First Roll

Some snaps from my weekend in New Zealand a few weeks ago, my first time using a manual SLR.

Packing Up

T and I have started packing in earnest for our departure from Australia in 4 weeks. I tend to keep things forever, so it has been quite cathartic and freeing to get rid of things that we don't want to store. Do you have regular clean-outs, or do you keep things forever like me?

As a reward for today's hard work, we are going to have Thai takeaway for dinner and watch Gran Torino.

Children's Books

T and I arrived back tonight from a wonderful long weekend with my family in New Zealand. While my camera is still (!) in Sydney being fixed, I took lots of photos using my Oktomat, and T's Minolta SLR from the 1960's inherited from his grandfather. It was my first time using the Minolta, so hopefully there will be some successes that I will be able to post later this week.

My niece Cara turned one in April, so as part of her present, T and I gave her a copy of one of our favourite childhood books: Where the Wild Things Are. While she is a bit young for it right now, she loves books so much already that I thought it would be a good one for her to grow into.

I'd also like to get Cara some Peter Gossage books as she gets older; they are a series of illustrated children's books about various Maori legends that I also loved as a child. The illustrations are gorgeous, lots of bright, bold colours:

Does anyone have any other recommendations for good children's books?

The Corner View - The Beach

Back to the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand, as I still have no word of my camera coming back from Sydney. This is Hot Water Beach, an amazing place where there are ribbons of hot thermal water running underneath the sand. You can dig a hole and make your own natural spa pool. I've never been anywhere in the world like it.

Check out these other great corner view bloggers:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage,trinsch, c.t.,jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana,denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e,janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa,britta, virgina, april, rebecca, b, kyndale, samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit,

goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, nicki, ruth, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda,

ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille