A few months ago I went to revisit Waharau Regional Park , this is from the lower link track where a family of turkeys strolled past while I was recording..
You can hear the gentle sound of the wind in the trees and the low level hum from the bees & insects, as well as the trickle of water from a slow flowing stream.

As usual, the following information is taken from the Auckland Regional Council site: http://tinyurl.com/waharau

Wildlife:
Sea and shore birds along the coast include spotted shags (parekareka), New Zealand dotterels (tuturiwhatu) and both species of oystercatchers (torea) while inland, kereru (wood pigeon), tomtits (miromiro), fantails (piwaiwaka), grey warblers (riroriro), tui and bellbird's (kormako) are found in the forest.

Native bush:
The regenerating kanuka-dominated forest on the lower slopes is home to a wide variety of plant species, from club mosses (pukohu), filmy ferns (manuka), ground orchids (tutukiwi) and liverworts, to coral lichens (pukoko) that give bushes a magical 'goblin-like' appearance.
Regenerating mixed kauri and hard beech (tawai) forest grows on the higher slopes beside plentiful tanekaha, rewarewa, hinau and towai. The nearby gullies are draped in tawa forest with emerging rimu, northern rata, kahikatea and totara.

Here's some more from Tawharanui Regional Park. In this recording we catch the end of a rain storm and just when you think it's getting quiet, something happens..

http://tinyurl.com/tawharanui

Tawharanui Regional Park.
The 588-hectare park is New Zealand's first integrated open sanctuary (mainland island) where farming, public recreation and conservation of native species combine. The name Tawharanui refers to "the abundant bracts of the kiekie vine". Tawharanui Regional Park is also an Open Sanctuary, where native plants and animals including kiwi can live and breed successfully without the threat of predators. You can find more about Tawharanui Open Sanctuary and the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society (TOSSI) here: http://www.tossi.org.nz

Yes I know I've been a bit slack lately with my posts...
Here's a recording I managed to get in early December before the cicadas (and tourists) arrived out at Mahurangi West. As usual, check out the ARC's website for more info on this location: http://tinyurl.com/mahurangi

FYI: If you listen to my recordings through a home theatre system , switch on the Dolby pro-logic function and it will decode into surround sound.

As heard from my back porch...

Thursday 11 December was a day to remember for a large number of newly trained Naval Officers, Sailors and Naval Reserve Junior Rates as they graduated in a combined parade at the Devonport Naval Base.

In front of an audience including their proud families, 12 Naval Officers (including one from the Philippines), 53 Sailors and 10 Naval Reserve Junior Rates graduated in a combined parade.

The Graduation Parade is always a highlight for the trainees as they finally complete 22 weeks (Officers), 11 weeks (Sailors) and 2 weeks (Naval Reserve Junior Rates) of training respectively and they were all keen to ensure this is a spectacular event for their family and friends. As well as the formal ceremonial parade the graduates showed off their newly acquired skills with physical training and drill displays. The Navy Band entertained the guests with a musical repertoire of popular sea shanties.

The newly trained Naval Officers, Sailors and Naval Reserve Junior Rates completed initial training at the Naval Leadership and Development Group in Devonport. They received varying levels of training in general service knowledge, kit maintenance and presentation, naval ceremonial and parade training, physical education and recreational training, weapon training, basic seamanship, situational self-leadership, sea survival, damage control and fire fighting, first aid, shipboard terminology and routines, and naval excellence; all designed to provide a solid foundation of skills and knowledge for their future Naval careers.

Chief Justice and Launch Lady of the second In Shore Patrol Vessel WELLINGTON, The Right Honourable, Dame Sian Elias, reviewed the parade and welcomed the Officers, Sailors and Naval Reserve Junior Rates into the Navy. She also awarded prizes for academic and leadership performance, including the Spencer Tewsley Cup and Tankard, presented to the best all round Basic Common Trainee (Sailor).

