May is almost finished, but I finally managed to find time
(and nice weather) to make this month’s excursion out of the city.
This time, it was a drive up to the Firth of Thames and the
little settlement of Kaiaua (ky-ah-wah).
Taking the back roads took longer, but it meant I could
visit the ‘Waerenga and Taniwha Undenominational Memorial Church’.
This lovely heritage building was consecrated in 1928,
after many years of community fundraising.
It is dedicated to all those who fell in war, and is still in use by
different denominations.
My first stop at Kaiaua was at Ray’s Rest, a stretch of
beach where campervans are permitted to Freedom Camp.
It was here that I managed to find a small amount of
sea-glass, mostly brown but also a little bit of green and one piece of white.
By now it was almost lunchtime, so it was off to Kaiaua
Fisheries and some of their famous Fish and Chips (the fish I chose was Red
Gurnard).
This seagull was hopeful I might share my chips, but I didn’t. I know only too well that if you give in to
one begging bird, you will suddenly have a hundred of them squawking around you!
Then it was on to The Pink Shop for a maple and walnut
icecream in the cone, to be eaten sitting by the beach.
A little further up the coast can be found the beached wreck of the ‘HMNZS
Hinau.’ I thought I might have been able
to visit the wreck, but the gates were locked and I had to be content with a
view from the road.
This was the first New Zealand Navy ship to be named ‘Hinau.’ She was a coal-fired minesweeper,
commissioned in 1942 for use in our coastal waters during the War, and sold off
for scrap in 1954.
Miranda neighbours Kaiaua, and the shell-banks and tidal
flats here make for a great place to watch sea-birds. I spent the afternoon there, but will write
about that next time.
Have a fun day 😊
Margaret.
This sounds like a wonderful excursion. I’ve never heard of that type of fish but it looks good as fish and chips.
ReplyDeleteLovely outing...
ReplyDeleteBetter late than never as the old saying goes...
What a lovely trip. Haven't been down there for years.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous post Margaret and a celebration in every paragraph of kiwi icons - beaches, camping, fisnchips and ice cream, wooden churches, theiving seagulls and celebrated wrecks..... F loved it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day trip you had! Nice scenery, sunny sky and delicious-looking fish and chips. That little church is so pretty and I love that different denominations use it.
ReplyDeleteSounds a perfect trip, you photo's are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Kaiaua. It's a lovely place, looking at your photos. Thanks for another interesting post. Oh, and a photo of those wonderful fish n chips. I do so like those wooden churches too. So typically small town NZ
ReplyDeleteKaiaua is a small village on the Firth of Thames, virtually opposite the town of Coromandel. I like those old churches too :)
DeleteProbably better you don't feed fried food to the gulls anyway. I have to say the fish and chips looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could follow in your footsteps/tire tracks. This sounds like an almost perfect day. I hate that you could not get in for a closer look at the mine sweeper.
ReplyDeleteYour lunch looked great!! Sounds like a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteI thought the names were familiar but it's a piece of coast I've only been along once man many moons ago. It's weird how parts of my New Zealand life are slowly slipping into the mists of time.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blue skies, blue water, and oh ice cream sounds perfect! What a lovely trip...so glad you could enjoy a day out. Mary
ReplyDeleteNice building and oh, the beach, and the food, and the seagull!
ReplyDeleteWhen I see these birds I feel like "Holiday"!
Wow, that shop is pink indeed! We once passed by a pub somewhere in the Outback of Australia that was a bit darker but still pink. Funny!
Sad you could not investigate on the ship-wreck, would´ve been interesting.
Looking forward to next time xx
What a lovely trip that must have been Margaret. Those fish and chips look amazing!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Maxine
What a special trip that was. Like Rose said, I would love to have followed along with you. That ice cream cone sure sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI do love to see places in other parts of the world. Sounds like a lovely trip.
ReplyDelete