Mangamahoe and the cemetery

I don't know what I've been doing with my time since I returned from Taranaki but there hasn't been any left over for blogging.  

Whenever I'm visiting Taranaki I become obsessed with the mountain.  Slowly over the last 6 years or so I've managed to photograph it from many angles but there was one shot that evaded me.  Lake Mangamahoe with the mountain reflected in it.

The day before I was to return home, when I dropped my grandson off at school, the mountain was clearly visible and there was little wind so I scampered along the road to check out the lake.  I didn't have my camera with me so used my phone.  There were slight ripples on the water but this is the best result I've had so far.

Lake Mangamahoe supplies drinking water for New Plymouth District.   No boating or swimming is permitted in the lake so there is little to disturb the wildlife, it's duck heaven.  They were everywhere enjoying the sunshine.

Obviously they weren't hungry.  Although quite a few were gathered near the picnic area, they didn't bother to see if I had anything for them.

Male mallard

I think this is a young female mallard.  Her colours were softer than they usually are.

Kowhai lining the road into the lake

By the time I had rushed back to my daughter's house and grabbed by camera, the wind had got up and cloud was drifting across the mountain.  But it was too nice a day to not be outside so I decided to go to the cemetery.  As you do.  

There's a certain magic to Te Henui Cemetery that makes it unlike any other I've seen.  It covers 36 hectares and is maintained by volunteers.  It's very tranquil and beautiful and the volunteers look up from their weeding or mowing to greet you.  I could only drive through and stop to take a photo out the car window when I wasn't impeding traffic, as there was a funeral in progress and no parking spaces available.