Capturing summer in a concertina sketchbook

 

I finished my sketchbook just before Christmas. I had another grey book on the go that I could have used, but they're not so good for the material I was going to be sketching up north on a camping trip. 

So I took this A6 concertina sketchbook that's been kicking around for a year or two. I can't remember the brand unfortunately (it has a blind debossed logo embedded into it's cloth cover, but it's a tad blurry so I can't tell what it says).

 

I quite enjoyed it. Sketching in a concertina sketchbook is something I hadn't done before, but a lot of fun as it turns out.

We tried the camp at Hihi out this year. Nicely refurbished with lots of shady old trees to read (and sketch) under.

Hihi is only 20 minutes from Taupo Bay so we headed over several times – a great place for a surf.

Mangonui is on the other side of the harbour (it's an easy paddle or 15 minute drive). Famous for it's fish and chips, but I'd rather have a beer in the old pub with it's eccentric characters, parrot and memorabilia.

Some letterboxes at Hihi. I really liked the whare letterbox.

The Butlers Bay Whaling Museum is at Hihi too. Well worth a visit too. Times have certainly changed since dead sperm whales in various states of decay would have littered the bay.

Matai Bay at the end of Karikari peninsular is actually 2 bays and a really long white sandy beach, all equally stunning. With beaches like these there is really no need to go to Tahiti.

The old cottages in the Hihi camp are very sketchable.

Waipu Weekend

We escaped Auckland for the Anniversary Weekend with a trip up to Waipu Cove. Pretty nice weather, hot as, with water temperature around 22 °C so we spent most of it in the surf.

The kids had a ball riding boogie boards and body surfing, burying themselves in sand etc, and I had a blast learning to catch waves on the paddleboard. It's exhausting work with lots of uncoordinated failed attempts (very funny to onlookers apparently), but pretty damn nice when you get it right and actually hook up on a swell!

My sketches were done laying exhausted on the beach while I recovered from the surf. I'm enjoying the Moleskine landscape watercolour book that we received from the Singapore Symposium sponsors, really nice to sketch in, but the textured watercolour paper seems to confuse my scanner - I think it prefers cheap smooth sketchbook pages.

Pataua Camping

I know what you're thinking - camping in Northland's tiny Pataua South is hardly urban sketching material is it – well, the 'urban' part anyway. I reckon it's ok on account of sharing the campground with hundreds other campers.

This is the view from our campsite - from right at the back of the ground with stunning views over the estuary, the rock (an eroding volcanic cone I reckon) and the Pacific towards Ngunguru and Tutukaka. In the foreground you can see the flying fox which helped keep the kids occupied and the friendly Pukekos that kept me company. Does anyone know what's up with Pukekos legs? I seem to have drawn them as if they bend both ways. They got me pretty confused anyway.

The footbridge connecting south and north Pataua (a road doesn't actually really do it) was a great source of entertainment, bombing off it and helping the kids catch fish off it (that's right, they actually caught some fish!). Finally the view behind our camp below - a neat old tree house, more Pukekos and a Land Rover complete with friends surf ski and paddle boards on the racks. Pataua is a new destination to me but I recommend it if you're looking to get away from the usual built up beach destinations. 

Capturing Fleeting Moments 2

Some more impressions from my trips around NZ between April and May 2012...I'm missing it!

At the Marae in TePuia Village, Rotorua.

Fat Dog Café in Rotorua's Arawa St.

Improvised exhibition at our Master of Design studio at Unitec (Building 202).

Car security at the Four Sisters Kauri Forest in Waipoua/Northland.

Hanging out on the deck of the 'Endless Summer' Hostel in Ahipara/Northland.

The hostel kitchen, mussels that we found on 90 mile beach cooking on the stove for dinner.

Our lovely campsite at Tapotupotu Bay/Cape Reinga.