Boat_trip 012

Boat_trip 012
Originally uploaded by Cooky2

Thanks to Geonet NZ.

Photograph of the interior structure of a rhyolite dome, showing a radial pattern of cracks formed as the lava cooled. (Mason’s Rock on the north shore of Lake Taupo)

The main hazards of dome growth are tephra fall from explosive eruptions and avalanches of hot lava from the sides of the dome.

Volcanic gases and acid rain

Gases are the driving force of explosive eruptions. The main gases are water vapour and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of sulphur, hydrogen and other gases. These gases rarely pose a direct threat as they quickly mix with the air and are diluted as they blow downward. Some of the gases, such as sulphur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride mix with water droplets in the eruption plume to form acids which will attack skin, clothing and metals. Rain falling from an eruption plume may be very acidic and this acid rain will attack foliage and crops over a wide area, perhaps even greater than the fall of tephra. The acid rain may also contaminate water supplies. Acidic water is not a major health hazard, but the acid may leach lead from nailheads and flashing on roots and lead poisoning may result. There is the remote possibility that heavy gases (mostly carbon dioxide) emitted before or after an eruption will collect in low-lying areas or confined valleys and cause suffocation. Generally there is enough wind about the lake area to disperse any gas cloud that may form.

Random musings

Fresh'n'fruity yoghurt is absolutely yummy! I don't care what's in it, it is heaven in a pottle!

All cats are created beautiful, even the cunning, thieving one which surreptitiously comes into my home and steals my affection!

Sunny warm days are shared by everyone, even those who are not happy.

Cabernet Merlot tastes better with good company.

Sometimes lots of family are good at a distance.

A walk in the rain is good for the soul, but still wetting.

It's actually fun to sing to yourself.

Mornings aren't so bad, as long as it isn't too long till lunch.

Dreaming of a villa in Tuscany is alright, so long as you don't try to buy one.

Just when you wonder what is going to happen next, something does!

The world is full of successful people, so why aren't you one of them?

When you meet someone in the street, and they say "how are you?' Why don't you just tell them the truth and say, you are feeling really bad and the rellies are getting on your back and the cat threw up on the mat and you have a pain in the .......!

Watching a good movie with a friend is great, as long as the friend doesn't want to talk about something else all the way through it!

Well, I could go on, but hey, maybe next time ay?

Flags of our fathers

I think that is an appropriate title for this blog, because soon it will be Waitangi Day in New Zealand. A treaty was signed on the 6th February 1840, between the participating Maori tribes, or Iwi, and the Government of the day.
A chief called Hone Heke objected and twice cut down the flag at Waitangi. The flag being what we call the Union Jack.
Our flag now has the Union Jack plus the four stars which represent the Star system, the Southern Cross. It's a bit odd that in our National Anthem, there is a line that goes, Guard Pacific's Triple Star! What the? I don't think anyone knows the true answer to that, and yet we all sing along and place our arm across our breast in the patriotic fashion.
Is it time for a change? This question has been tossed around in the mouths of various governments and spat out so many times in the past few years. The Maori are the indigenous race in this country and yet are not represented on our present flag. (Another what the?) I am all for one nation, one flag, hence the included picture. With maybe a Union Jack somewhere in the corner?

There's gold in them thar hills!

Coromandel_2007 037
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

The last of the Thames goldmines was fully operational up until 1951. Now it is owned and operated as a tourism venture, where it produces a small amount of different quartzes and the out buildings serve as a museum and souvenir shop.
My intrepid friends went down into the actual mine on a guided tour, and looked the part in the obligatory hard hats. I personally am not too keen on holes in the ground, so I stayed outside and tried my hand at panning in the trough. No luck with that, but it was fun scooping the stuff up in the pan and sifting it through.
From the old photos in the museum/gallery, you can tell that it was a very hard life for the miners and their families in the 1860s when the goldfields first opened up. Nowadays thousands of people go through this very historic relic of New Zealand's past.

On the Peninsula

Coromandel 020
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

There is this beautiful piece of paradise just up past Coromandel called Papa Aroha. We stayed there at the campsite for two nights in the tiniest little cabin imaginable.
You'd have trouble getting a cat in the door, let alone swing it!
Lucky we only really had to sleep in it, which we did as we were so tired swimming in the sea and exploring along the beach and playing scrabble and dominos till all hours.
The weather was warm, the sea was lovely when you got in and the boogie board got well used. The beach was stoney though and all along, there were loads of scallop shells, having been cracked open by the gulls and relieved of the succulent morsels.
The drive up around the coastline is spectacular to say the least and as we left there and meandered our way back down, promises were made to return sometime in the future...........