January 2014 - Happy Holiday Pics

Our holiday photos - January 2014

On holiday at our 'other' home. We have bought the land in Central Hawkes Bay, now all we need to do is build a house there. 

I have been calling it our Mountain Retreat, but as it is not actually in the mountains I think I'd better rename it "Mountain View".

Breakfast and/or dinners under the walnut tree on our building plot.

A bit of an unusual sight - a large plum tree has grown out of an old stump and up through a coil of fencing wire. 

The plum tree (yellow Christmas plums) is laden with fruit at the moment. 

A spectacular weather front heading our way as the sun sets over the mountains. 

The view from our back yard. 

Our beloved caravan has been with us for 30 years. Not only has it traveled all over England, Scotland and Wales, we got it sent out to New Zealand with us when we left England 13 years ago, and it has since journeyed from Cape Reinga at the top of North Island NZ, to Innvercargil at the bottom of South Island NZ, and many places in between. 

It's a rather unique caravan.

And the awning gives us double living space. 

Part of the forest that our land is adjacent to. 

The forest on the left is the one next to our property, and this road leads to the Ruahine Mountain Forest Park.

This gully is where a dam is going to be built over the next 5-10 years. 

You can just see the river at the bottom of the ravine. All this will eventually be under water. 

Most of this will be lost under water too. Such a shame. It's so beautiful here. 

And this is a better view of the actual river which will become the lake bottom. 

All this area will be lost too. So sad. 

Tony and friends on a search for a good fly-fishing spot. 

Had a day trip out to Dannevirke and took the Saddle road back which went over the mountain tracks to the wind farm.

On top of the world. 

This one was whirring away (video to follow soon). 

The (old) information board there said there were 56 wind turbines here, but I counted more than that in just this one area, and there was another 2 hills absolutely full with turbines further over too.

And, YES, it was very windy up there. 

Another day out, and we were sat outside the village shop enjoying a Magnum while waiting for the pub to open, haha.

Onga Onga is a lovely little village with historical buildings that attract the tourists (yes, like us), and the pub was recommended to us for it's fish and chip dinners.  

The village has a park area of these old Settler's buildings (shacks?). 

How twee is that..... but I would not like to live in it. 

And the dunney (long-drop).