Category Archives: Wellington

Out and about in Wellington

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Loyal readers may remember the almost trouble free starting of my various cars a few weeks ago.

Well I now have the 911 certified and registered and on the road. This wasn’t without some drama however. Despite going very well after 15 months sitting still, it didn’t stop very well – or even at all, really.

Driving it to the Powerhaus across Wellington to be certified was an adventure. Every set of traffic lights required a lot of pre-warning and frantic brake pressing as the car slowly, slowly, slowly came to a stop. Usually just inches behind the car in front.

The brakes are all fixed now and we are back in action – and I have to say, the lads did a great job tuning the car. It hasn’t run better in the last 5 years.

“Well the weather outside is frightful …”

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And yesterday the song lyrics were pretty much right. We had strong winds and rain, and the view from our front window was less than idyllic. But it was Sunday, a chance to hunker down and to do nothing much in particular. It was a challenge we were happy to take up.

One year ago today

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This gallery contains 4 photos.

July 12 2011 – we were staying in the lovely Villa Greta in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. It was a scorching hot day with the temperature hovering in the low 30’s (celsius) with hardly a breath of wind. The … Continue reading →

A taste of Italy

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Every time Jean and I feel homesick for Italy we make the pilgrimage to MariLuca Ristoro. It is owned and run by a friend, Guiseppie, and stepping through the door feels like stepping back to Italy. It’s all warmth and friendliness and excellent Italian food, all in the heart of Wellington.

Bellisssimo.

Note: photos are courtesy of MariLuca Ristoro

What a beautiful day

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To mark the last day of autumn Wellington produced one of those magic mornings that, sadly, we see too infrequently. Crisp, with no wind to speak of and just starting to warm up as the sun rose over the eastern hills.

At 8:15am the view from our front verandah looking south over Evans Bay to Cook Strait (and beyond to Antarctica as there’s not much in the way) was worth a photo.

Under familiar skies

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Southern Cross and Pointers

One of things I remember from our time in Italy was sitting outside in the evenings watching the stars appear overhead. Often it would be in a small local restaurant, but more often on the terrace at our place in Tuscany or overlooking the bay at Positano. I always remember thinking that among all those stars there were nothing I recognised. All the familiar constellations were missing. Being a kiwi, one in particular was sorely missed.

Now we are home, looking up at night has that familiarity that was missing last year. And, as always, there is that pair of bright stars pointing towards our Southern Cross.

Note: Photo was taken using 18-70 zoom lens – 38mm, f4.2, 2 sec, ISO 800.

Our place – Wellington

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Having written about various parts of the world over the last year it’s time to write about our place, Wellington, New Zealand. It’s where I was born and where I have lived since. After every overseas trip or holiday there … Continue reading →