∞

I haven’t seen any porcupine fish on our beach for a while. This is quite a little one. A gull was having a good go at it.

Small, white, sandy, prickly, balloon-like fish. Small, white, sandy, prickly, balloon-like fish.
∞

Those golden sand, sun drenched beaches up north are all very well, but I’ve missed our beach. 🐶

View south to Kāpiti Island under dark clouds. Small black dog on a dark sand beach. Small black dog and small white and tan dog on a dark sand beach.

∞

Other peoples cats must sit still for photos… Ares doesn’t. iPhone 7 takes a while to focus etc. 🐈 Today Ares is inside on a chair. The last photo shows his discoloured eye with wide open iris doesn’t respond to light, so presumably is blind. He gets stuck in corners these days.

Black cat sitting on a chair. Black cat sitting on a chair. Black cat sitting on a chair. Black cat sitting on a chair, face full on to camera.

∞

We really enjoyed Gentleman Jack:

Set in 1832 in Yorkshire, it … is based on the collected diaries of Anne Lister (1791-1840), … documenting a lifetime of lesbian relationships.

This 8-hour series was also thoroughly thought provoking.

Photo

Characters Anne Lister and Anne Walker.
∞

Today is Saturday 21 September 2019 and the quail have produced the first egg of the season. 🐦🥚 We have 12 hours and 02 minutes of sun today. Last year we also had the first eggs on this day. Clever girls!

Chart of sunrise and sunset times.Quail egg.

∞

Queenstown has a horrendous housing cost / shortage problem. Workers can’t afford to live there.

He was even aware of hotels closing entire wings because they did not have the staff needed to operate them, Mr Buckley said.

Hmmm, what could they do to help with worker housing?

∞

As we drove north from Whangārei last weekend we saw numerous seemingly wild turkeys beside the road. Near Te Kao this crew on the grass verge were having quite a barney with a gang in the middle of the road.

Several turkeys on the grass verge.

∞

Link: the hilarious 2019 Comedy Wildlife finalist photos. Some guaranteed laughs here. Click an image to view large then use arrow keys (Mac) to scroll through. See also previous years entries.

∞

Deb has an errand in Kelburn in Wellington so dogs and I came too. I forgot how terrible parking is. We ended up at Beach Babylon in Oriental Bay for a green tea and chocolate cake.

View across cafe tables and chairs to parked cars, with the harbour beyond. Large piece of chocolate cake. Two small dogs tied to cafe chairs.

∞

First contacts

hapū and iwi who encountered Europeans were often willing and able participants in the trade that quickly developed. … Māori women were often used to keep Pākehā in the community.

Pimping, prostitution, perhaps rape, sound so innocent when worded thus. #sexism

∞

Puhoi is just north of Auckland. Bohemians arrived in 1863 and ‘settled’ the ‘waste land’ that in reality belonged to Māori (as did everything in New Zealand before Europeans arrived and grabbed it). That phrase ‘first settlers’ sounds so normal, but Māori were there first.

Puhoi church - a small wooden structure painted white, with a red roof.Plaque about the ‘first settlers’.Building with memorial rock and plaque in front of it. Extensive information board about Bohemian settlers in Puhoi.

∞

The map below may not be 100% accurate, but shows the ~2,300Km Deb and I travelled in the last week. From Waikawa Beach to Putaruru, Whangārei, Cape Reinga (via Pukenui), Whangārei, Coromandel, Drury (Auckland) and back to Waikawa Beach. Loved the trip! Deb skipped the CR bit.

Map showing travel over the last week.
∞

Up in Helena Bay, north of Whangārei, is an amazing art gallery and cafe. While visiting I spotted these gorgeous deejo pocket knives. The problem is I don’t need another pocket knife. Also, the one review I read, gave it only three stars. Still want one though…

Deejo Tattoo 37G Maori Juniper Knife.
∞

In Tirau, near Cambridge, they make the most of corrugated iron. Not the best angle on the first photo unfortunately. It’s a sheep.

Corrugated iron building shaped like a sheep.
Corrugated iron building shaped like a dog.
∞

Cambridge, where we stopped for breakfast, is the horse breeding capital of NZ. The plaques in the footpath makes that clear. Plenty of money in these parts.

A portrait of a horse made of stones in the footpath. A portrait of a horse made of stones in the footpath. Bacon, eggs, tomato and mushrooms.

∞

Today we drove across to the East Coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, with a brief stop at Waiau Falls in amongst native bush. Now we’re in Drury, just south of Auckland to visit more family.

Native bush by Waiau Falls.

∞

Coromandel township is bordered by mangrove swamps. It looks out into the Hauraki Gulf. There are numerous small and large islands in the Gulf, and it’s very popular with boaties. Nearby there seem to be mussel or oyster farms.

Boats by the mangroves.View to the north across sea and islands. View to the west across sea and islands.

∞

Having completed the planned portion of our week away we are now on our way home, via unplanned stops. First up, we’re visiting Coromandel, on the Coromandel Peninsula, where I have never been before. So scenic. Photos may follow.

Map showing the route from Whangārei to Coromandel - a 4.5 hour drive.
∞

Cape Rēinga is at the northernmost tip of mainland New Zealand. According to Māori tradition it’s where the spirits of the dead depart by climbing down the roots of a pohutukawa tree, and into the water to then head back to Hawaiki.

Path to the lighthouse. Information about the spirit journeys.Information about the sacred pohutukawa tree.The sacred pohutukawa tree.

∞

Hmmm, NZ’s first capital:

The first Russell was located at Okiato, 8km from present-day Russell, in May 1840.

Russell was originally called Kororāreka.