October 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Anthony Darby]

Says Anzco on the packets. If they were made in Dunedin, what were they doing on a container ship? Were they being shipped out of Tauranga?

[Tecophilaea King]

Says Anzco on the packets. If they were made in Dunedin, what were they doing on a container ship? Were they being shipped out of Tauranga?

Anthony, I suppose the container with burger patties were destined for export, and the RENA coming into Tauranga port to pick up more export cargo, never made it because it got stranded on the reef, as a result of incompetent navigation.
Crews on flag-of-convenience ships, like the grounded cargo ship Rena, which are registered in countries where there is little enforcement of international labour, safety and environmental regulations are forced to work long hours, in unsafe working conditions, for low pay.
Yet the captain and officers are not necessarily familiar with the unpredictable sea conditions and local marine knowledge here, nor are they obliged to comply with New Zealand maritime rules and regulations."
Ships owned in one country but registered in another are described as flying flags of convenience.
More than half the world's merchant ships are registered in flag-of-convenience states like Panama, Liberia and the Marshall Islands.
The International Transport Workers' Federation lists 32 flag-of-convenience registries in countries that are unable or unwilling to enforce international labour, safety and environmental laws, rules and regulations.

[Lesley Cox]

One musn't pre-judge - and there will certainly be several enquiries as to the cause of the grounding - but it is said the captain, a Philipino, was celebrating his birthday the night they grounded.

[Tecophilaea King]

It is said the captain, a Philipino, was celebrating his birthday the night they grounded.

I rest my case your honour!! 

[Anthony Darby]

I have heard she was 3 miles off course!

[jandals]

First flower on Paeonia cambessedesii





Lots of yummy rain yesterday

[Anthony Darby]

Is this a species of Mesembryanthemum?

[fermi de Sousa]

Is this a species of Mesembryanthemum?

Hi Anthony,
Yes, or a cultivar - the sort of thing NZers like to call "ice-plants" and Aussies tend to call "Pig-face".
Here are some of ours on our driveway - very traditional way of growing'em over here
Actually these have seeded into the drive!
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

My mum called the annual mesembryanthemums ice plants. The leaves look as if they have been coated in crushed ice. Confusion arises when you are told ice plants attract butterflies, so your mum fills the garden with them, only to find out Sedum spectabile is also sometimes called the ice plant!

[fermi de Sousa]

The Ferny Creek Horticultural Society had its Flower Festival last weekend - it used to be called "The Rhododendron Festival" so I thought I'd better take some pics for Maggi!
Waratah and Protea Centrepiece


Rh lindleyi


Rh nuttallii


Rh occidentale


Rh yakushimanum


cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

More from the Show,
the rhodies on the bench,
sorry, the names didn't come out!
cheers
fermi

[Ezeiza]

Anthony, they may be Delospermas, there are many of them.

[fermi de Sousa]

For those who thought that Rhodies were the only things at the Show, here are a few others,
the Blue Ribbon winner in Rock Garden Potted plants: Fritillaria grayana (biflora "Martha Roderick")

A huge selection of Sarcochilus orchids








Urticularia ....from Brazil


And Masdevallia (Maxillaria) cogniauxiana from Peru




cheers
fermi

[kiwi]

Some delicious Rhodies there Fermides, cheers.
The garden is coming to life, a few shots from this afternoon.....
Myosotis cheesmanii.
Celmisia bellidioides.
Myosotidium hortensia.
A Salix pot looking good.
My daughters favourite plant, the bleeding heart.
Celmisia discolor - looks great even before the flowers open!
Cheers, Doug.

[kiwi]

Some minature Iris's coming into flower this weekend.
Rhododendron 'Princess of Haddinton' - Will be bagged up within a week!
Tree paeonia.
Celmisia hybrids.