Rosalind James

The little train you take from Auckland to Wellington (if you have 12 hours and want to see some beautiful countryside). You stand on that little platform while the train goes 60 mph, and watch the sheep running away as the train goes by. (Fun to see all the babies during lambing season.)

Wellington Botanic Garden. I love this picture (taken by my husband).

Greg the takahe just died a month or two ago. This is a giant, flightless parrot-type thing. Think turkey size. Very funny. Highly endangered, but you can see them at Tiritiri Matangi--island sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf, outside Auckland.

Beach near Piha (west of Auckland). Went for a hike and it was hot. Decided I wanted to get in the water so I did (naked but there was nobody there except my husband and a good friend). So what happened when we got to about this point? Met one of my husband's colleagues, his wife, their two kids, and their dog. Moral of the story: NZ is a SMALL country. Don't take off your clothes unless you are willing to show your naked self to your husband's workmate! (Luckily I was dressed by…

One Tree Hill is in the middle of Auckland, which has over a million people. But there are still sheep on it! And cows!

Meat pies. A friend was visiting, and asked, "Is there a national cuisine here?" Uhhh . . . meat pies? (Note: they ARE making some very good food in NZ these days. On the other hand, meat pies ARE tasty!)

View from my first apartment, next to the Ferry Building in Auckland. Cruise ship coming in. A friend had an apartment that he didn't realize was on the cruise ship wharf. He woke up one morning and opened the curtain to find an elderly couple sitting on their balcony a few meters away, staring back at him. Surprise!

Cheltenham Beach from North Head, Devonport. This was "my" beach while I lived in Devonport, half a block from my house. Sigh.... The tree in forefront with red flowers is Pohutukawa, New Zealand Christmas Tree. Blooms right around Christmas, bright red. Beautiful.

Rope swings all over the place. (Because you can't sue!) This is on Mt. Victoria, in Devonport.

Boys playing cricket on the grounds near where we lived in Devonport. I still don't understand cricket--at ALL, even after 2+ years in Australia and NZ. The only sport I've ever seen where they tell you the score, and you still don't have any idea who is ahead. Oh, and it lasts even longer than baseball! They break for lunch. And tea.

My husband Rick and me, after we'd spent an hour getting lost in Waipu Caves. We got turned around in the dark! It was a bit scary for a few minutes, but Rick figured it out. Notice how much cleaner he stayed than I did.

The Sea Scout Hall in Devonport--site of my Yoga by the Sea power yoga classes. Yoga with the waves lapping against the piers (or the rain and wind beating on the roof)--very cool!

Wellington, NZ's capital, in late October (spring). Taken from the Botanic Garden. It's such a beautiful city, built around Wellington Harbour, but famously windy--the reason the rugby team is called the Hurricanes.

Waitemata Harbour. I love this New Zealand sky.

This was the first actual garment I made. And it fit! I gave it to my mother, though. (Because it fit her too.)

My first foster Labrador, in his new home in Canada, healthy, alert, and happy. When I got him, he had been crated 24 hours a day for years, but was still loving and affectionate. It took him a couple months to come fully out of his shell, but what a worthwhile effort it was.