#415 ... The Wall

It is slowly starting to dawn on me ... a mere male .. why hte female of the species may be superior. Here are four men, outside my window at work, coming to the conclusive decision that what they are looking at, is in fact, a WALL !!! well done guys

#414 ...Viard Volume

Viard College Barbershop Chorus was at it again in the pedestrian tunnel exiting from the Wellington Railway Station. These guys rock ... it makes for a great start to the working day ... even though many of the morning commuters are captured in their own world space.

#413 ... Caffe Art

The graphic hand of Caffe Laffare's artistic maestro .. it makes for an interesting utalitarian piece of art.

#412 ... Plastic Milk

YES it is true; I have seen it... "milk in plastic bottles really is milk from plastic cows" .. I saw one of these very efficient animals in the Nissan Car dealers on Kent Terrace. Very docile. do not require feed and do not mess up the ground with cow shit .. so I wonder what the shovel is for?

#411 ... Transparent Government

Bowen House (which houses some Parliament offices) on the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street gives the impression of being transparent as the windows reflect the early morning sky.

The building to the right is the Treasury Building at No.1 The Terrace .. the trees in the foreground are the south east corner of Parliament grounds.

#410... Woodward St

Woodward Street ... late afternoon. Woodward Street is the little lane that runs from Lambton Quay up to The Terrace .. and has always been home to cafes, barbers, fashion, food and homewear. The ground floor food outlet here is Wishbone which has numerous small shops all over the city .. they sell heat and serve meals, lunch sandwiches, hot soup and many other tasty delights.

#409 ... Mini Shopping

A Mini leaving Farmers Department Store in Lambton Quay ... is that what they call drive in shopping !!!

#408 ... Backbencher Politics

The Back Bencher Pub ... opposite Parliament. They always have a delightful political bent to their menus and activities ... even hosting the live televison debate of the same name.

Here is the latest promo for the new menu ( we have parliamentay elections at the end of this year) and the finished article .. already for the pre election hype and mayhem.

... and even though it is mean't to be winter the sun is shining ... welll some of the time.

#407 ... Orange Smiles

The transformation of Lambton Quay is still on the go ... these guys outside Parsons Bookshop were happy in their work on Friday .. well at least 4 of them were .. as they were supervising the guy with the shovel !!!
have a great weekend ... ciao

#406 ... Woolly Apartments

The old Wool Stores on Jervois Quay just over the road from the Railway Station

Shed 21 (1910)
this two-storey brick building, with a mezzanine fl oor, located on Waterloo Quay wharf, opposite the Waterloo Hotel (now a backpackers’ hostel). The tallest of the Wellington Harbour Board’s (WHB) industrial warehouses, Shed 21 was built in 1910 to store wool and was designed by the WHB Chief Engineer, James Marchbanks. It replaced the timber J Shed, built in 1880, which had burnt down earlier that year. The apse-like extension at the northern end of the building housed an ‘accumulator’, part of an hydraulic mechanism. Accumulated water pressure was used to drive lifts that moved goods between fl oors. Hydraulic power was once the main source of power on the waterfront and was still used for wool presses, cranes and other equipment until finally superseded by electricity in the 1950s. The charm of Shed 21 lies in the fi ne use of brickwork to embellish an otherwise plain and functional building facade. Note in particular the circular headed windows.

The skylighting and tall ceilings of Shed 21 and other sheds have made them ideal for use for, among other things, exhibitions and concerts. As early as 1911 an Industrial Exhibition was held in hed 21. In the late 1990s, while the future of the building was uncertain, it was partly used for conservation work on the remains of the Inconstant (see 12-Plimmer’s Ark) and as a car park. The building was converted into apartments in 2002 and is now known as Waterloo on Quay Apartments.

#405 ... Train Spotting

... the morning commute into the city .. 10 minutes on the Johnsonville train. This shot is taken at Ngaio Station looking north along the line . Mt Kau Kau on the left hand skyline

#404 ... More Uncovered Art

another piece of uncovered artwork ...well exposed to the outside world. This was on an inside wall of the Wellington Markets (cnr Cable & Taranaki Sts) building at the eastern end of the Rialto Theatre opposite the NZ Stock Exchange ... diagonally opposite Te Papa. see Google Earth MAP

#403... A Nose Job

Last night was just one of those nights ... made some modifications to the nose of the Kat on the way home from dropping my daughter Anna off at her flat in Newtown.

