Woke up to a glorious day-pure blue skies and not a cloud in sight.The spouse was up early and went trespassing in the grounds of the ruined mansion in order to get some arty photos.I stayed in bed hoping he would not be discovered by a raging guard dog, passing policeman or nosy neighbour.Read a few more chapters about Harry Bosch (cue mental picture of 40ish, fit, good-looking tough guy detective with a heart of gold).
Eventually, the spouse returned and we went through our usual angst-laden review of his pictures with him saying,"That didn't come out like I thought it would!",
and me saying,"Composition should come before artiness, remember that you have an audience!" Then, fortified by a breakfast of Weetbix and Vogel's toast we departed town and took the 309 road across the peninsula.
and me saying,"Composition should come before artiness, remember that you have an audience!" Then, fortified by a breakfast of Weetbix and Vogel's toast we departed town and took the 309 road across the peninsula.
Well, what a busy little road it is- there are no end of interesting places where you can pull off to visit attractions-The Mussel Kitchen, a wild pig farm, water gadget park, cafe etc.We forsook all those and saved ourselves for a kauri grove where a ten minute walk through cool and lovely bush will bring you to a group of amazing kauri trees which somehow escaped being logged last century. Here I need to send up a blessing for the amazing job the people in our conservation department do--there was a great track all the way, and best of all, they have built up a boardwalk around some of the trees so that you can actually get right up to them, touch the bark, hug them and even give them a kiss if you so feel, inspired though this behaviour no doubt, would not be condoned by the aforesaid officials.
Back we strolled to the road, it's metal by the way but in good, smooth condition, and as we climbed back in I spotted the banana cake which I had baked for daughter still sitting on the back seat. She had rejected it due to dietary considerations, and I remarked to the spouse,"We should not be eating that cake either, I should have left that with Ben in Auckland." A couple of corners later we passed a truck on the side of the road,with a bunch of men standing around it.Obviously, it was smoko time."Stop!" I yelled."Let's give that cake to these workers." So, the spouse got out of the car and the boss worker said, "What can I do for you, mate?"
Spouse replied,"No, it's what I can do for you!" He then presented the cake to the men and this was greeted with cries of delight.The boss man then made us promise to go to his address when we got into Tairua to get a free pot of honey. He and his workers were on the side of the road as they were checking some of his 8000 beehives.We jumped back into the car feeling very gleeful and continued on to Whitianga.
Boy, lots of money has been spent in this neck of the woods, and quite recently too.They have lots of new streets, footpaths and shops in Whitianga, including a huge Countdown supermarket and Warehouse (not necessarily a good thing!). There are numerous flash houses and a number of older, aging homes but the lack of large trees and super-abundance of new infrastructure meant the township had a slightly soul-less feel. The beach was great though and they have the cutest little harbour! You can sit on the foreshore by the boat ramp and harbourside playground and watch a dinky little passenger ferry chug its way from one side of the harbour to the other (which isn't very far). On the other side of the harbour is Cook's Beach and it provides a very pleasant view, having high, white cliffs bedecked with luxuriant trees. We found a cafe in a prime spot on the foreshore. I think the cafe is quite new and it was a bit weird as it has been set up inside what used to be someone's modest seafront abode. The layout of cabinets and counters inside the cafe was strange and poky and their range of food was limited but we decided to lunch there as it was in such a nice spot.I had a toasted panini filled with chicken and peppers which was tasty enough but a bit dry. Spouse had a pie which he declared was good and then we shared a vanilla slice which was DIVINE! It was very pleasant sitting there and watching the harbourside comings and goings but I hope the cafe lifts its game by summertime.They are in prime position and are going to be frantic!
When we had finished eating, we checked our watches and it was still only about 12.30 so we got back into the car and drove to Hahei Beach where we planned to stay the night. This is another cute beachside community and it has a homelier, more authentic Kiwi atmosphere than Whitianga.We checked out the Hahei Beach Holiday Park which has a range of accomodation from campsites to beachside villas. Booked ourselves into a groundfloor, beachside villa which was ultra-new and clean as a new pin and changed into our walking shoes in preparation for a visit to Cathedral Cove which Christa had told us was a 'must see'.From Hahei Beach it is a short 5 minute drive over a hill and round a few corners until you get to the carpark from where you start your hike down to Cathedral Cove. This takes 45mins each way but the track is really good, being a mixture of boardwalk, wooden steps and gravel/dirt footpath.Thankfully, it has about an equal amount of up and down and a lot of the time you are walking beneath bush which is conveniently shady.