In his second visit to the Naval Base as Minister of Defence, the Hon Dr Wayne Mapp presented the top prize, the Minister of Defence Sword of Honour, which is always awarded to the General List Midshipman (Officer) who has achieved the highest overall results during initial training.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad presented the J.N. Broad Memorial Trophy to the best overall Naval Reserve Junior Rating. The graduating Naval Officers and Sailors represent many regions of New Zealand from the far North to the deep South, with a trainee from Philippines, and two originally from Mumbai and the United Kingdom. The soldiers, sailors, and airmen and women who make up the New Zealand Defence Force are among the best in the world.

http://www.navy.mil.nz

Need to unwind from the xmass rush? Take a trip to Shakespear Regional Park and listen to the sounds of the bush...
location on google maps: http://tinyurl.com/66l84z

Shakespear Regional Park is located on the scenic Whangaparaoa Peninsula, 40 minutes from Auckland City where the park offers a sanctuary with magnificent panoramic views. The inner Hauraki Gulf can be admired in all its glory and Auckland City can be seen on the horizon.
Birds from nearby Tiritiri Matangi Island sanctuary have migrated across to the regenerating native forest on Shakespear where you can hear bellbirds and see the occasional kakariki.
For more information on Shakespear regional park: http://tinyurl.com/6pnu56

This latest episode of framework contains some of my work...

[playlist] framework - 07.12.08
for general info, playlists, podcasts, or to stream the latest edition
at any time: http://www.resonancefm.com/framework
*framework is supported by /soundtransit/: http://www.soundtransit.nl *

----------------------------------------------------------

/*framework*/ - phonography / field recording; contextual and decontextualized sound activity presented by patrick mcginley

this edition of */framework:afield/* has been produced in vancouver, canada, by *meri von kleinsmid*.

meri says:
The theme of this edition of framework is the five Chinese
elements, or phases (also known as Wu Xing). They are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. They are of ancient and modern philosophical importance.
Presented here are sound works that are literally or thematically connected to the elements. They are grouped in two cycles, which rotate in the order of the elements as listed above.
This programme was conceived and compiled by composer Meri von KleinSmid. http://www.merivonkleinsmid.net

Again, we are always looking for material for the show, whether raw field recordings, field recording based composition, or introduction submissions. we are also now accepting proposals for full editions of our guest curated series. send proposals or material, released or not, on any format, to the address below. if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch!

framework
354 rue de l'andelle
27910 perruel
france

framework@talk21.com

----------------------------------------------------------

*07.12.08*

00:38 -- 01:23 / luis caballero barreto / cutting trees
http://www.soundtransit.nl

01:23 -- 05:00 / lasse-marc riek / children making fire /
http://www.soundtransit.nl

05:00 -- 014:42 / mathew adkins / aerial /
http://www.sonus.ca

14:42 -- 16:59 / matthias kispert / railyard workshop / http://www.soundtransit.nl

16:59 -- 23:39 / peter cusack / kashgar metalwork street /
http://www.soundtransit.nl

23:39 -- 27:33 / dallas simpson / water power /
http://www.sonus.ca

27:33 -- 30:10 / thomas andre / 17th century wooden stairs http://www.soundtransit.nl

30:26 -- 32:10 / grant finlay / fireworks / http://grantfinlay.podomatic.com

32:10 -- 34:56 / arno peeters / czech-mayrau-elevator down the mineshaft
http://www.soundtransit.nl

34:56 -- 37:34 / ioannis kalantzis / ades /
http://www.sonus.ca

37:34 -- 40:20 / stephen cornford / metal fence #1 / http://www.soundtransit.nl

40:20 -- 40:39 / dylan harris / water :: the anger of water http://www.dylanharris.org

40:39 -- 52:22 / arno camel / passing water /
http://www.sonus.ca

52:22 -- 55:00 / derek holzer / mountain stream / http://www.soundtransit.nl

----------------------------------------------------------

framework intro submissions:

1) take yourself and a recording device to a location of your choice
2) record for AT LEAST one minute before you -
3) read aloud the following text:

*welcome to framework.*

*framework is a show consecrated to field recording, and its use in
composition. field recording, phonography, the art of sound hunting;
open your ears and listen!

**/[3b) please also feel free to translate this text into your native
tongue!]/*

4) continue your recording for AT LEAST two minutes after you have finished speaking
5) send the recording on any format to the above address, or as an mp3 via email.

framework@talk21.com

I've spent enough years at playgrounds for my sins...
now it's your turn!