The Kat's a tad sad .. but me is OK ... thanks to the automotive brilliance of airbags ... and no one was physically damaged. Scene of the crime opposite the white truck between the Aurora Tce and Bolt Street overbridges.

So the Kat will have to have facelift surgery and be in recuperation for a few weeks.

... and that is why today's posting is a little late ... I had to arrange automotive surgeons etc etc. ... ciao, jeremy XXX

#402 ... Deconstruction Art

It is often amazing what is exposed to the light of day when buildings are knocked down to make way for new developments ... not that all new development is good !!!. This piece of wall art was (now gone!) on a wall behind the Repco and Boys & Girls Institute buildings on the cnr of Tasman & Rugby Streets View Larger Map by the Basin Reserve

#401 ... Oh what a night!

The Tri-Nations Rugby Test between the All Blacks and the Springboks (South Africa)

Saturday morning was wet, windy and cold ... the weather cleared in the afternoon and provided you were in the right place .. like behind two layers of glass and facing the north west, you could enjoy the warmth of the sun ... by about 4:00pm the cold southerly started coming through and by kick off at 7:30pm it was pissing down, really cold ... "Rugby as it's meant to be !!"

By half time the rain had stopped but it was still bitterly cold. SH2, the road over the Rimutaka Hill to the Wairarapa was closed due to snow .. so all those that lived there were going to have the night in Wellington after the test.

THIS IMAGE says it all really...
Camerman and camera hiding under layers of waterproof gear ... photographing Dan Carter kicking a penalty for the All Blacks .. and you see that it was successful given the finger pointed in the air .. apologies about the picture quality .. it was done the the baby digital at max zoom on a gloomy night ... but it does tell the story of the night !!!

MATCH REPORT:
By Daniel Gilhooly
All Blacks 19 South Africa 8
South Africa had their colours lowered for the first time since winning last year's World Cup in Wellington tonight, succumbing 8-19 to the All Blacks in a soggy opening Tri-Nations rugby test. In an intense game dominated by huge collisions in the tackle, New Zealand executed with more precision and power to maintain their 10 years of dominance at home against the Springboks. The result also extended their world record home winning streak to 30 matches.

Both teams scored one try but the boot of All Blacks first five-eighth Daniel Carter was key as he landed five from six shots at goal for 14 points. Up 9-8 after a torrid first half, the All Blacks looked more fluent when conditions cleared in the second spell while handling errors continued to plague the Springboks and they rarely threatened to score again. The game erupted into life in just the sixth minute when All Blacks lock Brad Thorn appeared to lift South African captain John Smit and drop him to the turf after the whistle had blown. Smit felt there was a case for Thorn to be yellow or red-carded, telling Australian referee Stuart Dickinson he had been spear tackled.
Thorn, who went on to make several more crunching tackles, could yet by cited by the match citing commissioner, which would threaten his place for the next test between the two teams at Dunedin next Saturday.
His physicality was typical of the New Zealanders, who won most facets of the forward exchanges - particularly the scrum - while holding their own at lineout time and winning cleaner tackle ball. Playing without the injured Richie McCaw the All Blacks barely missed a beat thanks to the work of Rodney So'oialo, his replacement as captain and in the No 7 jersey.

The Wellingtonian provided the enormous breakdown presence McCaw has made his hallmark. So'oialo had excellent support up front from lively lock Ali Williams, who had been in doubt all week due to an ankle injury.
Hooker Andrew Hore was a ball of energy while prop Tony Woodcock was at the forefront of a dominant New Zealand scrum. For South Africa, loose forwards Joe van Niekerk and Schalk Burger, both making their first test starts of the year, were always prominent. Carter opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a penalty from directly in front, having somehow missed from near the same spot moments earlier.

