Residents in Aotearoa: Ponsonby

Monday 19 March 2018

Ponsonby

I'm off today to Ponsonby. This is another of Auckland's suburbs, located about two kilometers from the city center. Back in the '60's, Ponsonby was thought of as little more than a slum, but has now become known for upscale shopping, dining and the arts.

I'm on the 133 bus that runs into Auckland. That must be strong coffee.

1 Ponsonby Road is the home of the Artstation. Once a police barracks, it's now a gallery.

This is an Artstation mural nearby

Ponsonby lies along the top of a ridge. Looking one way, I can see Mt. Eden.

Farther down Ponsonby Road, I can see the Waitaks.

Another mural in a passage between buildings

I've crossed Ponsonby Road now and am looking toward the city center. Look at all those construction cranes.

You wouldn't think crossing a street could be so pleasurable. This street runs down hill toward the city center too. So much green and dappled sunlight and topping it off, a breeze is blowing up to me. It's a hot day so I'd like to just stand here a while.

A reminder of home.

Kiwis love to paint things, and they're good at it.

I had a chicken burger at Burger Wisconsin today. The girl working inside had no clue as to why the name is what it is, so I looked it up and got some information I had never heard before. Check it out. -djf

https://www.burgerwisconsin.co.nz/our-story/ https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11770

4 comments:

Anonymous19 March 2018 at 16:23
I feel a strange urge to drive to Wisconsin and order
a burger...
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Dianne20 March 2018 at 16:26
I am really intrigued by the murals - especially the blue one with the 2 boys, a dog and a pig? They're crouched down in a cave in some exciting adventure... I'd love to be a kid again and join them!

Mural stories aside, I especially like your views of the Waitakeres and Mt Eden from Ponsonby road. They seem really close in these pictures and the one of Mt Eden reminds me of a set of screen-saver pictures I stumbled upon of One Tree Hill domain. Have you ever been there? I looked it up at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Hill_(New_Zealand) and it's not far from the city though it's off your normal train and bus routes.

It's interesting how you encounter so many reminders of home - some like Ben & Jerry's are obviously international companies but Burger Wisconsin is a purely Kiwi institution with their name reflecting "Wisconsin, USA’s title ‘Home of the Hamburger’." Way to go Seymour!
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My deer blind, a place outside of time and space.

This is a picture of my deer hunting blind. I built in in 1975 and used it until about 2010. I'm publishing this picture and text on November 15 of 2022, the opening day of Michigan's rifle deer hunting season, to remember all the years I spent sitting there and occasionally harvesting a deer. I think that the meat I provided for my family was only a small portion of the benefit I received from hunting in this manner. Of greater value to me was the time I spent alone, watching the forest and its many components interact. I had time to unwind from the stresses of my work, to appreciate our world, and even sometimes to pray. That blind was a refuge to me. It was cozy, and comfortable and I spent much more time filming the activities of not only deer, but bears, racoons, turkeys, squirrels, hawks, and once, even a snowy owl, than I did harvesting deer. May I suggest to all of you that you try to find some time and a place, where you can be alone, and where you can ponder and appreciate your life and your place in the world. It does a body good. -djf