# Aotearoa and WA



## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Dark winter days in the UK , so I thought I would post some bright sunny pictures of New Zealand and Western Australia. The pictures were taken a while ago , but include some places I've not posted before , hope you enjoy them ! The Christchurch pictures may be of ‘ historic ‘ interest as they are from an earlier stage in the rebuild 



I flew to NZ on Air New Zealand via Los Angeles . Their LHR to LAX flight no longer runs , so it is no longer possible to travel the whole route on ANZ . Arrival in AKL was at about 7 am , so a good day out in Auckland even if dazed from jet lag . I had a couple of days in Auckland to acclimatise to the new hemisphere ! I spent the first afternoon on a harbour cruise , part of my arrival rituals..























Rangitoto Island , the last active volcano in the Auckland area..


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Nice pics☝


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

diddyD said:


> Nice pics☝


Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed the photos 

Cheers , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

After the harbour cruise I took a bus to Takapuna , a very pleasant northern suburb of Auckland , the other side of the bridge. Its a great spot , superb beach with views of Rangitoto , and the bridge traffic flowed freely


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

On my second day in Auckland I took a day trip to Waiheke Island , a lovely spot . I had enough time to get a bus to Wild on Waiheke - about 4 or 5 miles - to sample their microbrewed ales Plenty of wine to sample , too , but I kept to beer..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

After a couple of beers I had a bit of time in Oneroa , the main settlement of Waheke , so I went to the beach ..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

We called at Rangitoto Island on the way back to Auckland . Rangitoto is an iconic part of the view of Auckland harbour , it is one of about 50 volcasnoes in the Auckland volcano field and was the most recent to erupt , around 600 years ago . I would love to walk to the summit , I'm told there is no real shade on a hot sunny day - bring plenty of water..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

After taking a last few pictures of Auckland , always a favoured city , I flew south to Christchurch for a couple of days . At the time the Restart Mall was still open , it finally closed in early 2018 When I first went to the mall in late 2013 I remember how lovely it was to see life and people back in the city centre again , and its shipping containers were I thought symbols of the rebirth of cenral Christchurch


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The next day I drove to Akaroa , lovely place about ninety mins drive from Christchurch I've posted pictures of Akaroa in my last NZ thread , but the Hectors dolphins are so cute I'm sure you wont mind seeing them again..





















It was a warm summer , and warm water in Akaroa harbour usually means lots of dolphins out to play...


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Nothing like a snooze in the sun..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The next morning I drove to Lyttleton and Sumner Lyttleton is the port of Christchurch and was badly damaged by the earthquakes These pictures were taken a while ago , I suspect theres been a lot of reconstruction since . I really liked Lyttleton , would have liked to stay longer . I found a really friendly coffee shop , and sat out in the sun for a while before moving on..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

From Lyttleton I drove to Sumner , a prosperous coastal suburb of Christchurch , with a dramatic coast and a big headland . The beach was lovely , and the weather was warmer and sunnier than it appears in the pictures Again , badly damaged by the earthquakes , but a lovely spot..


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## Skopje/Скопје (Jan 8, 2013)

Beautiful and amazing places


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Skopje/Скопје said:


> Beautiful and amazing places



Thank you ! New Zealand is a gorgeous country ! There are more pictures to come , hope you enjoy them 

cheers , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

After my morning exploring Lyttleton and Sumner , I flew to Wellington for a few days , I had a couple of concerts to attend , and had arranged to meet up with some friends from the USA . I also fitted in a bit of sightseeing..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I went on a tour of Old Government House , said to be the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere, an interesting afternoon..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Wellington is said to have the largest proportion of rail commuting in NZ , and has a very pleasant railway station..


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

👍 Really liking this thread.


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Hi Paul , thank you , Im really pleased you're enjoying the thread ! NZ is gorgeous and really photogenic , lots more photos to come 

cheers , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

From Wellington I flew to Nelson , in the north of the South Island My friend was living there at the time , its a lovely spot , one of the sunniest urban areas in New Zealand , second only to Tauranga I think..







