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...
The unusual fort is on the cliff side near Narrow Neck on the North Shore. It's actually below ground level, so the trick for me in this sketch is to try to get that feeling of the building being in a great big hole! I'm not sure if it quite does that though.
It was originally built to defend Auckland against the Russians way back on the 1890's. Apparently there were a bunch of these built around the country, but most of them have long been demolished. As well as a number of smaller guns, there were two large guns in the cliff front from which this connected main building could supply a steady stream of ammunition. All designed to protect the Rangitoto Channel (that's Rangitoto Island in the distance) from advancing Russian vessels. Thankfully they were never actually needed!
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