Weymouth Beach

I have visited Auckland throughout my life, but have never been out to Weymouth Beach (near the suburb of Manurewa) before.

My friend and I made a short visit there yesterday and stopped at a few different spots along the coast.

Although close to the heart of the city, this residential area felt quite isolated at times although there were lots of people (often with a dog) out walking.

We saw cabbage trees in flower,

watched a pair of Paradise Ducks find lunch on the incoming tide,

and had our own lunch at Clendon McDonalds. 

Finally, we made a visit to Martha's Backyard, a Mt Wellington store selling American goodies.

I was very good and never bought too much  - although there does seem to be a lot of chocolate there!

It was a pleasant day out, the company was good, and it is always exciting to be exploring somewhere different. 

Margaret xx 

A Foot Bath In Rotorua

IT WAS COOL AND SUNNY WHEN WE VISITED ROTORUA TODAY.

RENOVATION WORK IS PROGRESSING ON THE HISTORIC MUSEUM BUILDING. 

AFTER A SPOT OF SHOPPING, WE WENT FOR A WALK AROUND KUIRAU PARK, A MID-CITY GEOTHERMAL AREA THAT IS FREE TO VISIT.

OF COURSE, A TOOTSIE SOAK IN THE FOOT BATH THERE WAS A COMPULSORY ACTIVITY.

THERE WERE TWO FOOTBATHS AVAILABLE TO USE.  THE HOT MINERAL WATER LEFT MY FEET FEELING SILKY SMOOTH AND I FELT QUITE RELAXED AFTERWARDS. 

A SLOW WANDER AROUND THE PARK WAS VERY PLEASANT. ONGOING MAINTENANCE KEEPS IT MOSTLY SAFE FOR THE PUBLIC TO VISIT.

THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT SCULPTURES SCATTERED AROUND THE PLACE. 

WE SAW SEVERAL AREAS WITH STEAM, BOILING WATER, AND BUBBLING MUD. SOME PLACES WERE MORE ACTIVE THAN OTHERS. 

LUNCH WAS A GOURMET PATRICK'S PIE, EATEN IN THE CAR BESIDE THE LAKE.  A THERMOS OF HOT TEA MADE THE PERFECT ACCOMPANIMENT.

THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF MOUTHS THAT WANTED A SHARE OF MY MEAL.

I COULDN'T RESIST AND SHARED SOME OF THE PASTRY WITH THEM.

THERE WERE MANY MORE BIRDS OUT ON THE LAKE.

IT WAS AN ENJOYABLE DAY OUT. I IMAGINE I WILL SLEEP WELL TONIGHT!

MARGARET  xx

Visiting Maketu

 

Three of us headed off together yesterday and visited Maketu in the Bay of Plenty (about two hours from here).  

The weather was gorgeously sunny and we had great fun exploring the area.

Our first stop was the Kaituna River Mouth.  

The tide was full, and the fishermen were out in force (it is a very popular fishing place).

Nearer its source, the Kaituna River is much loved for whitewater rafting and kayaking.  It looks a bit more serene at this end!

This view is looking down the coastline towards Maketu village.  

Our next stop was beside the Waihi Estuary, a shallow intertidal body of water that provides many diverse habitats for wildlife.

There is a holiday park / camping ground here, as well as several holiday homes.

On the other side of the Estuary we could see the beachside village of Pukehina.

Back over the hill to Maketu village next, and we simply had to stop and enjoy the view below us.

Maketu beach, beside the Surf Club, was not busy although there were several surfers out enjoying the waves.

We visited the local café here and had an appetising lunch while enjoying the sunshine and stunning views out over the water.

At the Maketu Reserve there is an area set aside for Freedom Camping, and beside it there is an Outdoor Gym.  

All three of us decided exercise was not needed after our delicious meal – we all felt more inclined to have a short nap!

All in all, it was a most enjoyable day out.

Cheers,

Margaret 😊

 

  

A Day Out

 

My monthly excursions out of the city have not been happening this year, but today I made up for that and went north to visit Waiuku, a small township near Pukekohe.  I had an ulterior motive for my visit – there were some graves in the cemetery there that I wanted to photograph.

After all the rain we have had the last ten days, today was gloriously fine and sunny and a perfect day for wandering around a cemetery!

Then it was a ten minute drive west to Karioitahi Beach (don’t ask me how you pronounce it!!) on the coast, where I enjoyed lunch while looking out at the Tasman Sea.

The tide was on the turn and the waves were rather turbulent.  I watched one extra large wave rush up the beach, so avoided getting too close to the water!

Many of the waves were a dirty brown colour from all the sand sediment that was being churned up.

