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| I nipped back up the road for my last pic of the Te Araroa bay |
Breakfast was Friday's last doughnut preceded by Saturday's chips!
I christened the new toothbrush, did some washing & hung it around the car to dry.
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| Not a clue where this is, but it made a nice pic |
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| I think this is somewhere near Cape Runaway? |
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| More pink pampas growing wild. Somewhere S of Cape Runaway, I think? |
During the time the SH35 was away from the coast I saw some brown cattle wandering all over the road so stopped at the next (very small) house.
After a bit of banging a Maori guy came to the door. He had a Lot of hair & beard, looked oldish, but sounded much younger. I told him about the cattle & went on my way.
East of Potaka I saw a runner going my way. Whoever it was looked fit & lean from behind but when I checked them out in the wing-mirror he had a big Santa-style beard & a brown face not a ruddy one :-)
My notes mention the wildlife (& the deadlife ;-p), & say there were a lot of magpies & a "few recently dead possums: ie not yet squashed". They also mention a letter box saying T Pook lived there. Had it been P Took it would have been even funnier (Lord of the Rings reference for those unacquainted with Peregrine Took!).
In case you were wondering, I did actually stop a few times to write some notes, & was also keeping my eye open to the left for Hikurangi, but I was too far north to see it again. My notes also say that by "0905 had only done 33K".
The notes - surprising readable today ;-), mention rocks in Waihau Bay, so these must be they.
The notes - surprising readable today ;-), mention rocks in Waihau Bay, so these must be they.
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| 0920 at Waihau Bay |
As is often the case, they were more interesting in the flesh, as it were, but it's not a bad pic.
I had a coffee & Rule10 stop at Waihau
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| Waihau Bay Lodge I got a price for accom.: $60 for 1 B&B & $15 camping! |
Bay Lodge & took details of the prices ~ just in case I ever came back this way.
It is a lovely
spot :-D
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| The catch of the day ~ King Fish |
I took a few more pics after my coffee ~ during which I'd plugged the camera into the Samsung hoping to get a bit of charge!
Outside, the fishermen were doing their stuff with fish caught that morning, & while chatting to a local about places to visit, he mentioned Anaura Bay. Sadly it was way back along the SH35 & south of Tokumaru Bay, so I'm unlikely to ever see it :-(
I set off again at 1025 & took the next pic at Wairuru ~ just north of the Raukokore River.
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| Post ice cream |
A bit further on, there was a little shop offering ice cream so I stopped me & bought one :-q
That's a bit of a play on words for
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| Pic courtesy of Alamy |
I also bought a bacon butty & a bottle of L&P (Lemon & Paeroa).
Eating 1/2 the butty during my drive & the radio on AM (FM was no good this far from anywhere with a mast!), there was a programme about Feng Shui. Later on there was a radio debate about the new vs old NZ flag.
Passing through Te Kaha at 1105 & over the Motu Bridge at 1145, I spent 5 min or so getting the pic below from the bridge.
Next stop was Opotiki & I remember having a wander round the shops when I arrived at 1240.
Making my way through Ohope, I went as far as I could along Harbour Rd. to find there was a car park, a boat ramp, & a lovely walk along the sand spit, so off I went.
I took a path through the scrub & cut off along a little beach running along the north shore of the harbour.
My notes don't say, but I remember seeing a set of barefooted prints
in the damp sand & thinking of Robinson Crusoe & Man Friday.
I followed the feet for a bit & then decided I should make my way back to the car ~
I wanted to see the famous Ohope Beach before heading into Whakatane. I went back towards town along Ocean Rd., & found the beach went along the length of the spit.
Ocean Rd had dunes between it & the sea, so I pulled over and had a sandy walk for a quick pic of Moutohora from the eastern end of the beach.
Ocean Rd ended with a left onto Te Akau St, & from there I took a right onto Pohutukawa Ave & found the bit of beach where all the promo photos were taken at the end of West End Rd.
Maybe next time?
While we were chatting there were various games being played on the sand, including a game of 5s Touch. It was mostly lads, but a couple of girls were running around as well.
