ABC Wednesday: R for Restaurant and Rotunda

At a park along the Waikato River, in Hamilton, there is a very ornate rotunda. There are many rowing races. I guess, many spectators watch the race from here.

We were at the Huhu restaurant in Waitomo. The huhu grub is a worm that some people eat. They tell me it is buttery. I have not eaten, so I can't tell you. The restaurant doesn't actually serve Huhu grub.

At One Tree Hill Park, there is a restaurant that serves Alfresco dining. when I went on Saturday, the weather was blustery cold. No body was sitting outside. I was not surprised, I wore a winter parka.
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New Zealand seems to love rotundas. You can see them all over the place. This one is at another part of One Tree Hill. There is a weather vane, and wind was very strong. If the wind is from the North, it is warm wind from Australia. If it is from the South, it is cold Antartic wind.
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Ruby Tuesday: Water melon

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Sam's favourite fruit is water melon. He doesn't care if it is full of lycopene. He just loves it. The season just started, and I bought a big 6 and hald kilos melon for him.

Dr. Steven Pratt recommends that water melon is even better for your prostate than tomatoes.

The Giant Moa

The Moa (a Dinornithiform) Moas were a large flightless bird of a genus specific to New Zealand, although a distant cousin to the Ostrich and the Emu. Some Moa grew to turkey size while other species were up to four metres high. It's thought the clearing of the land, particularly in the South Island, led to the decline of Moa numbers. Hunting also contributed. The Moa is believed to have become extinct in the late 17th century. It was an important source of food and adornment for the early Polynesian settlers of New Zealand. http://www.wordworx.co.nz/moa.html

The Moa is endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about 3.7 m (12 ft) in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about 230 kg (510 lb).[4


http://eastgwillimburywow.blogspot.com/

Hi EG Tour Guide,

I don't know who did worst, Canada or New Zealand, but we hold the dubious record of eating and making the biggest bird in the world extinct. So no Moa photos to show you, but a scientists imagination from fossils recovered.

Save the World Wednesday: Think Green Thursday:

The water engineer suggested we went for a walk when the rain died down. I was reluctant to go as it was blustery cold, and I wore my winter parka though it is spring. I was rewarded.

We saw a family of partially protected Paradise ducks in the One Tree Hill park. This is the first time I have seen these ducks. they graze the grass so you can't find them it Western Springs. It is important to protect them before they get extinct. New Zealand once had the Moa, the biggest birds in the world. But like the Dodo, they are gone.

Putangitangi, the paradise shelduck, is endemic to New Zealand, that is it is found nowhere else in the world. It was discovered first by Captain Cook at Dusky Sound in 1773 during his second voyage. Cook called it the Painted Duck. They were not a common bird before settlement by Europeans but are now one of the endemic birds which has prospered with the conversion of native forest to pasture. They have increased greatly in numbers through this century and are now only partially protected.

They are a large duck and are always seen in pairs except during the moulting season. The drake has a black head with a greenish gloss, the body being dark grey barred with black. The undertail and tertials are orange chestnut. The duck has a white head and the body is a bright orange chestnut.

Click on the photos to get a better picture. I couldn't get any nearer to the ducks as they kept moving. At one stage, the Dad acted as a decoy so the mum could move away with the babies. Smart dad.

http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/putangi.html

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/2009/09/think-green-thursday_10.html

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

Mellow Yellow Monday: Diggers

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

http://www.kingcountry.co.nz/map.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waikato_Region

The King Country and Waikato region of Centre North Island in New Zealand are rich farm land. I see many farm vehicle companies. I was going down to Waitomo when I snap these diggers.

Think Green Thursday: Bamboo

Think Green Thursday

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Michelle of Rambling Woods hosts this important meme.

The Perfect Non-Timber Alternative
All Green Things

Bamboo truly is a remarkable renewable resource. It is a centuries old material that has been and continues to be used by over half the world's population for applications as varied as food, shelter, fuel and clothing. These applications make bamboo a vital non-timber, non-petroleum resource. With a tensile strength superior to steel, it is one of the most versatile and durable natural resources in the world.

My ancestors in China and Borneo had bamboo farms, we ate the bamboo shoots, used them as medicine, wrapped our food, cooked our food in them, cut sticks to make joss sticks, to make satay kebabs, we weaved baskets, chicken coops, made poles, fences, walls, gates, blinds, and before toilet paper was available, used bamboo sticks as substitutes. The list goes on and on and is not exhaustive.

In Borneo, the Malay boys make their own fire crackers in the form of a bamboo canon. The boom sounds like the real McCoy.

When I went to the Mulu caves in Borneo this July, the welcome drink was served in a bamboo tumbler. The luxurious resort had a tropical theme. The head board, the chairs, tables were bamboo. The tribesman showed off his skill in hunting with a bamboo blowpipe, and the dancers danced a scary dance clapping long bamboo poles between your legs.

Now, I watch on TV that there is even eco friendly bamboo nappies or diapers.

14 Nov PhotoHunt 187: Music

http://tnchick.com/

There was a procession at the Rocket Park in Mt Albert. I went to find our what the occasion was. The Thais were raising funds to build a temple in the west.

The water engineer bought some mussel fritters.