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...
Part of the mine collapsed back in April, releasing 2 million tonnes of rock into the pit, putting a pause on mining operations which in turn meant the laying off of staff.
This is the old Cornish Pumphouse, just metres to the left of the building is downtown Waihi and to the right the open cast mine. It was moved almost 300 metres on steel rails (the incorrectly lurid red rusty steel running toward the foreground of this sketch).
On display just around the rim track is an enormous Caterpillar dump truck — the most powerful yet slow vehicle I've ever drawn 1000 hp with a max speed of only 60 Kph!
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