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...
Autumn is almost over down here. At Victoria park, the cricket pitches have well and truly gone and the rugby posts have gone in.
Autumn hits some parts of Auckland harder than others with most streets lined with evergreen native trees, but others like Victoria Park and Franklin Road are lined with enormous deciduous Plane Trees so when the temperature drops, so do millions of leaves leaving a crunchy rusty golden carpet over everything.
It's already snowing in the South Island and in a few days winter will officially be here.
Autumn does have advantages though - it's apple season. You can't beat crunching into a crisp NZ apple like these juicy new Pacific Rose and Mahana Reds...
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