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Olives and figs This years crop of figs and olives look good! #garden #produce #olives #figs #Hōkio #Horowhenua #Aotearoa
Finished reading: Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo 📚
Wow. That was a ride and a half!
Last night in Carbrook, Queensland. A most delightful and relaxing week. #Family #Holiday #Relax #Recharge #Brisbane #QLD
Delightful dinner with Louise, Dave and Aiden at Victoria Point, Queensland. #Family #Dinner #Brisbane #QLD
Finished reading: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo 📚
Well crafted tale of magic, privilege, colleges, and the dead. Looking forward to the sequel.
Finished reading: The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan 📚
This one was fast and furious, gripping and gory. Excellent grimdark fantasy. Can’t wait for the sequel. #BookReview #Fantasy #Grimdark
Finished reading: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka 📚
A marvel. #mīharo
Happy New Year! Had a fabulous evening partying with a wonderful and eclectic group of people. Such fun :)
Here are some more of the books I finished reading in 2022:
{{< bookgoals 2022 >}}
Finished reading: Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis by Annie Proulx 📚
A troubling but gloriously well written call to action to save or rehabilitate or fens, bogs and swamps.
Meri Kirihimete à tous le monde!
Sending good wishes to you all; may you have a wonderful day :) #MeriKirihimete #AtaMārie #JoyeuxNoël
The grandkids brought their chickens with them on holiday. We even set them up with their own ‘batch’ under the olive trees for shade. They enjoy their supervised outings around the garden as well! 📷 🐓🪴 #garden #chickens #holiday #batch #Hōkio #HōkioBeach
Started reading: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr 📚
I was gifted this last Xmas - and didn’t get around to reading it. It has stayed at our beach house all year, and now we are back and it seems like a good time to start. 😜
Today I drove on the new Ōtaki Expressway from Pēka Pēka bypassing Ōtaki township for the first time. It was a great road to drive on, and despite it being only two days until Christmas there was barely any traffic. There was a very short slowdown as traffic merged back into the single lane highway beyond Ōtaki.
There has been a lot of debate about the expressways being built north of Pōneke (Wellington). I wish that these had been matched by similar investment in rail. But these roads are replacing very unsafe single lane highways, and provide resilience through a second road north out of Wellington.
Ōtaki township can now become its own centre, rather constantly jammed with state highway traffic.
The final stage of the expressways will take the modern road past Levin, where two state highways head off in different directions.
I strongly support upgrading rail between Pōneke and Palmerston North. But these expressways are also critical.
Here are some photos from traffic cameras on the new road today: