Foto Finish - Birds

This weeks optional topic for Foto Finish at http://catpatches.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/foto-finish-birds.html is birds.  I have no idea what this gorgeous bird is but the photo was taken in Bali.

Foto Finish - Leaves

This photo was taken in Vanuatu earlier this year.  I love the contrast between the green and brown leaves.

Foto Finish - Wet

Oh so many water images to pick from.  This one of rice paddy fields was taken lat year in Bali.

Foto Finish - Hot

 

This weeks optional topic for Foto Finish is Hot.  These photos of hot bubbling mud and thermal activity were taken on White Island a couple of years ago.  Over the last week this is one of two volcanoes that have erupted in New Zealand.  The eruptions were not major but are a great reminder of how volatile our mountains and thermal regions are.  People are still allowed on White Island but are being warned to take care.  The other eruption was on Mount Tongariro which had not erupted for 100 years.  They are continuing to keep a watch on this mountain.  We live at the foot of another dormant volcano - Mount Taranaki and they say it is not a matter of if it will erupt again but when this will occur. 

The Cascades - Vanuatu

 

 

 

This weeks optional theme for Foto Finish at Cat Patches is water.   These photos were taken just over a week ago in Vanuatu.  This walk into the cascades took about 40 minutes  and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

Foto Finish - Yellow

 

 

 

We have just returned from a week in Vanuatu.  I quickly downloaded my photos and was expecting to find an image of at least on yellow flower but was surprised to find the yellow in these images.  I dont remember the web being yellow - I think I was only looking at the spider.  There are no poisonous spiders on Vanuatu so this fellow is not as scary as he looks. 
The weather was only so-so - the sun only shone briefly on our first and last days.  We had one really wet day but the worst part was that we were both sick on the holiday - we took the winter lurgy bugs with us.  They seem to have been particularly bad this winter.  I had been sick for a week before going on holiday and took the first half of the week to get over it and then my husband got worse and is still not well.  However it was still good to have a break away and to see another country we hadn't been to before.

Foto Finish - Summer

It is none too summery on this side of the world.  We are forecast to have very heavy rain over the next day and a half starting sometime tonight.  I am suffering from a heavy head cold which has now progressed to include a cough.  I hope it clears soon and I dont pass it on to my husband as we are due to fly to Vanuatu next Saturday for a week in the sun.

This photo was taken last summer of one of my granddaughters jumping into our pool.

Photo Finish - Travel

We have just finished looking after two of our granddaughters for 10 days.  During this time we took them away for a few days to Taupo. Taupo is a city on the edge of our largest lake and it is about 4 hours away from where we live.  My mother was house sitting in Taupo so it was a good opportunity to take the girls away and spend some time with my mother.  While there we visited Orakei Korako - an area of thermal activity reached by a short boat ride across a river.  I think the green in this image is some algae growing in the warm water.  The girls decided that they could see a frog.

Foto Finish - Red

The red in this photo are red hot pokers flowers around the edge of Lake Mangamahoe.  This lake is about 10 minutes drive from our city and is more famous for an iconic image of our local Mount Taranaki which is taken from the other end of the lake.  There is a lovely hour long walk around this lake.

Foto Finish - Blooming Trees

This was the view while lying beside the pool at The Three Brothers Bungalows in Legian, Bali.  I dont know what the tropical tree is but it provided nice shade. 

I am babysitting my two oldest granddaughters tonight.  Their mother (our daughter) gave birth last night to a gorgeous baby boy called Mason.  Mother and baby are doing really well.  The girls are talking to mother on the phone at the moment.  They cant wait to go home tomorrow and spend time with their new brother.

Foto Finish - Blue

This beautiful blue parrot was at a bird park in Bali.

Foto Finish - Animals

This cheeky little fellow is one of our flightless birds - a Weka.  Love the little yellow plastic duck next to his water dish.  This photo was taken on a WIA trip to Kapiti Island.  We went out at night on this small island to look for our other flightless bird - the kiwi.  Unfortunately I had caught a stomach bug from one of my grandchildren and became violently ill that night so I dont have fond memories of that trip.  I also missed the tramp that the others did the following day as I was still really unwell.  It was a mixed blessing being sick that day as it absolutely poured with rain and the others got soaked to the skin. 

Foto Finish - Flowers

This weeks topic of flowers is right up my alley.  I have many beautiful images of flowers stored in my Picasa files.  A few days ago Picasa upgraded and added a lot of new features including adding the drop shadow which I have put around this photo.  Initially I thought they had taken away the ability to blog straight from Picasa but I am happy that I have worked it out.  It is so easy to blog straight from Picasa.  I am looking forward to seeing the other images this week.

Photo Finish - green

Green Ghecko

This photo was taken a couple of years ago on a Women In Action trip to Wellington.  On the Sunday we visited Zealandia - a wonderful wild life reserve right in the heart of our capital city.   I am not sure how I managed to achieve this effect in the photo - it wasn't intentional.

Foto Finish - Things You Dont See Everyday

Recycling Vietnamese style.  
What I find interesting about this photo apart from the obvious overloaded bike is the contrast between the modern and old  means of transport.

Foto Finish -Growing

 

Rice growing in Bali. The paddy fields were so picturesque and there were often dilapidated buildings in the middle of the fields.

Foto Finish - Leap

 

I think I must have very "leapy" grandaughters as I have plenty of photos of these two leaping into the pool, the sea and a river. These are the most recent photos taken this summer. They were having a ball. We haven't had the best summer this year but the girls have had a lot of fun in our pool. Their swimming has come on "leaps and bounds" but they have to be watched like hawks as they are both overconfident in the water.

Foto Finish - The way I see it

 

We recently attended the wedding of some friends - both around 70 years old. The day after the wedding we went on a cruise with some of their friends. These flags were on the back of the launch. I thought they were gorgeous.

Foto Finish - Doors

 

This photo was taken in Vietnam a couple of years ago. I think it was just a random shot taken while walking along the street so unfortunately I cannot remember if it was a doorway to a private residence or some other type of establishment.

Foto Finish

 

Not through a window but reflections of windows in a bubble. Last weekend we attended the wedding of friends. It was held Friday evening. On Saturday around 25 of their friends were treated to a cruise around Auckland harbour on a luxury launch which belongs to the grooms employer. A young girl on the trip was blowing bubbles and I took photos of them. This one reflects the windows on the top of the launch.