In the midst of the tides.

So you wake up to another hard day.

Your alarm rings, beckoning the day's responsibilities ahead.

You slump out of bed...lurching towards the start of a working day.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh sorry, wrong channel! This was the real start to my day:

The rivermouth...

Or to be more precise it was this...

the boys had some choices to make

Yes, yes...the boys had 'IT' in their sights. You know where this is going by now...

looking out to sea

in the midst of the tides

getting ready

With the lines rolling in, in perfect unison, the earth I am sure had aligned in some shape or form with another planet...and surfers started to appear from nowhere, bringing with them the lingering smell of wax and hope.

It was to be a good day!

A magnanimous, barrelling, pumping waves Hokianga kind of day...and hey I can't complain, I was glad to be along for the ride.

It was quick though, like a flash, one minute they were there debating the best spots to hit, the next they are tiny specks in my viewfinder.

race is on...

Growing smaller & smaller

the waves were pumping and awaiting

 Then out of nowhere comes the call of the blue...the spectacle is mesmirising. If you haven't ever experinced it I recommend a flight to this end of the world to experience it first hand ( you know who you are!)

crash

The landscape was forever changing, not a moment to waste, especially when you are wired on coffee, equipped with a camera that is showing the low battery signal...gulp....a few prayers were whipered to make sure all the shots were got...



sunbeam

 

and in between the surfing, there were also other sights to be had. As is often the case there was a group fishing near the rivermouth too. The tide was on its way in, giving way to dramatic crashing of waves against the rocks and a sense that someone was going to get soaked sooner or later.



fishin' near the rocks

 

almost a splash...

wild

So with my battery ever slowly losing its charge, the crew decided to make their move. Their committments had been made and once again 'Zhann's reef' was put to action.

The sets were coming in solid, a very catchable right on offer with extras up for grabs, a very cuddly white boy of a ride...

view to the right, looking towards the smaller river mouth

 

and it begins...

...a big thank you to all the guys out on their boards...



first takers...Hamish in the water

 Slowly more and more waves hit the water...



some carve action



cruising

you can see the strong offshore in play, go Jeremy

Hamish...

Just one of those things...

puff those cheeks Jeremy....

yehaaaa...

neverending cascade...

So by this point it had been hours in the water...the boys know they do not want to waste any energy on paddling to catch any more waves, so what would a clever Hoki boy do?

Water taxi in the form of a jet ski, why of course...

courtesy of izzy

From our lookout

and just when it looked like all the boys had had enough....here comes more catchable waves.

Go Bouty...



....

And in a slow, slow process all energies are exhausted, waves are got and all the boys make their way in to land to persue more down to earth matters...like what you ask?

Like travelling to Auckland to see The Foo Fighters Live in concert!!

It is hard, after all, to face the reality of being a Hoki boy...

Hi five...

Thank you to all parties who were there that day, if anyone is wanting any of the photos please email me (csillajanovszki@yahoo.co.uk) I am happy to forward them on!

oh well, better be off for now and try to figure out what it is you have to do to be a Hoki girl...?!@!

Hokianga Chic - exploring fashion in the heart of Northland

Hokianga Harbour looking over to the sand dunes...

It has been an exciting new start for me, that is since arriving back in the Hokianga, my creative photography juices have been flowing non-stop...where my own New Zealand journey began, has unearthed unexpected & magical treasures.

Any collaborative project has its elements of surprise, but returning to the place
I have had a great privilege to work with two of the most exciting artist in the area, who are doing what they love, creating unique pieces for you & I to enjoy!

MARIAN SMALE - artisan garments crafted for body & soul.

An independent fashion label, artisan of lots yummy, handcrafted stuff.

Marian's creations are hard to describe and even photograph, photos only partially convey the skill, artistry and creative vibe that goes into creating her garments, but when the opportunity came I jumped on board no hesitation.