I trundled along, being passed by numerous other people who had started well behind me.Many of them were young and/or overseas tourists and snatches of their indecipherable conversations floated about my ears and through the trees like playful birds making me feel younger and more joyful.You can't help feeling lighter can you, than when surrounded by young people, particularly when they are handsome and pretty, and are prancing about cheerfully in their summer clothing like butterflies? Pretty soon, I heard shoooshing waves and shrieks of delight coming up through the trees, and, tiptoeing carefully down about 50 steep wooden steps, I finally reached the beach!
Words fail me when I try to describe what it is like to be at Cathedral Cove. Paradise would almost work, but even that is not adequate.I can only describe the place as being ' a spiritual experience'.I had one of those "God, I'm so blessed to have been born to this land!Oh, how, I love you, my most wondrous country!" moments.There were hordes of people there of course, and we were all suffering from the same kind of spell.It was one of the most magical and happy places to be.If you have ever wondered what the French mean when they talk about 'joie de vivre', go to Cathedral Cove and watch people who are there.Then, you will understand.
Eventually, I found my spouse (he had left me behind, as usual, during the hike to the beach), but I spotted him perched on a log, tinkering with his lenses.
After about an hour of admiring the views and taking photos, we began the return hike which strangely, seemed so much quicker and easier than the first half .Back at the motel we had a cup of tea and spouse announced his intention to spend the rest of the day resting. I read a few more chapters about Harry Bosch (The Black Ice) but by 3.30pm was struck by cabin fever."Wake up!" I ordered.'It's a gorgeous afternoon and it may rain tomorrow.We are going to Hot Water Beach! I'll drive!" He grumbled and protested but we set forth.
What do you know, in no time at all, we were arriving at another cute little beach community.Spouse grumbled because there was a fee to enter the carpark and produced some dark mutterings along the lines of, "I hope Hot Water Beach turns into Burnt Bum Bay for some people!" However, the beach was alive with more tourist butterflies in various degrees of undress, so his mood quickly improved.So rapidly did it improve in fact, that he actually offered to piggygback me over a stream! However, I do not wish to spend my declining years caring for a paraplegic, so I refused!
We followed throngs of spade-carrying people down the beach in the direction of a large, rocky headland around which, it appeared, we would have to walk in order to reach the part of the beach where you can dig to find the hot water seepages.Well, that was easier said than done because although it was close to low tide, an off-shore wind was boofing up the most gnarly waves and sending breakers tumbling a long way up the beach.Everyone on the beach though was hurling themselves around the rocks like demented lemmings,so of course we followed.Result: I got wet up to the waist and declared that, "Hot Water Beach is part of the Cold Arse Coast!!" On the other side of the headland the beach looked like the Somme-On-Viagra.It was littered with piles of sand and potholes,into which people were trying to wedge their feet and bums.Not a single person found even a hint of warmth but nevertheless we were all having the most marvellous time.
Eventually though, the stream of demented lemmings did an about-face and we all began ambling back towards the warm dryness of our cars/houses.Dinner that night was pizza and mussel fritters from the takeaway shop at Hahei Beach. What an action packed day it had been!
Boy, lots of money has been spent in this neck of the woods, and quite recently too.They have lots of new streets, footpaths and shops in Whitianga, including a huge Countdown supermarket and Warehouse (not necessarily a good thing!). There are numerous flash houses and a number of older, aging homes but the lack of large trees and super-abundance of new infrastructure meant the township had a slightly soul-less feel. The beach was great though and they have the cutest little harbour! You can sit on the foreshore by the boat ramp and harbourside playground and watch a dinky little passenger ferry chug its way from one side of the harbour to the other (which isn't very far). On the other side of the harbour is Cook's Beach and it provides a very pleasant view, having high, white cliffs bedecked with luxuriant trees. We found a cafe in a prime spot on the foreshore. I think the cafe is quite new and it was a bit weird as it has been set up inside what used to be someone's modest seafront abode. The layout of cabinets and counters inside the cafe was strange and poky and their range of food was limited but we decided to lunch there as it was in such a nice spot.I had a toasted panini filled with chicken and peppers which was tasty enough but a bit dry. Spouse had a pie which he declared was good and then we shared a vanilla slice which was DIVINE! It was very pleasant sitting there and watching the harbourside comings and goings but I hope the cafe lifts its game by summertime.They are in prime position and are going to be frantic!