For more info on devonport look here:
http://www.devonport.co.nz

Had the day off , not much else to do...

Here's how to get to Devonport from downtown Auckland City:
http://www.fullers.co.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/169

Seeing as it's Halloween here in New Zealand , here's some spooky music to enjoy it with and an entertaining way to celebrate episode #50!
Earlier in the month I recorded a concert at St Patricks Church as part of a documentary I was working on , here's the opening piece played by Dr John Wells.

http://www.stpatricks.org.nz

Diwali Fireworks: 19-10-08 as heard from Devonport here in Auckland at 2200hrs. (You can hear the busy Auckland wharf across the water and the Devonport ferry coming in near the end of the recording)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

Firecracker Concerns:
Nowadays there is a significant growth in campaigns on creating awareness over the adverse impacts of noise and air pollution. Some governments drive to keep the festival less noisy and pollution-free. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has banned production of crackers with noise levels of over 125 decibels. In survey of UP Pollution Control Board, it was revealed that the emission of smoke was found more in the light illuminating fire crackers. Levels of SO2 (Sulfur dioxide) and RSPM (respirable suspended particulate matter) was found marginally higher on Diwali day. Crackers, which use large quantities of sulfur and paper, spew out sulfur dioxide and charcoal into the air, also lead and other metallic substances are suspended in the air causing respiratory problems. Considering these facts, bursting of crackers is prohibited in silent zones i.e. near hospitals, schools and courts.

It rains a lot here in Auckland...
Thanks to http://www.metservice.com for the photo!

I've recently moved across town with LJC to Devonport, Here's the first of many recordings to come from outside our new home...
http://www.devonport.co.nz
http://devonportdirectory.co.nz

BTW: check out this video of auckland scenics by http://tonymonkfilms.com it's great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssgKq2HlvXc&feature=related

Framework has been on the air since june, 2002, featuring regular editions of new and old field recordings and field recording based composition, live on-air performances, and special editions such as framework:focus, which features the work of a single artist, project or theme in a continuous hour-long soundscape, and framework:afield, a series of programs curated and produced by guest artists from around the world. each regular edition begins with an introduction recorded by a listener - you can find guidelines on submitting an introduction through the link below. via the links above, you can find a complete collection of our past playlists. you can join our mailing list below (or email directly) to receive regular playlists and announcements. you can now stream the latest edition or subscribe to our podcast from the links above. if you'd like to submit material for airplay, or if you have a proposition for a live performance or an edition of framework:focus, please contact us. <framework@talk21.com>
http://murmer.soundtransit.nl/radio.html

18.05.08

a long, long list of tracks this week, including several web-vailable works, a handful of actual shiny plastic discs, and some recent variously located field recordings by yours truly. all of grant finlay's recordings are available on his new zealand nature sounds blog, and shinkei's collection of bio-electric recordings is available for free download as an mp3 release from trans>parent radiation, a sub-label of bremmstrahlung recordings, josh russell's label which brought us the original lowercase-sound compilations all those hundreds of years ago (ok, 4 or 5. 6? 7?). meanwhile socrates martinis' project based on recordings of airplanes in the distance will see a vinyl release shortly as a greek.english co-production between entr'acte and absurd. the autistici release (probably the 1st 12k release we've played on framework) features a collection of nice photos by taylor dupree, and a first collaboration from seth nehil and brendan murray appears on the always impressive sedimental records.


00:00 - 04:21/david ciscar presas/framework introduction

03:23 - 08:13/blanco estira nuestro (+),hermana helice/c/ cylindre./.oeur/entr'acte/absurd

04:41 - 09:45/grant finlay/michaels ave reserve (frogs, pukekos, ducks)

08:34 - 11:41/brendan murray & seth nehil/ebb/cess/sillage/ sedimental

11:57 - 14:44/murmer/finishing nets,valencia

14:01 - 16:15/autistici/9v tree battery/volume objects/12k

14:42 - 18:11/grant finlay/te henga (bethells) stream

15:46 - 28:17/blanco estira nuestro (+), hermana helice/ cylindre./cylindre./.oeur/entr'acte/absur

