Volkwagen Kombi at the beach

About two more weeks until lots of people (and most businesses) shut down for up to a month. Combining Christmas, the New Year and plain old Kiwi summer holidays into a concentrated dose of serious time-off. But why wait? That's what weekends are for.

Pohutukawa tree

When the Pohutukawa trees turn red, you know it's summer.

Airwolf

As a kid, there was a helicopter that you could see in the air from time to time. It was this one, combined with re-runs of M*A*S*H, that led me to believe that all helicopters were basically exposed steel frames with a clear bubble cockpit. As I got older, the TV show, Airwolf, pointed out that not all helicopters look like this. Even though it was a modified civilian helicopter, it looked very cool and modern compared to the basic and skeletal Bell-47. Fake rocket pods, other attached film props, and visual & sound effects made it even better.
So here I am, decades later, sketching a helicopter, that still looks a lot like Airwolf. While the TV star was a Bell 222, this one before me is an AgustaWestland AW109. Even years ago, as an avid watcher of the show, I had to look that up. The overall body-shape is very similar, and to me, it's close enough. When I was reading about it on the internet, I read that the actual vehicle in the series had a brief stint as a charter helicopter and then, in Germany, also became a rescue helicopter. Unfortunately, it crashed on its way back to base after an otherwise successful mission when it was caught up in a storm. While it is a risk here that an accident could happen too, this one has very safe specifications. After all, the response team here is a very capable crew piloting 2 decades of flight technology improvements, such as GPS and night vision. The real stuff this time... not TV trickery!

Amusement Park Rides

This week a bunch of us gathered to have a look at some amusement park rides that were set up on a patch of grass by the sea. Even though it was predicted to rain this weekend, it was very sunny and there were lots of people. While some of the others were drawing the rides, I thought that it was the people, especially the kids with ear to ear grins, that make something like this really happen.

Security Pipe

To get to the New Plymouth Marina, you would need to go out on one of the breakwaters at Port Taranaki. About halfway out there is this weird security gate. It really is just a large pipe with a closed top and two sections cut out of the sides to make a couple doors. As I was drawing it, some boatie arrived at the front with a couple of bags to take on board his boat. He put them down and unlocked the door. He then picked up the bags, entered and closed the door behind him. From my point of view, I could barely see the gangway on the other side that leads down to the floating wharves. It gave me the impression that he was entering his tiny windowless apartment or that this pipe has some sort of Doctor Who Tardis quality where it is much roomier on the inside.

Metro Plaza

The Metro Plaza is a pretty cool old-timey building that goes unnoticed. The two trees that I drew in this sketch are actually in front of the words, "Metro" and "Plaza". By moving them out a bit, you can now see the retro features, such as the type and the strange half circle design feature (which I am guessing to be made of steel). Also, it has oddly prominent front double doors that comes out of the upper floor. Stairs comes down on BOTH sides of the awning in case there is tons of people that need to get to safety in extravagance. It seems like a stage set to me where a musical could be performed.
At the bottom is an arcade with shops (not the kind with Pac-Man) that lead to a parking building. I remember that there used to be an American-themed bar in there that was closed once because it was a New Zealand public holiday. Still, other pubs were open and I though it was weird that an American bar wouldn't be open for the Super Bowl, which was the same day. Well, today it isn't there.

Te Henui Cemetery

The old part of the cemetery is far more interesting than the newer sections. The older graves have a sculptural quality to them, each one having their own look. Cemented sections with established trees are placed up and down the hilly bit and not always in rows. The new parts are just straight lines of headstones with wide gaps of grass. I was sitting in a terraced area with angled rows that mimicked the original topography of the hillside. I also noticed that most of these headstone use fancier (sometimes scripty) type than is commonly used on newer headstones.
Last time I was here was two years ago and below is the sketch (and a digitally coloured version) from then. While I was there I noticed a headstone for the Viking Lander out of the corner of my eye. (The 1970's Mars Mission?) Surely, not! At the very least, wasn't it on another planet? (I explain it better on my other blog.)

2011 Sketch

2011 Sketch - coloured

Nissan Micra's Big Day Out

I actually came here to sketch the intersection. There was a street bench with a nice view up the hill that I had scoped out the day before. On the day, a Nissan Micra was parked right in my perfect view. (I guess there was no car parked here the day before.) 

So I thought, if this car was, say, a Maserati I would have no trouble starting my drawing. I thought, even though this car isn't an extreme luxury auto, it could be someone's treasured little car. Maybe it even has name (like Rupert, even)! 

So in the end, I decided to show this little runabout a little love and feature it right in the middle. He's probably really enjoying his day out in downtown New Plymouth. 

Tropical Fernery

Warm winter sketching in the tropical glasshouse of the Fernery in New Plymouth.

Poles & Signs

Now that's it's winter, the priorities of an urban sketcher seem to change. To me, when it's cold and wet, shelter becomes more important than finding that perfect view. It also helped that I was ordering warm coffees by a fireplace watching everyone else get cold.  At first I wasn't sure if I would want to draw out the window here. But then, as I watched the damp people shuffle around, I noticed all poles and signs from the window and decided to give this one a go. Also this building seems a bit art deco in a way but has modern shops with large glass windows, a glass top corner and glass overhangs. I wondered if this is an older building with modern renovations or a modern building with old-timey details.
I also remember the time that a tornado ripped up this street and shattered the overhangs among the rest of the street's debris. I was working near here at the time of the tornado and can still clearly recall the slow walk up this way just after if happened. This area became a bit like a movie scene where someone fought off some aliens or robots.

Reo Moana

I pass these art deco apartments as I cycle to work most days. They have a Māori name, Reo Moana. Reo meaning language or voice and Moana meaning ocean or sea. I you lived here you would be able to see and, maybe more importantly, listen to the Tasman Sea.

The Top of Town & the Bottom of Town

New Plymouth's main shopping area runs from the top to the bottom of a hill. Shops at the top are said to be 'at the Top of Town' while those further down the street are 'at the Bottom of Town'. Radio and newspaper ads for businesses in between are described as 'on the hill'. Although it seems a little weird, I can't imagine how else you can describe it.

(If you are looking at the sign and wondered who won, New Zealand beat France 24-9.)