Before I drove to Whakatane I checked out the craft & gift shops in Ohope: I was still lusting after a mere!
I also treated myself to a Kapiti Ice Cream - triple choc & ginger nut! Yum yum yum!
If it had been possible to drive round Kohi Point, I'd've gone that way to Whakatane, but it was only a walking track, so maybe I'll do it next time, eh? ;-D
Knowing where Karibu was from my trip in 2014, I found it again easily & checked in.
I was in a triple dorm, but there was only me in it.
Fellow guests were Craig, Jenny & a couple of German girls who kept much to themselves
I knew from last time that it was a bit of a walk into town, so after putting food in the fridge I took the car. I wanted gifts for Katie who was cat-sitting Opal & Kunoichi, & I was still after that mere I'd been lusting for ever since I'd first seen one in Wellington in 2009.
In town I had a brew at The Craic ~ an Irish Pub, & found a lovely present for Katie in a gift shop called Sea Breeze on The Strand. It was a paua pendant, & she loved it :-D
There was also a very unusual pale green mere for $650, which was a lot of dosh, so needed thinking about. I told the lady who was minding the store for the owner that I may be back next morning!
Back at Karibu, I cooked a bit of tea & checked my Es while the Lumix, NZ mobile & the Nokia were all charging.
I saw I'd had an E from Andy (the German guy I'd met on the Royal Clipper) which queried a photo on my Facebook page.
So I had a look.
Bloody hell!
I'd been hacked, & some bugger* had uploaded a photo of a brunette wearing a navy blue negligee onto my page. I sent a complaining E to Facebook telling them to get it removed.
By the time everything was charged & I had replied to various Es, it was after 0130 when I went to bed.
* Bugger being my 2nd choice of phrase! The 1st relating to folk without fathers!
My notes say I was up before 8 & 'marched out' after porridge & coffee. The heiroglyphics actually say "after porridge w SVF hilibis & coffee". Any clues anyone??? ;-p
I had a fair distance to go that day - I was booked in at the Barmy Bellbird (at Lake Tarawera more than 180K away), & I wanted to visit the hot pools in Mt Maunganui for a soak.
Meanwhile, there was a mere to buy :-D
So I did, & Sue (the owner of Sea Breeze) gave me some info about it on a card. It said,the carver was a guy called Maka who lived on an island.
Sue's E-address was on the card, so I E'd her with a pic of it & asked for a bit more info.
This is what we said:
Subject: A mere I bought from you carved by Maka
Hi Sue
So now I know, & found Maka's island on Gmaps :-)
I will copy this blog to Sue - once done, & hope she expresses my thanks to Maka for his awesome mere.
Technically, the pounamu was flawed, but that made it really unusual, so (thank god for credit cards ;-p ) I bought it.
Isn't it awesome?
The new mere safely stashed, I left Whakatane at 1005 & got to Mt Maunganui an hour & 20 min later.
Having put $40 in when I'd gone through Te Puke, there was only room for $32, but at least I was full ready for my adventure down the SH38's route through the hinterland the next day.
shown to a lovely double bedroom with a hugh high bed.
Eating 1/2 the butty during my drive & the radio on AM (FM was no good this far from anywhere with a mast!), there was a programme about Feng Shui. Later on there was a radio debate about the new vs old NZ flag.
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| From the Motu bridge looking inland ~ it took me ages to find this in Gmaps street view! |
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| Moutohora Island off Opotiki |
Next stop was Opotiki & I remember having a wander round the shops when I arrived at 1240.
I'd done 157K.
My notes say I took the Motouhora Islnd pic from Opotiki Wharf, but I can't see the viewpoint where I'd been standing on Gmaps. Duh :-(
I ate the other 1/2 of the bacon butty in Opotiki & washed it down with some L&P before leaving to go to Ohope at 1340.
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| Near the south edge of Ohiwa Harbour from the car |
The road went along the edge of Ohiwa Harbour which I'd noted during my drive in the opposite direction in December 2014.
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| The end of my walk on the Ohope Sand Spit looking across the entrance to Ohiwa Harbour towards Opotiki |
Making my way through Ohope, I went as far as I could along Harbour Rd. to find there was a car park, a boat ramp, & a lovely walk along the sand spit, so off I went.
