The Local Poly on a Saturday Morning

Brrr, a crisp bright morning.  A good day for a walk.  No-one around but a few other plumpish, middle-aged, walking women.  Unlike them I carried my camera and left my gloves behind.
First, past the rugby fields and over the footbridge...

(These look much better enlarged with Mr clicky)

Tide's almost full low.

Frost still on the phormium (New Zealand flax)

Toitoi plumes for contrast.

Coming in the back gate of the Polytechnic:

This tree would hide the boiler chimney nicely in summer.
Not so useful in this role in winter.

Fat buds already nearly bursting and it's only June.
Don't they know the coldest is yet to come?

A sparra watches me.  The birds around the tech are tamer than usual.
Perhaps because there's a lower than usual density of cats.

Rhodos.  They'll be frosted for coming out so early.

One of my favourite lunchtime seats when I was a student here.

Wisteria gets itself in a knot.

Palms outside the library.

 Lots of lovely back-lighting with the early morning sun....

I know this freckled branch of camellia leaves isn't healthy, but it looks interesting.

Coprosma.

Sophora (New Zealand Kowhai)

 A lovely dainty apple blossom camellia sasanqua standing like a bride in its own confetti.

Liquid Amber

I remember that this is a lovely magnolia.

A wax eye takes refuge from me as I pass too near its nectar source.
They are feeding almost all daylight hours this time of year.
It's hard being a little bird in winter.

The last leaf of summer.
Was that a song title? 

 I can't decide which is the best image of the new house the carpentry class is framing up.

Pittosporum (Tarata, or Lemonwood)

Another dainty, fine-leaved pittosporum.

 I don't know the name of this shrub below, but I love the rich purple berries.  I wonder if it would make a good dye or paintable pigment?  I may have trouble picking some, as this image was taken from the bridge, and it's very boggy down there on the bank.

When I got home I was definately ready for my muesli!