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...
You may not have spotted it yet as you zoom through spaghetti junction by car, but the old Nelson Street motorway off ramp is being converted into a cycleway.
The Nelson Street Cycleway will connect the existing cycle lanes to the city, linking the Grafton Gully Cycleway and the Northwestern Cycleway via a curvaceous steel ramp that is currently being lifted into place from Canada Street. If your cycle commute is from out west then this connection will slash minutes off your ride, not to mention take the pain and danger out of negotiating traffic around Upper Queen, Pitt Street and Karangahape Roads.
Looking forward to taking a spin over it in December!
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