Black Swans & Serenades

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September 26 – After breakfast and a chat with our great B&B host, Vivian, we headed off for a hike.

But first we had to drive around a bit. (David does like to drive these twisty roads in our brand new zippy car!) Eventually, we found the Okareka Walkway, a trail that went along a lake. It was a cool, windy day (even the birds didn’t look pleased) so we battened down the hatches and started off. Other than one other couple, we were quite alone until our way back when we met one lone man from England. David, who was further up the path, met Jeffery first. When I caught up, Jeffery broke into song, “It’s good to see you today! it’s good to see you today!" I thought he would stop after this, but no, he sang a complete little jingle all the while swaying and waving his hands to the rhythm. It was impossible not to smile as this rather eccentric older man, who was missing almost every other tooth, serenaded us while the Black Swans eyed him curiously. The day suddenly seemed a little warmer.





On this last evening in Rotorua, we dined at the Pig and Whistle, one of the local pubs. I love the pubs and wish they had them in Canada. Everyone is welcome, the service is friendly, the food is great, and there’s always a new beer to taste (for David).

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Photos

Canada Geese
Flocks of these everywhere -- invasive species!

Comments

[Arya Boustani]

Great Cloud Shot
It looks so amazing. Was it an ultra wide angle or it's just the way clouds were? The rest of the shot doesn't look ultra wide.

[Two of Us]

Cloud Capture
Hi Arya this was with a 10-22mm lens on a 1.6 crop EOS M body. (16-35mm effective.) This image was taken at 10mm wide so it is pretty wide, which does enhance the clouds that are most of the shot. Since there is not much on the ground to scale against, that may make the ground portion seem ok and not wide. Also pointing the camera up enhances the perspective distortion in the sky. Hope that answers your question...