#1156 ... Having a Ball

YES it is the college ball season again and this trio are trying it on at Harach Tailors ... its gotta be right for the night.

#1155 ... Media Coffee

Gotham Cafe, Chews Lane ... Gerard the Fairfax media man from Hamilton enjoying a read and a morning coffee ... and he scored the "German fighter plane" table marker. Note the "red yellow black" Waikato cowbell used by most rugby fans from Gerard's region. It's like their vuvuzela.

#1154 ... Seven Super Men

The Supermen are lined up and ready for action ... albeit in a 2 dimensional way. Ghuznee Street wall

#1153 ... Illuminated Protoplasm

At night ... the Protoplasm sculpture is a plastic and steel sculpture by Phil Price located at the corner of Corner Hunter Street and Lambton Quay in Wellington's CBD.

"I am looking at the study of matter, Protoplasm is the name given to the inside active part of any living cell. The pebbles and movement simulate the random active cells. In this final Protoplasm, every structural member, being shafts and beams, is calculated to withstand the force that can be applied to the entire surface area. The bearings are over-engineered to a huge degree, to probably about ten times what is needed." - Phil Price

#1152 ... The nearest we get to snow !

Snow in Wellington is a rare event ... perhaps once a decade ... but we do get frosty mornings and ice on the car windscreen. Frosty grass and some sunshine on the hill tops.

#1151 "And you are number ... "

Gotham Cafe in Chews Lane has crated an eclectic mix of table identifiers ... so all the numbers that they used to use have been lumped together to create one table marker ... and I hit the jackpot during my last visit ... THANKS for the great coffee & SMILES

#1150 ... Sunday Bonus

Now Tony ... the "Kapiti Kowboy" ... takes amazing sunset photos from his location on the Kapiti Coast looking west across the sea ... BUT this Sunday BONUS image is a view in the opposite direction ... looking to the east as the moon rises ... THANKS Tony for yet another superb image

#1149 ... Masthead

Looking across Waitangi Park towards the marina and the northern hills of Wadestown ... and one lone seagull taking in the aerial view.

#1148 ... Morning Sunlight

Saturday morning on Courtenay Place ... early morning sun and a fresh coffee ... heaven !!

#1147 ... Water on the rocks

The rocky shore at Makara beach on the west coast of Wellington ... IMAGE by Anna BLANDFORD

#1146 ... The Top Cop Shop

The Wellington Central Police Station in Victoria Street ... imposing presence.

#1145 ... Cut off in their Prime

So is this a cut price sale ... interesting window display for the SALE ... I wonder who got the bottom half !!! Lower Willis Street, Wellington

#1144 ... Welcome to our World

Boca Juniors were welcomed to Wellington with a haka yesterday and the famous Argentinian club is expecting Friday's pre-season clash with the Phoenix to be equally spirited. The match has been billed as a festival of football but Boca's first match Down Under, a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory last Friday, was anything but friendly. Photo taken outside the Intercontinental Hotel where the team is staying

#1143 ... Essential Service

You may look at today's photo and think what?, boring, uninteresting ... well this team are part of a very essential service in the capital city and in many other places around NZ. This team is setting up for the day to receive blood from valued donors .. and unlike many places around the world we do not get paid for donating blood ... it is voluntary. Wellington has a permanent blood donor centre, however the teams, like this one, take the mountain to Mohammad and set up their equipment in vacant office space around the city. I personally have given lots of blood but thankfully never needed to get any back. although members of my family have and I am very thankful for the service the Blood Donor Service provides. I will go to these "blood suckers" any day. WELL DONE TEAM

#1142 ... Before the Game

Pre game activities before the big test match between the All Blacks and South Africa. A great wet night, big crowd, great game, awesome win ... again.

Superior inventiveness, precision and individual class saw the All Blacks complete their second win, 31-17, over South Africa to make a flying start to the 2010 Investec Tri Nations campaign on a wintry night at Westpac Stadium at Wellington.

South Africa limped to Australia pointsless and seemingly bereft of ideas after another mauling by another motivated All Blacks effort. Undeterred by miserable, wet conditions, the All Blacks were prepared to move the ball, even in their own 22m area, when playing into the wind. Nothing South Africa could do could contain the driving off the plays spearheaded by No.8 Kieran Read, who continued to grow in stature, flanker Jerome Kaino and hooker Keven Mealamu.

