Ross and Wyn Davies Travel Blog

The Evening Before and the Morning After – On Waikouaiti Beach

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Ross

The last two posts have been about our weekend away to Moeraki earlier in the year. It’s not much more than an hour from Dunedin to Moeraki, but we broke our journey on the Friday night at Waikouaiti where we stayed at the friendly camping ground. We had a short quick walk to the beach before the sun went down. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log | Tagged Dunedin, Johnny Jones, Matakana, Otago, Waikouaiti | 2 Comments

The Night Before the Morning After – Moeraki Remembered

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Ross

Time goes forward; faster or slower, but always forward. But sometimes my memory goes backwards, and certainly my photo sorting is all over the shop. My previous post about the morning and day after our lovely meal at Fleur’s restaurant in Moeraki village did set me looking at other photos of that weekend. There were a couple more that explain Moeraki and Fleur’s place a little better Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log | Tagged Fleur's, harbour, Moeraki, Otago, village | 2 Comments

The Rocks of Moeraki Go Round and Round

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Ross

We had a lovely getaway earlier this year to Moeraki, less than an hour north of Dunedin where we are based just now. Moeraki is world famous for it’s spherical rocks on the beach north towards Hamden. It’s also a lovely little fishing village, and home to Fleur’s famous restaurant. There’s penguins out the back, and it was one of the settings for Kerri Hulme’s extraordinary novel ‘Bone People‘. None of this has gone to Moeraki’s head Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log | Tagged boulders, Fleur's, Moeraki, village | 4 Comments

We go Looking for Spring and Find Perfection

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Ross

A couple of weekends ago we ended up in the Upper Gardens of the Dunedin Botanic Gardens. We’d been to a midday movie that was part of the film festival; called “Unrest” which is a first-person documentary made by and featuring a woman with severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. ‘Powerful’ and ‘moving’ and ‘confronting’ and ‘direct’ are words that came to mind. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log | Tagged Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Dunedin, Dunedin Botanic Gardens, flowers, magnolia, movies, spring, Unrest | 6 Comments

Emerging From Winter

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Ross

“Once more into the blog, dear friends, once more;
Or close the thing down with my posts all dead!”

We’re emerging from what has seemed like a long winter and I’m keen to rekindle this olde bloggie thing. A blog with no posts seems about as sad as the pub with no beer. Although there is still a small steady interest in some of the old posts. Particularly ‘In Search of South Head‘ for reasons I’ve always pondered. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log, Photography | Tagged Dunedin, flowers, lily, photography, winter | 2 Comments

We Walk Up a Hill and Come Back Down Again – Flagstaff

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Ross

Yesterday we had one of those moments. Where we’d gone out for a nice walk along the banks of the Silverstream near Mosgiel and on the way back one of us spied a hill and suggested that we should go for a walk up that as well. I called her bluff and agreed and then she called my bluff and soon we were getting a bit more clothing and some food and driving off towards Flagstaff. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log, Walks | Tagged Dunedin, Flagstaff, Otago, walking | 2 Comments

An Abstract View of Photography – Seeing the Light

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Ross

If you’ve been following this blog – and some of you kind people have been – then you’ll have seen me dabbling more and more over the last year or so with what I’ve called abstract photography. I didn’t know until a minute ago that there actually is a proper thing called abstract photography; I’ve just been stumbling into it. I started photographing with my first camera about 50 years ago Continue reading →

Posted in Photography | Tagged abstract photos, photography | 6 Comments

I’m Walking Backwards to Winter – In Dunedin

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Ross

Continuing with my reconstruction of recent times, I’m happy to say that we coped well enough with our first winter in Dunedin for a number of years. It was a kind sort of winter with weeks when we wondered if it really was winter. People up north probably imagine winter in Dunedin as a battle against blizzards and bleakness. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log | Tagged Dunedin, Mosgiel, Otago, snow, weather, winter | Leave a comment

Earlier This month – Ross Creek

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Ross

Earlier this month we were parked up in Dunedin at Woodhaugh in the Leith Valley for a week. It’s only a couple of minutes walk to Ross Creek which gives access to the Reservoir and lots of lovely bush walks. Walking up the gorge beside Ross Creek I’d often considered the photography possibilities Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log, Photography | Tagged Dunedin, Otago, photography, Ross Creek, Woodhaugh | Leave a comment

The Wheels on the Truck Go Round and Round ….to Central Otago

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Ross

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got ourselves and our motorhome out of town for Labour Weekend. And headed for Central Otago and Lake Hawea. We launched from Mosgiel a little after 5pm and wondered what the holiday traffic would be like. Forgetting that this is the lower end of the South Island; where holiday traffic is relatively civilised. Plus we left the car Continue reading →

Posted in Biking - cycling, Daily log | Tagged biking, Central Otago, Hawea, Wanaka | Leave a comment

New Beginnings … Again ….

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Ross

Oh dear! It’s about six months since I last said I was starting again. I’m saying it again and hopefully meaning it this time. One of the harder things is remembering how to construct a blog post. And add a photo … or two. What seemed automatic has become a re-learning experience. Continue reading →

Posted in Biking - cycling, Daily log | Tagged Dunedin, Mosgiel, Taieri | 6 Comments

Hello World

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Ross

Good morning from me. We remain alive and well which is almost more than can be said for this blog. I know; a blog without blogging is not really a blog at all. It’s just been in the Too Hard basket for quite a while – with other things to do and focus on. We’ve been hanging out in Hawea and Fox Glacier and Invercargill and Dunedin and we’re currently near Mosgiel in the rural part of Dunedin. We’re “between jobs” at the moment, and starting to catch up with family and friends.

It’s time to sort out a few of the photos and share a couple of them. There was a while there when the camera didn’t get many outings but it’s been out and about a bit more lately. I’ve been rediscovering how Lightroom works and now I just have to remember how this blogging business works. Onwards and outwards…

Posted in Daily log | Leave a comment

The Winners Write The History – South Taranaki

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Ross

Our stay in Hawera with friends was extended as Suzi motorhome needed some intensive (and expensive) engine care. Rob had taken us on a wonderful tour the day before, and suggested a visit to a museum to learn more of the South Taranaki story while we waited Continue reading →

Posted in Daily log | Tagged Hawera, Milton Whareaitu, Mt Taranaki, Nigel Ogle, South Taranaki, Taranaki, Tawhiti Museum, Turuturu Mokai Historic Reserve, Turuturumokai | 5 Comments

Up Closer – Mt Taranaki

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Ross

Way back last month we were staying in Hawera with friends and Rob was keen to show us some of the sights and scenes, including getting us closer to Mt Taranaki. Despite having been nearby many times I’d never had an opportunity to go walking anywhere near the mountain. So this was a wonderful offer. Continue reading →