Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have had some exciting adventures over the break!
We planned to explore the Rainbow Station over the New Year with Rosa - 6 and Hazel - 4, tenting and checking out the hidden valleys and figuring how much we could carry and for how long. Unfortunately I injured my lower back (suspected herniated disc) two days before we were to leave. After day lying on the floor stretching and two days of ice and some excersies given by the neighbourhood physio, and the sun shining we headed up to the station. We arrived late the first evening, had dinner at the truck with the sandflies then walked in through swamp, river and armpit high grass with scary holes (child's perspective, it was pretty mellow) and made camp in the river valley.
We woke to a chilly morning on the second day, with Rosa freezing in a dress she had snuck in with a fluffy lamb (fashion first at age 6???). It warmed up and we battled the heat and explored the vast valley floor, wandering through a mix of wildflowers, green pastures and burbling creeks. The back was feeling a bit average towards the end of the day, so after the kids had had a siesta in the tent we back-tracked to a lovely wee campsite, where the kids played on a mini scree slope while we made dinner.
The third day the back was pretty bad, so Shane ended up carrying both tents out while I hobbled out on Grandmas walking sticks. Took a few days to be able to walk straight again and now focusing on recovering for more summer adventures. The kids loved the camping, the walking not so much. The flowers were lovely, like spring up there or the Colorado mountains in summer. Also many possums had been killed by the recent baiting effort which was great to see. We saw an average of 3 carcasses on each successful bait station.
Again the team at Potton & Burton have put together a unique selection of NZ art for the 2025 Landscape in Contemporary New Zealand Art Calendar. The calendar features 12 vibrant contemporary images of the New Zealand landscape by artists Diana Adams, Hamish Allan, Caroline Bellamy, Michelle Bellamy. I have three artworks featured in...
I have been hibernating in the studio and putting many hours into the Lake Alexandrina painting. As it is a fairly large scale painting this has meant there is room for lots and lots of detail, more so than I imagined. This painting has had some fun aspects, and the contrast of subject matter has kept it interesting. From the smooth water, with the transparency...
I’m excited to let you all know that you have a chance to get your hands on one my back country art prints while subscribing to one of the most informative and interesting outdoor magazines in New Zealand. For the month of July if you join Wilderness magazine you’ll be in the draw to win one of four backcountry art prints...