Save Our Iconic Sheds

New Zealand loves its sheds. Corrugated iron ones especially. This rail shed is an iconic part of the Otago Rail Trail - one of New Zealand's tourism success stories.

They make great paintings. Iconic paintings and images. Recalling our history and our attachment to it. Grahame Sydney painted this one.

And all over New Zealand, when the old shed gets a bit too tired, because the galvanize has failed and there's not been any paint around, you can always replace it with another one. But the old one remains. A memory.

So let's paint our sheds red for the time being and enjoy them for a while. At least till after the rugby world cup in 2011. That's if you like barn red as a colour...

Or green if you feel like the Wedderburn touch. Maybe a bit lurid. But fun all the same...

Or red and green. Should never be seen...

Or just plain old black and white - a black one and a white one.

And then you can add the fern. Great look for Auckland and the visiting cruise ships. Don't demolish them. Re-use them. Go down there on Sunday. This Sunday the 25th April. The sheds are open to view on Queens Wharf from 1:00pm to 5:00pm or so, and it's party time down there. Acts, theatre, food, fun. Bring the family. Make your claim to these iconic New Zealand sheds.

Xmas Otago Rail Trail Experience

Emily and I did the Otago Rail Trail for a Christmas treat. Came home on Monday after completing the 154 km expedition. Here we are with our rental bikes (Ranfurly Bike Hire). And by the Clutha River, just donwstream from the Clyde Dam at Clyde where we started off...

Crossing the Clutha River heading into Alexandra on day 1. Long stretches of Central Otago. This is by Olrig Station. Parked by a railway gangers shed...

Plenty of heritage and history along the way. And places to get some shade. Day 2 was hot...

Lots of bridges of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Nothing quite like biking across a bridge...

And the tunnels were interesting too. I think there were 3 quite long tunnels to bike through. We had a bike light that was bright enough to bike behind. Walking encouraged...

The Graham Sydney images of Central Otago and landscapes are everywhere. Hard to resist.

Here is Peter's Farmstay. The accommodation to chosse from along the way is hugely varied. Pubs, taverns, fancy hotels, basic campsites - you really become aware of the economic transformation this piece of infrastructure has brought about in Central Otago. The new gold mine. And seriously sustainable...

...and everywhere along the way, those fantastic, big sky views... sure we got the odd sore wrist and a numb bum from time to time... but it's fun. We were told the average age of people doing the trail is in the 50's...

And finally the train on the last piece of track left in place. I thoroughly recommend the Taieri Gorge train back to Dunedin. Buffet car and all...