Bimbling along through Hunua Regional Park

Sunday proved to be a perfect tramping day with some of our favorite people -  Carol and Sue and our favorite 4-legged friend, Archie.  We headed to Maraitai and Duder Regional Park --- the park where we get to roam with the sheep.  But to our dismay, Archie was not allowed.  We did a "think" and decided to drive through Clevedon for a cuppa and a little retail therapy and then onward to Hunua Park.  David and I have wanted to explore this park --- We aborted an attempt when we first arrived due to navigational difficulties and extreme rainy conditions.

At the very start of our tramp, this pix captures the spirit of the day.  Yes --- Carol is pretending to be behind bars ----- Hmmmmmm --- Is this perhaps what she is thinking about as she returns to work tomorrow after a 2 week holiday?

Hunua Falls!

What a perfect day!

We did the Cossey Gorge Track and the Massey Track.  This gives you an idea of the impressive native forest.  I just love all these ferns.  We are under the canopy of the fern trees and other trees which makes these tracks so pleasant.  Although the track was steep in parts the shade tempers the heat.

             There was even an area with giant kauri trees.  These always just strike you with awe!  Imagine when New Zealand was just covered with these trees.  No wonder they work so hard to preserve the ones they have and nurture new growth.

                  Archie is tilting his head as if to say, "What another picture?  Give a guy a break!"

Cossey  Reservoir

A bird on a wire!  But what bird?  A Kingfisher!  (I know you are wondering where that wire came from…) As you leave the dam, you walk along a road before entering the forest again ----- thus the wires overhead.

And every great tramp has a stream crossing.  David was feeling pretty cocky here --- in total control of these stepping stones.  Carol, Sue and I bimbled across with Archie loving the cool-down for his paws.

Starving at the end of our tramp, we made it back to Maraitai where most restaurants were already closing for the day.  We settled on the patio of a Mediterranean restaurant and enjoyed a scrumptious lunch/dinner overlooking the beach.

Aaaaaah --- what a life!

So have you figured out what my new favorite word "bimble" means?

Buzzing Bees to Buzzing Beaches

This past weekend was a regular life-on-the-island weekend.  Feeling compelled to write a blog since I haven't missed a weekend since starting ---- Here goes.

Friday started the weekend with a Holiday Party  at a Thai Restaurant for all the Zumba Classes at the Center.  We laughed our way through family stories as we celebrated staying fit.

After an intense zumba class for Nancy, these little piggies went up to market on Saturday where they bumped into neighbors and walking club buddies while stopping for a "cuppa" in the corner Coffee Shop.  Several errands later they collapsed on their mini couch for a think on how to attach a make-shift screen for the dining room window.  Velcro dots --- flexible screening ---- Voila!  A pretty awesome screen!

Now onto dinner at a teacher friend's home.  David was in for a new adventure.  The husband's hobby is bees. --- Yes --- David put on the full bee keeper garb and examined the hive with our new friend.   I wish I had my camera - words just can't do justice to this one.  A zillion questions and answers later we sat down to a scrumptious dinner with their whole family.  We left with a jar of their honey.

Sunday was 77 degrees --- a perfect day for exploring the North Shore.

Yes  David got his tootsies wet!  Notice Rangitoto Mountain in the background.  These beaches are more for swimming and have bigger waves.  These are bays right on the Pacific Ocean.

Yes I walked in the water also ---- I guess it's time to get out the swim suits --- the weather seems to have changed overnight.  

A long view of Takapuna Beach.  This photo doesn't do justice and the beach was actually crowded by New Zealand standards.  We traveled up this coast all the way to Browns Bay, another very popular swimming beach.

It never fails to amaze me how different all the coast lines are on the North Island.  Our little Howick Beach has low water levels even at high tide, although people still swim at high tide.  It is great for playing in and kayaking.  

