The Changing Seasons, September 2018

/ Su Leslie
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Detail, Diminishing Returns, sculpture in bronze by Bing Dawe. Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, NZ. Image Su Leslie 2018

Spring flowers and art.

Both of these things make me happy, but throw in good company, good food and some wine — and I’m positively beaming.

September has delivered on all of these things, almost simultaneously in the last few days while the Big T and I have been on holiday in Napier.

Beach, Marine Parade, Napier. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Beach, Marine Parade, Napier. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Beach, Marine Parade, Napier. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Tom Parker Fountain, Marine Parade, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Tom Parker Fountain, Marine Parade, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Marine Parade, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018

On the east coast, about 400km from Auckland, Napier is a city in Hawke’s Bay. In February 1931, it was at the epicentre of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake which killed 256 people, injured thousands, and devastated much of the region, including destroying most of the buildings in central Napier and the neighouring town of Hastings.

Both Napier and Hastings were rebuilt, with much of the new architecture in the Art Deco style. Today, Napier is considered one of the finest Art Deco cities in the world.

Public Trust Building, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Daily Telegraph Building, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Facade, Masson House, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Typical small Art Deco commercial building, Napier. NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Detail, Art Deco facade, commercial building, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Detail, Art Deco facade, commercial building, Napier, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018

Five major rivers flow into the Hawke’s Bay region, providing huge areas of fertile land for agriculture, and more recently viticulture. Local vineyards produce award-winning wines, so naturally T and I tasted a few (along with locally brewed beers and ciders).

It would have been wrong not to.

Lunch, Brave Brewing Co. Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Lunch, Brave Brewing Co. Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
What next? Brave Brewing Company, Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Tasting room, Trinity Hill Winery, Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Tasting room, Trinity Hill Winery, Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Trinity Hill Winery, Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
A Wave in Time, bronze statue, Emerson St, Napier. Artist: Mark Whyte. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Cherry blossom, Havelock North town centre, Hawkes Bay, NZ. Image: Su Leslie
Detail, Bottled River. Installation by George Nuku and students of Hawke’s Bay schools. Hastings City Art Gallery, NZ. Image: Su Leslie
Pou, Nga Marae o Heretaunga. Hastings, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Ceramics, seen at Hastings City Art Gallery, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Ceramics, seen at Hastings City Art Gallery, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Bottled Ocean,
Te Mata Peak, Hawke’s Bay, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Te Mata Peak, Hawke’s Bay, NZ. Image: Su Leslie
Sunset, Te Mata Peak, Hawke’s Bay, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Pou. Part of Star Compass at Waitangi Regional Park, Napier. NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2018

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

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

Here is what September looked like for some other bloggers

Max at Cardinal Guzman

Sarah at Art Expedition

Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Marilyn at Serendipity Seeking intelligent life on Earth

Mick at Mick’s Cogs

Jude at Under a Cornish Sky

Deb at The Widow Badass Blog

Joanne at My Life Lived Full

Lee at Ladyleemanila

Klara over at lessywannagohome on Blogspot

Ruth at Ruth’s Arc

Pauline at Living in Paradise

Ju Lyn at All Things Bright and Beautiful

Little Pieces of Me — who joins us for the first time.

 

 

 

 

65 thoughts on “The Changing Seasons, September 2018”

    • It would be well worth a visit. We found the trip down a lot faster than in the past. I think the Napier-Taupo highway has had a major upgrade. And I won’t mention the wines (some examples of which are now “cellared” in our hall cupboard — oops).

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  7. Stunning landscapes, beautiful art and flowers – it can´t get much better than that, can it? 😉 and of course it would have been very wrong not to taste the different wines on offer. 😉 Love the art deco buildings and especially the beautiful sculptures! Both the Maori ones and the A wave in Time one, even though they couldn’t be much more contrary and yet they seem to compliment each other in a way. Great month, Su! Already looking forward to the next post! xxxxxxxx

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    • I’ll add Napier to our itinerary when you visit 🙂
      I know what you mean about the art being complimentary. I found that a lot. The “Bottled Ocean” exhibition had a Maori waka (canoe) made from plastic waste which made a really powerful statement about the pollution of our oceans.
      xxxx

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      • Yay!! 😀
        That Maori waka sounds so cool, I´m always fascinated by art made by reusing waste, like you said, it makes for a very powerful statement concerning pollution. Did you make a picture of it?? xxxxx

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  9. Napier must be a wonderful place to spend your vacation. Too sad to read about the destruction created by a powerful earthquake, but happy to see the people of Napier being resilient, who rebuilt their city. The beach photos are simply amazing, Su!

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  16. It is comforting that there, on the other side of this third rock from the sun, spring still occurs. We seem to have lost both spring AND fall, so we have an extended summer and a long, hard winter. With a few days in between. It is a bit demoralizing.

    Did you add the blossom to the sculpture at the top? Nice addition if you did!

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    • I’m sorry to hear that. We’re being told to prepare for an especially hot summer and I am already dreading it.
      The blossom had fallen onto the sculpture, but T moved it to that particular spot.

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  17. Jo and I are big fans of art deco. So Napier is definitely on our list. NZ is such a young place geologically. Aus is so old. That youth adds so much excitement and a bit of foreboding to your country. Te Mata looks wonderful.

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    • We had a great time, thank you. At street level, it is a very modern city with contemporary stores and signs, but the facades above are gorgeous, and there are several buildings that stand alone and haven’t been “modernised.”

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