Pohutukawa

One of the many things that I missed out on while living in New Zealand was the summer. I happened to get there just as it was ending, endured the winter, and then left just as summer was starting again. While winter in Wellington isn't nearly the same (read: brutal) on that side of the world as it is here, I still wish I could have partaken in the usual summer goodies: cookouts, beaches, baches, Oriental Bay in the sun, and the flowering pohutukawa tree.
We had a MASSIVE pohutukawa tree in our back yard at my house on Thompson Street, and while it was beautiful in the off-season, it really hits it's prime during summer. In fact, it's considered the kiwi Christmas tree as it's covered in beautiful red flowers when it's at full bloom.
So, yeah, I never got to see "our" pohutukawa tree in full bloom in person, but thankfully Steven (my fantastic former house-mate and current great friend) took some photos over the summer (our winter) and has shared them with me. Now I, of course, will share them with you: