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...
I’m not a huge tennis fan or player. It’s a fact that makes me a bit of a minority in my own family. Despite that I usually end up at the West End Cup at some stage.
Billed as the biggest NZ tennis tournament outside of the ASB Classic, it usually has most of the top kiwi players and sometimes people from offshore which makes for pretty good viewing. This year there seemed to be more Australian players than Kiwis and a couple from even further afield like Julia Glushko who took out the women’s title this year.
Here’s Finn Tearney serving to Ajeet Rai in the semis. (The men’s title was eventually taken out by Australian John Patrick Smith.)
Here some spectators enjoy a close-up view from catered the courtside tables, and below even Sky TV were there to broadcast this years event...
And it’s not all heavy duty tennis with local cafe Juk (Jess’ Underground Kitchen) serving up delicious tacos and the Brulee Bike busy adding the finishing touch to their delicious crème brulees with a blowtorch!
Billed as the biggest NZ tennis tournament outside of the ASB Classic, it usually has most of the top kiwi players and sometimes people from offshore which makes for pretty good viewing. This year there seemed to be more Australian players than Kiwis and a couple from even further afield like Julia Glushko who took out the women’s title this year.
Here’s Finn Tearney serving to Ajeet Rai in the semis. (The men’s title was eventually taken out by Australian John Patrick Smith.)
Here some spectators enjoy a close-up view from catered the courtside tables, and below even Sky TV were there to broadcast this years event...
And it’s not all heavy duty tennis with local cafe Juk (Jess’ Underground Kitchen) serving up delicious tacos and the Brulee Bike busy adding the finishing touch to their delicious crème brulees with a blowtorch!
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