S.S. 'Aotea' alongside the Railway wharf at Nelson NZ, 1909

In the background is the boulder bank on which is the lighthouse.

The Aotea was a British passenger refrigerated cargo steamship built by C. Shaw, Swan and Hunter, at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1895 for the Shaw, Savill & Albion Company.

Dimensions: Length, 430 feet 6 inches (131 meters); Breadth, 49-feet; Depth, 34 feet; Gross register tonnage, 5600 tons (the stated capacity was for 10,037 tons of general cargo); Propulsion: Single screw, triple-expansion 3-cylinder steam engines; Speed: 11 knots.

Operator/Owners: Shaw, Savill & Albion (1895–1912): Regular refrigerated cargo and passenger runs between the United Kingdom and New Zealand (including ports like Wellington, Napier, and Nelson). 
On 21 January 1911, she stranded at Moville Point near Table Bay, Cape Town, while carrying general cargo from Liverpool to Auckland. She was refloated and sold. Purchased and repaired, later renamed S.S. Naneric under Bank Line Ltd. (A. Weir & Co., Glasgow) in 1912. During World War I, she served as a commissioned Admiralty escort vessel (1917–1919). 
Later she was sold to Italian owners in 1925 (renamed Ballari) and broken up at Genoa in May 1925.

The smaller coastal ship in the postcard was likely operated by the local Anchor Shipping & Foundry Company or the Union Steam Ship Company.

1956 Astra-Gnome

This was a space-age concept car designed by industrial designer Richard Arbib and built on a 1955 Nash Metropolitan chassis. The 'gnome' name is curious as it most commonly refers to a small, subterranean mythological creature, a popular garden ornament.

More info

that's fast? 1950s Morris Minor advertisement

For lots more, get the book The New Zealand Morris Minor Story.

Simplon Orient Express poster, Switzerland, 1948

See earlier posts.

the original wharf at Motueka NZ

It was built in 1887 using local granite masonry and timber extensions, it served as an important coastal shipping and trade hub for the Nelson-Motueka region.

The original granite wharf operated from 1887 until 1916, when larger cargo vessels required a new, expanded wharf to be built nearby.  The historic structure is registered as a Category 2 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Community and council initiatives have worked on preservation and restoration efforts to protect the aging stone and timber landmark from tidal and storm erosion.

Ships that appeared included:

SS Lady Barkly (1867–1921). Originally built in Australia as a paddle steamer and later converted to screw propulsion, the Lady Barkly began running between Nelson, Motueka, and Golden Bay in 1867. For decades, she carried passengers, mail, cargo, and even charter pleasure excursions across the bay before being renamed Hina around 1915. 

Anchor Shipping & Foundry Co. Fleet. Nelson's dominant maritime operator ran frequent scheduled passenger and cargo services connecting Wellington, Nelson, and Motueka. By 1916, Anchor operated six days a week on the route using twin-screw coastal steamers including the Koi (136 tons), Waverley (157 tons, fitted with passenger berths and seating for up to 42 travellers), Nikau, and Kaitoa (304 tons).

Beyond routine commuter and mail runs, ships like the Nikau and Koi regularly hosted popular day excursions across Tasman Bay, often linking Riwaka, Motueka, and Nelson

'I like to read a good real book in the parlour when I get home'

1985 Nissan Maxima SE advertisement

view of NZ's Rimutaka Incliine after completion

For info see earlier posts and our books. (colorized)

cars at Seventh and Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, circa 1960

Present day view

twin railway tunnels at Cherepish, Bulgaria

This is a scene on the picturesque Iskar Gorge line and the bridge in the foregound is over the Iskar River.