Yesterday we stayed in KeriKeri at a bird sanctuary with 4 kiwis. Dark came and we turned on our red flashlights (torches they call them here), and began walking the trails looking for one. We sat at a bench...in the dark...in the woods. For those how know me well, know that I am not a fan of the night. We heard them call, but didn't see one.
After a few days with Shadow driving the car on the wrong side, I decided to take a turn. First off, you must constantly be on guard. One second off your game and you are making a turn in to on coming traffic. The shifter is on the left and so are the wipers. This means that when I want to turn using my blinker, which is on the right, I turn the wipers on instead. Luckily there isn't much traffic. It took a while to be comfortable traveling via wheels instead of feet, but in the last few days we have found our stride. For a time there I thought we might have made the wrong decision leaving the trail for our last few weeks here, but not now. We have taken every back road we see. Just like our trip to Maine a few years ago, every road leads to a small fishing town or quiet vacation community with outstanding beaches.
Today after hiking the only hill on the KariKari Peninsula with a great view we made our way down the other side to a hidden beach with rock caves big enough to walk through. We climbed the rock-walled cliff over a point and back to the car. The sand is getting more and more like the gulf and so is the water.
With a stiff wind blowing, Shadow and I bravely pulled out our training kite. Shadow tested the kite power and was pulled around a bit. I tried and ended up being lifted by the kite, catching the front edge of my tennis shoe, and face planted in the hard sand. We call that "eating pie".
For a time people made a living digging for Kauri tree gum. I'm not sure it's purpose or why it's so expensive, all I know is that we found some in the wild! Granted it's not shiny or round, but with some work it could be a nice pendant. It's surprisingly lite weight and the color of honey.
The last few days we have stayed in backpackers (hostels). For an extra $10 bucks you get a bed at these places, so why not. But tonight we are at the end of a gravel road near a silica beach where the sand was once used to make glass. It's the off season so no one else is here. Just us, 2 meat pies, a bottle of NZ red wine, and a couple Fantails (birds).
Kauri Cliffs Golf Course
St. Paul Rock
Matui Bay
KariKari Beach
Maori Statue
Beach Cave
Silica Sand
Country Mouse and Shadow
1 comment:
I seem to remember BJ eating a lot of pie when we went snow skiing, and I belive at the lake on a knee board.lol
Post a Comment