#1218 ... Grass happy

The happy City Council gardeners tending the gardens next to Parliament

#1217 ... Watching

Don't you just love these delightfully ambiguous signs ... but hey this guy has got it worked out ... he brought along his coffee ... as it is likely to be a long wait!!

#1216 ... Repeating patterns

The repeating patterns in a building facade on Victoria Street.

#1215 ... Old Government Building

The Old Government Building enjoying a bit of sunshine ... for some information on the history of this lovely building now inhabited by Victoria University see the previous posts ... HISTORY

#1214 ... Capture the Moment

The World Press Photo exhibition in Shed 11 on the waterfront. Some really awesome images... get along to see some of the world's best.

#1213 ... Balcony Rock

Lunchtime on Lambton Quay ... band playing on the roof of Kirkcaldies & Stains, the daily traffic oblivious to it all and the Parking Warden's grooving as they go about their work.

#1212 ... That Way

Visitors to Wellington doing some real navigation in Willis Street "they still haven't found what they're looking for" ... you too !

#1211 ... That One !!

This couple were in Jubilee Jewellers in Chews Lane, choosing that all important ring .. and they kindly allowed me to photograph the moment.

#1210 ... Barista Blur

The busy barista at Gotham Cafe in Chews Lane ... making sure we all get our fix on time and hot !! Thanks

#1209 ... Line it up

On your knees lining up and sticking up the new vinyl promotion text on the shop window ... Lambton Quay again

#1208 ... Dress it up

All the shops along Lambton Quay are working hard to generate sales and get that money out of your pocket

#1207 ... Renovation Still Life

Everyday, somewhere in this city an office is undergoing renovation ... repaint, cleaning etc. This workman is obviously finished and moving onto the next job.

#1206 ... Mish Mash

An "architectural"mish mash at best ... spasmodic building growth with random graffiti from various decades at worst  ...  a back end perspective, Vivian Street

#1205 ... Kids for Safe Roads

The road safety work of school patrols was recognised today when about 1100 children from Wellington City primary schools marched through central Wellington in the annual Orange Day street parade. This group were dressed as pedestrian crossings with orange faces for the crossing signs

Dressed in orange, the school patrollers marched to the tune of the Scots College pipe band from Parliament along Lambton Quay and Willis Street to Civic Square and a celebration at the Wellington Town Hall.

“The school patrols do a terrific job,” says the Council’s Transport Portfolio Leader and Mayor Kerry Prendergast. “They have to take on the responsibility of making quick decisions on the spot about when to stop the traffic, put out the signs and get other students safely over the crossings.

Wellington Police Education Officer Constable Duncan Ashton, who trains school patrols, says school patrollers do a great job for their schools and communities during the busiest times for traffic.

“They are spending their time out there, and the parade is about giving them a reward, and it is also about reminding Wellingtonians to drive safely near schools,” he says.

#1204 ... Red Ute

The Red Shirt painters' Red Ute outside Satay Village in Vivian Street. Great dramatic promotion!! Satay Village is a regular for good value Malaysian food ... Friday night takeaways.

#1203 ... We Protest

Our school teachers are protesting over the current state of their pay negotiations ... about 1000 secondary and intermediate school teachers marched on Parliament today, protesting stalled talks over pay and conditions, as Education Minister Anne Tolley urged them to return to the negotiating table.

Protesting teachers clutched placards and chanted "Quality education under attack, stand up, fight back". Marching teachers met at Parliament with the Wairarapa and Hutt Valley branches of the PPTA and staged an hour-long rally. Thousands of secondary and intermediate school teachers are striking to protest stalled pay negotiation talks as they seek a 4 per cent pay rise.

About 280,000 pupils, from more than 450 secondary and intermediate schools, were expected to be affected by the action as the 16,000 members of the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) union take the one-day strike action. Teachers gathered at Wellington High School before marching on Parliament at lunchtime. Other protest events will be held around the country. The one-day strike is the first in eight years for the PPTA.

#1202 ... Wood Fired Pizza

Heaven Woodfire Pizza's at 247 Cuba Street ... what an awesome pizza oven !! Mario and his business partner have only been open for a few weeks and already the place is getting a name for itself ... The interior is very much like the style of Upper Cuba Street .. eclectic, recycled & interesting. So get along and try an Artichoke, Aubergine or classic Margherita pizza.

#1201 ... The love of MUD

This young man is one of my cusi-bros after a day on the farm in Carterton ... he has just come back from saying hello to the pig ... and pigs love mud .. and so does this young man ... obviously!! A good family catchup.

#1200 ... Tararua Clouds

On the drive back from Carterton to Wellington ... about 75 mins ... the storm clouds over the Tararua Ranges ... between the Wellington Region and the Wairarapa

#1199 ... DUMP TRUCK

On the drive over the Rimutaka Hill Road ... east of Wellington ... they are busy taking out some of the hairpin bends ... however the dump trucks have to travel on the main highway between pick up and drop off ... these trucks seemed to have amazing power and with a full load.