About 20 km from Nelson is a memorial to Ernest Rutherford , one of New Zealands greatest sons and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry . He is famous for his discovery of the neutron , and is generally regarded as one of the greatest experimental physicists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries . He was born in 1871 on a farm near Brightwater


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I drove on to Kaiteriteri , 55 km or so from Nelson . It's a very popular beach , but is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The next day I flew back to Christchurch , but went to visit Rabbit Island first , west of Nelson , about 15 km in area, with a bridge to the mainland . I was short of time to explore , but enjoyed my brief visit..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I went back to Christchurch to explore the east coast of the South Island , I had a one way car rental with drop off booked in Invercargill 











The pictures were taken about four years ago , reconstruction has progressed substantially since , and I believe there is now a plan to reconstruct the Cathedral , a symbol of the history of Christchurch ...


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## Patrick Highrise (Sep 11, 2002)

Really nice addittion to a lovely thread. Nice pictures with good comments/info! kay:
some part I recognize from my trip last year to NZ but several other part are complete new for me, so nice to see even moren beautifull and interesting part of this stunning country!


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Hi Patrick , thank you ! I'm really glad you're enjoying the thread , there are more places to come . I always get really frustrated when I see photos of lovely places and no one tells me where they are..

cheers , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

After an afternoon and evening in Christchurch I drove south the next morning on Highway 1 Some people say its the least scenic route on the South Island , but I enjoyed the drive down to Oamaru , which is unusual for a NZ town in that most of the town centre is built of limestone . I went to a concert at the Grainstore Gallery , and the next morning I went into the town for breakfast and picture taking . Oamaru is the self proclaimed steampunk capital of New Zealand..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

In the afternoon I drove south to Dunedin , stopping at Moeraki Boulders en route. Its 120 km or so south to Dunedin , nice scenic route , well worth a stop at Moeraki..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I drove on to Dunedin , and went to a concert at Port Chalmers the first evening . I wanted to go on a penguin tour the next day , I hadn't booked ahead but fortunately there were places on a tour that day . Dunedin is known as the penguin capital of NZ , and my tour was with an excellent outfit - happy to supply details . Penguins are most likely to be seen when returning to land after fishing , generally near sundown Our tour started from central Dunedin at 3 pm ish and returned about 2130, but was an excellent outing..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The best penguin spotting is from privately owned beaches on the Otago Peninsula , and the tours give access to them Our first call was at the Royal Albatross Centre , but the magnificent birds avoided my camera lens , spoilsports !


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The yellow eyed penguin is native to south-east New Zealand and islands further south It is now listed as an endangered species , and they are amongst the worlds rarest penguins The photographs were taken from a hide on a private beach on the peninsula , which was a brilliant place to watch the penguins emerge from the ocean There were also seals to be seen nearby


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I went for a beer , and slept well after an excellent day out ! The next morning I walked around Dunedin in the sunshine ..















I believe the chocolate factory is now closed , and production has moved to the factory in Tasmania Bit of a sad loss..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I then drove south to Invercargill , and dropped off the car at the airport to fly to Stewart Island . I didnt really get time for photography in Invercargill , but my next destination would make up for it . I ate and slept well and set off for the airport The service is by a little 9 seater - Britten Norman Islander I think - but I decided that a small aircraft sounded much nicer than a notoriously rough sea journey across the straights from Bluff...


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I love visiting new islands , and had a yen to visit Stewart Island for a few years . Stewart Island - Rakiura - is the third largest island of NZ , about 30 km south of Bluff , at the southern end of NZ . It is about 1700 square kms in area , with a resident population of around 400 , almost all in the township of Oban . Over 80 per cent of Rakiura is a national park


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The next morning awoke bright and with mostly blue skies , and I went on a trip to Ulva Island - more island collecting ! - and then a tour of Stewart Island . Ulva is a predator free nature reserve , maybe 5 km from Oban , and is part of Rakiura National Park 







Albatrosses are magnificent creatures , rarely seen in the Northern Hemisphere They were charmed - by obvious means , to our boat , and I was well pleased with the photos after the camera-shy albatrosses on the Otago Peninsula ! Mustn't complain though , superb penguins..