We have much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving All

Midnight Madness to Waiheke Madness

Friday night was pizza night at the Rangitoto Cottage.   I seem to have mastered the art of making whole wheat pizza dough and rather enjoy rolling it out with a wine bottle.  Four pizza pies ready for toppings filled every inch of counter top.  Our guests brought a variety of toppings --- olives, pepperoni,  
peppers, onions, grilled eggplant, mushrooms, cheeses, and Carol's anchovies.  Wine flowed aplenty as we chatted and shared stories.    And then on to Midnight Madness at the town center.  The main street of Howick was closed to traffic and filled with  music and party goers.  Stores put some of their wares on the sidewalk and Christmas displays were lit up.  It is weird to even think about Christmas as the temperatures rise to 72 balmy degrees.

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny warm day so we headed to Waiheke Island for a long hike.  I made another friend on the ferry.  She is originally from Korea and has lived in Auckland for 20 years.  She was going to bring her husband a picnic lunch since he went over early to go fishing.  She told David I was beautiful so she is now my new best friend.  I complimented her nice big visor so she is meeting me in Howick to give me one.  We laughed for an hour as we shared stories.  David said the ferry seems to be a friend magnet for me.  Here is a pix of Lola, the first friend I met months ago on the ferry, who has become a close friend.

She is starting a garden in the yard of her flat and has just found more containers along the streets of Howick during inorganic trash week. (People get rid of all their junk and the city picks it up once a year - people usually scrounge through the stuff first)  It's a great way to clear out your house and garage but the town looks bizarre while this is happening -- big piles along the sidewalks.

We discovered a couple of these arty chairs as we trekked to the start of our trail.  Pretty much this is how we were feeling ---- a bit more like relaxing…

But we popped those backpacks on our backs and headed up the track by Matiatia wharf.  

Another view of the wharf from atop the ridge across from this.  Apparently I needed a break because I just kept taking pretty much the same picture.  Hmmmmmm

I always seem to find a friend  

What better place to stop for tea time!

Yes, that's me amongst the bush.  Notice the pathways that are weaved in throughout these hikes.  It was great to have some relief from the heat when walking through the forested areas.  This became a very hot day.  We came across a group of teens with an adult counselor that were really struggling with the steep inclines and the heat.  (lots of whining as we passed by)  Oh yeah we just scurried right by those young whippersnappers…

                                                 View of Church Bay in the distance

We finish the track and think an "iced something" is close at hand when you realize you have another hour walk into town.  No worries.  Of course a nice gentleman offered us a ride.  But David declined it.
All I could say was "what? what?" as I watched our ride fade in the distance….

After dinner we grabbed the luxury ferry back to Half Moon Bay where I was lulled to sleep.

Sunday was recuperation and errand day.  Another flip flops day --- so I guess we are moving into summer!

Here is a picture of some of the folks in my art class.  This has become such a fun time of week.  We enjoy each other's company and encourage each other's art.  The perfect atmosphere for trying something new.

Here is the painting my teacher thinks I should enter into the student art show - contrasting a blind contour drawing with a water color painting of the same flower.

I don't know -- I'm playing with learning how to let the water and paints do the work instead of just coloring everything in ----- much harder than it looks.

Here's another one I played with during the week.

I can't believe I'm actually uploading these to this blog but it just gives you an idea of what I'm doing in the water color class ---- so much to learn and practice.

Kia Ora

Happy Hour Haven

Friday Night we gathered at a friend's house to begin our excursion to the Harris' Beach House.  The love for the Awhitu Peninsula was evident in the way Carolyn talks about every aspect of this section of New Zealand and how generously she shares her beloved Beach House.  After a stop for fish and chips we curved our way through incredible country  --- rolling hills,  deep valleys,  sheep, cows, goats, rabbits, forests, vast coastlines ---- nature at its best to arrive at "a little peace of paradise" at the tip of the Awhitu Peninsula.

Holiday homes in New Zealand are referred to as a "bach"  but this was NO simple bach ----- This was a true beach house equipped with an incredible kitchen perfect for counter gatherings and chats that could last for hours, a perfect master bedroom, comfortable lounge, perfect bathroom, and a dormitory room upstairs built for the 7 dwarfs with 7 single beds covered with exquisite handmade quilts and colorful sheets.  I felt like Snow White as I choose my bed and could almost hear the chant of the 7 dwarfs as they clambered into their beds.  It was so cool!!