Opposite number Butch James levelled the scores 1min later following the Thorn-Smit incident although the penalty was actually for a high tackle from flanker Adam Thomson on fullback Conrad Jantjes. Carter penalties in the 22nd and 29th minute extended the lead to 9-3 before Springboks second five-eighth Jean de Villiers sliced the New Zealand defence open, accelerating past winger Sitiveni Sivivatu on the halfway line to send winger Bryan Habana sliding over in the left-hand corner for a brilliant try. Carter missed a dropped goal attempt on the stroke of halftime but was the creator of his team's try soon after the break, creating space for Thorn, who sent No 8 Jerome Kaino over for his first test points. Kaino was wrongly denied a second try in the 58th minute when he was deemed offside after gathering a Carter grubber kick and scoring. Replays showed Dickinson had erred.

The result was all but secured when Carter landed his fourth penalty with nine minutes remaining, the result of constant pressure in Springboks territory. Carter nearly rounded out another dream night with a chargedown try but was just beaten to the loose ball by Habana. The test was the first to be played under the Experimental Law Variations designed to speed up the game but conditions meant tonight's fixture was never going to be an open affair. Two extra rules, allowing unequal numbers in the lineout and for mauls to be collapsed, had little apparent impact.

New Zealand 19 (Jerome Kaino try; Daniel Carter 4 pen, con) South Africa 8 (Bryan Habana try; Butch James pen). Halftime: 9-8.

#400 ... Peak Hour

Around 9am yesterday morning the convoy of trucks that had processed around central Wellington began turning into Bowen Street to pass well within honking distance of the Beehive.

The truckies were taking part in a nationwide protest against an increase in the road user charge for diesel vehicles. Actual trucks aside, the Wellington streets were calm in the pleasantly sunny weather. The background noise of horns was compensated for by the reduced volume of car commuters.

And this is some of the support they got from the locals.

#399 ... Black, White & Red

This was shot 20 minutes after the rainbow photo ... on my way home over Wadestown hill ... this is looking west towards Crofton Downs. Unfortunately the camera hasn't captured the turquoise sky directly above the hills ... but then I couldn't have said "black, white & READ" ... ciao

#398 ... Right time ... Right place

Left work a bit earlier last night ... about 4:30pm to do the supermarket shopping ... a wet evening ... with muted light ... get outside and WOW ... the sky was painted with an amazing rainbow ... a well defined arc ... unfortuantely the wide angle lens was not wide enough to catch the whole rainbow ... maybe some professional had the gear to capture the moment.

Anyway I took a range of shots, outside the New World supermarket in Thorndon (just across the road from work) and selected this one because... when I loaded them onto the home PC ... I could pick out the second rainbow and the reflection on the wet ground of the carpark. The carpark lighting against a darkening sky, added to the effect.

The night sky on the drive home was dramatic as well ... maybe a daily photo for tomorrow.

#397 ... Damage Artwork

Some interesting signage at the car panel beaters shop ... by the Basin Reserve

A range of car badges in various states of damage ... it makes great art.

That is my aquamarine cat in the righthand foreground ... nothing major .. just getting a small bottle of touchup paint.

#396 ... NO NO NO

The sign in the centre of this montage is like it is having one of those conscience conversations with you ... a delightful classic ... this is in the alleyway leading to Blair Wright panelbeaters in Johnsonville .. and as for "strictly no" ? ... does that mean all the others are sort of like 'soft' or 'pretend' !!!

JULY THEME DAY PARTICIPANTS

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American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by freefalling, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brantford (ON), Canada by Nancy, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chesapeake (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Cincinnati, USA by Erik Laursen, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Delta (CO), USA by Bill, Duluth (MN), USA by Sun Dog Press, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Folkestone, UK by Piskie, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gaia, Portugal by m+p, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Hanoi, Vietnam by Jérôme, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jerusalem, Israel by Esther, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Lynchburg (VA), USA by Timothy, Mainz, Germany by JB, Melbourne, Australia by John, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Misawa, Japan by misawa mama, Monroe (GA), USA by Tanya, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Munich, Germany by Troy, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by • Eliane •, Newcastle, Australia by Julia, Newport News (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norfolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Cheryl, Poplar Bluff (MO), USA by Tricia, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Pretoria, South Africa by Sam Ruth, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by atc, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Stratford, Canada by Barb, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Suffolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Tempe (AZ), USA by angie, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Trujillo, Peru by Giulianna, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Virginia Beach (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Williamsburg (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine,

#395 ... Eco Bins

The new eco bins that are sprouting all over the city ... for all those daily cans, bottles and plastic cups ... cleaning up the city "one lunchtime at a time"

#394 ... Pre-storm Glow

Looking south-east from Ngaio to Wadestown .. the city CBD and the Harbour is behind the "glowing" houses on the horizon .... and the southerly is building up from the South ... cold wet weather coming through !!

