Kapiti Coast northwards and west to..........

From Wellington I drove up the west coast, taking a look at Kapiti Island from a distance. It has been a protected reserve for over a century with many species of rare and otherwise extinct birds flourishing there. It is possible to visit the island, but with special permits needing to be booked at least a day in advance - and up to two months in summer - it's something that needs careful planning and a free day! Maybe next time!




The beaches along the Kapiti coast are beautiful.

So are the flowers!

I played around with this photo, making the background sepia and keeping the flower colour. What do you think? I think I still prefer the original!

Eventually I arrived in Palmerston North town centre in the dark.

In daylight next day I had a wander round the square



and looked at the different architectural styles

before heading out of town to the west and.......

.....TARANAKI!!!!! You'll have to click this one to see what I am talking about! In the distance is NZ's answer to Fujiyama, Mount Egmont, to give it its European name. Now it has reverted to its Maori name of Taranaki, which is also the name of the surrounding district. Next time I'll show you more pics of Taranaki that I took as I drove round it.

Talk again soon.