Carolyn, Steve and Katie are generous kiwis and their beach house is a gathering place for friends and family.  We were treated with a traditional kiwi dinner of lamb roast, roasted potatoes and kumara, carrots and asparagus and topped with pavlova, a very special dessert made with a merange covered with whipped cream and home grown strawberries ----- I'll just say "Yummmmmmmmmm"

Carolyn placing the bottom part of the pavlova into the oven for its slow bake.

                                             Katie in the lounge resting her broken ankle.

Steve and Carolyn the hostesses with the mostess!

Oh Yeah ---- Happy Hour began at 4:00 with nibbles and drinks and games or in this case puzzle time!

Big Bay Beach is a mere 5 minutes from the beach house.

After dinner Carolyn walked on the deck and saw a huge fire at the Holiday Park up the hill.  This picture doesn't do it justice but does capture the fireworks that were also going off.  The bottom fire was a huge bonfire.  This was a Guy Fawkes Celebration which is really celebrated on Nov. 5th but extends through the whole week.  This is also called Bonfire and Fireworks Night as people celebrate the Gunpowder  Plot of 1605 in the UK.  Guy Fawkes tried to place explosives beneath the HOuse of Lords  to kill King James 1 but was not successful.  This holiday was exported to New Zealand and has become bonfire and fireworks night.  David, Steve, and Katie went up to check it out since from the deck the bonfire looked out of control but all was cool --- just a crazy happy crowd celebrating...

As our relaxing weekend was coming to an end we stopped at the Manukau Heads Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula.  We were able to go into the lighthouse, climb the stairs, and walk along the balcony on top ---- so cool.

View of the infamous Manukau Bar which is the grave of NZ greatest maritime tragedy when the HMS Orpheus ran aground on the tidal sandbar in 1863.  189 lives were lost.

Manukau Heads Lighthouse

The new lighthouse keeper!

Back to the rolling hills before heading back to Auckland!

A toast to the Harris family for sharing their paradise with us!

Swinging Bridges to a long tunnel

We ended our three day long weekend with a don't miss experience --- the Karangahake Gorge!  Another look into the gold mining past of New Zealand led us to cross the rivers on amazing swing bridges with wondrous scenery and amazing trails.  These pictures will do the talking:

Are you thinking I really liked the bridges?  I just didn't know what was coming...

You want me to keep going?!  Now the flash lit this up but it was DARK and SPOOKY ---- I did have a torch (Kiwi's term for flashlight) with me.  This tunnel goes on for a full kilometer.  Oh Yeah!  David kept referring to me as "Panic Mouse" --- I don't know why.....

David heading out for a day in the mine!

I just love how silver these ferns look.

Before leaving the Gorge we happened upon the Scotsman's Gully where I found our new home.

The several tracks we were able to explore here at Karangahake Gorge were some of our best yet.  

I will fast forward to our next weekend and include a few photos from downtown Auckland.  A cancelled excursion with the Howick Travel Club turned into a full day of exploring downtown Auckland.  Boarding the bus in Howick we embarked on a full day.  Here are some highlights.

Waitemata Harbour

Sculpture along the North Wharf near the Wynyard Quarter.  We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch at Jack Tar's bistro along this wharf.

St. Matthew's Cathedral --- Central Auckland

Inside the Old Civic Theater

Beautiful Archway in Aotea Square

Popping Flowers Installation at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki.  These flowers actually pop out and then deflate some -- pretty cool to watch.  This museum has a wide variety of art collections.  Currently there is an exhibition entitled Freedom Farmers with contemporary art from New Zealand artists exploring the ideas of utopia, sustainability and artistic freedom - some unusual and inventive art!

We completed our weekend with a long walk from Howick Beach, along Mellons Bay Beach and ending at Eastern Beach.  Yes the weather gods were on our side again!

And here the joys of springtime in New Zealand brought inside

Kia Ora