Archive for March 4th, 2009

This thing makes Nelson unique?

Well in my opinion the number one thing that does it for me is “the Sea.” Tasman Bay laid out before you with its turquoise aquamarine changing shades as the sun traverses the sky daily inspires many in this town. And at the end of a busy day, nothings so relaxing as driving along Rocks Rd with the windows down, enjoying the sound, smell and sight of the waves crashing nearby.

I’m sure we’ve all heard of Fashion Week, Red Nose Week, Show Week, etc, but I think this week is one of the most important from a regional / local perspective.

The unique in NZ fact that 99% of Nelson’s population resides within 5km (officially & the highest in the land) of the seashore should illustrate the importance of the coastline and the Ocean this week, which from March 1 to March 8, is SEAWEEK.

Take a moment this week to think about how fortunate we are to live here and the part the sea plays in that, in our day to day life, both income providing and leisure wise. The fantastic panoramic surroundings that we can enjoy with all of our senses.

Or pop down to the Suter (The Suter Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Nelson) to hear about  “Spectacular underwater gardens of the deep Southern Ocean”

A talk by NIWA scientists who will take you on a trip exploring the bottom of the coldest ocean on Earth, from New Zealand to Antarctica. See amazing videos of sea lilies, sea spiders, bamboo corals, sea pigs, bubblegum coral, giant starfish and krill. Hear how the scientists faced the challenges of working as the sea, equipment and even the ship froze before their eyes.
And just to show you what wonders the sea can contain, check out this absolutely amazing fish with the “see-thru” head.
Yes it can close its eyelids, and then rotate its eyes to scan vertically for prey.
To finish if you click here you will see a great panoramic shot taken from Kaka Hill in December 2007 that shows just how much sea is around Nelson. If you really want the high resolution photo of this, click here, (it is a large file at 7,400 × 1,592 pixels)

March 04 2009 | Nelson | No Comments »