today (that's 80 degrees for you Americans ) We don't get humidity but the bad side of that is unfiltered blazing sun outside that would fry you, makes having a cold drink inside very attractive.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEpgwFMblVuLeEKMyhLxyHMXBw8eW-VjBwbnUnHDYMoeHjtclxu4pIpBSW3OjFjmtxbNzLxk7A2Sszs7cVoaRvIx8NTS6PxVjaNUq2-W7sEv70H6NRNOmAWNghOxE1sX_RdQaeAaU4I4/s1600/DSC05655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEpgwFMblVuLeEKMyhLxyHMXBw8eW-VjBwbnUnHDYMoeHjtclxu4pIpBSW3OjFjmtxbNzLxk7A2Sszs7cVoaRvIx8NTS6PxVjaNUq2-W7sEv70H6NRNOmAWNghOxE1sX_RdQaeAaU4I4/s640/DSC05655.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinking hot out. Cooler inside.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Its far too hot to do any work on the land today so its down to the lake for a swim. You don't need a long swim and a quick circuit of the pontoon is just about right.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSs7YWJmZevRpUz3PKtPJ2wmk9FOzYHj4jNtgBqLghChJlw5Z-C-gZzmOJQYn8aZf3AIQdERqDLYT3E2rK9FtZ1I8dZMuibc7Xj0GxEwiGSdGWN08v9elcd82yfxHhEoon-vQC30Bi25M/s1600/DSC05660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSs7YWJmZevRpUz3PKtPJ2wmk9FOzYHj4jNtgBqLghChJlw5Z-C-gZzmOJQYn8aZf3AIQdERqDLYT3E2rK9FtZ1I8dZMuibc7Xj0GxEwiGSdGWN08v9elcd82yfxHhEoon-vQC30Bi25M/s640/DSC05660.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lake, Pontoon. And a doggie who just hates a posed photo.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZcK61qnQ4qaNsqoNAXRceGkDR_4ADAHfpYw-Yc06oEgox342p-rsiZwEw1F04b09pAZ89xRXIaXYwOJotu8tC5ASIz9FCgokYTgvzcY5RijRFl8b7DdnPaiMXwIFYV6ETLdTv9eMON0/s1600/DSC05661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZcK61qnQ4qaNsqoNAXRceGkDR_4ADAHfpYw-Yc06oEgox342p-rsiZwEw1F04b09pAZ89xRXIaXYwOJotu8tC5ASIz9FCgokYTgvzcY5RijRFl8b7DdnPaiMXwIFYV6ETLdTv9eMON0/s640/DSC05661.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bannockburn Inlet. Lake Dunstan. December 23rd 2011.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Turns out the kids on the pontoon are Swedish. Here seems a sensible place to be considering the season in Sweden right now.</span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-79379322944000953022011-12-11T19:18:00.001+13:002011-12-11T21:33:27.293+13:00Scarlet Oaks. Together at last.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Three hundred major specimen trees were planted six years ago. Each seemed small and isolated, alone in the field. But no more. A milestone has been reached.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Walking across the field last evening, I came across two scarlet Oaks, growing together and touching. It's the first time any of the specimen trees has joined with another. It will take another century or two to appear, but the intended result is starting to show.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0D4kTYVC6Xl5d7MPVteYHLCcuddp_UKebrz_Ev7MSBMPHtZlhcRW2pDunZ2HA3TtNToBmHr7MzCcYBFq8Vfa-n3bHdyz-6KPaD4kE0_G3MIXGTvA-M5Q0ndLykppjBmuKMq1efZ3sa-k/s1600/DSC05594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0D4kTYVC6Xl5d7MPVteYHLCcuddp_UKebrz_Ev7MSBMPHtZlhcRW2pDunZ2HA3TtNToBmHr7MzCcYBFq8Vfa-n3bHdyz-6KPaD4kE0_G3MIXGTvA-M5Q0ndLykppjBmuKMq1efZ3sa-k/s640/DSC05594.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2011. Leaves at the end of the Scarlet Oak branches start to touch. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Placed closely to form a quick visual mass the Scarlet Oaks, Liquidambers, Walnuts, Golden Elms and London Planes are planted in groups of not less than twenty of each variety</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDG46RUtgVkaSi2Scw9uTOkxdgoBKnql7QMxtGW_mKV1QMZ7edPpMA5qlHVTgtLKuWGW-e7cG2IaHiZgSRhwdVL0rnonCzslgl_CyewedgXvTg6ENTpfwdsKNQmJSPgW8w87UgSJQYkew/s1600/DSC05595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDG46RUtgVkaSi2Scw9uTOkxdgoBKnql7QMxtGW_mKV1QMZ7edPpMA5qlHVTgtLKuWGW-e7cG2IaHiZgSRhwdVL0rnonCzslgl_CyewedgXvTg6ENTpfwdsKNQmJSPgW8w87UgSJQYkew/s640/DSC05595.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011. The trees above are, left to right, Scarlett oak, Golden Elm, Scarlet Oak, Liquidamber.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It started as bare ground and tough ground at that. Just an inch of turf with river gravel beneath. No nutrients and doesn't hold water. Every single tree has it's own dripper irrigation system.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This is how it was in late 2005 six years ago. The bright green tree guards in the distance mark the oaks that have now grown so well.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_w9qttWJSNbsklcxtdE94rYCwNwT3G9L5n8sDQ0-I1hyloJNh_shkP8jnt4-SMAZLTQVcunEQEWK7-eBmzdTmIbWJWfQlwsE_HSF2vqquwG0HsjDAgSeX6oY7SS18VBji79wFtQv_wM/s1600/stuff+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_w9qttWJSNbsklcxtdE94rYCwNwT3G9L5n8sDQ0-I1hyloJNh_shkP8jnt4-SMAZLTQVcunEQEWK7-eBmzdTmIbWJWfQlwsE_HSF2vqquwG0HsjDAgSeX6oY7SS18VBji79wFtQv_wM/s640/stuff+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2005. New trees. London plane in front. Golden Elm to the left. Scarlet to the middle and right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The grass was short back then. Before we fenced the rabbits out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-23699548023367881112011-12-03T20:39:00.001+13:002019-11-05T20:06:14.946+13:00The California trees that came to New Zealand<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
It had been an interesting drive north from Los Angeles. Following a 12,000 kilometer flight across the Pacific that had not crossed land. But I was past San Simeon before I saw the first of the Macrocarpa trees that I had come such a long way to see.<br />
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That single tree stood alone in a field, but I then began to see more of them as I wound my way onto the fabled Big Sur road. My destination was the nature reserve at Point Lobos. </div>
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Macrocarpa and Radiata Pine, (Known there as Monterey Cypress and Monterey Pine) began to appear more frequently the more I traveled north. They seemed to be in places close to the road, and most likely planted. Because in the whole world the Macrocarpa only occurs naturally on only a few hundred acres, on two sites. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX_2FzzkWtiOqg3D5_0fz5_vgxcjurJyeOQlQdQTQ7l2vVTVjEzbssccv5dfhIG5i1s0AoP4WuwzjaeNG3acpPUwzk6qlGaD0GVUO29gMmikkjHEeAZU61TzE2unArmUgz_8vY718iMQ/s1600/Kerry+California+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX_2FzzkWtiOqg3D5_0fz5_vgxcjurJyeOQlQdQTQ7l2vVTVjEzbssccv5dfhIG5i1s0AoP4WuwzjaeNG3acpPUwzk6qlGaD0GVUO29gMmikkjHEeAZU61TzE2unArmUgz_8vY718iMQ/s640/Kerry+California+068.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sur Highway. Macrocarpa and some Radiata Pine behind. </td></tr>
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At home in New Zealand these two probably are the most familiar tree. They are everywhere and the pine, Radiata is in vast plantations. The Macrocarpa often surrounds older farmsteads and sometimes it's a lonely house site where the house has long since disappeared. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkBJreuYGwvRUrCsTIgXyO1Ga3U9Ih8MlPGwTkvsC-IYU-vl32DxBaUCKRMFl7tkGDVFRYXmZPmP0qufNiiIQ9ZaWY3FcuiVgwAxyogWSmP6nmP8S920yhwfR_aiANxee7DczEdbS4Co/s1600/Kerry+California+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkBJreuYGwvRUrCsTIgXyO1Ga3U9Ih8MlPGwTkvsC-IYU-vl32DxBaUCKRMFl7tkGDVFRYXmZPmP0qufNiiIQ9ZaWY3FcuiVgwAxyogWSmP6nmP8S920yhwfR_aiANxee7DczEdbS4Co/s640/Kerry+California+063.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monterey Pine. "Radiata Pine. Big Sur. September 2011.</td></tr>