18:33 - 27:45/brendan murray & seth nehil/waving/sillage/ sedimental

25:22 - 31:13/grant finlay/te henga (bethells) sand dunes

28:20 - 32:59/shinkei/[track 5]/biostatics/trans>parent radiation

31:19 - 35:59/autistici/9v tree battery/volume objects/12k

34:37 - 39:11/shinkei/[track 2]/biostatics/trans>parent radiation

36:50 - 41:28/brendan murray & seth nehil/underneath a portrait/sillage/sedimental

40:09 - 44:09/grant finlay/dawn#1 02-12-07 ellerslie, auckland

43:23 - 49:43/murmer/windharp in hailstorm, perruel

45:40 - 52:19/autistici/attaching softness to a shell[c]/ volume objects/12k

47:49 - 53:32/murmer/great court construction, british museum, london

51:32 - 56:21/blanco estira nuestro (+), hermana helice/s/ cylindre./.oeur/entr'acte/absurd

54:45 - 57:46/murmer/fishing nets from pipe, valencia

55:49 - 58:36/brendan murray & seth nehil/underneath a porttrait/sillage/sedimental

58:25 - 59:30/grant finlay/dry your muff

I'm not sure what teams are playing , but here's a short recording of what that was happening at the park that day at 3pm. (I was under the tree in front of the childrens playground)

http://www.ellersliecricket.co.nz/index.php

Recently I had to go to the Sanitarium factory for a corporate video on the "Light and Tasty" breakfast cereal range. You can hear the director giving instructions to the cameraman on what to shoot half way through, not that he was listening...

http://www.sanitarium.co.nz/default.asp?sectionID=27&categoryID=12

Recorded on the same evening as "Frogs and Pukekos" but from a different position. Like all my recordings this is a single stereo track with no overdubs. I do a "mix" in the field and find the optimum place to put the microphone, sometimes that means pointing the mic at an odd angle to get what I'm after and making the "wrong sounds" a feature of the recording. (Like the plane overhead in this one)

Here's a longer take at Bethells Stream from a different point on the river. More bird sounds from the pine forest and you can hear the distant roar of the ocean approx 1.5km away.

Pheobe and I took her kids (Andrew 5yo & Liz 6yo ) to the park to feed the ducks.....

04-07-08
Auckland congested:
"Police estimate around 2,000 trucks converged on central Auckland but say disruption was minimised. The Southern Motorway was backed up over 30 kilometres. Transit asked truckies to keep the fast lane on Auckland motorways free during the protest. They agreed to do that but their convoys were blocking all the other lanes coming into the city."

Here's what it sounded like from outside my place, at the back door looking towards the motorway with tooting in the distance and water dripping from the gutter.
For more info on the protest look at TVNZ's report:
http://tinyurl.com/6oboje

Yes this really did happen , the neighbour decided to get his weedwacker out and trim some shrubs while it was raining.....

Whale Bay is up by Tutukaka , (yes that is a real name) A very beautiful part of the "far north", we love those simple names here in New Zealand!
This recording is of the stream that flows into the sea , you can hear the waves breaking in the background and It is a single take with no overdubs or edits.

http://www.sugarloaf.co.nz

3pm outside my house , during the warmer months these wee critters go all day & night long...

Standing on the Ellerslie overpass , train station & northbound traffic on the left.

This week I traveled around the middle of the North Island for work. We had a couple of days in Mt Maunganui that I was looking forward too , mainly because my kids used to live there and we spent some good times on the beach and even managed to climb "the mount" (as locals call it) one brave xmass day.
Well, this trip wasn't so great due to the fact that my hotel had construction going on next door from 6.30am till 7pm. I won't name the hotel in order to protect the innocent , but here's what I had to put up with....

http://www.bayofplentynz.com
http://www.mountmaunganui.co.nz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Maunganui

Here's something you don't hear every day.... My neighbours had been having a bit of a tidy up and this is the truck picking up the bin.
I like the rhythmic nature of the sounds in this one , after a while the gentle "pulsing" is relaxing.
(PS: I'm living back in Auckland at the moment)

Imananabaa wins the Railway Classic (R8) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, as heard from my house. This is probably the last recording from outside my place as I'm moving down to Christchurch for a while. If all goes well I should have some recordings from far away places here in the future but don't expect any new postings for a few months.

9pm on a warm humid Auckland evening.
Not much else to say....

Here's an edited down version of 11am - noon outside my house again.
I was going out for a walk so just left the computer to record while I was away , if I was being intellectual I'd say "it's a study of space and time". But I'm not.

James my neighbour arriving home after work. He's got a new car since this recording btw. (A ford fiesta now incase you're wondering) I was chatting to him today, something that is difficult at the best of times due to his limited english. Anyway, turns out him and the family are moving out into a bigger house. Not surprising really, the block of units I live in have only 2 bedrooms , a small lounge , and to make things worse for him and his wife they have two teenage daughters and only one bathroom... (his words, not mine!)
Umm, back to the story.
He'd arrive home most days at around 4pm , this is what it sounded like on 29-07-06, winter here in New Zealand in case you were wondering.
FYI, I found this link to the cctv traffic cameras here in Auckland: http://www.trafficnz.info/Traffic.do?view=cctv

Here's a dummies guide to Haka , the most concise I could find and covers everything. (from wikipedia again). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka

Although the use of a haka by the All Blacks has made one type of haka familiar, it has led to misconceptions. Haka are not exclusively war dances, nor are they only performed by men. Some are performed by women, others by mixed groups, and some simple haka are performed by children. Haka are performed for various reasons: for amusement, as a hearty welcome to distinguished guests, or to acknowledge great achievements or occasions (McLean 1996:46-47). Various actions are employed in the course of a performance, including facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and the poking out of the tongue, and a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping the hands against the body and stamping of the feet. As well as chanted words, a variety of cries and grunts are used. Haka may be understood as a kind of symphony in which the different parts of the body represent many instruments. The hands, arms, legs, feet, voice, eyes, tongue and the body as a whole combine to express courage, annoyance, joy or other feelings relevant to the purpose of the occasion.
Haka are sometimes popularly thought of solely as war dances, but individual haka have different purposes, not all related to war. War haka, which had their own term, 'peruperu' were originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition. Today, haka constitute an integral part of formal or official welcome ceremonies for distinguished visitors or foreign dignitaries, serving to impart a sense of the importance of the occasion.

You can hear the fireworks in the distance from the Alexander Park Guy Fawkes celebrations as well as my neighbours reliving their youth....
It's kind of ironic that we celebrate a failed 17th century catholic terrorist in these modern times don't you think? For more on the history of this event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night
In case you're wondering, this years event was held a saturday night so that families could attend. (even though a few people were injured from rogue fireworks shooting into the crowd, oops.)

My first dawn recording from outside my front door 2004. I don't have many photos of my place so thought I'd put this image up instead.

I think most of you will know this one , it's Cat Stevens in Te Reo! (maori language) For an introduction to Te Reo , have a look here.
http://www.maori.org.nz/kotereo/
Kia Kaha!
(first person to send me email telling me what that means will get a cd of my recordings , my xmass gift to you.) Sorry, cd has gone to Allanah http://allanah.podomatic.com who is from NZ , But will offer one to an overseas listener too.
If you're interested in hearing more maori music try this site. http://www.maorimusic.com/catalog/default.php

A recording put together by Derek Holzer of http://soundtransit.nl

The sounds used in this piece were selected from the archives of SoundTransit.nl, a collaborative, online community dedicated to field recording and phonography. Each shares some aspect of travel–whether by train, boat, airplane or motorbike–with the others, and they have been mixed into a continuous soundscape to be overlayed on top of the existing ambience of the Eindhoven Centraal Station at a matching level. What one realizes by listening carefully are the radical differences in the acoustic environments in the world around us, and that a new, “impossible” or “virtual” sonic situation is created by the combination of any of these sounds and the environment we inhabit now.

