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...
It seems way, way, to early for Christmas but the annual Santa Parade took place in Auckland yesterday. We jostled with our 3 for position amongst thousands of others in the baking afternoon sun.
Many will wake up today with sunburned shoulders, fathers across the city will wake up with sore shoulders from carrying their children, and also with a distinct twitching feeling in their back pockets for the shopping carnage that is to come.
All the usual suspects on show, the Santa float of course, reindeer, snow men etc (never looking out of place at all in the NZ summer), highland pipe bands, clowns, acrobats and some distinctly NZ content, such as kapa haka and a very large inflatable kiwi...
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