Picspam: Holiday pics

[vilakins]

It's been three weeks since I got back from holiday, but up till now I've been busy:

• getting my car repaired
  
• buying a new car
  
• swapping the licence plates
  
• grooming my old one to sell
  
• getting an eye examination so I can renew my driving licence
  
• renewing my driving licence
  
• investigating new beds (ours is old, hard, and bits of me hurt at night)
  
• ordering a new bed
  
• buying new bedroom furniture to replace Greg's ancient white-painted student flat stuff and not before time

but here we go. The whole lot are up in an LJ gallery, but here's a selection, none of them large.


Wairere Boulders Nature Park, a very clambery and interesting place: a quiet Tolkeinish pool which Greg thought dark and full of banes but I thought very peaceful.


Cafe Number 6. Greg, being a Prisoner fan, had to eat there. It turned out to be so good we went back twice.


It even had round doorways, like the Prisoner's house. :-)


Obelix! A local concrete contractor with a sense of humour.


Haruru Falls, near Paihia


Russell beach


Russell beach at sunset


Villa Russell sign (sad B7 fan that I am). Blame snowgrouse who said I had to take a picture and post it. A pic of the villa itself is in the gallery. If I ever run a B&B (and I'd love to), it will be the Villa Rest-All.


Especially for linda_joyce, the lovely Welsh couple we met in Russell, Ray and Helen from Caerleon.


My broken-down car, about to be towed to Auckland. It's covered in mud on the sides from the dirt roads we went on to get to the Wairere Boulders Nature Park.


The resort cat, Tigger, very much at home on our couch

Especially for hafren, the Hundertwasser toilets at Kawakawa. You could get married at this convenience. ;-)


The Kawakawa Toilets, designed by Hundertwasser. Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser spent the last part of his life near here and designed these wonderful public loos. Yes, there is grass on the roof; he had it on his house too, as cheap roofing and excellent insulation.


Kawakawa Toilets: the Ladies sign


Kawakawa Toilets: inside the Ladies' (cubicles off to right)


The ceramics I painted, before firing. No, the picture is not over-exposed. The colours go on very floury and pale; the firing, glazing, and refiring brings them up properly.


The ceramics I painted, after firing. The two triangular plates are for my niece and sister, the mug is for Greg who loves lighthouses and has it at his office, and the cat tile is so that I had something to keep.


Back home, Tessa claims a chair, still outraged about the cattery


Claudia curled up on the couch


Vic on Greg's computer chair

Comments

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEEEE:). Very pretty pictures, yes! Those have to be the best loo signs ever, yes:).

And *CUDDLES* to your kitties. *ruffle*

BTW, still have that package I meant to send earlier, but am penniless at the mo, but omg, yes, you will get nifty stuff at some point, even if it doesn't arrive at exactly your birthday, yes.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, that's on Friday. We have Vilaesque plans for that: a weekend starting with lunch at the Palazzo Roma on the way to Hamilton, the centenary harvest festival at Vilagrad Winery, and something fun in Hamilton, maybe the gardens again or a trip on the Delta Queen. I hope it's the latter as that would be very appropriate.

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

Yay! I hope you will have a *smashing* day:). Ee!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

We're not doing anything on the day itself; everything's on the weekend. We're staying overnight at a hotel near the winery so I won't risk my new LIBR8R under the influence. :-P

[kerravonsen]

Oooh, very pretty!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Oooh, pretty places, pretty tiles, pretty kitties!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I wish I could live up there.

[spacefall.livejournal.com]

Ooh, nice piccies. Cats!!!!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I love the one of squirrelly Claudia. She's so cute when she goes into a ball.

[jomacmouse.livejournal.com]

*nods, as otherwise has sensible to add*

[jomacmouse.livejournal.com]

That should be "as otherwise has *nothing* sensible to add". Packing books into boxes is not good for the brain...

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

Great pictures. I love your name for a B&B :0)
The ceramics are great, and I love those loos

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! I should have put more layers on the ceramics because there are paler patches which only showed up during firing. Oh, well.

The loos are fantastic, and they've become a real tourist attraction for the town they're in. Hee, Thomas Crapper icon!

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

That was a beautiful bit of the world you holidayed in, I don't think I have ever seen such a spectacular Convenience in my travels.

I want the ceramics, if I thought I had any hope of copying the cat plaque I would print it out and take it to the paint your own in Charles street.

Ray looks familiar but I can't put a name to him, I have probably seen him Caerleon library at some time or other.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They're both regulars, so I'm sure you've seen them at some point.

I've since disovered there's a ceramic painting place not far from home, so I'll have to do more. It was fun and I don't want to waste what I learned.

[matildabj.livejournal.com]

Very impressed with the ceramics! And even more in love with NZ. Great pictures.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you! There are more pictures in the gallery. :-)

I was a little disappointed that I didn't paint thickly enough in some places, but it's hard to tell before glazing. I'll definitely have a go at more.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Cute cats!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They're adorable. I love them to bits.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I love the photos (especially the one of the falls) and the ceramics look great!

[Now after typing all of that entry I'm sure you need a lie down :-p]

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

The falls are great, and I was glad the mist above them came out.

Thank you! It was a lot of fun painting the ceramics, and I'd love to do more. Here's an icon I drew with the GIMP in the same style. :-)