New Zealand’s natural landscape is one of the most beautiful in the world.  Much of it is untouched by human hand.  I’m lucky enough to live in a rural area but it still connected by the essentials of modern living.

This pictures layers them all – residential road, trees, forestry and mountain.  And the lines that carry the power to people.   But it was the lone tree that caught my eye in this picture.  It’s squat square shape almost like it had been cut that way.

Closer to the ground there is as much going on.  Here’s some caterpillars having a right ol’ munch – luckily this is safe away from my potager up in the forestry where we walk.

Here’s a creepy crawly I didn’t want to get any closer to.  Even though there are no poisonous spiders here in New Zealand I didn’t want to check out whether this had hopped over from Australia.

After multiple caterpillars it was only right and proper that I should see the bees working together as a team.

Not to be outdone I found a pair of pine cones that had opened to spread their seeds.

And finally another landscape.  This shows a particularly tough up hill path.  You walk for an hour up and it takes you onto Goat Rock which is the mountain to the right out of view.  This is a walk I’ve done a couple of times and it’s not one for bassets it would take for ever for their little legs to drag them uphill.  I’m waiting for the day when we get our quad bike and can load the hounds and head for the hills.

It’s time to restock the photolibrary of our local nature.  I’ve got some more shots of things around the garden though that I’ll dig out and post soon.  That’s after I’ve signed up for my digital photography course.  I am so looking forward to using all the buttons and knobs on my camera correctly.

But hey, here’s something I’m chuffed about.  One of my pictures was picked (admittedly randomly if you read the accompanying post) on the I Heart Faces blog.

Can you spot George?

I entered him in this week’s pet’s photography contest.  Even if we don’t win I’m chuffed to see he’s been showcased in the collage of pictures.  I think he looks handsome and colourful against the other pets.  Although they are beautiful in their own way, they don’t quite pack the punch colour punch george does.  Ok, I’m biased I know……