Old Plane

An old plane being repaired and refurbished at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), Auckland, New Zealand.

If only it could tell us stories of where it has been, who it has carried and what it has seen.

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Silvereye (4) - Feeding Time

A mother Silvereye feeds her young chicks.

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Silvereye (3) - Huddle

Three Silvereye chicks huddle together while waiting for their mummy to come back with food.

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Silvereye (2) - I'm Going To Fly

A Silvereye chick accidentally flew into our house and couldn't find its way out. My wife carefully caught it (while wearing gloves) and took it outside.

This is the last close-up photo of it before it flew back into the trees to join its family.

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Silvereye (1) - Snug and Warm

A Silvereye chick accidentally flew into our house and couldn't find its way out. My wife carefully caught it (while wearing gloves) and took it outside.

It eventually gathered its strength and courage and flew back into the trees to join its family.

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Waiheke Island Ferry

A Waiheke Island Ferry docks at Half Moon Bay in Auckland.

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Musick Memorial Radio Station

The Musick Memorial Radio Station is an impressive building in the Modern style, which was opened in 1942 to communicate with ships and aircraft.

The station was the headquarters of the maritime coast station Auckland Radio ZLD, and of aviation radio ZLF.

ZLD and ZLF were initially operated by the New Zealand Post Office before the aviation radio service was taken over by the Civil Aviation Corporation, which moved it to Auckland Airport at Mangere. Later, ownership of Auckland Radio changed to Telecom NZ Ltd, and Telecom still uses the building for cellular services.

Following the closure of all New Zealand coast radio stations in 1993, the equipment of Auckland Radio ZLD, including most of the Oliver Road transmitters, was acquired by the non-profit Musick Point Radio Group.

The Group, which includes several former Musick Point operators and technicians, has a long-term lease on the building, and has reactivated the station on the amateur (ham) radio bands using some of the former ZLD transmitters along with a range of modern equipment.

One of MPRG's major projects is keeping the traditional marine radiotelegraphy frequency of 512 kHz alive, and it has a special licence to operate on this frequency which is outside the normal amateur radio bands. In recognition of the station's historical importance, the Group has been issued the amateur radio callsigns ZL1ZLD and ZL1ZLF. The Group maintains a radio museum in the building and operates a low-power FM broadcast station with recorded information about Musick Point.

512 kHz was an original ZLD frequency, and was used by ZL1ZLD, the amateur radio station at Musick Point, until mid 2013 when amateurs were allocated a new 630 metre band (427-479 kHz).

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Steps to Water

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Rowboats

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Spirit of New Zealand

Spirit of New Zealand featured at the Auckland Tall Ships Festival 2013.

The three-masted barquentine Spirit of New Zealand was commissioned in 1986, and undertakes an annual programme of around 340 days at sea.

She is believed to be probably the world's busiest youth ship. Subject to stringent, on-going maintenance surveys, refits and audits, Spirit of New Zealand is expected to be able to continue operating youth voyages until around 2035.

Source: www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/wawcs0142305/the-ships.html

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Cool Chilli

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Lord Nelson

Lord Nelson featured at the Auckland Tall Ships Festival 2013.

Lord Nelson is the first tall ship in the world to have been designed and built to be sailed by people of all physical abilities on equal terms – from able-bodied to wheelchair-users.

Her many special facilities enable disabled crewmembers to take an active part in the running of the ship. They include, wide decks for wheelchair users, a speaking compass to enable blind people to helm the ship, power assisted hydraulic steering for those with limited strength and much more.

Source: www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/wawcs0142305/the-ships.html

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Young Endeavour

Young Endeavour featured at the Auckland Tall Ships Festival 2013.

Construction began in May 1986 in Lowestoft, England and on 3 August 1987 she began the long voyage to Australia with a crew including 24 young people. The magnificent sail training ship was given to the people of Australia by the United Kingdom as a Bicentennial gift back in 1988.

Source: www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/wawcs0142305/the-ships.html

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Kayak

A lone kayaker wandering around the waters off the Auckland harbour.

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Queen Street, Auckland

Looking down Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Britomart Train Station

The interior of Britomart Train Station, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Copthorne Auckland

A wide-angled view of the Copthorne Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand.

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Windswept

Windswept grass at Te Henga (Bethells Beach), New Zealand.

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Te Henga (Bethells Beach)

A view of Te Henga (Bethells Beach) located in the north of the North Island, New Zealand.

Large sand dunes have accumulated in several phases over the last 4,500 years. This accumulation has occurred since sea levels returned to about their present levels following the last glaciation 6,500 years ago. These sands contain quantities of black titanomagnetite derived from the volcanic rocks of Taranaki and carried north by coastal currents. The dunes continually move in a dynamic coastal process.

The beach has been used as a filming location for several projects, including the music video for Shania Twain's 2003 single "Forever and for Always", the British/New Zealand TV movie The Man Who Lost His Head, and episodes of the U.S. TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. The New Disney Channel Original movie Avalon High was also filmed here during the battle scenes.

Source: Wikipedia

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Bethells Beach

Pet doggie roams the warms sands at Te Henga (Bethells Beach), New Zealand.

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Pukematekeo Lookout

At the top of Pukematekeo Lookout, Waitakere, New Zealand.

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Moon Over Glen Eden

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My Tree, My Scratching Post

Kiki's having a go at one of her favourite scratching posts.

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She's Like The Wind

Kiki runs to me when called. She loves sprinting across the grass (and up the trees).

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Giant Gollum

A giant sculpture of Gollum greets visitors to the Wellington International Airport, New Zealand.

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The Visitor

A friendly neighbourhood feline patrol officer came to visit.

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The Snow Princess

Kiki puts on a regal (haughty?) pose for the camera.

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Dense

Apartments in middle of Auckland city, New Zealand.

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Sky Tower

The Auckland Sky Tower, New Zealand.

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Building 84

Building 84 in Auckland, New Zealand

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