Derek Holzer - Bratislava, SK “Departure Time”
Jeff Carey - Washington DC, USA “Power Plant, Bugs, Train”
John Hegre - Stralsund, DE “Der Stralsunder pt 3″
Grant Finlay - Auckland, NZ “Airplane Over Ladies Mile”
Keith de Mendonca - Kefalonia, GR “Water Under Boats”
Maksim Shentelev/my-ym - Patna-Kolkata, IN “On Train: Patna-Kolkata”
Fabian Klenk - Kontum, VN “Music Shop in Kontum”
Derek Holzer - Monte Alegre, Para, BR “Frogs on the Lago”
Katie Gately - Seattle, USA “Trains Spitting Water, Bird, Wind”
John Hegre - Stralsund, DE “Der Stralsunder pt 1″
Cedric Peyronnet - Kushiro, JP “Kushiro Harbour”
Jean Francois Cavro - Kyoto, JP “Kyoto Station”

All sounds used and published by Soundtransit.nl under the Creative Commons Attribution License.

Lunlun from the Many Hands Collective (1995) , this is called "dreams of different houses" and was one of those "she's got an hour free, can you record something please?" moments. Very simple really, she's a great musician and that makes it so much easier. I'd never heard or seen one of these before so here's my first attempt at recording the gu zheng , have a read about Lunlun here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunlun_Zou
or her myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/lunlunzou

Thanks to the magic of protools and being able to tell it how long to record for , here's 5.30am today. Thankfully I was exercising my tonsils!
Just a reminder for those that may not know , I live in the suburbs and around 1km (3/4 mile) from the main highway north & south. Hope that explains the traffic rumble in the distance and the odd bang or crash you may hear in my recording. I'm not going to edit it out as this is what it sounded like at that moment in time.

I'm not partial to getting up before the sun and anyone that knows me will agree that I'm not a morning person. Today was an exception , not because I wanted too but because this little fella has set up home outside my bedroom. Every morning for the last 2 weeks he (or she) starts singing at around 4.30am then disappears only to come back at sunset and continue singing till around 9.30pm.
Anyway, back to the story... I was woken at 4.30am today so got up, set up the mic (it started raining) and of course then went back to bed. You can hear the rain drops on my neighbours car , the dawn chorus starting and some traffic in the distance. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned any day that I wake up is a good one. Kia Ora!
(For those wondering, it's a Tui)

Here's an easy way to learn the colours of the rainbow in Te Reo (Maori language). As sung by the South New Brighton Primary School, again recorded at the 1999 Schools Cultural Festival in Christchurch.

Nga Tae ('Nga' meaning more than one, gives the pural meaning to a word, 'Te tae' would be 'the colour' - 'te' meaning 'the')

Kahurangi the colour of the sky
Kakariki the colour of the grass
And there's Kowhai, the lovely kowhai tree
With its yellow flowers for us to see
Kahurangi, kakariki, kowhai, nga tae

Ma is white as the whitest, whitest snow
Whero red like the rata flower's glow
Mix them together and what do you think?
You get Mawhero, the colour we call pink.
Kahurangi, kakariki, kowhai, nga tae

Black is night time and pango is its name
Brown is Uru, purauri means the same
Kiwikiwi is grey like rainy skies
Karaka orange like flames of distant fires
Kahurangi, kakariki, kowhai, nga tae

So , what does a Location Sound Recordist do to relax after a hard day on set? He goes to the local park and records frogs....
I thought about editing out the cars but my recordings are of a "space in time." Sometimes that means cars and other distractions , I'm not after a clinical super-clean sound but more of a "slice of life." It's just what I do.
The loud squawks you hear at the start and end are from a pukeko (as shown in the photo) ( later, 16/01/08) Today I found out what the frogs are, they are "green and golden bell frogs" Identified thanks to http://www.oranawildlifepark.co.nz a place well worth visiting if you ever make it to Christchurch , New Zealand.

Here's another track recorded at Bethells beach , this time in the sand dunes. I was looking for a good spot to listen to the birdlife (being sand dunes there's not many birds around) when I came across some foliage that had these guys singing away. It's one of my favourite recordings at the moment and I think you'll understand why when you have a listen.
Remember, when at the beach take only memories and leave only footprints. ( ok , conservation message over )

Recently I was out at Bethells recording sound for a promo "film" shot on the new RED camera. The Director wanted some atmos tracks of the area so I went off and here's the stream that winds it's way down to the ocean (recorded around 2km's inland, not far from Wheelers farm where Xena & countless other tv series/films have been shot.)

