Prints For Sale: Granity General Store in 1990

This print is identical to my original drawing that appeared in my book 'Open 7 Days'.

Size of image is approx. 27 cm x 47 cm .

Price is $NZ 65.00 inc. p and p in NZ.

Please contact me at donovan@ihug.co.nz or 09 4159 701.

© DON DONOVAN. donovan@ihug.co.nz 
www. don-donovan.blogspot.co.nz
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Prints For Sale: Korner Shoppe, Reefton (1990)

This print is identical to my original drawing that appeared in my book 'Open 7 Days'.

Size of image is approx. 23 cm x 47 cm .

Price is $NZ 75.00 inc. p and p in NZ.

Please contact me at donovan@ihug.co.nz or 09 4159 701.

© DON DONOVAN. donovan@ihug.co.nz 
www. don-donovan.blogspot.co.nz
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Prints For Sale: Inangahua Junction One-Stop Shop

This print is identical to my original drawing that appeared in my book 'Open 7 Days'.

Size of image is approx. 23 cm x 47 cm .

Price is $NZ 75.00 inc. p and p in NZ.

Please contact me at donovan@ihug.co.nz or 09 4159 701

© DON DONOVAN. donovan@ihug.co.nz 
www. don-donovan.blogspot.co.nz
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Leaves From My Sketchbooks. 18. Whitebaiters' Bach*, Anatori River

The Anatori River is just about as remote as you can get in New Zealand's South Island. It's near where the road ends on the north-west coast. The river is an abundant provider of the delicacy that lures fishers almost as much as gold seduces prospectors - whitebait. This board-and-batten shed with its corrugated iron roof is typical of whitebaiters' homes-from-home.

As I sketched this one I remembered visiting the Anatori years earlier with a doctor friend, trying out his new Rover 2000. We caught enough whitebait in half an hour to make fourteen fritters; I ate three, he ate the rest!

*For those who don't know: a 'bach' is a hut or cottage, often a weekender. It's pronounced 'batch' and I think the word comes from bachelor.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz    www.don-donovan.blogspot.co.nz
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New Zealand Odyssey: Post Office, Jacksons, Trans-Alpine Highway, Westland

'New Zealand Odyssey', published in 1989 by Heinemann, was authored by me, Don Donovan (who did the text and illustrations) and Euan Sarginson, who did the photography and design. In this series of blog posts, I will publish some of my drawings.

 In 1989 the New Zealand Post Office was a proud organization that offered its services in  the most remote parts of the country. This isolated post office was at Jacksons on the trans-alpine road from Westland to Canterbury (can you believe it?). I didn't actually see the door opened but presume that in addition to the red post box they offered stamps, parcel facilities, registered mail and perhaps banking facilities?

In the new millennium, NZ Post is no longer the old ubiquitous service. It's hard to find a post box, post offices are called post shops, and many are sited in awkward places, and more often than not, customers have to stand in queues while the counters have empty spaces.

They say email killed it off.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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New Zealand Odyssey: The Mayor's House, Ross, Westland

'New Zealand Odyssey', published in 1989 by Heinemann, was authored by me, Don Donovan (who did the text and illustrations) and Euan Sarginson, who did the photography and design. In this series of blog posts, I will publish some of my drawings.

This house on Aylmer Street, built in 1870, was the home of Joseph Grimmond, one time mayor of Ross. By 1989, when I drew it, the locals had so little feeling for heritage that they had allowed it to fall into sorry disrepair. I guess somebody must have cared something for it otherwise why would the window holes be boarded up with rusting corrugated iron?

Ross was once one of the richest gold mining settlements in Westland. It was said that after heavy rain gold flakes could be seen glistering in the streets' gutters! 

It may be that by 2012 'heritage' has been discovered but whether or not Grimmond's house has been restored I do not know. An old acquaintance of mine, Phil Ross May, wrote the history of Ross and the West Coast gold rushes. He died young and is buried on the hill overlooking the township.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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New Zealand Odyssey: Mailbox, Yaldhurst Road, Christchurch

'New Zealand Odyssey', published in 1989 by Heinemann, was authored by me, Don Donovan (who did the text and illustrations) and Euan Sarginson, who did the photography and design. In this series of blog posts, I will publish some of my drawings.

It's just another whacky side of the New Zealand character. We seem to need to outdo each other in various ways: some pretty weird houses (never two the same), a jumble of seaside cottages and mail boxes at the ends of drives - especially farms where the old, unused fridge  or washing machine often comes in handy. 

This adapted milk churn swayed gently in the breeze on Yaldhurst Road, an escape route from Christchurch that heads towards Porters Pass and the romantic transalpine highway to Westland. It was so open that I imagine that if the wind blew from the wrong direction all the paper mail and newspapers would have joined the escape.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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