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The Radiata is the most planted tree in the world now. With massive plantings in South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. But it's natural range is nearly as restricted as Macrocarpa, with only a dozen or so sites in California.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsLIXo6ZRMurQEWD9uUqIWgY2iyUt9lZZXjmpdViMlUArOnyY4fy0XG-7r5Pa-mBAU_53qX8oYwCUSb7ESd82FNv4YLJ8g7lm0mPxjEQscw4htny2m7SQ3P3yD2AKocZOLdE1PKDttTQ/s1600/Kerry+California+065.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsLIXo6ZRMurQEWD9uUqIWgY2iyUt9lZZXjmpdViMlUArOnyY4fy0XG-7r5Pa-mBAU_53qX8oYwCUSb7ESd82FNv4YLJ8g7lm0mPxjEQscw4htny2m7SQ3P3yD2AKocZOLdE1PKDttTQ/s640/Kerry+California+065.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planted Radiata off the Big Sur Road. Notice the 'wilding' young pines further down the hill. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukcEJyUsWR8AgO-N4yL8cyrF76CcX2PvKIbcH0kuTw2goO2MtEYvBbme0X0O-lVLmpgjkJgIW3ZE3WHN816_7MOJBtjFlhCemUO11r1oDvCFCI7u_HRs8yF0lGN4ExnaKcnqoOEu3LKs/s1600/Kerry+California+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukcEJyUsWR8AgO-N4yL8cyrF76CcX2PvKIbcH0kuTw2goO2MtEYvBbme0X0O-lVLmpgjkJgIW3ZE3WHN816_7MOJBtjFlhCemUO11r1oDvCFCI7u_HRs8yF0lGN4ExnaKcnqoOEu3LKs/s640/Kerry+California+069.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not many trees but the Bixby bridge is a Big Sur icon. Nearly as good as the Grafton Bridge in Auckland</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq02XeS6QJDmQymWv9XZDIz6f4kqNQN8vLqUXjQGSTumIzXGBZ6f_AQNA3Lnp3ylHcUwCFcF4YyDEA5qdnfQ8eJHzSLE6c0_NCZqstfyrPpErDvwk81kt5AFLXCzsQjktDuqaZnTn7SIU/s1600/Kerry+California+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq02XeS6QJDmQymWv9XZDIz6f4kqNQN8vLqUXjQGSTumIzXGBZ6f_AQNA3Lnp3ylHcUwCFcF4YyDEA5qdnfQ8eJHzSLE6c0_NCZqstfyrPpErDvwk81kt5AFLXCzsQjktDuqaZnTn7SIU/s640/Kerry+California+074.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monterey Pine at Point Lobos. Just 5 Kilometers south of 'Carmel by the Sea' California.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxRBLcmJw6oAcxdI0j2Vz1mkq1x85wJem1ic6tniZ5tLeLyJDiVOZBGaw0MMsLmJHc-Ch-nEE7JJ5QxhroTu_RoOU2tjy41aUXf82yoHBEKjLCYjaLX2nytA-ncB55VBwNbD__Ln10lY/s1600/Kerry+California+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxRBLcmJw6oAcxdI0j2Vz1mkq1x85wJem1ic6tniZ5tLeLyJDiVOZBGaw0MMsLmJHc-Ch-nEE7JJ5QxhroTu_RoOU2tjy41aUXf82yoHBEKjLCYjaLX2nytA-ncB55VBwNbD__Ln10lY/s640/Kerry+California+079.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radiata. Monterey Pine.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The greatest meeting of land and water in the world." is the bold claim for Point Lobos. And </span></span>there is something amazing here at Point Lobos. It seems the whole coastline here is a ferment of life. Whales and seals abound. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVru8hyIQOvB9SzFcsiBP3FEBe9al3q-AQF4YcqgbID8URP-pz-23zHia-IfAWebnXuLfB0ZbFObf92J21TtRjJUZslp-f0anur1ZItPCGcWEPhuOtKXEuckBz6FOT1wkaCEQ6I95cqQ8/s1600/Kerry+California+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVru8hyIQOvB9SzFcsiBP3FEBe9al3q-AQF4YcqgbID8URP-pz-23zHia-IfAWebnXuLfB0ZbFObf92J21TtRjJUZslp-f0anur1ZItPCGcWEPhuOtKXEuckBz6FOT1wkaCEQ6I95cqQ8/s640/Kerry+California+080.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRFTFmwxFRPf6J-0jnKMmetCmcE9zRpmk3bye854DFSw3mXrwRXMXEh0pn0MatBDSdApz7qK4l6Ob8p-uapyx-t6NIGzs1TULsTrHW6uGWyOvtqe3BXmyFMQAE4HOFyqAdBEUQwHt0xg/s1600/Kerry+California+081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRFTFmwxFRPf6J-0jnKMmetCmcE9zRpmk3bye854DFSw3mXrwRXMXEh0pn0MatBDSdApz7qK4l6Ob8p-uapyx-t6NIGzs1TULsTrHW6uGWyOvtqe3BXmyFMQAE4HOFyqAdBEUQwHt0xg/s640/Kerry+California+081.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is no bad place to point the camera. Just like Central Otago.</td></tr>
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Seals, sea lions and sea otters. It can't be a surprise. This place is incredible.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkf1c4tSIinhKT1CYyQYEqMu_EC30Ak82FqSgb5zTLThusaTvlyu9jOdmFQtmMiHJmF6uFcwpCZAAq60U5j7iEr86O92cheBK8icajiCWjH9XVyqH40RxBgsgwd_j2oRob7x3OLFe3gc/s1600/Kerry+California+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkf1c4tSIinhKT1CYyQYEqMu_EC30Ak82FqSgb5zTLThusaTvlyu9jOdmFQtmMiHJmF6uFcwpCZAAq60U5j7iEr86O92cheBK8icajiCWjH9XVyqH40RxBgsgwd_j2oRob7x3OLFe3gc/s640/Kerry+California+083.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The orange stuff above is a green algae. With Carotene ! Don't ask me how that works. But it doesn't harm the trees.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7U_-IpYX7Cpf2YCYwtI_U6QNPKtXISnHrGOMmvPMDKP0dyXjjKhGubDmTnaST_00XT4NDobdCvYWXFcJQcFMkY3YDcuy5Vmu4LPmveyfCV8Naz0ilOfJNnEpA7q2jnPo_eJVqqSMj04/s1600/Kerry+California+087.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7U_-IpYX7Cpf2YCYwtI_U6QNPKtXISnHrGOMmvPMDKP0dyXjjKhGubDmTnaST_00XT4NDobdCvYWXFcJQcFMkY3YDcuy5Vmu4LPmveyfCV8Naz0ilOfJNnEpA7q2jnPo_eJVqqSMj04/s640/Kerry+California+087.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's been a beautiful blue day but not hard to sense that that fog is the norm here. I am told these trees have months without rain in the summer and gain their moisture from the coastal fogs. Not so sure I can understand that either. I am very familiar with these trees at home in New Zealand and none of them I am sure needs fog.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZzYBPh16PngWrd7YMIZsKexfkD713PqrgcrnWdIcrxuXF67rY1h3ofI8NFmwpyhNIPnrmAuhrjX295L3TAh2XxJOtC8TfcTA6zDhF56xnNWmX7avLg5oAwd7ihZy2aNhNGF7HgU3wyA/s1600/Kerry+California+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZzYBPh16PngWrd7YMIZsKexfkD713PqrgcrnWdIcrxuXF67rY1h3ofI8NFmwpyhNIPnrmAuhrjX295L3TAh2XxJOtC8TfcTA6zDhF56xnNWmX7avLg5oAwd7ihZy2aNhNGF7HgU3wyA/s640/Kerry+California+090.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macrocarpa. Monterey Cypress. Notice the dry ground.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH94ha_oPm1ZP9UbdhY6b5tZ3i42b6qATemz1P6WlPjYykUgoIWLiF2eGadENu3m56PVJaAIRMY0onx5iFPLZf1x-E0fj70iUKlO_kwcLzdZINXe_j7PkNRniaqw16C2enuGdhX2CgLNs/s1600/Kerry+California+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH94ha_oPm1ZP9UbdhY6b5tZ3i42b6qATemz1P6WlPjYykUgoIWLiF2eGadENu3m56PVJaAIRMY0onx5iFPLZf1x-E0fj70iUKlO_kwcLzdZINXe_j7PkNRniaqw16C2enuGdhX2CgLNs/s640/Kerry+California+092.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is a seal down there</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdZbFiDFWD9eG9WRoZXDoYRFyIBfzxl_Sd2apF10er7Cc2vcXFX6dwZBID-I-CQnFdNSBRgA3981NPOmqG4ClfGW9x4_GHNU5Z1-coNeFDStaBNsYzbwU5bouY5byipeAuaUf19A9028/s1600/Kerry+California+097.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdZbFiDFWD9eG9WRoZXDoYRFyIBfzxl_Sd2apF10er7Cc2vcXFX6dwZBID-I-CQnFdNSBRgA3981NPOmqG4ClfGW9x4_GHNU5Z1-coNeFDStaBNsYzbwU5bouY5byipeAuaUf19A9028/s640/Kerry+California+097.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening in 'Carmel by the sea'. Time for a beer and a steak. But spot the macrocarpa. The big trees are Pine.</td></tr>
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It would be easy to say that the trees came to New Zealand with the gold rush miners from California and likely some did. But the first known Radiata was planted in New Zealand in 1859 at Mount Peel Station a full two years before the gold rush. That's about 250 Kilometers north of our gold field. It was an unpopulated area and it's unlikely there were more than a dozen humans between the two areas.</div>
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In those days (1850s) development of farming in southern New Zealand was not by struggling pioneer families. It was the time of the land barons, well capitalised big enterprises with dozens of employees and the resources to import and develop what they needed in quantity. Many of the early specimens came via nurseries and botanical interests in England, France and Australia, and of course California.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xTIuLlNngK8OlCpNDqF9DyOkmYDh709kzzv2inAmNyaERpFzIEAwBxozOAABLFxrrdHiZzi_PrUl8RPjtTQxg1lAsk0h2-DibdjUIoHKIGMdvtCFVaG4w_qpWNmSXkKd8ilJpYYvHbM/s1600/Radiata+Map+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xTIuLlNngK8OlCpNDqF9DyOkmYDh709kzzv2inAmNyaERpFzIEAwBxozOAABLFxrrdHiZzi_PrUl8RPjtTQxg1lAsk0h2-DibdjUIoHKIGMdvtCFVaG4w_qpWNmSXkKd8ilJpYYvHbM/s640/Radiata+Map+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some suggestions as to how the Monterey trees came to New Zealand.</td></tr>
