#548 ... Aiding

These "lovely lads" were out and about ... all dressed up collecting for Aids Awareness Day ... another colourful aspect of the city

#547 ... Hot Stuff

Well it was a hot day for Wellington ... not sure on the official temperature but the car external temp was reading 24 ... as you can see all the students were out at Oriental Bay and there was very little wind ... summer is really on the way !!!

#546 ... Authorised Graffitti

Temporary decorations and celebration graffitti on the walls of the Beaujolais Wine Bar in Woodward St for their party time

#545 ... Storm over Ngaio

Storm clouds brewing over Ngaio ... a view from my driveway looking towards the city. The hill behind the power pole (old style!)is the Wadestown Hill which looks down on the Harbour

#544 ... Homemade Pizza

Something for the inner man today ... Joshua's home made pizza ... chicken, cranberry and brie ... tasty tasty tasty

#543 ... Car Catchers

... and rarely do we consider what is beneath us .. we drive over this stuff every day without giving it so much as a thought ... UNTIL it decides not to work ... and then perhaps we get a tad irrate.

These workmen are installing the wires into the road surface ... the wires that sense the vehicles that pass over. it was like watching a correographed "ballet-in-boots" as they rolledout, pushed in and sealed the groove to complete the task.
LAMBTON QUAY, by MIDLAND PARK

#542 ... A new site

Creating a spectacle with a rebranding makeover ... underway on Willis Street. The optician over the road from the New World Metro gets a new name "My Sight"

#541 ... Viewing Corridor

One of those glimpses of the view beyond ... looking from Willis Street .. down Chews Lane to the Boat Shed on the Lagoon by Frank Kitts Park ... Oriental Bay & Mt Victoria beyond that. Click here for map.

#540 ... Christmas in the Park

The Christmas tree is already up in Midland park in the centre of Wellington

#539 ... PL8ED

An exquisitely PL8ED Subaru Legacy spotted in Johnston Street next to Midland Park

#538 ... Quirky Topping

Apartments down the Courtenay Place end of the city ... on Wakefield Street over from the New World Supermarket ... makes for an eclectic interesting layer on an old body. Often we forget to look up as we go about our daily business.

#537 ... Cold Models

Reflections in a Kirkcaldie & Stains display window with the mannequins trying to keep warm !!

#536 ... Trying it for size

One of the bikes at the HOG display at Wellington Motorycles on Kent Terrace

#535 ... Panorama

An iPhone Panorama ... on a visit to Highbury (south western side of the city) this week ... all I had to take a photo was my iPhone ... so I tried the "panorama" application and took three photos ... you can see the joins if you look closely e.g. the roof og the house in the foreground. The southern side of the city, Oriental Bay, Mt Victoria, Soames Island and the Hutt Valley beneath the clouds ... can all be seen. Foreground right is the ubiquitous cabbage tree in flower.

#534 ... Italian Pizzazz

A Lambo in Johnston Street ... Midland Park to the left, Kirckaldie & Stains behind the photographer

#533 ... A Wellington Castle ?

The Revera Building opposite Wellington Girls College ... a modern take on the european castle maybe. The building was opened in September 1990 (4mk)

#532 ... Goodbye school - hello sunshine.

NOTE: This is not my photo ... this great shot was taken by KENT BLECHYNDEN of The Dominion Post ... thanks Kent for being there to capture what is becoming an iconic interlude in college life.

Wellington Girls' College pupils could not have picked a better day for their uniformed plunge into Frank Kitts Park lagoon, with yesterday's temperature reaching a balmy 21 degrees.
The big jump has become an annual tradition for the school's year 12 pupils, who do not have to wear uniform in their final year.
Yesterday was their last day of school before they go on exam study leave.
Kate Brookie, 17, said the weather played a role in the biggest turnout yet, with more than 200 year 12 pupils taking part.
"The gods must want us to do it," she said.
The gods may have approved, but those set to inherit the uniforms were more sceptical.
"I'm giving my uniform away and I know the people," Emily Rowe, 16, said. "They're not too happy about it."
Neither was her mother, she said. "My mum wants me to go home immediately and have a shower, because she's worried about waterborne diseases."
Most parents seemed content for their daughters to take part, however, joining curious office workers and passers-by on the waterfront to watch.
Many pupils went back for second or third jumps. "It was so exhilarating," Emily said. "I want to do it again."
The event had been weeks in the planning, but excitement got the better of some pupils who forgot to bring dry clothes or towels. Kate and her friends were not fazed.
"Everyone will just walk home wet."
Wellington has enjoyed 74.1 sunshine hours so far this month, following a drier than average October. Tomorrow's temperature is forecast to reach 21 degrees, with only light winds and morning cloud.
The good weather is set to continue over the next few months, with Niwa predicting a dry, settled summer for the Wellington region

$531 ... The Underbelly of the City

The big hole (about 3m x 6m x 3m deep) outside the State Services Commission in Pipitea Street waiting for the comining together of all sorts of utilities ... gas, water, ICT fibre, etc ... some of the labelled and protected conduit is visible. To comply with all the requirements for the junction a reinforced concrete pad has been built on the floor to ensure stability of all the junctions.

#530 ... Stadium Cruises

Interesting juxtaposition of a cruise ship berthed at the wharf behind the Westpac Stadium ... I was at a business event in the facilities at the Westpac Stadium when this caught my eye ...

#529 ... Elevated Image

On the way to the Stadium in the weekend I walked past Old St Pauls where a wedding was in progress ... well at least ... the post ceremony photos ... with photographer precariously balanced on his ladder for the trendy crowd scene ... everyone looked happy although a little concerned for the wobbly cameraman!!

