Surely it isn't autumn already?

We're still around midsummer here in NZ, although in many parts of the country it is hard to believe we've had much summer at all so far this year.  The yellowed grass is typical for January, but this shot looks rather autumnal to me.  I hope it doesn't portend an early end to summer.

We had a very good drive back down from Motueka, leaving early  this morning, so not too much traffic.  Lots of trucks on the road going north later in the day, so I can fully understand why the road is breaking up in places.  It just wasn't built for the kind of traffic it is getting now, with the main north road through Kaikoura closed since the earthquake.  Several road crews working on the road edges, also plenty of police cars about checking that everyone is keeping to the new 80 km/hr speed limits.