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Despite their unique and limited natural range both Macrocarpa and Radiata have great usefulness. They are used for planted and managed forests all over the world.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_z7G21SJgzbiZReowTYGO8CAu3PNWFHIKyRP27kbvXXVLv7ciaHfzkapVHHQWfmj1qMtEVl7bxw96z8fMZDFFUlFlu6NxLDfYTrYCiAnuWzRwaGjICXPS95PWaRuOyYE69D-8OcI2qME/s1600/DSC05360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_z7G21SJgzbiZReowTYGO8CAu3PNWFHIKyRP27kbvXXVLv7ciaHfzkapVHHQWfmj1qMtEVl7bxw96z8fMZDFFUlFlu6NxLDfYTrYCiAnuWzRwaGjICXPS95PWaRuOyYE69D-8OcI2qME/s640/DSC05360.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macrocarpa Plantation. Note the pruning that has been done to ensure knot free and straight timber.</td></tr>
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Radiata is now the most planted tree in the world in hugely commercial plantations. There is a big timber industry based around Radiata.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ev9_4xoZNhchqm3ihWzbJguLRMCiORN76jjsRfEll6kEKgvY4N56Eg5vksSwsXfKvAm57GWrqVl9u165zHNlUJJWbazABV6TsEP4Tdq9RSPHHT-WEYXqMFLx0PpJFbPXIWsQm5PKCjw/s1600/DSC05554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ev9_4xoZNhchqm3ihWzbJguLRMCiORN76jjsRfEll6kEKgvY4N56Eg5vksSwsXfKvAm57GWrqVl9u165zHNlUJJWbazABV6TsEP4Tdq9RSPHHT-WEYXqMFLx0PpJFbPXIWsQm5PKCjw/s640/DSC05554.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local Radiata plantation. Straight lines and precision.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_AenK7jzXPZs0L7G93pjEYYHK_w2qkIkEl78IRHfAj0p5ijn_hFgAFyM1ixvgn92AfeNomrKoZmNmwEDCpoO2Gc125c-IVkqNLBwSxb7-6S46Q3iJHIbFtHoeI44O4iYlcBJ7EjCGY4/s1600/DSC05556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_AenK7jzXPZs0L7G93pjEYYHK_w2qkIkEl78IRHfAj0p5ijn_hFgAFyM1ixvgn92AfeNomrKoZmNmwEDCpoO2Gc125c-IVkqNLBwSxb7-6S46Q3iJHIbFtHoeI44O4iYlcBJ7EjCGY4/s640/DSC05556.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This local managed plantation is used to stablise encroaching sand.</td></tr>
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Rural Areas across New Zealand feature Radiata and Macrocarpa Shelter Belts. Most farms will have these trees forming a background in the landscape. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjHlS4rSGko8np64VQ9zMjR3UnuKNO-HFLitdzN4pAN08YmnE7tuM8M4x73Y8gYtx3V2YrbVHvsq-7ehqHc5Iqpc5wobFfIU2Yo0B9g_MHtd6dpK2clVwXrN1K3ousHOHyjlGVkhpCXU/s1600/DSC04357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjHlS4rSGko8np64VQ9zMjR3UnuKNO-HFLitdzN4pAN08YmnE7tuM8M4x73Y8gYtx3V2YrbVHvsq-7ehqHc5Iqpc5wobFfIU2Yo0B9g_MHtd6dpK2clVwXrN1K3ousHOHyjlGVkhpCXU/s640/DSC04357.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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All of the dark trees in this photo of the 'Field of Gold' are Radiata, the Monterey Pine a long way from home. The shadow in the foreground is formed by a big belt of radiata that shelters the house from the winter winds. The big tree to the left of middle is a radiata. And the band of Radiata from left to right across the photo are really big specimens. They are well distant -- nearly a kilometer away.<br />
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These two tree varieties are grown because their timber is so useful and forms most of New Zealand's forestry and timber industry and Radiata especially is the major construction timber here now. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DRmRG4geBggyVSnvnu9mF5lqbF5B0YICEvJYEbd0OLgQBkXA1gvUSczkB_fg41JXDKga39MG9ZM_yLe8MCf_v39qMkmb0uAl61DExiWTV9u6s7SvmqGmNfOA2Embww7R_kCqy5jFW6s/s1600/DSC05557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DRmRG4geBggyVSnvnu9mF5lqbF5B0YICEvJYEbd0OLgQBkXA1gvUSczkB_fg41JXDKga39MG9ZM_yLe8MCf_v39qMkmb0uAl61DExiWTV9u6s7SvmqGmNfOA2Embww7R_kCqy5jFW6s/s640/DSC05557.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely neighbours building a deck.</td></tr>
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This deck is really large, well built and has taken a lot of timber. Macrocarpa decking, Monterey Cypress, with a frame of Radiata, Monterey pine. The steps are Radiata. Note the big Radiata and the small one to the left in the photo above. And that yellow patch is California Poppy. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBYUY-irvakxVozMvVgTahXFDyAM8bqxufnw8nAnJEy8rXDONfVPUYauqb0jYZFUF2H4spqwcA-T49bkg66RlSaUurR1OUYCOoo4YW4nmIYvGNDH_5Cubgfbn89ltEH9dHURf5DFmN1Y/s1600/DSC05562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBYUY-irvakxVozMvVgTahXFDyAM8bqxufnw8nAnJEy8rXDONfVPUYauqb0jYZFUF2H4spqwcA-T49bkg66RlSaUurR1OUYCOoo4YW4nmIYvGNDH_5Cubgfbn89ltEH9dHURf5DFmN1Y/s640/DSC05562.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radiata big timber frame, Macrocarpa Decking. Radiata trees and Mt Difficulty.</td></tr>
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(you do have to look again at the photo, at the light on our mountain.) <br />
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So these trees have come a long way from California. Cypress and Pine from those rare sites are an everyday part of our New Zealand landscape.<br />
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<a href="http://geotripper.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/this-is-one-of-rarest-forests-on-our.html" target="_blank">Look at this other blog on the Radiatia Pine</a><br />
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- End</div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-86909768749497978192011-09-01T21:17:00.026+12:002012-02-19T13:55:30.509+13:00Mount Difficulty. (Not the winery) Ten views.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Mt Difficulty dominates. It changes in aspect every hour of the day and every day of the year.</div>
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This is a series of ten images of our mountain. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu9JPjPS6EYh65NBI8z2FMpHSdqscfI945r0_73d5r1Ve-PbMgCiKv9aJ2iWILHxlbtqgpLiQR6Ur7Wmh_tSC0yGeFOowxuFzv1ym9fIs-JX1NqOMHyfGc0WKSUehkZJ1nGTprcg8KWw/s1600/DSC04518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu9JPjPS6EYh65NBI8z2FMpHSdqscfI945r0_73d5r1Ve-PbMgCiKv9aJ2iWILHxlbtqgpLiQR6Ur7Wmh_tSC0yGeFOowxuFzv1ym9fIs-JX1NqOMHyfGc0WKSUehkZJ1nGTprcg8KWw/s640/DSC04518.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 2011. From the track by the river.</td></tr>
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Mt Difficulty was named by the gold rush miners as they walked into the area. It was impossible to travel further upriver though the gorge you can see. So they went up and over the mountain. It was possible....... but not easy.</div>
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The kilometer of river you can see was the home of the worlds most successful gold dredge from 1900 to 1918.<br />
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Number two. Our mountain dominates the field. <br />
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<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaaKV2669D4FsdPyqSwmeLdWShSckxbRpdrxYeE_P3uHbxEhcFTFRroQj-YYfz9KEBnFECfPKKdX2OhuG-2rYu9klBBPfKGLnk6JdtR8LRTi9o9C5woQoMWZkDQ5dqmjDQWrXK7LzRYs/s1600/DSC02942.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaaKV2669D4FsdPyqSwmeLdWShSckxbRpdrxYeE_P3uHbxEhcFTFRroQj-YYfz9KEBnFECfPKKdX2OhuG-2rYu9klBBPfKGLnk6JdtR8LRTi9o9C5woQoMWZkDQ5dqmjDQWrXK7LzRYs/s640/DSC02942.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">August 2010. Our mountain looms over the Garden shed.</span></td></tr>
