HeliOtago Flight Over Dunedin

Our HeliOtago Pilot Jason Frost-Evans, himself a keen surfer, I felt as safe as anything, never even had a thought of anything going wrong, having said this, I dedicate this post to the people who died in the hot air balloon crash today in Carterton.

Here flying over my beloved home suburb of Waldronville, Bogunville. With the Kaikorai Estuary on the foreground Estuary in the foreground, Blackhead Beach in the back with Blackhead headland top left.

Below: Our little chunk of paradise, you can see the short walk to the esturay from the back of our section over the reserve, and the golf course to the left.

Below, three surfers out at Blackhead Beach

Above: approaching Blackhead Headland with the sandstone cliffs leading to Dunedin.

Below: The other side of the Quarried Blackhead headland looking back towards Saddle Hill and the expanse of vegetation covered sandhills between the Blackhead beach and Waldronville.

Above: Tunnel Beach , the orange arrow points to the entrance to the tunnel dug into the sandstone that goes down to the beach, you can just make out 2 people standing on the beach.

Below: The Cliffs on which Cargills castle is Built, with St Clair and Dunedin City in the Background

Above: Cargills Castle on top of the Cliffs

Below: Beloved St Clair with a couple of nice waves breaking over the point.

Above: Industrial area of Dunedin City

Below: The New Dunedin Stadium, next to the other big Quarry in Dunedin, it is 50 metres deep. The area on which the stadium has been built is reclaimed land just 600mm above sea level approx.

Above: Invermay Animal lab/testing unit, I spent quite some time working and learning there when I was doing my Vet Nursing study at Polytech 89-91

Below: Me with my son Shane, and good friend Lisa who took the heli trip

Thinking of booking a ride of your own?

http://www.helicoptersotago.co.nz/index.php

More pics to come as they become relavent to stories I cover on my blog. Blackhead Headland and the Friends of Blackhead.

The Ocean beach Saga etc.

360degree sunset

Last night, for a short time there was a glowing sunset. This series' of 8 images was taken at my front gate, the roof in the middle is our house. An photo taken earlier in the evening of one of the ponds at the golf course over the road.

Playing with light and thread

Above and below: the Kaikorai Estuary empties out to the Pacific Ocean, and at times a small winding river cuts its way through the sand flats. These two images are threaded together in photomerge from 5(top) and 3 separate images on a wide angle lens.


Above and below, a family looking for flounders at sunset in the river.


Above and below: different techniques same scene. top is on a tripod with a long exposure, below hand held long exposure hand panning.


Above: camera propped on the rocks at the carpark capturing with a 4 second exposure a car driving across the kaikorai bridge.

Dunedin Stadium Progress

Well, the sharks wanted it, and they got it. Personally, although a covered stadium for Dunedin is a great thing, the extent to which it has been rate payer funded is ludicrous. Everywhere you look within council services, prices have gone up. Helping a friend pack stuff to shift yesterday morning she gave another guy helping $4 to take a stationwagon load to the green island landfill, to be told it now cost $27.00

I was on my way back from a trip out to Port Chalmers in the afternoon, and took a few shots of the Stadium building progress on my wee matchbox pentax camera (been leaving the 7D at home lately).

Wondering who would like to comment on their local body elections' voting preferemces? Chin back in? or a complete revamp?

Promenade vision for ocean drive

From the Otago Daily Times By David Loughrey on Thu, 8 Jul 2010

Use of John Wilson Ocean Dr, in Dunedin, by pedestrians, cyclists and schools was increasing, Living Streets Dunedin convener Judy Martin said last night, and the road could become "a promenade that everyone enjoys".

The pedestrian advocacy organisation, and cycling organisation Spokes Dunedin, held a public meeting in St Kilda last night, to allow residents to find out more about issues facing the road, express their opinions, and make submissions to the Dunedin City Council.

The council is undertaking a consultation process on the future of the road, which was originally closed while construction of the Tahuna outfall project was under way.

It was re-opened in October last year, but was closed to traffic two weeks later, following a death at Lawyers Head.

Ms Martin said about 25 people and three city councillors attended the meeting.

Organisers adopted the perspective that while people talked about the road as "closed", it was closed only to traffic, and it had a future as a promenade.

It was decided Living Streets would become an umbrella group to push for the road to be "an open, inviting promenade" with a preference it remain closed to traffic.

Submissions on the road's future close on August 6.

View Submission Form on DCC Website here

RELATED BLOG POSTS

August 7th 2006 March 20th 2009 September 2nd 2009 October 7th 2009

Sea Kayak Photo Shoot

Nice to shoot something other than surfing images. I met up with my good friend Trever for a photo shoot down at the Dunedin Harbour last week. The light was rich and warm late in the day, perfect conditions for a paddle.

Above: The Dunedin Stadium progress. Below three: After the paddle trev let his dog Elly out of the car, where she went nuts over the hose.



Above: last light on the water with boat sheds in distance.
Below: The controversial Harbour Mouth Molars by Sculptor Regan Gentry at the Kitchener Street Reserve. $45,000 commission for the Dunedin City Council. Many people were pretty rarked about the subject matter for such a large amount of rate payers' dollars. See ODT article here. I think molars are pretty apt, as I have always seen the Otago Peninsula outline resembling the cookie monster's head.. so the molars are positioned at pretty much the right point.

The Dunedin Forest Fires

A spark from a logging truck around Mt Allen outside Dunedin created an out-of-control fire which burned for over three days. These images were taken on the second day, first one (above) mid afternoon from Andersons bay Rd South Dunedin of the smoke plume hovering over the suburb of Mornington. Below sunset about 8.30pm looking over the Kaikorai Estuary.

Above left: again looking over the Kaikorai Estuary about 8am with the cloud plume brushing over the top of Saddle Hill. Above right: taken from my front gate at about 9pm with the smoke Haze pushing down over saddle Hill. Below, just after 9pm light fading from my front gate again.

Stadium progress

Drove past the Awatea St stadium last week with the work van, and got a few shots out the window, (couldn't stop) was a dull day, so pics not that good, but they are really cracking on with the construction.

Larnachs Castle

Yes, I know, another non-surf post.

I did get out in the weekend though, but haven't processed the photos yet.. tomorrow.

For work on Thursday we did a day trip up the peninsula to Larnachs Castle which is the only inhabited castle in New Zealand.
The Dunedin City council has this local residents passport promotion going, that you can get in to the castle for 30% off and get a free hot drink. Heaps of other local touristy promotins in there, like Swell Cafe (Enjoy either: a tea and coffee with half-priced baked goods, half-priced dessert with your main meal or your first drink at half price.) What cool about the passport cover picture is the scotsman in kilt holding a thruster. I hope to visit and document as many of them as I can over the next few months. Remember.. don't leave the city till you'e seen the sights. Check out www.dunedindifference.co.nz

Dunedin Passport is a booklet of a range of restaurant, tourism attraction and accommodation offers from participating businesses and tourism operators throughout Dunedin city.
Passport holders are also entitled to enter in a prize draw to win $1500 worth of rates relief.

Top: looking down the Otago Harbour towards Dunedin City from close to the castle. Above: the traditiional view of the castle. below: two alternative views, from the back at right, and from the side. You are not allowed to photograph inside the castle, but it is an incredible work of art. one of the ceilings to three people 6 years to carve working full time!



Above: kaka Beack flower with castle behind, and the view from the top of the turret looking towards the entrance of the otago Harbour, Harbour Cone to the right.