When we had finished eating, we checked our watches and it was still only about 12.30 so we got back into the car and drove to Hahei Beach where we planned to stay the night. This is another cute beachside community and it has a homelier, more authentic Kiwi atmosphere than Whitianga.We checked out the Hahei Beach Holiday Park which has a range of accomodation from campsites to beachside villas. Booked ourselves into a groundfloor, beachside villa which was ultra-new and clean as a new pin and changed into our walking shoes in preparation for a visit to Cathedral Cove which Christa had told us was a 'must see'.From Hahei Beach it is a short 5 minute drive over a hill and round a few corners until you get to the carpark from where you start your hike down to Cathedral Cove. This takes 45mins each way but the track is really good, being a mixture of boardwalk, wooden steps and gravel/dirt footpath.Thankfully, it has about an equal amount of up and down and a lot of the time you are walking beneath bush which is conveniently shady.
I trundled along, being passed by numerous other people who had started well behind me.Many of them were young and/or overseas tourists and snatches of their indecipherable conversations floated about my ears and through the trees like playful birds making me feel younger and more joyful.You can't help feeling lighter can you, than when surrounded by young people, particularly when they are handsome and pretty, and are prancing about cheerfully in their summer clothing like butterflies? Pretty soon, I heard shoooshing waves and shrieks of delight coming up through the trees, and, tiptoeing carefully down about 50 steep wooden steps, I finally reached the beach!
Words fail me when I try to describe what it is like to be at Cathedral Cove. Paradise would almost work, but even that is not adequate.I can only describe the place as being ' a spiritual experience'.I had one of those "God, I'm so blessed to have been born to this land!Oh, how, I love you, my most wondrous country!" moments.There were hordes of people there of course, and we were all suffering from the same kind of spell.It was one of the most magical and happy places to be.If you have ever wondered what the French mean when they talk about 'joie de vivre', go to Cathedral Cove and watch people who are there.Then, you will understand.
Eventually, I found my spouse (he had left me behind, as usual, during the hike to the beach), but I spotted him perched on a log, tinkering with his lenses.
What do you know, in no time at all, we were arriving at another cute little beach community.Spouse grumbled because there was a fee to enter the carpark and produced some dark mutterings along the lines of, "I hope Hot Water Beach turns into Burnt Bum Bay for some people!" However, the beach was alive with more tourist butterflies in various degrees of undress, so his mood quickly improved.So rapidly did it improve in fact, that he actually offered to piggygback me over a stream! However, I do not wish to spend my declining years caring for a paraplegic, so I refused!
We followed throngs of spade-carrying people down the beach in the direction of a large, rocky headland around which, it appeared, we would have to walk in order to reach the part of the beach where you can dig to find the hot water seepages.Well, that was easier said than done because although it was close to low tide, an off-shore wind was boofing up the most gnarly waves and sending breakers tumbling a long way up the beach.Everyone on the beach though was hurling themselves around the rocks like demented lemmings,so of course we followed.Result: I got wet up to the waist and declared that, "Hot Water Beach is part of the Cold Arse Coast!!" On the other side of the headland the beach looked like the Somme-On-Viagra.It was littered with piles of sand and potholes,into which people were trying to wedge their feet and bums.Not a single person found even a hint of warmth but nevertheless we were all having the most marvellous time.
Eventually though, the stream of demented lemmings did an about-face and we all began ambling back towards the warm dryness of our cars/houses.Dinner that night was pizza and mussel fritters from the takeaway shop at Hahei Beach. What an action packed day it had been!
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