Last Day in Auckland

After visiting the Hunua Falls, we hurriedly went to the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Of course i am curious about the plants in temperate and subtropical climate. Besides, i know that it is very wide, we must hurry up to cover more grounds.

I don't normally ask photos of myself in my walks, but this time i felt it is a must. So an entrance shot with the name is obligatory, hmmm i uploaded it too! Sorry about this folks, now you already see me.

At the back of the administration building the lines of Pohotukawa trees are what will immediately attract the visitors' attention. They are what they call NZ Christmas trees because it flowers in time for Christmas. 

 Next are the vegetables and fruit trees gardens. I had more time taking close-up shots of the flowers that are not familiar to me. Above i am confused if this is blue salvia or lavender. Janneke provided me with the names of some. This one is Salvia uliginosa. 

 
L-R: foxgove, aloe

 
salvia

 Rows and rows of golden flowers that look like marigolds, but not marigolds. All the plants are labeled, but i don't have enough time to record them. According to Janneke this large patch are Achilleas

This is the first time for me to see clivia. I remember once a FB friend telling us it is not pronounced as kleee-vya, rather klay-vya, the namesake is her friend. Oh so this is not clivia? Janneke said it is Sisyrinchium striatum

this one i don't know too. Janneke said this is also an Achilea.

There are lots and lots of flowering ornamental plants, everything is beautiful, but we lack more time.  I guess it is their summer, so the plants are all blooming. Summer at the south of the Equator is opposite that of countries above. At the back far end of the ornamental gardens is the arboretum

another angle of the ornamental gardens with the arboretum at the back

Aside from the normal arboretum, there is also the Gondwana Arboretum. Gondwana is the prehistoric land mass before Asia, NZ and Australia divide into what they are now. The plants and trees there are samples of what was existing centuries and eons ago. 

 Another big area of the botanic gardens is devoted to endemic plants. Many of them are like these, seemingly very chaotic in arrangement, as if they are all stems without leaves. Or they look like prehistoric plants too. There is some truth in that because the species are very old. "The term "divaricating", indicating branching at a right angle, is used in New Zealand to describe the many species of small-leaved woody shrubs that have closely interlaced branches."

 another endemic fern

You will be surprised why i included the above here. Being in a tropical country like the Philippines, sad to say, or a shame to admit, i haven't seen an apple tree in real life. I have seen them very often in pictures, and have eaten a lot of fruits, but young fruits i've seen just now. I hope i will still have the experience of harvesting them. 

I have seen flowering apple and plum trees in Sweden and Turkey, but saw trees with immature fruits just here. I even touched the still rough fruits, saying "öh how i waited years just to touch you"!!!

Through My Lens

Outdoor Wednesday

Sunset in Auckland

Since January this year (2015) I have been posting my travel photos to Australia and New Zealand. Some commenters who didn't read the previous posts, and those who do not know where i live thought i am from those countries. I am sorry about that, but i am from the Philippines, only toured a few places once-in-a while, when time, budget and circumstances permit.

I would like to join Skywatch Friday again using my travel photos, so here they are. To still be in the continuation of my New Zealand photos, i am posting those near where i lived. I have limited sunsets shots and none at all for sunrise in Auckland. 

These are taken only in one afternoon, outside my sister's house. It was like a documentation of the changing hues, they are all SOOC, not even cropping was done.

Skywatch Friday

First Few Days in Auckland

More New Zealand posts are coming. I have not been opening my blogs for a few month now. Things have been a bit stressful lately healthwise, so blogs sacrificed its share. I just would like to share some photos around Auckland.

My sister and her friends fetched me from the airport and took us to dinner. The cold weather was soothing, didn't allow me to feel tired. I immediately took the camera and shoot whatever is at hand. How nice it is to be in a foreign, cold country, yet your countrymen friends show you the hospitality of home. We always behave that way, wherever we are, be it in our own country or 2nd home away from home.

 This is the view of Mt Wellington from the vicinity of my sister's house, my home for 21 days. I have been contemplating to climb this even while i was still preparing my visa. It looks friendly to not so prepared or not very athletic legs. I will climb you one of these days. My sister said i can go there alone while she is at work, but i didn't dare as it will not be so fun going there alone.

 Black and variegated Aeoniums decorate the gardens of neighbors. The head look so welcoming, as all of them, old and young face the visitor. What a lovely welcome.

 This aeonium showed its welcome pose too.

At the back of my sister's house are flowering weeds. She was apologetic as not to have mowed it earlier, but i stopped her from cutting as they provided lovely subjects for photos. Dandelions are not often seen in the tropics except in the tropical highlands. There are still other non obvious flowering weeds in this lot, and i have a lot of their photos. 

On the 2nd day of my arrival, we already went to the city, by the train. My sister thought i would want to take the train on my own next days she was at work. Above is the facade of the Britomart Train Station in Auckland, the grand central where most of the trains start of pass through. 

Inside the Britomart Train Station, i was really fascinated by the very few commuters with very big trains. I can't help but envy the reliability, availability and ease in their mass transport system. Sometimes, there are some lag or delay in the schedule though, but very few minutes are forgivable. 

A few minutes walk from Britomart brought us to Auckland Central Business District, with Queen's Street as the main central road. This is paralleled by many other roads outside it. It goes a bit upwards but the end at the top can be reached in a few minutes.  It was already Christmas season and establishments already show the decors. Many old buildings are located in this main road.

At the other side of the street is the Auckland Ferry Terminal, beyond this building is already the pier.

 At the harbour we were so lucky to see the drawbridge being pulled with the passing of that small private boat. Wynyard Quarter Auckland Draw Bridge is a very convenient pedestrian and cycle bridge at the Viaduct Harbour.  We joined other pedestrians watching and waiting for the bridge to be a pedestrian again. 

The above cyclist bit the seconds before the bridge was drawn, even at the same time with the siren warning. 

We were just able to look at the other sides of the harbour when the drawbridge was put down again. Now we can easily see the Auckland Tower better known as Sky Tower, 328 meters tall from the ground level to the top of the mast. It was built in 1994-1997, purposely for observation and communication. Now it also houses restaurants, skywalk and skyjump facilities. We were supposed to go there for dinner but time has always been a constraint, as my sister is still working. Nonetheless, just looking at it from a distance already evokes a lovely feeling. 

We were walking from Queen Street to a side street where our friends live. The above building is not spectacular enough, but look at the other side, which makes it more awesome. 

The full length of the Sky Tower is reflected on the glass walls. I stayed a few minutes not only to photograph different angles of the reflection, but also to just experience the fascination. It was truly awesome. 

A little walk farther brought us to the foot of the tower. It is a little difficult for the neck so we proceeded to dinner in our friend's house. Not being able to reach the top is not really a big disappointment, there is always something to do next time.

Outdoor Wednesday

Through My Len