Friday 18 May 2012

The Heart Trail...

"TE ARA MANAWA" 'The Heart Trail'...

 
In the thick native green, there are steps in a hill side, fashioned
in earnest from heavy orange clay and fallen punga. Mist accosts the valley below
the steps; shielding the small homestead from view. 



It’s only as you push past the
umpteenth clump of manuka that you see smoke rolling from the chimney of a
structure that is in fact less a house and more a truck. With wheels long gone and
many extensions it’s not clearly a truck. 
Over time though you come to know the
stealthy camouflage these once mobile relics choose. Native timber, board and
batten ply, corrugated iron and old flooring. Mismatched windows, stain glass
adorned. Scavenged, salvaged and gifted. All bought together to welcome a new
member to the family. A room with a view- every time.

When you step inside, back in time, the smell has base notes that don’t change from
house to truck, bus to shed. Burning manuka, linseed oil, bees wax, tobacco, dough
rising, bread cooking. 

 








Wander a little further west and the ocean greets you with the power of tangaroa. 

It’s bounty evident, Kia Moana present at every hui. Don’t think for a minute your harvest
will come easy. This coast is fierce at time merciless. My beaches and river mouths
have snatched more fathers and sons than I dare to recall.

Regardless of where I wander, bush or beach mountains or the coast it is best
summed up for me as The heart trail (Te ara Manawa).

 by Chloe Boyd




It can be a wondrous thing to lose yourself in the green of the bush. It contains a whole lot of new sights, smell and experience.


 


For some it is coming home...












for others it is like a wonder of the earth being seen for the first time....






for me, it is easy to be blind to the possibilities the bush represents and also easy to be blinded by the enormity of it when surrounded by it.  

But, all I needed was an excuse...

an extension of a birthday and the offer of two types of cake was enough for me.

So, off we went to Snail's place in the bush. The house you see has been part of the geographical landscape for a long time and still holds its charm  for Snail aka Allan Gale - artist & a hidden gem of the Hokianga.


As you walk into his domain you are introduced to smatterings of his work...wood sculptures greet you, point your way...






The house emerges and new sights absorb you...









 before you know it the heart trail calls you...'come, explore'





 





the boys at the end of the trail...
 
the old shed







at the end of the trail is an old building...

a wood shed.

It stores the pieces not yet realised,
 for the creations of Allan Gale, this is his treasure trove....

Many a kauri block waiting to be transformed.

Who knows what they will become...

carving, prints or other representations of life..

I just know it will be good...

a pleasure to have been there to see where it all starts.





So when you return to your own domain, you have a deeper understanding, appreciation of a way of life. I am in awe...
He makes these, by hand, with wood collected from the bush...sounds so simple doesn't it...


This is a life so far removed from some, yet I hope this little exploration has brought you a step closer to the grass roots.... of life in the bush. 

Inspiration & creation, well camouflaged in the west coast of New Zealand.

"TE ARA MANAWA" 'The Heart Trail'...

Kauri wood block prints by Allan Gale:



wood block print of Tane Mahuta by Allan Galewood block print of a fantail by Allan Galewood block print East Wind, Pakanae by Allan Gale


wood block print of pukeko by Allan Gale

Wood block print of Hokianga Nikau by Allan Gale 






wood block print of miti miti beach by Allan Gale


Tuesday 1 May 2012

29 you are mine...

I don't want to make this a long ramble about the futility of your years passing by...instead let's just acknowledge that when you put your mind to it - some good times are still to be had, even if it has just been your birthday and you are a year closer to 30.

Morning seranade...




A lovely quiet morning...little birds frolick in the trees





A trip to the beach, dipping of toes, so discard those pearly white shoes...
Small remnants of beach life reveal themselves



Relish your time, that is what it is a reminder of...



and make sure you click refresh on your viewpoint. See things from a different angle.



There is still so much beauty out there for us all.

It all must resonate with something I have read recently in a book about childhood and growing up: "its not what you see that matters the most, but what you think you see"


So I am happy to carry on seeing what I want to see, especially if it makes me this happy!



Sunday 8 April 2012

By the trail of the moon...

happy easter time, but i want to share, not a chocolate egg, but a different kind of feast with you.
one for your eyes....



The moon was at it's fullest on Saturday, lighting up the night sky.

Maybe it was because of this and some innate animal instinct that made me say - "Hey Gilly, lets go for a drive & have an adventure"

I would like to say it was a quiet night but no...in the evening wind drifted the energetic voices & stomps of the kapa haka (kapa meaning 'group and haka refers to a Māori dance) from the local high school...

We have a good vantage point and it feels electric up the hill. I knew it! It was worth venturing out!



Eager for exploring, with me in tow, we head to the Omapere pier...Gilly says it can be good fishing by the trail of the moon.

The pier is empty...calm reigns!





Rod in the water, there are a few bites, but in the dark its hard to see whats really going on....fishing on the edge...




Even at this time of the day there is one thing your eye is drawn to...you can't escape from it in the Hokianga.


The dunes seem to just glow in the moonlight...but we have to keep going. Our appetite for night adventures still not sated.

Another pier with a jetty, this time we are not alone, but that only adds to the warmth in the glow of the street lights.



Its busy on the roads, cars keep cruising by, a flood of beams hit me & I feel like a cat burglar who's been caught in the act...


























The waves roll on in displaying subtle shades of night. A never ending mexican wave. A call to action, but finally we concede to the night.




It's time to go home.

Thursday 5 April 2012

capturing those special moments...mr & mrs davis

I feel lucky...




Lucky to have witnessed these moments.

All those people who have opened their lives and encouraged me to step inside (with my camera)....thank you so much...

The happy moments are truly humbling.

Alice and Boyd are a lovely couple who asked me to take a few shots of their special day.



Made all the more special because of their life long friends who happened to be visiting from overseas...
So after 15 years together having met in high school they decided to throw a wedding in 2 weeks.

A wedding planners nightmare right, well not for them,their friends and family who all came on board to help out...




and precisely from that emerged an atmoshphere  so relaxed and together you couldn't help but feel part of the family.




the lovely groom - Boyd
the beaming bride - Alice

























With no doubt in my mind, may the happy moments just continue on, always.

This is my tribute to both of you & Hane! xxx


















x x x csilla