Sakura, or more commonly known as cherry blossoms, marks the beginning of spring. These are some of my better photos this year. Enjoy!

The countless aftershocks from the Christchurch earthquake have meant many a sleepless night for some. I, on the other hand, am one of those who just doze through most of the aftershocks. To be honest, it’s worrisome, as evidently my need for sleep is overpowering my need for self-preservation. Nonetheless, it’s an excuse to get out of Christchurch for the weekend; a sleeping trip.

It’s as though Lake Tekapo knew our plan, as we were greeted by a calm gloomy Sunday morning. It felt so… tranquil.

Yay! 20 free songs to add to my legal music collection.

Another night with a faster lens; a Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D. This is at 1/15 sec f1.8 ISO 3200. I really like this lens. No distortion, good in low light, and cheap. I think it’s also partly because I’ve never used a prime lens before; one less variable to play with.

I have just been taking some random shots with my new D90. This is one of the backyard at night. As you can see, or not see in this case, I need a faster lens. This is already at max aperture of f3.5 and ISO 3200; albeit with an exposure of 1/15 sec.

Actually, I collected it yesterday. However, I was too busy, playing with the D90, to blog about it. After two nights of personalising the camera, I now have a pretty good feel for it.

The D90 and its accompanying lens, a Nikkor AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II, were shipped all the way from Hong Kong. According to the packaging, the contents are ‘Gifts: 2 x Toys‘ with a total value of HKD 340. Now, I wouldn’t exactly call a D90 a toy. Also, the only way you could possibly get a D90 for HKD 340 is if it’s seriously broken. Anyhow, I’m not complaining; considering it was a bargain price.

I was so bored on Quail Island that I decided to dig a hole and bury some treasures while waiting for the ferry. Let me know if you stumble upon it.

A view from Barnett Park Walkway in Redcliffs. The loop track should take about 90 mins to complete. You may be pleased to know that the track gets easier. The first half is a steady climb, while the second half, a steady descend.

By now, you may be wondering what’s the obsession with all the walkways. Well, that’s because I’m intending to do the Milford Track and the Queen Charlotte Track next year.

The French Fest provided the perfect excuse to drive all the way to Akaroa. I like the fact that it’s peaceful and quiet but that’s certainly not the case today. My reason for visiting Akaroa is not to watch the landing, or the parade. In fact, I was enjoying lunch when it happened. I was mainly there for the photos and food.

A visit to Akaroa is not complete without dropping by Fire & Ice. I wasn’t intending to add to my rock collection, but ended up leaving with a geode. There must be something in the air at that place. The store doesn’t have as much character after they renovated it a few years ago, but I still like it.

Sometimes you can take hundreds of photos and not have a decent shot. This happened to me today; though I didn’t take that many photos to begin with. The overcast sky didn’t help. I also have a bad feeling that I left the camera in manual focus mode.

The McLeans Island walking track is an 11 km dirt track that loops through the pine forest. It is separate from the bike track but they do intersect at several points. The track is reasonably flat, but windy for the most part. I would quite like to have a run on it sometime. However, the long distance does mean that you need to be committed. The average walking time to complete the whole track is about 150 mins. If you can’t do the full track, there are a few shortcuts along the way. My goal is to run the whole track in under 75 mins someday.