Save our world: use natural material

Seen at the Arataki Visitor Centre at the Waitakere ranges is this bench. It blended with the natural environment of the bush and forest. I thought what a great idea. We don't need glossy lead, mercury, cobalt, and barium laden paints to make the bench beautiful.

Many out door paints contain serious toxins and are dangerously poisonous to people and the planet. Even stains touted as environmentally friendly will contain over 200 g/L VOC. Some contain ethyl benzene, while others will be full of ethylene glycol.

A natural bench serves the same function as a painted one.

Paki Paki to the Waitakere City Council. In fact, in many places in New Zealand, our outdoor furniture are not painted. In making this particular bench, I can see there is not much need for machinery as well.

Addition: The Waitakere City Council was disestablished in 2010 with the creation of the Auckland Council as a unitary authority - the "SuperCity"

Thanks The probligo,


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sunday stills: Circles

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I see circles in drums, when I walked past this shop, I asked the proprietors f I could take some photos. They were very obliging. I am devoting the entire post on the drums in this shop in Balmoral Auckland. I told them I was a member of a club, and we are taking photos of circles.

Then I went outside and saw modern art on the wall.

FSO: Letter F

In many scenic areas in Auckland, the regional council had erected these giant frames which are a great hit with tourists and locals alike. I went with my friends out west to the Waitakeri ranges. That's me in the white top.

flags of New Zealand, the offical blue and union jack, and the black with the sliver fern, our national plant. These twc children are my new friends from Taiwan.

You see those light green bales of hay. I am glad that some recycling companies come and collect these plastic covers.

There are many farms in New Zealand, many of these fence are electrified. I was zapped once.





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January 28 - The Letter F. What in your town begins with the letter F.

Outdoor Wednesday: Daisy fields

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In summer, the lawns and fields in New Zealand quickly turn into daisy fields. Here my "baby" sits and picks daisies so I can make a daisy chain for her.

All too soon, she has grown up and will be traveling and doing what she likes to do.

When she is in the freezing Harbin or Paris, I hope she looks at this post, and remembers the warmth of her mum's bossom.

My World Tuesday: Dried trees

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It's a hot summer. I hope no one is stupid to light a fire.

save the world:Save our track

This is a New Zealand Fern that grows to become a tree, the Ponga tree. You might think you are in the set of The Last Samurai and acting along with Tom Cruise.






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You see those clumps of tall pine trees? You see the native bush under the trees? The city council wants to put elephants there and fence it off from the rest of the people to enjoy. Well, not the rest of the people, according to the council, reckoning that nobody uses it.

But there are people like me who love to track in a parcel of land near the city. On the way up or down the track, I can see the elephant section of Auckland Zoo. I love this little track as it goes up a steep slope and is quite challenging. I always take my visitors to Western Springs, and for the more energetic, I take them to climb the track. They love it. Where can you find a bush track in the suburb of a city with more than a million people?

There is a campaign to "Help us save our track."

This bush track from West View Rd at Western Springs is not under used. It's not - we use it all the time and it's a very special part of our neighbourhood.

If a plan to hand about 22,000 square metres of Western Springs Lakeside Park over to the Auckland Zoo goes ahead, some West View Rd residents could have up to 10 elephants based near their properties. Imagine the poor babies and their mums.

Resident Annette Isbey says claims by the Auckland City Council that parkland earmarked for an elephant encounter experience is underused are untrue.

"It's a good walking track. People come before and after work to take their dogs down."

Residents have in recent years had to fight to keep the land free of illegal mountain bikers, who rode through the area damaging plants.

"It's an ecologically sensitive area. Elephants are certainly insensitive about where they are treading," she says.

Sunday Stills: Green

The Chinese Character Tai ping means peace, Pacific Ocean is know as Tai Ping ocean. In Auckland, this is the biggest Asian food chain.


These elephants and turtles are made of stones. There were on display and for sale at Crystal mountian. I bought soem Agate key chains.


My bro-in-law K. visited Australia and photographed this. It is beautiful like a green jade brooch.

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FSO/Outdoor Wednesday: Panning for gems

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We were at Crystal Mountains, For $5 you get a packet of black sand with at least 5 gems and you get the experience to a pan for gems.

My World Tuesday: Grass seeds

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Do you have any idea if these seeds are edible?

Dar might be right. I found these at the beach. We eat oats everyday, Thanks Dar, you save me some money if go and harvest them.

There is plenty at Half Moon bay.

Sea oats are well suited to saline environments, and as such, are important to barrier island ecology and are often used in soil stabilization projects because their long root structure firmly holds loose soil. Sea oats are a protected grass in most states along the East Coast. Picking or disturbing sea oats is punishable by fine in Georgia and Florida.

'The Clan of the Cave Bear' is a 1986 film based on the book of the same name by Jean M. Auel.Directed by Michael Chapman, the film stars Daryl Hannah as Ayla, a young Cro-Magnon woman who was separated from her family during an earthquake and found by a group of Neanderthals.

Yesterday, I was thinking about the Book I read about ten years ago, and couldn't think of the title. But I remember it now. It's about the clan who harvested seeds.

save the world : they saved the Cornwallis Wharf.

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This is a good example of success. The people and the government together saved something and gave something for future generation to enjoy.

The Cornwallis wharf was built c.1926-1927 and started being used in 1928. In the early days, ferries were an important means of transport. Soon the roads were built and cars took over. It became of last of 16 Manukau wharves. In 1954 it was in a bad state of repair and the outer section of the 195m long structure was demolished with usable timber salvaged to repair the inner portion.

In 1998, the S.C.O.W. Save Cornwallis Old wharf action group and the Auckland Regional Council banded together and restored the bridge to it's old glory.

SCOW was formed in July 1994 to rescue the aging Cornwallis Wharf from impending demolition. It was the last of sixteen decaying wharves on the Manukau Harbour
The new wharf opened in July 1999.

Ordinary people pledged donations, and the little oval discs on the planks show their names. I had a quick look. Some people donated in memory of their deceased loved ones, " In memory of XXX who loved the wharf. I think these commemorative discs are great, and give people incentives to donate to the fund. There is a sign suggesting users of the wharf to say a quiet thank you to these sponsors.

This is greatly enjoyed for fishing and diving, including my son and his friends.

We went yesterday, and from afar, I saw the jetty. I was so pleased because last week, George the senior hiker posted a wonderful photo taken from the underneath of the pier. I had never been to one, but yesterday I had my chance. Unfortunately there were shadows, and I could not submit a good one to my tutor, George.

The boys want to go again, I will try again. Please go to my other blogs for other photos.