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Number three.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulGb2IOlWev9jnDBaTrJpw9_ZODx3zAdCwpTLaPZ21ZlTrPZtoHbR3aQ3aAB9fQ2SHp1NzEN1gR7nd7AVu1WQ18-nbTyP1qybLEJj9N5Qq7-0ioSZgg-4XtYEf0kQQ0DKlJQVYEfAmhE/s1600/DSC00136.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulGb2IOlWev9jnDBaTrJpw9_ZODx3zAdCwpTLaPZ21ZlTrPZtoHbR3aQ3aAB9fQ2SHp1NzEN1gR7nd7AVu1WQ18-nbTyP1qybLEJj9N5Qq7-0ioSZgg-4XtYEf0kQQ0DKlJQVYEfAmhE/s640/DSC00136.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2008. Autumn.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Turning into our road there is the mountain. It's always with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Number four.</span> Doggie, or 'Bud' which is one of his many names, takes Mt Difficulty entirely for granted. It's simply always there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0M6kB9zIEBE3WEbe8jLHNeJgGGSXvtFD7aooGWUuqhhFpg05ut1qnksu527SjcO0ZYVPSg5v8u9IB6H1CL7Y5-4oYp3qqTCkaGe1OBdcvaOxRUorFK2aLo5pGelLlrpYsPFShXVXZ7So/s1600/DSC01623.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0M6kB9zIEBE3WEbe8jLHNeJgGGSXvtFD7aooGWUuqhhFpg05ut1qnksu527SjcO0ZYVPSg5v8u9IB6H1CL7Y5-4oYp3qqTCkaGe1OBdcvaOxRUorFK2aLo5pGelLlrpYsPFShXVXZ7So/s640/DSC01623.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sir Budleigh of Bannockburn" with his mountain.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>Number five. Important discussions. Two men, one doggie, one mountain.<br />
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<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkNS9uBprEhD4mfDstyOSz0lCkl69QIJjWGswEIXR-XNg6ZRm_ELTcXgwvaDRMUy16A2S_p6YKKHVPix4zH8XMUaed-aQzMRXiS26pClJLILV7lbhRVg45Mq_Polkp6WB08xex93CUJA/s1600/DSC02359.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkNS9uBprEhD4mfDstyOSz0lCkl69QIJjWGswEIXR-XNg6ZRm_ELTcXgwvaDRMUy16A2S_p6YKKHVPix4zH8XMUaed-aQzMRXiS26pClJLILV7lbhRVg45Mq_Polkp6WB08xex93CUJA/s640/DSC02359.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summer evening. January 2010</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Number six. </span>The light of morning comes to our mountain first. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWtpqa_G_Psf9xdxChPtpL_AzUssu4KGVlr0Ev88vPjYpQ7Qy8EfxdnQDjm26r16RMNE4OOxFEwzdBMCjZw2cZeTm5s_weDTvPYAnrNbjgSTZlCiyvo1ZW63VWLfanwoL91E_unW4OEg/s1600/DSC04622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWtpqa_G_Psf9xdxChPtpL_AzUssu4KGVlr0Ev88vPjYpQ7Qy8EfxdnQDjm26r16RMNE4OOxFEwzdBMCjZw2cZeTm5s_weDTvPYAnrNbjgSTZlCiyvo1ZW63VWLfanwoL91E_unW4OEg/s640/DSC04622.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17th July 2011. Winter Morning</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Number seven. </span></div>
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When the afternoon sun is low over Mt Difficulty the mountain is patches of shadow and light.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eTmPKH9fvQp0XqsbEOOP4nGbhUJaSVk4HkfvMfIdhZ1tX3Krdx-IK4BMRD3BCDWBiRhUavj6cJeunlkwIPpXUij_p5fNG5JoDjnjtr7zxFzG-zg1wHEW4TqFGysdQuQIYFm_2R37UHw/s1600/DSC01875.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eTmPKH9fvQp0XqsbEOOP4nGbhUJaSVk4HkfvMfIdhZ1tX3Krdx-IK4BMRD3BCDWBiRhUavj6cJeunlkwIPpXUij_p5fNG5JoDjnjtr7zxFzG-zg1wHEW4TqFGysdQuQIYFm_2R37UHw/s640/DSC01875.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September 2009. Doggie snoozes on the building site. Mt Difficulty in shadow.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Number eight</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUluZWi1jrlCnqNHK8_ixUMO10ySdT8Dh7O3o51IUjb5LW4K7jksVQiXsdgAXMESgx0EO5Nr8I5m_4ZBxVYxZMwCSI34smVJrvQ9uCdCZzCRodmyO00JgS4absdZbCzAExpRaQ6OK-sk/s1600/DSC02269.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUluZWi1jrlCnqNHK8_ixUMO10ySdT8Dh7O3o51IUjb5LW4K7jksVQiXsdgAXMESgx0EO5Nr8I5m_4ZBxVYxZMwCSI34smVJrvQ9uCdCZzCRodmyO00JgS4absdZbCzAExpRaQ6OK-sk/s640/DSC02269.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January 2010.</td></tr>
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Number nine<br />
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<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTo-ukZiHcchBK6pyDTCxxPouZJZTi2Y23vmjHjtWhR9L7PHUMh2g4KdUEL8Zz4MljvgcYwtqoXyXf5H09QzBoAsNGPjhvznTmUDzsbxFMxiFR6VR_jfaMaSHuVkcsJrBjBtzuK9ClF0A/s1600/DSC03345.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTo-ukZiHcchBK6pyDTCxxPouZJZTi2Y23vmjHjtWhR9L7PHUMh2g4KdUEL8Zz4MljvgcYwtqoXyXf5H09QzBoAsNGPjhvznTmUDzsbxFMxiFR6VR_jfaMaSHuVkcsJrBjBtzuK9ClF0A/s640/DSC03345.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The impassible river gorge. And the mountain that the gold rush miners found merely 'difficult' to cross.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Number ten</span><br />
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<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX2E7ivha7RVVkMiqoI6kSZB83sQ-NukZa6k5VSdgfgtggtxSfAIWckMhH5J0-eeFAwzepMnyyhVuWonsOQ18OExu59j4O2H1ilwjGHsALJkI8C8XeqGhgC4XeovxeqUiYlsUqh834V4/s1600/DSC04033.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX2E7ivha7RVVkMiqoI6kSZB83sQ-NukZa6k5VSdgfgtggtxSfAIWckMhH5J0-eeFAwzepMnyyhVuWonsOQ18OExu59j4O2H1ilwjGHsALJkI8C8XeqGhgC4XeovxeqUiYlsUqh834V4/s640/DSC04033.JPG" width="640" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vines, wind machines, and the ever present mountain.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">End</span></div>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-27410977053381129002011-08-23T05:26:00.008+12:002013-01-15T21:45:51.201+13:00A Lavender Patch follows the Lavender Border<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In August 2010 we planted a Lavender Border with </span><span style="font-size: small;">outstanding success -so far.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvOw7sE7LD_5TS-53CJM-BAjq-l17eewyEdLh4YL6U2CdvXMAzETkx2XvDU4JZEFUN_A9_Xj4sbBBhHBFaspqxjo2tLy3mhS3i5FjRLbw6tpZRkOmXgZ3mWr9FN1_CE9vbbXBXepqB6M/s1600/DSC03949.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvOw7sE7LD_5TS-53CJM-BAjq-l17eewyEdLh4YL6U2CdvXMAzETkx2XvDU4JZEFUN_A9_Xj4sbBBhHBFaspqxjo2tLy3mhS3i5FjRLbw6tpZRkOmXgZ3mWr9FN1_CE9vbbXBXepqB6M/s640/DSC03949.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Growing together into a good row.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Look at this link to see how it is doing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> <b> <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.com/2011/03/border-of-lavender.html?utm_source=BP_recent" target="_blank">Link to "Border of Lavender" post</a></span></b> or read on about the patch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Following establishment of the border, a fine patch of lavender near the back door then seemed a good idea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> We wanted, a closely planted set of rows something like this.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1j6BegiGCpJxWB0Us6irMYzBi8jn8lO5nZzZYOitNqEmjNyafbQCwEOxR7RNuf2WybjFlO4JdPb5lr2ioeHGEGxPkifwmT2c3tBjjPx7SVBIFKOpmOShv7pdmev_Wsvth7eakWzEWHGk/s1600/lavender2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1j6BegiGCpJxWB0Us6irMYzBi8jn8lO5nZzZYOitNqEmjNyafbQCwEOxR7RNuf2WybjFlO4JdPb5lr2ioeHGEGxPkifwmT2c3tBjjPx7SVBIFKOpmOShv7pdmev_Wsvth7eakWzEWHGk/s640/lavender2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What we would love to have. (Not my photo) </td></tr>
