My month began in Dunedin on the tail end of a South Island trip to connect with the Big T’s Canterbury roots and to explore the possibility of becoming Mainlanders (1) in the future. It was especially poignant for us to spend some of ANZAC Day in the churchyard of St John’s Hororata, where an extraordinary number of T’s forbears are buried or commemorated.
Back in Auckland, we’re both missing the South Island’s big skies, mountain views, gorgeous autumn colours, relaxed people, and the relative ease of driving on roads that aren’t permanently congested.
And although it rained pretty much all the time we were in Dunedin, it still remains top of my list of Southern “happily relocate to” places. The main drawback is distance from the boy-child.
One of the things I love most about this time of year is the spectacular sunsets, with Oamaru and Wellington, where I’ve just spent a long weekend, turning on the coolest shows.
As I write this, the wind is howling and tormenting the trees outside my window. It definitely feels like winter has arrived.
About The Changing Seasons
The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge, originally hosted by Max at Cardinal Guzman. I’ve taken over hosting duties this year, and if you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:
The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):
- Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
- Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them
The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):
- Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
- Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.
If you do a ping-back to this post, I can update it with links to all of yours.
UPDATE
If you haven’t already, please visit check out these posts from some very cool bloggers around the world:
Magnificent May, from Joanne at My Life Lived Full
The Changing Seasons, May 2018 from Lee at Ladyleemanila
Change of Seasons from Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind
May in Brussels from Klara. This is Klara’s first Changing Seasons post, so please visit and welcome her.
May: Summer Weather is Here from Deb at The Widow Badass Blog
The Changing Seasons May 2018 from Ju-Lyn at Sunrise, Sunset
The Changing Seasons, May has been very yellow from Tish at Tish Farrell Writer on the Edge
Changing Seasons: May 2018 from Pauline at Living in Paradise
The Changing Seasons: Flowers are Blooming from Marilyn at Serendipity — Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth
The Changing Seasons — May 2018 from Sarah at Art Expedition
Back to School from Ruth at RuthsArc
Changing Seasons May 2018 from Jude at Under a Cornish Sky
Changing Seasons Challenge May 2018 — At the Museum from Yvette at Priorhouse Blog
The Changing Seasons May 2018 from Mick at Mick’s Cogs
- Colloquial term for those living in the South Island of New Zealand.
Can you imagine travelling by sea at that time of year with 4 children under the age of 10?
Leslie
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I was thinking the same thing! …. FOR 3 MONTHS!!
… and now we whine about flights that are longer than 5-6 hours … at least I do 🙄
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They were lucky to get there alive….
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They were. Other families were not so lucky. Andrew Gray’s wife, Emily Ann Oliver (headstone above) was born in NZ but her mother had already given birth to a child while onboard one of the immigrant ships. The baby died, along with several other children on that journey. It was a particularly horrendous voyage — at one point, the ship virtually capsized and lost some of its rigging.
I will try to remember that the next time I moan about lack of leg room on a flight 🙂
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I never thought about it that way. We do seem to be losing room in those airplanes but at least we aren’t on them for months on end…
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Yeah, me too. I guess we measure discomfort against what we are used to. Our emigration to NZ involved three days of flying (with lots of stops). At the time, it was more usual to sail, but my mother absolutely refused to get in a boat. Good choice really, since flying was quite glamorous in those days and I can’t remember “leg room” ever being an issue. The downside for me was that the boat trip took about 5-6 weeks — which means 5-6 weeks of NO SCHOOL for those kids. I felt so cheated!
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That had to be a very exciting time! How old were you when your family emigrated?
I don’t blame your mom …. 3 days vs 5-6 weeks sounds like a no-brainer to me!!
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I was almost six; and had hated school from day one, so the prospect (however remote) of skipping it for a six whole weeks would have been absolute heaven. I get my mum’s point of view totally.
Flying was still quite unusual in those days; and very posh. It was like being in a very high-end restaurant for hours on end. There weren’t many kids on board, and my brother and I got fussed over and spoilt a bit. Especially my brother who was about three, had very blonde hair, huge brown eyes and a total “butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth” look. 🙂
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Horrendous. And even worse when you consider that they were steerage passengers, crammed into a tiny space with about 170 other people. A “good” voyage took about 12 weeks — but some took nearly five months if weather was bad or the ship sustained any damage.
