Tawhai Falls is a 13-meter high waterfall located in Tongariro National Park.
It is located about 4 km from the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, on State Highway 48.
An easy walk takes just 10-15 minutes to reach the waterfall’s lookout.
The top of the falls. There was not much water coming down the river to feed the falls when we were there in May
Tawhai Falls is also the filming location of Gollum’s pool where Faramir and his archers are watching Gollum fish.
It’s a rocky walk once you are down at ground level, and it may be not possible to walk along the side of the stream if the falls have more water coming down the river from the mountain.
I have the story, the editor is asking for it, and I’m putting the final touches to it
…
Today I’m looking at planning a revolution.
Of course, we all know that it is the military forces of a small country that takes over the democratically elected government, or one that is propped up by a superpower.
This is going to be different, and the people are going to run the revolution.
And like those about to make the attempt, I still have to work out the details, and I have a bit of reading to do.
One thing I do know is that you have to take over the airports, military bases, which might take some doing, and the media outlets like radio and television.
Fortunately, the country does not have a large military force, or at least, those among the military that will back the current government when push comes to shove.
They will also need another country’s backing, like the USA, Britain, or Europe. Will there be the CIA, the Russians and the Chinese there? Quite possibly.
We’ll see how it pans out.
Next, I’ll be looking at the conference, the capital city, the lay of the land, and the people.
…
Today’s word count: 2,689 words, for the running total of 13,413.
I’m sure a lot of people have considered the prospect of whale watching. I’m not sure how the subject came up on one of our visits to New Zealand, but I suspect it was one of those tourist activity leaflets you find in the foyer of motels, hotels, and guesthouses.
Needless to say, it was only a short detour to go to Kaikoura and check out the prospect.
Yes, the ocean at the time seemed manageable. My wife has a bad time with sea sickness, but she was prepared to make the trip, after some necessary preparations. Seasickness tablets and special bands to wear on her wrist were recommended and used.
The boat was large and had two decks, and mostly enclosed. There were a lot of people on board, and we sat inside for the beginning of the voyage. The sea wasn’t rough, but there was about a meter and a half swell, easily managed by the boat while it was moving.
It took about a half hour or so to reach the spot where the boat stopped and a member of the crew used a listening device to see if there were any whales.
That led to the first wave of sickness.
We stopped for about ten minutes, and the boat moved up and down on the waves. It was enough to start the queasy stomachs of a number of passengers. Myself, it was a matter of going out on deck and taking in the sea air. Fortunately, I don’t get seasick.
Another longish journey to the next prospective site settled a number of the queasy stomachs, but when we stopped again, the swell had increased, along with the boat’s motion. Seasick bags were made available for the few that had succumbed.
By the time we reached the site where there was a whale, over half the passengers had been sick, and I was hoping they had enough seasick bags, and then enough bin space for them.
The whale, of course, put on a show for us, and those that could went out on deck to get their photos.
By the end of the voyage, nearly everyone on board was sick, and I was helping to hand out seasick bags.
Despite the anti sickness preparations, my wife had also succumbed. When we returned and she was asked if the device had worked, she said no.
But perhaps it had because within half an hour we were at a cafe eating lunch, fish and chips of course.
This activity has been crossed off the bucket list, and there’s no more whale watching in our traveling future. Nor, it seems, will we be going of ocean liners.
Perhaps a cruise down the Rhine might be on the cards. I don’t think that river, wide as it is in places, will ever have any sort of swell.
I have the story, the editor is asking for it, and I’m putting the final touches to it
…
Today I’m looking at planning a revolution.
Of course, we all know that it is the military forces of a small country that takes over the democratically elected government, or one that is propped up by a superpower.
This is going to be different, and the people are going to run the revolution.
And like those about to make the attempt, I still have to work out the details, and I have a bit of reading to do.
One thing I do know is that you have to take over the airports, military bases, which might take some doing, and the media outlets like radio and television.
Fortunately, the country does not have a large military force, or at least, those among the military that will back the current government when push comes to shove.
They will also need another country’s backing, like the USA, Britain, or Europe. Will there be the CIA, the Russians and the Chinese there? Quite possibly.
We’ll see how it pans out.
Next, I’ll be looking at the conference, the capital city, the lay of the land, and the people.
…
Today’s word count: 2,689 words, for the running total of 13,413.
I have the story, the editor is asking for it, and I’m putting the final touches to it
…
Today is another day for character development, and this time it is Inspector Delacrat.
The question is, how do you maintain that air of honesty and integrity in a country that is run by a cruel and murderous military junta.
How do you explain the disappearance of ordinary citizens during the night, when they are reported as missing?
There is, of course, something about the man that makes you think twice about whether he is to be tarred with the same brush as that of the military, or he’s just an Inspector in the police trying to do his job to the best of his ability, without running foul of the junta.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Something else to be aware of, there are rebels, dissidents, and revolutionaries, all lurking in the background, some overt, some invisible, all working towards the removal of the junta.
The conference is a means to get an international eye on the plight of the country, so will something happen?
Will the rebels make their move?
Will Delacrat find out, and will he try to stop it?
Is our main character’s real reason for being in the country to aid the rebels, or just ensure the safety of one of the delegates?
These are all questions that will be looked at as the story progresses.
…
Today’s word count: 2,829 words, for the running total of 10,724.
I have the story, the editor is asking for it, and I’m putting the final touches to it
…
Today is another day for character development, and this time it is Inspector Delacrat.
The question is, how do you maintain that air of honesty and integrity in a country that is run by a cruel and murderous military junta.
How do you explain the disappearance of ordinary citizens during the night, when they are reported as missing?
