Beautiful Otago

Sisson range postcards ROCK. Pity they're only available from the Visitors Centre in town.

These are both of Otago - which lies further south than my home base of Canterbury. We haven't been here in years, but with any luck we'll head there next year.

Our feathered friends

I seem to have accumulated a vast number of bird postcards recently. Most of these are available for trade. So let me know if you'd like one.

Kereru - - - Kea and chicks

Kakapo (traded) --- Kaka (flown the coop)

Kotuku --- Weka (traded)

Tawaki (traded)

14 Faves within the hour!

This postcard of Lake Pukaki (another of the wonderful Sisson range) arrived in the Netherlands earlier today. Within an hour of it being Registered on Postcrossing, it had 14 faves, making it my 2nd most popular card. I wish my handdrawn cards would do so well but one cannot argue, this is a beautiful view of Mount Cook.

This view is from the eastern side, and makes a nice contrast to all the postcards featuring the mountain from the western side - over Lake Matheson. I visited Lake Matheson last week and it is indeed truly magnificant.

Here's my photo of it, postcard perfect!

I have about a dozen more photos of various lakes around the West Coast reflecting nicely. They're glacial lakes, so calm and still they're like a mirror. Beautiful!

Here's another (postcard that is, I'm not going to bore you with my snapshots):

Kaki in Slovakia

My black stilt, or Kaki, has now found a new home in Levice, Slovakia with Ushko. Here she visits a castle.

To see more of my art around the world, visit my website:
http://lemurkat.co.nz

From the Wild, Wet West (to trade)

(these two are traded)

To celebrate our 10 years of togetherness (dating that is), my husband and I did a trip we've been meaning to do for some years now - the TranzAlpine. This is a train trip that goes from Christchurch to Greymouth - and back again. It takes you through some pretty spectacular scenary, including up the Waimakariri river, through gorges that look like Middle Earth, through the snow capped Southern Alps (aka "the Misty Mountains"), and into the dripping, lush rainforest of the West Coast, eventually ending up in the biggest town over there, called "Greymouth". There is not a great deal to do in Greymouth - even the locals agree, and although they had been blessed with a week of good weather, it had finally caught up with them in the form of heavy, driving rain. So, what do do but shop for postcards?

I'm back in Christchurch now, although the weather seems to have followed me home :( But shall be returning to the West Coast in two days time to go on an adventure down south to Franz Josef glacier.

Anyhow, here's my postcard haul, these are almost all available for trading.

Hokitika: The clock town is quaint - but it's quite a long drive to the gorge, followed by a lengthy walk, if I recall correctly. (posted now)

Okarito Heron Colony: we're going to be staying near here, but the herons don't arrive until late August/September. (posted now)


Lake Ianthe: Alledgedly home to a large population of Crested Grebes, one of my very favourite birds. I am hoping to visit here too. (posted now)

Lake Brunner: The train took us straight through here, although it was rather wetter at the time! And so grey it looked like the ocean. We have also gone trout fishing here. It is a popular place for fishermen to visit on weekends. (posted now)

Punakaiki: seems to be prone to stunning sunsets. It is also home to the Pancake Rocks.
#1 is posted still have #2

And this one I've been sitting on for years - it's our rainforest. This part is near Haast, in the UNESCO area of the South West New Zealand.

The New Zealand Assortment

The Craig Potton postcard range is most excellent. There again - he is one of our most well renowned photographers! Here you see "rush hour" as a flock of sheep are herded past the Vulcan motel and a maori Wharenui or Meeting House.

This is the wee silvereye, a tiny bird that came here on his own accord from Australia. This one is on kowhai. Kowhai is the Maori word for "yellow". And our most famous bird of all - the kiwi!

Hanmer Springs in Winter and the bridge there in autumn. Beautiful colours!

New Zealand Multiviews

Some people love 'em, some people hate 'em. Personally I'm a bit ambivalent - they're not my favourites, but they do allow you to see a good cross-section of the country.

The good old multiview card!

Here's some I've sent along the way:

Christchurch City:


Canterbury Plains:


NZ Beaches:


Maori Culture:

This is my second most popular (currently) Official Postcrossing Postcard I've sent.
It was beaten by this one

Tranzalpine:

I'm doing this train journey in two weeks! Very exciting! It's supposed to be VERY beautiful.

Backcountry Huts:

Aren't they cute?

Tui

One of our endemic Honeyeaters, the Tui was once widespread across most of New Zealand, and is still common in some regions. These birds are excellent mimics and have elaborate, musical songs intermingled with cellphone rings, house alarms and other such noises. Some have even mastered human speak (those in captivity) and also can wolf whistle. In the Bay of Islands, specifically Russell, one cannot speak for the birdsongs surrounding them. Here in Canterbury, however, the trees are silent. Their relatives, the bellbirds, have a similar song but they delve less into the mimicry and more into the musical. The english name for the Tui is the Parson bird, because of the white bobble under its throat. This is most apparent in breeding season.

Fella Visits NZ

As some of you know, I am a DeviantArtist - that is to say - I am an artist on the DeviantArt Gallery - http://www.deviantart.com and this year the gallery is turning 10, so they are asking people to send them postcards.

So I thought Fella, the DA mascot, might like to participate in a traditional Maori War Dance.

Lonely Lighthouse

Nugget Point Lighthouse, Otago.

New Zealand, my beautiful country part deux

Today I was wandering around town, trying to find a 6x4 postcard featuring a beach scene. This proved to be easier said than done. However, in the Visitor's Centre I stumbled upon this BEAUTIFUL range. So I stocked up and now have some to either trade for or to provide as Official Postcrossing postcards.

The range are called Sisson, and their website is: http://www.sisson.co.nz. I am amazed at the colours of these landscapes - they almost seem unreal.

New Zealand Naturally

Moeraki Boulders

Milford Sounds

Church of the Good Shepherd, Tekapo

The Kea

The Kea is an alpine parrot - the only alpine parrot in the world. He has real personality. Not only is he extremely intelligent - more-so than many mammals, he is also insatiably curious. Kea are not as common as once was believed - they get that reputation because they like to hang around people. In the High Country, they are often to be found near tearooms or rest areas, where they hope to scavenge food. The "Do Not Feed the Kea" sign is a common sight. And with good reason, because should you leave your car somewhere to go for a walk or go skiing you might well come back to see that the keas have "had a go" at it. Stripping the rubber, breaking off the window wipers... etc. Not a good thing to return to!

I adore this image, which is heading for Lithuania today. It shows the Church of the Good Shepherd, a tiny church on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Around it, the rolling golden hills, bare now of vegetation, thanks to the early slash-and-burn agriculture. The lake, a vivid contrast against the gold of late summer. The green in the background are pine trees, planted by the settlers. Perhaps once this was native forest or grasses, now it is stark but still splendid.