Taranaki: visual joy

On a fine day Mount Egmont dominates Taranaki roads. Today was a beautiful day so as I drove south from New Plymouth I had the constant company of Mt Egmont.  What surprised me was seeing snow covered Mount Ruapehu to the east.

Mount Egmont and Taranaki cows

Near Stratford: Mt Ruapehu in the distance

Taranaki is also known for its gardens and my trip took me past hegdes of flowering camelias and huge flowering magnolias, one of which was in a schoolyard. It was so lovely I stopped to take a photo.

Schoolyard Magnolia with Mt Egmont

In every town there seems to be an art gallery or museum and one that is really worth a visit is the gallery in Stratford. They currently have an exhibition of works from the bnz collection which is exceptional. So many inspiring works of art, including works by Dick Frizzel ( pictured in a previous post), Colin McCahon, Toss Woolaston and Ralph Hotere among others. Finding works such as these in a small gallery where one can view them close up and undisturbed is a real treat. Apparently they normally hang in the staff canteen and staff rooms, at the bnz headquarters.

New Zealand treats art as something to appreciate and look at, not to store in a vault as an investment Sydney style and as a result there is  a vibrant visual arts scene here. Just visit the little gallery in Turangi to be convinced - the work by local artists there is equal to anywhere.

Glenda of Tahakopa by Robin White

Turangi - fishing capital of the world

View over the southern Lake Taupo, Turangi just to the right

Fishing the Tongariro River at Turangi

Turangi is much warmer than further south but  standing in the middle of a river for hours on end as fisher folk do here must make you yearn for a cup of warm soup.

There must be plenty of fish though. Two Hawkes Bay residents at the Tongariro River told me they had caught twenty trout between them over the weekend.

The Turangi Art Gallery in the small outdoor mall is definitely worth a visit, so if you are reading this and on your way to Turangi, make sure to call in. It is a real pleasure to discover so much local artistic talent.

Gino's (Gallery and) Eiscafe in Rissen

Gino has served the most 'Italian' coffee in Rissen for as long as I can remember but only recently did I discover that he is also fond of art and has a professional gallery system in his cafe. Last week I hung some of my etchings and paintings at Gino's. The waitress Andrea (pic below), bright faced and twenty years old, tells me she works a 6 day week and is 'always at the cafe'. But it feels like a family and she seems to enjoy it. Gino is friendly and supportive and has a loyal clientele who drop in at all hours. There are now three artists with their work on Gino's walls so he could really change the name of the cafe to Gino's Gallery Cafe.