Day 70 - Feijoas

I'd never heard of this strange green fruit in the UK, but over here it's hard to escape their distinct aroma. While I'm yet to adapt fully to their unique flavour in raw form, I have been known to enjoy the odd feijoa cake or cider from time to time...

Day 69 - The drawing in of autumn

After what feels like the longest summer in history, autumn has finally arrived with two days of non-stop rain, wind and falling leaves. It's not such a distinctive season over here - you almost don't notice it creeping up on you - when when such a verdant green landscape does start to turn crisper and yellower it can be a sight to behold.

Day 68 - Tree roots

 

I've always been struck by the way the roots of certain types of New Zealand tree seem to stretch out wildly like the squirming tentacles of a squid or jellyfish. And there's something almost volcanic about this one in Cornwall Park, its roots spilling outwards like a lava flow down the side of a mountain.

Day 67 - Garden centre cafes

I can't claim to be an avid gardener or be any sort of expert of horticulture, but I do enjoy the odd trip to a garden centre over here, not least because most of them have bloody good cafes with cabinets stacked full of cake-y delights. Which are only acceptable if I burn off the calories afterwards with a spot of weeding...

Day 66 - Views across city rooftops

There are some great views across the rooftops of Auckland's CBD, many of them restricted to private apartments and offices. This one from a flat in St Mary's Bay particularly struck me as it suggested a city much more built up and industrial than it often feels on the ground.

Day 65 - The map of New Zealand

I love maps. Maps are great. Particularly those of foreign countries you're exploring for the first time. The New Zealand map is especially fascinating, with so many odd bumps and nooks and peninsulars up and down its spindly length. Looking at this map pinned up on our lounge wall, it reminds me how much of the country I'm still to explore.

Day 64 - Only occasional traffic jams

Motorway traffic jams were a way of life back home in the UK. In Auckland, though the arterial routes in and out of the city do get a big clogged up at rush hour times, it's very rare for your car to come to a complete standstill. So tonight, when it did happen, I felt grateful that that horrible sense of behind-the-wheel powerlessness is no longer a daily occurrence.