Our Sunday out with a little Madness mixed in for good measure

No that is not the Tunnel of Love if you're wondering - it's part of the motorway that heads from South of Warkworth to Auckland City and that's where me, Gillian and the kids headed off to last Sunday well past it anyway...

Being bit of a nutcase I decided I'd just love to get a photo of the over head central span of the Auckland Harbour bridge when we crossed over it. Never mind the strange stares and aghast looks of the passing drivers on either side of the car we were travelling in. Gilly was driving so I could just kick back and enjoy the scenery. And where were we going? Ah to the National Yearling Sales down at Karaka in South Auckland.. Basically we travelled from North of Auckalnd to just south of it to the large sales complex built around 20 years or so back by Wrightson bloodstock after the old Trentham sales facility was starting to creak with age and so the decision was made to move the National Thoroughbred Yearling Sales to Auckland.

Going through the catalogue saw a line up of quality 'black type" (in the dam lines that are listed for the yearlings for sale int he catalogue the dams that are stakes winners or are stakes placed and any progeny plus related horses are always in bold black lettering hence "black type") yearlings for the Festival Sale which ran for two days. We went on the first day. I had already made my picks even though I wasn't going to be actually buying one. Many years back I learned how a thoroughbred's pedigree goes together. It matters more on the dam line side than the sire's however if the sire is a highly commercial stallion such as in the league of names such as Northern Dancer, Sadler's Wells and Sir Tristram then that yearling was worth a lot more than a few thousand dollars. The average while we were there for this sale seemed to be around the $15,000 NZ mark. And there I was in my element. Been many years since I went to the sales at Karaka. But I got some great photos as you can see below....scroll down...
And yes here was our little bit of madness after we decided it was time to get something to eat rest a while then head on back home to the farm. Gilly lives on a Hereford Stud so she had to feed her horses before dark and I had animals I had to take care of. No rest for the wicked as they say
Yes I went silly again with the camera since I didn't have to drive. I could resist getting a photo of the over bridges on the Southern Motorway as we headed towards the Auckland City Harbour Bridge. I just liked the architectural form of them..not that anyone would want to look at those all day.

This is the old Auckland Gasworks as I recall. It's now known as Victoria Park market. I'm glad it wasn't demolished. Great place to go and visit and get some shopping in at the same time. Love that place a lot.Heading back up the centre span of the Auckland Harbour bridge. I remember years and years ago the toll booths they used to have and my Dad would get out his 50c or so and pay the toll booth operator. He had a green HK Holden Kingswood station wagon piled full of all of us six kids, pets and who knew what else as we would head up north to our beach house for the holidays. Memories are such good things to have. My Dad would have loved these photos. My kids don't...

Errm yes it's another bridge this one is over the Albany to Puhoi Motorway. I just liked its design a lot. So I took a couple of photos..The two tunnels they put in through one of the most accident prone hills on State Highway 1. I've stopped counting how many fatalities there were on that stretch of road. Finally at least we may have a few less people die from car accidents there.
Almost home..this is Bald Rock on the right a few miles before the turn off to Maungaturoto. I think it's a great site to see no matter how many times I've gone past it.


Not sure why I took this and the camera was set in black and white. Why I have no idea. But I like the sky anyway. This is just before the Maungaturoto Township - dairy farms everywhere. This was one of them..


And last but not least one filly I would have loved to have taken home. Inaya definitely agreed with me on that one. But no I don't have $20,000 plus - so I'll see how she goes in her race career instead. Hopefully this little filly will do okay. And that was our Sunday. Took me a while to upload all the photos the writing took longer because I couldn't even think of what to say. Well I've found the words finally. Yawn if you must. Hope everyone is happy and well.