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The patch we decided on was a sort of triangle, with 5 rows of plants. Planted in rows 900mm apart and 800mm between the rows. I have found it wise to put a lot of effort into marking out the pattern using wooden stakes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFUomZMjZFW_m5LCxV4E1RmHX7HMRmu2piaGNAGOeCanMIu-bVTxQDvMX8ficV3RZAfVRni4wLrDMzIWEB7efcuKlkBVpwE_TvTKJUkfkb3cKUyCPwB5FkDOguLlFiscAX6QucHmsjUE/s1600/DSC04325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFUomZMjZFW_m5LCxV4E1RmHX7HMRmu2piaGNAGOeCanMIu-bVTxQDvMX8ficV3RZAfVRni4wLrDMzIWEB7efcuKlkBVpwE_TvTKJUkfkb3cKUyCPwB5FkDOguLlFiscAX6QucHmsjUE/s640/DSC04325.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planted in rows, total cover of weed suppressing mat, and an irrigation system.</td></tr>
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It's mark out, plant out, lay out weed mat and set up the irrigation lines. The weed mat is essential. It gives the lavender protection from the strong competition in the early phases. The "Vipers Bugloss" can smother the ground and grow a meter or more in a single season.<br />
Vipers Bugloss a wonderful plant. Aaah - in a way, but really it would destroy the lavender. <br />
<a href="http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.com/2010/02/vipers-bugloss-pardon.html?utm_source=BP_recent">Link to Vipers Bugloss Post.</a><br />
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When the lavender is established in a couple of years, the weedmat can be pulled out. In the meantime it is there and the only problem is that weedmat is really really ugly<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e5AHUGcKxWVF3fiOtch2VVi2-sAFHvnWvGL0NZiPdWCVYwzli20UAjRggK7WiIL-1qCF8F_b-CCHNpgiiMLU4gMaHB_4Y3a1Jthjq3yQLdGTggD1b0O_ZVDQbOhcmGgSl-KH7T1JRK4/s1600/DSC04348_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e5AHUGcKxWVF3fiOtch2VVi2-sAFHvnWvGL0NZiPdWCVYwzli20UAjRggK7WiIL-1qCF8F_b-CCHNpgiiMLU4gMaHB_4Y3a1Jthjq3yQLdGTggD1b0O_ZVDQbOhcmGgSl-KH7T1JRK4/s640/DSC04348_1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 plants in five rows. Planted March 2011. Just before the southern winter.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Lavender is a </span>dry country plant. But with only stones to grow in here and our desert like conditions irrigation is still required at least at the start. Drippers are best. Lavenders would not do well with overhead sprinklers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VZEm2q0HboXI3y1jJ6mDyfC28phunMbSiJRoQmHb6VHLCRFaRDOpTNL-1SrAzIjP1W2mdFkK3e5FWKPbdv0-yvTlrFG7FwSuOS-JOXv58tKZAyFeAKqB2NphWCEQiUz_McCfazVOny4/s1600/DSC04334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VZEm2q0HboXI3y1jJ6mDyfC28phunMbSiJRoQmHb6VHLCRFaRDOpTNL-1SrAzIjP1W2mdFkK3e5FWKPbdv0-yvTlrFG7FwSuOS-JOXv58tKZAyFeAKqB2NphWCEQiUz_McCfazVOny4/s640/DSC04334.JPG" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In this climate every plant needs a water dripper</td></tr>
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Update: November 27th 2011. After only 7 months in the ground there has been a surge of spring growth. In only a few weeks the plants have sprouted lots of green new growth and flower stalks. This variety will flower at Christmas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhQFBkRb3VJq8vcEIYz2n4-Mj7aNCMbA3bj2hVtW5UuujsGG2OewsHTid9sQgBUabt1p9HUvow7k2uRpic8ucil1dMrTm5bF3G4w28aiSujT9xdSzKQW6qnQhZb9bocTLp95XU9dgwFQ/s1600/DSC05537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhQFBkRb3VJq8vcEIYz2n4-Mj7aNCMbA3bj2hVtW5UuujsGG2OewsHTid9sQgBUabt1p9HUvow7k2uRpic8ucil1dMrTm5bF3G4w28aiSujT9xdSzKQW6qnQhZb9bocTLp95XU9dgwFQ/s640/DSC05537.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">27th November 2011. A surge of growth</td></tr>
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These 'super' plants grow really big. I am really looking forward to seeing this group of 30 plants form into a single visual mass. It will be amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-V7cIoWpD7W-cC4UiuM9nj0VWdf8sFUW5_w1OEErz8K-d61ucXYPpUSaffdkpxlW0k7wCxVNJXDPgczM1Snmb-O6STVByM82WkotC31K9QwQEn8at1JWM1ge0bIg_99LKO5J9hRjQ5c/s1600/DSC05734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-V7cIoWpD7W-cC4UiuM9nj0VWdf8sFUW5_w1OEErz8K-d61ucXYPpUSaffdkpxlW0k7wCxVNJXDPgczM1Snmb-O6STVByM82WkotC31K9QwQEn8at1JWM1ge0bIg_99LKO5J9hRjQ5c/s640/DSC05734.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">31st December 2011. Great Progress..</td></tr>
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It came on very well in the next year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbvUl7rvKgeAqnBywUkKxeyZn9ACHsnWi9y8ljaqbSXhc1P71eymrsbYcjivrIU8YRD-TNWzH7bSXunM4GdOrSJM4tFJwTc1SSJnMIPjHyTcUZ8Cs3r6NAjpsJPgWNkJ8NNFnLIZzulw/s1600/20130112_183830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbvUl7rvKgeAqnBywUkKxeyZn9ACHsnWi9y8ljaqbSXhc1P71eymrsbYcjivrIU8YRD-TNWzH7bSXunM4GdOrSJM4tFJwTc1SSJnMIPjHyTcUZ8Cs3r6NAjpsJPgWNkJ8NNFnLIZzulw/s640/20130112_183830.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January 2013</td></tr>
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If you look you might just be able to make out the rows. Maybe I should have planted them the rows further apart and the plants closer within the row. to achieve the rows effect. But really I am very happy. It's a wonderful patch to have next to the back door. That's a large glossy blue urn in the middle, you can just see it. Stands at least 800mm high. I think I will have to block it up higher or the lavender will submerge it.<br />
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The yellow foliage is a Gleditsia Sunburst. They change all the time, but do a reliable brilliant yellow. Eventually it will tower over the whole patch. Great contrasts.<br />
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- End -- for now.</div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-53732384312537973532011-08-07T15:19:00.001+12:002011-08-10T18:56:21.344+12:00It's winter now in the Southern Hemisphere<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My beautiful Daughter in law who lives in Washington D.C. opposite the Watergate says it's stinking hot there. And humid and uncomfortable as well.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But here in the South Island of New Zealand it's still winter. The ski season is in full cry and the plants lie dormant. This morning some very light snow skittered past the window. Some mornings it frosts, with a mist. But that usually goes by mid morning leaving our usual blue skies and sunshine.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv3DxQBqS_bEySjn6Lvr1_8PrCVpeAzernvMmklU13v8S6XJJDQGDWC0in_d4syI7coVOikO6A-O3_ELcmEfCYm3GVycFPEcSWuVyZoahYd-MNR4sYwj9nIXOrXyeWmbpKeGQEjBO_78/s1600/DSC04634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv3DxQBqS_bEySjn6Lvr1_8PrCVpeAzernvMmklU13v8S6XJJDQGDWC0in_d4syI7coVOikO6A-O3_ELcmEfCYm3GVycFPEcSWuVyZoahYd-MNR4sYwj9nIXOrXyeWmbpKeGQEjBO_78/s640/DSC04634.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nightmare looms out of the mist !</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvaOgRLGbjLOFuiEsY3c5t4puNVzjhQj-o_KBA0Q2JQQxIpWII6mzm0VOMKLKbSt4F_vKMMSUhyeTh1Pdxa2WzoQERanXn56vwA-kJi26WQYbsdietpxTfGt-iuyCSjwutDWwoSf099w/s1600/DSC04636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvaOgRLGbjLOFuiEsY3c5t4puNVzjhQj-o_KBA0Q2JQQxIpWII6mzm0VOMKLKbSt4F_vKMMSUhyeTh1Pdxa2WzoQERanXn56vwA-kJi26WQYbsdietpxTfGt-iuyCSjwutDWwoSf099w/s640/DSC04636.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angus the Steel Rabbit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nVfU_WPc-O50iZ08a3O47dYNfq20nqh2vOcNteemOigWpqiEagP4RszLGql009cfPmf6JyZITxoE8qNwgYlY1pwMolusOxtkFtqHHskGPTxSbKVc7-P3uQQIzMxS5k3UF2OjVzy-XZo/s1600/DSC04644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nVfU_WPc-O50iZ08a3O47dYNfq20nqh2vOcNteemOigWpqiEagP4RszLGql009cfPmf6JyZITxoE8qNwgYlY1pwMolusOxtkFtqHHskGPTxSbKVc7-P3uQQIzMxS5k3UF2OjVzy-XZo/s640/DSC04644.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Budleigh of Bannockburn. "Bud" to his many friends.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4zXhqgLYy5udvzsNdGSWRZWqYKzY1PdbDp1-Qdna9KV0Nvhavwf8Pbmju0fICB2ATEMnRa7wImVI6YIzagR8yUHqORvVt5823kHHEP3tx-u_22VJH5Iaf-__U6_8U9Sy7cAuevYZPmw/s1600/DSC04362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4zXhqgLYy5udvzsNdGSWRZWqYKzY1PdbDp1-Qdna9KV0Nvhavwf8Pbmju0fICB2ATEMnRa7wImVI6YIzagR8yUHqORvVt5823kHHEP3tx-u_22VJH5Iaf-__U6_8U9Sy7cAuevYZPmw/s640/DSC04362.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue ski above. Another hour and it will be bright sunshine. Sunglasses will be required.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next month I will be in Downtown Washington D.C. That will be different</span>The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445708994273990101.post-5413909317822648962011-07-30T10:16:00.003+12:002015-05-02T18:59:31.313+12:00Growing Shade. Vines on the Pergola.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The story 2009 through to 2015 and continuing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Great beauty is one thing. But the Iron Pergola along the north side of the house also has a practical use. It provides important climate control.</span> Maximum warm sun into the house in winter is important. Summer provides a fierce challenge, so shade and shelter is necessary.</div>
