watery wednesday: Jet ski at Pt Chevalier beach

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

The weather is warming up, people come to the beach. It is still too cold to swim but these guys on their jet skis are having a blast.


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Watery Wednesday: Container ship runs aground

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Ships are good provided they don't run aground.

There are renewed fears the stern of the Rena will break away and sink.

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) has revealed there are cracks in the hull and a ONE News chopper also sighted the cracks today.

The aerial footage showed a large one on the starboard side.


Related
12:36 More oil reaches BOP coast (2:48)
12:38 Ships warned after containers tumble ()
07:59 Containers fall from Rena (4:45)

MNZ says the Rena's bow is still stuck fast on rocks, but the stern is being swung about by huge swells, stressing the ship's structure.

Maritime New Zealand advisor Captain John Walker, who was one of the last people evacuated off the vessel last night, said there is a fold on the port side and the cracks on the vessel "are getting worse".

The intention is to try to hold the ship on the reef as it will not float if it splits, he said.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/massive-cracks-rena-renew-sinking-fears-4460592

watery wednesday, sky watch Friday: Pt Chevalier

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/



http://skyley.blogspot.com/

I am combining these two memes, I had no access to the internet for a week.

We are lucky in Auckland, we are an isthmus and we have just moved to a promontory. I am 5 minutes walk to the beach.

watery wed:In the mountains of Papua New Guinea

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The husband went on a work assignment. He was lucky, he went on a small plane and lots of helicopter rides.

Watery Wednesday/Thursday Theme Song: Mystery Train

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http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/
http://thursdaythemesong.blogspot.com/




Train I ride is sixteen coaches long
Train I ride is sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train take my baby and gone

Mystery train rolling down the track
Mystery train rolling down the track
Well, it took my baby, feel they won't be coming back

Train, train, rolling round the bend
Train, train, rolling round the bend
Well, it took my baby, feel they won't be back again

Train I ride is sixteen coaches long
Train I ride is sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train take my baby and gone

http://youtu.be/Q_eE0NPArEY

Last Wednesday, The ESOL teachers and helpers of Mt Albert Baptist School went for a train ride. We are a generation who would appreciate Elvis songs. It was raining, It was pouring the whole day.

watery wednesday, Thursday them song: Ferry

When I was in primary school, Dad used to drive us up to Durin where my maternal grandparents and many relatives lived. One day, we were excited, we camped over night at Grandpa's place so that we could get on to the ferry the first day it sailed across the river to the other side of the river. We were awed by a boat that could take so many cars. Best of all, it was free.

Alas, over the years, people were impatient about the slowness of the ferry. They asked for a bridge which took many years to build. In fact it took so long that it was still under construction when I had left the country for many years.

Today, the ferry is no more, gone is the giant boat of my child hood memories. My grandparents have gone to their homes in the skies, so have my parents, I have yet to drive over the bridge that replaced the ferry that gave me such joy and pride.





http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/




http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Ferry Cross The Mersey - Liverpool Songs

http://youtu.be/eOQAKiEurWA

Life goes on day after day
Hearts torn in every way

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay

People they rush everywhere
Each with their own secret care

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
and always take me there
The place I love

People around every corner
They seem to smile and say
We don't care what your name is boy
We'll never turn you away

So I'll continue to say
Here I always will stay

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay
and here I'll stay

Watery Wednesday: Tri kids

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

The kids at Pt Chevalier School had a week of fun because Mark Weedon and his boys from Trikids had been in school. They had fun cycling, racing and swimming for their triathlon. Mark and Rick set up this programme which gave the students a training session and then a triathlon event.

Mark came with his Avanti bikes, which is great. Two of my students told me that they had never ridden a bike before. This was their best day. I didn't have a bike when I was in primary school. It makes me wish I was a student again.

From their website:

Sport is about participating, achieving and learning. TriKids™ aim is to support children into sport. Our programmes based around triathlon (swimming, cycling, running) are for primary school aged children and schools. Motivating and educating children to lead healthy lifestyles, developing fundamental movement skills and confidence through challenges and enjoyment are integral to our mission.

