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CoffeeWaffle
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Tuesday, 30 November 2004
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9:08:27 PM 
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Monday, 29 November 2004
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Heres some spring colour from the roadside, for all you Northern hemisphere readers in the icy grip of winter.
10:27:24 PM
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Sunday, 28 November 2004
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After a lazy Sunday morning Briggsy and I decided to check out Abel Tasman National Park this afternoon. We walked in along the track for an hour or two then clambered back across granite boulders, and golden sand beaches along the coast.
A typical Abel Tasman National Park coastal scene. We were impressed by the tenacity of that Manuka tree clinging to life on that rock outcrop.
A pied Shag drying its wings on one of the many golden beaches.
The sky was grey and moody most of the afternoon. Some strange looking cloud formations in this shot.
Briggsy discovered this crab in a rock pool. He was busy trying to prise open a mussel and apparently didn't see us sneaking up on him. Even the flash from the camera didn't seem to phase him.
By the time we walked back to the van we were both very hungry. A feed of fish and chips in Motueka saved us from what seemed like imminent starvation.
11:45:41 PM
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This shot was taken by Briggsy from the kite-buggy trailer yesterday as we travelled along Rabbit Island Beach. See Q4A for more.
1:25:03 PM
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Saturday, 27 November 2004
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A perfect day here in Nelson. Too exhausted to write much so here the photos....
Briggsy and I checked out the Nelson Markets (which are only on Saturday mornings). Then dag-wood sandwiches from the bakery for lunch.
Briggsy practising with an Excalibur (large Delta-shaped stunt kite), while Kaycee supervises.
After a couple of laps of the park in the buggy trailer behind me, it was time for Briggsy to try out the wheels for herself. She did pretty well to...
...its happens to the best of them. This shot was just after a very well executed emergency buggy exit followed by and almost perfect chin slide. Note, she managed to keep the kites in the air like a true professional.
Later we drove out to Rabbit Island, and buggied the length of the beach with buggy and trailer. Tune in later for some pictures taken by Briggsy from the trailer... (just as soon as she has offloaded them).
9:56:07 PM
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Wednesday, 24 November 2004
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One of the best photo opportunities I got while on my recent road-trip was the Gannet colony at Muriwai Beach. The birds nest in large numbers there and a track along the hilltops above them provides some fantastic viewpoints. I published some of these photos at the time but there were so many I liked you only saw the tip of the iceberg. But of all the pictures I took that day this is one is unique. Its the only one with a chick visible (look under the bird on the top right), and the chicks are so well camouflaged I didn't even notice it until later.
(click for 1024x768 desktop wallpaper)
6:38:39 PM
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Sunday, 21 November 2004
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The Nelson Kite Club monthly kite day was on at Neale Park today. I didn't arrive until about 2.30pm (it starts at 1pm), so there was already some racing going on when I got there. Some close racing to with three phantoms in the air along with Bill's Quad-foil. I got the buggy out and unpacked my 3.0m Flexi-foil Blade II. Soon I had that little 3 meter blade looping and swooping under, over, and between 12-15m Phantoms (and holding my own... almost). I was sweating while I worked the little kite all over the sky, hunting for power, while the guys flying the Phantoms were just cruising. Great fun!
Two Phantoms flying very close, shows just how competitive the racing was getting :)
Bill (left), Paul (middle), and Sam (right on board) enjoying the breeze.
8:43:47 PM
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Saturday, 20 November 2004
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"Weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society - things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed."
E. B. White
9:08:47 PM
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Anyone got a photographic microscope I can borrow? I have got to try this for myself.
12:20:44 PM
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Thursday, 18 November 2004
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I let Wallpaper Wednesday slide again yesterday. I wasn't in the mood. I am now. This image I've titled Late Break, is one of my recent favourites. Taken while sitting in the dunes at Muriwai Beach on the night I arrived there. I find it soothing...
(click for 1024x768 desktop wallpaper)
MURRAY
Origin: Scottish Gaelic 'MOROGH'
Meaning: Sailor or sea warrior. From the place name 'MORAG' meaning beside the sea.
4:22:19 PM
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Monday, 15 November 2004
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"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So. . . get on your way."
Dr. Seuss
11:32:57 PM
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Sunday, 14 November 2004
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Actually its Ngarunui Beach according to my map (or the Ocean Beach near Raglan), but if your talking to a kite buggy pilot, you'd probably just call it Charlie's Beach. Charlie, a kite buggier, kite designer/builder, and veteran Muriwai Moose Meet attendee from Raglan invited me to come and have a buggy on his beach on my way back home from my adventure in the far north. An offer I couldn't refuse.
I spent an afternoon last Thursday cruising up an down this lovely beach. Charlie arrived later in the day (after he finished working) and we buggied till sunset. That was the last chance I got to fly a kite on my holiday and I could think of a better way to top it all off, than a quiet buggy in a light breeze along a beautiful beach, into a setting sun.
We weren't the only things flying above the beach that day. Here Butterfly Dave searches for lift along the hilltops above the beach.
Charlie and his magic 4 meter c-quad.
Charlie going backward. How fast was it Charlie? 60, 70 kph?
The early stages of the sunset...
...and the last light of the day, just after I finished packing the van for the night drive South, toward home.
10:25:39 PM
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Thursday, 11 November 2004
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"Human subtelty will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous."
Leonardo DaVinci
10:02:58 PM
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Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Monday, 8 November 2004
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The red sunset over KariKari Beach, in Northland last Monday night...
...and a stormy blue evening in Marlbrough Sounds on Friday as seen from the Interisland Ferry.
10:36:38 PM
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Sunday, 7 November 2004
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Heres some action from last Sunday after waking up to a still smoking bonfire and a clear day. Charlie and Kent constructed a ramp on the front beach.
I'm glad I got that seat belt installed a few weeks ago.
The campsite on Sunday morning as a few nursed hangovers. I should have been selling coffee from the back of the van. I could have made a quick buck.
Craig jumping his bigfoot buggy (even though he promised his wife he wouldn't do anything dangerous). Buggy jumping photos were taken by Ted.
On a different subject, I am 33 years young today. Happy birthday 2 me...
9:18:30 PM
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Saturday, 6 November 2004
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Camping in the dunes of Murwai has a way of making you feel small. We had a full moon and an almost uninterupted view of the hevans. I took these two shots as the moons rose over a nearby sand dune. Soon afterwards Craig and I had a go at night time kite buggying with torches strapped to the buggy frames.
More pictures from Muriwai tommorrow...
11:27:27 PM
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I'm back. I got home from my two week trip late last night after a lot of driving. Sorry for the state the site was left in last week. It turned out blogging from the road was not as simple as it should have been. Finding somewhere to upload was a problem, and then when I did get the use of a phone line (thanks kiteworks) many pictures just didn't want to upload in the time I had. I decided to have a holiday from blogging soon after that... there was just too much other fun to be had (and Muriwai sand dunes are not the most laptop friendly places so leaving it in its bag was a good idea). But the good news is I kept taking pictures, so you have a few days of catching up ahead.
This is the scene at the North end of Muriwai Beach last Saturday. We had just arrived after driving the 45km length of the beach.The wind was a solid 18-20 knots and everyone was rearing to go.
I must go and pick up Kaycee from my parents place now, but tune in later for more photos.
10:28:13 AM
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© Copyright
2006
Murray Neill
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Last update:
12/10/2006; 7:20:58 p.m.
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