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Getting quick growth is what we want and grapevines will do what we need. "Ornamental" grapes are beautiful, provide autumn colour, but don't drop great wet dollops of fruit onto the terrace, nor do they attract the wasps.</div>
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The problem here is as always. It's the ground. Gravel is tough for any plant, especially establishing. Cold winters and hot desert summers don't help. Luckily we had the big digger so it only took a few minutes to get some big holes and then each had about half a trailer load of 'superdirt'ei</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVc3ZK2__NNjYn5_defz58hz8iBla2ilB5OE6N9-XLMb8_yulpy1PikTCHOCv11bK49hdK1i86YYCtkHCFvJv5QiK8SLqNU13mmcobk66QZsMIWk9v-C5jI2cmEXjwWTutHLufQvBcnI/s1600/DSC02233.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVc3ZK2__NNjYn5_defz58hz8iBla2ilB5OE6N9-XLMb8_yulpy1PikTCHOCv11bK49hdK1i86YYCtkHCFvJv5QiK8SLqNU13mmcobk66QZsMIWk9v-C5jI2cmEXjwWTutHLufQvBcnI/s640/DSC02233.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vines on pergola. December 2009. Compost to replace the gravel</span></td></tr>
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Largely the vines are selected for autumn colour. There are five plants:</div>
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Three: Vitis Amuriensis</div>
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One: Vitis vinifera 'purpurea' (Claret vine Tienturier grape)</div>
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One: Vitis coignetiae. (Japanese Crimson Glory Vine)</div>
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Planting was quick.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfegN8m9g3kGikrIvm3rK5kZhd0q_UNOcW2QzsCMWeKSyGA1hkEETkj3U22dVWoCtmWETltgOEAju9IqBLBrXdFTOh3NENMw2Ablv9BbUbCt_qYhu0k2xjBtAO5m8TG1rRKlAnWCCbb4/s1600/DSC02246.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfegN8m9g3kGikrIvm3rK5kZhd0q_UNOcW2QzsCMWeKSyGA1hkEETkj3U22dVWoCtmWETltgOEAju9IqBLBrXdFTOh3NENMw2Ablv9BbUbCt_qYhu0k2xjBtAO5m8TG1rRKlAnWCCbb4/s640/DSC02246.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vines on pergola. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">27th December 2009</span></td></tr>
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Growth was even better. Two months and about one meter. Notice the second vine from the right (Claret Vine) is showing autumn colour already in February. It's only going to go better as autumn comes on. Notice the irrigation pipe for the drippers. <span style="font-size: small;">Later in the year a new sprinkler system for the lawn will do that job. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z_QKHNmpqu5S1ljTQmZgN5X1LuBq4EYVlLo5ONTQzFeRsIl4kL4xFykdOeK9KH4e5ndFIxtR-BcVWZPPdJdjS8Zlx20huy0B9Etb8aNZL3um-z2BNkoYfbzMBVnqM5UKxPBREW5YMsg/s1600/DSC02503.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z_QKHNmpqu5S1ljTQmZgN5X1LuBq4EYVlLo5ONTQzFeRsIl4kL4xFykdOeK9KH4e5ndFIxtR-BcVWZPPdJdjS8Zlx20huy0B9Etb8aNZL3um-z2BNkoYfbzMBVnqM5UKxPBREW5YMsg/s640/DSC02503.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vines on pergola. </span>21st February 2010.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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By May 2010 the vines were well up over the pergola. About two meters of growth in less than five months. Notice the autumn colours.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1vRs4kz0mZOLXC0SisfcVPvsbnrzzt4PFIi2I61GCrKLHftAeuOJl0-Qxhk-hI9nqWlEVFCVJRC9QF8FLP8v9ZnwvzfKC_zlxrHXB9CBNeDodfFXnbuNzCC53B36n5RU1RTv72aZwSE/s1600/DSC02659.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1vRs4kz0mZOLXC0SisfcVPvsbnrzzt4PFIi2I61GCrKLHftAeuOJl0-Qxhk-hI9nqWlEVFCVJRC9QF8FLP8v9ZnwvzfKC_zlxrHXB9CBNeDodfFXnbuNzCC53B36n5RU1RTv72aZwSE/s640/DSC02659.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Grape vines on pergola. </span>15th May 2010</td></tr>
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Next summer the vine will be well along the pergola. And providing lots of shade.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf8itm0PLUFib0ds57Gc48X1aBmecVGAE_7_XSK_hTnnl6LAQE9jQBvISNgGe8y1qfotFx1rs68uUISHtfGiqVMBvv8NoMoXWAc5Mnzjvy3Mg0uCeDs00jZdI5tEZz6WoRCOFyKRrsPI/s1600/DSC02663.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf8itm0PLUFib0ds57Gc48X1aBmecVGAE_7_XSK_hTnnl6LAQE9jQBvISNgGe8y1qfotFx1rs68uUISHtfGiqVMBvv8NoMoXWAc5Mnzjvy3Mg0uCeDs00jZdI5tEZz6WoRCOFyKRrsPI/s640/DSC02663.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Grape vines on pergola. </span>May 2010. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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When the leaves went, I trimmed all the side branches at the base of each vine right off. Might not be the best thing for rapid growth. Any leaf assists the plant growth. But I also seek the vine to have a large standard trunk, with no leaves, right up to the canopy overhead. I want all the leaves to be overhead on the canopy. So it's a risk.<br />
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One clearly dumb thing I did though was to accidently snip the leader of the middle vine. At about a meter from the ground. A seasons growth lost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiM1fc2KC5q7znkbS62fJ7CN1p3J3qLinY4sQ9C5A64RqFktRpzQz97c5qw5PeqpaAx3WuBhPK_IU9TshivOdIG9q7smH5erqUVNVpYhpy896KvdROb34Kzu-gfDIO4GZKmYti1LO9Oog/s1600/DSC02850.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiM1fc2KC5q7znkbS62fJ7CN1p3J3qLinY4sQ9C5A64RqFktRpzQz97c5qw5PeqpaAx3WuBhPK_IU9TshivOdIG9q7smH5erqUVNVpYhpy896KvdROb34Kzu-gfDIO4GZKmYti1LO9Oog/s640/DSC02850.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Grape vines on pergola. </span>July 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDL2z-gvLMXUeoaU483F22OuvCp5QD9qUBDy5J2HZ-dmqc1DZnpn3WJ43eR5NsEPKAHoomagrh21WB7TRzFZe6-PQmKjZ55Vqd9DvuoQk2RbcpaXzhReiTQzb0enwnjvoinUUctp1UWOg/s1600/DSC03713.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDL2z-gvLMXUeoaU483F22OuvCp5QD9qUBDy5J2HZ-dmqc1DZnpn3WJ43eR5NsEPKAHoomagrh21WB7TRzFZe6-PQmKjZ55Vqd9DvuoQk2RbcpaXzhReiTQzb0enwnjvoinUUctp1UWOg/s640/DSC03713.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30th December 2010. One year after planting</td></tr>
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Vine growth took off vigourously during late spring and early summer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbRrB7JOFQWnYe5ze6pu97ymn-b2EtoUxuKzYEdBPd5RcuTiH2MovpKlFSAxTpafrzgL3TregtxuLZHIJcH6m55ga4SXaOpjtXRkyABL5Fd-lLlNa1SFMoikxdBgFrdmO7VDWDPCAxFA/s1600/DSC04153.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbRrB7JOFQWnYe5ze6pu97ymn-b2EtoUxuKzYEdBPd5RcuTiH2MovpKlFSAxTpafrzgL3TregtxuLZHIJcH6m55ga4SXaOpjtXRkyABL5Fd-lLlNa1SFMoikxdBgFrdmO7VDWDPCAxFA/s640/DSC04153.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19th March 2011. End of the summer growth and Autumn colour well begun.</td></tr>