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I could never do it…..
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Love the skies, Su. Such beautiful dramatic clouds!
While winter is settling in in your world, we are getting blasted with summer. It seems we skipped spring completely.
Are you getting closer to make a decision on the big move?
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Thanks Joanne. I’m glad your summer has arrived — even though you missed Spring. Hopefully you’ll get great weather for the wedding. 🙂
We’re in a kind of one step forward, two steps back situation I think. General agreement about the need to move, but struggling with the details. Too many potential places we could go, but no really exciting properties for sale in any of them. 🙂
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It will likely be one of those cases where unexpectedly THE PLACE comes up and you’ll know then that was the reason why for all the dithering 🙂
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I sooooo hope so. At the moment I feel like the Larsen card with the guy talking to the dog. The speech bubble has words, and the dog’s though bubble has “blah blah blah.” T can see potential in places that I just look at and think “kennel.” 🙂
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hahaha!! Then I shall hope there are no kennels in your future 😆
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Thank you for that. 😀
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You live in a heartbreakingly lovely place. It’s one of those places I always wanted to visit but your pictures are about as close to a visit as I will make in this life.
I’m still trying to recover enough photographs for this post. I’ve got three more camera chips to check. Tomorrow I will try to get to all of them, then download and process. I still haven’t completely restored my tools, either, so this is a work in progress.
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I’m sorry about your hacking experience — sounds like a total nightmare. It got me rushing off to talk to my IT department (the Big T) about our cyber security.
I hope your computer reinstall? rebuild? (you can tell I’m not tecchy right), goes smoothly.
🙂
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Pingback: Change of Seasons – Reflections of An Untidy Mind
Lovely photos, Su Leslie. Here is my contribution. Kind regards. Tracy.
https://reflectionsofanuntidymind.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/change-of-seasons/#more-1420
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Thanks so much Tracy. 🙂
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Pingback: The Changing Seasons, May 2018 – Ladyleemanila
great photos, Su 🙂
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/the-changing-seasons-may-2018/
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Thanks so much 🙂
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I love this post. I really felt as if you took my on a journey through your month.–
AMRandCo amrandco@fastmail.com
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Thank you Amanda. 🙂
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Quite a decision to make Su. Such a beautiful place, but I think the winters would put me off. Incidentally I’m wondering about the rules for this challenge, were it says no archive photos only new shots. I do find it difficult to show what has happened during the month without using photos already in the archives. I wonder what others think…. Open for discussion?
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Good point Pauline.
I think the “spirit” of the challenge is about sharing change through recent images, but I can see that sometimes older shots actually help tell the story. Personally, I would have no problem with people using them (or doing so myself).
I’m interested to know what everyone thinks.
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Yes I agree it is about the “spirit of the challenge. Thank you for carrying this challenge on. I’ll be back soon with my contribution
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😀 looking forward to your post.
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Wow! Love the big skies and the sunsets! And the lovely misty picture with its dreamlike quality. You had a very busy month, Su. 😊 Around here it’s getting hotter by the day and I’m craving for a slight breeze. 😁 xxxxxxx
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Thank you so much. I wish I could parcel up some of the wind here and send it to you. It’s been pretty wild, and quite cold. 🙂 xxxxx
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Me too! I’m feeling like I’m in a pressure cooker! 😂 xxxxxx
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Oh no. I hate summer heat, and can really empathise 😀
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I used to be okay with summer heat but as I get older I have a hard time to acclimate myself! 😀
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I know exactly what you mean 🙂 My mother is the exact opposite; I think somewhere like Fiji could be here “happy place.”
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LOL! Mine too! She’s starting feeling good when everyone else is a melted puddle on the ground! 😂 And she loved being in Senegal a couple of years ago.
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It’s so hard when you have the choice – of knowing the right place to be. Good luck with the search. Lovely photos of South Island. We have chums who live near Wanaka.
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Thanks Tish. You’re right; too much choice is a nightmare.
I love the area around Wanaka; we originally thought we might include Queenstown/ Wanaka on the trip and visit friends, but that whole area is so touristy, and we’re grumpy old gits who like a bit of solitude, so the Otago coast suited us perfectly.
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I well identify with the grumpy old gits requirements. More so by the day.
