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...
Another sketch in my series on the well known Herne Bay landmark that is about to be chopped up and taken away for sale.
It will join a bunch of other old houses at a yard for second hand houses in Kumeu, West Auckland. Often the old villas end up on lifestyle blocks on the edges of the city. Not a bad thing in some ways and certainly better that demolition!
Strangely though, this old (110+ years) house, constructed from thousand year old kauri timber isn't deemed to be historic or require any heritage protection. Take a drive around any of the inner city suburbs and you will see the same thing happening here and there.
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