Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe from the road heading for Pipiriki, past Raetihi. On the way to the Wanganui River road. It’s all tar sealed now you know?Peering through the rail underpass at Mt Ruapehu. Not much of a risk of being run over by a train in New Zealand.Taken from SH4 at dusk, Late Autumn, late evening. It’s a pleasingly symmetrical mountain.Taken from National Park village at dusk. That’s Mt Ngauruhoe again. That was the actual colour of the sky.Just taking pictures of Mt Ngauruhoe, while Standing in the middle of SH1. You can do that in New Zealand. Take pictures in the middle of the road. Not because it’s allowed, but because you can.Clouds, not smoke above Mt Ruapehu. It’s a 10,000 ft, give or take, live Volcano.Because Mt Ruapehu is so very big, you can see it from very far away. Like this from over 100 miles, or 160 kilometres distant.
Central North Island, near Hunterville, this scene reminds me of a song by the New Christy Minstrels called ‘Green green’. I wonder why?Reflective Rangitikei. Near Hunterville, no Hobbits here. Just a cow having a lie down.Hay baling. I hated doing hay. Worst job of the summer. Mind you, the hay paddock can be a scene of some pretty epic summer colours if someone else is doing the work. Which is the best way to get the hay in.Autumnal Barn beside SH54, Vinegar Hill. Yes we do have autumn in New ZealandNot Mt Doom, Mt Hikurangi, East Cape. Tokomaru Bay is to my right. Quite the contrast on the snowy mountain in the distance.Early morning in the hay paddock with Mt Ruapehu, over 150km’s distant. They don’t get up early round here. Note the absence of work taking place.The Rangitikei River. One of our finest, most beautiful winding rivers. Part of it was used as the Anduin River in the Lord of the Rings films. This information seems to have bypassed most of the LOTR fans who head straight for Hobbiton (which is in the Waikato. I’m pleased to say I had to look that up) and the South Island. Not so many Hobbit geeks wandering around the Rangitikei.Old barn with the evening sun striking through. Between Kimbolton and Cheltenham. Sheep are unimpressed with an impressive sky, they prefer grass.The derelict cottage beside SH1 near Marton. Early morning light. With sheep.Fletcher flies low over a fenceline in the Rangitikei. Bet he did that on purpose, to show off.Sun set on the sheep yards taken looking west from Mt Curl in the Rangitikei. Mt Curl is more like a hill than a mountain.The Te Apiti Windmill Farm on the hills near the Manawatu Gorge. Many people hate windmills because they are an ugly blight on the landscape. If you’ve ever seen this windmill farm, you might change your mind. I think the word you might choose over ugly, is awesome. Even though awesome blight on the landscape still doesn’t sound like a good thing. They are an amazing sight and apparently also generate an awful lot of electricity. Which is a good thing. There are more than 3 windmills…See, more than 3, there are dozens. Most of them are behind me though.
The remains of a long forgotten cottage in the Rangitikei. I call it…’no smoking’.Spooky old house in the Manawatu, gloomy morning. Rural Manawatu lends itself well to the miserable and moody.Geese crossing Kawau Bay at sun rise. I like when Geese fly into my shot.Chimney’s, no house. Rangitkei. No smoking.B&W of cool old barn, for those who prefer B&W. I’m not one of them.B&W of the old cottage beside SH1 near Marton. Sheep of the night.God rays over SH1 near Rata Straight first thing in the morning. I took this standing in the middle of our main road. Alone.Marton Racecourse grandstand. The crowds moved out in 1980. Maybe nearby Palmerston North was more exciting.
Sandy's Views - Photography 