watery wednesday: from creek to sea

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From my friend's house, I could see two creeks. They are called Little muddy creek and Big muddy creek. They are flowing out to the sea, in fact to the Pacific Ocean.

I admire my friend's house in paradise, but when I think of the long ride she had to drive to work, I don't envy her. But it would be fantastic to have a weekend home like hers.

watery wednesday: From the top of the cliff, we can see the gannet rock,

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The Gannet birds come every year and nest here in Muriwai. We drove up to the cliff and look at the sea beyond to the home of the Gannets, Australia.

Weekend reflection: Lone swan

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Western Springs in Auckland is my favourite park. It is a public park. I often drop by on my way home and recharge.

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/10/geese-going-for-sunday-swim.html

Mellow Yellow : lines on the Auckland airport

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We flew out of Auckland in the afternoon, and I saw these yellow lines on the airport.

Scenic Sunday: Weta

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Weta have been around long enough to see dinosaurs come and go and to evolve into more than 70 different species, all of them endemic to New Zealand.

Talk to New Zealanders, and you will get terrified reaction about this grass hopper/cricket lookalike Weta. The Māori for the Giant Weta is 'wētā punga' (lumpy or jointed weta), in English as 'god of ugly things'

There are many similar species around the world, most are in the southern hemisphere. The name comes from the Māori word 'wētā' Many weta are large by insect standards and some species are among the largest and heaviest in the world.Weta can bite with powerful mandibles. Tree weta bites are painful but not particularly common. Weta can inflict painful scratches, with the potential of infection.

Programmes to prevent extinctions have been implemented since the 1970s.

I traveled through Te Kuiti many times and saw sculptures of the weta. This sculpture of the giant Weta is located beside Rora Street in the Te Kuiti shopping area. I saw this model of the weta at the Information centre of Waitomo and live ones inside the caves. To me, it is not terrifying, but then, I am quite a brave woman. LOL. The cave was too dark for me to take photos of them.

To those of you outside New Zealand, you are probably more familiar with the Weta Workshop. With names like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy; his 2005 remake of King Kong features creatures bearing a strong physical resemblance to weta, called Weta-Rexes.

Weta Workshop http://www.wetanz.com/weta-workshop-services/is a multi-award winning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility servicing the world's entertainment and creative industries.

Weta Workshop houses a range of disciplines under one roof - including conceptual design, weapons, armour & chainmaille, specialist props, vehicles, specialty costumes, models & miniatures, special makeup & prosthetics, public art & displays.

Weta Workshop is a 65,000 square foot facility in the suburb of Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand, five minutes drive from the airport and fifteen minutes from central Wellington (the capital of New Zealand).

The facility is the biggest in the world of its kind. Housed under one roof is the equipment, infrastructure and capacity to create anything from fine jewelry, costuming or creature suits through to large-scale tank and vehicle construction.

waterywednesday:Starfish guarding the Maori/Maukatia cave

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Outside of the cave at Muriwai, was a puddle of water. As though guarding the cave were five star fish lying in the water.

Children were intrigued by them. I was tempted to take one back to school to show the kids as I am teaching living things. But I relented, I told myself, I might be the most exciting teacher, but what kind of example am I showing to the kids. If every child in New Zealand takes a star fish home, star fish will be like our giant bird Moa- extinct.

For a better photo of these starfish, Baruch has a great one. His star fish were bunched together. Starfish inside the cave at Maori Bay, Muriwai http://awalkthroughauckland.blogspot.com/2009/03/star-fish.html