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Over the summer the prime task was to prune the wild laterals and ensure there was a sensible pattern of growth over the framework. We did not want to end up with a nest of spaghetti. Attention in the first year would make maintaining the vines in very easy future years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDp7v2VAadcAYnNyo6Sh6Li8t3OT9nteugXH0A4qD0tfywU1FAt05I19x3SC6kputSBOzL7FuFT6F_T8WkeZAYHhPHEUTgfb0j6cxnX0NnBcpH-7uJHKC-ZJrJx2xgvCMcu0mRgl5J4g/s1600/DSC04363.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDp7v2VAadcAYnNyo6Sh6Li8t3OT9nteugXH0A4qD0tfywU1FAt05I19x3SC6kputSBOzL7FuFT6F_T8WkeZAYHhPHEUTgfb0j6cxnX0NnBcpH-7uJHKC-ZJrJx2xgvCMcu0mRgl5J4g/s640/DSC04363.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10th April 2011. Autumn leaf colour on an Autumn misty morning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwY0k6j_0-Qv8dAZ571qp2c1aPEBHH3-nQ3Da5TJ1W5_RuLR5pxQVJ3OaExeNhkD1ZoBNfcwOpOmOm_b-HeJ_BX_kLNDSCJ2vJJexn0UQMxIfosOl5-6MRnj-_pCggOqtl674SffKlSe4/s1600/DSC04622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwY0k6j_0-Qv8dAZ571qp2c1aPEBHH3-nQ3Da5TJ1W5_RuLR5pxQVJ3OaExeNhkD1ZoBNfcwOpOmOm_b-HeJ_BX_kLNDSCJ2vJJexn0UQMxIfosOl5-6MRnj-_pCggOqtl674SffKlSe4/s640/DSC04622.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">24th July 2011. Winter Frost. Vines trimmed back. Ready for the next year.</td></tr>
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The growth difference between varieties is quite marked. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmPRg9hBRvsbiuu1M8CJl4kCeKjs1p-sndCIIxcd952hYabQYmo_Xcab3iJerMOT27oejvch5AZNPAQEL3mWm1mk0s3bTurPFrsh_ndLHoDB45vpqjQ5-D6xUPITAu32jZe0VbKvMtek/s1600/DSC05655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmPRg9hBRvsbiuu1M8CJl4kCeKjs1p-sndCIIxcd952hYabQYmo_Xcab3iJerMOT27oejvch5AZNPAQEL3mWm1mk0s3bTurPFrsh_ndLHoDB45vpqjQ5-D6xUPITAu32jZe0VbKvMtek/s640/DSC05655.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011. High Summer. Vitis Amuriensis on left. Vitis vinifera 'purpurea', Claret vine Tienturier grape on the right.</td></tr>
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The Vitis Amuriensis on the left above is quite vigorous. Vitis vinifera 'purpurea', Claret vine Tienturier grape, on the center right above has been quite disappointing. The Claret vine is about to go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeY_RAPgbg4bARxZIEc49bgZOlGlmZvHd92FTINfeMGRxxhkq53jxkHQGS__hQVYpwfA36-PjrshHIFLySc2ZpDfrtKtLb0_QSrlzcURZRWoWutS-WhIjbexFFhi4KPZ1y-dkdrxejuA/s1600/DSC06233.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeY_RAPgbg4bARxZIEc49bgZOlGlmZvHd92FTINfeMGRxxhkq53jxkHQGS__hQVYpwfA36-PjrshHIFLySc2ZpDfrtKtLb0_QSrlzcURZRWoWutS-WhIjbexFFhi4KPZ1y-dkdrxejuA/s640/DSC06233.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitis coignetiae, Japanese Crimson Glory Vine on the left </td></tr>
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The Vitis coignetiae, Japanese Crimson Glory Vine, on the left, has also been disappointing. </div>
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Colour has not been very interesting. Leaves are often torn, grainy and unattractive, and the habit of the plant is scrappy with lots of gaps between leaf cover. This one is about to go as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCJXNk_KgMEScwyT_WRntBON5HRVFLEbPSXokMceo245t-K5geq6ra-jhOCcz9kR6uWRgoKRB7Ooc17wLpKMfN-jtXBzAa7bKPt52StGGv1LHbTqLY6nmk8eJumJMgSLIjp8Np255vcA/s1600/DSC06347.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCJXNk_KgMEScwyT_WRntBON5HRVFLEbPSXokMceo245t-K5geq6ra-jhOCcz9kR6uWRgoKRB7Ooc17wLpKMfN-jtXBzAa7bKPt52StGGv1LHbTqLY6nmk8eJumJMgSLIjp8Np255vcA/s640/DSC06347.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Grape vines for pergola. </span>12th April 2012. </td></tr>
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In July 2012 plants two and four, (counting from the left) were removed completely. Leaving only three vines, all Vitis Amuriensis.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmA7aNJfbjRkswYCI8h1WrA1bue74YuFZQv-UX8KHUBxebVJh7xELUUz5I3DudltWZUjhzTNeSAJX_mm9nr9cCos4goU7oxBK-OwhsKHDq-OtX4dbaO0UTi5wgamXpfZmJnfyApBdeKGo/s1600/DSC05993_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmA7aNJfbjRkswYCI8h1WrA1bue74YuFZQv-UX8KHUBxebVJh7xELUUz5I3DudltWZUjhzTNeSAJX_mm9nr9cCos4goU7oxBK-OwhsKHDq-OtX4dbaO0UTi5wgamXpfZmJnfyApBdeKGo/s640/DSC05993_1.JPG" height="522" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vines for pergola. </span>January 2012. Doggie gets in the frame. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwutDLDIqpWOCcIMH9vCE_A1DZ1v1MiT28r4NEvgHrafog3lO7XwcMCeTmNsq6dSWN1c0Yz_yeb-PjIVKPgExNxiUIyA3Oi6jtpOLgLhITob463QqezVp0MH8CUmtOnrxWEitGvzuGks/s1600/DSC06279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwutDLDIqpWOCcIMH9vCE_A1DZ1v1MiT28r4NEvgHrafog3lO7XwcMCeTmNsq6dSWN1c0Yz_yeb-PjIVKPgExNxiUIyA3Oi6jtpOLgLhITob463QqezVp0MH8CUmtOnrxWEitGvzuGks/s640/DSC06279.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Grape vines for pergola. </span>9th April 2012. Nice Autumn colour.</td></tr>
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The 20 mm rods along which the branches are trained are about 700 mm apart. Which may be too much of a gap. See the photo above.</div>
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There would be full coverage if I allowed shoots and vine branches to cross and criss cross between. But that ends in an untidy mess, and does not look good in winter. So I am thinking of putting in three more rods between which means they will be about 350mm apart. A vine branch along each rod will give very solid shade with it's leaves.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5grmjjKxhVwyy9wEE8a_z5x0qasK3HYhwOJc_M1fe4CIAVu383Tl0jfNCSXnR7cfnVVVOVJx0vKKfze-mnGzeBl7DgPKd8QHaRU09CYbE84Hp4Fo2ro2JNZa8gIuYVHwcHXGhATZQ8g/s1600/20120901_143228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5grmjjKxhVwyy9wEE8a_z5x0qasK3HYhwOJc_M1fe4CIAVu383Tl0jfNCSXnR7cfnVVVOVJx0vKKfze-mnGzeBl7DgPKd8QHaRU09CYbE84Hp4Fo2ro2JNZa8gIuYVHwcHXGhATZQ8g/s640/20120901_143228.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter 2012. Three new rods added giving a new spacing of about 350 mm.</td></tr>
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I will have to develop new branches along each new rod. But given the vigour of the grapevine that will not be hard to do. We will see how that develops.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr-uSG2DLgP1igJJFshM-8bBJCOQF_wgIONUcgxRAcqzLmtyF20G_n-HwNOezj9XEOkyGBbO-61QrYfNWekQ8UpUo6CaoZ8z8P5WF5JWS3G9wXdczIj1ULOmm-fT9aGgxgLNOuGcjUg4/s1600/20130325_131948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr-uSG2DLgP1igJJFshM-8bBJCOQF_wgIONUcgxRAcqzLmtyF20G_n-HwNOezj9XEOkyGBbO-61QrYfNWekQ8UpUo6CaoZ8z8P5WF5JWS3G9wXdczIj1ULOmm-fT9aGgxgLNOuGcjUg4/s640/20130325_131948.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2013. Success with extra cover.</td></tr>
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It worked. There is a very good shade cover now. Some of the new rods have yet to have a vine branch along their full length. But we will get there.<br />
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The leaves will fall in May. Plenty of sun will come in the winter.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3_2X2MBfbEcrDHLn-H17FS6UZF0Ecg6sc4ZjpjXyt-jjZmRGTECW0lQH7VoomS_xPjE-0-TIZ99_NVzW6w_apWLfRWAw1cqL_Dc-N4_FqKnD6NJmNghESVf5r_3CiCJRJ9Hze9ycTPQ/s1600/20130421_120747+%282%29.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3_2X2MBfbEcrDHLn-H17FS6UZF0Ecg6sc4ZjpjXyt-jjZmRGTECW0lQH7VoomS_xPjE-0-TIZ99_NVzW6w_apWLfRWAw1cqL_Dc-N4_FqKnD6NJmNghESVf5r_3CiCJRJ9Hze9ycTPQ/s640/20130421_120747+%282%29.tiff" height="252" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2013. Technicolour grapevines. But why are they different colours. Read below.</td></tr>