#393 ... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

#392 ... Busker Boredom

This scene is played out most days and nights along Courtenay Place ... the restaurant, bar and nightlife zone for Wellington. Perhaps the regularity of it all, especially on a normal business day is typified by the disinterested view of the pedestrians walking along the street.

The daily buskers in Courtenay Place are not reknown for the quality of the music .. they probably fall into the "noise" generator category unlike some of those who play in the Wellington Railway station ... where you can hear choral groups, barbers shop quartets, harp renditions, classic guitar etc.

#391 ... Whole Hole Diggers

Molesworth Street. Wellington under investigation. What "on the surface" appears to be a rather simple, mundane task is frought with all sorts of complexities and bureacracy.

We must keep in context here ... this hole is purely an investigation hole to verify what pipework, cables etc is here so they know exactly where to dig when they come to dig the proper hole later!

As is now usual all manner of approvals are required before you commence the dig ... OKAYs from the City Council, the roading authorities, the OSH (safety) compliance .. there are strict time zones in which the work can be done and all must be back in place before peak hour traffic. You will note on the right hand side of this photo some purple paint .. all the various utilities are maked with different colours depending on who owns them and what they carry ... water, gas, power, telecommunications etc.

This crew were happy in their work digging investigation holes up and down the street. One could be forgiven for thinking that they were slowing moving a hole along the street .... YEAH RIGHT

#390 ... Out with the OLD .. in with the NEW

Scraping the old promo imagery off the Glasson's window .. and along Lambton Quay the new promo lettering is going up on Kirkcaldie & Stains windows .. at least it brings out the cool winter boots and the delightful smiles

#389 ... Nocturnal Glow

I visited the Legislative Chamber in Parliament to see the portraits (lying in State) of the NZ soldiers killed Viet Nam .. it was a still cool evening and the Parliament Building created a fitting presence for this significant moment in New Zealand's history. The sillouette of the ubiquitous cabbage trees addedto the occasion.

#388 ... Parliament Awakes

Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua-ā-Motu 2008
36 of New Zealand’s top secondary school Kapa Haka teams competed for top honours at the National Secondary School Māori Performing Arts Competition. They presented many high-energy performances! .. just like this impromptu one in front of Parliament .. the sound of the haka chants could be heard hundreds of metres away ... it made the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

“I’m passionate about Kapa Haka, because it’s an opportunity to for rangatahi and to demonstrate their contribution to maintaining te reo Maori. There is certainly a high level of artistic talents in Maori Performing Arts,” Nanaia Mahuta, MP said.
“These young people have practiced for months. It takes dedication, not just for the performers but for their tutors and their whanaau.” Kapa haka combines dance, song, rhythm, and harmony to tell a story. It’s unique and it’s indigenous to our great country. Groups went through regional competition, where the top schools were selected for the national competition. The nationals, which is part of Wellington’s Matariki (Maori New Year) celebrations, and Nanaia Mahuta is impressed with the commitment shown by the representatives of the 14 rohe involved in this year’s event.

#387 ... An English Omlette

I spotted these outside the New World Supermarket at Chaffers St ... someone must have had one of those "Oh ph**k" moments and the eggs must obviously have been those English ones ... going by the rugby test last night ... the All Blacks beat the English 'eggs' 44-12

GAME REPORT by Marc Hinton
So this is why we now have the Dan Carter Rule. As the All Black first five continues to roll out the virtuoso performances - he scored another 22 points in the second test blitz of England that finished 44-12 - the NZRU's great sabbatical ploy is looking more and more like an inspired piece of thinking.

