This is the final part of my trip last Tuesday.
After lunch, I crossed Port Waikato to reach the ocean side
of the village – a drive of about five minutes.
Port Waikato is known as a surfing beach and I expected to
see mostly beach homes, so it was a pleasant surprise to see how many appeared
to be permanent dwellings.
Some of them had very quirky mailboxes!
This is the view from the carpark at Sunset Beach. The cliff edge is right there and it was
obvious that the carpark once extended much further than it does now.
The fine black sand is unstable and large storm swells
regularly eat away at the coastline, mocking the efforts of mere humans who
think they can build structures to withstand the elements of nature.
The drive back home was through lonely countryside, with
human habitations spaced far apart. The
road was generally narrow, gravel, and frequently pitted with deep pot-holes.
But some of the scenery was quite spectacular, with the
limestone outcrops adding a different dimension to the rugged farmland.
There were a few dust (and size!) hazards on the narrow
gravel road, and I was glad to be parked off the road as this truck and trailer
went past.
My little car did well on the country roads, but I think it
was quite happy to finish heading home on the smooth surfaces of the Waikato
Expressway.
Enjoy your day 😊
Margaret.
Oh! Thank you for sharing, this all looks fun and beautiful. To a nice day 😊
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy it when you show us these out-of-the-way spots. An expressway I can see (and hear, and smell) anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe countryside is so much more peaceful. We searched for birds along the way, but the only natives we found were kingfishers, fantails and one falcon. There were a few groups of wild turkeys, and one large group of peacocks and peahens (not sure what you call a group of them!).
DeleteI so would have lived to be on this journey...especially today's part of the journey. I love gravel roads.
ReplyDeleteI've always called our back roads "interesting" - you do need to have your wits about you when driving on them but generally traffic is few and far between.
DeleteThat was in the country! So beautiful! Interesting mailbox too.
ReplyDeleteMissed your other posts, because we have been having The Week From Hell...
ReplyDeleteLovely trip...
Lovely black sand...
Gentle hugs...
I for one would not feel safe parking too close to that fence at Sunset Beach. The sea seems to be eroding the sand bit by bit.
ReplyDeleteDid you feel quite at ease driving along those lonely country roads? I'm assuming you went on this excursion by yourself. Beautiful but rugged altogether.
I grew up in the back country and love the peace and quiet. I found, after my husband died, if I did not do things by myself then I didn't do anything, so I just do it. I try and be mindful of what is going on around me and avoid entering suspect areas (you know, the places that give you a bad feeling). However, on this trip I did have a friend with me who shared some of the driving (they don't like being mentioned) and made the trip more enjoyable.
DeleteWow! Lovely pictures from a lovely journey!
ReplyDeleteLove from Titti & a sunny Sweden
As I read your comment from "sunny" Sweden, I look out my window and see thick thick cold fog! Thanks for cheering me up with a thought of some sun :)
DeleteWow what wonderful scenery, thank you for these posts about your driving trip, I have enjoyed travelling it with you.
ReplyDelete