I took a path through the scrub & cut off along a little beach running along the north shore of the harbour.
My notes don't say, but I remember seeing a set of barefooted prints
 |
| Looking south into the lagoon towards central NI |
I followed the feet for a bit & then decided I should make my way back to the car ~
 |
| Looking NW towards Moutohora Island from Ohope Beach |
I wanted to see the famous Ohope Beach before heading into Whakatane. I went back towards town along Ocean Rd., & found the beach went along the length of the spit.
Ocean Rd had dunes between it & the sea, so I pulled over and had a sandy walk for a quick pic of Moutohora from the eastern end of the beach.
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| The west end of Ohope Beach. The start of Kohi Point is on the left |
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| Schoolkids having PE on the beach. Nice job if you can get it! |
I parked up thinking about a swim, but the day wasn't at all sunny at this point, so I just stood & watched while chatting to a bloke from Kent who was overseeing the kids on the beach.
We chatted for nearly an hour, & I didn't even have a paddle!
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| A game of touch rugby 5s was going on |
While we were chatting there were various games being played on the sand, including a game of 5s Touch. It was mostly lads, but a couple of girls were running around as well.
Before I drove to Whakatane I checked out the craft & gift shops in Ohope: I was still lusting after a mere!
I also treated myself to a Kapiti Ice Cream - triple choc & ginger nut! Yum yum yum!
If it had been possible to drive round Kohi Point, I'd've gone that way to Whakatane, but it was only a walking track, so maybe I'll do it next time, eh? ;-D
Knowing where Karibu was from my trip in 2014, I found it again easily & checked in.
I was in a triple dorm, but there was only me in it.
Fellow guests were Craig, Jenny & a couple of German girls who kept much to themselves
I knew from last time that it was a bit of a walk into town, so after putting food in the fridge I took the car. I wanted gifts for Katie who was cat-sitting Opal & Kunoichi, & I was still after that mere I'd been lusting for ever since I'd first seen one in Wellington in 2009.
In town I had a brew at The Craic ~ an Irish Pub, & found a lovely present for Katie in a gift shop called Sea Breeze on The Strand. It was a paua pendant, & she loved it :-D
There was also a very unusual pale green mere for $650, which was a lot of dosh, so needed thinking about. I told the lady who was minding the store for the owner that I may be back next morning!
Back at Karibu, I cooked a bit of tea & checked my Es while the Lumix, NZ mobile & the Nokia were all charging.
I saw I'd had an E from Andy (the German guy I'd met on the Royal Clipper) which queried a photo on my Facebook page.
So I had a look.
Bloody hell!
I'd been hacked, & some bugger* had uploaded a photo of a brunette wearing a navy blue negligee onto my page. I sent a complaining E to Facebook telling them to get it removed.
By the time everything was charged & I had replied to various Es, it was after 0130 when I went to bed.
* Bugger being my 2nd choice of phrase! The 1st relating to folk without fathers!
March 15th: Mt Mauganui revisited, & to Tarawera via Rotoroa
I had a fair distance to go that day - I was booked in at the Barmy Bellbird (at Lake Tarawera more than 180K away), & I wanted to visit the hot pools in Mt Maunganui for a soak.
Meanwhile, there was a mere to buy :-D
So I did, & Sue (the owner of Sea Breeze) gave me some info about it on a card. It said,the carver was a guy called Maka who lived on an island.
Sue's E-address was on the card, so I E'd her with a pic of it & asked for a bit more info.
This is what we said:
Subject: A mere I bought from you carved by Maka
Hi Sue
It was this one on March 15th 2016:
You wrote on one of your cards ~ "Carver of Mere Maka "Pounamu" Island"
I want to include the detail in a blog I'm writing about my NZ trip nearly 3 years ago, so would really appreciate any extra info you can tell me.
Cheers & thanks a lot
Shirley
Blackpool UK
Hi Shirley The piece was carved on Ohakana Island in Ohiwa Harbour which is part of Ohope beach . Good luck with your travel blog . Kind regards , Sue, Sea Breeze
I will copy this blog to Sue - once done, & hope she expresses my thanks to Maka for his awesome mere.
