Brandonio17's Photobucket Hawkes Bay NYE 2008 album media

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:53:07 MST

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Southern Hawke's Bay with Napier in the distance. Was neat to watch it light up slowly at sunset

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:52:21 MST

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Looking north along Hawke's Bay, Mahia stretches out in the distance to the right

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:51:42 MST

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Monica, Sarah and Simon as we begin the countdown to 2009 (a few hours early, but hey)

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:50:37 MST

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Monica, Sarah, Simon and I on the beach just beyond our campsite to the north of Napier on Hawke's Bay

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:49:55 MST

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The campsite at Bay View Snapper Park!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:48:35 MST

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A neat succulent plant I purchased, like one I had first seen at Larnach Castle in Dunedin. That's the tent I stayed in, kindly set up by Sarah and Simon and Monica

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:47:26 MST

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:46:29 MST

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Havelock North sprawls below us as we ascend towards Te Mata Peak

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:45:37 MST

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The ridge leading up to Te Mata Peak out of shot to the right

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:44:50 MST

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Took this shot in case we became lost later on

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:43:27 MST

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Reminded me of that tree the hobbits hid under to avoid the Ringwraith, although for the actual tree in the film I need look no further than Wellington's own Mt. Vic!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:42:01 MST

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Redwoods in New Zealand!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:40:25 MST

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Simon contemplates the majesty of the redwood

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:39:13 MST

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Tried to get all of the redwoods' height in one shot - yeah, right!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:37:40 MST

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In amongst the redwoods, the sunlight filtering down through the trees gave this shot an aptly mystical look

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:36:24 MST

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:34:41 MST

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Cabbage trees front and center, just after emerging from the Redwood Grove

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:33:32 MST

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Thistles

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:32:19 MST

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View up a ravine to the left of Te Mata Peak, showing some cabbage trees in the left foreground

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:31:25 MST

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Some weeping willow trees in a nearby ravine

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:30:48 MST

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:29:55 MST

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Man Amidst Nature - dwarfed by it!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:28:53 MST

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Man Amidst Nature, 2.0 - not as effective

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:27:49 MST

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Click to zoom in on the sheep in the center with a bird resting on its back

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:26:15 MST

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Neighbouring ridge to Te Mata Peak, which is out of shot to the left

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:25:09 MST

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Look closely and you can see two seashells embedded in the ground, proof that this entire ridge (and indeed, much of the area) was raised up by recent tectonic shifting (earthquakes!)

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:23:41 MST

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View looking back down the trail just before reaching Te Mata Peak. Was hard to stop looking!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:22:42 MST

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Right at the end of the trail leading to Te Mata Peak, looking back down it (goes down and off to the right)

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:21:45 MST

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Although it is possible to drive to Te Mata's peak, it is not advisable as this encourages sloth and the waste of a bloody good day outdoors

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:21:00 MST

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Due north of Te Mata Peak, Napier and Hawke's Bay in the distance there

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:20:21 MST

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Looking northeast out over Hawke's Bay proper, from Te Mata Peak

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:19:41 MST

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View to the southeast of Te Mata Peak, in the general direction of Cape Kidnappers, our next destination

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:18:53 MST

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Si and I just after reaching Te Mata Peak. Note how winded I look and how it looks like Si is just waking up.

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:18:07 MST

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Nice tile map of the area surrounding Te Mata Peak; note 'Wallingford' to the due south!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:17:16 MST

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Step into nothing... hang-glider's launch pad from the top of Te Mata. Paging Uncle Barry!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:16:21 MST

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View over Havelock North in the foreground and Hastings in the distance, from Te Mata Peak

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:15:36 MST

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Can't see the final promontory whereupon the gannetts nest from here, but this is the beginning of the tramp to it

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:14:54 MST

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View up the steep cliffs along Cape Kidnappers

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:13:54 MST

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The very beginning of the tramp along Cape Kidnappers to see the gannett colony (5 hour return)

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:12:59 MST

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A tree nearing the end of its days perched atop this cliff

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:12:02 MST

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First gannetts to be seen up close, nesting on this small rock

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:11:10 MST

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Gannett adult feeding its baby atop a small rock

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:10:28 MST

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Approaching the first lot of gannetts, still about 3km from the main colony

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:09:35 MST

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Look closer - many gannetts in flight above the cliffs!

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:08:47 MST

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Larger rock with more gannetts

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:07:57 MST

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Adult gannett nursing an infant in its nest

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:06:21 MST

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View of the ridge, the gannetts' main colony is at the very top right in this picture

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:05:41 MST

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Looking out to sea, east of the colony

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:04:52 MST

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Gannetts galore! This is their main colony at the end of the Cape Kidnappers tramp

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Brandonio17 — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:04:01 MST

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Walking back from the gannett colony