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates; well done


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Hi Christos , thank you , glad you are enjoying the photos ! I was lucky , it was a 4 week holiday so lots more to come.. 

Thanks again , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The native wildlife has little or no fear of humans , as the birds of New Zealand evolved without mammalian predators As we stood listening to our tour guide , the little birds were very close to my feet , I was careful to move slowly..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Ulva Island was lovely , but it was time to leave , and we went back to Stewart Island for a tour , it was much brighter than on our arrival day . 















Plenty of thriving eucalyptus trees on Stewart Island , they are not native but they do well , I was told that Stewart Island rarely sees frost despite its southerly latitude ..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

We visited Lee Bay on our tour Maori mythology says that Stewart Island was the Anchor Stone of Maui's Canoe . In the legend Maui's canoe was the South Island from which he raised the Great Fish , the North Island The chain links symbolise the Maori legend..









Nothing like an afternoon nap...





Those humans with their cameras are interrupting my sleep !


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The flight from Stewart Island back to Invercargill was spot on time . I had three or four hours at the airport , so i drank coffee and had a leisurely breakfast , and dealt with some emails . I had an enjoyable conversation with a chap from Invercargill who was flying to Wellington for a family wedding My flight was via Christchurch , a turboprop to CHC and then an A320 up to Auckland


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## Romashka01 (Mar 4, 2011)

Thank you for the nice and interesting photos! 🙂


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Hi Romashka01 , thank you ! i'm really pleased you're enjoying the photos ! There are quite a few more to come , including some from Australia , although I finish the trip back in NZ.. 

Best wishes , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The connection at Christchurch was short and efficient , but I saw an interesting aircraft whilst walking through the airport This is a US Air Force C17 transport , used to ferry supplies to American bases in the Antarctic . I think they also operate out of Hobart..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I spent the night in an airport hotel in Auckland . I discovered that one of the other airport hotels had a craft beer bar , only 20 mins walk away . My night at the airport was much more pleasurable than I expected ! 

The next morning I went to check in for my flight to Perth , which left on time The first photo is the South Australian coast from a nice shiny Air NZ Dreamliner at 40000 feet


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

After a pleasant flight we arrived early in Perth , it was warm and sunny and I took a taxi into the city After checking in I went for a walk around the city centre ..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The next morning I caught a train to Fremantle , the port of Perth and a suburb with an alternative vibe . Perth was having a warm March , and it was about 37 deg C . My plan was to catch a ferry to visit Rottnest Island , in the Indian Ocean about an hour from Freo..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## Patrick Highrise (Sep 11, 2002)

nice additions of the Australia part of your trip!! Perth looks really nice must say!


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Thank you ! Perth is lovely , but the old port of Fremantle is even nicer ! It has ocean , beach , more beaches nearby , a very alternative vibe and lovely old architecture , and is only 35 mins or so from downtown Perth by train There are more pictures of Freo a bit later in the thread . WA is well worth a trip when its possible to travel again ! 

cheers , Steve


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

The trip to Rottnest was pretty smooth , and we arrived in blazing sunshine to perfect semi tropical white beaches . Perth is just about visible in the distance...


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Rottnest is famous for wildlife , in particular for the quokka , a little marsupial , approx cat sized , which tends to come out in the evening as temperatures moderate They are only found on Rottnest and a short stretch of the mainland coast near Perth Like the NZ wildlife , they have little fear of humans and get alarmingly close to human feet !


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Rottnest has a hotel and lots of self catering accommodation . Visiting on a Friday had the benefit of a later ferry back to Fremantle - more time to see the quokkas . I ate fish and chips at the very pleasant hotel bar , drank a couple of beers , then a short stroll to the ferry There were lots of locals getting off the ferry to spend the weekend on the island . The journey back was a bit rougher than the morning , but not terrible , and I wasn't seasick ! 













The next morning I went to collect a hire car I said to the friendly guy in the office that I wanted to see some local wildlife , and he asked if I was going to the golf course ! Apparently a good place to see kangaroos . I took the more conventional tourist option , and went to a wildlife park , another hot day , 37C...




A wombat , I think..




A possum , 



Looks like another possum..



A quoll , probably a Western Quoll..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Just a quick afternoon snooze ... 

 









Kangaroos and wallabies are lovely gentle , dignified creatures , especially when they feed out of your hand . A nice experience 



An excellent wildlife park , well recommended , less than 30 mins drive from central Perth


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I had a walk around central Perth near the hotel before heading south to see something of rural WA 











A quick stop at Preston Beach , just off Highway 2 , for a coffee at the beach cafe Generally excellent coffee in Australia..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I had planned to stay near Pemberton to see Big Tree Country - magnificent eucalypts , tallest recorded 85 metres - but things didn't work out and I stayed in Manjimup , a little town of around 4000 people , main industries logging and agriculture , very much real rural WA , with a very pleasant bar /restaurant and helpful people . I spent the morning doing some travellers tasks , and headed for the the coast in the afternoon to see the d'Entrecasteaux National Park , named after a French admiral Only one tiny settlement/ camp site , Windy Harbour , very quiet , breezy indeed and about 10 C cooler than inland - natural air con !


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I had a walk around Manjimup in the morning , before driving north ..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Thank you ! After breakfast and a brief explore I drove back to Fremantle . I stopped in Bridgetown for coffee and cake..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I enjoyed my couple of days in Manjimup Most tourists in WA head for Margaret River , which I'm told is a lovely place , and I also hear good reports about Albany . They are on my list for my next visit ! 

My second stop was in Bunbury , second largest urban area in WA , population about 70000- Perth is just under 2 million ! I had a coffee at a beach cafe , and took some photos The lighthouse was built only in 1971 , but is very photogenic


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

This time around I was staying in Fremantle , as I had a concert to go to at Fremantle Arts Centre My journey north was pleasant and efficient The next day I went on a river cruise from Freo to the city centre..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I returned to Fremantle on the boat , and went out early evening to the concert starting 1830 ish , on the South Lawn of the Fremantle Arts Centre . I cant think of a better city for outdoor shows , perfect climate , with the famous afternoon onshore breeze , the Fremantle Doctor..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates once again


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I had a few hours in Fremantle to explore before going to the airport for my 1830 flight back to Auckland . Fremantle is lovely - cool and alternative , lovely architecture , a beach and only half hour ish on the train to the city centre .


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates; well done


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Hi Christos , thank you ! 

I flew back to Auckland overnight , managed a short sleep , we arrived early into Auckland and after a couple of hours wait I flew south to New Plymouth , on the west coast of the North Island . New Plymouth has a population of 60000 or so , is a major centre for oil and gas and the only deep water port on the west coast of NZ . It wasn't the sunniest of days in New Plymouth , but I hope the pictures give an impression of the city . I met up with a friend , and spent a night at Womad NZ , a lovely festival, a brief visit..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I slept well after seeing some good bands at Womad . The sun was coming out , but I had to leave as I had a flight to Wellington booked . New Plymouth airport was delightful , tiny with no queues , and flight to Wellington was on time , with good views as we headed south..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)




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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

It was the last weekend of the New Zealand Festival , and the weekend of the Cuba St festival , so there were lots of people around , and lots of live music in the streets ..











The next day I took the funicular up to the Botanic Gardens , fabulous views from the top, and then went on a city tour..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

Some views from Moa Point , visibility was pretty good that day and hopefully you can see the mountains of the South Island in the distance..









..and some views from Mount Victoria..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

I spent my last day in NZ in Wellington , I took some photos , bought some presents , and enjoyed the glorious weather - glorious blue skies all weekend..


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## flatworm (Dec 16, 2007)

My flight back to Auckland was at 1830 , to connect to the 2250 flight to LHR All went smoothly , I was on time in Auckland and in London . It was an excellent trip 

A big thank you to everyone who looked at , enjoyed and liked the photos ! I'm planning to give a bit of love and attention to my UK threads , but I will be back with another long trip soon 

Thanks again , Steve


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## Sydlicious (Oct 8, 2018)

Very informative and great photography - thanks for sharing your experience and memories with us


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