Gannet Colony, Murawai Beach
Sunset reflected in the wet sand at Muriwai Beach
Morepork
Sat. we drove north with a fuzzy plan to visit the Goat Island Marine Reserve. We decided not to try for the Bay of Islands because we didn't want to spend all day in the car.
We stopped in a town called Warkworth to talk to the tourist info office about where to walk and get a more detailed map. While I was there, Rich walked down to look at a boat on the river and it turned out the Maritime Museum was having a steam boat regatta. We hung around talking to people and admiring the boats and managed to cadge a ride on one for a short trip down the river and back. The one we rode on uses used cooking oil, although others use coal. Serendipity and a great start to our day.
We were dismayed to find Goat Island beach fairly crowded with divers and snorkelers, but there were only 3 other people on the walk we took along the north end of the point. The day felt like being inside that famous Hopper painting with blue, blue water and white, white sails. Continuous views of sailboats against Little Barrier Island and other islands. After our walk, we were hot and more than ready to swim. Even with Rich's swim goggles, we saw lots of big fish while swimming out to the island and back.
Then we drove over to Pakiri beach with nesting dotterels and white sand and walked till we were tired with lots more beach to go. We drove back south to see another peninsula, stopping just to look at Matheson Bay, which turned out to be another perfect spot: picnic tables scattered on grass, small cove with rocks to walk out on, views of islands and boats, clear blue water, river with bridge, playground, toilets with shower to wash off the sand, so of course we ended up walking out to the tide pools. We also got to throw a ball for someone else's black lab. We drove out to Tawharanui Sanctuary and were so tired that we were just going to look at the beach and drive back, but we walked out from the car park to look and again just said wow again. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous. So we ended up walking on the beach: low tide, sea caves, a kingfisher, interesting rock formations, crashing waves.
When we walked back it was sunset and we were the only ones still on the beach. On the drive home we stopped to stretch at Orewa Beach. I was too tired to move, the moon was rising, and Rich said, let's just walk out to the water and make it a 5 beach day, so we did.
Sun. we went to the local Presbyterian church in Albany Village. They had an art exhibit of photos and paintings done by people in the congregation. Afterwards, we took the bus down to the Maritime Museum in Auckland. We'd booked a ride on the Ted Ashby, a reconstructed sailing scow, and had good wind for a sail under the harbour bridge and back. Saw someone bungy jumping off the bridge. It was Sun. afternoon and there were lots of beautiful boats out. From our first visit to the museum, we got interested in Peter Blake, the kiwi national hero who won the Whitbread round-the-world race and the America's cup, and there was an exhibition about him that we were glad to explore in more detail since we are both reading his biography now. Afterwards we took a ferry over to Devonport to walk along the seawall and climb North Head, the stub of an old volcano that guards the entrance to Auckland Harbour with gun emplacements. An outstanding view from the top of all the yachts returning from their weekend island cruises. We saw the NZ America's cup entry sailing on her ear.
A bus stop in Auckland had a saying describing Auckland: "low-lying land, high skies, and wide water" and its motto is City of Sails. There are 53 volcanoes, one to climb every weekend + an extra, so it's a bit like Edinburgh where I tried to climb Arthur's Seat at least once a week. I climbed Mt. Eden last Wed. and we climbed North Head Sun. I'm hoping to take a ferry out to climb Rangitoto Island on Wed. if the weather is good. It's also like Edinburgh in that it's windy with fresh sea breezes most of the time, but it's 30 degrees warmer. For me it's perfect t-shirt weather 95% of the time, pretty much paradise.
We leave for Bangkok, Angkor Wat, and Laos Fri.
We stopped in a town called Warkworth to talk to the tourist info office about where to walk and get a more detailed map. While I was there, Rich walked down to look at a boat on the river and it turned out the Maritime Museum was having a steam boat regatta. We hung around talking to people and admiring the boats and managed to cadge a ride on one for a short trip down the river and back. The one we rode on uses used cooking oil, although others use coal. Serendipity and a great start to our day.
Steam boat regatta Warkworth
Engineer & steam engine
We were dismayed to find Goat Island beach fairly crowded with divers and snorkelers, but there were only 3 other people on the walk we took along the north end of the point. The day felt like being inside that famous Hopper painting with blue, blue water and white, white sails. Continuous views of sailboats against Little Barrier Island and other islands. After our walk, we were hot and more than ready to swim. Even with Rich's swim goggles, we saw lots of big fish while swimming out to the island and back.
Goat Island Marine Reserve: Snorkeling
Walk along the north side of peninsula
Then we drove over to Pakiri beach with nesting dotterels and white sand and walked till we were tired with lots more beach to go. We drove back south to see another peninsula, stopping just to look at Matheson Bay, which turned out to be another perfect spot: picnic tables scattered on grass, small cove with rocks to walk out on, views of islands and boats, clear blue water, river with bridge, playground, toilets with shower to wash off the sand, so of course we ended up walking out to the tide pools. We also got to throw a ball for someone else's black lab. We drove out to Tawharanui Sanctuary and were so tired that we were just going to look at the beach and drive back, but we walked out from the car park to look and again just said wow again. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous. So we ended up walking on the beach: low tide, sea caves, a kingfisher, interesting rock formations, crashing waves.
Sailboats against Kawau Island
Surf, Tawharanui Regional Park
Sun. we went to the local Presbyterian church in Albany Village. They had an art exhibit of photos and paintings done by people in the congregation. Afterwards, we took the bus down to the Maritime Museum in Auckland. We'd booked a ride on the Ted Ashby, a reconstructed sailing scow, and had good wind for a sail under the harbour bridge and back. Saw someone bungy jumping off the bridge. It was Sun. afternoon and there were lots of beautiful boats out. From our first visit to the museum, we got interested in Peter Blake, the kiwi national hero who won the Whitbread round-the-world race and the America's cup, and there was an exhibition about him that we were glad to explore in more detail since we are both reading his biography now. Afterwards we took a ferry over to Devonport to walk along the seawall and climb North Head, the stub of an old volcano that guards the entrance to Auckland Harbour with gun emplacements. An outstanding view from the top of all the yachts returning from their weekend island cruises. We saw the NZ America's cup entry sailing on her ear.
NZ America's Cup sailboat, Auckland Harbour
Sailboats with Rangitoto Island, from North Head
We leave for Bangkok, Angkor Wat, and Laos Fri.
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