#1198 ... Leaves nothing

The beautiful starkness of no leaves ... against the rusty mesh wall ... the tree outside the Wellington City Library

#1197 ... Start the day clean

Cleaning the windows at Popup ... the delightfully quirky shop in Ghuznee Street, Wellington

#1196 ... Books n Billboards

A great job for students ... walking the streets, earning some money ... and doing some promotion for Borders Bookstore ... Victoria Street, Wellington

#1195 ... Social Responsibility

Wellington Girls College students doing some "out of the classroom learning" ... understanding prejudice by wearing these signs, doing a good deed and other community minded social activities.

#1194 ... Southerly Front

One of the southerly fronts that blew through the city over the weekend. IMAGE COURTESY OF JOSH FORDE, taken from the suburb of Mt Victoria.

It has been wet and windy with winds up to 120 km/hr. Christchurch has also been battered with wind and rain following the major earthquake... so there continues to be lots of emergency help in action in the Garden City. It still seems absolutely incredible that there was no loss of life, given that the magnitude was the same as Haiti's quake.

#1193 ... Thoughts with our neighbours in Christchurch

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island last night, causing widespread damage to buildings, although there were few injuries. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency four hours after tremors rocked the region, warning that continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings. The quake hit 19 miles west of the city, on the east coast of the island, at 4.35am local time. Residents reported collapsed buildings and bridges, as well as power cuts. Christchurch, which has a population of around 400,000 people, was then rocked with a series of sharp aftershocks.

No deaths have been reported so far but doctors at Christchurch Hospital said they had treated two men with serious injuries. One was hit by a falling chimney and was in intensive care, while a second was seriously hurt after being cut by glass, a hospital spokeswoman said. Other minor injuries have also been reported. "There is considerable damage in the central city," police inspector Mike Coleman told New Zealand's National Radio. Police Inspector Alf Stewart told the station that some people had been arrested for looting. "We have some reports of people smashing [shop] windows and trying to grab some property that is not theirs … we've got police on the streets and we're dealing with that," he said. Colleen Simpson, a Christchurch resident, said panicked neighbours ran into the streets in their pyjamas. She said some buildings had collapsed, there was no power and the mobile telephone network had failed. "There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me," she told the Stuff news website.

Another person from Christchurch, Kevin O'Hanlon, said the jolt was extremely powerful. "I was awake to go to work and then just heard this massive noise and 'boom'," he said. "It was like the house got hit. It just started shaking. I've never felt anything like it."
Bruce Russell, 50, said that although he lives in Lyttelton, a port town to the south of Christchurch, which is on firmer volcanic ground, the earthquake had been "very alarming". "We were woken up at 4.30am and it swayed like a ship at sea," he said. "It was very alarming. We have no power, which is a problem across [Christchurch]. We're listening to reports on a wind-up radio. It's still very frightening."
Russell said he had not experienced an earthquake on this scale before. There have been local reports that some people many have been trapped in damaged houses. Video footage showed some cars crushed by heaps of fallen bricks. Authorities were advising residents to stay inside until given the all-clear.

Residents have been asked not to flush toilets because of potential damage to the city's sewerage system which could lead to contamination. Christchurch airport was also closed as a precaution while runways were safety checked.
Despite tsunami fears by residents, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said "no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed, based on historical earthqake and tsunami data".New Zealand lies above an area of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates collide and the country records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year – but only about 150 are usually felt. Schoolchildren in the country regularly undertake earthquake drills.

#1192 ... EXTRA birthday special

This delightful couple Tracy and Aaron looked like they were preparing for a kid's birthday party ... NOT SO ... this was all to celebrate a father's 60th ... at Rythym Cafe, Upper Willis Street ... I call in here most Saturday mornings and the team is always friendly, welcoming and very able to make a great morning coffee.

#1192 ... Wet Reflections

The pigeons enjoying a bath in the sun ... the water feature outside the Michael Fowler Centre ... interesting reflections and plastic looking water.

#1191 ... More orange = more progress

So maybe now we are starting to make real progress on the changes to Manners Mall to allow for a bus lane .. the orange coats are out in abundance!!

Previous posts on Manners Mall reconstruction #1182 and #1169

#1190 ... Australian Sunshine

Marg Molina & Nicole Cusack, who have both played for Australia, are members of the management and coaching team of the Australian netball team ... the DIAMONDS who are in Wellington for the second netball test. Australia won the first in Adelaide. It was nice to see some smiling yellow on what has been a cold wet day. Yesterday was awesome but this is spring and we get every sort of weather. Maybe a cold wet day is part of the Silver Ferns winning strategy.

#1189 ... Sunny News

What a delightful way to start the day ... the newspaper and a good coffee ... Dixon Street Deli, Dixon Street