OK you lucky people, prepare to be mightily bored over the coming week or so as I swamp you with images from our recent five day visit to the historic Taranaki Region, centered on the "city" of New Plymouth. Apparently, I took 174 images - but do not fear, I will try to apply some judicious editing! I will also spread the load over several posts and try to include some toy soldier content as well.
First up, I completed the "alter" that comes with the Pulp Figures Evil Priestess and her acolyte
Here she is, summoning up some warriors from beyond the grave!
The leader and two on the left running and blowing the horn are the recently arrived Wargames Atlantic figures, the remainder are another batch of Warlord/Wargames Factory
WA Leader with WF "troops"
A change of pace to showcase the Armourfast Achilles with a couple of hard plastic Airfix artillerymen Andrew kindly donated to the cause as crewmen.
They are kneeling figures from the Bren Gun Carrier and 6lb AT gun set
I cut the figures off about waist height and glued them in place after a quick paint job - I think they look fine and I have a couple more for the second Achilles
OK, to start the holiday report, here is where we went and the route we took on Monday 14 March
Pics from day one....
Estuary at Tongapuruto where we had intended to walk around the shoreline to see The Three Sisters - however, we were an hour early and the tide was still too high to allow foot access, so we decided to give it a miss
Next stop was the White Cliffs at Waiiti - a slight military connection was discovered in the above notice!
We went up the recommended route for a short bit but realised it would entail us walking along the TOP of the cliffs for several kilometers in rather hot sun, so we retraced our steps and went along the beach at the foot of the cliffs instead
It was our impression that its rare to see Mount Egmont/Taranaki with the peak not concealed in cloud, so we stopped to take a picture, in case it never happened again. Needless to say, we had spectacular views of the mountain every day we were there!
Our first bush walk was an early afternoon simple, short distance stroll before booking into our hotel
Where we stayed for four nights - very nice room, no complaints and centrally located
A two minute walk on the first evening took us to the waterfront for some images of the sunset over the Tasman Sea - next stop Australia!
Welcome back, Keith!
ReplyDeleteYour red-robed Priestess ‘pops!’ Beautiful landscapes especially your last photo of the stunning sunset. Cloudy and cool here. Looking forward to more scenics from Down Under.
Thanks Jon, good to be here! Plenty more scenic views to share, dont worry on that score!
DeleteThe Priestess and altar table are great and perfect for pulp gaming. Some great looking landscapes as well
ReplyDeleteCheers Scotty - the Pulp Figures are great sculpts and the altar is a nice piece too. Glad you like the first batch of landscapes!
DeleteLove the Priestess 👍 and some beautiful beaches
ReplyDeleteCheers Matt - scenery is a bit different from your dramatic mountain landscapes!
DeleteNice shots of the coast of New Plymouth. I haven’t Ben down that way for near on 30 years - for a wargames convention. Must get down there again. Nice figure too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark....it's actually a very nice part of the country, plenty to do and see, good selection of bars and restaurants and beautiful hinterland with good, virtually empty, roads. Lots more images to follow!
DeleteLovely looking hobby stuff sir!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michal!
DeleteReally, looking at the priestess set, you must arrange at least a mock up on your new card table of a Pulp Adventure.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful scenery on your trip. Hopefully you enjoyed good weather throughout.
Thanks Joe, funnily enough, a mock up IS something I have actually considered doing !
DeleteWe were very fortunate and had an entire week of perfect weather, despite an earlier forecast of 40% chance of rain.
You are so lucky. That’s breathtaking scenery.
ReplyDeleteThe priestess and skeletons are fab too. Thoughts turn to Jason and the Argonauts. “Arise children of the Hydra’s teeth!”
Thank you, it certainly is a very picturesque country.
DeleteJason and the Argonauts, The Pharoah, Indiana Jones etc are all ideas milling around as Pulp game themes. I must settle on some rules and have a go at something!
A nice collection of work as usual Keith. Beautifully done. Your pictures of the Taranaki region look great, and it seems to me an area that is perhaps overlooked as everyone heads for the beaches down the East Coast.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lawrence. Yes, it's not a particularly fashionable area but no real reason why it should not be. The road has been christened The Surf Highway and there are numerous signs pointing to the sea indicating a Surf Beach. I am pretty sure New Zealand's most accomplished surfers all come from this region. There is also quite a bit of NZ military history associated with the area....after all, there were a First and Second Taranki War ...1860 -61 and then 1863 - 1866. We of course saw little of this, apart from some gravestones that will feature in later posts.
DeleteA fine vignette, that priestess and those skeletal warriors (fiddly though they may have been to cobble together). Nicely done! Lovely holiday shots (so far). I'm struck by the empty parking spaces and absence of other folks on that stunning beach in your closing shots. Seems a true "getaway!"
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed. The skeletons were a bit of a fiddle but I think the end result is worth it! The day we arrived in New Plymouth was actually a local public holiday, so it is even quieter than would be normal ....I noticed the image of our hotel made it look lie a ghost town...it was quiet compared with a large city but it want as dead as some of my images make it appear!
DeleteNow How does a skeleton blow a horn I wonder?!! 😀
ReplyDeleteThe priestess looks the bizness and red is the appropriate color. I’m sure you can find a suitable sacrifice miniature for the table.
Cool looking troops and pretty sunset. My wife would call 174 pictures not that many.
Thanks Stew....the Pulp Figures set comes complete with TWO human sacrificial offerings....one of each sex. At this stage, I am undecided which to use....if any. The guy is tightly bound hand and foot....the girl is kind of crawling across the altar, in a somewhat coquettish, provocative pose.....I don't know what goes on in Bob Murches mind when he is creating some of these figures! 😆
DeleteYou have certainly been busy on the modelling- painting front...well done Kieth. I like your Travel-log...nice to see parts of NZ...we cruised around New Zealand several years ago now- I certainly liked the 'Bay of Islands'. Regards. KEV.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kev! The Bay of Islands is very pretty, and also historical - the First Maori War occurred up there - but you are unlikely to see that area feature on my blog anytime soon - my wife has some strange aversion to travelling north from Auckland and we have not been up that way for twenty years!
DeleteLovely additions to the collection Keith…
ReplyDeleteThe beach views are particularly inviting…
All the best. Aly
Great figures and stunning scenery: What's not to like? We are hoping to visit NZ one day and it would be nice to spend about a month there so we could take everything in at a leisurely pace. SWMBO fancies a cruise around both islands...
ReplyDelete