#1141 ... Mercury

Keep an eye out in the future for this young guy ... here he is at the All Blacks open day, with his very proud grandfather at Waitangi Park ... this is Mercury and his dad is Ma'a Nonu, our super All Black. This young guy therefore has the right DNA !!! Thanks for the photo.

#1140 ... Rugby- Stylish Footwear

The absolutely best thing to wear on the feet if your going to watch rugby at the local ground ... and even if you are going to the Westpac Stadium to watch the test match between the All Blacks and the Springboks ... you could also wear your gummies. At least it may show that you could walk on the muddy grass if required !!!

#1139 ... The Beauty of mixing concrete !!

Bit of a "textured" image today ... but even the industrial concrete mixer has a symmetrical beauty on a grey day. Cuba Mall, Wellington

#1138 ... The boys are back in town

The All Blacks are back in town for the second test against the South African Springboks on Saturday .. this was taken during the promotional afternoon at Waitangi Park

#1137 ... Let it all hang out

Kirkcaldie & Stains, up-market department store does a novel promotion for their lingerie sale ... the who;e store front was turned into a clothes line ... sometimes it pays to take your eyes off the footpath.

#1136 ... Perspective Distort

Waitangi Park ... waiting for the All Blacks to turn up for some promotional activity ... and whats that sneaking into the background ... a container ship entering the port and behind that a fresh fall of snow on the Tararua Ranges ... sometimes shortened perspectives challenge the brain!!

#1135 ... Rubik Cubed

Looking down from Level 3, Te Papa onto the

Speedcubing?

competition.
See some of the world’s fastest fingers in hot competition, as they race to solve the famous Rubik’s cube puzzle! Rubik’s New Zealand Speedcubing Championship 2009 is the very first championship of its kind to be held Australasia. It is officially recognised by the World Cube Association.

Speedcubing is a colourful and exciting spectator sport based around solving the famous Rubik’s cube against the clock. In addition to the straight solve, there were fun speciality heats, such as solving the cube blindfolded. There is a fresh wave of interest in Rubik’s cube competitions sweeping through North America, Europe, and Asia, where high-profile, speedcubing championships produce superstars.

#1134 ... A Shattering Experience

Peak hour traffic brought to a halt. The footpath and road outside the MFAT building in Lambton Quay was strewn with shards of glass but no pedestrians were injured and the area was cordoned off. Police and fire officers were on the scene and traffic heading towards the city was redirected down Panama St instead. Police said the glass appears to have slipped from its fixings.
Everyone was looking up at the 6th or 7th floor window "hole".

#1133 ... A stitch in time

Debra, an IT Security consultant ... is now the master of the long arm quilting machine ... and loving it. She works with Sue B a Wellington quilter in Island Bay. They have 3 of these machines humming away almost 24/7. It is truly amazing what creative people you find hidden away in the outer suburbs of the city. Sue & Debra ... what a delight to make your acquaintance. Thank you

#1132 ... Classic Cuba

The old buildings of Cuba Street ... a great place for a Sunday walk from the north end to the southern end and back again ... many places to stop for a coffee (cafe espressoholic to the left, Ernestos to the right) or a glass of wine.

#1131 ... Feeling leafless

YES it is our winter season and although snow of any sort in Wellington is a very rare event ... the imported trees remind us what time of the year it is .. with their beautiful starkness.

#1130 ... Sweet Dreams

YES we are all allowed to have dreams ... and that red Ferrari would fit just nicely in my garage ... and this passerby obviously thinks the same. Kent Terrace, Wellington

#1129 ... Town meets Country

Animals on display outside Harvey Norman's store in Tory St ... in the city such events always create interest .. so much for the digital age !!

#1128 ... Classic American Muscle

Black 1969 Corvette ... awesome ... outside Dick Smith Electronics in Featherston Street

#1127 ... Scratched!!

The difficult task of removing scratches from vandalised windows ... wet abrasive paste is used and care must be taken not to create polished glass that distorts the view. Esprit, Lambton Quay

#1126 ... NOT WELLINGTON NZ

The photo today is not from Wellington but from the other side of the world ... it was taken in Kiel, GDR by Jojo Helm who lived with us in 2005 while a student at Wellington East Girls College ... Jojo took this photo during Kieler Woche. The image conjures up the sun setting on the old world magic of "sailing ships" ... THANKS JOJO

#1125 ... Well Suited

Frank Casey suit hire in Brandon Street ... shirts, suits, shoes, ties, hats etc by the mile ... and YES black shirts are in this season for all the college formal balls ... and Frank Casey have racks of these as well.