Photo: looking at Hen and Chicken Islands from Uretiti dog beach near Marsden Point (on the Bream Bay coast). It's an East Coast beach.

Large and small offshore islands as seen from the beach.

10 blogging guidelines that don’t apply to personal blogs

You are blogging to express yourself, make friends, develop your own ideas, learn about other lives, expand your understanding of the world, get advice or support, offer advice and support to others — or just for fun.

The Hokianga Harbour is astonishingly beautiful.

A view across a road and a deep blue channel to a hill of golden sand.

A single photo just can’t show how huge Tāne Mahuta is.

Part of an enormous Kauri tree.

Today we aim to visit Tāne Mahuta, a tree that stood on this land for 1,000 years before people arrived and is still standing strong.

www.radionz.co.nz

Stewart Island named a Dark Sky Sanctuary

The Whangarei Basin is a lovely spot on a very hot Saturday morning. The market stalls had variety.

Boats in a marina.
People sitting on grass beside a marina.
A view across a marina to market stalls.
Stalls in an undercover market.

Hah, haven't seen one of these nice timeline adjacencies since I left Twitter. What will drive you? This Maserati?

Adjacent posts on Micro.Blog. One asks what will drive you? Another shows a Maserati car.

Our friends in Whangarei have the most beautiful Belgian Shepherd dog. About 5 years old. 🐶

Belgian Shepherd  standing in the sunshine.

We were suddenly presented with these two huge sculptures on a hill as we rounded a corner (but couldn't take photos till we were down the hill). Absolutely stunning, along with others, including the one like a deckchair. By Kaipara Harbour, and a highlight of the day.

Tall sculpture like a clump of strands of wire.
Tall twisted shape sculpture.
Huge sculpture on top of a hill. The sculpture looks like a deckchair.

As we crossed the Bombay Hills yesterday farmers were harvesting spring onions. What a stench! I’d hate to live downwind of that.

We had a good night in Auckland with a friend, but today we head for our ultimate destination: Whangarei. It’s only another 3 hours I believe, traffic willing.

We stopped along the Desert Road (just before the best viewing spot…) and I hauled out the good camera with the zoom lens for a couple of shots of Mt Ruapehu. Amazing to think we can sometimes see the very top of this from our kitchen window.

Mt Ruapehu peak, close up.
Mt Ruapehu wider shot.

Huntly coal fired power station looks good. We also saw a train load of coal arriving. Time for this one to cease production.

Power station from across the river.

We stopped at Oruatua on the East side of Lake Taupo for the dogs to have a walk.

By the shore of a huge lake.

Ruapehu was looking fine as we drove the Desert Road.

View across the Central Plateau to Mt Ruapehu.

A couple of hours driving brought us to breakfast at Taihape. They’re still waking up here.

Cafe sign beside the road at Taihape.

Quail chicks Day 7. They seem to be exchanging baby fluff for feathers. Photos: yellow chick and stripey chick looking patchy and scruffy. 🐦

Fluffy yellow chick.
Fluffy stripey chick.

Today Fliss, the 6 day old stripey quail chick, is modelling for us. What a looker! Flop’s photos didn't turn out so well. 🐦

Tiny chick standing by the side of the run.
Tiny chick standing by the side of the run, facing out.

Angel Wings. Photo: a white Royal Spoonbill takes flight from the lagoon at Waikawa Beach. 🐦

A Royal Spoonbill landing on a lake, with wings spread as though an angel.