Technically, the pounamu was flawed, but that made it really unusual, so (thank god for credit cards ;-p ) I bought it.
Isn't it awesome?
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| My Mere, hanging in my lounge I love it xxx |
Parking the car near to the hot pools complex, I was in the water by 1150 ~ wonderful :-)
In the 38 - 40 degree pool I had a long chat with a South African lady - nearly an hour, & had a massage booked for 1345. Even more wonderful.
I went back to get my camera at some point in the proceedings & took pics of the info boards so I wouldn't have to remember!
Hope you find them as interesting as I did.
I went back to get my camera at some point in the proceedings & took pics of the info boards so I wouldn't have to remember!
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| Info 1 |
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| Info 2 |
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| Info 3 |
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| Info 4 |
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| Info 5 |
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| Info 6 |
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| One of the pools with Mt Maunganui behind |
After chatting to locals & the masseuse, I found there were walks on the Mount, but I didn't have time to go.
As usual, it was 'maybe next time', which at the time of writing will be September 2019 prior to travelling on to the RWC in Japan.
The massage was great, & as I had managed to write up some notes from Kapiti Island and the 10th, as well as have a lovely hot soak, it was a fruitful & relaxing few hours.
Showered & dried off OK (remember I'd forgotten to pack a towel? Duh), I finally left town at 1440 for Rotoroa with 132800 on the clock.
Once there I walked around the shops for about an hour.
I was looking for a pink paua cross for Katie, but had no luck. Still, at least I had the stuff I'd got from Sea Breeze in Whakatane & the T-shirt from Hawera.
After a quick shop in Pac&Save I called Gwen, my host at the Barmy Bellbird on the shores of Lake Tarawera.
I was looking for a pink paua cross for Katie, but had no luck. Still, at least I had the stuff I'd got from Sea Breeze in Whakatane & the T-shirt from Hawera.
After a quick shop in Pac&Save I called Gwen, my host at the Barmy Bellbird on the shores of Lake Tarawera.
She invited me to tea, which was great, & gave me directions from where I was.
There was a petrol station attached to the supermarket, & I had a $4 discount code to use, so I topped up to find the code didn't work. Bum!
A quick call on the helpline there told me they were different to the one in Whakatane :-/
Ah well. Win some, lose some.
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| Not sure, but I think this is a view of Lake Tarawera? |
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| The Barmy Bellbird bush |
Having put $40 in when I'd gone through Te Puke, there was only room for $32, but at least I was full ready for my adventure down the SH38's route through the hinterland the next day.
I followed Gwen's directions, but missed Barmy Bellbird on 1st pass as it wasn't signed.
A kind lady doing her garden a bit further on put me right, & back down the road I saw Gwen was waiting to greet me at the top of her drive, & I pulled in going up for 6.
Gwen's Dutch partner, Mario, came out to meet me & I was
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| There were lovely trees in the garden :-) |
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| Mario on the deck |
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| Gwen & Mario preparing dinner |
Dinner was imminent, so I dumped my overnight bag & went to offer a bit of help.
I was in my short shorts, a mucky T-shirt & had oily hair from the massage, so I wasn't exactly dressed for dinner!
We had a very tasty sausage stew with rice & peas followed by galia melon & creamy chocolate things.
I'd got the vioignier shiraz I'd been saving for a treat from the car, & that went down well, too :-q
Gwen & Mario were lovely people & we shared a potted history of our lives until about 9 whereupon we all went to bed.
I say about 9 because the dead watch was still dead (remember it died on Kapiti Island?), & the mob was in the car.
Gwen had shown me I could shower virtually al fresco ~ the ensiute was open to the garden via a sliding door. However, I didn't want biting by bugs so I kept it shut!
I went to sleep fairly quickly, but woke itching so got up & creamed. I seem to be especially allergic to NZ bugs!
Next day was a trip across country to Lake Wakaremoana down the SH38, so I was hopeful of an early start.
But that's another story!
OAO
