Archive for the 'Architecture' Category

New Zealand North Island – Hamilton Gardens

Monday, September 21st, 2020

Invoking the floral colours of an intricate Indian rug, the Indian Char Bagh Garden at Hamilton Gardens definitely has the feel of India. A bagh is an enclosed 4-part garden, and was the original Paradise Garden. This form of garden spread throughout the Muslim world between the 8th and 18th centuries, from Asia to North Africa to Spain. Paradise Gardens became a distinctive art form in the 16th & 17th centuries under Mughal rulers and then Hindu aristocracy. This type of garden was regarded as an icon for the universe itself. You can feel the breezes, hear water gurgling and smell the perfumes of flowers forming a real living carpet. Many weddings take place in this location.

The garden that has been developed here at Hamilton Gardens is the Riverside Garden, with a plan very similar to the Taj Mahal on a very much smaller scale.

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New Zealand: Otorohanga – Otorohanga or Harrodsville?

Monday, March 16th, 2020

Get your phone’s ready to snap pix of the silly corrugated iron sculptures all over this town. Here’s a cute story: In 1986, Otorohanga briefly changed its name to “Harrodsville”. This was to protest the threat of a lawsuit against restaurateur, Henry Harrod of Palmerston North. Mohamed Al Fayed (yes that one – Diana’s boyfriend’s father), was the owner of Harrod’s department store in London and wanted him to change the name of his restaurant.
As a show of solidarity for Henry Harrod, the District Council suggested that every business in Otorohanga change its name to “Harrods”. The town’s name was even temporarily changed to Harrodsville. After being mocked in the British newspapers, Al Fayed dropped the legal action and Harrodsville and its shops reverted to their former names.

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New Zealand: Otorohanga – Otorohanga New Zealand

Monday, March 16th, 2020

You cannot pass thru Otorohanga, NZ without stopping for a photo op of their fun corrugated iron sculptures which cover the town. They’re on buildings, on lampposts and sitting as giant sculptures. There’s main street murals too. Here’s a building entirely designed as a wolf.

 

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New Zealand: Northern Island- Hamilton Gardens, Northern Island, NZ

Monday, March 9th, 2020

Invoking the floral colours of an intricate Indian rug, the Indian Char Bagh Garden at Hamilton Gardens definitely has the feel of India. A bagh is an enclosed 4-part garden 8 -18th century Muslim world Asia to north Africa to Spain, paradise gardens universal garden became a distinctive art form in 16 & 17th century under mughal Rulers and then Hindu aristocracy poetic secret pleasure gardens feel breezes, hear water gurgling perfume of flowers real living carpet.

 

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New Zealand: Hamilton Gardens – All Kinds of Gardens at Hamilton Gardens, NZ

Monday, March 9th, 2020

This fun animal pool garden is just one of creative gardens in the Hamilton Gardens. Some of the others are: English Flower Garden, Italian Renaissance Garden, Te Parapara Garden, Japanese Garden of Contemplation, Tudor Garden and Indian Char Bagh Garden.

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New Zealand: Hamilton Gardens – Maori Garden

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020

Here is the traditional entrance to the Te Parapara Garden in Hamilton Gardens, NZ. Notice the carved face sticking out his tongue. This is a gesture you would see in Maori dancing and is a method of intimidating invaders.

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New Zealand: Hamilton Gardens – Tudor Garden at Hamilton Gardens, NZ

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020

In the 16th century the English aristocracy were fascinated by intricate geometric patterns. These Tudor Garden reflects this. There were also knot gardens and some were called fantasy gardens where fantasy plays were held.  Notice the carved heraldic beasts on poles: griffin, dragon, centaur, phoenix, unicorn, satyr and sea serpent. See if you can find “Bottom”  from Shakespeare’s play Midsummer Nights’ Dream.

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New Zealand: Gordonton – Tea Pots Dragon at Zealong Tea Estate, New Zealand

Tuesday, February 4th, 2020

A favorite sculpture in the Zealong Tea Estate sculpture garden was this long tea pot dragon with the estate building in the rear.

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New Zealand: Gordonton – Zealong Tea Estate

Tuesday, January 28th, 2020

You can visit the Zealong Tea Estate in New Zealand, walk the sculpture walk, take a tea tour, sip tea in the tea house of, of course, shop in the tea retail shop.

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New Zealand: Auckland Domain – A Street Named Stanley

Tuesday, January 7th, 2020

When your name is Stanley, it’s a bit of a thrill to have a street named after you…This one is in Auckland, New Zealand.

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