Pure Kiwiana, the bush, abandoned batches in the landscape, it was the perfect backdrop for this edgy, unique label.




The garments all have a character of their own, often combining scrumptious vintage fabrics (which Marian has a great eye for finding on her regular visit to Opshops) with modern, versatile details...not to mention her handpainted pieces (an example in link)!


HOKIANGA CHIC photo shoot

We had a ball! A continuous flow of artistic ideas and energy. So much fun!

Thanks to the lovely model (Julia Marin Tracey)
who was very patient, donated her own clothes and handmade jewellery for us to use, even in the face of the cold & stampeding cows in the area!

Purple Handpainted Panel Skirt.

Brown skirt with ruffle trim

After the intial shots, taken in the garden surrounds of a local farm, we couldn't resist exploring the farmland even more. So camera in hand & equipped with gum boots, we hiked to find more interesting backdrops...

An amazing find was an abandoned Woofer shed, with tattered remnants of a previous life, but also an amazing array of character filled shots...

Blue & white Handpainted panel skirt


And yes, the model got to have her revenge and even got me in front of the camera...

One of the new additions to the collection are these Bloomer shorts; creating a modern look from a vintage design.

It amazed me the ease of which you could create a new look out of each set. 
Made for Summer & Winter, evening and day wear there is something to suit every fashionista's wardrobe!

Green Check Bloomer Shorts

Light brown florar Bloomer Shorts.



Red Green Check Bloomer Shorts.



Blue Pink Floral Bloomer Shorts.

Oh, and I dont want to forget about our lovely canine assistant, Maku. She also definitely got into the swing of it by the looks, posing perfectly for the camera!

So we spent hours & hours submerged in the Hokianga bushland and surround and still didn't tire...

Mrs Vintage - upcycling, recycling, vintage and new creations! ♥

More of a blast from the past...were these headband/ scarves! Another lovely creations from Hokianga based craftie, Julia Marin Tracey...

Simply gorgeuous!



Mrs Vintage head band/ scarf 

I hope, as well as, the great vintage pieces the photos show what a great time we had!


If any of the photos inspired you and you would like to find out more about either artist - check out their shops on the links at the end of this blog...or get crafting yourself!


There are a lot of amazing people creating out there, but  I do think their talents often go unsung.

I do feel like the battle to gain recognition for handmade Kiwi arts & crafts people has only just begun & it can only get bigger and better if we all choose to support the movement in some way...so if you like what you see....SPREAD THE WORD...


This is my little homage & thanks...



Marian Smale @ http://felt.co.nz/shop/mariansmale or http://www.etsy.com/shop/mariansmale

Mrs Vintage @ http://felt.co.nz/shop/mrsvintage



 



You can take the BOY out of the country, but....

You can not take the country out of the boy.

So the old saying goes. In fact, you can all bear witness too.

Fair enough so we have finished all the work on the house, so what do we do now?
Scratching head....lightbulb....BING!

Its amazing how the spirit of man and machine became one, in just a matter of moments they knew they were destined to be together.

The talk around the lunch table was overrun with; wow that mower, did you see that mower do such and such, how efficient is that mower...and on and on it went.

Needless to say with these kind of activities going on I did not see the boys at all that whole afternoon...

...until that is I hear my name being called. I rush outside thinking the worst has happened (see my maternal instincts are already being sharpened and honed), only to find this sight before my eyes:

He just loves tree and unfortunately for some, here I have to extinguish that myth and let you know that no not in a 'Let me hug that tree' kind of way.

I guess that fact that he always goes on about liking to watch monkeys, should have set alarm bells going off in my head about kindred spirits and all.

All in all a very productive afternoon, I say this as I sit before a lovely fire, fuelled by the one and only lovely oak tree, whose demise you just witnessed.

God knows what he will get up to when we leave France for the built up city of Leeds...needless to say we may have to avoid the local park in case of repeating tendencies...

Till next time...xx