Hot Water
Beach Rd.
Hahei Road
Purangi Road
Link Rd.
Hot Water
Beach Rd.
TAIRUA
Mercury Bay
Cook’s
Beach
Whitianga Bay
Whitianga
Flaxmill Bay
Shakespeare
Cliff
Ferry, Wharf,
Mercury Bay
Museum
Cathedral
Cove
Hahei
Beach
Hot Water
Beach
Sailor’s Grove
Te Karo Bay
Pauanui
Beach
Two Tairua
Tracks
Twin Kauri
Trees
Lynch
Stream
Bushwalk
r
oad
t
rip
Paku from Tairua
(painting by Charlotte Giblin right)
Everyone who travels the eastern side of the
Coromandel Peninsula stops in Tairua - perfectly
placed for a breather before (or after) the
really wiggly bit of road to the north, whether
it’s to gird your loins for the hill climb, or shake
off that “clutch foot”. It seems a mystery of
science that no matter what direction I’m
going in, or how long I’ve been driving, the
public loos at Tairua are always a welcome
sight!
On this day, I was on my way to Morrinsville and
the weather was idyllic. Warm sun and the
picture-postcard clouds and colours that fill your
soul with a deep sense of satisfaction. I’d picked
up a coffee and caramel slice from the Pepe
Café and decided to pause and absorb the
beauty of the view over to Paku. This mountain
has always intrigued me - the Maori legends,
the history - yet time restraints prevented me
from making the hike to the top where I hear
the view really is breathtaking.
I found myself sitting there gazing dreamily at
the houses perched on the hill, deciding which
one I’d buy if I won Lotto.
I wonder if that day there was anyone who
sat in their “perched-on-Paku” home, drinking
coffee in the glorious sun, idly looking back at
me, a tiny speck on the grass verge.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
1
MEET ARTIST
CHARLOTTE GIBLIN
DESTINATION: Coromandel Coast
I
t’s a pleasure to introduce our readers to Charlotte’s adorable
landscapes and share her journey of discovery on the Coromandel
Peninsula, an adventure that began shortly after she and partner Pete
arrived in NZ from the UK in 2009.
The paintings we have chosen are accompanied by Charlotte’s journalling
at the time which help evoke the scene. Look for a “little Charlotte” beside
each of the written musings. These will be compiled with the illustrations
in a book soon. Her adorable landscapes are available as originals,
prints and cards.
Charlotte hails from Wales, where in 1997 she completed a BA
(Hons) in Ceramics at University of Wales Institute, inspiring her to
set up
Bouncing Pig Pottery
. For the next ten years her whimsical
cartoon characters smiled from over 25,000 hand-thrown, hand-
painted mugs, bowls, jugs and plates – with assorted spinoffs of
cards, shirts and cushions.
In 2007, Charlotte gave her pig-pottered creaking shoulders a break,
focusing on her sales and marketing
position with a successful Welsh
jewellery company, Carrie Elspeth.
Once settled in New Zealand, the skies opened up and
the tubes of paint were dusted off after years of neglect; and Charlotte
once again began painting. Inspired by visits to the family bach in
Whangamata, she began her “Big Sky” series.
Charlotte also soon found the perfect job: setting up and running Wallace
Gallery in Morrinsville. During her tenure as director, Charlotte also
developed a successful programme of events and exhibitions, including
a new Arts Festival. Charlotte now lives in Whitianga where she is
administrator of the Mercury Bay Art Escape, the popular annual open
artist studio tour held in March
.
You can find her work in the Little Gallery of Fine Arts in Tairua, Beach
Habitat in Hahei and the Bread & Butter Gallery in Whitianga. See her on
FB or visit
