Mount Maunganui

 

Our few days away at Mt Maunganui were very relaxing and we are now home again.

The Pohutukawa were just beginning to flower – they are often known as the New Zealand Christmas Tree as they flower during December.

We got to do some walking the day we arrived.  I enjoyed watching the waves down on the beach and feeling the soft sand squishing through my toes.

This is what The Mount looks like from the beach.

We rented a cabin in the holiday park at the foot of The Mount.  It was reasonably full, but not nearly as busy as it will be when the Christmas/summer holiday period begins.

At the top of the holiday park there is a pretty view out over the neighbouring Pilot Bay harbour and the hot seawater pools.

The weather did not stay nice.  This was the view from our cabin window when it rained.

And this was the view when the sea fog came in the following morning.

We were on holiday so the weather was not a problem.  We shopped, we ate, we snoozed, we read books, it was just very relaxing.

This seagull visited us while we sat in the car eating an icecream while parked beside Salisbury Wharf.  I'm sure it wanted to share our treat!

On our way home, we stopped off to see McLaren Falls.  This was the first time I have seen them have so much water roaring its way down stream – usually the flow is little more than a trickle, being controlled by the nearby hydro-electricity station.

Further up the road is McLaren Falls Park and we stopped here to eat our picnic lunch.

The weather had been threatening rain most of our way home, and these gathering storm clouds near Lake Karapiro meant that it was raining when we arrived home in Hamilton.

Welcome home!

Sorry it has taken me a little while to get these posted.  Things have been rather hectic around here the last few days.

Margaret 😊