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 was a bit dubious about this event when it was first suggested we enter as a group. But boy what a blast. Several thousand competitors run, crawl and climb their way through 6 kms of swamp, stream, pasture and bog.
No matter how carefully you take the swamp crossings you end up on your backside sliding flat-out downhill to faceplant the smelly swamp water. Yum, fetid swamp water, you have to laugh - a lot. Then there are structures to climb over, and combat style barbed wire crawls, even one with electric cattle wire, that zaps you if, like me, you get lazy and try to get up on your hands and knees.
On finishing you're awarded with a hot meat pie for your trouble. I backtracked to this last swamp section for this quick sketch, and finished it after being sluiced off with a fire hose and through a hot shower.
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