From there, it was a pleasant drive through countryside to reach Clarks Beach on the Manukau Harbour.  Not much to see here except Auckland Central on the horizon and a proliferation of large expensive-looking homes.

Just up the road was the Waiau Pa Cemetery (more photographs!).  It was situated beside this charming Presbyterian Church that was built in 1914.

Tonight we have another Chiefs rugby match to watch, and then I am looking forward to a quiet weekend enjoying some of the forecast sunny weather.

Might even get out in my garden for a while 😊

Margaret.

 

A Town Full Of Sunshine

 

Whakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty, about two and a half hours driving from Hamilton, and has the reputation of being one of the sunniest places in New Zealand.

A friend asked if I wanted to go there with her on Tuesday and stay the night before coming home yesterday.  Yes, I would love to!

It is many years since I travelled through Whakatane and I have never actually stayed there before, although I have stayed at nearby Ohope.

Looking down over Ohope

Whakatane was a pleasant surprise.  What a lovely friendly town – it appears to provide everything a busy city does while still retaining the feeling of a laid-back country town.

In the heart of downtown Whakatane

We did some touring around, including an obligatory visit to see the iconic Lady On The Rock near the mouth of the Whakatane River.  The statue was unveiled in 1965 to celebrate the bravery of Wairaka.

The story goes that when the first Maori waka (canoe) arrived here, the men went ashore to explore and left the women in the canoe.  When it began to drift back to sea, Wairaka defied the tapu (law) that forbade women from handling the waka and grabbed a paddle to bring them back to shore. 

As she did so, she called out “Kia Whakatane au I ahau” (meaning, “I will act the part of a man”) and that is how the area got its name.

The Lady on the Rock

The town’s other claim to fame is having volcanic White Island on its doorstep.

White Island on the horizon

Before we left yesterday we visited Te Wairere Falls, a hidden gem that we almost missed.  This stunning multi-step waterfall drops 22 metres and is hidden among beautiful bush that was full of tui song.  

We could hear the waterfall when we left the car and it was barely a minute or two of walking to reach it.

The top of the waterfall

I had difficulty fitting it all into the photo frame!

The bottom half of the waterfall

On our way home we made a stop at the shopping centre at Tauriko.  I have never been here before and was amazed to see how many shops were based there.

A couple of hours later and I came out with two new tops, a dress, and a sunfrock.  I was one happy shopper!

Have a great day everyone 😊

Margaret.

 

A Tranquil Spot

 

For my excursion out of the city this month I returned to Little Waipa Reserve on Lake Karapiro, a place I haven’t visited for some years.

The peace and calm while sitting in the sunshine watching the water flow by was so soothing and relaxing.  There were black swans and shags on the river, and I could hear a kingfisher calling on the opposite bank.  Perfect!

A lot of introduced aquatic weed is now growing in some of the quieter areas (like the far edge of this nearby river tributary), and there are signs up asking boaties to please clean their boats well to help stop the spread of some of these insidious weeds.

Freedom camping is allowed on the Reserve, and there is even a toilet and shower block available.

Part of the 103km long Waikato River Cycle Trail passes through here, and, looking at the map, some parts look like they would make for a challenging ride.

The road back home led past a house we lived in many years ago.  What a disappointment to see it now – some crazy person has gone through, fairly recently, and pollarded every single one of all the beautiful mature trees.  I doubt many of them will survive such wonton destruction, and it almost made me cry to see them.

Margaret 😊

 

June Excursion Part 3

 

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.

 

June Excursion Part 2

 

The next stop on Tuesday’s drive was at the Les Batkin Reserve to see the Tuakau Bridge.

This 210-metre long, six-span concrete suspension bridge was opened in 1933.  It replaced an earlier wooden bridge, built in 1902, that had been badly damaged by floods during 1929.

The Waikato River was running fairly high, not flooding but certainly not at a low level either.

Crossing the Tuakau Bridge reminded me of the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty.

A quick stop at the Port Waikato Boat Ramp gave a good view of the 425km long Waikato River as it approaches its mouth and enters the Tasman Sea.

Shops are scarce in Port Waikato, but this country store supplies most basic needs.

Lunch was a picnic-in-the-car at Maraetai Bay Reserve – nothing fancy, just a sandwich and a couple of biscuits with a nice hot cup of thermos tea.

From here, it is possible to walk into the Port Waikato Sand Dunes area.  I went as far as the small stream but decided I didn’t really want to get my feet wet, and so I ventured no further.

We had another frost this morning, but it has been followed by a calm sunny day with a high of around 12 degrees Celsius.

I’ll write about the end of my excursion tomorrow.

Keep smiling 😊

Margaret.