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Beautiful photos – and I can see why you like that café 🙂
As for relocating, well sometimes you just have to take a chance. Your boy is growing up, already making a life of his own and I am sure you have taught him well. At least you would still be in the same country! Good luck with the search and one possibility is renting for a year to see how things go. Are you and the Big T on the same wavelength with the move?
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Thanks Jude.
You are right; he is a big boy now and pretty resilient. I think my niggling fear is around having to fly to get to each other. It’s irrational, but somehow the independence of being able to get in the car and leave at a moment’s notice is reassuring. Not only to see the boy-child, but my dad too. It would be a real mission to get to him from Dunedin!
We have talked about renting somewhere new, and also about buying a little cottage or townhouse that needs a bit of work, and doing it up while we live in it. That way, we’re not paying rent, and putting the house sale proceeds to some use.
I think T and I are generally on the same page; but there are definitely differences in the detail. 🙂
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So many choices. Renting is annoying financially, but at least gives you breathing space and if the location is wrong then no hassles over selling and buying.
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Pingback: Magnificent May – My Life Lived Full
Hello Su, do you mind if I join in so late in 2018?
https://lessywannagohome.blogspot.be/2018/05/may-in-brussels.html
you have wonderful landscapes and breathtaking sunsets down there.
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Hi Klara. Never too late 🙂
It’s so lovely to have you join in the challenge.
Su
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I needed to do a second run on your photographs. They are truly wonderful!
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Thank you 🙂 The South Island is particularly kind to photographers.
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Pingback: The Changing Seasons ~ May Has Been Very Yellow – Tish Farrell
Here are scenes of garden doings around the Farrell place: https://tishfarrell.com/2018/05/28/the-changing-seasons-may-has-been-very-yellow/
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Stunning!!! I’m a little envious of your neighbours walking past your house each day, enjoying the glorious gallimaufry of your front yard.
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That’s a very touching thing to say, Su 🙂
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Hi again Su here is what is happening in my patch https://retiredfromgypsylife.wordpress.com/2018/05/29/changing-seasons-may-2018/
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Thanks Pauline 🙂
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Thanks for the link Su
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Well mine is up (I think) though not showing in the Reader and I have had no comments or Likes yet so maybe it is invisible? https://cornwallincolours.wordpress.com/2018/05/29/changing-seasons-may/
And I am totally with you re: heat especially heat and humidity. I just melt into a very soggy pool of mush. Not good.
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Thanks Jude. I did check my reader very late last night and your post was showing. I meant to write this then, but obviously fell asleep. (Yeah, it was THAT late). 🙂
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Pingback: Changing Seasons Challenge: May 2018 – At the Museum – priorhouse blog
sending warm wishes your way (as winter sets in) and as I write, the AC kicks in to cool us down.
Enjoyed your seasons post and how nice to connect with roots and ponder the relocate place (we have a small list that would work for us – and being close to children matters to us too….)
oh and here is my post for May:
https://priorhouse.blog/2018/05/29/changing-seasons-challenge-may-2018-at-the-museum/
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Thanks: all warm wishes very gratefully received right now. It’s seriously chilly (for Auckland 🙂 )
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I’m in awe of New Zealand’s beauty – you seem to have great options. I can relate about wanting to be driving distance to Boy Child. My Girl Child is grown and lives 90 minutes away in a nice area that I have no desire to live in. So I’ve been on the fence about moving for a couple of years. Wishing you well wherever you decide!
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Thank you Linda. I could cope with 90 minutes, but that would hardly get us out of Auckland these days. 😕
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So the South Island is the Mainland, not Auckland? And how far would that be from your son? Beautiful photos!
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Confusing huh. The South Island is larger, but has a much smaller share of the population. Dunedin, where we’d like to move, is about 1500km from Auckland. Realistically, we’d have to fly.even if we wanted to drive, we’d still need to catch a ferry across the Cook Strait.
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So my quick calculation is that it almost 1000 miles (I can’t think in metric even after being in Canada for a few days this past week). Far—but still not bad for a flight. I know what a hard decision this must be.
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True: it would take me longer to get from Auckland airport to his house under most traffic condition. 🙂
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Pingback: The Changing Seasons May 2018 | Mick's Cogs
Thanks Mick 🙂
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