#528 ... Football Fanatics

These guys .. and girls were at the Stadium to support the u17 German team. They had travelled 45 mins from the Kapiti Coast where they attended Kapiti College. Many of the students were from Germany and were in New Zealand doing some of their college education ... so this was an ideal opportunity for them to show strong support ... including pulsating drumming ... for their German team.

#527 ... FIFA Under 17 World Cup

The goal scorer and the subs display their pleasure at getting the ball in the back of the net again. Germany vs Canada soccer game at the Westpac Stadium. Germany won 3-1.

The Match Report
Germany have marched on to the semi-finals of the women's under-17 football World Cup after a double from the outstanding Dzsenifer Marozsan helped them to a 3-1 win over Canada. The 16-year-old German No 10 has established herself as one of the stars of this tournament and she continued her side's habit of striking early with a superb third-minute opener. Picking up the ball at the edge of the area, Marozsan showed some delightful footwork to shift the ball into space before rifling a right-foot shot beyond the helpless Genevieve Richard.

Some dreadful Canadian defending allowed Lynn Mester to sneak in to convert the rebound after Alexandra Popp had a left-foot shot against the face of the post. But the Canadians showed their mettle by hauling themselves back into contention as half-time approached, Nkem Ezurike poking home from close range after Tiffany Cameron had knocked the ball back across goal. Germany's lead was rarely threatened, however, and after Popp had again struck the woodwork, Marozsan showed more superb close control to create the space she needed to rifle home the goal that sends Ralf Peter's side on to the last four.

Dzsenifer Marozsan thanks German fans after her side's 3-1 win over Canada in the U-17 women's World Cup quarterfinals.
PHOTO courtesy of Photosport

#526 ... Election Clouds

Dark clouds or fresh blue sky looming over the Beehive ... is this a hopeful or ominous sign for election day in New Zealand ????

Just under three million people are enrolled to vote today and, with 210,000 advance votes cast by yesterday afternoon - a third more than in 2005 - we could be heading for a record turnout. Polls open at 9am and election officials hope results will be known by 11.30pm.

Polling places are expected to be busiest between 9am and 11am, as voters look to have their say early. By 4pm yesterday, 2,979,366 people had enrolled to vote, almost 95 per cent of those eligible. "There are more ... people still enrolling," Electoral Enrolment Centre national manager Murray Wicks said. "We broke all records last time ... and we are looking close to that."

In 2005, 2,286,190 people voted. Counting of the first advance votes will start at 3pm and those results should be known by 8.30pm - but it could be a late night for people wanting the final result.

#525 ... Another Wicked Camper

The artwork on these camper vans is always eclectic, out there and very interesting ... a mobile artwork for touring the country

#524 ... Fireworks

Guy Fawkes night again ... every year about a 100+ locals gather at the point on Wadestown Hill and watch the event on Wellington Harbour ... these kids, dressed in pyjamas and dressing gowns got onto the roof of the bus shelter at the bus stop to get a great view of proceedings. You can see the strip of lighting at the top edge of the Westpac Stadium ... just below the two flares and red bursts of fireworks ... in the centre of the photo is the railyards

... the fire works could have been celebration for almost anything you wished happening in the world at present ... the US Presidential election, the economic turmoil, sporting wins and even for us farewelling Arabella, our pet rabbit who died yesterday. Fireworks are still a magnet for people to come out and watch and celebrate.

#523 ... Earthmoving 101

Two St mary's college girls taking time out or maybe getting prepared for lessons in Earthmoving 101

#522 ... Rocket Ship

the rocket ship has landed ... the new apartment building in Tory Street has its yellow safety wrapping removed to reveal its form and function

#521 ... A Proud Moment

... on being admitted to the bar ... High Court, Molesworth Street, Wellington

#520 ... Ruakokoputuna Olive Oil

... this was taken with iPhone at Moore Wilson's Fresh just off Tory Street. Purveyors of quality foods are invited in to promote their wares to the customers .. here are Wendy & Mike, two passionate olive oil producers from Martinborough doing a tasting session with this years crop. You can find out more about this olive grove at ruakokoputuna olive oil

and read about their very new Pegaso 500 has been installed in a specially designed and built processing room at the RUAKOKOPUTUNA OLIVE GROVE just 10 minutes drive from Martinborough. The pressing room meets all required food safety and hygeine standards. The Pegaso 500 is a state-of-the-art processing machine which the couple purchased after a trip to the OMT Factory in Italy.

The machine is capable of pressing 500kgs an hour and instead of a hammer mill it has a ‘crusher’ which is much more gentle for the olives for the extraction of extra virgin olive oil.

Another not so well known fact about Ruakokoputuna is the glow worm caves. A short walk up the creek bed and into the caves has you discovering the worlds only true glow-worms. I went there a number of times in the mid 70s ... YES true !!

#519 ... THEME DAY: Books Rare & Antiquarian

John Quilter of Quilters Bookshop, Lambton Quay Wellington ... where good books are bought & sold. John originally started his bookshop in the Plimmers Emporium Building on Plimmers Steps and then moved to the shop further up the steps .. under the Williams Car Park building. In 1991 John moved the shop to northern end of Lambton Quay where he specialises in antiquarian and rare NZ books. For many years Quilters Books have published and mailed out book catalogues listing many of the especially rare books for sale. Nowdays the internet and web sites have taken over this role. Talking to John in the quiet of his bookstore, amongst the rows and rows of old and unique NZ books, you could almost feel the history being absorbed by osmosis. You can contact John at quilters@clear.net.nz or at the shop ... 110 Lambton Quay, telephone +6444722767 to search for that rare NZ book you have always wanted !!

THEME DAY PARTICIPANTS
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants