Pakiri Beach

There is something magic about Pakiri Beach. It is a classic remote wild northland surf beach.  Each visit is a memorable experience, even if it is only a trip over a hill and down a dusty country dirt road from where we are staying at Christmas.

This year I took the kids over for a visit with the camera, determined to get some shots of them in action in the white sand and surf.

Lucy took to her heels and ran of course straight down into the surf. It took some convincing to remind her that the waves where not as forgiving and tame as the beaches she is used to.

 On the beach was a surf club in action teaching their nippers.

Both the girls enjoying running down the sand dunes. 

More shots here.

Catch of the Day

Here is a shot of summer. Fresh snapper caught of Leigh. Plus a bowl of freshly caught tuatuas from the Omaha surf to make it all go down.

Christmas Day

Shots of the kids enjoying the day, and of course, the presents.

Mathesons Bay

Over the summer holidays we spend a lot of time with the kids at this beach. It doesn't have the wide open feel and power of a sandy surf beach. However it does offer a safe secluded spot for the kids to play and swim in an attractive native bush surrounds.

Mathesons Bay

It gets very crowded in the middle of the day due to the easy road access. However between 4 and 5 pm is golden hour, where the beach clears, the bay is warm and the environment is local and relaxing.

Ruakaka Races

Over Christmas we travelled up to Ruakaka, just south of Whangarei, to visit family for a day at the local races.

It was a scorching hot summers day in the north. However that did not stop locals and Auckland visitors coming out to speculate.

Tight finish

If it gets boring, as I usually find horse racing, you can always look at the crowds. There where some interesting juxtapositions of people there to place a bet.

Locals vs Ladies

Local nag experts

 The kids enjoyed the free entertainment and generally kept themselves amused running around and jumping through the inevitable bouncy castles.

Cats and Dogs

More shots of the day at the races are here.

Matakana Tractors

Nearby to Matakana is a playground and a local craft center. So while the grown ups can sip coffee, the kids can ride miniature trains and play on old tractors.

There is something about rusting farm machinery that screams photograph me. Tractors included. To oblige, here are some shots of Amelia and Lucy at play on the old rusting tractors left out to play upon.  There seems to be something about the juxtaposition about kids and old machinery.

Watch out

Where's the keys?

More shots here.

New Years Day

To dry out, we took the family for a run in the sun along Omaha beach. Armed with camera and new 50mm prime lens I was eager to get some portrait shots in.

Lucy on the run

 The girls enjoyed the white sandy environment and the discovery of shells.

Beach discovery

Checking out the surf

More shots of the day are here.

Big Wet

Matheson's Bay this morning after the torrential rain that lashed down overnight.

Trickle to Torrent

Lush wet summer

More shots here.

Ginger Bread House

Having a go at some food photography. One of the of the family went all out in their Christmas day baking and constructed a ginger bread house.

I was impressed! It ate as well as it looked.

Christmas Day 2011

Every year around Christmas I try to get a story of photos together of the kids in action opening their presents.  I took too many shots over Christmas, but I think I only needed these three.

Amelia and her cousin sharing the opening of an anticipated present.

Anticipation

Surprise

Pleasure

Penguins

Managed to fit in a quick trip to the Antarctic just before Christmas day. 


I wish. Kelly Tarlton's had to do.

More shots here.

Christmas Eve

Waiting for Santa to deliver the good on Christmas Eve.

Waiting for Santa

Break in Transmission

You must be wondering what's happening. Why has a serious chronological chasm is opened in this little blog. Well, granted, it has.

I guess Christmas got in the way, access to the blog was a bit limited and I got out of a the weekly habit. Well I'm back into the world again and the typical rhythm and hum of life and the year is rolling on.

I best blog with pictures, so here goes. We spent Christmas enjoying the beaches of Leigh and further north.

Both the girls are really involved with loving the water and the beach which is great to see. 

One of the memorable events this summer was catching a first wave together at Omaha with Amelia. The glee in her face was a picture unto itself.

The days rolled lazily by with a dream/rhythm of eating, fishing, swimming, play and the normal dynamics of families with young children.

As typical of summer holidays, once we startted to relax the days accelerated by faster and faster until before we knew it, it was time to return to Wellington.

Now we find ourselves back at work, school and missing the play of summer.

Flax in Summer Morning Light

Christmas Tree

It was the time of year to put up the Christmas tree. Instead of getting involved I took the opportunity to capture some photo's of the girls getting into the event together. Lucy was rather taken with the shiny coloured decorations, as an one year old would. She just couldn't help herself.

While Amelia enjoyed the result.

Xmas Again

If being the measure of a good blogger is blogging frequently, then by that measure I'm a poor blogger indeed. However its been a busy year, and now that Xmas has rolled around again I have the luxury to pause, reflect, and yes indeed blog.

Staying true to the annual Bergquist migratory patterns, we are all back in Auckland once again for Xmas. Visiting family. My daughter, being the petrol head that she is, has fallen in love with her grandfather's 1974 Triumph Spitfire.

Its cool to drive, while at the same time reminding you how far car technology has come since 1974. The whole "adjust the throttle while starting" technique is closer in my mind to hand cranking a Model-T verses modern fuel injection. I write perhaps in pique, since I could not get the car to start again whilst out on an errand. Calls had to be made.

Big Snapper

A fishing trip to remember.  On Boxing Day I went for a quick afternoon fish with my father inlaw, Grant.

We was trying out plastics for the first time when Grant landed this moocher snapper. Estimate 27 lbs.

It was also the shakedown trip on Grant's new boat.  An extraordinarily fortunate first outing.

Belief In Xmas

My daughter Amelia with a new found belief in Santa.

A glass of beer and christmas mince pies laid out at the bottom of the chimney. 

They seem to discover early to play along in order to get the goodies.

Xmas Holidays

Well, the start of Christmas in Auckland is following true to plan. The good weather has also gone on holiday and the rain has settled in.

A very busy Decemember month.  Not only was the first draft of the IVS architecture needed to be completed in draft, but I also had to run 60km through the Fiordland mountains in a mountain race called the Kelper Challenge.  

The path though December was a bloody long way.