There is, of course, something about the man that makes you think twice about whether he is to be tarred with the same brush as that of the military, or he’s just an Inspector in the police trying to do his job to the best of his ability, without running foul of the junta.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Something else to be aware of, there are rebels, dissidents, and revolutionaries, all lurking in the background, some overt, some invisible, all working towards the removal of the junta.
The conference is a means to get an international eye on the plight of the country, so will something happen?
Will the rebels make their move?
Will Delacrat find out, and will he try to stop it?
Is our main character’s real reason for being in the country to aid the rebels, or just ensure the safety of one of the delegates?
These are all questions that will be looked at as the story progresses.
…
Today’s word count: 2,829 words, for the running total of 10,724.
A relatively unassuming lane leads to what could be described as a grand hotel, called Waitomo Caves Hotel.
The original hotel was built in 1908, and it was later extended in 1928. Part of it is ‘Victorian’, based on an eastern Europe mountain chalet, and part of it is ‘Art Deco’, the concrete wing, and a feature, if it could be called that, is none of the four corners are the same.
Views from the balcony show part of the surrounding gardens
and the town of Waitomo in the distance.
In gloomy weather, it does look rather spooky, and I suspect there may be a ghost or two lurking somewhere in the buildings.
But…
This a a very interesting, and the words of one of my younger grand daughters, a very creepy place. It would make an excellent base for paranormal activity, and there could very well be ghosts walking the corridors of this hotel.
It has the long darkish passageways that lead in all directions and to almost hidden rooms, a creepy nighttime aspect, and the creaky woodwork.
I know when we were exploring, it was easy to lose your bearings, if not get lost, trying to find certain places, and once found, hard to find your way back.
All in all, it was one of the best stays in a very old place going through the throes of modernisation.
And looking at it from the outside at night, I’ll leave you with that thought…
I have the story, the editor is asking for it, and I’m putting the final touches to it
…
Today is another day for character development, and this time it is Inspector Delacrat.
The question is, how do you maintain that air of honesty and integrity in a country that is run by a cruel and murderous military junta.
How do you explain the disappearance of ordinary citizens during the night, when they are reported as missing?
There is, of course, something about the man that makes you think twice about whether he is to be tarred with the same brush as that of the military, or he’s just an Inspector in the police trying to do his job to the best of his ability, without running foul of the junta.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Something else to be aware of, there are rebels, dissidents, and revolutionaries, all lurking in the background, some overt, some invisible, all working towards the removal of the junta.
The conference is a means to get an international eye on the plight of the country, so will something happen?
Will the rebels make their move?
Will Delacrat find out, and will he try to stop it?
Is our main character’s real reason for being in the country to aid the rebels, or just ensure the safety of one of the delegates?
These are all questions that will be looked at as the story progresses.
…
Today’s word count: 2,829 words, for the running total of 10,724.
The old Shanghai refers to a small area of Shanghai that used to be walled in and remained that way until about 1912 when all but a small section of the wall was demolished. With the advent of the concessions, Old Shanghai became the administrative center until later when it became a shopping complex.
Now it has many restored historical buildings as well as new buildings in a somewhat traditional style that has become one of Shanghai’s main tourist attractions, housing many shops and restaurants.
The “Old Town” is not exclusively old, as you still have a chance to take in the atmosphere if you wander into the quaint side streets.
But, on first viewing walking down the street towards the complex, I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say this is in reality old Shanghai, except for what appears to be a true representation of it architecturally.
The buildings, which are shops and restaurants, are set out symmetrically, with streets, alleyways, and squares which may prove that it was specially built for the tourists, and no mechanized traffic.
Anyway…
The buildings are magnificent, and a photographer’s delight, and you’d finish up having hundreds of photos by the time you leave. All the buildings are exquisite representations of traditional Chinese architecture.
As for buying stuff, remember if you’re not Chinese you have the sucker tourist stamp on your forehead, so be prepared to walk away if the vendors will not bargain.
Nothing here is worth the price tag and in our group discounts like from 130 RMB to 50 RMB and from 1 for 1,200 to 2 for 950 RMB are common.
Here common t-shirts that we can get for 3 dollars back home start at 150 RMB which is roughly 35 dollars. It’s that kind of market.
We end up is a tea room, on the third floor of the meeting point below, and discover all the tour guides sitting around a table counting money, and I have to say it’s the most $50 notes I’ve ever seen in one place. It is, we were told, where they discussed ‘strategy’.
I have the story, the editor is asking for it, and I’m putting the final touches to it
…
Today is a day for character development, and especially for Teresa. She is going to be the devil in disguise, or maybe not.
We get to meet her when Quinn picked her out of a list of prospective candidates for partnering our main character, despite the fact he says he prefers to work alone.
Of course, the reason for that is obvious after the last mishap and the fact that the partner was killed. Before that, he didn’t have a problem, but now, the idea of someone getting killed on his watch is not something he wants.
But, he doesn’t know he’s getting a partner. She’ll be turning up on his doorstep, and he will not be in a position to refuse.
She is currently residing in a prison, well, that has something to do with an errant husband who some would say got what he deserved.
Is she innocent? Not everyone in prison is, despite what they say, and she never protested her innocence.
Quinn wants her on the team for two reasons, she is very dangerous, especially skilled in killing, but controllable, and more importantly, to keep our main character guessing why she is there.
Is she a bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks, or labelled such for so-called bad deeds?
It’s time to get on that particular roller coaster.
…
Today’s word count: 2,144 words, for the running total of 7,895.
Thrills, Spills, and just a dash of Romance 