Occasionally Auckland Sketchbook escapes the city to somewhere interesting — and close. This time the sketchbook got a workout in The Bay of Islands . Only 3.5 hours by car and a world away from work. The sketch above was made in down-town Paihia, it doesn't look it, but it is literally behind the main street. The view is the back of an old homestead called Williams House . I was attracted by the orchard of very old fig trees on the left that had me imagining eating juicy ripe figs. Sadly they weren't in season but it must be a fun place at harvest time. Right over the other side of the bay you will find his falling down old house on Matauwhi Bay. For a while there the water had a turquoise glow until the sun went into hiding. This is Pompallier House and Clendon Cottage in Russell sketched with my back to the sea. I may have used a little too much artistic licence in moving them close enough together to fit on my page so don't look too closely. Anyway, I have sketched Po...
I've posted an earlier version of the Birdcage Tavern last year before it was pushed up the road on 3 enormous concrete rails.
The old hotel was moved to allow a 'cut and cover' motorway tunnel to be constructed underneath. One of our oldest pubs (1884), it was once situated very close to the Freemans Bay waterfront, but with land reclamation early last century the beach moved away and today the motorway has moved in with the older overhead viaduct joined by a motorway tunnel beneath.
The Birdcage Tavern will be shunted back down to it's original position, about 40 metres to the left. This is the view from Franklin road toward the city. By the end of Tuesday, the pub should be back in it's rightful position roughly where the digger is sitting in this picture.
Viewed from under viaduct July, 2010 and a shot of one of the rails...
The old hotel was moved to allow a 'cut and cover' motorway tunnel to be constructed underneath. One of our oldest pubs (1884), it was once situated very close to the Freemans Bay waterfront, but with land reclamation early last century the beach moved away and today the motorway has moved in with the older overhead viaduct joined by a motorway tunnel beneath.
The Birdcage Tavern will be shunted back down to it's original position, about 40 metres to the left. This is the view from Franklin road toward the city. By the end of Tuesday, the pub should be back in it's rightful position roughly where the digger is sitting in this picture.
Viewed from under viaduct July, 2010 and a shot of one of the rails...
Comments
I lived in Herne Bay in the 60s and have fond memories of this (and one or two other pubs!)
Nice to see an old place being kept, rather than demolished.