There was a meteor shower last night and New Zealand was in prime spot to observe it. Comet 46P / Wirtanen had gone too close to Jupiter in 1972 and the debris from that event was hitting Earth last night - having taken 51 years to get here! It had been a windy and cloudy day, but the skies had opened enough at night for me to 'generally' see the sky in the central North … [Read more...] about Meteor Shower (Comet 46P / Wirtanen)
Waikato
Hydroplane Boats at Lake Maraetai
I caught wind that there was going to be a boat regatta on at Lake Maraetai over the weekend - and I was in the neighbourhood. Not only that, but there were going to be hydroplane boats there too! If you've never seen them before (like me), think 'top fuel dragster'. These things are fast, very fast - and very LOUD! … [Read more...] about Hydroplane Boats at Lake Maraetai
Astrophotography at Atiamuri
On a cold night in April I went out to capture a bit of Astrophotography. First time in ages that there was no clouds or moon to ruin things. It was the coldest night of the year so far and the car reckoned it was 1 deg C at times, but it was well worth it. As the fog rolled in from the nearby Waikato River, I captured the centre of the Milky Way near Atiamuri in the Central … [Read more...] about Astrophotography at Atiamuri
Mountain fun
Well, I was in the neighbourhood, a 100km North and decided to scoot down to the mountains in the central North Island of New Zealand. I was hoping and made it in time for the sunrise, but the mountain tops were covered in cloud - so that was a bit of a write off!Nonetheless, the cloud burnt of within 45 minutes of the sun rising and the temperatures warmed up nicely from 3 … [Read more...] about Mountain fun
In the Mirror – Mt Ngauruhoe
Looking in the car mirror this time is Mt Ngauruhoe, captured early in the morning as the clouds were burning off. Mt Ngauruhoe n the mirror … [Read more...] about In the Mirror – Mt Ngauruhoe