Pathways from school to club are integral in keeping children involved in sport. We will form relationships with clubs within the Auckland region to assist children transition into youth sections of clubs. TriKids™ will work to build the school to club link and provide opportunities for children to continue their involvement in sport.

Innovative school programmes and opportunities based around TriKids™ clubs will make us leaders in the field of sport for children. Organised events and promotion of athletes and triathletes will help to foster the continued development of triathlon as a leading sport in New Zealand.

Thanks to our teacher Kath Leighton for organising and liaising this event. The children of course will be looking forward to a repeat next year.

The teachers' views: "A really well organised event. Mark and his team gave good, clear instructions, and catered well to the diverse needs and abilities of the students."

May be next year, Mark, the teachers get a chance too?

watery wednesday: Water sprays

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

During the run, 70,000 sweaty bodies raise the temperature by 2 degrees. Kind residents along the road sprayed welcoming water to cool us down during our Round the bays Run.

watery wednesday: Elephants in Singapore

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A moat separated us from the performing elephants in the Singapore Zoo. Every now and then, the elephants used their nose and sprayed water at the unexpected spectators.

watery wednesday: Summer joy

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Autumn has officially arrived. It was marked with thick fog today.

This photo was taken in summer when my son and his friends went diving from the Cornwallis wharf. He will have to wait another year before he gets to do it again.

watery Wednesday" Ripple

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Soil liquefaction describes a phenomenon whereby a soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, usually earthquake shaking or other rapid loading (force), causing it to behave like a liquid.

This photo is a water ripple, but it looks like the liquefaction in Christchurch that has become a popular word. This is day four, and the tragedy continues. Today, the death toll is 103.

watery wednesday: Car wash

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This guy loves his car very much. Everyday including Sunday. I drive pass this car wash, and pretend I don't see it because I don't wash my car. I tell everyone when I was 6, my dad had a fiat, and every Saturday afternoon, all of six of us children were very enthusiastic in washing the car.

Today, my Italian student came back after returning to Italy for 2 years. I was teaching my adult ESOL students on registering their new ownership, and I talked about my Dad's fiat.

In Singapore, they term a man's car his other wife.

watery wednesday: Water feature

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Proponents of feng shui suggest you have a running water feature in your house of business. I was at the Crystal mountain. There were a lot of pottery water features.

watery wednesday: diving from a pier

This boy, aged 8 jumped more than 20 times. I told his dad that he was a brave boy. His dad replied he was stupid. He wanted to jump from the pole, his dad stopped him.

Here the dad jumped from the pole.




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A boy contemplates diving about twenty feet down the water from the Cornwallis Wharf/pier

Watery Wednesday: Block House Bay 2

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At the same beach at Block House bay I was curious at the two parallel bars. A local gentleman told me they were the remnants of the old surf boat ramp. At the sea end, the bars were covered with oysters.

The water engineer says there are sewage in the harbour, and that stopped me from harvesting the delicious morsel.

http://msredneck.blogspot.com/ The Japanese Redneck's comment reminded me of once when I ate delicious fat raw oysters in a hotel in Singapore. As I am a greedy pig when it came to raw sea food, I ate just the oysters and no carbo or anything else that evening. I asked the waiter if the oysters came from New Zealand, and he replied,"No, grown locally in our waters."

Boy!!!!! did I pay for it for the next 48 hours. The oysters were coming out from both outlets. Since then, I always eat some carbo before I pig myself out with any sea food.

Watery Wednesday: Birds at Musick point

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/
MUSICK POINT beyond Bucklands Beach on the promontory at the end of Tamaki River was a Māori stronghold until 1821, when the Ngapuhi tribe from the North descended upon the district and decimated the local population. The radio station situated on the point is named after pioneer aviator, Captain Edwin C Musick. The point provides spectacular views of the Waitemata Harbour and inner Hauraki Gulf.
Musick Point is one of the few remaining parcels of Crown Land in the Auckland region. As such, the public have the right to free and unfettered access.

In 1942 Musick Point was named after Ed Musick, a famous aviator,who visited NZ in 1937.,

Off the beach is a small rock/island. There were many sea birds. Sorry I can't tell you what they are, I tried to google , but can't find any information.