This is my last post to the New Zealand BLOG. I might go to New Plymouth and Kapiti Island if the fates allow but that will likely be after my access to uploading to the BLOG is gone. So after July 2nd please contact me back in Canada at:

kathy.lea@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca

Thanks for your interest in my NZ BLOG. It has been great sharing my adventures with you! Come to paradise, NZ, and see all it has to offer for yourself...don't take my word for it.

Palmerston North City Library

Palmerston North City Library

Palmerston North City Library

Palmerston North City Library

Palmerston North City Library

Wanganui Orchid Show - Oncidium and Zytopetalum - Lovely Scented orchids - In the Zygopetalum family the best smellers are

'Titanic', 'Artur Elle', and 'River Murray'. The last two I can attest to their fantastic smell. The flowers are larger on this variety of good smelling orchids.

The oncidium family have these great smellers: 'Sweet Fragrance', 'Fragrance Fantasy', and 'Lanceanum'. The smell with the oncidium was the best but the flowers were small...more like a spray of flowers. This is what you have to do to get blooming orchids: have a room with a drop in temperature daily, sit the pot on a bed of pebbles that have water around them but the pot must not be in touch with the water, for the oncidiums have a small fan blowing on them, give them lots of early morning and late afternoon sun but no direct sunlight, mist them every day, follow a strict feeding and starving regime, and support the flowers if you are lucky enough to progress to that stage with a proper orchid stake and clips.

Foxton Beach - lovely sand dunes, wonderful sea shells and lovely peace and tranquility

Kapiti Island from a distance at Foxton Beach.

There is a daily charter ferry service to Kapiti Island from Paraparaumu beach.Kapiti Island Nature Reserve is just five kilometres from the mainland with unique flora and fauna. En route to Kapiti Island you pass through the Kapiti Marine Reserve and if lucky you may see whales, dolphins and rare birds [gannets, penguins, terns and shearwaters].

Foxton - deMolen working 17th century replica windmill for milling a variety of products.
Images from a cafe in Foxton with a great garden and situated in a renovated but old house. I liked the Burmese cat called Tai Chi.

Wanganui River - Waimarie Steamboat - River Sites - Old Houses along the river bank

Wanganui River - Waimarie Steamboat