Te Henga (Bethells Beach) is a coastal community located in the north of the North Island, New Zealand. The Māori name Te Henga, meaning sand, originally applied to a wide area of the lower Waitakere River valley, but in 1976 the New Zealand Geographic Board changed the name of the beach to from Bethells Beach to Te Henga. The Te Henga Valley shows evidence of human settlement dating back over 1000 years. The area is rich culturally as well as naturally with a large number of significant sites, including food gathering areas, pa, walkways, canoe landings and sacred places.

FYI: Most people still refer to this place as Bethells Beach.

Another track from the 1999 Christchurch Schools Cultural Feastival.
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. (We're pretty good with names don't you think!) The Māori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" (greenstone being jade), possibly evolved from Te Wāhi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone". The island is also known as Te Waka a Māui which means "Māui's Canoe".
About a quarter of New Zealand's four million inhabitants live in the South Island and I was brought up in a little place called Greymouth on the west coast, look it up!
(thanks to wikipedia for some of this info)

One of the things I enjoy about phonography is that you never are really sure what's going to happen. I was recording with the mic in the driveway and Pete my neighbour had some visitors arrive, obviously they spotted the mic and here's what it sounded like...

Mālō e lava mai - welcome (lit. thanks for coming)

Here's Hymn#1. The photo shows where these tracks were recorded. It was a typical Auckland summer , humid and around 25c at 9pm. The room was pretty unbearable when you add 50 people singing their lungs out....

Mālō e lelei - hello (lit. congrat. on being well, the being in good health is worthy of gratitude)

Recorded at my girlfriends' uncles funeral a coule of years ago now , I'm not sure what the song is but I like it. This was an informal gathering out the back of the main house with people coming and going all the time hence the background noise.

Recorded at Michaels Avenue Reserve , about a 10 minute walk from my house and on my regular exercise route. (sadly, neglected lately) I was at #22 on the map (stolen from the auckland city website , thanks!) in the wetlands at around dusk, between 1900-2000 hrs. FYI: spring here in New Zealand.

A unique wetland area covering approximately 20 hectares, of complex geological, historical and ecological value that also provides a wonderful sanctuary for a variety of bird life. The wetlands were once part of a freshwater lake, which was denied its source by the lava flows from the Maungarei (Mt Wellington) eruptions some 9000 years ago. Subsequent ponding and the deposition of silt and volcanic ash helped create the wetlands. (from the auckland city website)
What they forgot to mention was that it's beside a main road on the border of Remuera & Meadowbanks. In this recording you hear the road on the left and the wetlands on the right , it's just the way I pointed the mic to best represent what it actually sounds like. Not "pure" but as it is.

Another song I'm not sure of but liked from the Schools cultural festival, so hear you go...

Nov 1st , 2006.
Recorded outside my front door , I could hear the pipers practising in the distance and the birds enjoying the summers day so I plugged up the mic to my computer and "filed". So what is the correct term in this day and age of computer recording... anyone got any ideas?
http://www.ellerslie.net.nz

Recorded at the 1999 Christchurch Schools Cultural Festival. I'm not sure what the songs called as they didn't follow the programme and my knowledge of Maori waiata (song) isn't that great.
If you know this one please drop me an email!

Torohape Rd is on the Hauraki Plains , just off highway 27 ( the back road to Hamilton) about an hour south of Auckland.

I was sitting on the beach when two dotterals started chirping at me , I was too close to their nest hidden near by...
Here's a link direct to Wenderholm regional park: http://tinyurl.com/2w5srn
and this is the home page for all the regional parks in Auckland: http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/

Recorded out by the Hunua Ranges at Wairoa Dam in 2005.
The Hunua Ranges http://tinyurl.com/yqhffb form a block of hilly country to the southeast of Auckland in New Zealand's North Island. They cover some 250 square kilometres (100 sq mi), containing 178 km² of parkland, and rise to 688 metres (2255 ft) at Kohukohunui. Auckland gets much of its water from reservoirs within the Hunua Ranges.
The ranges are located approximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) southeast of Auckland, above the western shore of the Firth of Thames. They are sparsely populated, and mostly lie within the boundaries of the Waharau and Hunua Ranges Regional Parks. Thanks to wikipedia for this information. http://en.wikipedia.org