And the million-dollar pricetag Toulon are said to be paying for his services for a season more and more a bargain. He's that good. That talented. Just ask England who for the second straight week powerless to stop him weaving his magic all over this match as the All Blacks completed a two-test sweep of an England side that had been under siege in the media all week and spent the better part of 80 minutes last night being swamped by a black wave.

It was one that Carter rode superbly too, the maestro on top of his game, whether as a creator or a finisher. He set up his side's first try in Christchurch, scored the second, and was at the forefront of the buildup for the third. Heavens, his mere presence probably created the fourth too, even if it was a trademark No 8 finish from the back of a scrum. And, to be fair, he was off the field for the fifth at the finish. The All Blacks led 20-0 at halftime. They ran in two first-half tries and - with more than a little help from the tourists - kept the English scoreless for 40 minutes. Coach Rob Andrew will no doubt note vociferously that his down-on-their-luck boys should actually have had two touchdowns themselves through the opening spell.

But it was the All Blacks who were clinical; and the English just comical as they twice spurned easy try-scoring chances.

Then, seven minutes before the break, fullback Mathew Tait had done all the hard work when he raced on to his own kick that bounced perfectly for him, but then spilt the ball like a piece of soap in the shower. Oh dear.

It had been a dream start for one of the two All Black debutants, centre Richard Kahui racing in for the game's opening try after just 11 minutes. With the New Zealanders making a much more effective start at the breakdowns over the opening skirmishes, good ball-retention eventually saw Carter - in princely form once again - slip through Jamie Noon's ineffective tackle and find Kahui beautifully on the cutback. But the All Blacks kept their own score ticking over, Ma'a Nonu, continuing to make every post a winner in the No 12 jersey, grabbing his fifth test try when Carter and Sivivatu combined to carve the opening; and Lauaki strolling over from a scrum to put the issue beyond doubt early in the final quarter.

But it was Carter who was very much the star of the best All Black performance of the new season. His mark was all over everything positive the New Zealanders did all night. And there was plenty of that.

New Zealand 44: Tries: Richard Kahui, Daniel Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Sione Lauaki, Jimmy Cowan. Cons: Carter (4), Stephen Donald. Pens: Carter (3).

England 12: Tries: Danny Care, Tom Varndell. Cons: Olly Barkley.

#386 .. Only in NZ

One of our city buses all decked out in Paua shell colours ... this could only happen here
... and it is promoting ... "look after our environment"

Paua or pāua is the Māori name given to three species of large edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs which belong to the family Haliotidae (genus Haliotis), known in the USA as abalone and in the UK as Ormer shells.
There are three species of New Zealand paua;
Paua - Haliotis iris
Maori and common names: Blackfoot Paua
Queen paua- Haliotis australis
Maori and common names: Silver Paua, Yellow Foot Paua, Hihiwa & Karariwha
Virgin paua - Haliotis virginea
New Zealand's most well known paua species is Haliotis iris. It is also the most common species, growing up to 18cm in length.

Shell description
The shell of the paua is oval and the exterior is often covered with greyish incrustations. In contrast the interior of a Paua is an iridescent swirl of intense green, blue, purple, and sometimes pink colours.

Human use
The paua is iconic in New Zealand: its black muscular foot is considered a delicacy, and the shell is frequently used in jewelry.
To Māori, paua are recognised taonga, or treasure, esteemed both as kai moana (seafood) and as a valued resource for traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua are frequently used to represent the eyes in Māori carvings and traditionally are associated with the stars, or whetu the eyes of ancestors that gaze down from the night sky.
Paua are gathered recreationally and commercially but strict catch limits are set for both - for recreational fishers this is 10 paua per person, per day. The minimum legal size for caught paua is 125mm for Haliotis iris and 80mm for Haliotis australis. Paua can only be caught by free diving. It is illegal to dive for paua using scuba equipment.

#385 ... the Thin Red Line

In preparation for another minor State occasion ... the thin strip of red carpet is positioned up the centre of the steps into Parliament ... the limited colour palette of this shot is entirely "natural" as they say ... "no photoshop has been used in the manufacture of this product!"