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You can see in the photo above that there are different autumn colours on the pergola. You might think it's because of different plants. Or even soil. But there are only three grape plants. And the one in the middle grows left and right. But left branches are pink and right branches are crimson. Explain that to me. Because I can't explain it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd3SGod6jYc1ktSlKnCOanKhev3R2AqW43GXL_TNDpu2N4xZzYCI02OHQb_6r8NWtsqAUvtqk9THIYS7Ee-h6O6GRNfD95PBvm7-fz2xpD1rZ641NJTY8DWs9ks6jGiqqJBSy7MQsFJY/s1600/20130824_071630(0).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd3SGod6jYc1ktSlKnCOanKhev3R2AqW43GXL_TNDpu2N4xZzYCI02OHQb_6r8NWtsqAUvtqk9THIYS7Ee-h6O6GRNfD95PBvm7-fz2xpD1rZ641NJTY8DWs9ks6jGiqqJBSy7MQsFJY/s640/20130824_071630(0).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter sunrise. August 2013</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq-p7e3w2gVDe0ND7M5hHrXG6hBBBJhEHjjwSX2xU69cf0hU2zae7onOjL1MRYoBwsvKn0zqjr6AofbCcdSJelVAAB_B5nFFcK_p88BzmIUCTIgpQEW4ejgxZ8OeuAdyhl2mmQF4AtFc/s1600/20130824_071720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq-p7e3w2gVDe0ND7M5hHrXG6hBBBJhEHjjwSX2xU69cf0hU2zae7onOjL1MRYoBwsvKn0zqjr6AofbCcdSJelVAAB_B5nFFcK_p88BzmIUCTIgpQEW4ejgxZ8OeuAdyhl2mmQF4AtFc/s640/20130824_071720.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter August 2013. Vines pruned right back.</td></tr>
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Every year after the leaves fall the summer growth is pruned back. Leaving only the trunks and main branches.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJg5_ujvl-bELf9OXiMreLN2ByQNvaXrYo4K6WbkSnMuIS6GYo2Q-uCuHS2nynIMcjWeJlnxqjixicEHEP0CVwWbzBe9QkATnKQnkgRiRvgo3Lr9IECYR8ctZg8xWJ0sf_Hw5pvGEx-g/s1600/20140530_104257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJg5_ujvl-bELf9OXiMreLN2ByQNvaXrYo4K6WbkSnMuIS6GYo2Q-uCuHS2nynIMcjWeJlnxqjixicEHEP0CVwWbzBe9QkATnKQnkgRiRvgo3Lr9IECYR8ctZg8xWJ0sf_Hw5pvGEx-g/s1600/20140530_104257.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 2014. After the leaves fall. Before the laterals are pruned</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8orB64dSEEBl2Ml1hJ3vHY21asZ8MNpUXfF1DLnUNaxjqf3yTLTnIizLG1zlpNMHNuqbGL01pcnHOJ6-FU1FBkW_lVBRKqZVN1WslHECGO8fV8BZ8vfeE-y00gyrOkb656bDqjey75g/s1600/20140615_115036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8orB64dSEEBl2Ml1hJ3vHY21asZ8MNpUXfF1DLnUNaxjqf3yTLTnIizLG1zlpNMHNuqbGL01pcnHOJ6-FU1FBkW_lVBRKqZVN1WslHECGO8fV8BZ8vfeE-y00gyrOkb656bDqjey75g/s1600/20140615_115036.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 2014. After the winter prune of the laterals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The vines have grown well in four and a half years. Eventually they
will have trunks thicker than the leg of a human. Which is the reason
that they have been planted well away from the pillars. They will
become very large and will need the room.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tEHPe4fY2bMqDb3QjNTKmzzqUsALckPAJpqTiiQzJOKZ2a8SYwY6FWFN4kWxRLxLrsKD8qdLWHKQQgGEKqsYMCIGWZ0tRTLtjnIauhKo13csO_IlwMj8jAg4DM3_tfBfZaZz0EJ5dbs/s1600/20140615_115153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tEHPe4fY2bMqDb3QjNTKmzzqUsALckPAJpqTiiQzJOKZ2a8SYwY6FWFN4kWxRLxLrsKD8qdLWHKQQgGEKqsYMCIGWZ0tRTLtjnIauhKo13csO_IlwMj8jAg4DM3_tfBfZaZz0EJ5dbs/s1600/20140615_115153.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 2014. the post is 50mm x 50mm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxZrufnifkd4D-sTcZrFo62kkbwMHSX1yG0DLL9jfv-26fWgkHM1TMsOw2OGAI4c-21zoliIaQziBLHW2OogkSllrTZI_5IOO1Dmq1JxFNlyA25KsAW0cM1jS5lzrxfMrPJmV1SaBY_k/s1600/20140615_115144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxZrufnifkd4D-sTcZrFo62kkbwMHSX1yG0DLL9jfv-26fWgkHM1TMsOw2OGAI4c-21zoliIaQziBLHW2OogkSllrTZI_5IOO1Dmq1JxFNlyA25KsAW0cM1jS5lzrxfMrPJmV1SaBY_k/s1600/20140615_115144.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 2014. Thickness at four and half years</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
April 2015. This summer has been very hot and there has been a drought. But the vines have continued to increase coverage and now I can now saw coverage is complete. April here is Autumn, and the colour is just amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5w7cn40ZdgrxKqXxCSq0I4BXfnecgIBVZo2Il0HGnLxujZS9I5rPb-22eM7sE5ocwP6KNwn_yxcdpXbyzkr2pvCVbprxOUzNVTfH7T_wQhUq3HXxDdcYZdQHYG3oaZG7EugdaxbdWBc/s1600/20150411_145733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5w7cn40ZdgrxKqXxCSq0I4BXfnecgIBVZo2Il0HGnLxujZS9I5rPb-22eM7sE5ocwP6KNwn_yxcdpXbyzkr2pvCVbprxOUzNVTfH7T_wQhUq3HXxDdcYZdQHYG3oaZG7EugdaxbdWBc/s1600/20150411_145733.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2015. Coverage is good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We live in the South Pacific and the light here is bright and the air is so clear it will burn your skin in minutes. But this is enough coverage to give protection and we can live outside underneath.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_icBbE_PPnZ36XLp942Z8Eg_H-pCQjIvac3xTWjB6lSMi6ar6yaUuKnzZd0P3iBG9zDS28iWeqAuWd26-2tjkzDXoGq6oBlwxkB5MlnN-PT1agXZRSI7VgE3YKnDHjYnORT6rfxy9fw/s1600/20150411_144056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_icBbE_PPnZ36XLp942Z8Eg_H-pCQjIvac3xTWjB6lSMi6ar6yaUuKnzZd0P3iBG9zDS28iWeqAuWd26-2tjkzDXoGq6oBlwxkB5MlnN-PT1agXZRSI7VgE3YKnDHjYnORT6rfxy9fw/s1600/20150411_144056.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2015 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You will notice in the photo below the shade on the side of the house. This means the summer heat and sunshine doesn't come into the house. When the leave fall in the winter the sun will come inside, and in winter that is just what we want.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa62HbKYNj07OAC6enMxw9kRi1-eZICx5UYlwEWqxNPGOlGZFZVKbbTJ39r2iGLdfCdIUI_QM2bo8Lo3TK1RmdfB3umk7HsUVDp955pz1Gwo9JspyYjH592Fc7yYutLk1pmjrUwtcLOA/s1600/20150411_144148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa62HbKYNj07OAC6enMxw9kRi1-eZICx5UYlwEWqxNPGOlGZFZVKbbTJ39r2iGLdfCdIUI_QM2bo8Lo3TK1RmdfB3umk7HsUVDp955pz1Gwo9JspyYjH592Fc7yYutLk1pmjrUwtcLOA/s1600/20150411_144148.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzq_FSDxngmOGYHJ5GUjPaewDmlaQYjZm-YQbYVBkHt-xVbbJzb36Ogjy0D5sAli6ppjndOR1MDoIS66i4NPoXETq1zT_tiMTjY-I6iVq7hKYeh1WQwbXPT0cslX-fiNGFTcvH1J-uZc/s1600/20150411_144110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzq_FSDxngmOGYHJ5GUjPaewDmlaQYjZm-YQbYVBkHt-xVbbJzb36Ogjy0D5sAli6ppjndOR1MDoIS66i4NPoXETq1zT_tiMTjY-I6iVq7hKYeh1WQwbXPT0cslX-fiNGFTcvH1J-uZc/s1600/20150411_144110.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2015 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGlHQ6NsQfQ8YRL9Pfu5N5ho1diVjyhIs7HxeziXFpuhlxwschIGPEnBId9jb6tSnd3QRqrxU89P-6uZFcL5zzBxlUtPdF2S_lXdyZTHGgwM-QwP-MKRy4S0yb0BoHytArr4oR-Loz0I/s1600/20150425_072918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGlHQ6NsQfQ8YRL9Pfu5N5ho1diVjyhIs7HxeziXFpuhlxwschIGPEnBId9jb6tSnd3QRqrxU89P-6uZFcL5zzBxlUtPdF2S_lXdyZTHGgwM-QwP-MKRy4S0yb0BoHytArr4oR-Loz0I/s1600/20150425_072918.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the sun came on in that morning the colour was quite surreal. Quite appropriate for April 25th. Anzac Day in New Zealand. 100 years after Gallipoli. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every day several people around the world google the words
"Grape Vine for Pergola" or similar, and then end up reading this
post. I am most interested to hear what people think and how their own
projects progress. And I can answer questions. <br />
<br />
Use the comments link below.<br />
<br />
To be continued. </div>
The Field of Goldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00198031456340592151noreply@blogger.com50