Waiorongomai Valley

Waiorongomai Valley

This place is a little gem, tucked into the base of the Kaimai Range near Te Aroha. Waiorongomai Valley is an old gold mining settlement, now either in ruins or completely gone, with plenty of history and bush tracks a plenty. There are some great views back out over...
Cooks Beach

Cooks Beach

I love my visits to Cooks Beach. They are far too infrequent. But always memorable. There are some pretty spectacular beaches on the Coromandel Peninsula and Cooks is the best of the bunch. This pic was taken during a recent stay. The headland to the right of the pic...
Kaimai railway

Kaimai railway

I took this photo recently while I was out driving near the base of the Kaimai ranges, which rise near my home in Matamata. This photos was taken here (you can just make out the railway line). The stretch of Old Te Aroha road between Okauia and Te Aroha is really,...
Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee

I took a few snaps on a recent kindergarten trip to Hamilton Zoo. Exhibit number 4: the Chimp, chilling out having finished off something mysterious for lunch. (Click on the image to enlarge to full...
Southern White Rhino

Southern White Rhino

I took a few snaps on a recent kindergarten trip to Hamilton Zoo. Exhibit number 3: the mighty Rhinoceros. (Click on the image to enlarge to full size.) One more animal to follow...

Meerkat

I took a few snaps on a recent kindergarten trip to Hamilton Zoo. Exhibit number 2: the Meerkat , just before helping himself to a lunch of ants. (Click on the image to enlarge to full size.) More animals to follow over the next couple of...